We are buying a new HDTV... recs?

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

The less you spend on a tv the better you will feel in 6 months when something that has better specs (refresh, internet connectivity, picture quality, etc) costs $3-700 less than what you paid.

Edit: This link was just on Yahoo, http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home...tions-cnnmoney Black Friday deals this look to include 42" TVs for ~$300

[Color Me Badd Fan]

The less you spend on a tv the better you will feel in 6 months when something that has better specs (refresh, internet connectivity, picture quality, etc) costs $3-700 less than what you paid.

It seems the price for given sizes of TVs has stabilized, but now they're adding more features for the same price. When you think about how expensive TVs and VCRs back in the 80s, it's amazing how cheap this kind of stuff is now.

[Surfah]

The less you spend on a tv the better you will feel in 6 months when something that has better specs (refresh, internet connectivity, picture quality, etc) costs $3-700 less than what you paid.

Edit: This link was just on Yahoo, http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home...tions-cnnmoney Black Friday deals this look to include 42" TVs for ~$300

I agree. And I was just about to mention Black Friday. If you can hold out a few more weeks you'll be able to get something nice for $300. And IMO, at that price the TV is pretty much disposable if you get 2-3 years out of it.

[Gidget]

I agree. And I was just about to mention Black Friday. If you can hold out a few more weeks you'll be able to get something nice for $300. And IMO, at that price the TV is pretty much disposable if you get 2-3 years out of it.

Yesterday at Costco it didn't seem like this was your mantra.

[Surfah]

Yesterday at Costco it didn't seem like this was your mantra.

Costco does strange things to the mind. Besides, that was a good price for the 55".

[RobinFinderson]

I agree. And I was just about to mention Black Friday. If you can hold out a few more weeks you'll be able to get something nice for $300. And IMO, at that price the TV is pretty much disposable if you get 2-3 years out of it.

Buying a 'disposable' TV is exactly what I DON'T want to do. No judgment against you personally, Surfah, but I think that view is a serious cultural problem.

[Shaka]

Are you comparing apples to oranges? Of course the Led will be better than the LCD.

LEDs are the way to go for two reasons-- more energy efficiency than a standard fluorescent LCD and they don't fade over time. I think they probably do a better job projecting blacks. I wouldn't even consider a plasma unless it's in the basement.

I think RF may want to look at both Samsung and LG as far as LEDs go. When did the Koreans start kicking Japan's ass by the way?

Are you talking about plasma vs LCD? LED tv's are actually LCD tv's that use a LED backlight.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Are you talking about plasma vs LCD? LED tv's are actually LCD tv's that use a LED backlight.

The motion aspects work the same but the energy consumption, heat thrown off and the color contrast is far better with an LEd. The technology is different enough that one needs to compare brands within both LCD and LED based LCDs. Because you could have different results.

[Surfah]

Buying a 'disposable' TV is exactly what I DON'T want to do. No judgment against you personally, Surfah, but I think that view is a serious cultural problem.

Why? In 3 years the technology would be sufficiently advanced that most people would be looking for a new TV anyway. You can dump it on CL or move it to LR's room when you upgrade. I am not saying that the TV will only last 3 years. I am sure that it would last twice that long. All I am comparing is utility vs. price.

I treat computers similarly. I purchased one about 10 years ago and paid $1200 for it. Within a year I could purchase the same thing for half the price. After another 2 years the motherboard crapped out and I had a giant paper weight. So the next one I created a list with the essential specs I needed. Then I shopped and found one for $500. That computer too lasted 3 years. Our newest laptop was $375 and if I get 3 years out of it I'll be stoked.

[woot]

I bought a 32" Vizio Razor LED right before the first game of this season and have been really happy with it. There was a 42" LCD for the same price right next to it, but this one had the unanticipated benefit of replacing my second monitor. It's 1920x1080, and has awesome picture quality.

On the other hand, if you're looking for something 42" or bigger, have good blackout curtains, and don't anticipate watching a lot of bluray or other better-than-720 stuff on it, plasma still has the best quality per buck by far.

[Portland Ute]

I bought a 32" Vizio Razor LED right before the first game of this season and have been really happy with it. There was a 42" LCD for the same price right next to it, but this one had the unanticipated benefit of replacing my second monitor. It's 1920x1080, and has awesome picture quality.

On the other hand, if you're looking for something 42" or bigger, have good blackout curtains, and don't anticipate watching a lot of bluray or other better-than-720 stuff on it, plasma still has the best quality per buck by far.

Why wouldn't you watch a blu-ray or 1080 on plasma?

[woot]

Why wouldn't you watch a blu-ray or 1080 on plasma?

Yeah, you're right. All the plasmas I saw in the stores I visited were 720 only, and I guess I forgot that they also come in 1080. Maybe 42-inchers tend to be 720? I didn't look at anything bigger than that this time.

[Donuthole]

Yeah, you're right. All the plasmas I saw in the stores I visited were 720 only, and I guess I forgot that they also come in 1080. Maybe 42-inchers tend to be 720? I didn't look at anything bigger than that this time.

The rhetoric i've heard numerous times is that the human eye can't detect the difference between 1080p and 720p until the screen is at least 50". But that hasn't stopped them from making 30" 1080p LCDs, etc.

[Parrot Head]

Bump.

I, too, may finally join the HDTV revolution. I've heard the general comments that LCDs are better in lighted situations, while plasmas are great in low light. We're kind of medium light where we're looking to put the TV but would watch more at night.

I understand that plasmas are generally just for larger sizes, but why are there so many more options for LCDs? I'm not going top of the line, but do want some bang for the buck. Currently looking at a 47" Vizio LCD ($630) vs. a 50" Samsung plasma ($700 on sale from $850) (both at Costco). BDSP says the plasma and my bargain-shopping nature says that, too, but what say ye?

[Clark Addison]

Bump.

I, too, may finally join the HDTV revolution. I've heard the general comments that LCDs are better in lighted situations, while plasmas are great in low light. We're kind of medium light where we're looking to put the TV but would watch more at night.

I understand that plasmas are generally just for larger sizes, but why are there so many more options for LCDs? I'm not going top of the line, but do want some bang for the buck. Currently looking at a 47" Vizio LCD ($630) vs. a 50" Samsung plasma ($700 on sale from $850) (both at Costco). BDSP says the plasma and my bargain-shopping nature says that, too, but what say ye?

Sure, now you get a new TV, right after I throw out my back moving a combined 200 pounds of TVs into your house.