Posted on 02/26/2012 12:35:19 AM PST by EinNYC
My faithful old Sharp TV just bit the dust tonight after so many years I can't count. I don't watch TV programs at all, no cable, no nothing---I just use the TV to watch my DVD movies. So now that this TV is kaput, what's all that about LCDs, LEDs, plasmas, 720p, 1080p, and all that other headache causing stuff? I've been reading up on this online, but I am just overloaded with information here.
Could I get some input from our Freepers as to what kind of TV I should get just to watch my DVDs in the bedroom? I would appreciate that so much!
Cool, this should be a good technology thread, how modern is your home, your style, image?
I purchased a Sharp Aquos four years ago. Spent $1300 on it. 2 weeks ago...wouldn’t come on. Called Sharp, they sent me to an authorized specialist. They said they were on the phone with Sharp for over two hours. They could not get it on...said it was dead...could not be repaired.
So, I purchased a Sceptre 46” from QVC...$599, on 6 easy payments. I am delighted with it. Better picture than the Sharp and much better sound quality. I am quite happy with it. Good TV for the money. Good luck with your search!
An LCD, for sure. The size is the only question. Don’t scale down in the name of frugality. Get one that seems nice and big to you ... there will be ones even bigger, don’t worry about that!
Get an internet ready HDTV. I’m typing this from my recliner on a Samsung 42” plasma screen. Awesome!
You want a large 32” flat screen TV/monitor. The main signal you will be using is the VGA adapter so you can connect it to your computer. You will begin to watch movies through your computer. You will create a new micro library in an external 2 tera bite hard drive. You will start ripping the main movie of your DVDs and copying your old VHS cassettes onto your external hard drive using software and hardware on your computer. This external hard drive is going to become your new video library so instead of having to keep shelves and boxes of DVDs and video cassettes, you will store all the videos on a single hard drive which is no bigger than one VHS cassette. You will be able to select your video file(s) from a list on the screen and you won’t have to go hunting for the actual box you use to store it in. The film will play from the hard drive through your computer on Windows Media Player through the VGA adapter to your 32” flat screen TV. There will be no commercials because you can edit them out with software on the computer. You will also watch other sources like Hulu or Youtube or Animefreak.tv over the internet on this new TV. You library of classics, Disney, documentaries, action adventure, sci-fi, cartoons, sitcoms, etc. will be accessible within a few mouse clicks instead of a trip across the living room. You’ll have so much material you could broadcast your own TV channel for days, weeks, or months before seeing a rerun. What brand of TV? ANYTHING EXCEPT EMERSON will do.
Forget about all that stuff. They all have their good and bad points. Just go to the store tomorrow and buy whatever strikes your fancy. Take it home and enjoy it.
Keep it simple. Please just keep it simple.
Now days (having just did this several times)....go to www.circuitcity.com or www.ecost.com....get either a new or factory refurbished 1080p LED or LCD flat screen, about 40”-42”. You won’t break the bank. Brand doesn’t much matter any more. Try to get 120Hz (screen refresh rate); your eyes will thank you.
Other than that....I swear that’s all you need.
Later..
I think it is a Sony Bravida(?) that I got at Costco. I went in with all of the tech stuff (I forget which brand I was leaning too) - but then started to look at the picture quality.
I had measured the living room and thought a 42-inch would be a good size (only about 15-foot viewing distance) based on the internet research.
But in the store the 47-inch looked a lot better. Ended up with that. Put it up on the wall, and boy am I glad I didn’t go with the smaller size! Internet ready as well - either through the computer or direct (via wire or wireless). Pain in the butt to do anything on the wire, so we just run it through the pc when we need to.
The guy said Sony still has a good reputation for quality, but I’m thinking these flat-screens don’t last as long as the old tube ones.
I was just at a site discussing this.
The first thing to know is how far away do you want to sit from the tv. Your tv, in inches, should be about 1/2 to 2/3 the size of your viewing distance.
So, for example, if you’re sitting 6 feet away, which is 72 inches, you’re tv size range should be between 36 and 48 inches.
If you want 40 inches or less, LCD is the choice. Between 40 and 60 inches, the site suggested LED or plasma. If you’re going bigger and are prepared to do the proper preparation work, projector.
Of course, it also depends on your personal preferences and budget and stuff.
We replaced our tube TV, gosh, 2 or 3 years ago at least, and I did calculations based on the idea that the screen should at least cover the old screen, with extra width of course. I think a rule of thumb is that you should go a step above that. It’s a new TV! Live a little! Plus, the larger screens do not represent the technological “stretch” that large CRT screens did. Also plus, when we bought ours the sales rep said that the most common buyer’s remorse was that they should have gotten a bigger one. Well, he might say that, but I believed him, so we went with the top end of what we had in mind. I couldn’t even tell you the inches right now. It’s a modest size in the range of what’s on the market ( which offers much bigger ones than a few years ago, ) but it seems very luxurious to us, even now.
Bottom line - get one with a bigger image than the old TV you’re replacing.
Make sure to get 1080p, the rest is up to you, but LCD is by far the most common. The reason you want 1080p and not 720 is that a 1080p will have a sharper picture and if you have a bluray player you will see a difference. Your new TV can also be used as a second computer monitor, and then you can use services like Netflix and Amazon to watch movies.
I use it for my comp monitor.
Haven't turned on the "TV" in years now. I watch all my "tv" off the web anyways.
Microcenter regularly has some outstanding deals on monitors. For example, right now, they have a deal on a 23.6 inch LED monitor for $139.00. If you were to combine that with a refurb desktop computer, such as this HP, for $179.00, you would have a fully functional media center for less than $500.00.
You can go for monitors that are sized up to 27 inches: for about $350 or so. If you want to go with a larger size, you can get 40 inch televisions that can serve as a monitor for around $500-700 or so.
Nevertheless, I would suggest that you look at upgrading to the media center computer model vice the TV/DVD model.
For television specs, I would suggest the following:
Don't even consider 720p or less. The technology is such that 1080p is absolutely the way to go. The more dots per inch, the better off you'll be.
A real key is to look at the different types of inputs that are available: you want to have a monitor that will accept VGA (so it can serve as a computer monitor), HDMI -- I would suggest one that accepts 2 HDMI inputs. One for a laptop / desktop, and one for a Blu-Ray player.
I would stay away from Plasma technology. My first preference would be LED over LCD. LED technology is thinner, lighter, and generates less heat than LCD technology. I say stay away from Plasma technology because if ANYTHING happens to it, the entire monitor is gone, while with LED/LCD, you can lose a pixel or two and the monitor is still usable.
If you are interested in Microcenter, they have stores in Patterson, Westbury, and Yonkers, as well as a web store.
If I were to get a tv, I’d want it as big, but comfortable as I could myself. I tend to like my tv to be like a movie screen, where the width is almost as wide as my viewing abilty.
The price difference between most sizes is only a couple hundred dollars these days anyway.
Best deal around:
LG 42 LED
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005JK01GO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER
LG is the way to go.
If You just need a monitor, I would look at Computer monitors
and not even get a TV.
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