Buying my first HD flat panel TV!

[crimson117]

Hi!

I'm buying my first first HD flat panel TV soon and am looking for some advice.

I plan to use it for...

Standard-def DVD's for now
Blu-ray or HD-DVD probably once players go below $200
PC Gaming, within a year once I get an HDMI anr/or HDCP video card
Gamecube gaming
Possible media center PC functionality

Based on those uses, what specs should I look for?

Currently I'm leaning towards the Westinghouse 47" LCD 1080p (TX-47F430S) for around $1700. But I don't know if I will see any benefit from 1080p, or if this westy has any picture quality issues, or input issues, etc. I think I'd be happy with a 42" or 46" or 47" TV. I don't want to spend more than $1800, and less is always better.

 

[CalvinHobbes]

The best advice I can give is do your research before buying anything. There are some great HT forums that will help a lot.

 

[Tiamat]

I use my 37" westinghouse as my PC monitor as well. With this specific ancillary use, I see the benefits of 1080P and would/could not have it any other way. I'm used to 1920x1200 though. If you are used to lower resolutions for everyday tasks, if you choose to do everyday tasks on this screen, then you could potentially only need 720P.

Another thing to consider is at that price range, you could probably get a much larger LED-DLP TV that could offer more contrast at 1080P.

Definitely read up on the pros and cons of each of the 3 main technologies and see which one fits your environment the best.

 

[dwell]

Definitely research. Check out avsforum but try not to get in the middle of the LCD/Plasma fanboy war. Both technologies have advantages and shortcomings. It all depends on your individual needs.

Just don't jump into anything. Waiting a month to buy while researching can make the difference between being stuck with a set you don't really like for the next five years, vs having one that you can really love.

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

I have been researching on AVSforum.com for quite a while now and at this point it seems that the Samsung XX61 or XX65 lines are the overall "best" on the market right now. I am probably going to be getting a 61 series, deciding on either the 4061 (40") or 4661 (46") right now. There is a 500 dollar difference for those 6 inches, so I just need to make sure I need my TV to be that big, and that it will fit fine in my space.

 

[crimson117]

I think I'd go nuts having to deal with bad units, banding, returns, etc. I have a small car so I can't drive it back to a store by myself, and I work during the week so can't hang around to wait for shipping back and forth.

So actually my desire for problem-free operation is leading me away from the 47" westinghouse. Still, $2200 for the 46" Samsung is a bit pricey. I do have an old 34 or 36" HDTV CRT monitor I can use. Perhaps I'll wait a few months.

 

[dwell]

Originally posted by: tHa ShIzNiT
I have been researching on AVSforum.com for quite a while now and at this point it seems that the Samsung XX61 or XX65 lines are the overall "best" on the market right now. I am probably going to be getting a 61 series, deciding on either the 4061 (40") or 4661 (46") right now. There is a 500 dollar difference for those 6 inches, so I just need to make sure I need my TV to be that big, and that it will fit fine in my space.

I have the Samsung 4665 and it's fantastic. Great contrast and black levels. Looks great for gaming. No complaints at all. Only thing is the 71 and 81 series are due next month. The 71 will have a dynamic contrast ratio of 25,000:1 and the 81 will have a LED backlight with 100,000:1 dynamic. Both sets are 120hz too.

Still, the 61 and 65 series are great sets. Best LCDs out right now.

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

Originally posted by: crimson117
I think I'd go nuts having to deal with bad units, banding, returns, etc. I have a small car so I can't drive it back to a store by myself, and I work during the week so can't hang around to wait for shipping back and forth.

So actually my desire for problem-free operation is leading me away from the 47" westinghouse. Still, $2200 for the 46" Samsung is a bit pricey. I do have an old 34 or 36" HDTV CRT monitor I can use. Perhaps I'll wait a few months.

The 4661 is roughly $1900 through amazon.com

And to the above poster, I am trying hard to see the difference with the 61 series vs the 65 series. It just doesnt seem to be a difference that warrants the extra price for the 65 series. However, I have seen plenty of people like yourself on AVSForum who own the 65 series and swear it is the best thing since sliced whole wheat organic bread.

 

[DBL]

Originally posted by: crimson117
I think I'd go nuts having to deal with bad units, banding, returns, etc. I have a small car so I can't drive it back to a store by myself, and I work during the week so can't hang around to wait for shipping back and forth.

So actually my desire for problem-free operation is leading me away from the 47" westinghouse. Still, $2200 for the 46" Samsung is a bit pricey. I do have an old 34 or 36" HDTV CRT monitor I can use. Perhaps I'll wait a few months.

If picture quality is your first priority, you should probably go with a Panasonic or Pioneer plasma. Personally, if I needed 1080p and had your budget, I would sacrifice size and get the Panasonic TH-42PZ700U for < $1900. Side-by-side, the picture blows that Westinghouse away.

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

Also, with the new 71 and 81 series...the current ones look so great I don't see that they can really do *that* much to make a difference to warrant a $1k price increase (apparently they will debut at roughly 2k for 40", 3k for 50", etc). Thats a pretty huge increase and I feel that it may be in part due to marketing, making us believe that these increased contrast ratios, etc are worth it.

 

[dwell]

Originally posted by: tHa ShIzNiT
And to the above poster, I am trying hard to see the difference with the 61 series vs the 65 series. It just doesnt seem to be a difference that warrants the extra price for the 65 series. However, I have seen plenty of people like yourself on AVSForum who own the 65 series and swear it is the best thing since sliced whole wheat organic bread.

The 65 series has

- Glossy screen with an extra 5000 dynamic contrast ratio
- 10-bit color
- Speakers on the side

The glossy screen is a blessing to some, a curse to others. I actually prefer glossy displays. Some people cannot stand them.

When put next to one another the 65 series looks better but under real world scenarios it probably does not make much of a difference. There's a lot of happy 61 users at avsforms.

 

[dwell]

Originally posted by: tHa ShIzNiT
Also, with the new 71 and 81 series...the current ones look so great I don't see that they can really do *that* much to make a difference to warrant a $1k price increase (apparently they will debut at roughly 2k for 40", 3k for 50", etc). Thats a pretty huge increase and I feel that it may be in part due to marketing, making us believe that these increased contrast ratios, etc are worth it.

The 81 series has LED backlighting which should bring the contrast and black levels even beyond CRT. It's all up in the air until someone actually sees these units. Could be a major disaster.

 

[crimson117]

That Panasonic TH-42PZ700U plasma does look nice. But I plan to use it as a PC gaming monitor - isn't Plasma more susceptible to burn-in than an LCD TV would be?

 

[DBL]

Originally posted by: crimson117
That Panasonic TH-42PZ700U plasma does look nice. But I plan to use it as a PC gaming monitor - isn't Plasma more susceptible to burn-in than an LCD TV would be?

Yes, but not any more so than a CRT.

 

[Greg04]

Originally posted by: crimson117
Hi!

I'm buying my first first HD flat panel TV soon and am looking for some advice.

I plan to use it for...

Standard-def DVD's for now
Blu-ray or HD-DVD probably once players go below $200
PC Gaming, within a year once I get an HDMI anr/or HDCP video card
Gamecube gaming
Possible media center PC functionality

Based on those uses, what specs should I look for?

Currently I'm leaning towards the Westinghouse 47" LCD 1080p (TX-47F430S) for around $1700. But I don't know if I will see any benefit from 1080p, or if this westy has any picture quality issues, or input issues, etc. I think I'd be happy with a 42" or 46" or 47" TV. I don't want to spend more than $1800, and less is always better.

Well your gaming leads one to think LCD, how about the 47" 1080P Vizio from costco?

47" 1080P for $1599

 

[Muadib]

Originally posted by: Greg04

Originally posted by: crimson117
Hi!

I'm buying my first first HD flat panel TV soon and am looking for some advice.

I plan to use it for...

Standard-def DVD's for now
Blu-ray or HD-DVD probably once players go below $200
PC Gaming, within a year once I get an HDMI anr/or HDCP video card
Gamecube gaming
Possible media center PC functionality

Based on those uses, what specs should I look for?

Currently I'm leaning towards the Westinghouse 47" LCD 1080p (TX-47F430S) for around $1700. But I don't know if I will see any benefit from 1080p, or if this westy has any picture quality issues, or input issues, etc. I think I'd be happy with a 42" or 46" or 47" TV. I don't want to spend more than $1800, and less is always better.

Well your gaming leads one to think LCD, how about the 47" 1080P Vizio from costco?

47" 1080P for $1599

Dont forget the $150 shipping charge.