Time for a new TV

[Jon]

Not really computer related, but this forum is more like the "Electronics" forum...so anyway.

I currently have a 30" Projection TV. It is high-definition, but the picture just isn't as clear as an LCD. I also want to go up to 36-40" or so.

So, anyone bought a good TV recently they want to tell me about? My price range is less than $800.

I'm looking at the Vizio brand. I hear it's a good brand, but it's still "off-brand." Sony or Samsung would be ideal, but their prices are just outrageous.

So, suggestions?

 

[Terry]

Go with the Sony Bravado, I own one and it has a clear picture however; 36 inch and below are usually only 720dpi but the picture is still great. You really only need the 1080dpi for larger sets. If your space where you plan on putting the TV is a small area then the 36 inch will do nicely. Say a 12x12 area, anything over that you should go bigger.

 

[KittenKoder]

I need a new one, but that's because the solder connections on the antenna is shot and it's falling off again.

 

[strollingbones]

i hate to admit this...but i got no clue what the hell you are saying...a projection tv...36 to 40 inches more...lcd? i have no clue what size my tv is or what kind..its the old kind i am sure...nothing fancy...
do not get a tv that is too big for the room...a couple i know have this huge tv in a small room..they have to move their heads to watch it...kinda sillie...when you think about it..but they are gamers

 

[Terry]

Sony Bravia 40" 1080p LCD TV - KDL40S4100 $899.99 at target stores

Sony Bravia 37" 720p LCD TV - KDL37L4000 $799.99 sold at Target

 

[Zoom-boing]

We just bought a tv off of craigslist. It's a Sharp, 1 1/2 yrs old, 25". Nothing fancy, analog, works for us (kids watch it in the basment). Check out craigslist -- you never know what might pop up. Also, check out Amazon. Their prices seem to be pretty good, no tax and lots of stuff has free shipping.

 

[Jon]

Sony Bravia 40" 1080p LCD TV - KDL40S4100 $899.99 at target stores

Sony Bravia 37" 720p LCD TV - KDL37L4000 $799.99 sold at Target

Interesting. The 37" is tempting. But $100 more for another 3" isn't that bad. (Insert sexual joke here.)

 

[Jon]

Their prices seem to be pretty good, no tax and lots of stuff has free shipping.

You know that technically you're supposed to pay taxes on things you buy off the Internet, right? Just like if you buy something outside of your home state, if their tax rate is lower than your state, you're supposed to pay the difference to your state?

Not that anyone cares, but it's just something not a lot of people realize.

 

[KittenKoder]

We just bought a tv off of craigslist. It's a Sharp, 1 1/2 yrs old, 25". Nothing fancy, analog, works for us (kids watch it in the basment). Check out craigslist -- you never know what might pop up. Also, check out Amazon. Their prices seem to be pretty good, no tax and lots of stuff has free shipping.

What's the model number, the 32SC26B reads digital and analog signals ...

Same with the 27SC26B.
As well as the 32SC260.

 

[Zoom-boing]

Their prices seem to be pretty good, no tax and lots of stuff has free shipping.

You know that technically you're supposed to pay taxes on things you buy off the Internet, right? Just like if you buy something outside of your home state, if their tax rate is lower than your state, you're supposed to pay the difference to your state?

Not that anyone cares, but it's just something not a lot of people realize.

Sssshhhhhhhh! I'm taking a 'Geithner' on that one.

Oh, forgot to say -- as for brands, we've had no trouble with our Toshiba at all. Check out Consumers Report too. Do your homework and you'll find the right set for the right price.

 

[Jon]

Well, the Sony Bravia looks really nice, but I just found this beaut: Walmart.com: Vizio 42" Class Plasma HDTV with Built-in Tuner, VP422HDTV10A: TVs. 5 more inches than the cheaper Bravia and still less.

I know Vizio is a new brand, but I know people who have Vizio TV's and love it. The reviews are mostly positive from Walmart's website. So, I think I'll be going with this one.

 

[sarahgop]

i have a tv as well

 

[Terry]

Well, the Sony Bravia looks really nice, but I just found this beaut: Walmart.com: Vizio 42" Class Plasma HDTV with Built-in Tuner, VP422HDTV10A: TVs. 5 more inches than the cheaper Bravia and still less.

I know Vizio is a new brand, but I know people who have Vizio TV's and love it. The reviews are mostly positive from Walmart's website. So, I think I'll be going with this one.

Plasma's look great the first year or 2 then they look very bad not to mention looking at it from an angle sucks too. The LCD's are the best, no mirrors to change and you can see clear from all angles.

Talk to people who have own a plasma tv for over 2 years and they will tell you, don't buy it.

For the money I'm telling you the Sony Bravia is the best. I own one for 2 years now and I'm very happy.

 

[Midnight Marauder]

My 42" Pioneer Plasma is top of the line, and is definitely da bomb. I got it on closeout too, the latest model of it had just come out, superseding mine.

Get Plasma instead of LCD if you want durability. The Plasma screen can take a beating, whereas the LCD screen can be destroyed by pets and kids. If a sharp object hits the LCD screen even lightly, it will puncture. If someone uses most any kind of cleaner on it, it will fog. One way around this is to have a glass shop order you a piece of tempered clear plate glass to mount on the screen. Plasmas already have this.

The trade off is, Plasmas use more electricity. But they also have power management settings so you can really dial it in, where it doesn't use much power unless you're watching HD or DVDs. You can tell it how to act and how to treat whatever you're watching at the time.

I could have gotten a much bigger, more pretentious set, but this size fits my viewing room just right.

 

[Midnight Marauder]

Plasma's look great the first year or 2 then they look very bad not to mention looking at it from an angle sucks too. The LCD's are the best, no mirrors to change and you can see clear from all angles.

Talk to people who have own a plasma tv for over 2 years and they will tell you, don't buy it.

For the money I'm telling you the Sony Bravia is the best. I own one for 2 years now and I'm very happy.

Plasmas don't have mirrors.

Projection TVs and LCDs do. You might be confusing Plasma with DLP, which uses mirrors and has a bulb that must be changed every couple of years. This is the one that has the little girl in the "It's the mirrors" TV commercial. DLP is a competitor of LCD and Plasma.

Angled viewing was a LCD disadvantage, never a Plasmas, and even that is now gone on the newer LCDs.

And, despite popular myth, Plasmas don't lose their brightness over time. The lifetime of the latest generation of plasma displays is estimated at 100,000 hours of actual display time, or 27 years at 10 hours per day. This is the estimated time over which maximum picture brightness degrades to half the original value, not catastrophic failure.

 

[Burp]

I have a Vizio 42" LCD.

I paid $799.00 at Costco (on sale)

The picture is amazing. Put it on a HD channel and it will blow your mind.

 

[Midnight Marauder]

I have a Vizio 42" LCD.

I paid $799.00 at Costco (on sale)

The picture is amazing. Put it on a HD channel and it will blow your mind.

Can't go wrong with Vizio. Good bang for the buck. Whether it's LCD or Plasma.

 

[Midnight Marauder]

You really only need the 1080dpi for larger sets.

You really only need it if you want a true HD picture. It's a definition issue, not a screen size issue. Aspect ratio, number of scan lines, and vertical resolution are what's defined by the numbers.

Get ready in 2015 for the monster HD, 2160p Quad, which will make what we have today look blurry by comparison.

 

[Jon]

I actually did not intend to link the 42" Vizio Plasma. I meant to link the 42" Vizio LCD. Not that I have anything against Plasma, but Vizio has stopped making Plasma as of last month. I don't want something that may not be serviceable by the manufacturer in the near future.

LCD all the way! I'm gonna go check it out at Walmart tomorrow.

 

[Jon]

So, my friend calls me today to tell me that Walmart has 42" Vizio's on sale. It was the display Walmart had been using, and it was marked down to less than $600. Before she could claim it, someone else picked it up, but they had some 37" Vizio's for $490. It's not quite as big as I was looking for, but I couldn't turn down the price. I can use the savings to buy a new Xbox.