• Buying my first HDTV. Budget. Size. Quality.
    29 replies, posted
So I'm purchasing a new HDTV. My first. My budget is for a TV around $1000, but I can go as high as $12xx. It is for the living room in my house. It will be used for BluRay, PS3 gaming, and regular TV viewing including sports and shows. I live about 3 minutes away from a Best Buy, and I've been visiting them to look at TVs, but they don't seem to be very honest. I looked through the settings for their TVs, and the most expensive TVs have the best settings, with high brightness, adequate temperatures, etc. And the cheaper, yet still decent setting TVs are on dim lighting, with "energy saving" settings. So I have been looking at LED LCD TVs and Plasmas. I am excluding DLPs and since LED LCDs are kicking regular LCDs out of the market, I am trying to rule them out, especially since LED LCDs are on avg $200 more expensive than the LCDs and much better looking. So can you guys give me an idea on what is the very best television that I can purchase for my budget for a TV that is at minimum 46" but preferred to be 50"+.
[url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889102361[/url] That is the only LED-LCD i found at close to your price range. Samsung always offers high quality on their tv's and monitors. or [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889005123[/url] 47 inch and 1200 dollars. and this one comes with a free blu-ray till 8/14
I was thinking "Oh that is easy" until you said minimum 46"
The two I posted are 1250 and 1200. They are right at minimum of 46 inch but for your price you aren't going to get any bigger.
So how come you didn't post any plasmas? [editline]11:25PM[/editline] Also, your Samsung is a 60Hz.. eww
The LG is a 47 inch and 120 Hz, and its cheaper and has a free blu-ray player, just forget about the first one i posted. [editline]07:30PM[/editline] You can get a 50 inch plasma for the same price as those LED-LCD ones, just go on newegg and look in home and theater, read some reviews or just find one you like.
But everyone is trying to steer me away from buying Plasmas, and 100% of those people can't really explain to me why they're so bad except saying "they're shit quality". Can someone give me an adequate response to why a plasma isn't something I should look into?
plasmas have fine quality, but they get [URL="http://reviews.cnet.com/plasma-burn-in-seven-things-you-need-to-know/"]"plasma burn"[/URL] which is one of the only down side I can think of right now. I have a 42 inch Samsung plasma that I got for $850USD a few years back. I have a slight burn in the bottom left corner from too much CNN.
Whatever you choose don't get a 42" Emerson 1080i plasma HDTV [editline]12:15AM[/editline] when I play my ps3 on plasma, there is a lot of delay. And when you're moving inside a game, the picture becomes darker and weirder for some reason.
But 42 inch 1080p looks bad, unless you're like really far from the tv.
I'm going to see if I can win the lottery or something because this $2800 TV is on sale for $1800 on Amazon. [url]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0036WT4I8?tag=invihand-20[/url] I drool every time I see this thing.
[QUOTE=collegegrad;23926238]So how come you didn't post any plasmas? [editline]11:25PM[/editline] Also, your Samsung is a 60Hz.. eww[/QUOTE] eWWWW IT'S ONLY 60HZ I MUST HAVE THE LATEST GIMMICKS THAT I'LL NEVER USE
LCD's are easier to fix if they go wrong. Plasma burn is the only major disadvantage of plasma tv's. Plus they're permanent.
[QUOTE=Odellus;23928781]eWWWW IT'S ONLY 60HZ I MUST HAVE THE LATEST GIMMICKS THAT I'LL NEVER USE[/QUOTE] How is this the latest gimmick? 60Hz TVs almost don't exist anymore. 120Hz is the standard. I mean 240 Hz and 480 Hz TVs are out now and have been out for a while.. not to mention 3D. 120Hz is not a gimmick sir, it's the standard, if not under it.
[QUOTE=collegegrad;23929502]How is this the latest gimmick? 60Hz TVs almost don't exist anymore. 120Hz is the standard. I mean 240 Hz and 480 Hz TVs are out now and have been out for a while.. not to mention 3D. 120Hz is not a gimmick sir, it's the standard, if not under it.[/QUOTE] Why do you need a TV at 120Hz?
[QUOTE=Panda X;23929708]Why do you need a TV at 120Hz?[/QUOTE]
I have a 50" Panasonic S1 plasma- it kicks ass. Plasmas do run warm, meaning they have fans which make noise. It's very low, you won't hear it unless you shut the volume all the way off and everything else is quiet, but some might not like that. You'll never hear the fan in a Best Buy, the enviroment is too noisy. I prefer the more subdued, film like picture of plasma over the over saturated picture you get with an LED LCD, that's a matter of personal taste though. Burn in and image retention are not a problem unless you are the type to leave the same image on your tv for hours on end. I'm not so I have never had that problem. I think the new version of the tv I have is the S2, $979 at Best Buy.
[url]http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/display_myths_shattered[/url] Might want to give this a read.
[QUOTE=GWMCOCD;23929966][url]http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/display_myths_shattered[/url] Might want to give this a read.[/QUOTE] You have been the most helpful person yet. Not only here, but even when considering everyone else I've spoken to from chats and other forums.
[QUOTE=collegegrad;23929502]How is this the latest gimmick? 60Hz TVs almost don't exist anymore. 120Hz is the standard. I mean 240 Hz and 480 Hz TVs are out now and have been out for a while.. not to mention 3D. 120Hz is not a gimmick sir, it's the standard, if not under it.[/QUOTE] no there aren't 240 Hz or 480 Hz TVs, they're multiplying the refresh rate by the amount of fields [editline]01:30AM[/editline] and no 120 Hz is not the standard, 60 Hz is and still will be for a lot longer [editline]01:30AM[/editline] because the only thing 120 Hz allows for is 3D, which is a gimmick
I got my 47" LG at Best Buy for only $900, it's 1920x1080p and is currently my computer monitor. Tis brilliant, just keep your eye open and your bound to find one.
[QUOTE=Odellus;23932036]no there aren't 240 Hz or 480 Hz TVs, they're multiplying the refresh rate by the amount of fields [editline]01:30AM[/editline] and no 120 Hz is not the standard, 60 Hz is and still will be for a lot longer [editline]01:30AM[/editline] because the only thing 120 Hz allows for is 3D, which is a gimmick[/QUOTE] Before I read the link I would have blindly fought you on the above statements, but after reading those articles and looking at reviews I agree. Nonetheless I have narrowed my selections down to the following TVs: [url]http://www.bestbuy.com/site/LG+-+47%22+Class+/+1080p+/+120Hz+/+LED-LCD+HDTV/9811755.p?skuId=9811755&productCategoryId=abcat0101001&id=1218177897309[/url] [url]http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Panasonic+-+VIERA+/+50%22+Class+/+1080p+/+600Hz+/+Plasma+HDTV/9786054.p?id=1218174065119&skuId=9786054[/url] and [url]http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Insignia%26%23153%3B+-+46%22+Class+/+1080p+/+120Hz+/+LED-LCD+HDTV/9687054.p?id=1218150606365&skuId=9687054[/url] The last one is only if I for some reason don't get a plasma and if I have to get something for under $1000.
[QUOTE=collegegrad;23926411]But everyone is trying to steer me away from buying Plasmas, and 100% of those people can't really explain to me why they're so bad except saying "they're shit quality". Can someone give me an adequate response to why a plasma isn't something I should look into?[/QUOTE] plasma's are fine, plasma burn is mostly gone, but plasma doesn't always give you a better picture than LED's anymore.
I like LCD tv's over Plasmas. It may not be a justified thing anymore now that the latest ones don't suffer from plasma burn as much as the older ones did. But i think generally id rather pay the extra money.
A [B]decent[/B] plasma (£600+, soz I'm basing this off my experience here in the uk OP), will have these advantages over lcd: [LIST] [*]far better colour reproduction [*]far better contrast ratios (and not the made up dynamic shit) [*]far better motion control [*]far better viewing angle [/LIST] and these disadvantages: [LIST] [*]much higher energy usage [*]much higher running temps [*]a subtle pwm buzz that some people can or can't perceive [*]temporary image retention if you leave the screen frozen on the same non-changing picture element for some time, possibly permanent image rentention if you left it on the same non-moving picture element for a month non stop [*]it'll be thicker than the newest lcds [*]it'll be heavier than the newest lcds [*]you won't be able to find (decent) sets under 40 inch, if at all [*]it won't do torch mode (i.e. it won't oversaturate whites) [/LIST] I own a professionally calibrated 50" pioneer kuro 5090 (a plasma) which I paid £2600 for a year ago as it was literally the best flat panel on the market at the time. It took me about 6 months to do thorough research on all the facts and myths you'll hear about lcds and plasmas and as above, there are disadvantages and advantages to each one. Fair disclosure: I don't play video games for more than 2-3 hours a day, so any on screen icons etc aren't on for a huge amount of time, if you're intending on doing monster video gaming sessions every day, an lcd maybe a better choice. Oh and finally, $1000 of panasonic plasma should sort you out with a fine telly. [editline]02:07PM[/editline] Oh and here is a size calc for determining the best size based on your viewing distance: [url]http://myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html[/url]
[QUOTE=collegegrad;23932428]Before I read the link I would have blindly fought you on the above statements, but after reading those articles and looking at reviews I agree. Nonetheless I have narrowed my selections down to the following TVs: [url]http://www.bestbuy.com/site/LG+-+47%22+Class+/+1080p+/+120Hz+/+LED-LCD+HDTV/9811755.p?skuId=9811755&productCategoryId=abcat0101001&id=1218177897309[/url] [url]http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Panasonic+-+VIERA+/+50%22+Class+/+1080p+/+600Hz+/+Plasma+HDTV/9786054.p?id=1218174065119&skuId=9786054[/url] id go with the first one. and [url]http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Insignia%26%23153%3B+-+46%22+Class+/+1080p+/+120Hz+/+LED-LCD+HDTV/9687054.p?id=1218150606365&skuId=9687054[/url] The last one is only if I for some reason don't get a plasma and if I have to get something for under $1000.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=mark6789;23938842][/QUOTE] Is that your way of agreeing with me?
I would just go buy whatever looks best to you and fits your price range. Around here you'll just get "I have this TV and it's awesome, buy it as well."
[QUOTE=Ajacks;23940641]I would just go buy whatever looks best to you and fits your price range. Around here you'll just get "I have this TV and it's awesome, buy it as well."[/QUOTE] The problem with the "whatever looks best to you" part is that you CAN'T go by how it looks in the store. The settings they use in store are oversaturated, overbright- because they are trying to make the picture stand out amongst the other tvs. When you get it home you will need to calibrate it and tone it down. Then you'll be in the category of people saying "why doesn't it look like it did in the store?" It's better to find out what kind of picture you can expect from people using it in real world use. That's why I prefer plasma, it looks like film. With LED LCD(and regular LCD) everything looks like video to me- based on the tvs I've seen in actual living rooms with calibrated settings.
I have actually narrowed it down to either a 50" Samsung Plasma for $1100 or a Panasonic Plasma for $980. I'm leaning more toward the Panasonic because it has slightly better reviews than the Samsung.
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