HDTV Advice

[Inferno]

Anybody have any opinions on these? Samsung is a brand I know is good for TVs and LCD monitors so that's why I'm interested in going with them. It says $1999.99 on the page but really with the Thanksgiving Day Sale it's $1,879.99.

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/prodde...37&catid=24558

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/prodde...47&catid=24558

I'll also be getting some speakers with it. What brands should I go for and which ones should I stay away from?

Thanks in advance

[skins]

if you do some research, for the most part you will find that with HDTV's (Plasma or LSD), you really pay for the brand. Panasonic is pretty high up there I think. there's quite a few around that $2000 range that are all pretty good. Samsung, JVC and a few others. definately stick to a major brand name though.

also, If you're thinking around 40", try to go LCD. Plasma's are much better for larger screens (50") but have significantly higher maintenance costs and are less reliable.

not too sure about the speakers. panasonic has always been good to me.

have you thought about what HD provider you're going to go with?

[Inferno]

Yeah, my cousin told me last night that although they look nice Plasmas have an unreliable lifespan so I should go with LCD.

As far as a provider goes it would have to be Shaw(our only cable provider here) or Bell/Starchoice.

My main reason for wanting an HDTV right now is my Xbox 360. I was going to hold off getting one until I found another job whether it be here or somewhere else but my parents told me they would be willing to help me make payments if it came to the point where I was having a tough time making them. I'm doing freelance web/graphic design work right now so that helps keep my bank account steady but it's unreliable.

Which brings me to another point. Does anybody have or know somebody who has had any experience with Bestbuy or even Futureshop(since they're pretty the same company now) credit cards? I was thinking of maybe applying for one since you could make monthly payments with it or I would just use my credit card since I do have the credit to put it on it.

[KTown]

Be careful with LCD's

Expect to pay 500 - 800 every year to replace your bulbs.

I have friends with LCD's and they can't stand the cost the bulbs burn out on a regular basis.

I got a wicked 57" HDTV thats rear projection and I've had no problems with it an my HD picture is much better than LCD's. That being said the rear projection takes up a lot of room.

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by KTown

Be careful with LCD's

Expect to pay 500 - 800 every year to replace your bulbs.

I have friends with LCD's and they can't stand the cost the bulbs burn out on a regular basis.

I got a wicked 57" HDTV thats rear projection and I've had no problems with it an my HD picture is much better than LCD's. That being said the rear projection takes up a lot of room.

LCD's do not have bulbs. Projectors do.

[KTown]

Originally Posted by fotze

Stay away from those credit cards. If you have to use credit try and get a line of credit from the bank.

I got my t.v. from Future Shop, and the sale was do not pay for 3 months with signing up for a future shop card. I managed to talk the guy into 12 months no interest and no payments. As soon as Ihad the money basically 6 months after I paid it off and cut up there card.

There rates are high but use it as a bargaining chip.

Also tell them you are buying some HDTV cables, he might take some price down from the t.v. I bought these cables for like 350 bucks he took another 200 off the t.v. They make there money off of accessories not so much as for the t.v.

2 days later I went to a different future shop returned the cables and bought them on EBay for like 75 bucks.

I so worked them to my advantage

[KTown]

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

LCD's do not have bulbs. Projectors do.

Interesting let me look around I could be mixing stuff up. I probably should have said lamps. I'm not too sure as I don't have an LCD but my friends do end up getting replacement stuff.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news0...ettlement.html

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/home_...ic_lcd_tv.html

"LCD TV Life span
Life span, the number of viewing hours a television provides before dimming to half brightness, is one of the biggest advantages LCD has over plasma. Though the numbers vary among the different brands, plasma TVs offer 30,000 to 60,000 hours to half life, while LCD TVs last for up to 60,000 and possibly longer if bulb replacement is an option. "

bulb/lamps or whatever they want to be called. I just know my friends have had to replace them and after 2 years I'm yer to touch my rear projection.

However that being said I'd get an LCD if I didn't have room.

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by KTown

2 days later I went to a different future shop returned the cables and bought them on EBay for like 75 bucks.

I so worked them to my advantage

Nice....

Back in my college days I worked for Radio Shack. They would sell those audio video cables for $50, $60, sometimes $100. The cost on a $50 cable was $3.50.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by fotze

Stay away from those credit cards. If you have to use credit try and get a line of credit from the bank.

I just checked and I wouldnt be able to get it anyways because it sounds like it has to be an in-store purchase. I'll be ordering it tonight since the Thanksgiving Day save ends tomorrow at 10 am so I need to decide which one to get and also which speakers I should get.

[Winsor_Pilates]

By the time your LCD or plasma need "bulb" replacing of anything like that, it would be old and crappy anyway.
Those sorts of things are not a real concern anymore with either LCD or plasma.

[Inferno]

I'm starting the think now I might hold off on the speakers and wait until I find a good deal. Really none of the ones under the $1000 price range at Bestbuy.ca are ones that I'm interested in.

Would either of the models I'm considering cause a problem as far as hooking up both a 360 and a speaker system to the TV? And what cords and I'm looking at buying? I know that the 360 comes with HD cords but I dont know if there's any other cords that I need to buy.

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by Inferno

I'm starting the think now I might hold off on the speakers and wait until I find a good deal. Really none of the ones under the $1000 price range at Bestbuy.ca are ones that I'm interested in.

Would either of the models I'm considering cause a problem as far as hooking up both a 360 and a speaker system to the TV? And what cords and I'm looking at buying? I know that the 360 comes with HD cords but I dont know if there's any other cords that I need to buy.

If your dvd has DVI...I would get that. Better than composite.

[Inferno]

I'd be using my 360 as my DVD player. I ended up giving my old DVD player to my parents.

[Vulcan]

The new LCD flat panels don't have bulbs only the rear projection LCD has a bulb.

I'd like that Sumsung, preferbly the LNS 4051, better specs than the 4041.
LCDs don't suffer burn in so they work fine hooked up to a computer or a game.
You'll have to find out what cable box or sat. receiver you use and what connections it has before buying cables. To get you going all you need is component video and composite audio. My components came free with my sat. receiver and DVD player.