I finally took the plunge. After a lot of research, I settled on a Samsung 46 inch LCD with 1080p, 120Hz, and 50,000-to-1 dynamic contrast ratio. The thing is gorgeous. I ended up buying it at B&H in New York City, for the astoundingly low price of $1,545. (It was almost $2,000 at Best Buy). I also bought a Samsung VCR/DVD player that up-converts regular DVDs to 1080 on the screen, and allows you to duplicate VHS tapes to DVD. Plus a surge protector and two HDMI cables. Total cost was less than $1,800. A steal. On top of that, B&H charged me no sales tax, since I live in New Jersey. And they are delivering it free to my house. By Tuesday night, I will be watching the Blazers and Nuggets in big screen glory. Can't wait!!
Now you need a samsung sound system. I saw one today for about $700 (surely you can find it online cheaper) that had blu ray DVD and 7.1 sound. With all one manufacturer, the universal remote should work everything perfect. The 120Hz is a big deal, you got a great TV.
Heh, heh. That part I can do without. But now I can see Roy perform his magic in high def detail--and what could be better than that?!!
Thanks for the tips. I will probably spring for the sound system at some point, too. The 50,000-to-1 dynamic contrast ratio is also a big deal. I didn't realize what a difference it made until I saw some sets side by side. A lot of sets have only 20,000-to-1, or 30,000-to-1, but the 50,000-to-1 produces such a sharp, bright, and detailed picture that I knew I couldn't live without it.
With LCD, the contrast ratio is faked or done by a cheat. They turn off pixels when they're black, but when they're near black the contrast is nowhere near the claim. And the 50,000-1 figure is for that one black pixel next to a pure white one... But you still got a great set!
I just got a Samsung 52" LCD two months ago from secondact.com. Bought a 5 yr in home warranty with it - and am LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF IT!!!!!
I've resisted buying a TV..because I just watch blazer games, family guy and a few other shows...... dunno...maybe soon.....i got a hand-me down 42" plasma....its sitting on the floor because I couldn't get the brackets off when I stole...er...was given it.
actually my boss got an HD at his house so he just gave me his old one. really archaeic though. but free, which is a very good price!
doesnt Samsung make the all the tv's etc anyways for the other big brands like Sony ? I've heard they are the best option for performance vs. cost
monoprice.com for mounting brackets for TVs! So cheap! If you are handy with tools its not hard at all to mount the TV properly. Just make sure you have all the mounting bolts (4) in the studs! Within the last month Ive mounted a 46 inch and 32 inch HDTV to the wall. The price for the basic wall mount package for a 37-60" tv is about $25 bucks. Studs are 16inches apart for those who dont know LINK for their basic bracket (no swivel or stuff like that)
this is an old school plasma...one of the first that came out...don't want to wall mount as my wall isn't sturdy enough...might get that one at costco with the TV stand....
I meant to say a VCR. VHS is the type of cassette tape used in VCRs. I was at BestBuy yesterday, and I see that they have marked down the price of the Samsung I bought to $1,549, the same price I got it for at B&H. If anybody is thinking about getting a flatscreen, this is a great time to do it!!