HDTV advice

[MacDaddy]

Buy cables someplace like monoprice.com, or through buy.com. And if someone at Best Buy, etc., tells you the expensive ones are better they're full of poo. The markup on those things is where they make their money.

For the actual TV, check out Consumer Reports for advice and ratings. We have a Panasonic and a Sony and are very happy with both. I've never had a good experience with anything made by Samsung.

 

[slappy4428]

HDMI ports are nice to have.

Yes. Definitely pay the extra 40 bucks or so for the HDMI cable. It makes a huge difference. The HDMI cable is basically a different way of hooking it up and it is well worth it.

Go to ebay and get for 85 percent less.

 

[BTExpress]

Do not choose a TV based on how the picture looked in the showroom.

Because you will want nothing close to those settings in your living room.

 

[slappy4428]

Dell's got this one for Cyber Monday for 500 that's real close to what you see, Inky...
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=A3139068

and this 1080p 120hz 47 inch vizio for 800...
http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/cyber-monday?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&ref=hbn

 

[Bad Guy Zero]

In regards to the 1080 vs. 780 (or 720 or whatever it is) ....... it is my understanding that very few shows will be broadcast in 1080 for quite a few years. So a 1080 doesn't do much more than a 780 right now because most stuff is still being broadcast in 780, even when you're viewing it on a 1080 TV.

it's actually 720 and 1080 but you're right, unless you're watching a blueray, it's a waste of money to go for the 1080. i found this out unfortunately after buying a 1080.

What I heard was that 720 is fine if you're going with a set under 50" because the image isn't large enough that you'd notice the difference. Over 50" you'll definitely want 1080. And for what it's worth I'd be inclined to pay the extra and go with 1080. I'd like to think I'm buying a television that will still be working just fine when television networks start broadcasting everything in 1080. Along those lines, I will not be purchasing a Phillips or Magnavox HD television.

EDIT: done to get my post outside of the quotebox. That's what I get for posting from a cellphone.

 

[Wenders]

What is the difference between a 1080 and 720?

 

[golfnut8924]

What is the difference between a 1080 and 720?

It's a measure of DPI, or dots per inch(?). So 1,080 dots per inch is much more dense than 720, therefore a sharper image.

 

[93Devil]

If you can find a good deal on a 720 Wenders, buy it.

It will look great in your living room and will be 1000x better than an old TV.

 

[txsportsscribe]

What I heard was that 720 is fine if you're going with a set under 50" because the image isn't large enough that you'd notice the difference. Over 50" you'll definitely want 1080.

doesn't matter the size of the tv. if the only thing shown in 1080 is blueray and you don't have blueray, you're wasting your money.

I'd like to think I'm buying a television that will still be working just fine when television networks start broadcasting everything in 1080.

the 1080 you spend extra on today will probably need to be replaced by the time the technology catches up and networks are broadcasting at that level dpi.

 

[BTExpress]

It's resolution. The higher the resolution, the sharper/clearer the picture.

Of course, that depends on the eye's ability to determine a difference between "really, really sharp" and "really, really, really sharp."

Reminds me of something a graphics person told me a few years ago.

We demand images in 200 dpi, but we are printing on newsprint (90 dpi). And once you exceed 1.5 times the number your presses use, you have reached the sharpness threshhold. 135 dpi is just fine, and no one can tell the difference between that and 200 once it reaches newsprint.

 

[cranberry]

If you can find a good deal on a 720 Wenders, buy it.

It will look great in your living room and will be 1000x better than an old TV.

My living room TV crapped out last weekend and the salesman at Best Buy was trying to talk me into a 720 -- excellent deal -- but I couldn't get past the fact that it would be outdated before I got it home so I bought the more expensive 1080. Still, I wonder if you put the two sets side by side if I'd notice a difference.

 

[93Devil]

How would it be outdated?

 

[Precious Roy]

I was always told to look at the contrast ratio. The higher the ratio, the better the picture. We have a 50 incher that is 1080i and has a 10,000:1 or higher ratio and the blacks are amazing. We always go with that first, then from there make decisions.

 

[chase.colston]

just bought a 46" 1080p 120hz samsung from best buy for $999.

love it.

 

[nmmetsfan]

just bought a 46" 1080p 120hz samsung from best buy for $999.

love it.

Seeing as you just bought it, I would hope so

 

[Pastor]

I don’t know if it has been mentioned here yet or not, but DO NOT buy the HDMI cable when you are at the store buying the TV. You can find HDMI cables online for as cheap as $15. Best Buy and stores like that charge way too much for them.

I have two 42" HDTVs at home. One is a plasma (Panasonic, bought 4 years ago) and one is an LCD (Sharp, bought 2 years ago). The plasma is better for sports despite being a 720 compared to the LCD at 1080, though I think the refresh rate on the LCD is a bit weak.

The newer LCDs are much better and much cheaper. You would be fine with either because they will be superior to what you have now. You are better off with a 1080 resolution and the higher the refresh rate the better.

Good luck!

 

[cranberry]

I don’t know if it has been mentioned here yet or not, but DO NOT buy the HDMI cable when you are at the store buying the TV. You can find HDMI cables online for as cheap as $15. Best Buy and stores like that charge way too much for them.

I have two 42" HDTVs at home. One is a plasma (Panasonic, bought 4 years ago) and one is an LCD (Sharp, bought 2 years ago). The plasma is better for sports despite being a 720 compared to the LCD at 1080, though I think the refresh rate on the LCD is a bit weak.

The newer LCDs are much better and much cheaper. You would be fine with either because they will be superior to what you have now. You are better off with a 1080 resolution and the higher the refresh rate the better.

Good luck!

Agree. I was lazy about it and spent $29 each for two of Best Buy's least expensive, but I'd guess Radio Shack has them for much less.

 

[Stitch]

What I heard was that 720 is fine if you're going with a set under 50" because the image isn't large enough that you'd notice the difference. Over 50" you'll definitely want 1080.

doesn't matter the size of the tv. if the only thing shown in 1080 is blueray and you don't have blueray, you're wasting your money.

I'd like to think I'm buying a television that will still be working just fine when television networks start broadcasting everything in 1080.

the 1080 you spend extra on today will probably need to be replaced by the time the technology catches up and networks are broadcasting at that level dpi.

Several HD channels on DirecTV are in 1080i. There is are a few 1080p PPV channels as well.

 

[MacDaddy]

I don’t know if it has been mentioned here yet or not, but DO NOT buy the HDMI cable when you are at the store buying the TV. You can find HDMI cables online for as cheap as $15. Best Buy and stores like that charge way too much for them.

I have two 42" HDTVs at home. One is a plasma (Panasonic, bought 4 years ago) and one is an LCD (Sharp, bought 2 years ago). The plasma is better for sports despite being a 720 compared to the LCD at 1080, though I think the refresh rate on the LCD is a bit weak.

The newer LCDs are much better and much cheaper. You would be fine with either because they will be superior to what you have now. You are better off with a 1080 resolution and the higher the refresh rate the better.

Good luck!

Agree. I was lazy about it and spent $29 each for two of Best Buy's least expensive, but I'd guess Radio Shack has them for much less.

Radio Shack's prices aren't much better. Try monoprice.com, and keep an eye on buy.com -- I recently bought a four-pack of 6-foot HDMI cables for something like 10 bucks.

I just got a Blu-ray player today; so far, I'm pretty blown away.

 

[Rumpleforeskin]

I'm going to bump this thread...

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/Video_Conferencing/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku=A3139068

Any thoughts on that TV? Dell seems to be running some good deals.