Thinking about getting a flat panel TV....advice.....

nmcgrawj · Oct 8, 2007

Hey guys, anyone fluent in all this new technology in TV's? I havent done any research since i bought my flat screen TV 4 years ago.

Plasma vs. LCD?

Im looking to spend <$1,000. Size wise, i guess i want the best for my money. How do those small private company brands rack up against the big boys?(sony, sharp, etc)

Thanks

sage2k · Oct 8, 2007

I got this for 980$ on sale
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8247916&type=product&id=1169252413347

50 inch DLP, i couldnt be happier for the money
The only thing I suggest is having a surround sound setup because the tv speakers arent that great.

It only weighs like 60lb too so its not hard to move around

keep an eye out on BB or CC for deals on this tv, its frequenetly around the 950 - 1000$ range when on sale

nmcgrawj · Oct 8, 2007

whats the size on that? Obviously it cant be put on the wall right?

Do u have the HDTV cable service? If not, when do u get to tell a true difference?(im not currently big on video games BTW)

nmcgrawj · Oct 8, 2007

And do u need all top of the line video components to tell the difference between 1080p and 720p?

sage2k · Oct 8, 2007

its 50 inch, it wont hang on a wall but I got a real nice tv stand for 99$ at Target. Ill try and get a pic of my setup.
I have HD service, my HD cable box came with component cables.
This tv only does 720p, but the different of regular cable and HD cable is amazing.
Stanger007 has the bigger version of this tv (62 inch?) that does 1080 I believe. And I cant really tell a difference, although I havent put them side by side..
for 1 grand, this tv is a great deal imo.

Btw I sent you an email about something

Methodical · Oct 8, 2007

Hey check out either Sams Club or Walmart. You can get a 42" Vizio LCD for less than $1K. LCD or Plasma it's a personal preference but just to let you know the LCD's are good in rooms with lots of windows and light. It produces no glare at all that' s why I got mine. Oh and please be sure to get some quality cables (don't use the the infamous red, yellow and white cables that comes with the TVs. And just in case you don't know, you need component or hdmi cables to get HD plus you have to subsribe to the HD service unless you have an Off Air Antenna then you can at least get the local tv in HD - FREE.

reddy351 · Oct 9, 2007

I currently have a 42" plasma. Every once and a while, my 11 year old son and I play GT4 for whole weekends at a time. With LCD, there is no chance of "burn-in" like there is with plasma (like a ghost image on the screen It's never happened, but I'm always worried about it.), so that's what I'll prolly get next. So, if you play games, get an LCD. I would stick to name-brands...that's "just me", though. (Even though the same 5-6 companies make the screens that all of the manufacturers use.)

My plasma (HP) does 720p. Football and stuff is AMAZING to watch! I love it!

Don't forget Wally World (WalMart) They always seem to have a smoking deal on something.

Black95GTS · Oct 9, 2007

There are a couple things you have to think about:

1 - Don't get anything less then 1080P capable. If you don't, its not true high def.

2 - DLP / rear projection is the best bang for the buck, but you can't hang it on a wall and it still has a large footprint. My father has a 65" Sony SXRD rear projection in 1080P and the picture is phenomenal, but he's got a big living room while my living room in my house is much smaller.

3 - Plasma has a SLIGHTLY better picture then LCD, but the for reasons reddy351 mentioned, I think LCD is the way to go right now until Plasma gets proven (in 5-7 years for example)

4 - Budget in at least 60 bucks for a HDMI cable (walmart). I bought the monster cable at Circuit City (6', $109) because I had a 100 dollar gift card there for signing up for FIOS.

5 - Budget in at least 30 bucks for a digital fiber optic cable for sound. This is the best way to get sound from your high def box into your receiver.

6 - One thing about cords... don't think you can get away with 3 foot cords. You can't. Pony up and get the 6 footers. I only have two cables going from my HD box - 1 HDMI to my TV and 1 fiber optic to my receiver.

7 - Enjoy it man. I NEVER watched TV until I got the whole HD / surround deal. Pretty much I only watch sports and south park but its so much more enjoyable. If you are a gamer, I hear that true 1080P out of a PS3 is pretty unreal.

8 - I bought a 42 inch Sharp Aquos from BJ's Wholesale Club for 1499 on sale and on tax free day. Super easy to use and set up. Check out consumer reports for good deals and do some research. It's a big investment so spend wisely.

If you want help setting anything up or on surround sound, let me know, I'm such a nerd about this stuff (electrical and computer engineering degree).

Adam

millhouse · Oct 9, 2007

Black95GTS said:
There are a couple things you have to think about:

1 - Don't get anything less then 1080P capable. If you don't, its not true high def.

What are you talking about? Anything 720p or higher is high def. What you need to consider is the seating distance from the TV. The higher resolution is only needed when you are sitting absurdly close to the TV…otherwise 99.9% of the population cannot notice any detail difference between 720p or 1080i or p for that matter. CNET has some basic setup information here… http://reviews.cnet.com/tv-buying-guide/?tag=dir . Other websites too have distance charts showing what resolution is recommended for different distances.

2 - DLP / rear projection is the best bang for the buck, but you can't hang it on a wall and it still has a large footprint. My father has a 65" Sony SXRD rear projection in 1080P and the picture is phenomenal, but he's got a big living room while my living room in my house is much smaller.

Agreed, however my 46" Samsung is capable of hanging on the wall with the optional bracket. It is far thinner than most on the market…and the trend will see thinner yet.

3 - Plasma has a SLIGHTLY better picture then LCD, but the for reasons reddy351 mentioned, I think LCD is the way to go right now until Plasma gets proven (in 5-7 years for example)

This is quite subjectable. Until recently, plasmas have been limited to a resolution of 1024 x 768 (which is worse than even the bottom of the other low end resolution of 1280x720). I think the only thing Plasmas have going for them is the deep black levels. Most DLP's out there seem to rival if not beat the color's of plasmas. Plus figure that plasma displays are f'ing heavy in comparison to the alternatives.

4 - Budget in at least 60 bucks for a HDMI cable (walmart). I bought the monster cable at Circuit City (6', $109) because I had a 100 dollar gift card there for signing up for FIOS.

I will not purchase another cable at a big box store. They completely rip you off and there quality is no better than other, cheaper alternatives. If you want good quality cables for a good price, head over to www.monoprice.com . They have excellent prices, and the quality of their cables are great. You will not notice any difference in signal quality between a high end monster cable and the monoprice cables.

5 - Budget in at least 30 bucks for a digital fiber optic cable for sound. This is the best way to get sound from your high def box into your receiver.

See the previous comment.

6 - One thing about cords... don't think you can get away with 3 foot cords. You can't. Pony up and get the 6 footers. I only have two cables going from my HD box - 1 HDMI to my TV and 1 fiber optic to my receiver.

Agreed, those 3 footers are usually just a hair to short for even the minimalist setups.

7 - Enjoy it man. I NEVER watched TV until I got the whole HD / surround deal. Pretty much I only watch sports and south park but its so much more enjoyable. If you are a gamer, I hear that true 1080P out of a PS3 is pretty unreal.

Again, subjective to seating distance and TV size. The larger the TV and closer you sit, the more you can discern detail integrity. The farther and smaller the TV gets, the less. From everything I've heard/read there is practically no discernable difference between 1080i and 1080p unless you sit closer than 3ft to your TV. I'd say it's just not worth the extra expense.

gcomfx.com · Oct 9, 2007

www.dealnews.com - subscribe to the newsletter. I've been able to get some great deals on electronics and more.

Black95GTS · Oct 9, 2007

millhouse said:
What are you talking about? Anything 720p or higher is high def.

http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com/1080p-hdtv.html

1080p supports more then double the pixels of 720p. That is why there is such a price difference between the two. You get what you pay for. Are you saying that you should buy a 720p TV and move further away from the TV to minimize the discrepancies the human eye can see? I have a problem buying anything for this much money and knowing off the bat that I am purchasing something sub-standard.

I used the formulas and came up with 37-42 inches.

This is like buying a 302 HCI package... yeah you can get an e-cam and throw it into an explorer motor but why not get an FTI grind, AFR heads, and an Eddie RPM II manifold? I know that I'll never buy another 42 inch TV for a very long time because I bought top shelf and didn't compromise. And as all the networks and channels start to move toward HD broadcasts, I highly doubt they will be using a 720p standard.

That article you posted is somewhat foolish in that all of the conclusions sound like "probably" and "most likely" and "for most of us." It didn't convince me of anything. I'll take the facts please.

Cable type and length affect the information being passed along it. There are several different kinds of fiber optic cable. The 107 turbine windfarm I am designing in Michigan uses two kinds depending on what type of info needs to go from A to B. Cable is not just cable.

I suggest anyone thinking of this purchase read consumer reports.

Adam

BlueOvalStangGT · Oct 9, 2007

~$650 for a 50" Panasonic 720p Plasma+ $6 for an HDMI cable+ $114 for HD channels+everything else = me. Ill be back in this thread later to laugh at all the others posting false info in here!

reddy351 · Oct 9, 2007

You can get the HDMI (and other) cable from Ebay sellers. I got mine from one. It was about $10, shipped. I have it hooked-up, right now. Works great!

720p is actually better than 1080i. In 720p each of 720 lines are refreshed on EVERY cycle. On a 1080i, it only refreshes 1080 lines on EVERY OTHER cycle on an "odd/even" basis. That kind of makes it "540p" resolution.

1080p on the other hand has 1080 lines that are refreshed on every cycle. Make for a much clearer/cleaner picture.

Of course, if you feed a 1080p signal into a 720p monitor, it will show the "cleanest" 720p picture possible.

I can tell the difference between a 720p and 1080p, but some of that is better manufacturing and software because of the newer format.

Bottom line: Buy the most tv that you can afford. Buy the one that looks best to you and fits your needs the best.

millhouse · Oct 9, 2007

Black95GTS said:
http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com/1080p-hdtv.html

1080p supports more then double the pixels of 720p. That is why there is such a price difference between the two. You get what you pay for. Are you saying that you should buy a 720p TV and move further away from the TV to minimize the discrepancies the human eye can see? I have a problem buying anything for this much money and knowing off the bat that I am purchasing something sub-standard.

I used the formulas and came up with 37-42 inches.

This is like buying a 302 HCI package... yeah you can get an e-cam and throw it into an explorer motor but why not get an FTI grind, AFR heads, and an Eddie RPM II manifold? I know that I'll never buy another 42 inch TV for a very long time because I bought top shelf and didn't compromise. And as all the networks and channels start to move toward HD broadcasts, I highly doubt they will be using a 720p standard.

That article you posted is somewhat foolish in that all of the conclusions sound like "probably" and "most likely" and "for most of us." It didn't convince me of anything. I'll take the facts please.

Cable type and length affect the information being passed along it. There are several different kinds of fiber optic cable. The 107 turbine windfarm I am designing in Michigan uses two kinds depending on what type of info needs to go from A to B. Cable is not just cable.

I suggest anyone thinking of this purchase read consumer reports.

Adam

I'm saying that I'd rather buy a 720p TV from a reputable company than a 1080p from a shotty one…especially if the extra resolution is indistinguishable from my viewing distance. What your saying is regardless if you can see the difference or not, you would rather buy the best. Well, good for you…but there are far more factors to consider when purchasing a TV. Things such as color decoding, scaling chips can greatly affect the picture of the TV. If you have a specific price range, I would not necessarily sacrifice either of the mentioned simply over resolution

I'm not sure what problems you have with the article I pointed out. It's well done and displays real world info for the average consumer. It's nothing new however, and if you take a peek at any high end a/v magazine or forum you will find more of the same. If you plan on sitting father than 8 feet away from your TV, the benefits of 1080i or p are not great enough for most people to justify spending the extra dough. Here is an article I've seen in many variations which all come to the same conclusion. http://www.carltonbale.com/2006/11/1080p-does-matter/

As far as HD broadcast quality goes, no networks have any plans currently to make a switch from their current format to 1080p. The benefits just don't seem to be work the extra bandwidth. Because of this, the broadcasts currently in 1080i will continue…as will 720p. Because of motion artifacts seen with 1080i, 720p seems to be the format of choice for sports and other fast motion broadcasts.

Yes, cable type and length affect the information passed along. Were not talking about mile long industrial runs however…were talking about 6 foot tso link digital cable and HDMI cables. There have been numerous test done by AV outfits that determined the extra cost seen in high end digital (both HDMI and tso link) cables was not worth it. The quality of both high and low end gear was indistinguishable between each other.

gcomfx.com · Oct 9, 2007

Every forum discussion I have EVER read about buying a flat panel TV always goes this way. One argument after another, with people insulting others for being stupid.

Sad really. I buy a LOT of stuff online. But I will not purchase a flat panel TV online. UNLESS I see it first in a store, side by side with others. Then I'll make up my mind. The bottom line is this. Everyone has different eyes. Everyone sees color a little different. Trust me on this. I'm a color conversion specialist that works with color every day of my life. Go to several stores. Look at the ones in your price range, write down what "appears" best to you. Go to another store. Do the same thing. You really should see the same brand/models jumping out at you. Then go online, look up their ratings. If people have problems with them, you'll be able to find it. Cross off any problem childs, then search for the exact brand/model of TV you still like. Find the best deal... bring it home, enjoy. After all, the TV you bring home, will be OLD technology in a month.

Methodical · Oct 9, 2007

FYI. - No One Broadcast in 1080P - Repeat No One. The Only way to view 1080P is to buy either HD DVD or Blueray and watch 1080P DVDs or use PS3. All those tvs you see at the store are broadcasting in either 720P or 1080i. Only the Blueray or HD DVD players are in 1080P - don't be confused.

So for those of you that think you are getting 1080P out of a regular HD tv channel you are in fantasy land.

The highest resolution being broadcast is 1080i and very few stations broadcast in 1080i.

1080P won't happen for awhile. So I say unless you plan to buy a HD DVD or Blueray Dvd and plan to watch lots of HD DvDs - which are limited - save your money and get the 720P. By the time 1080P is being broadcast over the air the 1080Ps tvs will be dirt cheap. Save your money.

Also, don't spend a $100 on any cable. Go to www.bluejeanscables.com and you can get quality custom length cables far cheaper than the box store cables (big rip off). Also for true expert, knowledgable people in this area go here: www.audioholics.com

Synned · Oct 9, 2007

I'm going to have to go with millhouse on this one, on pretty much every aspect.
720p is still very respectable HD, and you will only EVER notice a difference if you have a ps3 or blu-ray/hd player hooked up.
Don't have one or see getting one in the near future? Fine, no 1080p. Its just not worth it.

2nd, the statement about monster cables is absolutely correct. HDMI and digital cabling is one of the biggest scams ever.
You WILL NOT notice the difference if you buy a $150 cable vs $20 cable. Digital cables are lossless.
Is apple of low quality?
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=DFC7D8C0&nplm=TL951LL/A

And please, do not use consumer reports as a guide/reference.

87_GT · Oct 9, 2007

well i dont have much technical info to offer up here, but if you do end up buying the tv at one of these big box stores (Best buy, circuitcity) make sure you start to haggle with the guy. i was able to get like an additional $50 off the sale tv, free delivery, free hdmi cable and fiber optic cable, and i also made the guy throw in the star wars trilogy . worst comes to worse and the guy wont budge on it, the tv will still be for sale tom.

Iggyshane · Oct 9, 2007

Am I the only one that can't tell the difference between a regular tv and these high def. tv's?

Methodical · Oct 10, 2007

Iggyshane said:
Am I the only one that can't tell the difference between a regular tv and these high def. tv's?

Probably not but most of the time people don't know how to properly install the HD tvs (i.e. menu setups, cabling etc.) and that's why they don't see the difference - improper setup and lack of HD knowledge. TV technology today is no longer just plug and play. Just like when you intall a H/C/I in your car you need to have a tune to work properly - same with HD Tvs - you need to properly tune them (i.e. setup).

I have a coworker that kept complaining that he could not see the difference between SD and HD (subscribed to Dtv). When talking to him I asked what cables he uses. He said he didn't know (1st sign he was lacking HD knowledge). The next day he told me he was using the cables that came with the DTv box - red, yellow and white (2nd sign he lacked HD knowledge). He connected the cheap cables to the composite inputs/outputs (3rd sign he lacked HD knowledge). I asked him what channels did he do the comparison and he stated the local news channel - i.e. regular 4, 5, 7 and 9. Dtv at the time did not have local channels in HD (4th sign he lacked HD knowledge). I had him get a set of decent (not expensive) component cables (for video) and a digital coax cable (for surround sound) and connect to the component input/output and digital input/output and view the HD channels Dtv offered. He came to work happy as a kid in a candy store.

The moral of the story is when people I've dealt with stated that they could not tell the difference between SD and HD, it usually was because they: 1) lacked HD knowledge, 2) installed the equipment incorrectly (i.e. cabling etc), 3) did not go into the various menus (both tv and cable box) to setup the TV for HD viewing, and 4) believed that the tv is correctly setup out the box.

Oh, there are DVDs out there that help you fine tune HD picture for even better picture - just think of tuning your tv like tuning your car.

Thinking about getting a flat panel TV....advice.....

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