Hey, tell me something, internet: if you were gonna buy yourself a nice big TV, what kind would you get? I am leaning toward this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-LN52A6.../dp/B001CE7BSW
It's too expensive for me to get right now, but so is everything else. It's not completely out of reach financially if I save up for a few months. Does anyone have any other suggestions, or does anyone own a similar TV that they could tell me about, or what have you?
I went with this:Originally Posted by P. J. Head
http://www.amazon.com/LG-42LG30-42-I.../dp/B0016PBCQY
42" seems huge in a reasonably large living room. I'm not really sure if the difference between 720 and 1080 is worth the price differential(it may very well be, but all in all I'm very happy with the HD picture quality).
Based on this article, if I were in the market for an HDTV right now I'd get this one. Sure you could spend more and maybe get a slightly better set (Samsung LCDs are always highly ranked by Consumer Reports and everyone else), but this one looks like one of the best TVs for the money right now. And I agree with Tim: bigger isn't always better. 42" is plenty big. That's what I have; our sofa is 14' away from the TV, and it seems just about right. Unless you're going to be even farther away than that, don't bother getting bigger than 42".
From what I understand, for TVs less than 55", the difference between 1080p and 720p can't really be discerned by the human eye unless you get uncomfortably close.
The price of the TV is the tip of the iceberg, followed by upgrading your cable service to HD, buying a blu-ray player and blu ray discs, etc.
We got a 32" Olevia about a year and a half ago - my living room set-up is kind of strange (think of a long rectangle), so the couch is pretty close to the TV (probably eight feet apart), and this size feels just right. Totally happy with the TV - totally cheap at Target.
When can I watch "The Daily Show" in HD?
I agree that Samsungs are always good. I have a 32'', but it's a little too small in my studio apartment. I have to be within about 6 feet from it to enjoy the picture. Or else everything is too tiny.
Make sure you have either an HD game system (Xbox plays divx movies and mp4s) or the HD package from your cable provider, or else you're just wasting your money to get a nice TV.
I wouldn't spend over $950, personally. That should be able to get you a nice 42''.
42" seems to be the sweet spot for bang-for-your-buck, although there are now cheaper 50" sets I guess. I was thinking about getting a 32" (or smaller) for my bedroom, but they just aren't that comparatively affordable -- $500-$600, when you can get a good 42" for a few hundred more, seems too steep.
Berliner: I think the 720p rule is for 42" and under (maybe 46") -- I've read that you start to notice a difference between 720 and 1080 at around 50".
Also, if you're open to plasma, Panasonic makes a few mean ones that keep getting cheaper. The problems with plasma: power hogs + glare. Which I guess is why LCDs are taking over.
isoS, glare and power-sucking are the exact reasons I want to avoid plasmas, and the Samsung 630s are specifically low-glare models.
I forgot to mention that my current TV is 52" and I'm just used to the hugeness. Unfortunately, it's a 52" rear-projection 720p tube, and it's starting to look a lot like shit. So if I get a new one, I want it to be the same size or not too much smaller. The 630s also come in a 46" size, which is about as small as I'm willing to go. I'll probably wind up with that.
The only thing I'm worried about is that maybe my standard-def DVDs will look crappy on a nice TV.
And Berliner, you are indeed correct about the TV itself being the tip of the iceberg. Between buying a Blu-ray player (probably a Panasonic BD30, which is a bit cheaper than a PS3 and will play absolutely anything, including burns), a nice receiver, and a stand to put all this shit on and in, I'm probably looking at another thousand bucks on top of the TV itself.
I just got basic cable so I could record jeopardy on my VCR
Garrett Gonzalez Morris (born February 1, 1937) is an American comedian and actor from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was part of the original cast of the sketch comedy program Saturday Night Live, appearing from 1975 to 1980
For the British flautist, see Gareth Morris.
You're kidding!
HF! stands for Helpful Facts!
TV resolution versus viewing distance
If you're concerned about cost, the 47" Vizio XVT runs about $1300 and Costco recently had a $300 off coupon, so you might be able to get it for $1000. It's not quite as good of a TV as that Samsung, and it is a little smaller, but for the same price as the Samsung you could get two of them.
I'm Dwyane Wade! I do commercials!
I highly recommend the Samsung LN46A530 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV.
We did about one solid month of research, going to Best Buy and what not, comparing and contrasting and this was the one we thought had the best bang for the buck. 20,000:1 contrast ratio, 5 ms response time.
Even the guy who hooked up the HDTV was blown away. Said he'd never seen such a good picture.
And if you look around (we got it through Amazon), you can find it for around $1200
"Even gutter hags trump pretty boys." - BabyCakes
My TV is so big that it reaches the sun, causing parts of it to melt.
No, wait, it's "just" 32 inches. Plenty big for my apartment. My couch is about 6 feet away. (I had a 56 inch rear projection HD set, but it was positively overwhelming in my living room.)
I agree with isos that 42 inch is probably the sweet spot for size vs. price. In my case, a 32 Vizio was under $400 and I just couldn't justify springing for more.
One thing to note: a 32, 37, and even 42 inch screen will look absolutely puny in the cavernous retail space, surrounded by bigger screens and high ceilings. The reality is that when placed in your home, things come way down to scale. The good news is... prices keep coming down while quality and features go up.
Buy this. Problem solved.
If you haven't already acted, this seems like a goddamn steal;
Philips 47" 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with Perfect Pixel HD Engine 899.99
"Even gutter hags trump pretty boys." - BabyCakes
120Hz generally makes 60i footage (news, for example) look better, but it makes 24p material look like video.
I am SO GLAD people agree with me about this. I don't really need 120hz in my TV because I don't watch football all day.
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