Cheap HDTV

[OcellotJenkins]

Be sure to check avsforum for their opinions on any model you're interested in before buying.  They know their shit.

[Abagadro]

Samsung 26" for 689

Samsung 32" for 799

With free ship and no tax you will likely come out ahead of any deal you can get through CC.

The form-factor on the 53h series is really slick and the picture is very good. Some great calibration settings available on avsforum as well.

EDIT: Visio's are okay for lower cost tvs, but they lack the contrast ratio and the processing of the better sets that you can get for an extra hundred and fifty bucks in that size. I also happen to think the form factor is butt ugly.

EDIT2: fixed 32" link

[stray]

Ooh, damn. I have one of those, but paid a lot more for it. Definitely some of the better 26-32" lcd's around (either model -- afaik, no other brands have that contrast ratio in those sizes).

[murdoc]

Be careful comparing contrast ratios, there's no standard for it, so each company measures it a different way. Contrast ratio is only good for comparing same brand, different model TVs.

[JWIV]

Samsung 26" for 689

Samsung 32" for 799

With free ship and no tax you will likely come out ahead of any deal you can get through CC.

The form-factor on the 53h series is really slick and the picture is very good. Some great calibration settings available on avsforum as well.

EDIT: Visio's are okay for lower cost tvs, but they lack the contrast ratio and the processing of the better sets that you can get for an extra hundred and fifty bucks in that size. I also happen to think the form factor is butt ugly.

EDIT2: fixed 32" link

I just picked up a 32" inch vizio to throw on my bedroom wall and while it's not as nice as my KDL-40V2500 downstairs, I _really_ can't complain about it.   Especially once I spent some time calibrating it.  You certainly get what you pay for, but the Vizio really is a nice entry level box. 

[stray]

Be careful comparing contrast ratios, there's no standard for it, so each company measures it a different way. Contrast ratio is only good for comparing same brand, different model TVs.

All I know is that when I went shopping around, those Samsungs (when they came out at least) looked better than every other lcd model. Then the specs jumped out at me. Definitely better than my other lcd as well (a panasonic).

That being said, the speakers are atrocious, if one cares about that sort of thing.

[murdoc]

I have two Samsung LCDs and the image on them is top notch. The speakers, as you say, are not. I have them both running through a couple of Yamaha receivers though, so that didn't matter to me.

[Strazos]

At least at CC, the difference between the Vizio and the Samsung is about $100, before tax.

Tough Choices.

[naum]

Don't know if still on, but 37" Vizio at the local Costco here were selling for ~$750… …was looking at TVs as my 10 year old 56" rear projection HD "dinosaur" set is on its last legs, though it generally works well once its warmed up and the colors still arn't too bad but definitely as a shiny new Vizio (or better model). The 37" didn't do 1920x1020 (or whatever the exact spec is) and really, probably looking at 47" model minimum… …though the big question for the Naum household is not the TV but what to put it on, since the existing TV is a piece in itself…

[MahrinSkel]

I picked up a 50" Sony LCD model with UV backlighting, 720P.  I'm more than happy with it. I calculated that for someone with normal vision to actually need 1080P for a TV (rather than a monitor) it would take a minimum of an 80 inch screen.  It was just before Black Friday and I got a discontinued floor model for $585.  Got them to throw in a cheap-ass home theater receiver to drive the permanently wall-mounted speakers for $25 more (another clearance floor model).  50" was the minimum for a picture with the same vertical height as my old 36" tube.  That was a 150 pound monster I dropped on the floor while trying to vacuum, still works but the case is all cracked, it's the kid's game TV now.  New one weighs less than 25 pounds.

Stick to the 50-60" range, don't worry about whether it can drive all your speakers (you're going to want a receiver anyway if you go that route), make sure it has at least 1 (preferably 2) HDMI inputs, and at least 2 component video inputs, one on the side, and an audio out pair.  Get a progressive DVD player that can upsample to 720P (it will need one of the HDMI inputs), don't waste money buying HD-DVD's that are going to be obsolete in 5-10 years.

And if you're one of those idiots high-taste audiophiles that buy Monster Cables for your speakers, just send me $100 bills and I'll send you back something just as good, 1 for 1.

[stray]

My friend just bought the Sony W series 52" (lcd). Definitely the shit. Kind of surprised what the prices are on these things (around $2500). Kind of strange that you say your 50" weighs 25 lbs though, Dave. This tv isn't much bigger, but it definitely weighs more than that.

Not to mention the price you got a 50" for... Is there a typo there??

[MahrinSkel]

My friend just bought the Sony W series 52" (lcd). Definitely the shit. Kind of surprised what the prices are on these things (around $2500). Kind of strange that you say your 50" weighs 25 lbs though, Dave. This tv isn't much bigger, but it definitely weighs more than that.

Not to mention the price you got a 50" for... Is there a typo there??

Nope.  I got this TV from Circuit City, discontinued, floor model, for $585.  It might be a bit more than 25 pounds, but not much (apparently it's like 50-60 pounds.  It felt a lot lighter, but I had just dragged 150 pounds of CRT up the stairs).  It says "Rear Projection", but it's not really, there's some funkiness going on with a bright UV lamp flourescing a light-box.  It's got pixel-perfect sharpness, no noticable dimming either at the edges or when viewing from 70 degrees off-axis to the side (get much above the set and it dims, but I've got it up on a buffet table).

My wife makes a great tag-team partner in a price negotiation, she did the "do we really need a new TV, honey?" bit and got it down from $750.  I also got a Toshiba upscaling DVD for $65.  *Before* Black Friday is the best time to buy high end electronics, they're trying to dump old floor models for less than cost.  They had a decent Samsung DLP 50" 1080P for $900, also.  DLP doesn't work well when you have kids trying to watch from the sides (bad edge dimming more than 30 degrees off axis), and 1080P is pointless at those screen sizes, anyway.

--Dave

[stray]

The shipping weight says 78 lbs, so it's at least 50. Sounds about right.

Anyways... not sure why you say 1080p is pointless at 50". 1080p was meant to benefit 50" and larger screens.

[MahrinSkel]

Normal visual resolution is about 1/30th of a degree.  On a 50" set at 10' (which is almost exactly my viewing distance), the screen height will be about 24 degrees of your visual field, and at 720 pixels each pixel will be exactly 1/30th of an degree.  For a 1080P to be worth it, you have to be either sitting significantly closer, or it has to be a significantly larger set.

--Dave

[Sky]

On 1080p as a monitor: sure, it'd be great (I have a 720p set). But you'd need future hardware to get solid framerates with bells+whistles on a demanding game. 720p can stress my 8800 GTX, which is factory overclocked to 621/1000.

[Numtini]

Get a progressive DVD player that can upsample to 720P

Any other opinions on this? A year or so ago our old 1999 DVD player finally died and I ran out and got a Best Buy Special RCA DRC200N. While improbable for a $30 player, it turned out to have progressive scan and it's connected with component video right now. Blu Ray is still a little pricey. I know the Vizio's (I have the 37") upscaling isn't all that great, do people think a moderate upscaling player would be at all signifiant? I was looking at the $70 Philips one.

[MahrinSkel]

Get a progressive DVD player that can upsample to 720P

Any other opinions on this? A year or so ago our old 1999 DVD player finally died and I ran out and got a Best Buy Special RCA DRC200N. While improbable for a $30 player, it turned out to have progressive scan and it's connected with component video right now. Blu Ray is still a little pricey. I know the Vizio's (I have the 37") upscaling isn't all that great, do people think a moderate upscaling player would be at all signifiant? I was looking at the $70 Philips one.

If you're watching a letter-boxed wide-screen DVD that's been zoomed on a 16-9 widescreen, you've basically got about 360 pixels worth of video stretched across the vertical.  Your TV will just add same-color pixels in the same rows to fill it out, making it look blocky and low-res.  A good upsampling DVD player will add the extra lines using smoothing and aliasing, it won't add any detail that wasn't there but it will make it look much better.  The downside is that you have to use an HDMI cable, and if you buy them in the consumer electronics stores those can cost $50.  You can get them online, or at Fry's, for around $10.

--Dave

[stray]

I just go to the local Time Warner building where they distribute cable boxes, and ask for hdmi cables. Free of charge. I'm sure anyone could do the same.

[JWIV]

I just go to the local Time Warner building where they distribute cable boxes, and ask for hdmi cables. Free of charge. I'm sure anyone could do the same.

Closet thing for me would be comcast and they like to charge for everything known to man.  Much simpler to go online to Monoprice and order a few cables there for dirt cheap.

[murdoc]

monoprice.com is awesome, I've gotten all my cables and my tv mounts from them.

[Strazos]

Think I am pretty set on the 32" Vizio, at $629. I'll probably pick it up Saturday. Hopefully I won't have problems.


I really wish I wasn't such a wuss and could stomach buying a TV over the web....some INSANE deals, if they are to be believed. I just cannot imagine the dread and hassle of having a problem and having to return it.

[Polysorbate80]

Your TV will just add same-color pixels in the same rows to fill it out, making it look blocky and low-res.  A good upsampling DVD player will add the extra lines using smoothing and aliasing, it won't add any detail that wasn't there but it will make it look much better.

For the record, this is not true of all televisions; some will do a good job, some won't.  You generally get what you pay for.

However, the same cannot be said of HDMI cables.  For short cable runs (around 6' or so) there's no difference between the stupid-expensive brands and the cheap stuff in regards to signal quality.  Just look for one with good connectors & strain relief.  I paid around $20 for each of mine.

[Strazos]

Looking at TV measurements, I may have to move my 360 off the shelf.

Should I be concerned if I have to put the thing on my desk, next to my CRT monitor? My current set is only 26".

[Strazos]

Picked up my new baby today. Looks fantastic, and fits nicely in the spot I had my old relic

Old relic is sadly out on the curb. Anyway....

Now it makes me think I need to actually spring for, you know, Real Cable, and a box and shit. The built-in tuner pulls in All Kinds of Shit, but unfortunately, my 3 favorite channels will continue to look shitty without access to the HD versions being pumped through HDMI.

At least the 360 looks Fan-Fucking-Tastic, even through component (I don't have HDMI cables yet). Even the menus look fucking splendid.

[Mazakiel]

You'll want to keep in mind that, unless I'm mistaken, not all X-Boxes have HDMI support.  The elite versions do, but I think the original release versions do not. 

[Strazos]

I have a Nov-07 build. Pretty sure I have the port.

[Azazel]

All new ones have HDMI. Or should, by now.

[Abagadro]

Go here for cables. Best prices for great cables around:

http://www.monoprice.com/home/index.asp