Looking for a Good HDTV!!!

[Majjic]

Hey guys...

Like some people im counting the days untill i get my Xbox360!!!! :) :) :)

Since all the games are going to be in HI-def....i want to take full advantage of this...

So i decided to go and do some reaserch on HDTV's

This is my situation...I'm a student who has a part time job...and not a lot of money
So im looking for a good TV that will work well with the 360 and have no problems...

My questions and concerns are:

What are some sites that have reviews on tv's...?
Where would be the best place to go and buy the tv from...?
What should I look for in tv's that have HDTV and what sould I look out for...?
Will there be any good deals on tv's you think on boxing day...?

ps....my budget is no more than $1500.00...the cheaper the price the better
and i would like.

please post any advice and comments

thanks a lot!!!

[killbillvol1]

At that price the best bet is sub1k BenQ DLP projector if you have a dark area.

If not, I'd hold out until LCD or DLP projection TVs price drop to that price point (or HD plasmas). Whatever you do - I wouldn't recommend rear projection CRTs for long term.

[Majjic]

At that price the best bet is sub1k BenQ DLP projector if you have a dark area.

If not, I'd hold out until LCD or DLP projection TVs price drop to that price point (or HD plasmas). Whatever you do - I wouldn't recommend rear projection CRTs for long term.

ya i was looking for something like these(probably a LCD becuse of the price range)....for example

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926INGFS10047677&catid=23243

or this

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926INGFS10061840&catid=23243

ps: im not looking for a projector so thats off my list
but there is no rush that i have to get one right away...like in 2 months or after christmas. :)

please post more comments!

[Majjic]

basically what would be the best tv...for a person on a budget?

[killbillvol1]

Those seem expensive - eg costco had a Viewsonic 27" HD LCD for $849 -nearly half the Samsung's price.

What I meant was LCD projection - Panasonic and Sony both have some attractive options but expensive right now. Given the competition in this segment, expect some aggressive pricing past x-mas.

[actyper]

IMO, DLP's are your best bang for the buck. www.digitalhomecanada.com is an awesome resource for your av needs.

[7-Endless]

For $1500 you should be able to get a 42" - 51" RPTV but no one seems to stock these anymore. If you want to have some $$$ leftover, the Toshiba 34" CRT Widescreen HDTV's are also about $899 - pretty amazing considering these sets were close to $4K just 4 years ago.

For sites, you can check the following:

http://www.avsforum.com

http://www.hometheaterforum.com

http://www.keohi.com/keohihdtv

[7-Endless]

Forgot to mention that Toshiba will probably have their warehouse sale pretty soon as they usually have one this time of year. I got my 51" HD RPTV from that sale for $1699 last year when FS and Best Buy were selling it for $2299...

[effie]

I'm so glad to see this topic raised, i.e. which is the best TV to buy right now. I am looking to buy a new TV too, in the 32" - 42" range.

I hope you'll let us know what you decide to buy. Sorry, I don't have any advice; I've been surfing around today looking for a bargain, but to no avail.

Good luck!

[D-Kay]

A lot of info can be found on www.avsforum.com

Originally i was planning on the Sammy DLP but ended up with the Sony KDFE42A10 for 2,450...........I know its a bit higher then your price range but the set has been nothing short of amazing.....the picture is great.....

also at the time, rogers had a 10 month free subscription of the hd service with all hdtv's

[7-Endless]

I'm so glad to see this topic raised, i.e. which is the best TV to buy right now. I am looking to buy a new TV too, in the 32" - 42" range.

I hope you'll let us know what you decide to buy. Sorry, I don't have any advice; I've been surfing around today looking for a bargain, but to no avail.

Good luck!

One other piece of advice, don't just buy based on specs or price. Make sure you get to see the tv in person before making a final decision. Keep in mind that it is you that will be sitting in front of this tv for the next 5-10 years and you don't want to regret your purchase.

[effie]

You are so right, 7-endless! Good point - we'll be sitting in front of this tv for a long time....better to make sure we see what it looks like in person.

Thanks!

[GuiltySpark]

agreed, good topic.

I myself have just started looking for a new HD/big screen. After playing 360 on even a rear projection HD 46", then going to my 8 year old 27" toshiba just sux.
Please keep us posted, or anyone else for that matter as to any good deals around here.
Best of luck on your search:)

[7-Endless]

For those on a limited budget (i.e. $2K and below), I would recommend sticking with a widescreen CRT such as the Toshiba 34".

For those who are looking to spend $2200 and up, I would recommend a DLP set as someone already mentioned above. LCD isn't bad either but I find the screen door effect (due to the space between pixels) really bothersome. Plasma is very nice too but is very $$$, runs very hot and can burn out more easily.

The best picture I have seen so far is between the top of the line Sony DLP set (can't remember the model number off hand) and the Toshiba 62" and 72" 1080p sets (1080p is only available in the 62" and 72" Cinema series and also the 56" non-Cinema series set). It's pretty amazing the type of picture quality you can get on these sets now - would have cost you about $25K 4-5 years ago to get this type of picture quality.

As well, with Blu Ray and HD-DVD around the corner, make sure that the tv you are getting has HDMI inputs. I would also recommend checking the forums to see if the HDMI inputs on the tv set you are looking at makes a difference. For example, last year's model may have HDMI but the picture quality may not be as good as this year's model. Just another thing to keep in mind when debating on whether to save a few extra bucks and buy last year's model over this year's.

[CameraBill]

Don't you need to replace the bulbs in LCD's and DLP's? If so they would be a bad idea for somebody on a budget

[flame02]

there are many cheap 32inch LCD screens at the $1300 price range at BB, FS< Costco etc .. thats the best bet IMO

[barrist]

Check AVS for sure

I have a Panasonic 34" CRT, i still think CRT is the best picture quality available, just have to do with how freakin big and heavy they are.

[7-Endless]

Don't you need to replace the bulbs in LCD's and DLP's? If so they would be a bad idea for somebody on a budget

You do, but the bulb life is getting longer and some manufacturers include a 2nd bulb with the tv. One other thing to keep in mind is that with DLP, putting in a new bulb is theoretically like getting a new tv again.

[D.NGUYEN]

I'm at futureshop Brampton location, for that price range, HDTV widecreen CRT are very well priced for pretty darn good prices now ( plus you don't have to worry about ghosting and such), perhaps the Samsung 30" slim CRT is a good choice, I believe it is 1199 before tax. THe size is a little thinner and smaller than the other CRTs yet it looks great, has HDMI inputs, looks basically like an LCD from the front. PM me if you want more info and stuff on other ones, and if it's no hassle, come buy from me at futureshop brampton. Since the money i make goes to someone else on RFD anyways!http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0770HDS0010061779&catid=

http://www.futureshop.ca/multimedia/products/large/10061779.jpg

[masterc]

Check out the CRT Sanyo at Walmart, If you are on a tight budget.
Good reviews, good price but heavy and big CRT ... http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=210151&highlight=sanyo

[felix]

D.NGUYEN : That's a nice looking TV! Even has Picture-In-Picture! How does the resolution/screen quality compare with LCD & plasma TV's? I guess it can't be wall mounted?

The specs on that FutureShop link seem incorrect though. At 93.4 cm depth it would mean 36.4 inches ... which is twice as thick as my decade old 20" JVC TV!

According to the press release (http://www.samsung.com/PressCenter/PressRelease/PressRelease.asp?seq=20050105_0000089663) it's actually 16" depth, just 4" longer than my 30 cm ruler. Actually that's almost the depth of my 20" TV .. still decent though I guess.

[D.NGUYEN]

The Samsung is acually pretty thin, not as bulky as other CRTs. The picture quality is amazing, looks like LCD but without the ghosting problems. This is an excellent buy for anyone looking for an HDTV with all the bells and whistles and also for a chic looking TV. Only downside is it's still a very heavy TV, though it is more compact than other CRTs.

[felix]

yeah, the only thing holding me back would be the weight .. also I'm looking for around 37-42" so I can hang on the wall for the coolness factor. :)

[xxgg]

if you are already gonna spend that much of money on a new HDTV... why not jus spend a bit more and a DLP?
I mean, its not like you are gonna replace your TV every few years right?

Because even WideScreen HDTV CRT aren't that much better than regular CRT. especially even if you compare to some low end DLPs.
Gap between each pixel in CRT is just too much visible even those HDTV CRT.

I don't know about others but I personally think that it is well worth the money to move to newer technology.

[bunnylove]

whatever deal you find take it to Sony. They will price match.