The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
Buying my first HD TV
EmperorSeth
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I'm trying to decide what I need to know. Here are the important facts:
I have an entertainment center I plan on keeping it, so it can't be too huge. I was thinking around the lines of 32" or a little more.
I don't want to go nuts on the price. Ideally I want it in the $300-400 range, but we'll see.
I'm a gamer (posting in PENNY ARCADE? Gasp!) I currently have a Wii and 360, so I need to know what cables I'll need and what requirements I should look for.
That's about it. Beyond that I guess I should worry about which brand I should get, where I should shop, and how hard the infamous installation process really is.
I have an entertainment center I plan on keeping it, so it can't be too huge. I was thinking around the lines of 32" or a little more.
I don't want to go nuts on the price. Ideally I want it in the $300-400 range, but we'll see.
I'm a gamer (posting in PENNY ARCADE? Gasp!) I currently have a Wii and 360, so I need to know what cables I'll need and what requirements I should look for.
That's about it. Beyond that I guess I should worry about which brand I should get, where I should shop, and how hard the infamous installation process really is.
You know what? Nanowrimo's cancelled on account of the world is stupid.
EmperorSeth on
0
Posts
You'll want an HDMI cable for the 360 and you'll want the component cable for the Wii.
That said, buy a Vizio.
And the 120+ hz TVs are just marketing gimmicks. You can't tell. 60hz is fine.
Or playing some games. I'd recommend going above 60hz. I find the difference to be quite noticeable.
Okay, now I'm concerned. From the people who recommended a 60 Hz TV, how many games do you play?
32" should be perfect for video games. I found out that 55" is too large to effectively play a game like BLOPS on because it's too much to take in. Even on our 47" it's too large. My brother in-law had the right idea and just bought a 22" computer monitor and it works great for fast paced gameplay.
60hz just refers to the screen's refresh rate. You can notice it if you compare a Blu Ray running at 60hz to one running at 120hz. You kind of lose that "I'm watching a film" effect and movement seems a lot smoother and more realistic. Some folks like it and some don't.
Go with something around 120, or if you want to future proof for 3D, 240. 120 will let you introduce a blu-ray player with native 24fps content, as well as make a big difference in sports and video gaming.
Please note, this refresh rate discussion is ONLY relevant to LCDs and NOT Plasmas.
For cables, as has been said, standard HDMI for 360 (check monoprice.com), and the component adapter for Wii.
For purchasing TVs, Amazon is excellent. You have to be very careful, though, that you're buying directly from Amazon and not a 3rd party through the Amazon site (e.g. Sixth Ave sells TVs through Amazon). While Amazon's return and delivery policies on tvs are great, the third parties are usually shit.
Start with what you want (size ", 1080p, 120Hz, price range) and look at reviews of current and recent previous generations. Each tv will have it's quirks. While you're doing this, keep up with SlickDeals for the occasional sales.
We looked at a lot of places online, but several (including Amazon, BestBuy and Newegg) have sort of hinky return policies for TVs. That really turned me off to purchasing one online, but YMMV
After looking at Costco's selection, we actually ended up going to BestBuy because they had several sets in the size we were looking for that were on sale.