New TV time. Looking at 37"-40" LCDs...

[buck]

I have been reading up on AVS forums and I have narrowed it down to a few TVs. I just wanted to ask some advice over here since the forums there seem chaotic.
What I am looking for is a TV that is decent quality, 720p is good enough for me, plays xbox360 nicely, isnt that much of a pain for low def, and has good picture quality on the whole.
I have seen good reviews for:
Vizio 37"(vx37l)
SAMSUNG 40" LN-T4061F
Sony Bravia 40" XBR2

My biggest worry is that I watch about 1/2 HD and the other 1/2 low def. Considering where I am reading at avs forums, it seems like no one watches anything but hd. I dont want to have issues with anything burning in like i do with my CRT HD now.

If you have any thoughts or suggestions I would appreciate it.

 

[SLCentral]

The XBR4's are coming out within about two months, so if you can wait, I would suggest grabbing that over the XBR2. It's not huge differences (120Hz, HDMI 1.3, better processor), but figure when you buy a new TV, you might as well wait two months to get the latest model.

If you're looking for quality SD viewing, immediately eliminate the Vizio. As someone who is around high-end TV's all day, I can tell you that the reason the Vizio is so damn cheap is because it lacks a quality processor, and thus is unable to make SD even look presentable. Your SD feeds will look worse then your current TV with the Vizio. The XBR2/4 will have the best processing in terms of SD quality, but the LNT4061 is a bit of a better deal, in terms of pricing. Sony is the undisputed king of the LCD's, with Samsung following a close second place. If you're looking for the best quality, bar none, Sony is where to go. For great quality with a better price, Samsung is your best choice.

Any reason why you're not looking at plasma? You say you are worried about burn-in; at this point, plasma will NOT have any sort of burn in risks unless you pause a movie and go away for a extended period of time. I suggest you read this: http://www.pioneerelectronics....0Paper%20-%20FINAL.pdf. It explains the myths of plasmas. Basically, what they did was take 11 different plasmas, and pause a DVD for 48 hours, to simulate leaving the TV paused on a DVD for the weekend. They came back after those 48 hours, and all the sets had some sort of image retention. After playing back a DVD for 24 hours, every single set (even the cheap ones) had no signs of IR. Clearly, this is no longer an issue. Basically, with plasma, you'll be able to get a better picture quality for less money. I'd suggest checking out the PDP-4280. Since it's a higher end model, it'll likely cost the same as the Sony/Samsung, but will give you a far better picture, especially if you're used to an HD CRT. Black levels on this set are unmatched, to the point where in a dark room, black bars that may show up on movies literally blend in with the black bezel, something no LCD/plasma has ever been able to do. I'd suggest checking out Invisiondisplays.com, they're an AVS Forum sponsor and give a good deal on Pioneer's.

I'd go with plasma as long as you don't have a lot of windows in the room, due to glare issues. As long as you're not using the TV for computer/desktop use, there's no real reason not to go with plasma. Image quality is far better, and the Pioneer's have the best processing for non-HD content in the industry.

 

[buck]

That is good reading about the plasmas. I really appreciate that.

You pretty much hit up on the points why I didnt mention going plasma. My living room has three windows where glare would be a problem and I did want to use my LCD with my computer (not alot, but enough that it might be a problem with a plasma).

Im glad I posted this because I almost pulled the trigger on the Vizio this weekend since circuit ***** had it on sale ($769 and no sales tax since I was in Oregon). However, the common sense part of my brain told me to wait since I did not want buyers remorse for something like this.

So obviously now, I am really leaning toward the Samsungs..... I dont know if i can wait two months though, my hd-crt is on its last leg. Poor thing needs to be laid to rest....

 

[A5]

The Vizio isn't in the same class as the other TVs you listed (and I have one! )...if you're looking to spend that kind of money, then you'd be better off getting the higher-end TV.

 

[buck]

Originally posted by: A5
The Vizio isn't in the same class as the other TVs you listed (and I have one! )...if you're looking to spend that kind of money, then you'd be better off getting the higher-end TV.

We were hoping to keep it around 1k. However, if I need to spend a little more to suit my needs.....