1st time LCD TV buyer

[fritzi93]

imagine ron jeremy looks like on a 60' HD

Whoa, no thanks. The thought of that beggars the imagination. I mean that literally, I can't quite get a visual on it, thank goodness. But I know it wouldn't be pretty.

Somebody famous once said something to the effect that squeamish people shouldn't ever see politics behind closed doors or go into a sausage factory. Some things you're better off not knowing. Or seeing.

[MOVIEGEEK]

I'd rather play "Sonic The Hedgehog" on a 60" HDTV than watch the "Hedgehog" play with his sonic.

[louv68]

imagine ron jeremy looks like on a 60' HD

Aw, please no! I can't get that image out of my head now. Must go to my happy place.

[edDV]

Wow, if I were in the market for an HDTV, that Sony bundle would be really tempting. And the price is $300 bucks less than I paid one year ago for my Philips 47" 1080p, 120 Hz set. Just the set, no extras. :P

Like Ricoman says, go big. When I put the 42" plasma in my den I thought it was tremendously, overwhelmingly big. Now I wish I'd gone bigger. Same for the 47" in the living room.

As predicted, prices have been dropping fast. You need to decide when to jump in.

[budz]

imagine ron jeremy looks like on a 60' HD

Okay, now I have that mental picture stuck in my mind..... ewwwwwwww!!!!

To OP: The link for the Panasonic 42 inch LCD TV has gotten good reviews at AVS Forums as well as on the Best Buy website. That model is only exclusively sold at Best Buy. I've yet to see any sort of defective issues with the Panasonic LCD TV line. Remember let your eyes do the deciding for you. Take a dvd disc along with you to the store and ask them to play it back so you can compare different models.

[Chopmeister]

I have a 40" Samsung LCD (A650) in the living room and a smaller 32" Panasonic (THLS10Z) in another room. Mostly I purchase Pannys (DVD recordr, last CRT set) because I have had a generally good experience with their products. Bought the Samsung because it was on sale a year ago, my CRT had died, and it reviewed well. Very happy with both of them, and would buy either brand again. The have lots of inputs, a great picture, and just generally work as intended.

I would not, however, touch a Sony. The Sony panels are the same as the Samsungs (same plant), but the Samsung has better electronic brains and costs less. I tried a Sony and equivalent Panny in the shop - it's fair to say that while they both handled HD material very well, the Samsung also handled SD material very well while, comparatively, the Sony choked - jerky picture that pixellated frequently. The Panny, which I got later, also handles both HD and SD well.

Also, my poor previous experience with Sony "service" in this country, their general pro-DRM attitude, and their downright contempt for their customers (*cough* rootkit, *cough*) means that I cannot bring myself to give them my money.

[majax79]

I've been focusing on brands that fit my budget. I just got myself out of debt because I splurged on things I couldn't afford. So, I've learned my fiscal lesson. The Panasonic is nice, but it's not close to my $450 budget. I could go a little bit hire, to about $500.

The only uses for the TV is watching: Blu-Ray, DVDs, and watching tv on my Comcast HD DVR.

[Jim44]

I just got myself out of debt because I splurged on things I couldn't afford.

Congrats. I'm about 4 months away from finally wiping out $50K in debt (mostly due to a couple of years of unemployment a while back).

The only uses for the TV is watching: Blu-Ray, DVDs, and watching tv on my Comcast HD DVR.

Then, just to re-iterate what others have suggested, get the biggest screen you can afford. Make sure it has all the inputs you need.

[usually_quiet]

Here is a list of 32-inch or 37-inch TVs, from Panasonic, Samsung or VIZIO, all between $450 and $500 (US) before taxes and recycling fees, and available at nationally-known brick-and-mortar stores.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_05772579000P?vName=Computers%20&%20Electronic...0070921x00003a

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_05772039000P?vName=Computers+%26+Electronics&...ame=Flat+Panel

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_05771929000P?vName=Computers+%26+Electronics&...ame=Flat+Panel

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_05710373000P?vName=Computers+%26+Electronics&...ame=Flat+Panel

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+-+32%22+Class+/+720p+/+60Hz+/+LCD+HDTV/9230708.p?i...&skuId=9230708

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Panasonic+-+VIERA+/+32%22+Class+/+720p+/+60Hz+/+LCD+HDTV+w...iera&cp=1&lp=5
For some reason the above link won't work here, but it is for a Panasonic Model: TC-L32X1- VIERA / 32" Class / 720p / 60Hz / LCD HDTV with Apple® iPod® Dock at Best Buy

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10993795&sourceid=150000000000000...i_sku=10993795

[luigi2000]

If picture quality is important to you, then Panasonic, Sharp and Sony are the choices. The excellent Pioneer brand is priced ridiculously high. Toshiba, LG and Philips are generally good well-featured brands. Samsung sells many sets because their light engine has the brightest picture; however they also exhibit an uncorrectable poor to extremely poor contrast linearity. If you know what proper response to test signals looks like, then bring a test dvd to the showroom. If picture quality is not as important as price, then the bargain brands are fine for the undiscriminating viewer.

[edDV]

If picture quality is important to you, then Panasonic, Sharp and Sony are the choices. The excellent Pioneer brand is priced ridiculously high. Toshiba, LG and Philips are generally good well-featured brands. Samsung sells many sets because their light engine has the brightest picture; however they also exhibit an uncorrectable poor to extremely poor contrast linearity. If you know what proper response to test signals looks like, then bring a test dvd to the showroom. If picture quality is not as important as price, then the bargain brands are fine for the undiscriminating viewer.

Luigi, please provide references for those pronouncements. Few of us have that many HDTV sets to compare. Samsung has nine current models just for 40" size in the USA. Which models have you evaluated?
http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/tv-video/televisions/lcd-tv/index.idx?pagetype=subtype

Sharp has all these. I don't have time for this
http://www.sharpusa.com/ForHome/HomeEntertainment/LCDTVs.aspx

[jagabo]

Samsung sells many sets because their light engine has the brightest picture; however they also exhibit an uncorrectable poor to extremely poor contrast linearity.

Luigi, please provide references for those pronouncements.

See the transfer fuction graph in figure 3:
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2349239,00.asp

the Samsung unit initially falls more slowly, and is consistently above the Gamma 2.2 line down to about 20-percent intensity, and then it falls faster, probably for the same reasons as the Sharp.

and from earlier in the article, regarding the Sharp:

probably done intentionally to make the unit appear to have a deeper and blacker contrast

I can see this on my 4665.

[majax79]

Thanks for all the information.

I've been reading a ton of reviews and trying to get together all the model numbers within the screen size. I'll post when I limit it to a few models.

[V Bot]

Go Samsung, you won't regret it. If you weren't set on LCD, Wal-Mart of all places has a very good Plasma 50" (1080P) model for a little over $600. I bought the Samsung PN50A550 for $1400.00 the newer of the two, but if I had the money, I'd buy the WM model I think it was a PN50A450. Be nice to have it also.

[majax79]

I would prefer to buy the TV from Wal-Mart as I get 10% off. I do know that Wal-mart isn't exactly known for top of the line electronics.

[budz]

I would prefer to buy the TV from Wal-Mart as I get 10% off. I do know that Wal-mart isn't exactly known for top of the line electronics.

Remember you pay for what you get!
Sign up for Bing.com and you can get 8% cash back from Sears.com.

[MJA]

this the story will never end,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
anyways..
my brother in law bought the sony bundle 2 days ago from BB.
46"TV,PS3,game,movie,and 4 year warranty for plus TAX $1200 and some change
he is going to sell the PS3,movie ,and the game for $300 to one of his friends

[majax79]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Good to know

If you don't have a recommendation then perhaps start your own thread.

[MJA]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Good to know

If you don't have a recommendation then perhaps start your own thread.

is this a respond to budzs post ?

[budz]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Good to know

If you don't have a recommendation then perhaps start your own thread.

is this a respond to budzs post ?

It's okay if it's a response to my previous post. I gave my opinions and whether or not anyone takes the suggestions don't matter to me. I just state my experiences.

[MJA]

I agree with you 100%

[majax79]

No, I was talking about your post(s) MJA.

[MJA]

whatever.enjoy your trashy Walmart TV

LAST POST

[budz]

No, I was talking about your post(s) MJA.

Dunno why you're dissing him (MJA) and his post. He basically was sharing information on a good deal from Best Buy. There's no need to be rude. Good luck in getting any other assistance from members here if you're going to continue being a a-hole! No one is forcing you to buy what's been suggested. Remember you get what you pay for! Wally world's doesn't sell the best models and you better buy one of their warranty plans as you will prolly need it. Just my 2 freaking cents!

[majax79]

I didn't diss him. I just don't want discussion of a $900 Sony bundle in my thread when I said I don't want Sony and I can only spend around $450 and the Sony bundle is around $900.

Trashy Walmart TV. I don't think that's trashy.

[budz]

None the less you were rude....I'm gonna leave it at that....Good luck on getting your first LCD TV...Many good suggestions were made for you...BTW getting a 720 vs 1080 won't make a difference when watching Blu-ray when using a 32 inch LCD TV. You won't see a difference at all.

[T-Fish]

i bought a Samsung LE40B530 in august.
would get it again anytime. really happy, although
compared to a CRT, its got a slow remote response.

[edDV]

i bought a Samsung LE40B530 in august.
would get it again anytime. really happy, although
compared to a CRT, its got a slow remote response.

That is due to the digital tuner. A CRT with a digital tuner would be equally slow. ATSC/DVB/QAM decode has delay as the buffers fill.

You can see the difference tuning analog cable channels vs. digital QAM channels. You will also have a second to several second delay for digital vs analog versions of the same cable broadcast due to encoding/decoding delays through the chain.

[jagabo]

BTW getting a 720 vs 1080 won't make a difference when watching Blu-ray when using a 32 inch LCD TV. You won't see a difference at all.

He will if he sits within about four feet from the TV.

That is due to the digital tuner. A CRT with a digital tuner would be equally slow. ATSC/DVB/QAM decode has delay as the buffers fill.

Remember also that the TV can't really start displaying anything until an I frame comes around.

[T-Fish]

i bought a Samsung LE40B530 in august.
would get it again anytime. really happy, although
compared to a CRT, its got a slow remote response.

That is due to the digital tuner. A CRT with a digital tuner would be equally slow. ATSC/DVB/QAM decode has delay as the buffers fill.

You can see the difference tuning analog cable channels vs. digital QAM channels. You will also have a second to several second delay for digital vs analog versions of the same cable broadcast due to encoding/decoding delays through the chain.

i didn't even think of that.
i get ~50 analog channels and 300 digital ones over cable, which is why i bought a tv with an integrated DVB-C tuner (and dvb-t, but i dont use that).
i just tested and it takes slightly longer zapping through digital channels vs. analog ones.
thx for the info