I'm so going broke..

[Plaidfish]

if you get the core Xbox system you will have to buy the HD cables separate...get the MicroSoft ones, they are the longest lasting cables so far.....the price of the cables and Hard drive alone justify buying the elite set....

I have 2 friends that got the westinghouse 32" and I thought they were amazing...one is over a year old and the other just a few weeks.....the samsung sets are supposedly the gamer's choice in LCD.......

Where are you guys getting good reviews on teh Olevia and Vizio models...when I looked them up a few months ago I only got bad words abouthtem.....
I'm still up int he air on my bedroom set and was leaning towards the Westinghouse 37 or 42 inch.......trying to stay under 1000....any other suggestions (other than mentioned above)

 

[Rolex]

Where are you guys getting good reviews on teh Olevia and Vizio models...when I looked them up a few months ago I only got bad words abouthtem.....

The friend that just bought the Samsung gave me the info. It's either Consumer Guide, or Consumer Reports. He also gave me the name of the company that makes Olevia, and I never heard of them either.
I've been brand loyal to Sony, JVC or Panasonic for everything video for the last 20 years, so when I'm looking, Panasonic and Sony are the ones I favor. January or February is my target. Hopefully a 40".
By the way, don't we need a new DVD player for HD?
Also, to answer an earlier question, you need to pay monthly for the HDTV upgrade for cable or dish.

 

[sweetdiesel]

I have 2 friends that got the westinghouse 32" and I thought they were amazing...one is over a year old and the other just a few weeks.....the samsung sets are supposedly the gamer's choice in LCD.......

The sets I saw were at Target and Circuit City. Probably weren't getting the best signal but the sets next to them looked better.

You can find reviews for Olevia and Vizio at www.avsforum.com.

 

[jetmechG550]

rule of thumb, if the company starts with S they make their own screens (LCD), everyone else buys from them or some chinese knockoff. From my experiences with Plasma monitors in airplanes (we've had them for 20 years or so in aviation) I would never, ever consider a Plasma anything. 10K, 15k etc hours lamp life my ass!

I have a 32" Samsung in my bedroom, i forget the model # right now but it's thr better of the samsungs. I beleive the ratio is 4000:1 or maybe 5000:1. At the time i bought it was one of the best in the 32" in range. I think the Sony had better numbers but my wife and i both thought the samsung had a better picture. Gaming is great on it but i really use my systems on my big screen. With the 360, buying the HD DVD is the cheapest way to get a new HD DVD player like getting a PS3 for the blu-ray player. For dish network, you will need to have a HD receiver and also have the HD cables hooked up to get the HD channels. Also i think it's an extra $5/mo for HD channel subscription.

Whatever you decide, get the extended warranty, in most cases they are no questions asked so you covered if the thing falls off the wall you mounted it too or lamps burn out. My boss has had 4 lamps go in two years (can't remember if it a Sharp or Panasonic plasma), the guy they have sent out for warranty said the lamps alone cost about $200 so his warranty has more than paid for itself since three of them were after the manufacturers warranty.

 

[hamz9561]

A little FYI here:
I was told that they don't make a plasma screen smaller than 42" if that's any help...

 

[Burgers8]

i dont know much about the tv's i just know i can't afford em. and you probably have to pay extra for hd channels and it will probably be more money then you would expect.


my teacher ended up paying 1-2000$ more then she intended.

 

[scoobydoo2u]

Ok..

Well I have been reading over every thing you all said and a few of you seem to like samsung(and the reviews I've been reading sound great!)

Now I'm just getting a few together to look for in stores and this is one of the candidates:

Its a LN-T3253H

16:9 Aspect RAtio, 8000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio, 1366 x 768 Pixel Resolution, 8ms Response Time, 178/178 Degrees H/V Viewing Angle, PIP, Game Mode, SRS TruSurround XT, HDMI Inputs
Hidden bottom speakers= very slick look!

Is this going to give the full potential out of HD games and movies?

But is there any thing bad about this one? Can I get better for the price?


If any one thinks another brand or another model would be better for fast action gaming let me know!

Thanks again for all the great info!

 

[jetmechG550]

I believe that's the one I have, I'd have to pull it off the wall to see the model number or get into the crawl space and find the box, but I would say that's it.

 

[Rolex]

It seems like quite an investment to go fully HD, but when you realize how many years you get out of good electronics, I see no reason to cut corners. It's not the price of the TV, since you pay for what you get, but the accessories.
Updating your DVD players or home theatre system, and the cost of good cables. I couldn't believe it when I saw a set of HD cables in Best Buy for $129.

 

[scoobydoo2u]

I'd have to pull it off the wall to see the model number or get into the crawl space and find the box,

Oh no need for that.
If you think that the one you have thats fine thanks!

And Rolex
Yea the cable prices are insane! And so are the HD boxes for satellite and cable!

I'm mostly just interested in this TV for Xbox 360, maybe eventually a PS3 and standard Dish network Tv.
Although If this TV last as long as people say it does(Like around 27 years at 6 hours per day?) I will have this thing for a long time because I will not use this thing 6 hours per day!

But one good thing since I will have a 360 I will get the HD dvd player for it, that alone saves me several hundred.
I have 2 speaker systems and they sound just fine to me, and they are what I am used to. So that more money I don't need to spend!
I think your right, I will keep this one in mind but try to find something long term for when I eventually do get HD tv channels.

So I should look for a good 1080p tv right?

 

[StrechM]

Samsung would be one of the better choices in picture quality at a reasoble price.
Also Vizio, Sony and Pioneer. If you can find a way to step up to the 42" or larger you will not regret it.
And yes, I agree you can feel like you are going broke after setting up a small theater.

 

[scoobydoo2u]

After thinking about what Rolex said

I see no reason to cut corners.

And considering the fact that my budget was 350-400(just wanted a tiny tv) then it slowly worked its way to up to 1,000, and now above that..

I am now considering this..
[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-LNT4065F-1080p-LCD-HDTV/dp/B000OE02G4[/ame]
-OR
[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-LNT4061F-1080p-LCD-HDTV/dp/B000N4Z42C[/ame]
From amazon:
The primary differences between Samsung's LNT4065F and the lower priced LNT4061F LCD HDTV is in the contrast ratio and video processing power. Where this model offers a 15,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and a 10-bit video processor, the LNT4061F has a 10,000:1 ratio, with an 8-bit video processor. The LNT4065F should display finer gradients of shading making for more detail in darker scenes. The video processing difference should ensure smoother motion in fast moving scenes.

This isn't quite a 42" but is there a reason to go 42" other then size(like more features?)

Like i said before I still haven't looked in stores yet just getting an idea of what model to look for!

 

[Rolex]

The only reason size matters,.....well not that reason.... is dependant on the size of the room you will be putting it in. If you have a great room that is 40 X 35 you'll want a huge screen mounted on the wall.
Other than that, a smaller screen gives a much crisper picture since the same amount of info is compressed to a smaller area.
It's like looking at a photo in your hand, and then looking close up at that same photo blown up on a billboard sign.
You can actually regret going too big for the room. Some people do it just for show, and they're too close to appreciate it.
Take you time, do more research, and wait for the big sales in January and February.

 

[StrechM]

If you watch movies produced in 16:9 (typical wide screen format) or 2.35:1 (the older cenima format) you may want a lager veiwing area because of the or height of the veiwing area.

Rolex is right, if you have to set close to it, bigger may not be better.

Do it right the first time. I wasn't kidding when I agreed about the expense. I've redone a room converted to a theater twice in 5 years.

 

[scoobydoo2u]

If you watch movies produced in 16:9 (typical wide screen format) or 2.35:1 (the older cenima format) you may want a lager veiwing area because of the or height of the veiwing area.

Rolex is right, if you have to set close to it, bigger may not be better.

Do it right the first time. I wasn't kidding when I agreed about the expense. I've redone a room converted to a theater twice in 5 years.

Ouch!
I bet that was rather pricey.

I have been looking at the recommended tv size depending on viewing distance(in my case 6-10') and the 40" fall into that category.

I guess now it all comes down to what It looks like in stores compared to other models .

The 4 year warranty is pretty crazy for this thing! like around 300$.
But if something was to go wrong with it $300 is a lot cheaper then any repairs!


Heres a link I found after a bit of searching.http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/howto-av.html#video
It may be helpful to some people that are thinking about upgrading tvs but don't know what certain cables are(my self included)

 

[Rolex]

Make note of your viewing distance at home when you go to the store. Stand that distance away from the displays to see the picture the way you'll see it at home. Then take the screen measurements and compare it to what you have when you get home. After a few comparisons, you'll be able to make an educated decision. It's worth a few trips, since you'll be living with it for about 10 years.

 

[scoobydoo2u]

Make note of your viewing distance at home when you go to the store. Stand that distance away from the displays to see the picture the way you'll see it at home. Then take the screen measurements and compare it to what you have when you get home. After a few comparisons, you'll be able to make an educated decision. It's worth a few trips, since you'll be living with it for about 10 years.

Thanks Rolex!

I will hopefully be able to go look around best buy and circuit city to see it this week end, but the buy is still a couple months away.

Thanks again for every ones help!

 

[TalonOne]

Originally Posted by Rolex
"Make note of your viewing distance at home when you go to the store. Stand that distance away from the displays to see the picture the way you'll see it at home. Then take the screen measurements and compare it to what you have when you get home. After a few comparisons, you'll be able to make an educated decision. It's worth a few trips, since you'll be living with it for about 10 years."
Thanks Rolex!

Rolex this is VERY GOOD advice.....simple.....but the best way to choose one of these critters.....I am still shopping myself.....but the 360 has me wanting something more up to date. Besides you get accosted by them every time you walk into Costco...

 

[Rolex]

I do a lot of research on my own in stores and on the internet. I used to sell electronics because I've always been a tech freak, so I'm well aware that most salesmen are just doing a job, not totally into what they sell. If anyone asks if they can help me, I tell them I'm just killing some time. If they pester me, I'll ask a few technical questions that they can't answer, or try to bs their way through. That's when they'll leave.
When I finally go to buy, it's usually Best Buy or Circuit City, and when a salesman approaches me I just ask if they have this model in stock. If they say yes, I say wrap one up for me.
If you go in uninformed, you're almost as clueless as the salesman. You can get more info on your own, AND UNDERSTAND it, by doing your own research.
You have time left, so keep learning about HDTV and in January or February walk in and have them wrap one up for you.
Good luck....Keep us posted.

TalonOne, if you're going for the 360, HD is an absolute MUST. Just watch someone playing a game on the display. It's intense to see such flawless graphics. Anyone up for some Atari Space invaders anymore? They made a zillion dollars with that and pong on B&W.

 

[Lessen]

I do a lot of research on my own in stores and on the internet. I used to sell electronics because I've always been a tech freak, so I'm well aware that most salesmen are just doing a job, not totally into what they sell. If anyone asks if they can help me, I tell them I'm just killing some time. If they pester me, I'll ask a few technical questions that they can't answer, or try to bs their way through. That's when they'll leave.
When I finally go to buy, it's usually Best Buy or Circuit City, and when a salesman approaches me I just ask if they have this model in stock. If they say yes, I say wrap one up for me.
If you go in uninformed, you're almost as clueless as the salesman. You can get more info on your own, AND UNDERSTAND it, by doing your own research.
You have time left, so keep learning about HDTV and in January or February walk in and have them wrap one up for you.
Good luck....Keep us posted.

Sound advice here. I do the exact same thing.. except with cars. I used to be a salesman so I have a better understanding about the biz. I know what's realistic and what isn't. I do my research.. tell 'em what I want.. haggle to a fair price.. and sign. Save a few bucks and have fun doing it