Getting HDTV LCD this weekend - any recommendations?

[Brian48]

Finally taking the plunge and just in time for football season too.

Was looking to spend just under $2500 to take advantage of the tax-free weekend here in MA. I'm primarily looking for a 40" LCD versus a plasma screen. I plan on wall-mounting the unit.

The problem is, I don't anything about HDTVs so I'm a little lost here. I've been recommend both Sony and Samsung in regards to brands. Anyone have any recommendations?

 

[DaveSimmons]

Westinghouse also makes a well-regarded 42" LCD that is 1080p instead of the 720p of most other models.

AVSForum.com has threads on almost every LCD made, look up what models your stores carry and then read the threads about them. "Search" also works there, unlike here.

 

[Tech Newbie]

Well~ Samsung is always cheaper than sony, but the quality is bad at all. I personally like SAMSUNG LNS4051DX ( http://www.samsung.com/Products/TV/LCDTV/LNS4052DXXAA.asp the 1DX is black color and 2DX is white color). but it's a little too big for me. If you look around, you might find it around $2000. I was told that purchasing HDTV, it's better to see it for your own eye and comparing with other TV in the store rather than believe what those numbers sales told you.

 

[DaveSimmons]

^ good advice. I didn't need to wall-hang so I went with a Samsung DLP instead.

With DLPs the "rainbow effect" bothers some people, while the one or two I see looking away and back in an evening of TV viewing don't bother me at all.

Others are driven nuts by the "screen door effect" in LCDs, or by finding a dead or stuck pixel or two on their screen.

 

[MrChad]

I went for this deal from 6ave.com, and I've been very happy so far. The included wall-mount bracket and extended warranty sealed the deal for me. The picture quality on the Panasonic is outstanding. Since you're in MA, you won't pay tax either.

EDIT: My link doesn't seem to work. Go to http://www.6ave.com and search for "TH42PX60UPK2".

 

[MrChad]

Also, check out this white paper (PDF) on plasma technology. There's some good advice on how to properly "break-in" your TV so it will give you outstanding picture quality for years to come.

 

[Brian48]

Originally posted by: MrChad
Also, check out this white paper (PDF) on plasma technology. There's some good advice on how to properly "break-in" your TV so it will give you outstanding picture quality for years to come.

Some pretty good info there. Thanks.

 

[mshan]

A 720p LCD or plasma might be your best choice, especially if you will be viewing SD TV content and DVDs.

1080 panels are nice, but from what I've read on AVS Forum, anything that's not 1080 native potentially looks like crap.

Also probably much cheaper than 1080 panels right now. LG LCD tvs look quite nice at Best Buy.

Panasonic seems to be highly recommended for plasma, but plasma apparently draws more power than LCDs (300 - 400W vs 200W for LCD, generally speaking).

 

[Fallen Kell]

As a person who has been holding off on buying a HDTV for myself (although I picked out a TV for my parents, aunt/uncle, and 3 friends) I have a little experience in this. First of all avsforums is the place to go, but it will be information overload. You need to ask yourself a few basic questions:

1) Does it need to be wall hangible? (if "yes" you have just narrowed yourself from CRT's, DLP's, LCoS, front projectors, LCD's, and Plasmas to just Plasmas and LCD's).

2) Are their any windows in the room that the TV will be located?
If yes, do you have blinds or curtains that will allow you to control the light? (If no, you just about removed LCD's from being a choice if you want to use it during the day)
Do these windows allow the sunlight to glance off the TV? (if yes, they you just about removed LCD's from being a good choice if you want to use it during the day)

3) How wide of a viewing angle do you need? (i.e. do you basically sit directly in front of the TV or is there a lot of seating that is comming from the sides?) If you have a lot of side seating, you remove most of the cheap LCD's from being good TV's (cheap is a relative term here, highend LCD's in the 40" range are still in the $4000-6000 range, so a lot of the $2000 ones skimp on their panel and lose off axis viewing, same is true on some of the plasmas to an extent, but in the plasma case you wind up with a double image as if you looked at the reflection in a double-paned glass window from the side)

4) Do you want to connect a computer to it for use as a display? (this one is HUGE... if you answer yes to it, you just removed all plasmas from the list and most LCD's as well. Only a few LCD's have a DVI-I or VGA port (yes, you can get a convertion cable for HDMI, but there have been problems with HDCP) and even fewer of the already few 1080p displays actually allow a 1920x1080 resolution to be sent to the screen from the computer and instead limit you to 1024x768.... in fact only 3 models exist to my knowledge)

5) Are you planning on upgrading to Blu-Ray DVD or HD-DVD in the near future (getting a PS3 will be considered a yes)? If yes, should go for a 1080p display. But make sure that it is one that can accept a 1080p signal from HDMI or DVI input, NOT ALL CAN, even though they have a 1080p panel, you can only feed it with a 1080i or 720p signal which means that you might as well have just gotten a 1080i panel or 720p panel since it is COMPLETELY USELESS)

 

[Todd33]

If yes, do you have blinds or curtains that will allow you to control the light? (If no, you just about removed LCD's from being a choice if you want to use it during the day)

Huh? I use my LCD in a room with 2-3 windows in the day, it looks fine even with the backlight and brightness way down.

 

[Hadsus]

Originally posted by: Todd33

If yes, do you have blinds or curtains that will allow you to control the light? (If no, you just about removed LCD's from being a choice if you want to use it during the day)

Huh? I use my LCD in a room with 2-3 windows in the day, it looks fine even with the backlight and brightness way down.

Actually plasmas can be problematic in bright light from windows because the screen is glass and even with anti-glare surface coatings, still reflect that light. BTW, the XBox 360 looks and plays great on my 50 inch Panny plasma. I hook it up the video via component cable and digital sound goes to my Pioneer Elite Dolby Digital receiver.

Pluses on the plasma....best picture among DLP, CRT, LCD technologies IMO and good cost/value ratio. Color saturation is fantastic.

Minuses on plasma....unwieldy. My 50 incher weighs 100 lbs. and requires care and two people to place/mount it. And as I said, glare. If you have a glarey room be prepared to use your blinds alot.

 

[Slammy1]

Yeah HK, I actually prefer some ambient lighting for darker movies, and viewing angle has made leaps and bounds in the last couple of years. It's funny, if only you had a 6600 and MCE you'd have a system straight out of the AVS's HTPC forums. Not meaning that in a bad way, but you should take the plunge soon. I was once like you, with an HTPC running through my 19" monitor. So happy I broke down and got the 37" Westy 1080p. Problems? Yes. Happy? Still yes, I'm still tweaking 8 months in and it just gets better.

 

[Demitre]

Yeah if you are going to be be watchign movies and sports, along with some regualr tv, a panasonic 50 inch is the way to go for aroudn that price range. Through you might have to find a deal to get it under 2500, it does get that low through.

If you are planning to hook it up to a computer, lcd is the way to go, the 42' Westinghouse like others suggesst is good for that price range. You can get one now for the same price I paid for a 37' one just under a year ago lol.

If I did not want to hook it up to a computer and use it as a monitor, the panny plasma is really the best choice for that money.

 

[imported_goku]

Be sure to double bag it, don't want to be picking up any thing like gonorrhea.