[Al4x]

having decided im going for the tv option does anyone have and good/bad comments on various 32-42in tvs?

and its looking like plasmas may be a no no as this tv will be used sometimes with a pc as a monitor

 

[bhd812]

some plasma's might have a pc input these days cause my friend swears they fixed their issues with the screens and can be safely used as a monitor...but i never seen one that does pc input though and i have not researched using a plasma with a hdmi output from a pc.

regardless it really depends on options you want cause these new tv's come with all this internet able stuff these days, also hz numbers are different on tv's these days.


most important aspect to me is your budget, if you want something middle priced but great look into panasonic, if your budget is low like mine was then look at Vizio..i love mine. if your budget is high look into oled (like samsung led lcd tv's) for the newer technology. i think plasma's are better for movies and sports then lcds, so if your going to watch alot of those two maybe a plasma is your way. either way anything over 32 inches has to have 1080p quality, dont get a cheap 42inch 720 tv..you'll regret it if you sit close with a high def movie.

so whats your wants and whats your budget?

either way make sure the tv is "HDCP capable" if you plan on using it as a monitor watching movies from the pc..got to love DRM

 

[Al4x]

ok some facts, its an important purchase [so has to be good] , but i have other needs so

looking mid range
definitly 1080p
multi purpose
100Hz mode

internet stuff? i havent looked into tvs for too long

also gonna have to see pros and cons of LCD vs plasma

so far looked at samsung and LG hadnt considered panasonic

 

[Al4x]

haha im too indecisive, now im thinking plasma, its a real toss up at this size, the prices are similar, and the blacks issue is importnt [for me]

 

[Gbjerke]

Stay away from CREA, i bought a cheap 32 inch from them, bust still should have been a lot better than it is-.-

 

[Al4x]

ok, update, been shopping around, want to get a plasma because of the blacks issue, so am looking at a 37-42in

eyeing up
TH42PZ80

 

[DanTheMiataMan]

40-42in will be your best band for the buck. The price diff from a nice 32-37 to a 40-42in is normally only 50-150 bux.

I have a Samsung LNA630 and I love it.

 

[Al4x]

there is one thing im concerned about, SD tv on a HD screen, and a big one at that, is that gonna look awful most of the time? :/

 

[JMT391]

I bought a 37" Toshiba Regza 37RV530U about a year ago and it's amazing. this is a newer model, as mine has been discontinued. My sister just got a new tosh HDTV last week and the blacks are amazing. Much better than what I'm used to with mine (and mine is calibrated using avia guide to home theater II). Do not think I am a tosh fanboy though, I have seen sharp aquos, sony bravia, olevia, LG, and samsung.

My favorite thing about the tosh TVs are that you can set the potency of each color pigment (red, blue, cyan etc..). This is probably not important unless you plan to calibrate the TV, but that made a big difference for me.

Al4x - unfortunately, yes. An SD signal is going to look pretty bad on and HDTV. You should have nothing to worry about, however, because DVD players upconvert from 480p to 1080p via HDMI, blu-ray is 1080p at the source, the amount of available HD channels in 1080i is breathtaking compared to how it was a year or two ago, PCs have HDMI output, most consoles (minus the wii) can handle 1080p via HDMI (I have used the wii at 480p via component video though, and it doesn't look awful), if you're planning a home theater, most newer entry level receivers upconvert to 1080p via HDMI, even if the incoming signal is composite video (or even worse... S-Video).

The list goes on and on - You really won't be forced to watch SD much at all.

 

[Al4x]

see this sd thing is moe of a problem or me, dont have a blue ray player, dvds are too eexpensive, only have freeview digital, not hd, no HD channels i think the only HD id get is games from the laptop, maybe its not worth it after all, i hadnt considered this at all, got into the 'bigger is better' thought :/

 

[fatcat28037]

You can't go wrong with a Sony 1080p.

 

[Vayate]

I'm -really- happy with my 40" Samsung. Got it open box for $950 after tax at Best Buy (ugh).

 

[Arainach]

If it's 32", you don't need 1080p - you won't see a difference.

I have a 32" Samsung 460 series that I love. Amazing sound and stunning contrast. Plus it just looks nice sitting there when not in use.

 

[KingStyles]

When I did my research in buying my own, I found that the vizio is considered the best of the mid range tvs before you go into like the sony and such. Also to note, plazmas are better for darker environments because they tend to reflect light more making it harder to see. They do have better contrast so usally a little nicer picture. Lcds have a longer life than plazmas and do better in a range of light conditions. If you buy cheaper brands make sure they dont use 3rd party manufacturing as they tend to have more problems. I hope this helps.

 

[Al4x]

i got look at my parents 50inch panasonic vierra plasma and SD on it [even digital] looks terrible! it really is blocky, and thats a good tv! i dont think theres any way to win this one, picture quality isnt good enough perhaps i should leave it with all the SD content around

what do people think?

sony are too expensive really, brands i was mainly considering were samsung, toshiba, LG and panasonic