TV Selection Advice...

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EGProject

YEEEEAAHHHHH
I don't usually create advice threads for purchases, as I like doing my own research and learning - but for the choices out there I think some of the more high-tech on this forum could lend a hand.

I'm helping my parents (mainly my father) develop a media room that will be sort of second living room and home theater at the same time. I've already scored a decent Bose surround system with HDMI in, freestanding down firing subwoofer, and plenty of AUX inputs.
Furniture is all set, and a Blue-Ray/DVD player is set in stone.

The biggest challenge right now is to find a TV. This isn't going to be a megabuck home theater, and my folks aren't millionares.

-Budget $~1000, the closer to the $800 range, the better. They seem skeptical about spending more than $500 on a TV for a second room in the house. For their sake I'm willing to sacrifice some functionality for a cheaper TV.
-Size = 42" They have a 46" Aquos in their living room and love it. This media room is significantly smaller and 42" seems more than enough.
-1080i/p, higher refresh rate the better - but it isn't a dealbreaker. Again, my parents aren't going to be blastin n00bs in Halo or MW2.

I've browsed a bunch of online sites, Amazon, Newegg, Etronics, etc. There are TV's out there, but I'd rather a second opinion from other people.There are a few last year models of Bravias, Aquos's, and Toshibas. Almost all are plasmas.

I'd appreciate any input.
 
Costco - VIZIO 42" 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV


i have the 47" and couldn't be happier. it's a full theater setup too. just make sure you go on cnet.com and review the optimal settings. it comes from the factory all fubar'd for the sales floor. no bells and whistles, just a damn good tv. and your local costco might have a coupon or discount. i got my 47" for just $100 more at my costco.
 
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Read This Before Buying a Plasma or LCD TV | BestStuff

Keep in mind that true HDTV resolution can't be found in plasma TVs smaller than 50 inches. There are two HDTV broadcast standards – 1920x1080 interlaced (1080i), and 1280x720 progressive (720p). So, in order for a plasma TV to be considered truly 'HD', it should have at least the same amount of pixels as a 720p signal, or more.
 
IMO, if games arent being played.. just movies and such.. go w/ a Plasma

:werd:

We just picked up a LG550PK 50" ...in a word ...awesome. I like plasmas because they don't have that fake ass soap opera look that the 120's do, and they deliver a ridiculously good picture, especially if you are watching BD's. We've had ours since the day it showed up on the floor at Conn's and the picture has been getting better and better as the phosphors age. They are very slim, and very light for a plasma too.

We have yet to have anything burn in, and any image retention disappears in a few hours at worse.
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys. Going with my father to look at a few just to see what the picture is like.

The advice about plasmas vs LCD's is spot on. When we purchased the 46" Aquos about a year ago, looked at a few LCD's and the images seemed sort of "fake".
 
The advice about plasmas vs LCD's is spot on. When we purchased the 46" Aquos about a year ago, looked at a few LCD's and the images seemed sort of "fake".

it's called "soap opera effect". google it. it's part of the "smooth motion" setting. it is used to smooth out the picture. it's a "feature" of newer tvs. some people like it. i don't. so i changed it. dont' shy away from an LCD. i just bought a 47" vizio :wub:

go on cnet.com. they have all of the optimal settings for the tvs. i used that on my new tv, got rid of the factory, showroom floor settings and it was a whole new world. took all of about 3 minutes between the google search and adjusting the tv.
 
They ended up pulling the trigger on a 46" Panasonic Viera Plasma. 1080p, 120Hz, table stand, 3 HDMI, web compatible. I ordered it online for them from Tigerdirect as they still refuse to order anything expensive on the internets. Shipping was only $29.00 too.

Thanks for the help.
 
IMO, if games arent being played.. just movies and such.. go w/ a Plasma

This is just IMO, but...

plasma > lcd for games
lcd > plasma for tv/movies

Granted it's kind of one sided for me because my plasma is a 42" and my lcd is a 26", but it just seems smoother for me to play on the plasma.

Good choice, EG. My 42" is the Panasonic Viera. I haven't had one issue with it after 2 years.
 
haha they got with 120hz on the plasma. plasma and lcd refresh rates are different and plasma, like crt, dont have to worry too much about it. its just marketing bs. anyway, i digress.

hope they like panny though, because im planning to pick one up for my inlaws living room.

and imo, plasma > lcd almost all the time. the only time i can think of lcd's advantages are lower power consumption, slimmer panels and typically higher resolutions on all screen sizes. oh yeah and when glare and viewing angle becomes a large issue.

now lets hope telecommunication companies are kind enough to feed real 720p or 1080p free in the near future.
 
Good luck with that. Comcast and Verizon already overcharge for standard def tv services.
 
They ended up pulling the trigger on a 46" Panasonic Viera Plasma. 1080p, 120Hz, table stand, 3 HDMI, web compatible. I ordered it online for them from Tigerdirect as they still refuse to order anything expensive on the internets. Shipping was only $29.00 too.

Thanks for the help.

nice, I love tigerdirect. i've been buying from there since 1999 only had a couple problems with dead mother boards but they rectified that mighty quickly, even shipped it to me while i iwas shipping the dead ones back.
 
I have a viera, got it a few years ago and love it. The only complaint is it suck up a lot of electric. The picture is awesome and I have no burn in issues or any fading issues.
 
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