Flat Screen TV Help

[gamble77]

Alright guys it is time to buy a new flat screen for the living room and master bedroom of our new house. I am really not up to date on this type of stuff, about all I know is that I was told to get one with 1080 resolution (not even sure if that is right).

In the living room there will be a lot of natural light coming into the room and want a TV that will show well with all the natural light. I am wanting something in the 42" range that won't break the bank! In the master we have a triple window but the TV in this room won't get as much of the natural light due to its location. We are thinking something in the 20" range for this room.

Any and all advice would be much appreciated!

 

[GaryM]

An LCD unit has a matte surface while a Plasma unit has a glossy surface on the display. So for the room with a lot of natural light an LCD is probably the best choice. Plasma TVs, in general can have a "blacker" black than many LCD TVs.

I recently bought a Toshiba Regza in 32" for our "spare TV room". Has a nice picture with three HDMI inputs as well as Componant, S-Video, and RF inputs. I believe it was in the $800 range.

A friend just bought a Toshiba Regza Cinema Series in 52". It was $3200. Size does make a difference. But this was going to be his main TV.

Our main TV is a Sony rear projection LCD unit in 50". Very nice picture, but it's 18" deep, so not a good choice for many installations.

Where are you going to get your signal? Over the air, cable, Dish network?

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I am glad you made this post as I am looking for a new TV for when I move in to my new house. So if you don't mind can I tag along with a few questions of my own instead of starting another similar thread? Thanks

 

[gordon21]

For us to help you pick a screen size, we need to know how far your face will be from the screen. Have someone measure the distance from the typical chair or sofa you will use. This makes a big difference. Too big can actually be a problem.

For the big TV, I suggest a LCD due to the ambient light.

The bedroom can be 26-29" if it is within 3-4' of the end of the bed.

If you have Directv, you will want 1080i or 1080p (better).

A 46" 1080p LCD will run about $1700 for a name brand like Sony, Sharp, etc. That is a typical living room size. Depending upon the size you need, you may want a 42" or a 52" instead.

 

[gamble77]

Feel free to tag along, the more questions and answers the more educated I become as well!

I am going to do a little window shopping tomorrow, but from all the TV's I have looked at so far 42" seems to get a logical fit for the size room we have, we don't want the TV to "dominate" the room, but we want it large enough to be enjoyabe.

These will both be wall mounted units as we had the home wired for it. Keep the suggestions coming, thanks guys!

 

[gordon21]

This is about as impartial as you can get. Cnet.com reviews and info.

The sales people will try to sell you 120 refresh rate TV's as opposed to regular refresh rates. The difference in price is substanial. Look at two side by side to see if it makes a difference to YOUR eyes.

Do NOT buy the expensive cables. Many tests have shown that there is no difference between a $15 and a $89 HDMI cable. Digital is digital.


CNET's ultimate HDTV buying guide

 

[jinman]

I have a 37" tube type HDTV at 1080i and it is good from 10' away, but I think a 42 would be about perfect at that distance. I agree with everything gordon21 says about LCDs and staying away from high priced cables, and, of course, 720p HDTVs in general. I love that Sony HDNA and I've noticed they put them away from the others at Sam's. I think that will be my next purchase. In my opinion, if you start with a Sony, everything else will look like something less.

For my bedroom, I have a non-HDTV LCD panel mounted high up on a wall. I don't watch it long enough to justify HDTV. I'm asleep in about 15 min after my head hits the pillow.

 

[GarthH]

We bought a year ago 46" Sharp LCD. Since then I've added the home theatre components. I too look at reviews Consumer R and CNet. We have converted a south facing solarium to a family room. 9' windows, about 550 square feet. We sit about 10' from the LCD; the picture isn't too large in fact I could image a 60" screen (we moved from a 27" tube) and the brightness is very good. Mid day watching is challanging without the blinds pulled down.

Some of the LCD's seem to react better with a Dish vs Cable; in fact the Sharp set seems to get banding with cable that that we do not get on the Dish. We went for the 1080 but have no idea of whether that is worthwhile; CR's said it wasn't important but all of the recommendations had the 1080.

 

[dgl24087]

I went thru this same decision about a year ago. I purchased a 40" Samsung LCD. I have Directv HD, and let me tell you, the clarity of the HD channels is mind boggling. The LCD was the better choice for me due to the nonglare screen. As for the LCD, Plasma, DLP debate, the sales representative recommended the LCD due to the matte screen, lighter weight, generates less heat, lower power consumption, plus his observation that LCD's had a better service record. I am exremely satisfied with my TV, just wish I had gotten the 42" TV. My primary viewing seat is about 10 ft. away.

 

[txdon]

I also have a Samsung HDTV 32" and the clarity on the HD channels is amazing. I am getting digital (HDTV) over the air with rabbit ears.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Right now we have cable via Time Warner and I don't see that changing unless TW goes thru with their idea of charging for the bandwidth used for the internet.

So is there anything I should consider when searching for a TV because of the fact I have cable?

I want a HD TV and hope to get HD cable once I get a TV so once again is there anything I should look for in a TV? Is a HD ready tv, well, actually ready for HD service or will I need something else?

I think a 42" TV would fit perfectly but would like to get the most for my money but don't want to spend top dollar just for a name. I will check out Cnet but if you guys have any suggestions feel free to share. Also, the rooms the TV might go in (still haven't decided which room to make the main living room, the other will be my daughters living room/play room) both have a lot of windows. I don't mind pulling the blinds but I would like a TV that will work decently if the blinds are open.

 

[Blackbird_BX]

I recently bought a Sony 46" W series LCD after extensive research online. Pity that this didn't come up a few days ago, as I just threw out the research links I had.

The first to do is to find out what features that are important to you. I started with Google searches for flat screen TV comparisons, flat screen TV reviews and flat screen TV ratings. Be prepared to plow through a lot of vendor links. When it came down to final selection, I found sites that had user reviews and ratings on specific models the most useful since real world user experiences can be more telling than expert reviews and the reviews you find on CNet and other sites tend to be limited to a few models and are often dated. Not that I didn't read all of the expert reviews I could find. Reviews on one size TV of a model series will usually apply to other sizes, so don't worry if all you can find is a review on a 46" set when you are looking for a 42"

As others have said, LCD TVs are a better than plasma in a bright room. They weigh less and use less power for a given size than plasma. I was able to mount the 46" Sony LCD on the wall by myself, while there is no way I would have been able to do that with the same size plasma. I was looking for a TV that supported 1080p, and there are a lot more LCDs than plasma TVs supporting this. Plasma does have deeper blacks and handle high speed motion better than LCDs and have a wider viewing angle than LCD TVs, but LCDs have gotten much closer lately.

One thing that became apparent in my research is the importance of the image processing system of a high definition TV when it comes to viewing standard definition sources. Inexpensive sets will often look very good displaying high definition sources, while standard definition can look horrible because they don't do a good job of "upconverting" lower definition sources. Higher quality sets do much better. Higher end LCD sets generally do better with action scenes.

Don't waste money on high end cables. Tests have shown no benefit. If you are planning on wall mounting the TV yourself, Sam's Club had the by far the best price I could find on a TV mount. They also have good prices on cables.

Of course, as with any purchase of this type, the first thing you need to do is set a budget.

Once I've settled on a model, I hit the shopping sites like Pricegrabber.com and Bizrate.com and look for the best delivered price from a highly rated store. I rarely buy accessories from the same company as the main unit, since it seems that the stores that have the best prices on the big ticket items try to make it up on little stuff.

 

[hwp]

After a couple of years of looking I finally took the plunge a couple of months ago and bought a Samsung LN-T5281 - this is the one with the 500,000:1 contrast ratio. It is great. It had C-Net's highest rating at the time I bought it. Our viewing distance is about 15 feet which we find about right for the 52" screen. The only source in 1080p that I know of is Blu-ray. Of the TV stations that broadcast in HD, most use 1080i, ABC is 720p. Everything I have read suggests that nobody will be broadcasting in 1080p for several years. When the weather cooperates, ie the wind is not howling, I find the reception at least as good with my antenna as from satellite. However even when the wind is blowing hard, satellite reception is still good. 120Hz is supposed to give less blurring on fast motion - but I don't have a problem with 60Hz on my unit. Samsung is one of the few brands that offers PIP, but the PIP is in SD not HD because the unit only has one tuner. Also the PIP is scalable - from small insert to half screen and you can switch the get the sound from either source. I use three types of input, OTA from my antenna, Component from my VCR/DVD unit which also picks up from the antenna and HDMI from my FTA satellite receiver. I could run a HDMI cable from my VCR/DVD unit to the TV but haven't done so as yet. Hope this helps.

 

[CinderSchnauzer]

During the winter of 2005 / 2006 in anticipation of super Bowl 2006 we went to every box store and independent outlet in town and spent hours looking at various models side by side showing the same picture - regular - HD & DVD. We kept coming back to Sony as having the best picture - at that time.

Bought a 42" LCD Projection and 55" LCD projection - brought them both home and set side by side. Fed both with the same HD Sat and tried S-Video, Component, HDMI cables. There is a noticable superiority to the HDMI cable.

Initially DW thought the 42" was big enough, but decided to buy the 55". Seating is about 14' -15' from face to screen. Family Room is open concept so TV can be seen from Kitchen - maybe 25' away in total. DW loves the 55" now and can''t believe she ever wanted to only go 42."

The clarity of big screen HD is just unbelievable - especially for sports like football. In major population centers there is quite a bit of Off Air HD available, without the need for cable / satellite.

For those with young / sharp eyes, I'm told Plasma has less distortion with quick movement. I can't really see the difference myself - but my neighbor says he can.

Good Luck

 

[RonMar]

Well starting at the available source is probably the first thing you should consider. What kind of output signal do you have available from either your cable box or sattelte receiver. Unless you have either component HD or HDMI(prefered) outputs from your box, you will be dissipointed in just about any flat panels picture quality. You need this high bandwidth pipe to get the video information to the display. The next step will be what level of quality is available from your provider(cable or sattelite).

For display, 1080I is OK, P will be a litter sharper. the difference is in the way the image is scanned onto the display. "I" is for interlaced so the image is first scanned on the odd lines, then on the even lines so it takes 2 passes to lay down a single frame, but canuse a simpler processor. This leades to a very slight flicker, but with the higher scan rates today, it is less apparent. "P" stands for progressive so the image frame is layed down one line at a time(1234 ect) in 1 pass. This used to be the difference between a high end(P) computer monitor and a cheapie(I) and is the same in TV's. "P" will cost you more.

The assesments given for LCD vs plasma above are right on, the matte LCD finish is good for higher ambient light conditions. Also look for the face trim finish. A glossy reflective frame around the display can be real annoying

I have a Sharp Aquos in 32" and it is a pretty good display. I am feeding it with Direct TV via HDMI and it's picture is impressive. I need to upgrade my DVD player now to match the quality out of he sattelite box. Whatever you get look for one with enough HDMI inputs to accomidate your planned devices. This will make adding to or modifying your system later much easier.

Good luck.

 

[Tractors4u]

I just had my 47" Phillips Ambilight LCD delivered Saturday. I love it. My LCD has a glossy screen like most of the plasmas. If you haven't seen the Ambilights, do a Google search for them. In low light it is a blast to watch.

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

Take a look at this site a lot of technical stuff but good reviews too. We went with a Panasonic Plasma in 11/06, once u switch AND get an HD signal you will kick yourself for not doing it sooner. Sports are just amazing.

Plasma TV Buying Guide: Offers Plasma Television, DLP TV and LCD TV Buying Tips

 

[shimp]

i saw this on a google search regarding ambilites;

Philips recalls 11,800 "Ambilight" LCD TVs

TG Daily - Philips recalls 11,800 "Ambilight" LCD TVs

 

[MikePA]

So is there anything I should consider when searching for a TV because of the fact I have cable?

No. What's more important are the cable boxes and DVRs TW offers. What kind of output options do their devices have? HDMI is the easiest since it's one cable for both video and audio. I'd recommend drawing up all the boxes you want/have to have between the TW cable and the TV. Then determine what connections you will need. For example, a DVD player only needs to feed the TV. A DVD player/recorder needs to be fed by a signal, which means it's got to be downstream from the cable box/DVR. If you want to get a DVR, make sure TW offers an HD DVR. I imagine they do, but it's worth checking.

I want a HD TV and hope to get HD cable once I get a TV so once again is there anything I should look for in a TV? Is a HD ready tv, well, actually ready for HD service or will I need something else?

The 2 options are 1080i and 1080p. Some TVs have an HD tuner, but that's only if you're using an over the air HD signal. You also have to make sure everything between the original HD signal and the TV can pass an 1080p signal. For example, my HD DVR can not output 1080p. So, except for watching DVDs, a 1080p TV doesn't buy me anything.

...both have a lot of windows. I don't mind pulling the blinds but I would like a TV that will work decently if the blinds are open.

Bright rooms with windows = LCD.

Our den and LR have multiple windows, so I went with Toshiba LCDs from Crutchfield a few years ago. Each have an HD DVR from our cable company attached. The TV in the den has a built in DVD player while we have a separate DVD player/recorder in the LR. We had some form of DVR for over 10 years. Before we went HD, we had 2 ReplayTVs, now the DVRs from the cable company. I highly recommend DVRs. Watch when you want and spend less time watching.

 

[Jimmyp5]

ok, my two cents... 1080i or 1080p., 1080p will cost you a few more dollars...some times a lot more. They only deal with refresh rate of the image so do you need to refresh each and every line everytime? Really depends on what you watch, my bet is for 99% of us 1080i is just fine, unless you want to see the dragster running the quarter mile or are watching folks setting the land speed record. Ok a little extreme in my example but you get the picture, high speed, fast action you might want to go with 1080p on a LCD.

Oh when you go to buy, make sure you checkout Costco on line, I got great deals this past year on two LCD models.