Suggest a TV

F

Fico

25+ Posts
Since there seems to be one of these threads every few months I figured I would start one... I searched but did not find a thread that was recent with good info.

I am looking to get a new TV before the season starts and am open to all suggestions, regarding make, model, price bargains ect...

I am looking to get a 42" to 52" and I am obviously looking for a deal, around 1k would be great. I am thinking LCD or DLP becuase the room will be recieving a decent amount of light.

So with that info any sites or any suggestions are welcome. Thanks for the help.
 
There are many great TVs. My suggestion is figure out where you want to put it, and that decision will guide you to a technology (LCD, DLP rear projection, etc.). If you want to put it on a table, go LCD. If depth and bulk is not an issue, you can get a rear projection DLP at a great price. If you want a 100" image, and can block out the exterior daylight, a front projection is the way to go.

After you decide on a technology, check out brands, and indivifdual models' performance. Remember that you are going to need a lot of wires.
 
I've had a Samsung DLP for the last year or so and love it. I haven't priced them in a while, but it would probably fit in your price range.
 
This one seems like a good deal:
The Link

I love Vizio TVs and as long as you're not stuck with having 1080p, then it would do great.

BTW, 1080p is overrated right now. IIRC FOX, and ABC all broadcast in 720p due to it's better performance with fast action. NBC and CBS do 1080i. I don't know when they'll all upgrade to 1080p, but to me, it's not worth the extra $$ right now. In two years, the 1080p tvs will come down in price.

EDIT in bold. Wrote 1080i instead of 1080p.
 
Netslave,

Not sure if you are trying to say that 720p is better than 1080p, and hence the preference by certain broadcast networks to use it, but if so, that is wholly inaccurate. The cost of 1080p conversion (and bandwith required for cable companies) is the limiting factor at this point.

Just want to be sure the info is accurate. You're obviously entitled to believe it is overrated.

FWIW, once I went 1080p, I was hooked and can't ever go back.
 
1080p is definitely not overrated... overpriced, sure... not overrated... picture quality is so much better if you have the right input... now, if you don't have a ps3 or bluray player that gives you that 1080p output, then 720p or 1080i is the way to go... much bigger picture for the price.
 
I have a 50" Samsung DLP and love it. Our living room gets the most light in the house and we never had a complaint about the screen not being bright enough. The only downside that I have with the DLP is that the stand height has to be right, not that big of a deal and you do lose clarity watching at an angle, but we dont have a terribly big room so it is not that big of a deal.
 
I was mainly thinking of getting an LCD or a DLP. My roommate had a 65in DLP in my previous apartment which was awesome, and he got on sale for like 1700 a year ago. But I don't need something that big.

My only concern with DLP is bulb burnout, but I thought I read something in regards to a certain make and model that is not as susceptible to bulb burn out, any one else here about this?

On the flip a LCD allows me more flexibility if I move or something and need to place a TV somewhere where a DLP isn't practical. Anyways thanks for the suggestions and info, and keep the discussion flowing.
 
Why are you not interested in a plasma? Burn in is no longer an issue, they are wall mountable and they are cheaper than LCD.
 
LHF68 and I bought a Samsung flat thingy from Amazon about a month or so ago. The big name places couldn't come within a few hundred of the price, and that didn't consider the free shipping and no tax. I think it;s a 42 inch Samsung-- 1080 PI blah blah blah....

Anyway, check Amazon
 
The only reason I am not considering plasma is because the room it is going to placed in will recieves a decent amount of light.

Thanks for help so far guys/girls.
 
You could save yourself some coin by buying an Ipod with video capabilities and placing a magnifying screen over it Wall-E style.
 
The 61 inch DLP in EJC's link above seems like an insanely good deal ($1450 shipped). Is there any legitimate reason DLP's are generally so much cheaper than Plasma's/LCD's?

Based on the research I’ve done it seems like each technology has its own strengths and weaknesses, but I have yet to find any compelling reason that really explains the huge difference in price.
 
I think it might have to do with the cost of repairs due to bulb burnout's... and the lack of flexibility as far hanging on a wall or needing the small amount of extra room for the rear projection tv.

I am looking at three tv in particular right now....

Phillips 42 PFL56030 Phillips
Samsung 50" DLP Samsung
Toshiba 42" Regza Toshiba
 
A couple of weeks ago I went to Fry's and saw a Panasonic plasma and a Samsung LCD side by side. Looking from the side out at the showroom ceiling light fixtures, the plasma panel reflection was not much different than the LCD screen right next to it. The reflection on the LCD was just slightly (IMO) duller.

Panasonic has been updating their panel reflection filters, and the 2008 version is a great improvement over my 2006 42" Panny - which sits in a pretty bright family room.

As was mentioned earlier, the image retention problem with plasmas is just about a thing of the past..
 
that's a great price for the samsung dlp, they must have come down recently; i got mine a couple of years ago (1080i, yeah, whatever, it's the same) and it was about $1400, which was a great price at the time. Go with the 50" dlp.
 
Something to consider:

VIEWING ANGLE
Along with D-ILA, DLPs are the best of the best among rear-projection TV technologies. The eyeball test of effective viewing gives me about a 100° side-to-side viewing angle. One very important note here is that, with DLPs, the vertical positioning of the display should be very close to eye level. The vertical viewing angle on DLP televisions is far less protracted than its side-to-side viewing angle. Indeed, the vertical viewing angles of the DLPs I tested were maybe 40° or so.

Article from Home Theater Automation & Electronics
DLP Disadvantages
Biggest disadvantage is called the Rainbow effect. Everyone does not see the Rainbow effect; therefore this may not impact you. For the people that do see it, it is usually seen when people look away from the screen then look back quickly. It appears as a colored streak across the screen. We suggest you view a few DLP televisions in a store to determine if this will be a problem for you or not. The manufactures are also working diligently to eliminate this issue and it has improved, hopefully this will not be an issue much longer.

Although slimmer then older projection televisions. The depth (6-18 inches) of most DLP televisions is more then a Plasma or LCD. Therefore if you are planning on hanging it on the wall this will most likely prove prohibitive.

Because the DLP television is a rear projection TV, the viewing angle is not as great as Plasma or LCD technologies. With rear projection you will find that if you are too far off to one side or the other the color will not appear consistent. This may not matter to you unless you have a wide room and need to be able to see the television from areas off to the side. We suggest a viewing angle of 40% or less for a DLP.
 
We've got a new 50" Samsung DLP and it's great. The new models have replaced the color wheel with LEDs so bulb burn out and mechanical failure are not as much of a problem. Plus, they are a super tv for the money. Highly recommended.
 
I'd totally agree with the recommendations about DLP's, with two caveats. First of all, you have to know where to place it. It needs to be at just about eye level. That means your stand won't be more than about 18 inches tall. My parents put one in a wall unit and it's about 5 feet up (at the bottom), which makes for a horrible viewing environment. Second, you do lose the flexibility of wall-mounting at a later time. For me, I decided that wouldn't be an issue, and it's worked out well.
 
mrteabiscuit was that 50" DLP that you got the same one I linked above? That one mentions a faster color wheel but nothing about LED lights. Where did you get yours from?
 
OK just found this one on Buy.com
It complete with the LED color lights as oppossed to the bulb and color wheel. What you guys think?

Samsung HL56A650 Samsung 56
 
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