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I got a 37" LCD Westinghouse TV - the price was too good to pass up on when I was shopping for TVs 2 yrs ago. Turns out, it's owned by Magnavox (had a TV when I was growing up that NEVER died from Magnavox - remember the huge cabinet style, sit on the floor tvs?). The picture is great - and it was $400+ cheaper than anything else at the time (got it at a wholesale club -and on sale).
We bought a 37" Vizio two weeks ago and couldn't be more pleased! We downsized from 52". The old tv was bought for our other house which was way bigger than this place. I was kicking and screaming that I didn't want anything smaller than 42"...this 37" is perfect for this house. I love it and am so spoiled by HD now. Can't even see the ball game as good at Fenway!!!
I got a 37" LCD Westinghouse TV - the price was too good to pass up on when I was shopping for TVs 2 yrs ago. Turns out, it's owned by Magnavox (had a TV when I was growing up that NEVER died from Magnavox - remember the huge cabinet style, sit on the floor tvs?). The picture is great - and it was $400+ cheaper than anything else at the time (got it at a wholesale club -and on sale).
Just FYI the Magnavox name was bought by a Chinese manufacturer and is not the original Magnavox from the old days.
Another thing to consider in plasma versus LCD is electricity cost. A plasma tv can add $200/yr to your electric bill vs. around $50 for a lcd for average use so over a 10 year life span of the tv the plasma costs you an extra $1500 (or more with rising electricity costs).
I gifted my hubby w/ a 37' VIZIO HDTV from Walmart last November... he is thrilled... we have no problems with light on the screen and it is really quite thin. I spent about $700 on it... VIZIO is a child brand of some other major highly recognized company that I cannot think of off the top of my head... but reputable.
Panasonic is solid brand. However you are going to get really great technology in most HDTV today so if you like the picture and price then its for you. Sharp are nice if you have the budget.
Make sure you view it at the store with a HD source and when you take it home make sure that you have a HD source from off air , cable or satellite.
If you watch SD ( standardard def), the picture will look worse then your non-HDTV because of the interpolation and increased resolution capability of your HDTV. So unless you plan on getting HD , you should just stay with your old CRT.
Another practicle matter is to look for a HDTV that has at least 2-3 HDMI input.. Otherwise, you will end up having to use a HDMI switch later on as you g et more HD sources
. HDMI is the HD connection that you will use to get the best picture and almost all DVD players, settop boxes will support HDMI because it provides the highest digital quality. http://octavainc.com/image/HDMI_Swit..._app_5port.jpg
If you like Samsung, then you'll love Panasonic since Panasonic makes the Samsung Plasma line. I own 3 Panasonic's. One is 50 inch plasma, one is 40 inch plasma, the 3rd is Panasonic 32 inch LCD. The plasmas are nearly 3 years old. Never experienced burn in or picture fading, or lighting problems as some are complaining about. The quality of the plasmas are still fantastic today in any situation. Ours are on 6-8 hours every day.
The 2007 Panasonic LCD we bought was defective the day we bought it. Took it right back and got a 2008 model that had just came out for the same price we paid for the other one. It works great, set up myself was very simple. Picture quality on the plasmas are much better than the LCD. Viewing of the plasmas is better at wide angles.
We just bought a Toshiba 42" HD. My husband loves this tv...we went with Toshiba because that is the brand of our last tv, which is about 10 years old, and still working great.
Don't buy a plasma. I just had Mayflower out here to give me a bid on our move and he told me that plasmas have a crystal in them and if they get tipped, the tv goes out. I never knew that...glad we went with HD!
We just bought a Toshiba 42" HD. My husband loves this tv...we went with Toshiba because that is the brand of our last tv, which is about 10 years old, and still working great.
Don't buy a plasma. I just had Mayflower out here to give me a bid on our move and he told me that plasmas have a crystal in them and if they get tipped, the tv goes out. I never knew that...glad we went with HD!
Such poor information by your mover. Plasmas have gas tubes, and yes just like your Toshiba, you do not lat them on their sides. Your Toshiba is not the same Toshiba mfg from 10 years ago. Toshiba outsources their parts from different countries. And you didn't mention if you got a Plasma or LCD or ?
Plasmas and LCD's are all HD ready today.
Plasmas gives you the overall best picture and quality LCD is next, eerything else is a waste of money.
. HDMI is the HD connection that you will use to get the best picture and almost all DVD players, settop boxes will support HDMI because it provides the highest digital quality.
Well, that's not entirely accurate. It depends on the source and the TV. Most videophiles indicate their is no descernable difference between HDMI (digital) and component (analog). Some DVD and cable systems to HDTV look better with HDMI, some look better with component. Both may have drawbacks - HDMI with delayed digital signals, component with artifacts intruduced in the anolog signal, particularly for long cords.
HDMI is the connection that the industry is leading to, but the technology has not been perfected yet.
Well, that's not entirely accurate. It depends on the source and the TV. Most videophiles indicate their is no descernable difference between HDMI (digital) and component (analog). Some DVD and cable systems to HDTV look better with HDMI, some look better with component. Both may have drawbacks - HDMI with delayed digital signals, component with artifacts intruduced in the anolog signal, particularly for long cords.
HDMI is the connection that the industry is leading to, but the technology has not been perfected yet.
Correct. Much depends on the "handshake" between the source and the TV. I bought Sony's first upscaling DVD player and could only tell a difference between component and HDMI (into a Sony TV) when looking at test patterns and even then the difference was very slight. A Toshiba upscaler I bought later looked better using component and again the difference was very slight.
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Get HD sources before you get HDTV
