Help me figure out a home theater setup...

[brikis98]

I just moved into a new apartment and want to setup a budget home theater system in my living room that connects to my computer. Please give me your recommendations for:

TV
I will be using this as my primary computer monitor for web browsing, coding, and gaming. I will also use it to watch lots of TV shows and movies. Based on the size of the room, needs to be 37-42" and have a matte screen (lots of windows around). 1080p resolution with crystal clear text is a must (I'll be using an HDMI input). I have to admit that I really liked seeing movies at 120hz in the store, but does it make any difference for non blue ray material?

Speaker System
I'm not an audiophile so I don't need anything particularly high end, crazy loud or with insane bass. Just reasonably clean, clear sound is all I want. My computer has an original Soundblaster Audigy sound card, so I'm probably tied to computer speakers.

Budget: max $900



Update
No one seems to be reading this, but I figure I'll post it anyway: I just scored a used (but fully functional) Logitech z680 500W THX 5.1 speaker system off of craigslist for $80. Also, I ordered the Toshiba Regza 40XV645U LCD (40", 1080p, 120hz) from sears.com for $720 with Bing cashback. I did store pickup to save on shipping and it should be ready in 4-6 days. Can't wait.

 

[0roo0roo]

coding? 1080p hdtv resolution is half what 30" desktop monitors actually have....

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
coding? 1080p hdtv resolution is half what 30" desktop monitors actually have....

Coding = writing code = programming = need to be able to read/write lots of text without eye strain.

It's worth mentioning that before I moved, I was using a Westinghouse lvm-37w3se as a monitor, but it was too big to take with me. It's a 37" 1080p TV that was very solid for all my uses. It was high res enough to make games look good, provide a good amount of screen real estate and support HD content. It also had razor sharp text and due to the large screen, made reading very comfortable (unlike 30" screens, where text is tiny). I'd get another one, but two things turn me off: the black levels were not great on the Westy (not surprising at my price range) and it seems to have been discontinued.

 

[brikis98]

bump

 

[brikis98]

one more bump

 

[brikis98]

Update

No one seems to be reading this, but I figure I'll post it anyway: I just scored a used (but fully functional) Logitech z680 500W THX 5.1 speaker system off of craigslist for $80. Also, I ordered the Toshiba Regza 40XV645U LCD (40", 1080p, 120hz) from sears.com for $720 with Bing cashback. I did store pickup to save on shipping and it should be ready in 4-6 days. Can't wait.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

I was reading it, I just didn't have any suggestions for a TV for you since I'm pretty uninformed about the latest display options.

$80 for a z-680 set is a great deal!

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
I was reading it, I just didn't have any suggestions for a TV for you since I'm pretty uninformed about the latest display options.

$80 for a z-680 set is a great deal!

Ah, well, thanks for looking

Yea, I was surprised when I saw the z680 for a low price and even more shocked when I visited the seller and found that everything was fully functional. I'm not an audiophile, but man do these things sound good.