Looking for a new TV!!! Need advice...

fawcett · Nov 28, 2008

The budget is between $0 and $2500(maybe $3k).
I have no idea what to look for, where to buy or what to buy.
I need all the help I can get here.
Looking to mount it to the wall above the fireplace mantle.
Heat shouldn't be an issue, the fireplace never gets used.

Dimensions for the wall space
74in span
65in width
34.5in height

I am not sure how to add or subtract the total usable/visible space from the TV's total area.
The boarders on the TV's that I have looked at are inconsistent.

What other information can I provide to make things easier?
Fred Fawcett

blksn955.o · Nov 29, 2008

PriceGrabber.com - Comparison Shopping, Online Shopping, Product Reviews Tons of info.

I like Plasma for my application/use and have a Samsung 50in 720p. If your a bigtime gamer LCD 1080p 120hz seems to be the way to go.

The big names with the best overall quality/customer satisfaction from those that are picky are Pioneer, Panasonic, and Samsung for the top 3 brands.

FYI- True 1080p is outside of blu-ray, Playstation games and a few PPV movie channels on Sat. non existent for the most part. Almost everything is produced in 720p and it is not expected that everything will be 1080p for at least 5-7yrs or so. Just saying if its that big of a deal...get it but IMHO for the added $1k (avg. price last summer) for 1080p it was not worth it to me. Now is a GREAT time to buy as retailers are pushing them big time.

95strokerPSU · Nov 29, 2008

buydig.com has the best prices. Do some research on them and you'll find close to 99% customer satisfaction. Since you're in MA it'll probably only take two business days at most for delivery (my sister is in Providence, RI and it only took 1 day).

I bought a 46" Samsung A650 from them and couldn't be happier. I'm probably going to sell my bedroom TV and furniture and get a 37" Samsung. A 52" A650 or A750 would fit your wall space (maybe a little small) and your budget.

bditty50 · Nov 29, 2008

I have an LG 42inch and it is wonderful. It makes all signals look good with the processor built in. LG has very good quality and they make their own lcd panels which is very important to think about with a tv.

chaos254 · Nov 29, 2008

I went with a 46" sharp aquos LCD 720p. I went with the 720p mainly because of the price difference and how no one broadcasts in 1080p yet. Eventually when everything starts switching over I'm sure this one will go to my bedroom and I'll pick up a bigger 1080p. If your a gamer, I would definitely go with a LCD over plasma.

My only complaint about the Sharp is the stock speakers(don't get very loud) but that is what my sony surround sound system is for.

Black95GTS · Nov 29, 2008

How far away from the viewing space are you going to sit?

I like the sharp Aquos and the samsung A650. I have the Aquos, 42", in 1080P.

The above was correct, its a GREAT time to buy a TV. Good luck!

Adam

juiced_94gt · Nov 29, 2008

I couldn't be happier with my 1080p sharp aquos, great TV the samsungs are nice too and LG made the first LCD tv I believe.

Zero Signal · Nov 29, 2008

If I were going to spend that much, I'd wait a few months for the prices to go down a little more. The new Sharp Aquous special edition 65" is freaking amazing but it's $4800. I'd definitely get a 1080p tv if you're getting something that size. The Sharp Aquous is what I would buy if I had the budget. My dad bough a 47" and the picture is out of this world with the Blurays and PS3 games. Nowdays they don't really make many 720p panels over 50" anyway. Nonetheless, I've always really liked the Samsungs and Sharps. My next tv will be a Samsung LED DLP though since I'm not worried about hanging it on the wall and they're relatively dirt cheap for their size.

blksn955.o · Nov 29, 2008

Might want to double check the DLP's actually...from reading Consumer Reports and other quality ratings the DLP has the highest rate of failure (and highest cost of repair on avg.) and shortest lifespan of DLP/Plasma/LCD. Bulb burnout and chip failure are a common issue with little fixes as most makers are moving away from the design (why they are so cheap) since flat panel screens are more popular and common.

I know 3-4 people with DLP's and everyone has had an issue within the 1-2yr mark. One guy even had 2 issues one being a burned out bulb and a chip failure.

Not saying they are junk, just something worth mentioning and passing along. They do have a good HD picture, My in-laws have a Mitsu- diamond series 65in DLP and it is nice but even they have had issues with it.

Zero Signal · Dec 1, 2008

I'm specifically talking about Samsung LED DLPs, with the LED lamps and no color wheel. Supposed to have the lifespan and reliability of an LCD panel. The earliest ones were kind of dodgy but they've come around in the last gen. They are pretty nice. My girlfirend's dad bough the 50" version and the picture is supurb. 61" 1080P for $1500 anyone?

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-HL61A...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1228153263&sr=1-1

95BlueStallion · Dec 1, 2008

I have a 42" Phillips 720p plasma. Ive owned it about a year, and have recently found an issue with it. When there is a show or commercial on with a very bright white screen, the TV will create a buzz. At first I thought it might be a blown speaker, but it still makes the noise with the sound off. I have a warranty, but it still sucks to have to send it in. Anyway, thats my .02 with my purchase.

nmcgrawj · Dec 3, 2008

Zero Signal said:
I'm specifically talking about Samsung LED DLPs, with the LED lamps and no color wheel. Supposed to have the lifespan and reliability of an LCD panel. The earliest ones were kind of dodgy but they've come around in the last gen. They are pretty nice. My girlfirend's dad bough the 50" version and the picture is supurb. 61" 1080P for $1500 anyone?

Amazon.com: Samsung HL61A750 61-Inch 1080p LED Powered DLP HDTV: Electronics

Damn.....

Thats on my list this holiday season. Time to rake in the overtime

millhouse · Dec 3, 2008

Zero Signal said:
I'm specifically talking about Samsung LED DLPs, with the LED lamps and no color wheel. Supposed to have the lifespan and reliability of an LCD panel. The earliest ones were kind of dodgy but they've come around in the last gen. They are pretty nice. My girlfirend's dad bough the 50" version and the picture is supurb. 61" 1080P for $1500 anyone?

Amazon.com: Samsung HL61A750 61-Inch 1080p LED Powered DLP HDTV: Electronics

I give nothing but praise towards Samsungs customer service.

I originally purchased a 42” dlp TV a few years ago and it had an anomaly known as “black grass”. It was a defect that was only visible when the TV was on and there was an all dark scene. It absolutely drove me nuts! So I called their customer service…and they put me into the system. Come to find out, this issue was a common one and the fix was no longer available…as they stopped producing that particular model. So what did they do? They gave me a brand spanking new 46” dlp from a better model line with a brand new 1yr warranty. It has worked flawlessly since day one. It does have a color wheel/bulb setup….but bulbs have come way down in price….and I can handle the $100 every 3-5 years for a replacement.

Also, don’t get too caught up in 1080p unless you sit fairly close to a larger TV and are into blue-ray DVD’s. With the exception of movie rentals on certain dish providers, there is no 1080p content broadcast….nor do I believe there is any plan on broadcasting (bandwidth issues). Most everything is 720p with a few broadcast in 1080i. Keep in mind too that the farther back you sit from the TV, the less resolution is visible to the human eye. It may be a moot point as most TV’s seem to be converting over to 1080p format….but when dealing with smaller set’s…the extra costs associated with the higher resolution may not be worth it.

Zero Signal · Dec 10, 2008

Since my last post here, my girlfriend has basically approved my plans for a new tv (and agreed to split the cost) so I've been all over this subject like a fat kid on cake for a couple of weeks.

Here are my basic findings. Keep in mind, that my budget is about 2k WITH a Bluray player, so more like $1700-1800 for the tv. So slightly less than the OP.

First, decide what size (min/max) you want, that's first and foremost IMO. Ok, not exactly, price is first, but you get the point.

Our viewing distance will be right about 10' so we decided a 52"-60" tv would be optimal. THX guidelines would say we need a 70" for that distance, but this is a living room, not a theater. Still, 50-60" equates to roughly a 23° or so viewing angle. That will be a size with some real movie watching impact.

I looked very hard at the Samsung LED DLP tvs, namely the HL61A750. We like to watch from the dining room table and the kitchen so the biggest problem with the DLP is the poor viewing angle. Other than that, it's still a supurb TV. Look up the CNET review on it and check out the AVS forums for more info. It's pretty much the only DLP worth buying any more before the laser tech DLPs are out.

Then I looked into LCDs. The Samsung LN52A650 and A750 models are about the best you will find in the sub $2500 price range. The contrast and black levels are stellar. CNET and the AVS forums love this line. The only others comparable are the Sony's which are slightly more expensive and don't have quite the same black levels. The largest LCD you will find in this price range is 52". There are bigger ones out there, but they're exotic and cost no less than $4k.

One thing to look for in the LCDs is the smooth motion technology. In Samsungs, this is dubbed "AMP". It's a common feature of the 120Hz tvs. Some people like it, some don't, but it can be turned on and off and adjusted in between. It really does bring out huge detail in natures scene and sports though. I personally don't like it turned on for movies since it makes everything look like it's being fast forwarded or 'soap opera' like.

I also looked into the latest generation of plasmas. I had the notion going into this that there's no way I'd spend so much on something that would only last me a few years. This is antequated thinkig apparently. The new (8th/9th generation) ones are leaps and bounds better than the ones I'm familiar with and have panel life expectancies of up to 100,000 hours (see the Panasonics). Right now, the Pioneer Elite Kuro series plasmas are considered the best HDTVs money can buy, short of the future OLED technology and better than LCDs. THe only LCD with black levels comparable to the Kuro plasmas are the above mentioned Samsung A650+ series. With this in mind, I'm kind of warming up to the Panasonic TH-58PZ800U plasma (with the assumption it will drop in price by Feb). It's been widely accepted as the "affordable" alternative to the Kuro. It's big, it's sharp and the black levels and color accuracy are on par with the Kuro series but about half the cost.

As far as 720p vs 1080p goes, there is more to it than just the resolution. Yes, 720p and 1080p are very close on sharpness, but the latest and greatest tvs in terms of overall image quality (colors, contrast, black levels, smoothness) are quite a bit better than they have been the past couple of years. They just all happen to be 1080p as well. So if you are spending upwards of $2500, it's going to be a 1080p set, so there's no debating that any more.

Anyway, just thought I'd share. This already is too long of a post

blksn955.o · Dec 10, 2008

I went with the new model 720 plasma samsung and was looking at the pioneer and pany no store had any except one store had the samsung in stock and not a floor/demo. We went to circuit city as we got like 12+mo 0% and wanted to get a stand as well and it just ended up being a great deal at the time. I would agree 100% the post you have above. Those pany's and pion. are rated top shelf and even pulling some LCD people away plasma IMHO just looks smoother and brighter. Its all a an opinion like anyone else.

Also with the price range your spending in...1080 will be the way to go..if just like you said for the money your spending you better be getting 1080. I did not want to spend that much and dont see the need at this time (turning this PC into a HT pc in a few years and plan to build a HT in the next house this PC is full 1080p/blu-ray super duper ninja bad arse for that purpose).

Black95GTS · Dec 12, 2008

Zero Signal said:
Since my last post here, my girlfriend has basically approved my plans for a new tv (and agreed to split the cost) so I've been all over this subject like a fat kid on cake for a couple of weeks.

Here are my basic findings. Keep in mind, that my budget is about 2k WITH a Bluray player, so more like $1700-1800 for the tv. So slightly less than the OP.

First, decide what size (min/max) you want, that's first and foremost IMO. Ok, not exactly, price is first, but you get the point.

Our viewing distance will be right about 10' so we decided a 52"-60" tv would be optimal. THX guidelines would say we need a 70" for that distance, but this is a living room, not a theater. Still, 50-60" equates to roughly a 23° or so viewing angle. That will be a size with some real movie watching impact.

I looked very hard at the Samsung LED DLP tvs, namely the HL61A750. We like to watch from the dining room table and the kitchen so the biggest problem with the DLP is the poor viewing angle. Other than that, it's still a supurb TV. Look up the CNET review on it and check out the AVS forums for more info. It's pretty much the only DLP worth buying any more before the laser tech DLPs are out.

Then I looked into LCDs. The Samsung LN52A650 and A750 models are about the best you will find in the sub $2500 price range. The contrast and black levels are stellar. CNET and the AVS forums love this line. The only others comparable are the Sony's which are slightly more expensive and don't have quite the same black levels. The largest LCD you will find in this price range is 52". There are bigger ones out there, but they're exotic and cost no less than $4k.

One thing to look for in the LCDs is the smooth motion technology. In Samsungs, this is dubbed "AMP". It's a common feature of the 120Hz tvs. Some people like it, some don't, but it can be turned on and off and adjusted in between. It really does bring out huge detail in natures scene and sports though. I personally don't like it turned on for movies since it makes everything look like it's being fast forwarded or 'soap opera' like.

I also looked into the latest generation of plasmas. I had the notion going into this that there's no way I'd spend so much on something that would only last me a few years. This is antequated thinkig apparently. The new (8th/9th generation) ones are leaps and bounds better than the ones I'm familiar with and have panel life expectancies of up to 100,000 hours (see the Panasonics). Right now, the Pioneer Elite Kuro series plasmas are considered the best HDTVs money can buy, short of the future OLED technology and better than LCDs. THe only LCD with black levels comparable to the Kuro plasmas are the above mentioned Samsung A650+ series. With this in mind, I'm kind of warming up to the Panasonic TH-58PZ800U plasma (with the assumption it will drop in price by Feb). It's been widely accepted as the "affordable" alternative to the Kuro. It's big, it's sharp and the black levels and color accuracy are on par with the Kuro series but about half the cost.

As far as 720p vs 1080p goes, there is more to it than just the resolution. Yes, 720p and 1080p are very close on sharpness, but the latest and greatest tvs in terms of overall image quality (colors, contrast, black levels, smoothness) are quite a bit better than they have been the past couple of years. They just all happen to be 1080p as well. So if you are spending upwards of $2500, it's going to be a 1080p set, so there's no debating that any more.

Anyway, just thought I'd share. This already is too long of a post

This is good stuff, but I would re-evaluate your sizing. I sit 8 -10 feet away and I came up with calcs to get 37" to 45" and we ended up with a 42". At only 2 more feet away, I would think a 52 inch would be on the big side and 60" would definitely be too big. Just my two cents, you can definitely go too large on these tvs.

Adam

Zero Signal · Dec 12, 2008

I would love to know that a 46" would be the right size. The price difference is huge and I'd like to be able to go to a higher end TV at that point. I may get with a local dealer I know and see if he'd be willing to possibly let me buy a smaller one and return it for a larger if I'm not happy with it.

blksn955.o · Dec 12, 2008

Our sitting distance is 12-14ft away with a 50in and it is BIG, I know I would have been just as happy with a 46. How much control you have over the light in the room also play a bit of a factor as well.

IMHO the 50 we have is almost too big for the room but we plan to move in the next few years so its no big deal. I had no desire to go over 50 with the distance we sit IIRC that distance recommended a 50in.

Looking for a new TV!!! Need advice...

fawcett

Member

blksn955.o

95strokerPSU

Member

bditty50

Member

chaos254

Black95GTS

Active Member

juiced_94gt

Active Member

Zero Signal

Active Member

blksn955.o

Zero Signal

Active Member

95BlueStallion

My assy trans to myself

nmcgrawj

Advanced Member

millhouse

Zero Signal

Active Member

blksn955.o

Black95GTS

Active Member

Zero Signal

Active Member

blksn955.o

Similar threads

Looking for a new TV!!! Need advice...

Member

Member

Member

Active Member

Active Member

Active Member

Active Member

My assy trans to myself

Advanced Member

Active Member

Active Member

Active Member

Similar threads

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency