New HD TV recommendations.... (Howe: coupons, theater, auction)

[ShaneSA]

I did the Consumer's Report research and shopped different stores and looked at the differences.
I bought a 47" Toshiba LCD flat panel. In comparing the cost and ratings, the Toshiba was cheaper(1300) on sale at Conn's. It's a 1080 P and I'm really happy with it. Glare is not a problem, picture is wonderful, overall, it's great. I've had it for 3 months, so long term, I have no opinion, yet.
My only complaint is that there are not alot of HD programs broadcast that make it worthwhile to subscribe to HD cable or satelite. It's great on movies. The HD on movies makes it so unbelievably real, it is well worth whatever you spend.

[banker]

Originally Posted by winst0n

plasma has burn-in issue, so don't use it for video games

Or for watching TV...as channel logos in the lower left hand corner are common burn in problems. Plasmas are best for movies as both TV logos and video games can burn in images.

[banker]

Originally Posted by mrstxcop

just remember, which i know sounds stupid, but i really had no idea --- that out of the box an HD tv will be like any other tv and it may even look worse than your regular tv --- you must subscribe to the HD service to truly get the HD affect

This is not true. If your HDTV has an HD tuner you can recieve the local broadcast HD channels without cable and they will come through crystal clear. I had my last HDTV set up connected to cable and an antena in the attic. Several times during Spurs playoff games my time warner went out and I was able to switch over to the over the air FREE HD and watch the game without missing a beat.

Originally Posted by mrstxcop

--- also, it sounds silly, but alot of the cables that you use to connect your tv to your cable jack make a big difference in the picture quality also --- things like using a monster cable vs. a regular cable ---

This is true. If you have an HDTV I would suggest making the investment in high quality HDMI and other monster cables.

[rd2007]

might want to research the cables, because the more expensive ones don't really make a difference.. I posted something in the OT section about comparing a monster brand cable with a coat hanger (Audiophiles can't tell the difference between Monster Cable and coat hangers - Engadget) and there was no perceived difference in the quality.. This test was obviously on audio and not video, but it clearly shows that wasting a ton of money on something is pretty much wasting a ton of money..It put a big smile on my face, especially after listening to a clueless best buy employee (I believe that is all they hire) tell me that skimping on the cables could actually ruin your TV and definitely will give a dog crap quality picture. That's all 100% BS pretty much. It may make a tiny difference in some sort of benchmark test, but to the normal human eye, no difference at all.. If you have cable TV, TWC will give you every cable you need and I would highly recommend HDMI. It can be a pain with its copy protection quirks and requires occasional reboots of the cable box, but only having one cable for full digital audio and up to 1080P resolutions seriously reduces cord clutter.

[Aiphanes]

Get your HDMI cables from

HDMI Cable, Home Theater Accessories, HDMI Products, Cables, Adapters, Video/Audio Switch, Networking, USB, Firewire, Printer Toner, and more!

This link is monoprice.com

Get the HDMI 1.3a certified cables...they are all less than $20 for 6 foot lenght cables. Look for the ones with silver cores, and gold connectors. These are the best. If you are going to mount on the wall and have all your cables hidden in the wall get cables that are certified to go behind the wall.

[the_dimwit]

Echo rd2007 here. Monster is a huge waste of money. There are so many other places to get the cables it's not even funny. Case-in-point:

Best Buy has their 3.3' Monster Cable HDMI cables priced at $44.99. Altex, on the other hand, has an "off brand" 10' IOGEAR HDMI cable for $35.95. While the price isn't that much cheaper, the cable is THREE times as long!

The kicker is found at monoprice.com...There, you can find a 6' HDMI cable for $4.69.

All three of the cables above have gold-plated connectors, extra shielding, and many other 'features' normally found in bold letters on the package. However, companies like Best Buy and Circuit City love to push the Monster because of the extreme profit margins.

--Dim

[mrstxcop]

banker --- thanks for correcting me --- i was not aware of being able to pick up the local broadcasting without subscribing --- makes sense though...

[banker]

Originally Posted by Aiphanes

Get your HDMI cables from

HDMI Cable, Home Theater Accessories, HDMI Products, Cables, Adapters, Video/Audio Switch, Networking, USB, Firewire, Printer Toner, and more!

This link is monoprice.com

Get the HDMI 1.3a certified cables...they are all less than $20 for 6 foot lenght cables. Look for the ones with silver cores, and gold connectors. These are the best. If you are going to mount on the wall and have all your cables hidden in the wall get cables that are certified to go behind the wall.

This is where I got my HDMI Cables. Great price and selection. Shipped out the day I ordered.

[Deep Forest]

Monster Cables are a waste of money. Cheaper cables will do the same job. DLP is NOT on the way out. In fact Samsung has just released a new generation DLP (HL61A750A) with an LED light engine. No more color wheel and no more $200 bulbs. They come in 56-61-67" sizes. Haven't decided whether to go 61 or 67". Waiting for price to drop a little. BB is cheaper than Amazon on this one. Price should start to fall quickly.

[PopsGuysRule]

Originally Posted by banker

Agreed a price range would be helpful. Here are a few technological stats to keep in mind:

Sony is the highest rated. Plasma's can be fragile and have glare issues. They (plasma technology) helped usher in the flatscreen era - but have been surpassed by the newer better LCD 1080P flatscreen sets. They don't have burn in either...............snipped.............

I have owned nothing but sony over the past ten years and have just purchased my second HDTV. My first HDTV was a 720P 42" rear projection LCD unit. It was great - but I quickly realized that I wanted a larger set and that the 120 hz refresh rate was the way to go.
Sony is the way to go. Consumer Reports tested the sets for reliablility/repairs and Sony leads the pack. They have a superior picture and features.
...............snipped...........
Good luck on the TV purchase. Once you go HDTV - you never go back.

I would do your research

good thing sony makes great TV's, cause their laptop computers S### BIG TIME!!!
am I allowed to say 's###'? .... yikes