HDTV purchases over the 2008 Christmas holidays, please share your comments (VANITY)

Vanity | Dec. 26, 2008 | Self

[Las Vegas Dave]

Some of you may have purchased new HDTV's over the Christmas break.

Please share your questions and/or comments on your new HDTV.

Note: Click here: an archieved HDTV thread "purchases over the Christmas holidays", posted on December 31, 2006, that may be of possible interest to some.

[Proud_texan]

I finally pulled the trigger on a Samsung LN40A650 to replace the 30" (CRT based!) Toshiba HDTV in the bedroom.

Got it from Amazon as they were close to the lowest and they do have an excellent return policy.

It took a while to get it tuned in and before that the picture was almost "too good".

Couldn't be more pleased. No motion blur and to my eye the best picture I've seen in the 40" range or if there is I've never seen it.

[marajade]

Why bother having a blu ray player without a HDTV?

[marajade]

“Band of Brothers is awesome in HD”

You aren’t getting that in HD if you don’t have a HDTV

[Revolting cat!]

Why bother having a blu ray player without a HDTV?

Quadraphonic sound, that's why! One channel for each of your ears.

[marajade]

Why when you get a Pioneer elite and get Dolby True HD instead with 3 HDMI inputs.

[BuffaloJack]

I want an HDTV real bad, but I’ll wait a couple more years.
I’m not spending $800 to $1000 for something with a 3 to 5 year life span.
My curent TV, a 36” CRT, works just fine and is 15 years old.
I’ve had 4 LCD computer monitors and they burn out after 3+ years. The LCD part works (you can even see the display when its dead if you shine a strong flashlight on the screen), but the vacuum-fluorescent bulb that lights them up lasts no longer than any fluorescent bulb.
Computer screens and LCD TVs are just glorified fluorescent light bulbs and they don’t last.
I plan on waiting until either my current CRT dies or the LCD people decide to backlight the darn things with LEDs so that they have a working life that is longer than the 5 days after the warranty.

[Las Vegas Dave]

My son bought the Blu-Ray just after Thanksgiving, I told him about firmware upgrade, he contacted SONY and was sent the CD.

I believe it was “no charge”.

[Las Vegas Dave]

Wow $1.88 for HDMI cables!!

[WackySam]

I’m not spending $800 to $1000 for something with a 3 to 5 year life span.

I don't know who's feeding you this, but most new HDTV's have life expectancies of 60 to 80 thousand or more hours. (Life expectancy is defined as a 50% decrease in brightnes)

If you buy a DLP set, you will have to change out bulbs between 5 and 10 thousand hours at a cost of 100-200 each time, but I would not recommend buying a DLP in the first place.

[Doohickey]

I’ve already got three; I didn’t need another.

[CTyank]

I read a bit about some of the Plasma vs. LCD controversy before purchasing a TV. This was my first TV purchase since the early 90s, when I bought a 32” JVC D-series.

In the last couple of years, plamsa TV’s have developed a comparable lifespan with LCDs. The Panasonic I bought is advertised at 100,000+ hrs. By the time I use it up, I’ll be looking into adding a holideck to the family room - or we’ll be huddled around the fire, reminiscing about the days when we had this thing called a TV.

[WackySam]

I’ll be looking into adding a holideck to the family room - or we’ll be huddled around the fire, reminiscing about the days when we had this thing called a TV.

Sadly I think it will be the latter.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks LVD. The old mom (early 80s) can’t seem to work the digital broadcast converter box, and her old TV (repaired earlier this year for something else) seems to be just dying now. Over the family holiday stay she mentioned wanting to get a flat screen. I checked out some on the way home tonight, and it appears that the smallest 1080p in local stores is 32 inches and LCD (and $699, good picture, not a bad price IMHO). Couldn’t seem to find any 1080p (any size) with DVDs built-in (another good idea for her, IMHO), but they may just be sold out around here.

[Las Vegas Dave]

Here is a 32in 1080p sharp for $599(+$30 for shipping-see DETAILS) from newegg.com. Other HDTV bargains as well can also be found there.

http://dealnews.com/ (Scroll down to the TV section.)

newegg.com offers the Sharp AQUOS 1080p 32” Widescreen LCD HD Television, model no. LC-32D62U, for $649.99. Current newegg.com newsletter subscribers can use coupon code “EMCBCCGDK” to chop it to $599.99. With $29.99 for shipping, that’s the lowest total price we’ve ever seen for any 1080p 32” Sharp LCD HDTV. Features include 1920x1080 (1080p) native resolution, ATSC (HD), NTSC, and QAM tuners, 450 cd/m² brightness, 6ms response time, 10,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, two HDMI inputs, and component and other video inputs. Deal ends January 1.

[shove_it]

“If you buy a DLP set, you will have to change out bulbs between 5 and 10 thousand hours at a cost of 100-200 each time, but I would not recommend buying a DLP in the first place.”

Check out the new Samsung DLPs with LED light engines:

http://www.samsung.com/us/news/newsRead.do?news_group=productnews&news_type=consumerproduct&news_ctgry=tv&news_seq=3481&search_keyword=&from_dt=&to_dt=

[dfwddr]

I bought my 50" Panny from here Delivery came from Best Buy. It was 300.00 less than Best Buy, no sales tax, and cash back on my card. Delivery was awesome, as they wouldn't let me touch it until they were done setting it up. (wall mount).

I bought this home theater from Amazon. UPS delivery was good, as I was not there, so the guy acutally wheeled it into the house for my daughter.

And on the subject of cheap cables, I bought this digital audio cable to go with it. It works great, and I can buy 28 more before worrying about breaking even.

[WackySam]

Check out the new Samsung DLPs with LED light engines:

I still wouldn't recommend or buy a DLP set unless cost was the primary concern. They look good, but not great.

[SunkenCiv]

Nice price. I anticipate that prices will continue downward after the analog signal dies, and especially for smaller sizes, which is what my dear old mom wants to get. She can’t handle the steps to use the converter box.

[word_warrior_bob]

Panasonic and Pioneer plasmas are the best, I’m sure you’re enjoying it. Hook up a PS3 (blu-ray) player to that plasma and go to monoprice.com to get hdmi cables for a couple of bucks a piece, every bit as good as the 100 dollar “monster” cables at the big box store.

[word_warrior_bob]

There’s 4 hdmi inputs for that tv. Get the hdmi cables at amazon or monoprice for a couple of bucks each. It doesn’t have a cable card but I think you’ll be happier using a HD-DVR which just about every cable company offers now. Somehow I doubt the white glove delivery will make a difference, if you don’t pay for the white glove treatment does that mean they’re tossing them around like the gorilla in the luggage commercial?