Please help me choose a TV

[pleschga]

Good day...

my wife and I are looking into purchasing a new televison. We are looking at an HD tv, most likely LCD or Plasma. Thing is, I don't know much about them. So, this group being the smartest people I know.....

What should we get?

Being as we live in Ohio, and want to "help" the economy, I'd like to go with an American (U.S.A.) company.

Our budget is flxible, but I'd like to stick to less than $1000.00.

I'd like to hang out around 37" to 41".

I think 1080p is the "best" now, but, is 720p adequate (not going to look crappy two years from now)?

Thoughts and suggestions are appreciated.

 

[All Seeing Eye]

Id go for an LG HD TV, they're a great make and dont forget you'll need to buy some HD Scart leads.

 

[USS KG5]

Good day...

And to you Sir

Being as we live in Ohio, and want to "help" the economy, I'd like to go with an American (U.S.A.) company.

Most electronics are made in the Far East, admittedly I'm not an expert on the US economy but maybe look for a company with an assembly facility in the States?

Our budget is flxible, but I'd like to stick to less than $1000.00.

I'd like to hang out around 37" to 41".

Brands like LG and Samsung are good in that bracket, you can also get some good offers on top brands. Remember you do get a difference with the very pricey TVs but not a HUGE difference, often if you don't obsess over it too much you will not notice.

The best bet is to have a look at them, different priorities might come out - for example for me Samsung's styling is way ahead of many far more expensive brands, Panasonics generally have the best picture in absolute terms - but thats really just me.

I think 1080p is the "best" now, but, is 720p adequate (not going to look crappy two years from now)?

They do not look THAT different full stop, except on truly vast TVs. It is rapidly becoming a standard feature but currently 1080p is the "in" technology to keep TV prices up, next year it will be something different and 1080p will be a standard feature.

It is not worth the $500 premium a lot of brands charge for it. Don't give up a stunning offer on last years model that doersn't have 1080p because of it....

 

[philbob]

Olevia 242T....its 42in and its made in the USA

 

[USS KG5]

Olevia 242T....its 42in and its made in the USA

Do you know whose electronics/screen they use - because you can guarantee the whole shebang is NOT made in the USA.

 

[zephramc]

Do you know whose electronics/screen they use - because you can guarantee the whole shebang is NOT made in the USA.

I'm not 100% positive, but I think for the most part Olevia makes their own stuff. The image processor chips are made by other manufacturers like Silicon Optix and such, but I think the screen is Olevia's own. Their LCD's are designed and assembled in the US and their LCOS televisions are made from start to finish here in the US.

 

[pleschga]

Olevia 242T....its 42in and its made in the USA

Haven't found a clear answer to this question yet, so I'll ask you since you seem familiar with the Olevia TVs.

Do they have an internal tuner (HD&SD)?

 

[Scout101]

LCD is definitely the answer over plasma. Fewer issues (i.e. burn-in, replacing bulbs), lighter, uses less power, 1080P in your price range, etc.

Samsung is, IMO, the best LCD tv maker out there at the moment, when considering cost and performance. You can get cheaper, and can get slightly better performance, but Samsung is balancing them quite nicely.

How close to the TV will you be sitting? Makes a difference as to whether 1080p is worth it, or if you can get away with 720p.

Here's the 40" version of my tv (I got the 46"), but it's $1200 (free shipping and no tax, however): http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-LNT40...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1203980446&sr=8-1

Something like this may make more sense, as far as saving you a little money while still getting a nice TV. It's a 42" Toshiba, 720p, and is a couple bucks over $1000, free shipping no tax:
http://www.buydig.com/shop/product....medium=cpc&utm_campaign=TB42HL67&sku=TB42HL67

 

[Saturn0660]

Lcd's and Plasmas are nice indeed... However, I have a 42" Samsung DLP.. I love it.. It handles SD much better then lcd/plasma. Also, don't buy all the bullshit about bulbs costing $300+.. Find out model # and look online.. My bulb is about $100. Not to much i think. Just something to think about..

Good luck

 

[philbob]

i cant tell you im at school and yet to have been home to see it

 

[Johnny Rico]

Well, the new Sharp AQUOS 42" LC-42D64U is running around $1300 about now, or at least the last time I checked.

It's 1080p, 4ms response time, 10,000:1 dynamic/2,000:1 constant contrast ratio. And it's only 1.5 inches thick!

 

[Trajet]

You can buy a 37 to 41" LCD/Plasma HD TV for less than the equivalent of £500? Lucky you! Here in the UK, the price of a decent model would be closer to £1,000/$2,000.

If you're looking at getting an LCD model, I'd suggest either LG or Sony, and definitely advise that you avoid anything made by Samsung. I used to have a Samsung 32" LCD HD, and found the image quality to be very disappointing, while a friend has recently purchased a 40" model and suffers from the same problem. I don't have much experience with Plasma TV's, but I have heard that they can suffer from reliability and premature screen burn issues.

 

[Scout101]

^that would be pretty much the opposite of the reviews and testing groups, trajet. If I say I had a Honda and it broke down all the time, doesn't make Hondas unreliable, means you had a problem...

 

[Johnny Rico]

You can buy a 37 to 41" LCD/Plasma HD TV for less than the equivalent of £500? Lucky you! Here in the UK, the price of a decent model would be closer to £1,000/$2,000.

Isn't Socialism wonderful? Yeah, you may make more in your paychecks, but every consumer item costs more too. Example, a cup of coffee in the UK runs around $10 USD, right? So in the end, everything is relative.

 

[TerriO]

Let's keep that kind of politics out of here, please, Johnny. Thank you.

 

[Rico]

For anyone that has a good experience with a TV or brand or type there is someone who has had a bad experience with the same. For your needs, I'd go LCD.

 

[Johnny Rico]

For anyone that has a good experience with a TV or brand or type there is someone who has had a bad experience with the same. For your needs, I'd go LCD.

Well, for true HD content, 720p or 1080i/p stuff, not up-converted SD stuff, LCD is great. Looks more natural. HD sports look absolutely incredible.

Plasmas are extremely bright and because of the glass screen, you get glare if you have ambient light.