Looking to buy an LCD TV

[Compnewbie01]

Considering between 26" and 32". I want to keep it under or around $1000 and would be used for watching TVs, an occasional movie, possible use it as a computer monitor (unlikely) and for my Xbox 360. I know Panasonic and Pioneer are highly rated, but I didn't see many of those at Costco which is where I will probably buy one since they tend to have pretty good prices/return rates (if anything goes wrong). What I need to know is should I look for a typical 720p/1080i LCD or do they also make 1080p at that small of an LCD? Also, what is this 1388X733(something like that) resolution? Doesn't sound right. Please provide any input if available.

 

[JackBurton]

It is a little over your price range, but I'd definitely say spend the extra cash on it. It is a GREAT display.

Samsung LN-S3251D

 

[Greenman]

Watch an action movie on whatever one you like before you buy it. I was in costco a couple months back checking out the lcd tv's, and couldn't see anything but motion blur. Lcd has a long way to go before it's ready for the big screen.

 

[Compnewbie01]

Oh, I definately plan on looking at each and everyone before buying. I can tell right off the bat a few are crap as the words do a weird ghosting thing. Also, I need to add that 32" will actually be too big. So maybe more around 26" since it has to fit nicely on my desk.

 

[Slammy1]

You could hang it on the wall. It seems Costco doesn't have much in that size range (jump from 23" to 32"). I don't think they typically carry Sammys either, I'd lean towards Sony as a second choice (but it'll be a bit above your budget for a 32").

 

[TheRyuu]

What about the Westinghouse for $1300.
Text

Great 1080p 37in'er. Deffinitly worth the $$$

 

[Slammy1]

I'd absolutely agree with the Westy if it was for use as a PC monitor (heck, I have one myself and the 37" Westy is the same price as the 32" Sony and cheaper than the Sammy). The lack of a tuner kinda squirrels it, if I wasn't running a tuner in my PC that is (actually, I'm currently "in-between" tuner cards). SD on the Westy's not all it's cracked up to be, I run it through an S-Video converter to make it better but it's a bit grainy still.

EDIT: A lot of people run resize on tuners, which is a big part of why I traded my AIW to a gaming card with the idea of a separate tuner soon. It does amazing things for DVDs, and the filters are great for SD.

 

[Compnewbie01]

My dorm room has concrete walls so I can't hang it. The HD part of it is mostly going to be for 360 games. It would also be nice if I could hook it up to my computer and play games as well since I got a pretty good graphics card to run at high resolutions. I just have to ask though about the possibility of getting a big sized monitor. Maybe I should just get a 23/24" monitor instead, but I don't really understand the difference and why they are in seperate categories. Also, what is this tuner you speak of? Is it simply what allows a monitor to pickup television signals?

 

[Indus]

sony bravia "S" series.. check it out at a store nearby.. its the best lcd tv since sliced bread honestly.

 

[justlnluck]

I use the Westinghouse 32w6 as a computer monitor and TV. Excellent PC monitor and HD is phenomenal. Also, motion blur is only a slight artifact on interlaced sources. DVD on VGA input is crystal clear with no blur whatsoever.

 

[Slammy1]

Size depends on viewing distance, a 24" monitor assumes you'll be right up on it. There are two categories of displays you would look at. An actual HDTV would have an incorporated tuner which would allow you to directly connect cable, connect an HD antenna (I'm thinking reception would suck in a dorm, haven't tried it), etc. The second class is a monitor where you would need to connect to a separate tuner such as a cable box, VCR, computer card, or whatever. If you have a decent computer then a monitor is a good solution as they are cheaper, but recognize that you'll have to have your PC running to get reception so you have the additional concerns of heat, noise, and downtime. I'd highly recommend a DVI connection to a PC for DVD playback with a decent system as you'll have a very nice player going that route (best solution short of an expensive player, but some tweaking/knowledge is required). Additionally, PVR is a very nice thing to be able to do and you can have some TIVO functionality without renting the box. Irrespective of whether you tune through the PC I'd highly recommend a PC connection for media playback.