Opinions on new TV's

[Pagal4321]

So here's the back story,
Our lemon of a TV finally broke, and it will cost about $500 to fix. So we are looking into the option of buying a new TV. My parent's don't want anything fancy whereas I want something to take advantage of my PS3's capabilities as a Blu-Ray player.

So not looking for top of the line, but not looking at crap either. Trying to find something 42' or less and hopefully around $1,250 or under. I suppose that takes me straight out of 1080i or 1080p. Just been looking around for a day or two, but found a TV I think suits what I'm looking for, just need some input from people who actually KNOW TV's.

So I turn to you CP.....is this TV any good (given the restrictions I'm working with) and if not, what else is comparable out there?

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/prodde...57&catid=24558#

[burnin_vernon]

Well I'm shopping for one myself so I'll throw my 2 cents in.

First of all, don't worry about the 1080p thing. The only time there is a difference is on 55" or bigger screens. Even then I can't justify the extra $500-$1000 cost.

If you play a lot of video games and watch sports, you may want to consdier a plasma. I haven't seen the difference head-to-head but fast moving action is apparently suited for plasma. Having said that, they are supposed to be more suspectable to glare, though newer models are getting better.

As for brands, it seems to be popular knowledge that the best go to Pioneer, Panasonic, and Samsung.

This is the one I decided on. http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/prodde...52&catid=23249
I was offered this price through a local shop, so I don't think it gets much lower than this.

Might be worth the extra $250 for a 50" screen.

[Vulcan]

Here's the Sharp 42" D64U 1080P on sale for one day only for 1299. I've heard it's good.

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pro...3524&langid=en

[FanIn80]

Two words: Plasma. Panasonic.

Here's my baby: http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pro...0086848&catid=

PS: It was on sale yesterday for $300 off ($1199). If you go in sometime this weekend, and ask nicely, I bet you'll get the same deal.

I've had mine for about 3 months now, and I absolutely love it. I use a PS3 on it, too. Soooo nice. I've had LCDs and hated them. Plasma, plasma, plasma!

Edit: Also, while you're looking at the Futureshop page for it, click on the Customer Reviews tab. Lots o' other people like it, too.

[Old Yeller]

I have the 50 inch version of FanIn80's TV.

I've owned it since January and I still cry tears of joy every time I watch HD hockey on it.

I also just hooked up an xbox360 to it and had to change my shorts.

Seriously I'll just say what I said every time a thread like this is posted... I'm the type of guy who will research a purchase for 6 months (and drive my wife insane while doing it) and I usually have buyers remorse on big purchases.

I have no buyers remorse on this TV.

Edit: Oh wait, I have the PX75, the only difference between the PX75 and PX77 is that the PX77 has anti-glare, which I didn't really like and since it's in my basement, didn't really need.

Best bang for the buck in my opinion.

[Pagal4321]

So wait, now people are telling me to get Plasma's.....

Dear lord, this is all so confusing.

I want to use this thing for HD Movies, PS3 and regular TV. Don't see myself getting an HD box soon....

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Pagal4321

Don't see myself getting an HD box soon....

Worst...... mistake....... evar!!!!!!one

[Pagal4321]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Worst...... mistake....... evar!!!!!!one

haha, tell that to my parents! As soon as I move out, it's the first purchase on the list!

[JBR]

Future Shop grand opening tomorrow. 47" LG 1080p LCD. $1000 off. Now $1299. Only 75 in Calgary. I have been looking for another TV for a while. This one does not have a 120hz refresh rate, which helps reduce blur in action movies and sports. It it, however, the best deal out there. You can then use your PS3 as a Blue Ray player. Don't buy Plasma if you plan to run a gaming system on it.

The Sharp 42" that Vulcan mentioned is a decent TV. Spend a few hundred bucks more and go with the Sharp 42" D82U 1080P. Worth the money...

My 2 cents.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Pagal4321

So wait, now people are telling me to get Plasma's.....

Dear lord, this is all so confusing.

I want to use this thing for HD Movies, PS3 and regular TV. Don't see myself getting an HD box soon....

Plasma is just so much nicer than LCD. It draws faster (good for video games and sports), has a more vibrant picture and the new plasmas don't suffer from any of the old shortcomings (burn-in, glare, etc). I have a very bright living room with huge windows and an overhead light right above the TV... and I get no glare on the screen at all.

I bought and returned two different LCDs (both Samsungs) before I finally took a friend's advice and bought a plasma. Everyone that comes to my house now goes nuts over the picture on this thing. Even my brother who has a 50" Samsung LCD told me he'd rather have my 42" plasma.

Edit: Sorry if I sound like an infomercial... I just really love my TV.

[Russic]

I wouldn't agree that plasma is "so much nicer" personally. My opinion is that you can't really go wrong with anything in this thread so far. Over Christmas I picked up the 42' sharp mentioned above and have been absolutely loving it ever since. bluray is just so awesome . . . I can't begin to tell you about the difference.

Personally I feel while there is a difference between lcd and plasma, the gaps between them are close enough now that it will really boil down to the specific tv you get. Fanin80 will probably disagree, and I will fight to the death for him to have the right to do so, but I personally don't think you are going to notice a huge difference. Go for a tv that will display hd, is a trusted brand and will fit within your budget. If you're looking for differences, here's a quick comparison chart http://www.projectorpeople.com/resou...-projector.asp

I realize you said your parents aren't very cool about getting an hd box. I'm going to go right ahead and say that the hd box is almost as important as the tv. Honestly I would recommend a 37' tv with a box as opposed to a 50' tv without one. Standard def looks like downtown edmonton on an hdtv. I'm serious, your parents will probably hit you when they see the picture, as it will be significantly worse then your tube tv right now. I would SERIOUSLY consider factoring the price of an hd box into the price of the tv. So much in fact I might not even recommend you get a tv without one.

If and when you do decide to get a tv, don't forget to check this thread out for your cables:
http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=52135
If you buy cables from future shop I will personally set you on fire (in GTA).

edit: Please factor in viewing distance. I mention it everytime somebody is buying a tv. For a 42" - 46" screen I would put at least 10-12 feet between you and the screen. A buddy of mine has a 42" screen and at about 8 feet away the quality looks quite a bit worse.

[OBCT]

My dual pence...

It absolutely comes down to Samsung and Panasonic, IMO. There are other manufacturers that make some great televisions, but in my experience, these two brands are consistently excellent right now. If you can find a slightly older model with all the inputs\outputs you need (HDMI=recommended, but it depends on your receiver and budget) at your price range, you will pretty much be guaranteed a great TV. Maybe target a couple of models and wait for a sale. Going in person to actually see the TVs can help, but the factory settings and peripheral hardware showcased at many stores are quite pedestrian, not utilizing the pieces' full capabilities.


Oh, and one other thing... do not buy Monster cables in-store. The mark up on those things is criminal. In fact, don't buy any cables in-store. Instead, buy your cables online from monoprice.com. {MonoPrice is likely the best option; there are other good ones as well, though... stablecables.com, bluejeanscable.com, tartancable.com. Look around.}


[ Cue slight rant ]

It boils down to this: Even with tax, shipping and customs, monoprice's most expensive HDMI cables are cheaper than Monster's cheapest*. And they work just as well. It is well worth the wait to have 'em shipped. [If you would like some "light" reading on the subject, or are still a little skeptical, check out this link.]


* HDMI 1.3a Category 2 Certified Silver-Plated Copper CL2 Rated (For In-Wall Installation) Cable (22AWG) - 25ft (Gold Plated Connectors) --- I cannot think of an application where this kind of quality of cable would be useful, let alone necessary. Its only $70 CDN, shipped. How much would you spend on 25ft of Monster HDMI cable in-store? Double that? Triple??.......
* HDMI 1.3a Category 2 Certified CL2 Rated (In-Wall Installation) Cable (22AWG) - 20ft (Gold Plated Connectors) --- This 20-footer would be ample for many cases, and is less than $40 CDN, shipped.

[ / slight rant ]

[kermitology]

I have good things to say about Sharp televisions..

[NuclearFart]

I'll second everything that Russic is saying, as I too purchased that Sharp 42" D62 and it's great. I researched the crap outta everything before buying it last summer, and even bought two TV's -this one and the "best" Sony Bravia 42" - to try both out in my living room before returning the Sony (couldnt justify the extra 1000$ for minimal gains). I disagree that the new D82 is that much better, as it is more cosmetic (slightly thinner) with marginal increases in actual picture quality (slightly brighter and slightly more contrast ratio if I remember correctly). If you can still find the D62's for sale, its definitely the most bang for you buck at the moment. Interesting some people here arent mentioning Sharp as one of the top LCD makers, as when I was looking into it, Sharp and Sony were consistently mentioned as the top dogs in magazines, internet review sites/forums...etc.

I personally didnt think the Plasma's were much better to offset their drawbacks. While the colours are brighter/warmer than LCD, it doesnt really matter unless you plan on watching TV outside on a sunny day. Not to mention the finite 2-4 year lifespan and risk of screen burn-in. I've heard mixed things about whether these drawbacks are still an issue, and that tells me it's not overwhelmingly conclusive that this is truly resolved.

Something else that people dont realise is that they don't calibrate their TV colour properly, so they default to the TV picture that is optimized for the floor of a big retail store, an environment full of harsh & bright fluorescent lighting. This accounts for alot of the subjectivity people report regarding the pictures.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by NuclearFart

I personally didnt think the Plasma's were much better to offset their drawbacks. While the colours are brighter/warmer than LCD, it doesnt really matter unless you plan on watching TV outside on a sunny day. Not to mention the finite 2-4 year lifespan and risk of screen burn-in.

I don't get the outside on a sunny day thing. Plasmas are historically (though not as much, any longer) better in darker rooms. As for the burn-in and lifespan, it just simply is no longer true. Those were knocks against the early plasmas from about 2 years ago. The new ones nowadays have very little chance burn-in and the lifespan is fairly close to an LCD.

Brighter, vibrant colours = win. Fast moving picture that doesn't produce motion-blur when watching hockey = win.

Plasma = win.

[NuclearFart]

Well maybe, I guess this is my own formulated opinion following a pretty exhaustive review on it last summer. Perhaps alot has changed in the interval.

Another thing I noticed is that 90% of electronics salesmen were talking out of their arse on alot of things, heavy on the anecdotes, but poor on everything else. The point is, do your own research and get your own opinion, before even talking to these guys.

[Pagal4321]

Well people are talking mighy high of Sharp and Samsung, so, what about this bad boy?

http://www.visions.ca/catalogue/cate...9;&menuLevel=2

[Finny61]

Well I got my new tv about 6 months ago and it's awesome. Sony 46 inch XBR5. Expensive you say? No actually it was on sale at SoundsAround one weekend, but I had to sit through a long speech about power conditioners and other useless crap with the sales guy. Was happy to leave.

[CRXguy]

I have 2 Samsung LCD tv's in my house and love it.

There's a 40" Sony LCD for $999 this weekend at Futureshop.

[underGRADFlame]

Originally Posted by Pagal4321

Well people are talking mighy high of Sharp and Samsung, so, what about this bad boy?

http://www.visions.ca/catalogue/cate...9;&menuLevel=2

This is the Panel mentioned earlier in the thread, I've had mine for 7 months now, I love it... great picture, lots of inputs. Its a great product.