Help with picking TV

[beecue]

So I have narrowed down my search to two tvs but I don't know which one to go with.

Sharp Aquos 1080p 42" LC42D64U

CNET Review for larger 52" is 7.2 .. User average for 42" is 7.5

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

Sony Bravia 1080p 40" KDL40W3000

CNET Review for larger 46" is 7.0 .. User average for 40" is 8.4

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0770HDS0010091272&catid=

I looked at both today at FS and they looked pretty much the same to me. The home theater guy told me the Sony will have a better picture and produce deeper blacks.

I am leaning towards the Aquos because it's a bit cheaper and looks pretty nice. I read some people have clouding issues but they are actually looking for it. I don't think I will ever notice it.

At bestbuy this Toshiba ... http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0926HDS0010099920&catid=24558&PCName=tv%5Ftoshiba&logon=&langid=EN ... was beside the Sharp and looked pretty much the same but I haven't found any good reviews for it so meh.

Anyways which one of those two tvs should I go with? I am going to buy it at the end of April, so maybe the price will go down a bit by then.

[ZorroAMG]

Search, GTS Jeff just went through it all...

[JordanAndrew]

I have a Sony bravia myself and I love it. At work we have Aquos and just based from watching from the aquos and bravia, it's safe for me to say that the bravia is the better TV. Definitely better color, sharper images, the whole works hands down bravia wins. Like what ZorryAMG said, search for more reviews here on beyond. CNET does give an accurate idea of what to expect from the TV though.

[Destinova403]

PM Phosho he works at best buy in the home theatre section.

[beecue]

I did read GTS Jeff's thread .. that's how I figured out I also get double warranty on my visa .. but he was looking at 720p sets and I am looking to get 1080p .. btw I will be using the tv for 360, ps3, wii, and playing some 720p videos from my laptop

[eglove]

not going to look in to tv's with 120hz? i personally would go with samsung. the blackest blacks out there other than those elite pioneer kuro's


ps. visions will be on average ~$500 cheaper than futureshop sale prices

[beecue]

No I don't want to spend the extra cash on 120hz ... I read a few threads on avs forum and the samsung tvs seem to have more problems than sharp or sony :dunno:

$500 cheaper huh .. http://visions.ca/catalogue/category/Details.aspx?categoryId=14&productId=1366&menuId=2&parentId1=5&parentId2=''&parentId3=''&menuLevel=2 .. seems to be $130 more expensive

[lamp_shade_2000]

Get the sony! Sharps tend to have crap blacks and faded/washed out color. keep in mind best buy and future shop will price match anyone in town as well.

[analbumcover]

Panasonic TV's seem to have the best RGB Balance and clarity, i love my tv, and most people that come over and watch HD or play 360 on it think its the best tv they have played on

VIERA FTW!

[beecue]

^^ I was actually looking at this .. http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0770HDS0010094373&catid= ... the problem with it for me is glare and no PC inputs ... I know it has a anti-glare screen but I read it just reduces it .. and since I have huge ass windows in my room I would rather go with LCD

[lamp_shade_2000]

Plasmas have great color and motion. If you are using it for alot of gaming or computer work, keep in mind you can still burn an image into the screen.

[beecue]

Yeah a lot of gaming .. so I guess they have reduced the burn in but it's still not fully fixed?

[SkittleFreak]

I have the 42" sharp, and honestly I love it. The only drawback i have with it is if you lose the remote and need to flip channels by hand (Slow channel change)

Great picture otherwise, and our house is about to get our 3rd one lol

[analbumcover]

Originally posted by beecue
^^ I was actually looking at this .. http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0770HDS0010094373&catid= ... the problem with it for me is glare and no PC inputs ... I know it has a anti-glare screen but I read it just reduces it .. and since I have huge ass windows in my room I would rather go with LCD

i think thats what i have and it sits right beside a double window and i have never had any difficulties with glare that some blinds couldnt cure :)

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by beecue
I did read GTS Jeff's thread .. that's how I figured out I also get double warranty on my visa .. but he was looking at 720p sets and I am looking to get 1080p .. btw I will be using the tv for 360, ps3, wii, and playing some 720p videos from my laptop


Somehow, I ended up with a 1080p set...the Sharp d64 that you're looking at actually. IMO, don't worry about the minor differences in picture quality between the sets. You WON'T be able to tell the difference in store because none of the sets are calibrated. Of those, I'd pick whatever is bigger and cheaper, then spend a few extra bucks on a calibration DVD and a couple hours of messing with the settings. This will give you better results than agonizing over minute differences. HTH.

[beecue]

Sounds good .. how are you enjoying your Aquos so far? .. which calibration dvd did you get? .. I was looking at avs forums and there are a lot of setting there which should be good .. so will I actually need the dvd?

[JordanAndrew]

Well whatever you do don't buy your TV at visions. They have the worse warranty policies for their electronics. If you want the same pricing as visions just get futureshop or bestbuy to price match it and beat it another 10%. At least you will have peace of mind with futureshop's better warranty policy and they also have a better return policy.

[GTS Jeff]

I like the d64, the upscaling is really good, the blacks are decent (not as good as the CRT I'm used to, but still decent) and the screen is nice and bright, which I like. The colours are reaaaally off out the box, so calibration is definitely needed. I tried some of the popular settings on AVS but they don't quite work for me.

Calibration is needed because everyone's environment is different and there may some minute differences in the TVs too. I haven't gotten a calibration DVD yet, but I'll probably look for Avia on a torrent site.

[beecue]

alright thanks for the info .. and I'm not buying from Visions but does anyone here work at FS or BB .. maybe hook me up with a deal ;) .. I know the tv costs $1338 with 10% because my cousin works at BB but he lives in Ontario so he can't help me out

[Zero102]

I have the sharp 42d72U which is very similar to the one you are looking at.
GTS Jeff is right, out of the box the color is garbage. Most of the time when you're looking at them in store they are way out of calibration so it's not really fair to put them side-by-side in their current state. I'm really picky about video quality and colors and I can say for sure the sharp is a very nice TV. I echo his sentiment about properly calibrating it as well. I wouldn't use an LCD TV without calibrating it first.

[ZMan2k2]

I own a Sharp D82, but as I did research on the differences on TV's, I found that the reviews really favored Sharp's Aquos line. As Jeff said, the colors are bright, and if you calibrate it properly (I used DVE in HD-DVD), the blacks are fantastic, and the colors really pop. But out of the box, the settings are crap. I've had mine for a year now, and I've not had a problem with it. I have no issues recommending Sharp to anyone looking for a quality LCD.

[beecue]

Yeah I think I'm going to go with the Sharp .. I might get this Blu-ray for calibration http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Video-Essentials-Basics-Blu-ray/dp/B000V6LST0/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1207757391&sr=8-2 .. although I read it's pretty much the same as the dvd version

Also what kind of HDMI cable would I need to connect to ps3? .. something like this .. http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024008&p_id=4028&seq=1&format=2

[dragonone]

jsut pick the most expensive ... 3ft one that u can find on monoprice, they're probably less than a dollar more

but u better grab more on ur order so u can save on shipping

[beecue]

Yeah I will probably grab a few things

From avs

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b257/WhoMe_/light5.jpg

Has anyone else tried putting lights on the back of their tv? .. I want to try something like this

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by beecue
Yeah I will probably grab a few things

From avs

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b257/WhoMe_/light5.jpg

Has anyone else tried putting lights on the back of their tv? .. I want to try something like this


Might be worth the hassle on a smaller screen in a dark room...reduces eyestrain.

But if you're interested in that, why not look at Philips Ambilights? The newer ones project light according to the screen, which apparently makes the image look bigger...

[beecue]

meh I only wanted to try it because it looks cool lol

[GTS Jeff]

So because of this thread, I tried hiding an old desk lamp behind my TV...it does seem to work. I might try buying some christmas lights and plugging them into the TVs USB port.

The only calibration DVD I could find and download was the Monster/ISF HDTV Calibration Wizard...it kinda sucked. My TV does look pretty good now, but I think I want to try something better. I might actually need to buy one of those damn things.

[beecue]

Hmmm really ... I didn't even know it had USB ports ... I guess I will give it a try as well .. I couldn't find anything to download as well .. the DVE on amazon is pretty cheap right now so I might get that .. they have some cheap lights on monoprice .. might grab a couple when I order some cables

[beecue]

anyone have this Samsung .. LN40A550 ... http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0770HDS0010099946&catid= .. it's a 2008 model .. I haven't found any reviews for it .. read some avs pages ... it doesn't seem to have banding issues like Sharp

[GTS Jeff]

I could be wrong here, but I think the Sharp banding issues were mainly on their older LCDs. I don't think many of the newer D64s have banding. I haven't noticed any on mine!

[HyperZell]

Originally posted by GTS Jeff
I could be wrong here, but I think the Sharp banding issues were mainly on their older LCDs. I don't think many of the newer D64s have banding. I haven't noticed any on mine!

Correct, this problem was addressed and fixed in previous generations.

[beecue]

Yeah that's what I read as well except some of these guys have newer tvs .. I think it will be alright unless the banding is really bad which I don't think will happen

[Zero102]

I was concerned about the banding issue as well. Apparently it affected the X2D42 series, so 62D42, 72D42, etc., so the 64D42 should not be affected by the banding issue. My 72D42 isn't affected either.

I forgot about the lights idea. I suppose it only helps if you're watching TV in the dark, right now my TV is in a room with windows so I only watch it in the dark occasionally but it still looks cool.

[beecue]

that's good to know .. I picked up the tv last night .. pretty good so far .. SD looks alright .. played with 360 for a bit .. looks pretty good .. now I gotta wait for my vga and hdmi cable from monoprice .. I bought them Saturday thinking I was going to buy the tv in a couple of weeks but FS had a good deal last night so I picked it up .. I don't see any banding .. probably because I don't know what to look for and I'm not going to try to .. no dead pixels .. so it's all good so far :thumbsup:

[treg50]

Originally posted by beecue
that's good to know .. I picked up the tv last night .. pretty good so far .. SD looks alright .. played with 360 for a bit .. looks pretty good .. now I gotta wait for my vga and hdmi cable from monoprice .. I bought them Saturday thinking I was going to buy the tv in a couple of weeks but FS had a good deal last night so I picked it up .. I don't see any banding .. probably because I don't know what to look for and I'm not going to try to .. no dead pixels .. so it's all good so far :thumbsup:
So which one did you decide on?

[ZEDGE]

Originally posted by beecue
that's good to know .. I picked up the tv last night .. pretty good so far .. SD looks alright .. played with 360 for a bit .. looks pretty good .. now I gotta wait for my vga and hdmi cable from monoprice .. I bought them Saturday thinking I was going to buy the tv in a couple of weeks but FS had a good deal last night so I picked it up .. I don't see any banding .. probably because I don't know what to look for and I'm not going to try to .. no dead pixels .. so it's all good so far :thumbsup:

Did you get the Sammy?

[beecue]

Sharp LC42D64U .. I'm using calibration settings from avs right now .. might grab the DVE blu-ray once I get my hdmi cable for ps3 ... :rofl: the tvs look way smaller in store .. in my room it's pretty big

I also had trouble using the 360 because of that stupid switch on the back where you have to put HDTV instead of TV :nut:

[SkittleFreak]

I paid only $1200 (well 1218.XX) for my LC42D64U before Christmas. I havn't calibrated my TV, but it is still better then what I had before lol