Shopping for LCD TV

[mujo]

[quote="Kjeldorian Royal Guard 42";p="143851"]
[quote="Preacherman";p="143814"]I mush prefer the Plasma - the LCD screen never looks as sharp - even turned off the plasma looks nice[/quote]




Mujo, thanks for the info! The contrast ratios between manufacturers was giving me fits. We have over 500 movies, Wii, and PS3, we need those rich blacks so I was focusing quite a bit on contrast ratio.

I would really prefer a 120Hz for the refresh rate and a low response time for gaming. I've looked at a few Vizio's, I'll look into them more.

We currently sit around 10 feet from the television when watching movies so we decided the 46" would be appropriate for that distance. Sometimes, we are a bit closer when playing the Wii or PS3. We are looking to stay under $1100.00.


[/quote]

The Vizio XVT 47" is ~$1300 at Sam's club. You will be hard pressed to find a 120Hz panel under $1100 at that size.

Most Samsungs are going to give you awesome blacks.

[MrHat]

I'm also a bit of TV guru. Perhaps I'm also a bit of a snob when i'm purchasing large dollar electronics.
My personal philosophy is to find the best available options, research what others are saying about likes and dislikes. there are so many discussion forums for electronics on the internet you can get many many opinions and you will see that there are some brands and models that are fan favorites for different reasons. for example, someone mentioned visio, IMO this is a huge bang for your buck product line. However, put one side by side ( i do mean literally) and compare pictures and features with some other brands and you might not be as impressed. I kinda lump samsung in that same group. Not the worst choice you can make, but there are many other choices to consider.

IMO the pecking order for HDTV's are

1) Pioneer Kuros - the best and most expensive choice. Its Plasma.

2) Sony XBR - the current XBR6 is awesome - my personal fav. XBR7's are coming out soon and there will be deals on the 6's. Also, there are still XBR5's around and they are still an excellent TV. be careful with Sony's. they make lots of other LCD tv's that are not XBR. look for "W", "S", and "V" models, they are what many retailers are pushing in their sales. Go to Sony's website and read. Know what you are looking at when the salesman starts spewing.

3) Panasonic Viera - Excellent budget choice. Very well reviewed. You can get a 50" close to your budget.

after 3) everyone else

samsung
lg
visio

the order doesn't matter, they are all second tier brands

My suggestion is to go to bestbuy, circuitcity, frys, costco, samsclub whatever electronic retailers are in your area and look at as many side by side comparisons as you can.

Another suggestion, visit the manufactures websites are familiarize yourself with the current models...maybe even last years models, so when you visit your retailer, you'll know if they are selling you current models or last years or older.

Buy as big as you can afford. the number one complaint of new TV owners is they wish they got the bigger one.
Those charts about viewing distance and screen size can be helpful but they are not the gospel. They chart suggested a 50" for my living room. I went with a 60" Sony and have not regretted it for a second. I also put a 50" Panasonic in the master bedroom. That might be over kill. but the deal was sweet and i couldn't say no. BTW, the new model of the TV i paid $1600 for last year was $999 at samsclub christmas time.

If what you really want is more then your budget, dont rush it. start saving a few bucks a month until you can get what you want. who knows, prices might drop while you are waiting....
Good Luck

[jim beam]

Im just posting because of as last nigth my dad will be getting a new one. Heres the funny part. Last night during or party some how an airsoft gun came out(it was the one my dad owns to keep things fair around his house) I was in another room but from what I get hes drunk and shoots his lcd tv with it. That he has only owned since late october. Now it has a nice quarter size pink circle where he shot it. It was pretty darn funny. Still laughing at him about it. Of course hes the one that always yells you better stay away from the tv with that cause if you break it your buying a new one! Good times.

[KRG]

I looked into the Vizio's and found the SV420XVT 42" 1080p 120Hz for around $1050.

I have read a ton of reviews and find that it is a pretty good bang for the buck.

Pros: Extra mid speaker. Bundled HDMI cable. Several video setting presets such as Cinematic, Gaming, TV, etc. Highly tweakable custom settings.

Cons: Some noticiable visual artifacts. No USB input. Advanced/Custom video settings menus can be tough to figure out.


I'm hard pressed to locate a comparible TV out there for this price. Stepping up to the 47" XVT is a possibility. From what I gather, the blacks are comparable to Samsung, though not spot on, with some tweaking, these are virtually identical to the Samsung.

[mujo]

Do you have a COSTCO in your area? Starting Jan 5-25 they are offering a $300 coupon off on the 47" XVT. This brings the price down to $1000. Of course, you must be a member I think their membership fee is $50. However...thats still a nice deal.