Need help with the purchase of a Christmas gift

**Cloud9Gal** · November 24th, 2009, 17:17

Hey Guys~

I'm planning on surprising hubby with a new TV for Christmas.

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!

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!

Much appreciated!

***Navy Chief*** · November 24th, 2009, 17:34

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

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

Wish I could be of more help!

NC

**luckydog** · November 24th, 2009, 18:41

Forget plasma.

**Snuffy** · November 24th, 2009, 19:24

Lots of deals HERE!

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!

**MaddogK** · November 24th, 2009, 19:36

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*** · November 24th, 2009, 19:39

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*** · November 24th, 2009, 20:20

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

**dogknot** · November 24th, 2009, 20:27

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

**Kiwikat** · November 24th, 2009, 20:30

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.

**luckydog** · November 24th, 2009, 20:41

Originally Posted by 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.

Ditto, but about 2 months ago !!

**Wing_Z** · November 24th, 2009, 20:51

Originally Posted by Cloud9Gal

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*** · November 24th, 2009, 21:42

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** · November 25th, 2009, 02:05

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

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

harleyman · November 25th, 2009, 02:07

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*** · November 25th, 2009, 02:07

Originally Posted by 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.

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** · November 25th, 2009, 02:46

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

).
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** · November 25th, 2009, 03:06

Originally Posted by Panther_99FS

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

Sheeze Panther ... can't you read, :isadizzy: she wants a present for hubby ...

that purchase you mention is for her ...

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

***Craig Taylor*** · November 25th, 2009, 06:22

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** · November 25th, 2009, 06:25

Originally Posted by Snuffy

Sheeze Panther ... can't you read, :isadizzy: she wants a present for hubby ...

that purchase you mention is for her ...

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

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

**GT182** · November 25th, 2009, 06:32

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** · November 25th, 2009, 09:09

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

.

Ray

**kilo delta** · November 25th, 2009, 11:52

Originally Posted by rayrey10

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!

**Wing_Z** · November 25th, 2009, 11:58

Originally Posted by Craig Taylor

...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** · November 25th, 2009, 12:38

Originally Posted by kilo delta

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!

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

**crashaz** · November 25th, 2009, 13:48

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: