TV purchase upcoming.

[civiclvr]

Hey guys,

Well, time has come to say goodbye to my 32" tube TV.. it's old and getting fuzzy
so in by beginning of march or so i plan on getting a new TV, but I need help. I've been out of the loop for TV technology for a while and no longer know what to look for/ask about.

budget is about $1100, +/- $200 (unless I pay-per-month, which i don't want to do)
my living room is only 12'x20'
looking in and around the 40" range
mostly used for gaming and movies.. not a big cable watcher.

any and all advice is welcome.. I know a few of you are pretty up on this

Thanks in advance!

[sputnik]

If you want something in the 40" range for games and movies I would recommend that you save some more money and buy a 120hz Samsung or Sharp.

[A790]

I bought a DLP and have a LCD, and honestly I prefer the DLP simply because there's no ghosting or anything like that. The only real downside is the fact that you ahve to be within certain angles to get a clear picture.

[rc2002]

I bought a 120Hz TV. There was huge difference with it turned on/off on the in-store display model.

But when I started playing movies on it - especially non-HD ones - the movement looked really fake (it made the special effects look really cheesy). I turn it off for fast action movies now.

[im2fst4u]

I bought the Samsung LNT4069 40" 120hz 1080p LCD about a month ago and it has an amazing picture. Tons of inputs, firmware upgradeable etc. Running blue-ray through my PS3 is stunning!

Highly recommend this television but yes, a little higher in price than you are looking to spend but well worth the extra money.

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926HDS0010095229&catid=24558


:thumbsup:

[civiclvr]

I've read up here and online that the 120Hz isn't really THAT noticeable. I don't imagine that I'd notice it as my eyes aren't perfect.
my living room also has a big sliding glass window at the end that faces south.. so glare can be an issue sometimes
looking in and around the 40".. a few 37" have caught my eye.. doesn't have to be 40" if there's a better quality tv @ 3" less

I also read up on your purchase im2fst4u.. and it looks a great tv.. but i think out of the range of what i'm looking for.

[cdnsir]

If you have direct light shinning in, then you'll for sure need a LCD to prevent glare.

You sound like you just need a hdtv for casual use, and you're also saying you don't need all the cutting edge features... Hey you know what, I might be able to help you out here. Look for my PM ok?

[im2fst4u]

Originally posted by civiclvr
I've read up here and online that the 120Hz isn't really THAT noticeable.
I must disagree, and when people are at my place watching my television with the Motion Plus (120hz) turned on, they notice a huge difference in the picture. When we first got the tv, we had a hard time adjusting to the new picture as it almost looked "fake or cheaply filmed" but now our eyes are adjusted and i would never go back from the 120hz picture. Where we notice the big deference is when watching 1080p movies in Blue-Ray....amazing!

[JordanLotoski]

I just bought 3 panasonic 42 inch plasmas....i prefer plasma i find the picture way better and when you watch hockey you dont see the blu around the puck.

Go see Chady at the shawnessy futureshop...he was awesome to deal with

[Bimmer88]

Plasma, and LCD are pretty much par. It's really up to personal preference I think LCD is a sharper image and plasma is softer if you had a LCD next to a plasma you'll see a difference but not a big deal... Up to you what to buy.

All I can suggest is get the maximum extended warranty. Trust me... in the long run you'll thank me for it!

A panel needing to be replaced in a LCD or plasma can cost upwards to 3000K and believe me. Or simple Y-Panel and C-Panels in your LCD or plasma can cost $600 to for parts and labor. With extended warranty it's all covered and plus if it's not worth for the manufacturer or the extended warranty company to authorize the repair then you get a nice new LCD or Plasma for free!!! :D that's good news but most of the times manufactureres will authorize the repair.

Now for plasmas... I find their A LOT heavier!!! like OMG heavy. But LCD are pretty light and nice. So it's up to you... I just suggest get extended warranty.

Most common problems with LCD, plasmas and sometimes DLP is a black band vertical/horizontal and that's costly to fix if you don't have warranty/extended warranty... so just to let you know.

DLP is a different story cause it doesn't use ribbon cables or liquid like Plasma or LCD, it has a light prism that is like a square and has 4 pieces of glass and when or if the glass breaks on a side usually will give you a black band. Otherwise it could be something else...

AS for DLP!!! their bulb life doesn't last too long... and once your bulb burns out well... $300 bucks for a new bulb. Do you really want to spend $300 bucks every year? for a new bulb? cause the bulbs were only made to last for a year or more.

Most people don't realize that they get suckered into buying extended warranty for DLP and the sales person says "Oh the bulbs are covered under warranty" HA! NOT! their considered as "consumable items" therefore NO manufacturer or Extended warranty like Federal ( Futureshop/Bestbuy ) Will warrant the bulb warranty.

But DLP are light as hell and very easy going, it's like a laserjet printer, where in the end the bulbs will get you and not the initial price of the t.v. So up to you again to make your choice. And get extended warranty as a light engine might cost you a lot of repair.

Steve

[theken]

i have a dlp for 2 years, its on almost all the time and i haven't burned out a bulb

[Bimmer88]

Originally posted by theken
i have a dlp for 2 years, its on almost all the time and i haven't burned out a bulb

See that's what makes you different from a lot of people.

They shorten the lifespan of their bulbs by turning on and turning off their t.v. after like 10 seconds or less... and that shortens the life of the bulbs. Because it takes awhile to heat up but if you turned off the bulb already and the mercury doesn't have enough time to cool down and when you turn on the bulb again it heats up and all that heating and cooling in a short period of time shortens the life span of your bulb.

If you leave it on for long periods and turn it off for a long period then that'll help prolong the bulb life.

[civiclvr]

Good Info here!
I'm leaning towards an LCD. I don't want the hassle of changing bulbs. Plasma's seem good as well.. though I'm even more lost when dealing with them.

MIWFSHOT: roughly how much were your TV's and do you have a model number handy? I imagine they are out of my price range, but it's worth it to check.

theken: It sounds like I wouldn't use my TV as much as you. DLP's are nice and cheaper, but i have heard some horror stories and fear that I'd burn the bulb alot.

I'd get an extended warranty, solely for piece of mind on this.. I also heard some Credit companies etend warranties further.. anyone confirm this.. and which companies?

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by civiclvr
Good Info here!
I'm leaning towards an LCD. I don't want the hassle of changing bulbs. Plasma's seem good as well.. though I'm even more lost when dealing with them.

MIWFSHOT: roughly how much were your TV's and do you have a model number handy? I imagine they are out of my price range, but it's worth it to check.

theken: It sounds like I wouldn't use my TV as much as you. DLP's are nice and cheaper, but i have heard some horror stories and fear that I'd burn the bulb alot.

I'd get an extended warranty, solely for piece of mind on this.. I also heard some Credit companies etend warranties further.. anyone confirm this.. and which companies?

I also prefer Plasma. Color is more vibrant and less of the the motion blur issues. But a 1080p Plasma could be out of your price range unless you're going for junk brands. 720P plasma can be quite cheap.

Check you credit card policy on extend warranty. They usually double the manufacturer warranty up to 1 year. If you buy extended warranty from retailer, you won't be able to use the cc's warranty because it already covers the period that cc's covering.

Here're all the 40"-49" Plasma TV from Future Shop. I would stick with Panny or Pionneer if you can afford it.

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/subclass.asp?catid=23525&mfr=&logon=&langid=EN&list=&page=0&sort=3

[ZorroAMG]

I have had a 42" Panasonic Plasma as well for the last 2.5 years and I love it....

Panny's are GREAT.

[analbumcover]

I have a 42" Panasonic Plasma as well, its the greatest tv ive ever watched on

[ZorroAMG]

Copy cat.


Long cat.

[anarchy]

Originally posted by Xtrema
Check you credit card policy on extend warranty. They usually double the manufacturer warranty up to 1 year. If you buy extended warranty from retailer, you won't be able to use the cc's warranty because it already covers the period that cc's covering.

:werd:

Extended warranties are to your discretion, I recently purchased a Samsung 52" LCD (LNT5265) from Futureshop and used my Visa and they extended the manufacturer's warranty by a year.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/money/news/november-2006/why-you-dont-need-an-extended-warranty-11-06/overview/extended-warranty-11-06.htm?resultPageIndex=1&resultIndex=1&searchTerm=extended%20warranty

I thought that was an interesting article about extended warranties. Just some food for thought.

As for tv's, I would recommend a Samsung - I find their picture quality amazing and the look of the actual TV looks great as well.

I also did some research and found 120Hz didn't make a difference to me.

[Hayate]

Well i recently just bought a 46'' Sony Bravia tv and its amazing

I did some research, i also worked at Futureshop for a period of time so i knew a couple of people that helped me look for a TV.
Sony is one of the better brands when your buying a tv thats over 40'', brand really comes into play with bigger tvs. Sharp and Samsung are great brands for smaller tvs, but as you get bigger, you can notice that they lack in quality when compaired to their smaller versions. Dont take my word for it, go into the store and check out a bunch of different brands using a bunch of different sources such as dvds, blueray and digital cable. you'll notice the difference

[googe]

plasma, LCDs still fail at blacks. ive got that samsung LCD mentioned above and im actually not too happy with it. its alright, but my pioneer plasma blows it away. the black issue is what bugs me more than anything. it was way better than most of the sony's near that price point though. the annoying thing with sony is they have like 8 different lines of LCDs so its hard to compare.

and i wouldnt bother with 120hz, unless you have money to burn and have to have the latest and greatest. even then, it looks kinda weird from what most people are used to. you wont be missing out if you dont get it or anything.

[ZEDGE]

I have a 40" Samsung LNT4042H.

About $1200. Great LCD. :thumbsup:

[jay42w8]

Anyone know why those 1080p Toshiba Regza's are so cheap? I saw one in the paper today 52 inches for $1998 !?!

[littledan]

i have a Toshiba 50" cinema series DLP. i'm very happy with it. looks great for HD tv, dvds, and on the ps3. i purchased the extended warranty from visions when i bought the tv.... but of course it didnt include the lamp unit. well guess what burned out about 1 year after i bought it? not a big deal though i was able to purchase a new lamp unit on a holiday saturday and total cost was $200 and i installed it myself. something to consider with DLP is you'll be buying a new lamp every 1-2 years.

[civiclvr]

Hey Guys,
So I've been looking pretty heavily at this one
Samsung HP-T5054 50" Plasma TV
as it's coming on sale for a decent price
opinions? I know it's on a 720p, but for my usage, would I really even notice?
also how are plasma's with sunlight on them? glare/no glare?
keep in mind mostly games and movies (hd/blue ray)

Thanks again,
Paul

[B20EF]

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0770HDS0010093647&catid=

I recently bought this one and am very happy with it, I've noticed the only place 1080 comes into effect is with HD channels which are 1080i and blue ray of course.

I think it was worth paying more for 1080p, but 720's have a decent picture too

[treg50]

Anyone hear about the new TVs as thin as 3 credit cards back to back coming out relatively soon? That should drive LCD and plasma prices down even more, I forget when it is though.

[Kloubek]

I have a Panasonic plasma, and am very happy with it.

There seems to be a lot of misinformation here, so let me tell you what I know.

Plasmas may be a bit heavier than LCD.
Plasmas heat up more, and use MUCH more electricty.
Plasmas have the best blacks you can find on a TV. Panasonic and Pioneer are two of the best manufacturers for a plasma.
Plasmas also are fully viewable on an angle, whereas LCD tends to disappear at extreme angles.
Plasmas do not have ghosting issues; although many of the LCDs no longer do either.

If you're going to be looking at the TV straight on and do not need it mounted right to the wall (you have a pretty big room), you can consider DLP or LCD projection. If you have to wall mount it (or WISH to wall mount) then you're down to plasma and flat LCD. If you are still looking straight on, then either would be a good choice - just go by price.

If you are expecting to view it at extreme angles, then plasma is the way to go.