Good tv for $1k

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djnsmith7

Platinum Member
Apr 13, 2004
2,612
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I'm still wondering if edge lit LED is comparable to plasma. I suppose I need to go to a store and take a look.

I've seen some very nice Samsung LED displays. Definitely worthy of consideration. Be wary of the 3D marketing schemes going on right now. I have a strong feeling it's just a silly fad & won't last very long. Make sure the display produces a normal / standard picture that you're satisfied with. Be careful & don't be reeled in by the 3D gimmicks.
 

Narmer

Diamond Member
Aug 27, 2006
5,292
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It doesn't have the anti-reflective layer that's found in the S- and G- series plasmas.

There is another model for $800 that does. Follow the instructions and you're good to go.

EDIT: Actually, the TC-P50S2 is $740 with free shipping, no tax. Excellent deal.
 
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Hopeless

Golden Member
Oct 29, 2004
1,426
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Over labor day weekend I picked up the Mitsubishi 60" DLP, model WD60638. It has 3 HDMI & 2 Component inputs. It was onsale for $799.99 at Ultimate Electronics. After getting HD cable box from cox along with HDMI cables for it & my xbox 360 I'm really liking it.
 

Knavish

Senior member
May 17, 2002
910
3
81
There is another model for $800 that does. Follow the instructions and you're good to go.

EDIT: Actually, the TC-P50S2 is $740 with free shipping, no tax. Excellent deal.

Wow that is a good deal. I wonder how long the State University of New York will allow random people online to sign up for their Employee Purchase Program & get this discount. :)
 

Narmer

Diamond Member
Aug 27, 2006
5,292
0
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Wow that is a good deal. I wonder how long the State University of New York will allow random people online to sign up for their Employee Purchase Program & get this discount. :)

I know. By the way, how can I find out the difference between the G25 and the S2? You cannot do a comparison on Panasonic's website.
 

velillen

Platinum Member
Jul 12, 2006
2,120
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Just remember we are edging closer and closer to thanksgiving which means its sale time. Not that you will for sure find better deals but just keep in mind a lot of stuff does go on sale around that time
 

IndyColtsFan

Lifer
Sep 22, 2007
33,655
688
126
Panasonic VIERA TC-P50G25 50-Inch 1080p (Amazon)
-- $965
-- Pros: Supports streaming media
-- Cons: $65 wireless adapter, Panasonic's black level problem last year
-- the 46" model is MORE EXPENSIVE than the 50

I bought this TV off Amazon last week and it arrived yesterday (I paid about $70 more for it than your price). So far, so good; THX mode REALLY rocks. I played the Star Trek blu-ray and it really looked like I was watching it in a movie theater. Colors were unbelievably awesome and the movie displayed incredibly sharp detail. The TV has a great feature set including network connectivity, Viera Cast, Viera Link, etc.

My wife said that she thinks the standard def channels look better on my older 2007 Panasonic plasma; I think I probably just need to play with some of the settings still. THX may not be a good mode for regular TV, so I just need to experiment a little.

Viera Cast does rock, but navigating Netflix is slow compared to the Xbox we used to use. It is functional though and the interface is fairly nice. If you get this TV, have a USB keyboard handy; that was the only way I found to disable the annoying "Welcome" screen on Viera Cast. I could not find the key combo on the remote.
 
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IndyColtsFan

Lifer
Sep 22, 2007
33,655
688
126
I'm still wondering if edge lit LED is comparable to plasma. I suppose I need to go to a store and take a look.

Take care when you go to the store; those TVs aren't calibrated very well in most cases and the video sources are of dubious quality to some of the TVs.
 

Knavish

Senior member
May 17, 2002
910
3
81
Knavish, instead of buying the wireless adapter, you can set a router as a client and be done with it. Get this excellent router from Verizon for $10 (with free overnight shipping) and do that. Not only that, you'll have a nice wireless switch in your entertainment area.

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/accessory?action=accessoryDetails&archetypeId=11605

This is definitely a good idea. I may have to setup a wireless bridge, though, so I'm on the lookout for a Tomato or DDWRT compatible router.
 

Knavish

Senior member
May 17, 2002
910
3
81
I bought this TV off Amazon last week and it arrived yesterday (I paid about $70 more for it than your price). So far, so good; THX mode REALLY rocks. I played the Star Trek blu-ray and it really looked like I was watching it in a movie theater. Colors were unbelievably awesome and the movie displayed incredibly sharp detail. The TV has a great feature set including network connectivity, Viera Cast, Viera Link, etc.

...I really am leaning towards this system. I might still drop by a Sams or Costco locally to see what they have before I pull the trigger, though.
 

IndyColtsFan

Lifer
Sep 22, 2007
33,655
688
126
...I really am leaning towards this system. I might still drop by a Sams or Costco locally to see what they have before I pull the trigger, though.

I don't think you can go wrong with Panasonic or Samsung to be honest. I'm a bit biased with regards to Panasonic, as I now have 3 of their plasmas and have always enjoyed their products. With their current prices, I personally think that if they don't have the best bang for the buck, they are certainly near the top. The G25 series is their second to the top-of-the-line in plasmas; I refused to buy the VT25 series because I agree that 3D is a gimmick that will soon fade and even though it is supposedly a better display than the G25, it was $1300 more and it can't possibly be $1300 better than a G25 series. Best Buy had a combo of the VT20 and a 3D Blu Ray player and even that combo as $1900.

My brother has a 52" Samsung LCD of some variety and it is really nice too.
 
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IndyColtsFan

Lifer
Sep 22, 2007
33,655
688
126
This is definitely a good idea. I may have to setup a wireless bridge, though, so I'm on the lookout for a Tomato or DDWRT compatible router.

I have a wireless N bridge in my entertainment center to avoid the gouging that vendors employ for their proprietary wireless solutions. In my case, it is a D-Link DAP-1522; but the DDWRT is definitely a cheaper solution.