LCD TV help
Aug 19, 2006 at 2:34 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 35

JaGWiRE

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Okay, so my Barmitzvah is next week and I've been wanting an LCD TV forever so I am planning to buy one. I began looking today and found this tv at Bestbuy (http://www.samsung.com/Products/TV/L...S2652DXXAA.asp) and fell in love with it. The sharp didn't look to be as solid an build (or maybe it was more cheaper looking.) The other tv's were the Toshiba, Sony Bravia (expensive) and Sony Bravia XBR. I haven't seen much of the Toshiba's, and the Sony's are not cheap (the xbr is $700 more then the Samsung for example.)

This samsung appears to be a new model. I am not sure if it does 1080p (it says 2hdmi (1080i/1080p) in the specs page on the previous link on the samsung site, but I have no idea what it means.) I plan to use the tv with my Samsung hd-950 dvd player, my computer (VGA or HDMI/DVI, don't know what will work better, see my connection problem thread here: http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...54#post2317654) and cable.

My first question is, which 26" LCD TV'S do you guys have experience with? Is Samsung a good buy? I have heard mixed things about the whole DNIE thing, but I plan to use my 360 with VGA anyway, and I don't think DNIE works with HDMI. Another thing is what is the ATSC tuner? Does this mean I don't need to buy the digital HDTV cable box if I want digital cable (I read something about cable cards or something, but don't know much about this?) Or does it simply mean I get all the normal channels and some in HD with the built in tuner? The television also has optical out which I think is cool, although probably useless if I buy a digital cable box.

Another question I have is the Samsung TV is not shaped fully rectanguarly (if that makes sense) like the competitors. I plan to mount it on my wall, so what will I need to buy (what type of wall mount will work with the Samsung tv?)

Thanks guys.
 
Aug 19, 2006 at 3:03 AM Post #2 of 35
The only thing I know a bit about is DNIE, which is (yet another) dynamic picture adjustment circuit. Images might have more "pop" when turned on but that doesn't necessarily mean "better" (that is:more accurate). It seemed like almost everyone on forums who calibrated their Sammy HDTV (not LCD, thou, AFAIK) - say, with Avia - ended up with DNIE off.
 
Aug 19, 2006 at 3:07 AM Post #3 of 35
Jagwire...

A friend of mine owns a large independent audio/video store and his own house is full of Sharps and he's got his pick of whatever he wants!.... The quality of LCD TVs can be very deceiving in a dealer showroom (lighting, placement, etc.).... He always says "look at the shadows in the picture.. do you see details or just muddy black?.... I happen to have the latest Sony and I'm very satisfied.

Good luck in your search.... kinda daunting.... isn't it?
 
Aug 19, 2006 at 3:17 AM Post #4 of 35
Quote:

Originally Posted by Blueiz
Jagwire...

A friend of mine owns a large independent audio/video store and his own house is full of Sharps and he's got his pick of whatever he wants!.... The quality of LCD TVs can be very deceiving in a dealer showroom (lighting, placement, etc.).... He always says "look at the shadows in the picture.. do you see details or just muddy black?.... I happen to have the latest Sony and I'm very satisfied.

Good luck in your search.... kinda daunting.... isn't it?



Actually, that's why I'm asking here, in the store everything is not hooked up properly, in an inaccurate setup with SDTV broadcasts and crap on switches and all that.

Skev, I feel your comment is out of place and uncalled for. I'de appreciate it if you removed it or reviesd it.
 
Aug 19, 2006 at 4:10 AM Post #5 of 35
Jagwire...

Congrats on your upcomming Barmitzvah! Haven't attended one since I was 14... my best friends Barmitzvah....
 
Aug 19, 2006 at 4:32 AM Post #6 of 35
Quote:

Originally Posted by Blueiz
Jagwire...

Congrats on your upcomming Barmitzvah! Haven't attended one since I was 14... my best friends Barmitzvah....



Thanks. I am getting excited myself. The next few weeks of my life will probably the best I have ever lived through.

If he was curious about gifts and stuff, and he pmed me asking what the deal with these things were, I would not had been offended. To simplify, it's sort of like gifts for a birthday party.
 
Aug 19, 2006 at 7:30 AM Post #7 of 35
If you're going to go LCD flat panel I too feel the Sharp Aquos line is the pick of the litter. My dad has two and in my experience they do a great job with both SD and HD programming.

If you do end up going with the Sammy, I wouldn't recommend the white model...whenever I see it it screams fad to me, and I have convinced myself that it throws off the contrast (maybe I'm just crazy...)
 
Aug 19, 2006 at 7:44 AM Post #8 of 35
Quote:

Originally Posted by Homeless
If you're going to go LCD flat panel I too feel the Sharp Aquos line is the pick of the litter. My dad has two and in my experience they do a great job with both SD and HD programming.

If you do end up going with the Sammy, I wouldn't recommend the white model...whenever I see it it screams fad to me, and I have convinced myself that it throws off the contrast (maybe I'm just crazy...)



Oh, indeed, I'de probably go black as my setup is getting blacker and blacker, and well, I learned the contrast thing sort of with my old white sony LCD monitor.

The sharps eems to be an older model and not much cheaper then the Sammy which seems to have better stats. I was opting Sharp at first too, but it looks so cheaply construbted and plastically I almost felt sick looking at it today. The Samsung is also probably mostly plastic, but the design just feels so much warm to me..
 
Aug 19, 2006 at 3:41 PM Post #9 of 35
bump.
 
Aug 19, 2006 at 6:11 PM Post #10 of 35
I am reading the manual now to find most of my answers, and it says the HDMI/DVI jacsk do NOT support a PC connection. Does this mean my PC connected via DVI-HDMI won't work?
 
Aug 19, 2006 at 6:35 PM Post #11 of 35
Quote:

Originally Posted by JaGWiRE
Actually, that's why I'm asking here, in the store everything is not hooked up properly, in an inaccurate setup with SDTV broadcasts and crap on switches and all that.

Skev, I feel your comment is out of place and uncalled for. I'de appreciate it if you removed it or reviesd it.



thats why shopping for TVs are frustrating. if you go to a high-end, independent place, theyll be set up correctly... except the selection wont be there
 
Aug 19, 2006 at 6:57 PM Post #12 of 35
Quote:

Originally Posted by ls20
thats why shopping for TVs are frustrating. if you go to a high-end, independent place, theyll be set up correctly... except the selection wont be there


Exactly, and because I'm looking for 26" i'm out of luck because all of the stores near me that sell high end only have 40 inches or higher usually.

I'm trying to figure out my connections.

Right now I'm stuck here

PC --> TV via 15 foot vga cable
Samsung dvd plyaer --> tv via 20 foot HDMI cable
Xbox 360 --> television via xbox 360 component cables + couplers and 10 feet component cables

Would that work? Would I lose quality because I have to use a coupler / extension cord for the 360?
 
Aug 19, 2006 at 7:00 PM Post #13 of 35
Quote:

Originally Posted by JaGWiRE

Would that work? Would I lose quality because I have to use a coupler / extension cord for the 360?



You shouldn't...

Do you live near a costco and have a membership? Their selection of sets always changes, so if you get one home and don't like it take it back and try a new one, they're cool like that...
 
Aug 19, 2006 at 8:11 PM Post #14 of 35
Quote:

Originally Posted by Homeless
You shouldn't...

Do you live near a costco and have a membership? Their selection of sets always changes, so if you get one home and don't like it take it back and try a new one, they're cool like that...



Same with Bestbuy. I do have a costco membership but no idea where it is (the card or whatever.) I am going to check and see wha they have, but I don't really want a viewsonic.
 
Aug 20, 2006 at 10:56 PM Post #15 of 35
Quote:

Originally Posted by JaGWiRE
... Another thing is what is the ATSC tuner? Does this mean I don't need to buy the digital HDTV cable box if I want digital cable (I read something about cable cards or something, but don't know much about this?) Or does it simply mean I get all the normal channels and some in HD with the built in tuner? ...


You will get all of the analog channels (typically 1-70) from your cable connection. If it had a QAM tuner (from the specs it doesn't appear to have one) then you could pick up any unencrypted digital channels. THis will vary depending on your cable provider. In my area you can get ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX along with the music channels and Video on Demand streams from your neighbors
eek.gif
. You could also hook up an antenna and get HD channels OTA (off the air). Check http://www.checkhd.com/aw/welcome.aspx to see what is available in your area. Also check out http://www.avsforum.com/ . I plan on getting a plasma soon and have been doing a good amount of research in preparation. This site has more information than I could read in a lifetime.
 

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