Need Help Buying a TV

I am looking into buying a new HDTV and need some help picking one out. I would like a decent 1080p set, but since I am planning on spending 1500 and under I am not sure what I can find.

Here are two sets I am looking at:</p>

Sharp Aquos LC-42D62U</p>

and

Sony BRAVIA KDL-40V2500

Just wanted some opinions on these two or another TV you know is pretty good for that price range. I know my price range isnt great for a 1080p 40 inch set, but im willing to go a little over or get a nice 1080i. I am also looking something with a 6ms response time and a nice contrast ratio for playing my PS3. So who wants to help a guy out?</p>

 

Sony's Bravia series is amazing, especially the new XBR models. The V2500 got great reviews, so I guess that's a good choice. AQUOS is also nice, according to a friend of mine that works in Magnolia Home Theater, but I think Sony's televisions look and perform great.

 

I have a Samsung LN-T5265F (52" 1080P LCD) which i'm very happy with and would not hesitate to recommend. Samsung has a 4065F (40") in the same line which is available for around $1500. I use mine for Xbox 360 via HDMI and it looks/plays fantastic. One of the best black levels available in an LCD, and IMHO one of the best TVs you can buy. I think they claim an 8ms response time, but I have no visible blurring even when playing something super fast like Geometry Wars. </p>

Some with a bright environment dislike the glossy black finish of the bezel and screen (very similar to the Aquos). But as far as picture quality goes there isn't much better.</p>

I can tell you the NBA playoffs in high-def were mind blowing...</p>

 

The best advice - don't buy a TV. Go watch your sports somewhere else. TV sucks. Go watch your games at your favorite bar, or friend's house. Then, you save youself from all the other programs on television, that are awful. You also save a lot of money. You really want to watch reruns of friends or Saved by the Bell? I don't, in fact I would rather take my own eyeballs out with a fork, sprinkle seasoning salt on them, and eat them. </p>

The bottom line - TV sucks, watch your sports for free, get your news for free on the internet. </p>

</p>

 

Better yet, go to the game.</p>

</p>

 

If your really adamant about buying a TV, wait for Black Friday(Day after thanksgiving). Skip Thanksgiving and go stand in line at 5PM at your local Best Buy or Circuit City and they will have deals on your HDTV. You'll have to stay there until 5 AM when they open though lol, so bring a big jacket. I got mine last year for 479.99, its a 32 inch flat panel LCD TV.

 

Watching games on your own big screen > going to games or bars

 

http://www.pricegrabber.com/rating_getprod...d_type=masterid</p><h1><font size="2">Samsung LNS-4092D 40" LCD TV</font></h1>

</p>

I got this one about a year ago works great. The picture is amazing, not a 1080p your looking for but I still recommend it. </p>

 

I haven't looked in a couple years, but here are a couple general thoughts:</p>

1) I've got a Phillips Flat Panel that's been nothing but trouble. The QAM tuner on it is garbage, and for that matter it broke and required repair a year in. And that was the second one I got. The first one broke in a week.</p>

2) No cable company will have anything to do with a cable card. If you buy wanting that feature, you'll be disappointed.</p>

3) I've got an Olivea that's relatively nice (picture wise) and very cheap. The remote control looks like something out of the 1970s and works like it too though, so I'd invest in a good universal if you go with that brand </p>

4) I don't have anything 1080p, and I guess I might buy one if I bought a new one, but then again, there's no TV and very few video services (except the very lame blueray and HD DVD stuff) that seem to make use of it. Seems like a wasted expenditure to me.</p>

 

Ok everyone I have narrowed it down and here are my finalists:</p>

<font color="#810081"><font color="#500000">40" Samsung LNT4065F</font>

<font color="#500000">40" Samsung LNT4061F</font>

<font color="#500000">40" Sony KDL-40V2500</font>

<font color="#500000">40" Samsung LNS4096D</font></font><font color="#000000"> </font></p>

Any opinions on these 4?</p>

 

If I were to give you any adivce, DO NOT and i mean DO NOT buy HD Ready tv's, buy them with hdtv already installed. Its a hassle to buy the hd kit, and the hd channels alone. Make your workload easier and buy a HDTV instead of a HD Ready one. Thats just the main thing. Everything else should come after that. I suspect its already LCD, so its all good.

 

<span class="main"><span class="spacing"><span style="cursor: pointer">You should PM urwhatueati8god</span></span></span>, a poster on BBF that is very knowledgable about televisions. The LN-T Samsung and the Sony are the top two among your selections.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (RaptorFan#1)</div><div class='quotemain'>If I were to give you any adivce, DO NOT and i mean DO NOT buy HD Ready tv's, buy them with hdtv already installed.</div></p>

I agree. It might cost more but it's worth it since it's already installed and you're ready for HD. No more equipment to buy. </p>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (RaptorFan#1)</div><div class='quotemain'>If I were to give you any adivce, DO NOT and i mean DO NOT buy HD Ready tv's, buy them with hdtv already installed. Its a hassle to buy the hd kit, and the hd channels alone. Make your workload easier and buy a HDTV instead of a HD Ready one. Thats just the main thing. Everything else should come after that. I suspect its already LCD, so its all good.</div></p>

</p>

I actually have to disagree with that. If you're going to have HD, you're either going to end up getting Satellite or Cable, right? And to get most of the stuff, you'll need an HD box from them.</p>

</p>

HDTV installed really doesn't get you there. It gets you ove-air reception, but also factor in you need a legitimately good antenna for this.</p>

Some cable companies offer the local channels unscrambled to HDTVs if you just plug them into the cable outlet, but they typically only offer what's available over the air. They won't offer HBO or ESPN or anything like that unless you rent a cable box. </p>

</p>

Hence, unless you're just sticking with very basic service (in which case, you aren't going to have many hdtv stations) you're going to end up getting your HDTV through a box. And in that situation, HD-ready will work just as well as a TV with an HDTV tuner built in.</p>

</p>

Not saying a tuner isn't handy, but you need to keep in mind it's probably a backup, not the main course. If you do get one, be sure to get one that's got QAM <u>and</u> ATSC tuners (free cable and over-air) not just ATSC (over air).</p>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Petey)</div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (jamesk)</div><div class='quotemain'>

I have a Samsung LN-T5265F (52" 1080P LCD) which i'm very happy with and would not hesitate to recommend. Samsung has a 4065F (40") in the same line which is available for around $1500. I use mine for Xbox 360 via HDMI and it looks/plays fantastic. One of the best black levels available in an LCD, and IMHO one of the best TVs you can buy. I think they claim an 8ms response time, but I have no visible blurring even when playing something super fast like Geometry Wars. </p>

Some with a bright environment dislike the glossy black finish of the bezel and screen (very similar to the Aquos). But as far as picture quality goes there isn't much better.</p>

I can tell you the NBA playoffs in high-def were mind blowing... </p>

</div></p>

Do you have an Elite 360? Big step up?</p>

-Petey </p></div>

I do have an elite, and i'd say the best part with HDMI is 1:1 so you see everything with no cropping around the edges - quality wise I thought component looked good. </p>