Best Flat Panel TV for the Money

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jcarson83

jcarson83

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So I've decided to take make the big purchase that a lot of you have probably already made. I'm looking for around a 42" LCD/Plasma TV. I'm looking for a good site that explains all the gory details. I've already read all the basic sites (CNET etc.) Any suggestions?
 
I'll second the Samsungs, I've got a 32" 720 and my brother has a 42" 1080. Both beautiful sets.
 
is it going on the wall or on a stand?

I have a 61" Samsung 1080p DLP which sits nicely on its own stand. Sure its 15" thick in some places, but its very light and the picture is just as good as any out there. Best part with DLP is that you will pay half price.
 
jcarson83 said:
So I've decided to take make the big purchase that a lot of you have probably already made. I'm looking for around a 42" LCD/Plasma TV. I'm looking for a good site that explains all the gory details. I've already read all the basic sites (CNET etc.) Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
If you want more information than you can actually absorb then check the AVS Forums >> http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/
 
Its definitely going on the wall and I think I'm leaning towards the LCD because I will likely use it as a monitor on occasion. Which also makes the inputs important. 1080.
 
When I was looking,one thing that was important is how regular analog or digital signals were displayed. Most of our cable is in this format. High def will look good on any display. When you go looking at the sets they are usually running some high definition signal so you may ask them to run a regular cable feed.
Everyone has their own preferences but I found the Sony and Sanyo's to be best in LCD and Panansonic was rated the best of the plasmas.
 
If you are going to buy a plasma Pioneer then Panasonic are the best in that order. They are the same company but the Pioneer is the Lexus and the Panasonic is the Toyota. Can't go wrong with either.
Don't skimp if the 1080i or p is just a little more expensive. Plasmas have a half life of 60,000 hours (6.8 years) so you will have the set for a long time.

Forrest
 
Again - you want to know what the best flat panel is for the money, but are not mentioning how much money. If you want to know what the best flat panel is, period, then that's a different discussion.
 
Austinhomebrew said:
If you are going to buy a plasma Pioneer then Panasonic are the best in that order. They are the same company but the Pioneer is the Lexus and the Panasonic is the Toyota. Can't go wrong with either.
Don't skimp if the 1080i or p is just a little more expensive. Plasmas have a half life of 60,000 hours (6.8 years) so you will have the set for a long time.

Forrest
Click to expand...



I thought Technics and Panasonic were the same with the Lexus/Toyota difference?
 
jcarson83 said:
Its definitely going on the wall and I think I'm leaning towards the LCD because I will likely use it as a monitor on occasion. Which also makes the inputs important. 1080p.
Click to expand...

there fixed it for you. You forgot the "p"

1080i is just 720p like it was said before, no skimping on that one
 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889253137

I have this exact television I canot say anything bad about it

less that $1000 and free shiping

89-253-137-01.jpg
 
I bought a Samsung 48" LCD and I love it. It really has a superior picture to anything else I saw.

Also, this might seem strange, but I bought it from Amazon.com. Their deal included free delivery and in-home installation for the price. I am so glad I went this route.:mug:
 
blacklab said:
Again - you want to know what the best flat panel is for the money, but are not mentioning how much money. If you want to know what the best flat panel is, period, then that's a different discussion.
Click to expand...
I haven't been ignoring you I just didn't know how to answer your question. After looking at the specs i think I'm into at least $1300 unless I get a great deal.
 
I went to return a running watch at Best Buy today and SWMBO happened to be in a great mood and told me to buy a new tv. Picked up a Samsung 42" plasma 720p for $897. I read the reviews for it a few weeks ago and they were all positive reviews, so I decided to go for it.
 
Bobby_M said:
I like the Samsung 1080p's. You'll pay more for 1080p vs 720p native panels but if you go bluray anytime soon or have HD through OTA or whatever, you'll appreciate it.
Click to expand...

Not only that but the new high end models run at 120hz and support the 3d image processing technology. I haven't seen it in action but I am told that the effect is incredible.
 
I've been looking at he 120hz thing. It is also suppose to help the motion blur thing which drives me crazy. Looks like I'll be spending a little more. Currently I'm looking at the samsung LNT4069F or this years model the LN40a650. The 650 is better but I don't like the red border.
8749456_sa.jpg
 
atarlecky said:
Not only that but the new high end models run at 120hz and support the 3d image processing technology. I haven't seen it in action but I am told that the effect is incredible.
Click to expand...

which is also a huge kick in the balls to those of us who bought a TV last year
 
I use a Sanyo PLV-Z3 as my only first floor TV. I replace the bulb about once every 2 years but you can't beat 100" with an LCD TV. I'm thinking about upgrading to the Z2000 though because it does 1080p.

24102164.jpg
 
Austinhomebrew said:
If you are going to buy a plasma Pioneer then Panasonic are the best in that order. They are the same company
Click to expand...

Not the same company. Pioneer has an agreement for Panasonic to start making Pioneer's plasma TVs, but they won't hit the market until next year:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9927835-7.html

Panasonic has been tapped to pinch-hit for Pioneer.

The two television makers said Wednesday they had come to an agreement in which Panasonic will produce the panels for Pioneer's plasma televisions.

The news comes a month after reports surfaced that Pioneer was pulling out of the plasma business. When Pioneer confirmed it would be finding someone who could make the panels more inexpensively than it could, there was a sense of dismay and disappointment among fans of its Kuro technology. Pioneer plasma TVs are generally regarded by experts--including CNET Reviews' David Katzmaier--as having the blackest black levels of any TV on the market.

In a joint statement, the two companies said they will build a new type of panel that integrates Pioneer's Kuro technology and Panasonic's NeoPDP, which it currently uses in its Viera TVs. Panasonic will have the panels sporting the new, combined technology ready for Pioneer by the second half of 2009.
Click to expand...
 
jcarson83 said:
I haven't been ignoring you I just didn't know how to answer your question. After looking at the specs i think I'm into at least $1300 unless I get a great deal.
Click to expand...

No prob, just wanted to find out what you were looking at spending before blathering on with my opinion.

You can get a 47" Vizio LCD 1080p at Costco for around that price point. A friend of mine the TV industry says they use them in the studio now as reference monitors because they are cheap and tough. The remote is a bit chintzy and it's not as cool looking at some of the pricier brands. But...it's nearly 1/2 price of the competition.

I have a top of the line 32" Sony LCD which was about the same amount of money. Picture-wise, I believe that the Sony is slightly better, and of course there is that oversaturated Sony 'look' that everyone likes.

IMHO, the Vizio is the best price/inch without sacrificing too much quality or longevity. And, unless you are buying Sony, Samsung, or Phillips, the guts are all made at the same factory in China. Just different packaging.
 
I'm to go look at the LNT4069F in the store before I get it but it looks like the best deal going right now for $1500.

lnt4069_l.jpg
 
I got it and its freakin awesome. I have been watching dish on it and it doesn't do it justice. Rented a movie last night and the picture was spectacular. I'm going to spend all day wiring up my living room with speakers and hanging it on the wall instead of brewing. I need to make some empty bottles too so I can bottle.
 
RICLARK said:
I was thinking about skipping the tv and going for one of these. Anyone get one?

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=376389


Click to expand...

I have an optoma business projector I got from Best Buy about 3 years ago. My buddy owns an A/V business and always gets the very high-end stuff in his home. He won't admit it but my $1000 projector gives 4/5ths the quality that his $5000 projectors do. In addition, I have a lot more lumens than any of the expensive projectors and this makes mine much more utilitarian. Also- when my bulb finally gives up the ghost it's only $300 to replace; his are much much more.

What I don't get is a lot of definition in the brights and lows.

BTW - I hate my P-O-S playstation 3... I just had to reformat the hard drive AGAIN. Do yourself a favor and get a dedicated Blu-Ray player.
 

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