Posted on 07/18/2007 7:55:12 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants
Okay, I am going to spend some of my mad money for a large screen HDTV. I want either a LCD or Plasma TV, no projection tv's. I want 1080p resolution. I'll have around $2000 to spend. What I need is advice on what is good, what sucks, what breaks, what keeps on working, plasma tv life expectancy, etc.
Hit me!
You can save a lot if you get an “ open box” special at some of the bigger stores, Best Buy,Circuit City......
Before you buy a TV, at least check your local stores and see if they have any of the models you are interested in that are available.People will get the TV delivered and for some reason want to upgrade or try another model.The store will then offer it up as an “open box” special. You get the full warranty, the unit is in perfect condition and you can save 20 to 30 percent on it, maybe more.
I have saved a fortune buying audio equipment this way, at least check it out before you pay full price.
Thanks for the helpful info from the belly of the beast!
I almost forgot to mention the 3D capabilities of LHDTV as well
Really? I had assumed the back was stuffed with electronics.
That’s good to know I can carry it.
I had read about that, but never found LCD to be a crisp
Do buy Sony. I have a 40” XBR1 (1080i)in the bedroom and a 46” XBR3 (1080p) for the home theater. Stunning picture on both. No problems what so ever.
Amazingly enough I have the exact same TVs in the exact same locations and probably like you, wish the 40” was the newer XBR3.
For the original poster, I would also highly suggest buying Sony for the quality. You can get the 40” Bravia XBR3 HDTV LCD which is 1080p for around $2200. The nice thing about 40” over 46” (if quality is more important than size) is that you get the same 2 million pixels (1920x1080) as the 46” TV, but in a 40” package. The picture appears to be clearer than reality itself.
The only complaint I have with Sony is their linear switching through eight different video connections. If you’re viewing on Video2 and want to switch to Video1, you have to click through the seven connections between them. Other than that, I’ve had no problems what-so-ever. Not even a single stuck pixels to date.
well,alrighty then,I’m in......lol
The Samsung was a good deal, but even past that, its a good performer. I would have paid more.
I want to respond, but, before I do, I need to know how to write dumbass, mangy, flea infested feline in Spanish.
If you can wait, I recommend monitoring a website called woot.com.
Each day, they sell a single item, starting at midnight CST until they are sold out - sometimes in minutes. The item could range from a big screen TV to a thumb drive, but the price is almost always great. HDTVs show up at least once a month.
One coming up technology that will be important will be 24FPS compatibility at 1080p.
Without it, Blu-ray movies have to show 3 frames and then 2 and back and forth instead of the native 24fps. They usually will display 120hz, which is a direct multiple of 5. Most 1080p’s now display 60fps, which means you get that motion jutter.
Not LCD...
LED as in light emitting diode. The LEDs replace the bulbs and should last longer than anything else in the set.
“That’s good to know I can carry it.”
Yeah, just don’t drop it! However, it is good to know that if the house catches on fire you can grab the TV on the way out.
Nono Vizio! Any size. A real Junk. Chinese... Try Sharp Aquos LC-C4662U. Better off, forget about TV Panels and try a HD Projector, the one you hang off your ceiling. Optoma HD81 is the real McCoy. As I said, no TV panel comes close.
Look amigo, I with the help of two others just got a Tammy Bakker worshipping thread pulled with our antics, do you want this thread pulled, too? You think I wouldn’t call La Migra on you?
CR Quick Recommendations LCD TVs
This is the in-between season for TV testing at Consumer Reports. Our experts are now testing several dozen new LCD sets, and we’ll post preliminary results in a few weeks, with Ratings soon after. We’ve updated our current Ratings (based on previous tests) to help you find a TV in the meantime. We’ve cut sets that are no longer available; the 30 TVs left should still be in stores, possibly at sale prices. For discontinued Quick Picks, we list newer sets in similar sizes.
We can’t predict exactly how untested TVs will do, but we know how various brands have performed over time. Over the past four years, Sony and Toshiba LCD TVs have had consistently fine performance, so there’s a very high likelihood that new 32-inch and larger sets from both brands will as well. (We haven’t tested enough small sets to build a brand history.) We’ve also seen consistently fine performance from JVC, Panasonic, and Samsung LCD sets—almost as good as that of Sony and Toshiba—while Philips and LG have consistently been solid midrange performers.
We’ve seen less consistency with other brands, notably Sharp. Some Sharp LCDs have been among the best we’ve tested, but others haven’t done as well. Because performance is less predictable than with other brands, there’s more reason to buy a fully tested set. HP, RCA, Westinghouse, and Zenith have tended to be midlevel or lower in performance, though individual models sometimes do very well. Again, stick with a tested TV.
Our reliability data show that JVC, Magnavox, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Sony, and Toshiba have had few repair issues for the first few years. Dell LCD TVs have had more repairs than average.
The differences between excellent and very good scores can be hard to see in normal use, so consider a TV judged very good, even if it’s not a Quick Pick.
The Ratings list models, within sizes, by performance. Quick Picks also considers features, price and reliability.
Quick Picks
Big-screen standouts:
• Samsung LN-S4696D , $3100
• Sharp Aquos LC-46D62U , $2300
• Sony Bravia KDL-46XBR2 , $2700
These 46- and 47-inch sets have 1080p resolution, with highly detailed HD images, bright colors, good black levels, and four or five HD-capable inputs. The Sharp Aquos LC-46D62U stands out for strong performance at a low price for the size. The Samsung LN-S4696D came close for picture quality; the higher cost gets you a CableCard slot. The Sony Bravia KDL-46XBR2 and its sibling, the $2,800 XBR3 (which has a piano-black finish), are solid performers with rather steep prices. Both have a striking “floating-glass” design. (New XBR4 and XBR5 sets are due in stores in August or September.)
Discontinued/replacement models: The previously recommended Toshiba Regza 47LZ196 has been discontinued. A new 46-inch model, the 46LX177 should be available in July, for about $3,000. It has a 120Hz refresh rate intended to minimize motion blur and features to improve color rendition.
Note: Some readers have told us they’ve seen a cloudy haze on certain Sony Bravia models. Others have commented on “banding” (streaks or irregular gray patches) on some Sharp LCD sets. While we saw some evidence of these problems when displaying test patterns, the specific units we tested didn’t exhibit visible problems during normal viewing. Many viewers probably wouldn’t notice any problem unless they were specifically looking for it. Anecdotal evidence from consumers suggests that the extent of these problems may vary from set to set. If you’re interested in a TV from either of these brands and are concerned about potential issues, we suggest dealing with a retailer that will accept returns within a certain time period or if there is a problem with a TV.
Good values among 46-inch models:
• Westinghouse LTV-46W1 HD , $1200, CR Best Buy
• Vizio Gallevia GV46LHDTV , $1600
Scoring a notch below the best sets, these two TVs stand out primarily for their economy-priced big screens. The Westinghouse LTV-46W1 HD had better picture quality than the Vizio Gallevia GV46LHDTV. The Vizio had better sound, an extra HDMI input, and easier-to-use menus and remote.
Top choices in 40- to 42-inch sets:
• Sharp Aquos LC-42D62U , $1900
• Sony Bravia KDL-40XBR2 , $2500
• JVC LT-40FN97 , $2000
These three sets, all 1080p models, had fine picture quality. The JVC is the only one of the three that can accept a CableCard. The Sony has one more HDMI input than the others.
Discontinued/replacement models: A previously recommended Toshiba (42LZ196) has been discontinued. A new 42-inch model, the 42LX177, will be out soon at a price of about $2,300. New features include a 120Hz refresh rate intended to minimize motion blur and features to improve color rendition.
Good values among 42-inch models:
• Westinghouse LVM-42W2 , $1300, CR Best Buy
• Olevia 542i , $1100, CR Best Buy
• JVC LT-40X787 , $1700
The JVC is a 720p set that did almost as well as the 1080p models above, at a lower price. The Olevia and Westinghouse offer very good HD picture quality and good DVD performance at an even lower price for the size. The Westinghouse LVM-42W2 is a notable value for a 1080p set. It has no TV tuner, but that’s not an issue if you plan to connect a cable or satellite box.
Discontinued/replacement models: A previously recommended Vizio (GV42JHDTV) has been discontinued. The company has announced a new 42-inch set, the VU42LF, which has 1080p resolution.
Best choices among 37-inch LCDs:
• Olevia 537H , $800, CR Best Buy
The Olevia had very good picture quality on all types of content, and its very low price of $800 makes it a CR Best Buy. The JVC LT-37X787, Dell W3707C, and Hewlett-Packard SLC3760N are strong performers worth a look if you find them at a lower price than shown in our Ratings.
Discontinued/replacement models: The previous top-rated 37-inch model, Toshiba’s 37LX96, a Cinema Series set, has been discontinued. Cinema Series sets now start at 42 inches, but there is a new non-Cinema Series model, the 37HL67, which sells for about $1,200. It has dynamic backlighting, intended to improve contrast, and three HDMI inputs. (We’re testing a 32-inch set in the HL67 series, which will be in our next Ratings.) Two other recommended models, the Magnavox 37MF231D/37 and HP LC3760N, are being replaced. The new Magnavox model is the 37MF337B/37, about $1,100, and the new HP is the LC3772N, about $1,200. Both have features similar to their predecessors’.
Best choices among 32-inch sets:
• Olevia 532H , $700, CR Best Buy
In the 32-inch group, there were several good performers worth considering, but the Olevia 532H stands out for very good picture quality across the board at a very low price. The JVC LT-32X787 and Samsung LN-S3251D were both very good but cost more; if you find them selling for less, they’re well worth a look.
Discontinued/replacement models: Several other previously recommended models are being replaced. For example, Samsung’s LN-S3296D model is being phased out; a new 32-inch model, the LN-T3253H, is selling for $1,100 or so. Sony’s Bravia KDL-32S2400 TV is being replaced by the KDL-32S3000 model, which adds a new menu system and Internet Video Link capability. We’ve seen it selling for $1,300 or less. Toshiba’s 32HL66 makes way for the 32HL67, which has 14-bit video processing and dynamic backlighting, which purports to improve contrast. We’ve seen it selling for $1,000 or less. The Philips 32PF7321D is no longer available. A new model, the Philips 32PFL7332D, has Ambilight and a settings assistant feature. We’ve seen prices of $1,000 or so. The new Sony, Philips, and Toshiba models mentioned are all being tested now and will be in our next Ratings.
This stuffs moving at an exponetial rate.
I had read that the big prob with the new tech video which is like 10 times the resolution of current HDTV is that we dont have a storage medium dense enought to hold the data or.
We need a disk that will hold 10 times the Blueray stuff to make it viable.
No one is going to insert 10 disks during the course of a movie.
I ran into similar prob early in my career devising a digital audio system. There simply was no storge medium that made it viable, but someone will figger it out.
My mistake
I started a thread last year on this exact subject.
I live way rural and found my best service/price needs on a Sony HDTV MegaWega which is a 1080 projection tv.
Service in home and paid just over 2 grand for a 60inch.
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