New tv bought, thanks for the help everyone!

[Mr. S]

Hey, my parents have approved of us getting a tv, as we currently use a 27" Sony tv that is 13 years old (works well still, gotta love Sony's).

Anyways, we are thinking of a size range 40-50" or so, flat panel of course, and HD, either HD ready or built in. I am not sure of the difference between LCD, DLP, and Plasma, or many other terms. Either way, any help/tips/advice would be great. An explanation of those certain terms would be helpful, cause I am pretty much drawing a blank as to good prices and what we should want.

Thanks in advance guys, I wanna get advice fast, so I could have it potentially by our opening game!

[DjTj]

There's a bunch of threads on TV's if you search through the Tailgate archives. I recently bought a 32" Samsung LCD, and I'm really happy with it:

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-LNS3251D-Wide-Integrated-Tuner/dp/B000ELSY0I/sr=8-1/qid=1157318250/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-1568536-7723912?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

The 40" model is nice too:

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-LNS4051D-Wide-Integrated-Tuner/dp/B000ELOQS2/sr=8-2/qid=1157318250/ref=pd_bbs_2/104-1568536-7723912?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

I would say that if you're getting something for a house and you just want the biggest TV for the buck, a DLP is probably the way to go. I went with an LCD because I'm living in an apartment in a high-rise, so I needed something relatively compact that would perform well in a bright room.

Like I said, though, search the Tailgate for older threads - it helped me out when I was making a decision.

[Monte51Coleman]

Here is a great site to educate yourself:

http://www.avsforum.com/

[RDSKNfaithfull]

DLP ........................... enough said

[redskinsfan17]

First off, when you buy an HD Tv, you are going to have to purchase a HD packgage from comcast or directv or whatever...or else nothing will be presented in high definition and you will be slightly dissappointed with the TV quality compared to the picture that you saw in the store.

Next you got to decide what kind of features you want. If you are going to hook up a lot of stuff to the tv, you have to make sure the tv you want has the features you need. Next is the fun stuff. what kind of TV you should get.

I personally love the quality of LCD tvs, they're crisp, clear and more reliable then other types of tvs. It is also cheaper. Plasma tv's are higher quality but you are taking a risk of getting dead pixels and burning pixels when viewing a plasma tv in HD. DLP tv's have a higher refresh rate so like watching football or something that has a lot of movement would be more beneficial.

So i would break it down to the LCD's and the DLP. you're going to get a better image quality from the LCD, but once in a while you might notice a "ghost" once in a while when there is a lot of movement. DLP's are more expensive and don't have as great of image quality but you won't get that "ghost" popping up when there is a lot of movement.

don't bother with CRT's. they're heavy, they're old, and they're out of date.

I would seriously go with an LCD. if you pay $3,000 for an LCD tv, the DLP tv for the same price will be lower quality picture and the refresh rate won't be that significant.

I hope this helps a little

[Monte51Coleman]

don't bother with CRT's. they're heavy, they're old, and they're out of date.

I disagree with this part.

I own both a 36" Sony Wega CRT and a 52" Toshiba DLP. The DLP's picture is outstanding but not as good as the CRT. Now the DLP is my favorite because it's bigger but the CRT is a superior picture.

It is heavy but not old or out of date.

[skinfan2k]

if u buy a big screen tv go to costco or sams club to buy 1.. not bestbuy

[Mr. S]

I hope this helps a little

this definitely helps, thanks! I was thinking of an LCD, I just needed some basic definitions of the differences, as well as experiences. LCD seems cheaper, still is a flat panel style, and is HD capable. DLP sounds decent too, but more pricy.

Yeh, I've seen some at Costco, but does brand make a difference? I have seen some good priices at Costco, but brands like Akai don't ring a bell. Plus, as I said, we had a Sony for 13 years, and no real problems, still works fine, it's just old and a CRT. I know Sony's are expensive, so do the other brands matter as much. We don't wanna have to replace it for a long while. Again, thanks everyone for your responses!

[christopher44]

aNY hITACHI OR sONY lcd widescreen.I work in the cable industry for 7 years the best tv ive ever seen was a sony lcd widescreen.hands down.Hitachi and Sony use the same internal parts which are the best .

[Mr. S]

aNY hITACHI OR sONY lcd widescreen.I work in the cable industry for 7 years the best tv ive ever seen was a sony lcd widescreen.hands down.Hitachi and Sony use the same internal parts which are the best .

Thanks, we were somewhat thinking of this tv, Sony:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7848546&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat95100050031&id=1142298918228

it's not flat panel, but it seems a good value otherwise (we obviously will shop around for price).

Can anyone say something about this tv (DLP one):

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11041931&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&N=4001374&Mo=51&No=23&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=2341&Ns=P_Price|0||P_SignDesc1&Sp=C&topnav=

It's on sale at Costco.

[skinfan2k]

the sony tv u listed is one of the best in the market... i think the best for 50 inch... not too sure about the sharp..

[hockeyguy1721]

if those are the final two you are looking at, then go with the Sony. You should get a TV with 2 HDMI inputs. I saw that Sony this weekend and im debating between that and a Samsung DLP. Im likely going to get the Samsung. You will be happy with whatever you get im sure.

[DeanCollins]

I have a sony 42" plasma that's 5 years old now. no burn in or dead pixles and I watch it in my bedroom every night. I've looked at a lot tv's and plasmas always look sharper to me. My LR tv is a sony xbr 65" projection HD. It's 8 years old and looks great. the reason I mentioned this one is that I purchased it from http://www.soundcity.com/ in NJ. I've being buying audio/video gear from them for 15 years and "Joe" gives me great deals.

they beat the local store by $2000!

[matty dread]

Some good info here

http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/

and here

http://www.lcdtvbuyingguide.com/

[HOF44]

Thanks, we were somewhat thinking of this tv, Sony:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7848546&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat95100050031&id=1142298918228

it's not flat panel, but it seems a good value otherwise (we obviously will shop around for price).

Can anyone say something about this tv (DLP one):

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11041931&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&N=4001374&Mo=51&No=23&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=2341&Ns=P_Price|0||P_SignDesc1&Sp=C&topnav=

It's on sale at Costco.

I have last years version of the 50" Sony. Its a great TV, one of the best in its class on the market. Colors are great and its very bright.

[SeattleSkinsFan]

I disagree with this part.

I own both a 36" Sony Wega CRT and a 52" Toshiba DLP. The DLP's picture is outstanding but not as good as the CRT. Now the DLP is my favorite because it's bigger but the CRT is a superior picture.

It is heavy but not old or out of date.

Agreed.

I have a 34" Sony Wega HD widescreen, and the picture is amazing. It's very heavy (over 200 lbs.), and moving it is a job for two strong backs, but it's got a better picture than any plasma I've ever seen.

[TorresA]

I researched alot before getting mine.. and decided with Samsung DLP.

But it's your eyes... look at them in the store and see what you like best. Also check some of the sites other people recommended. As for size... the sites will tell you how big to get. You need to find out how far your couch is from where your tv will be and you can figure out how bit to get. Check out CNET.com too, they have a quick dumbdowned buying guide...

http://reviews.cnet.com/Televisions/4520-7608_7-1016109.html?tag=dir

[RedskinsFanInTX]

Before You Buy A Television

Before buying a new television, make a plan and consider factors such as price, type, and size. Impulse buying can lead to poor choices, so when you know what you want, be the smart consumer and stick to your plan.

[Mr. S]

thanks guys, these reviews and articles are great. We are probably gonna visit some stores today, and then do more online shopping or something. It does seem like we will stick with Sony due to our past experiences with them (they never really died on us, we just wanted bigger).

[rtbasye]

Here's my 2 cents- as soon as the stinkin army can get my travel pay fixed (they are about 4 weeks behind schedule) I'm going out to get the 42" Panasonic Plasma. At the Ft. Meyer PX they have it for 1999.00, which is pretty good considering the no tax. I dont quite want to bite off the extra 800-900 bucks for the 50 inch, plus, I dont have a great spot for that big of a tv anyways. I just love the way the plasma's look and panasonics are the rated as the best or near the best by almost everyone.

[HOF44]

Here's my 2 cents- as soon as the stinkin army can get my travel pay fixed (they are about 4 weeks behind schedule) I'm going out to get the 42" Panasonic Plasma. At the Ft. Meyer PX they have it for 1999.00, which is pretty good considering the no tax. I dont quite want to bite off the extra 800-900 bucks for the 50 inch, plus, I dont have a great spot for that big of a tv anyways. I just love the way the plasma's look and panasonics are the rated as the best or near the best by almost everyone.

I think all the Panasonics are HD, but always check when buying a flat panel TV to make sure. Some are ED, they are not capable of displaying an HD signal. Also make sure you get an HD source when you get the TV. I have went over to peoples houses and they have a 3000 TV stretched and displaying 480i TV. :doh:

[Matt [Redskins Fan]]

I have a 60" Sony Grand WEGA LCD, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. It wasn't even much cheaper than DLP or plasma, I just thought (and still do think) it looks brighter and crisper.

[rtbasye]

I think all the Panasonics are HD, but always check when buying a flat panel TV to make sure. Some are ED, they are not capable of displaying an HD signal. Also make sure you get an HD source when you get the TV. I have went over to peoples houses and they have a 3000 TV stretched and displaying 480i TV. :doh:

I believe you are correct, but this is absolutely the HD version.... friends dont let friends by an EDTV. I am currently watching HD programing on my 19" Samsung $100 tv from Wal Mart :doh: Damn I need that pay from the Army before next Monday!!!

[HOF44]

']I have a 60" Sony Grand WEGA LCD' date=' and I wouldn't trade it for anything. It wasn't even much cheaper than DLP or plasma, I just thought (and still do think) it looks brighter and crisper.[/quote']

I couldn't agree with you more. To me for the cost, size, and picture quality these are my favorite Tv's.

[matty dread]

Before You Buy A Television

Before buying a new television, make a plan and consider factors such as price, type, and size. Impulse buying can lead to poor choices, so when you know what you want, be the smart consumer and stick to your plan.

Good advice, when making any sort of major purchase you should always take your time, do your homework, and make sure you're comfortable with your decision.

It took me about 4 weeks of research before I finally bought this:

Panasonic 37" Plasma