I haven’t shopped for a TV in over ten years. I guess I’m looking for a flat screen, in the 40 inch range. Do any stand out? Have you bought one that you love or regret? Are there any ‘must have’ features I should look for?
Thanks in advance.
I’m in the same boat as you are, and so far I’ve determined that 100 Hz and Full HD capability is almost a must-have to ensure future compliance with high-resolution formats. Also, a VGA port for easy connection to a HTPC and good support for different resolutions is a must for my planned usage.
So far, from reading online reviews and checking product specifications, I like the looks of the Samsung 40A766 and the Sony 40W4500. They’re both quite pricy and still a little bit out of my budget for the moment, but I figure it’s better to save up for one I really want than to buy a cheaper model with lesser functionality and feel hampered by it in a year or two. I plan on building a whole entertainment center with DVR, Blu-Ray, PC games and internet connection all in one box, and using the TV as a display for it.
Can’t answer the must haves, but we got a Samsung LN-T4671F several months ago and love it.
I wouldn’t worry about the VGA port. A modern HTPC will almost certainly have a DVI out, and those can be converted to HDMI with just a straight cable.
Couple of things.
First off, the LCD type of flatscreen uses a lot less power than the plasma screens. My 32" LCD burns 150 W, while my friend’s 40" plasma screen basically heats the room. The blacks on an LCD screen are black enough for my eyes.
I use the VGA port a lot, and I second the advice about wanting lots of different screen resolution choices. A fair number of shows I record end up either stretched or squished. I used to use a tower for a DVR but the fan noise was really obnoxious. I switched to a laptop and now I’m happy. Except there is no DVI output so I go with VGA.
Get yourself a big lazy susan to put under it. Makes it a lot easier to angle it so everybody can see.
I got a Sharp Aquos about a year ago and I am extremely happy with it. The picture is sharp, it’s got all the inputs and outputs I need for high quality gaming or blue-ray movie showing in exquisite detail.
My 2yo Samsung looks like CRAP with PC->HDMI. It may be unique in how awfully it breaks down, but in general I think VGA is the way to go to get at your panel’s native resolution (esp if it’s not 1080) as well as do quality upsampling from common PC resolutions. (TVs often do a great job upsampling from standard VGA resolutions like 1024x768). HDMI is limited to 720 and 1080, and crappy refresh rates.
But really… are there any TVs that DON’T have VGA?
A lot of the newer HTPCs actually have HDMI out for video and sound which should be ideal, at least in theory. All LCD TVs have a native resolution of 720p or 1080p. I don’t see why you would want to output anything else.
I am also in the market for a new TV and right now I like the Samsung LN46A550. I’m hoping it will drop down under $1000 soon. I don’t watch many movies so 120hz isn’t much of a concern to me, but the higher end models have it, if you think it’s worth the extra cost. Judging by the reading I’ve done, Samsung and Sony are considered the best for LCDs. I don’t think any of the big manufacturers make a bad TV though. The budget TVs like Vizio and Insignia don’t have quite the same picture quality, but the prices are very good. Depends on your priorities.
Cnet has lots of reviews and recommendations. And there’s tons of information at AVS Forum if you’re brave enough to dig through all the threads.
Your new display should have at least 3 HDMI inputs: satellite / cable, game box, and DVD / BD player. Preferably more, of course.
Unless you have a decent AV receiver, then you only need 1 HDMI input. Or are able to buy an HDMI switch. Newegg had a 3-to-1 with a remote for $15 a month or so ago.
Another thing to take into account - can’t remember where I read it but you should find out what the warranty/service situation is for the brands you are looking into. The article stated that part of what you are paying for with a known name (Samsung, Sony, etc - not sure if Vizio falls into that category) is the availability of local (or even in-home?) service.
The “cheap” brands will require you to box up and ship your TV (potentially at your cost) to a service center for any repairs.
You’ll get a lot of opinions on a lot of brands but for the most part you get what you pay for. Sony, Panasonic, LG, Vizio, Sharp, Samsung, Pioneer make very nice sets for the money. If you buy a budget priced set like Dynex, Apex, Insignia you may save a few hundred put you really are buying an inferior set.
For a 40" set plan on spending $900-$1200. You’ll find them for less but you’re sacrificing something.
My SO and I got a 50" plasma (Samsung PN50A550) a couple of weeks ago, and we haven’t noticed any unusual heat emanations…
But it’s an extra box to fit, an extra remote to misplace, and an extra set of batteries to need replacing at an awkward moment.
BTW the HDMI ports should all be the latest standard.
Just an fyi: at our local Sam’s Club (the Walmart version of Costco), they have a rack up against a back wall near the TV section, somewhat hidden. Upon said rack is a rotating selection of TVs (totally different every time I’m there) at a deep, deep discount.
I saw a 42 inch Sony LCD for $450. A 26 inch (I think?) one that was missing a power cord (easily replaceable) for $100. There are, at any given time, about 10 TVs up there of varying sizes, all good brands.
The catch is, of course, that these are either the display models or the last one they have in stock (why the differentiate this between display, idk, because to me it means the same thing). They had a sign that said warranties on these TVs are still good, though, so it might be worth it for such a deep discount.
I’m keeping my eye out for something that meets my needs. In comparison, I think they have like, a 32 inch Vizio for $500 or $600, so it’s definitely a deal if you can find something on that rack.
Which brings up something I’ve been meaning to ask: is Vizio any good? I was looking at them last time I was at Sam’s club and they were so much cheaper than the other brands that I got a little suspicious. Thoughts?
Eh…some HDMI switch boxes are about as big as a pack of cards:
And even a basic harmony remote will handle the remote issues. You can get one for less than $50 these days. That plus the switch and you don’t need to be paying extra just for HDMI slots.
Yeah, plasma’s don’t run that hot. I assume that was an exaggeration to make a point. Plasmas do cost more to run, but unless you are close to the edge financially you aren’t going to notice - it’s on the order of a few more bucks a month.
Also in regards to plasma:
1.) There are now ( or will be in a few months ) only three manufacturers left, two of which are higher quality - Panasonic and Samsung. On the lower end is left only LG. Vizio ( lower end ) and Pioneer ( the very highest end and the favorite of the “price is no object” AVS geek set ) are pulling out of the business. Pioneer is going to be lucky to survive, period. If you want the best of the best, the remaining Pioneer stocks may be discounted a bit now or in the future.
2.) They are less bright than LCDs and thus don’t tend to work as well in brighter rooms ( they also don’t look nearly as good in showroom displays under bright fluorescents,which is why LCDs are slaughtering them in sales, despite the slightly higher cost ).
3.) They do still have the deepest blacks and thus the most vibrant colors and best picture quality in darkened rooms ( shades drawn ). LCD fans might argue this point and the differences frankly probably aren’t huge ( even less with the new, pricey, LED LCDs ), but this remains the critical consensus at this point.
4.) They do still tend to handle fast motion ( i.e. sports ) a little better, though cheaper models might suffer from greenish phosphor trails as opposed to the motion blur suffered by some LCDs.
5.) They have better off-angle viewing than LCDs, of course.
6.) On the flip-side while burn-in is no longer much of a problem under natural watching conditions with modern plasmas, they probably still are not best suited to game-players that tend to leave things on pause for twenty minutes or more while they go microwave popcorn and have a phone conversation.
If I were a cinema buff that was going to watch blu-ray and HD television in a somewhat darkened room, I’d go with plasma. For a serious gamer who watches more non-HD TV, in a room where bright light can’t be as well-controlled and too whom movie are a little secondary, I might go with an LCD.
Unless you are an AVS nerd, it is unlikely you’d be horribly disappointed either way.
Oh and one more MHO - it will vary for model, but generally I’d go Panasonic for plasma, Samsung for LCD. Just my own personal preference :).
We bought a plasma several years ago, and yes - it certainly does give off heat and sucks electricity like there is no tomorrow. Still, a great picture and worth it. However, if I were to buy a new flat screen, it would be LCD.
BTW, if you think the new “wide screen” format of flat screen sets will make those wide screen movies fit perfectly, think again. The films still don’t fit, and you have to press a button or two to make the films fit your screen…annoying, very annoying.
:rolleyes: