Need help with the purchase of a Christmas gift

[Cloud9Gal]

Hey Guys~

I'm planning on surprising hubby with a new TV for Christmas. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-talk015.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)

I started looking online via BestBuy and Amazon and I have to admit, I'm pretty overwhelmed! You have LCD flat panels, you have LED flat panels and then you have Plasma flat panels. The only thing I'm certain of is the size- I'll go with either a 46" or 52". Hubby watches a lot of TV & Movies. I'm also planning on buying either the Wii or the PS3. Oh and a BluRay DVD player.

At this point, price does not matter. Of course, if I can get a good deal on one, I'll be even happier. More money to buy some shoes! There's this one pair I really want and....ok, nevermind!

http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-signs081.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)

Ok, back to TVs then...

I would welcome and appreciate any recommendations and suggestions- I'm sure there's a few of you out there who have already done the research.
Please share your thoughts!

http://freesmileyface.net/smiley/Signs/thank-you.gif (http://freesmileyface.net) Much appreciated!

[Navy Chief]

This is one site I go to for comparisons/recommendations:

http://stores.tomshardware.com/home_catpage.php/catzero=19

Wish I could be of more help!

NC

[luckydog]

Forget plasma.

[Snuffy]

Lots of deals HERE! (http://www.nextag.com/LCD-And-LED/search-html?nxtg=67030a280519-32534C4847C8ABDC)

I can't say I know much about them either, I still have a CRT 19" tv.

But the one flatscreen lcd screen I have is for the puter and its a very uneven resolution 1440X990 I have watched widescreen LCD at lunch at a couple places I've eaten and it seems that a widescreen rectangular screen tend to distort the picture to a short squat and wide display.

If you can find something with the resolution more square I think you'd be better off.

Judging from the link I posted, it would appear that LED and LCD can be considered roughly the same technology as the terms are applied together on some units.

I also agree with LD ... avoid the plasma.

Good Hunting.

What a lucky guy he is ... I hope he knows it! :) :wavey:

[MaddogK]

Got a Hitachi 50in Plasma last year and tho the picture isn't quite as crisp as the Visio, the viewing angle is amazing- I can see it perfectly from my kitchen, nearly 70 deg from the side, and the set has a glass panel covering the screen so cleanup is a snap with a splash of windex and a paper towel. Nice array of inputs as well, 4 (IIRC) rear RCA's and 2 HDMI's and a front set of RCA's for my game console. Also note it's not true widescreen but the couple dozen columns missing goes completely unnoticed when running it in letterbox format.

The wii is nice but not alot of adult games to choose from, if I had to but another console I'd go with the PS3- more games to choose from, and it plays blu-ray's.

[Willy]

I'll third the avoid plasma.

We recently went to a Visio 42" LCD. Best picture I ever saw on a TV. Ours came as a package deal with a sound bar kit and the kit to hang it on the wall. Under $800 at Wally World.

I actually watch a little TV now.

[Panther_99FS]

What happened to the stuff ya' bought from Fredericks Of Hollywood :ques: :bump:

[dogknot]

We went with Vizio (LCD), too! Awesome picture. Hookups for everything you will ever want. 2 years trouble free.

[Kiwikat]

We got a 46 inch Samsung LCD from Best Buy about a month ago. It is absolutely incredible, especially with HD sports and blu-ray movies. :medals:

[luckydog]

We got a 46 inch Samsung LCD from Best Buy about a month ago. It is absolutely incredible, especially with HD sports and blu-ray movies. :medals:

Ditto, but about 2 months ago !!

[Wing_Z]

At this point, price does not matter. Of course, if I can get a good deal on one, I'll be even happier. More money to buy some shoes! There's this one pair I really want and....ok, nevermind!

Whoohoo, blank cheque shopping!

LED is bleeding edge and so pretty pricey.
LCD, now being one off bleeding edge, is in the sweet spot.
- Get a high refresh rate (better than 100MHz) for watching sport.
- Get true HD (=1080p scan lines)
- Get a PS3 which already is a Blu-ray.
I have a Sony which has Motion Flow dejudder processing, and is superb for fast-moving sports.
And, because the sound is puny, you'll need a low-end home theatre setup too!
5.1 speaker setup should do it, with a nice big subwoofer.

Enjoy the shoe shopping...

[OBIO]

My wife and I bought a Panasonic 42" 1080p HD Plasma this spring. The picture quality is great, viewing angles are amazing, the glass screen makes cleaning a snap. Energy Star compliant. Down side: the sucker attracts dust like crazy (well, the entire entertainment center does....TV, DVR, 4-disc CD/DVD player, Wii, surround sound system....I have to dust that area 3 times a week).

Today's plasma TVs are not like the early ones. They are not prone to screen burning (the Panasonic has several built in safe guards in that regard).

OBIO

[Terry]

This website will help you pick whats right for your usage.

http://www.myproductadvisor.com/mpa/base/home.do

[harleyman]

Well I have a 27" LCD in my office...Amazing

I have a 42" Plasma in my bedroom.(Sony) More amazing

One thing about plasma...You can not view them close up...For a 42" and above you need a distance of a minimum of 10 feet from it or it will look blury and not crisp. 12-16 feet is ideal...


LCD is the best prices avaible now for the quality I think....

[Crusader]

We got a 46 inch Samsung LCD from Best Buy about a month ago. It is absolutely incredible, especially with HD sports and blu-ray movies. :medals:
Same a couple of months ago . It was the 120Mhz version and the picture was incredable , especially fast moving sports and HD etc as stated above . Went through Amazon and it came without a problem and the price was a little lower than Best Buy ,Sears and some of the others , and they had a free shipping option . And of coarse no sales tax . The 120 Mhz LCD's are hard to beat . As someone else mentioned the LED's are out but very pricey .

Your husband will be a lucky guy this Christmas and just think , he will be able to watch all the football around the holidays . LOL

Rich

[kilo delta]

We've a couple of 47" 1080p LCD tv's in Chez KD . Bought the first one around 2 years ago, another in July '08 and a 3rd last Xmas (I sold that one soon afterwards, though, as 3 big screen tv's was a little overkill:kilroy:).
As has been pointed out already...go with a full HD set (1920x1080 resolution) and with a high refresh rate to minimise screen blur for fast action scenes/sports etc (Panasonic have a 600mhz set available!). I'd steer clear of plasma however...even though it can apparently display blacks much better than LCD technology...as it can suffer screen burn and the image quality degrades over time. Top of the line technology is the LED screen...which will allow even thinner and lighter LCD panels.
Do you also have a good sound system to go with the tv? I'd consider this a necessity to get full enjoyment from the tv.

PS. No need for a separate Blu-Ray player as the PS3 has a pretty good one fitted as standard. :)

[Snuffy]

What happened to the stuff ya' bought from Fredericks Of Hollywood :ques: :bump:


Sheeze Panther ... can't you read, :isadizzy: she wants a present for hubby ... :wiggle: that purchase you mention is for her ... :jump:

(is there ever a time your mind doesn't go there?) :kilroy:

[Craig Taylor]

I second what Wing Z and KD said. I purchased a Samsung 40" LCD last year and love it. Make sure you pick a model with the right inputs (plugs) for your components, such as an older DVD or your cable or dish box if you have one. You'll also be wanting to go to the store with a list of these so you buy all the new input cables you need at the same time, or you'll be going back and forth a few times (learned this the hard way). The Wii and/or PS3 may come with, but your other home theatre stuff may need new ones. A store clerk should be able to help you with that.

[cheezyflier]

Sheeze Panther ... can't you read, :isadizzy: she wants a present for hubby ... :wiggle: that purchase you mention is for her ... :jump:

(is there ever a time your mind doesn't go there?) :kilroy:


all the ladies he dream's of wear stuff from the army/navy surplus store, or mark's work warehouse:icon_lol:

[GT182]

Vizio LCD is great. We have a 37 inch and love it. Bought it at WalMart. Best to get one now as they'll be gone way before Christmas. Stores here were out of them just after Thanksgiving last year. They had plenty of the other brands but no Visios.

And you can hook up you PC to them too. I'm thinking of a 26 inch Vizio just for the computer.

[rayrey10]

C9G,
Samsung's and Sony's have the best picutre quality. Vizio also makes some very nice LCDs at a very good price...they also have an LED but I have not seen it yet. A couple of weeks ago I purchased a 55" Samsung LED and nothing compares to it. It is pricier, it goes for about $1,900-$2,100, but the picture quality and contrast are unrivaled by an LCD or Plasma. I matched that with a Blu-Ray disc player and Bose speakers, and I may never go to a movie theater again :icon_lol:.

Ray

[kilo delta]

a 55" Samsung LED
It is pricier, it goes for about $1,900-$2,100,
Ray

Now that's a very nice TV!

Thats the equivalent of €1,300 (at 2k dollars) and the cheapest that TV sells for here is €2,500! :( .

I gotta move State-side! :kilroy: :)

[Wing_Z]

...You'll also be wanting to go to the store with a list of these so you buy all the new input cables you need at the same time, or you'll be going back and forth a few times (learned this the hard way)...

..and do not let them talk you into expensive gold-plated cables!
Unlike analog, digital signals do not need Monster Cable-size connections between TV and other inputs.
The stuff that ships with the unit is fine.

[Kofschip]

Now that's a very nice TV!

Thats the equivalent of €1,300 (at 2k dollars) and the cheapest that TV sells for here is €2,500! :( .

I gotta move State-side! :kilroy: :)

I remember the days that one dollar was about 4.5 DM and 4 guilders...... It was the other way around then.:kilroy::bump:

[crashaz]

Look for the new 240 MHz scanning technology... I saw one of them @ Best Buy with a blueray player showing Pirates of the Carribean.... crazy! Looked like the characters were just popping out of the screen... they looked that real.


240 Samsung or Vizio is my next buy!! :ernae:

[Cloud9Gal]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I sooo appreciate the time all of you took to share your suggestions and feedback.
http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-signs153.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
I took notes and I'm confident I'm armed with enough information to help me make the best choice for a new TV. I will go to Best Buy this weekend and look at all of them. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-gen017.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)

You guys are AWESOME! http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-gen014.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)

[gigabyte]

C9G the best suggestion I can offer is - dump him I will be there in a flash I would be happy with LCD, LED or Plasma, I am not fussy ...

Seriously, he is one lucky guy, which ever you choose I am sure he will love it and with him watching the big screen you will have more time to Panther perfectly good airplanes...lol

[harleyman]

YUP...

Monster cables are for NASA....Your eyes and ears will never see or hear any difference betewwn a 50 dollar set of cables and the ones that come with the TV in the box...

[Cloud9Gal]

What happened to the stuff ya' bought from Fredericks Of Hollywood :ques: :bump:


I shipped it ALL to you dear....like YOU requested! http://freesmileyface.net/smiley/Tongue/making-fun-020.gif (http://freesmileyface.net/Free-Tongue-Smileys.html)

[Cazzie]

Agree whole-heartedly with LD, forget Plasma, energy hogs and their picture is too dark in my opinion. Both LCD and Plasma give off bountiful heat, so 48" at a minimum so you can sit far enough away to not feel the heat (I am not kidding) and see the screen good. Turn it off when not viewing, LCD is better, but it consumes massive energy too. Go true-HD.

If you do not have an HD connection, you will need one now. :icon_lol:

Blue-Ray might be sharper, but One-Six-Right sure looks fine on my regular old DVD player. :icon29:

Yeah C9G, that's a good stocking stuffer if you don't have that DVD. http://www.terwilligerproductions.com/onesixright/

Caz

[Cloud9Gal]

C9G the best suggestion I can offer is - dump him I will be there in a flash I would be happy with LCD, LED or Plasma, I am not fussy ...

LOL! Umm not sure Hubby would like THAT suggestion! :173go1:




Seriously, he is one lucky guy, which ever you choose I am sure he will love it and with him watching the big screen you will have more time to Panther perfectly good airplanes...lol

Yep, I agree, he's a lucky guy, but he's also a VERY special guy! He deserves nothing but the BEST! http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-happy003.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)

[dominique]

As I understand that you read French, a thorough comparison between the two technologies

http://www.lesnumeriques.com/article-888.html

[GT182]

Remember, plasma tvs will reflect any and all light off the screen. It's a royal PITA to watch a program or movie that way. LCD won't reflect, just like your LCD monitor won't.

Do a price comparison between BB and WalMart first. Your best price will be at the latter for any screen size and brand you want. No joke, so why pay more if you don't have too.

[Snuffy]

... Do a price comparison between BB and WalMart first. Your best price will be at the latter for any screen size and brand you want. No joke, so why pay more if you don't have too.

Yeah, like that's going to happen. I'm pretty sure C9G is in no way considered a wal-mart shopper.

:sleep:

[Chacha]

Yeah, like that's going to happen. I'm pretty sure C9G is in no way considered a wal-mart shopper.

:sleep:

:isadizzy: :isadizzy: :isadizzy: :isadizzy: :isadizzy:

[AirHead]

maybe!

[Snuffy]

:isadizzy: :isadizzy: :isadizzy: :isadizzy: :isadizzy:


http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/

I'm pretty sure she's not. :bump:

[Cloud9Gal]

As I understand that you read French, a thorough comparison between the two technologies

http://www.lesnumeriques.com/article-888.html

http://freesmileyface.net/smiley/Happy/happy-096.gif (http://freesmileyface.net)
Merci beaucoup Dominique! C'est gentil!

[Cloud9Gal]

Yeah, like that's going to happen. I'm pretty sure C9G is in no way considered a wal-mart shopper.

:sleep:


You are correct! I do not frequent Walmart very often. Actually, I can't remember the last time I shopped at Walmart. Where I live, we do not have many Walmart stores around. The closest one is an older store and not much is done about the upkeep. The first thing you see when you walk in, is how filthy the store actually is. No thank you, not for me!
I much prefer going to Target. I have nothing against Walmart, I simply make a personal decision not to shop there.

[Snuffy]

So?

Did ya get it figured out yet? What's that lucky pup gettin? :wiggle:

[Cloud9Gal]

So?

Did ya get it figured out yet? What's that lucky pup gettin? :wiggle:

These are the items I'm considering right now:

TVs:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Sony+-+BRAVIA+52%22+Class+/+1080p+/+240Hz+/+LCD+HDTV/9279951.p?id=1218073534346&skuId=9279951

OR

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+-+46%22+Class+/+1080p+/+240Hz+/+LED-LCD+HDTV/9293579.p?skuId=9293579&ky=1uYuJ6VhbT3hheWN2zh8YGObMq18EQBj2&cmp=RMX&id=1218076082869

Game:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Nintendo-Wii/Wii-Hardware-Console/abcat0706001.c?id=abcat0706001

DVD:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Sony+-+BRAVIA+1000W+5.1-Ch.+Home+Theater+System+w/+5-Disc+Upconvert+DVD+Player/9238871.p?id=1218065493022&skuId=9238871

[Snuffy]

That DVD sound system will smoke with the 52 inch Sony!

:ernae:

Good Job!

[Good_2_Be]

You are correct! I do not frequent Walmart very often. Actually, I can't remember the last time I shopped at Walmart. Where I live, we do not have many Walmart stores around. The closest one is an older store and not much is done about the upkeep. The first thing you see when you walk in, is how filthy the store actually is. No thank you, not for me!
I much prefer going to Target. I have nothing against Walmart, I simply make a personal decision not to shop there.



A Lady of Integrity


:applause:

[Wing_Z]

C9G weren't you looking at a Blu-ray player?

[Kiwikat]

I watched that 46 inch Samsung at Best Buy when we got our regular LCD. It was mindblowing how incredible the picture was. The price was a bit too steep for us though. :mixedsmi:

BTW it would be an absolute crime to punish such a television with a mere Wii. :blind:

Get a PS3 and crank out some 1080 graphics and blu-rays. As an additional bonus, the PS3 is a blu-ray player as well as a gaming console. :engel016:

[rayrey10]

Another bit of advice: get the biggest TV you can get...you know that will fit in the room and you can afford, etc. You won't regret not getting any feature as much as you'll regret not getting a bigger TV. After all size does matter :bump:.

That 52" Sony is a very nice TV. It's was the front runner before I saw the LEDs.


That's a good home theater system but if you have an HDTV you should get a blu-ray disc player. The picture quality is insane on blu-ray. If you have a subscription to Blockbuster or Netflix there are blu-ray disc that can stream movies from them.

Something like this:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+-+Blu-Ray+Disc+Player+with+1080p+Output/9213184.p?id=1218060485246&skuId=9213184

Then match that up with some Bose speakers like this:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Bose%26%23174%3B+-+CineMate%26%23174%3B+Series+II+Digital+Home+Theat er+Speaker+System/9464108.p?id=1218108988701&skuId=9464108

[Cloud9Gal]

C9G weren't you looking at a Blu-ray player?


Wing Z- You are correct! I posted the wrong thing! Sorry!

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+-+1000W+5.1-Ch.+Home+Theater+System+with+Blu-ray+Disc+Player/9406387.p?id=1218100581887&skuId=9406387

[Kiwikat]

Then match that up with some Bose speakers like this:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Bose%26%23174%3B+-+CineMate%26%23174%3B+Series+II+Digital+Home+Theat er+Speaker+System/9464108.p?id=1218108988701&skuId=9464108

We got those just after we got our TV. They are quite the little speakers. They really do sound like surround sound. They actually sound quite a bit better than our old 5.1 surround setup. The only bad thing is that the remote control only controls the volume and power.

Since money isn't much of an issue here, this would be better:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Bose%26%23174;+-+CineMate%26%23174;+GS+Series+II+Digital+Home+Thea ter+Speaker+System/9480411.p?id=1218112362266&skuId=9480411&st=bose%20cinemate&cp=1&lp=2

It is essentially the same as the regular Cinemate ones, but it has a real remote control. I think the speakers are also marginally better.

[Cloud9Gal]

I watched that 46 inch Samsung at Best Buy when we got our regular LCD. It was mindblowing how incredible the picture was. The price was a bit too steep for us though. :mixedsmi:

BTW it would be an absolute crime to punish such a television with a mere Wii. :blind:

Get a PS3 and crank out some 1080 graphics and blu-rays. As an additional bonus, the PS3 is a blu-ray player as well as a gaming console. :engel016:


LOL@ "punish such a television with a mere Wii". You're cute Kiwikat! http://freesmileyface.net/smiley/Winks/b-wink.gif (http://freesmileyface.net/Free-Winks-Smileys.html)

Now, I happen to LOVE Mario- I've always been a big fan on Nintendo.

A couple of my friends said we would like the Wii over the PS3...

[Trans_23]

We have a Wii hooked up to our 52 inch Samsung HD LCD. Fun game but they need to go HD. The Tiger Woods golf I bought last year has horrendous graphics by todays standards. I don't play it anymore. I agree that a PS3 is the way to go. I just wish I had one. :isadizzy:

THe wii is a good tim though. My right arm is still sore as heck from playing tennis for a couple hours the other night.

[Snuffy]

... Now, I happen to LOVE Mario- I've always been a big fan on Nintendo.

A couple of my friends said we would like the Wii over the PS3...

There's something to be said about what ya like and what ya don't like ...
As for the friends tellin you what you should and shouldn't like, there's only one way to find out.

Invite yourselves over to their places and play their systems ... then make your choice.


WRT to the Blu-Ray ... as long as they're downward compatable with DVDs shouldn't be a problem as there are still more movies on DVD than Blu-Ray right now.

But a smokin surround sound system is a must ... Especially when you can get a Steeler's football game or a Penquin's Hockey game in surround sound!

:bump:

[Odie]

C9G....the SONY TV is a nice one. Two years ago we bought a 50 inch rear projection SONY. The one thing I did take a serious look at was the size of the room it was going in and whether 50 inches was too big. It fit nicely and the picture is great. Anything bigger and we'd have to sit out on the deck to get the most out of the picture!

I just recently bought a SONY 32" flatscreen BRAVIA that is stunning in it's picture quality.

Best Buy (in our area) has a SONY BLURAY DVD player on sale for $129.00 so you may check in your area as well.