# Buying A New Tv



## N7OQ (Jun 10, 2006)

Well I know this is off topic but there is a lot of smart consumers out here so I'm hoping on getting some good advice.

My old TV gave up the ghost Friday, picture got small then it just went blank. Looks like a horizontal problem and even though it was a good TV for it's time (Sony Trinitron). I don't want to throw good money at bad, It is almost 10 years old.

Well yesterday and today I went out looking for a new TV and man has it gotten complicated. There are LCD, Plasma and DLP. HDTV, EDTV, some have tuners some don't. There a a lot of acronyms and specs to rifle through. So just going to the store and buying a TV has become a real pain in the "you know what".

I do know we want a 42 inch TV and one with a computer input (VGA) but I really don't know what type or specs I should look for.

So are there things I need to look out for? I do know that Plasma TV's have a problem at high altitude but I live 60 feet above sea level so that should not be a problem. Are there brands to stay away from?









Thanks for any info.


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## BlueWedge (Sep 11, 2005)

I would recommend you do a bit of studying on this. Avs forums

A lot depends on how much you are willing to spend. ( Doesn't it always )

Computer compatible can be an issue. You need to make sure the TV will actually work at a resolution that your computer display card will run at. Some TV's are better at computer compatibility.

I would recommend getting it with an HD tuner if you receive over the air broadcasts. A HD set is preferable(higher resolution for TV and computer).

I know I spent a bit of time researching the bedroom TV. Features, functions, quality and price. You thought buying a TT was bad...

Check the link I sent. There is more information there than you would probably ever want to know.


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## sleecjr (Mar 24, 2006)

Verstelle said:


> Well I know this is off topic but there is a lot of smart consumers out here so I'm hoping on getting some good advice.
> 
> My old TV gave up the ghost Friday, picture got small then it just went blank. Looks like a horizontal problem and even though it was a good TV for it's time (Sony Trinitron). I don't want to throw good money at bad, It is almost 10 years old.
> 
> ...


OK first. 
Do you want to hang it on the wall? If yes then plasma or lcd. 
Plasma advantages. The color is more natural than lcd. Best plasma is Pioneer elite. Best bang for the buck samsung. This years produce looks great! If not samsung look at panasonic.
Plasma Disadvantages. Burn In. Now dont let poeple scare you. Yes if you leave something on the screen for 8+ hours you will start to see burn in. The biggest killer is video games. Also the set is reflective. Just like a picture tube. So if you had glare on the tube you will have it on the plasma. 
Lcd advantages. Bright vivid colors. No burn in. Not as reflective as plasma. Good product. Sony, samsung.
Lcd disadvantags. Color is not as good as plasma. If you look at a bright color such as yellow, or orange it will look like its glowing. Black level is not as good as other products.
Dlp Advantages. Much more bang for your buck. Color is very good. You can get 1080p. The next step in hd at a great price. Dlp has great color. very natural color. Great black levels. Good products. Mitsubishi and samsung. Sony also makes a product like this. Its not dlp its lcd or lcos. It has bright vivid colors like the lcd.
Dlp disadvantages. If you will be seated past a 45 deg angle. You will lose brightness. You cant hang it on the wall.
Hd tuners. These are only good if you are going to put up an antenna to receive local broadcast.
There is a lot of misinformation out there. If you have a question just ask me. This is what i do for a living. I have been in the biz for 20+ years.

Here is some bad info.
plasma's need to be recharged. Not true. 
Brighter is better. NOT TRUE. Some of these tvs are like looking at the sun!

Hope this helps. If i missed something. Let me know. I am still on my first cup of coffee.

If you find a model you like pm me and i will tell you what a good price is.


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

Wow Bill... You lucky dog!







I wish my TV would die!









Great questions, but we could fill volumes here, and you would end up being more confused than ever! sleecjr laid out some pretty good info to start with. I would say that for basic specs you definately want to go Hi-Def. It's the future. Wide screen (pretty universal with any Hi-Def monitor). Beware of the difference between 'Hi-Def', and 'Hi-Def Ready'. The former includes a Hi-Def tuner, the latter is capable of displaying Hi-Def but does not have the means of doing so (requires a stand-alone tuner: $$$).

As a personal preference, I like the LCD's better than Plasma's, but until recently at least, LCD has not been available in as large a screen sizes. Then there is LYCOS, and... and...

I think the best 'advise' I can offer is to spend some time at at local high-end A-V store. I'm not talking big box (Circuit City, Best Buy, etc.) here, but a specialty store with CEDIA certified staff. These people can lead you through this very complex maze with intelligence and insight.

Good luck... Have fun... And let us know what you come up with!









Happy Trails,
Doug


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## campmg (Dec 24, 2005)

I have a Toshiba DLP and very pleased with it. MY BIL just bought a JVC DLP and also very happy. When I went shopping last year most people I know recommended their DLP. They have a great picture, lightweight, and don't experience burn in if you play games on it. The draw back is the lamp that shines off the mirror chip will burn out after around 5,000 hours of use. They cost around $300 to replace.


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## prevish gang (Mar 19, 2006)

We have a 42" Samsung DLP. Love it because we do not get distortion when sitting around the room like you would with rear projection and the beautiful vivid picture. BIG plus is it weighs about 65 lbs vs the (feels like) hundreds of pounds others cost. Do your research as Blue Wedge suggested and pick a couple that have the best ratings and then go out shopping and see what you like best. Sleecjr makes very good points. We heard that plasma has a fairly short lifespan and that as time passes the picture loses quality which cannot be repaired. In addition if the TV is not at a certain angle it can be damaged. If something hits the TV it can damage it. These things are not repairable. The cost of plasma vs DLP was pretty significant and the reviews on the Samsung were so great that it made our choice an easy one. Do make sure that your TV is not HD ready, but instead has the tuner built in. HD signals are broadcast in the air and with an antenna if you live in an area where you can get the signal, you will not need to pay for HD channels. I am pretty sure you should be able to get HD in your area Bill. You will be in awe as you watch football with HD! It feels like you can see the blades of grass on the field.

Darlene


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## Scrib (Jun 28, 2005)

Definately checkout the AVS Forums for the latest info. I have a 50" Mitsubishi DLP, and my folks have a couple of Samsung DLP's (older 60" and a newer 42"). We're all happy with ours - no problems at all. The plasma TV's are pretty cool, but at the time it was just a little too much coin for me. That may have changed now - I know these things have come down in price.

One thing I can guarantee you - if you watch a high-definition broadcast on any of these, you'll be ruined for life!


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

sleecjr said:


> Well I know this is off topic but there is a lot of smart consumers out here so I'm hoping on getting some good advice.
> 
> My old TV gave up the ghost Friday, picture got small then it just went blank. Looks like a horizontal problem and even though it was a good TV for it's time (Sony Trinitron). I don't want to throw good money at bad, It is almost 10 years old.
> 
> ...


OK first. 
Do you want to hang it on the wall? If yes then plasma or lcd. 
Plasma advantages. The color is more natural than lcd. Best plasma is Pioneer elite. Best bang for the buck samsung. This years produce looks great! If not samsung look at panasonic.
Plasma Disadvantages. Burn In. Now dont let poeple scare you. Yes if you leave something on the screen for 8+ hours you will start to see burn in. The biggest killer is video games. Also the set is reflective. Just like a picture tube. So if you had glare on the tube you will have it on the plasma. 
Lcd advantages. Bright vivid colors. No burn in. Not as reflective as plasma. Good product. Sony, samsung.
Lcd disadvantags. Color is not as good as plasma. If you look at a bright color such as yellow, or orange it will look like its glowing. Black level is not as good as other products.
Dlp Advantages. Much more bang for your buck. Color is very good. You can get 1080p. The next step in hd at a great price. Dlp has great color. very natural color. Great black levels. Good products. Mitsubishi and samsung. Sony also makes a product like this. Its not dlp its lcd or lcos. It has bright vivid colors like the lcd.
Dlp disadvantages. If you will be seated past a 45 deg angle. You will lose brightness. You cant hang it on the wall.
Hd tuners. These are only good if you are going to put up an antenna to receive local broadcast.
There is a lot of misinformation out there. If you have a question just ask me. This is what i do for a living. I have been in the biz for 20+ years.

Here is some bad info.
plasma's need to be recharged. Not true. 
Brighter is better. NOT TRUE. Some of these tvs are like looking at the sun!

Hope this helps. If i missed something. Let me know. I am still on my first cup of coffee.

If you find a model you like pm me and i will tell you what a good price is.
[/quote]

Pretty reliable info and a good summary.









Use this to find a set with at least 720P display capability (minimum for HD) and a VGA input.

I have both a 61" Samsung HLR6168 series DLP that displays 1080p, and also a Panasonic 42" 60U series plasma that is 720p (768 is you wanna get all technical). Both are fantastic sets that are well received in the A/V Geek community. Yes, I too hang out over at the AVS Forums alot !

I chose both of these after much research as they're both great bang for the buck. Especially the Panasonic plasma which seriously rivals (equals if you ask me!) the Pioneer Elite series that many have considered the best plasma available. But since Pioneer is generally only availble through a carefully controlled group of distributors, you pay a premium for it. Panasonic is eating their lunch right now with a great set for alot less.

The 61" DLP in the den makes people freeze in their tracks (literally !) when they see good HD on it for the first time. You really will be ruined for all else once you get a good HD display.

And that brings me back to another issue, picture quality. Since there is only a relative few true HD channels, you will be watching alot of your favorite programs in standard definition (SD) on an HD set. This can look really lousy on some sets. I will tell you that the Panasonic plasma looks brilliant showing SD programming, and the larger DLP Samsung set looks "OK". Mainly because it's a large 1080p set and has to "invent" alot of the pixels to fill it's 1080 lines. It's like putting 87 octane gas in a Ferrari, it wants much more! A 720p or smaller screen size will look better at this.

Good Luck


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

California Jim said:


> And that brings me back to another issue, picture quality. Since there is only a relative few true HD channels, you will be watching alot of your favorite programs in standard definition (SD) on an HD set. This can look really lousy on some sets. I will tell you that the Panasonic plasma looks brilliant showing SD programming, and the larger DLP Samsung set looks "OK". Mainly because it's a large 1080p set and has to "invent" alot of the pixels to fill it's 1080 lines. It's like putting 87 octane gas in a Ferrari, it wants much more! A 720p or smaller screen size will look better at this.


Good points Jim!







I had a friend that went through three different HD TV's because of the horrible SD broadcast 'reception' he was getting. The salesmen at the big box he bought from had no idea what was really going on, and figured he just had defective units.








To their credit, they kept swapping TV's out (including delivery) until they got it right, but it's amazing, these guys had been selling these things for over a year at that point, and had no clue! Never heard of the problem before!









Happy Trails,
Doug


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

PDX_Doug said:


> these guys had been selling these things for over a year at that point, and had no clue! Never heard of the problem before!
> 
> 
> 
> ...










Sheesh. Kinda like the RV dealers that don't have a clue when you're out looking at units. "Experts", yeah right....

Good thing there are places like this ( and the AVS Forums) to educate yourself before you go out


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

I m thinking his TV bit the dust and its his tv









TV..tow vehicle

tv...television

I m getting confused


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

tdvffjohn said:


> I m thinking his TV bit the dust and its his tv
> 
> 
> 
> ...


John, I could be mistaken but I'm pretty sure the TV in plasmaform, as previously seen on such great tv-shows as StarTrek....was <shhhh> ....hollywood magic ...


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## Mgonzo2u (Aug 3, 2004)

Do some more research on this site http://www.hdtvoice.com/voice/index.php


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## sleecjr (Mar 24, 2006)

Has any one had there tv ISF calibrated? It will make it look great! Last longer too.


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

sleecjr said:


> Has any one had there tv ISF calibrated? It will make it look great! Last longer too.


I'm on hold to do my main theater TV (61" Samsung DLP) later this year. I'm holding out for the new Toshiba "A2" series HD DVD players coming out next month. Then the ISF guy can set it all up properly. I've heard great things about the process when done by a good company, and already found a highly reccomended group called Avical that I'll be calling out.

I love home theater !!


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## out4fun (Aug 22, 2006)

things not talked about ...plasma if a section burns out it is not repairable LCD has one bulb its about $70 if it were to burn out but the life is very long 70,000 hours I think it has a wider field of view than a dlp. And no glare like plasma. I have had a 60 inch sony LCD for about 3 years and no trouble and still love it. it also has 3 brightness settings so you can tone the yellows and oranges down. If I had to buy another I would buy a LCD again. dlp would be my second choice. but you have some good info from everyone so now you can check out pictures options and price and pick whats best for you.







good luck and happy shoping......Angelo


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## N7OQ (Jun 10, 2006)

Thanks everyone, a lot of good info here so I decited to spend a little extra and buy the Samsung 42" Plasma TV. It has the built in HDTV tuner, 2 HDMI ports a PC connection and I really like the picture. I just got it hooked up and we are watching it right now. Sure looks a lot better that the old set. Now I need to call the cable company and sign up for HDTV.

Now if I could just fit it in the Outback.


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## s'more (Jun 8, 2005)

ISF calibration ???









Internal Supercalifragilistic Fractillator ?









I just spritz mine with a little WD40 every 6 months or so ..... works fine.


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## sleecjr (Mar 24, 2006)

s said:


> ISF calibration ???
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Here you are. ISF


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## W4DRR (May 17, 2005)

In any TV purchase decision, don't forget the FCC mandated switch to HD in a couple of years.

Bob


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## prevish gang (Mar 19, 2006)

Verstelle said:


> Thanks everyone, a lot of good info here so I decited to spend a little extra and buy the Samsung 42" Plasma TV. It has the built in HDTV tuner, 2 HDMI ports a PC connection and I really like the picture. I just got it hooked up and we are watching it right now. Sure looks a lot better that the old set. Now I need to call the cable company and sign up for HDTV.
> 
> Now if I could just fit it in the Outback.


Save the money from the cable company, go to Circuit City and buy your own antenna and get your HD for FREE Bill. It is an on air broadcast, not necessarily a cable thing. There are very few true HD channels and it is not worth it to pay the cable company. Plus if the cable goes out so does your HD. If you have the antenna, and there is a storm, you will have all your local channels for weather.

Darlene


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