In the Market for an HDTV

Spoom182

So, my house is being remodeled and I'm moving back the first week in April. To go with our fancy new house we're getting a fancy new TV. We've settled down on a few specifics. We know we want an LCD, as opposed to plasma, because they last longer (right?). We want it to be about 46 inches and it should be 1080p. What are some good TVs that match this description. I've looked online a bit but you can't exactly tell what the picture will look like from the specs, so I'd just like to hear some reviews from you guys on your tv.

BananaChips

Well, we have a 42 inch Sharp LCD TV. From what I've heard LCD does last longer than Plasma and is a ton cheaper. Also, I'm not sure if this is LCD specific but our TV just soaks in the light from the windows in the back of the room and it reduces the glare a TON, which is great. The picture is fantastic, but we don't have any HD channels. So I experience all my HD through XBox games. Very crisp picture. I've heard Sharp is a very good name in TV's. It has 5 different inputs on it not including regular cable. These are composite cables, regular red white and yellow cables, HDMI, S-Video, and I'm probably forgetting something.

Spoom182

Thanks. Anyone else?

EggyToast

There's an HDTV thread in Moe's stupid technology subforum, probably a lot of good advice there.

I just bought a 50" plasma and love it. LCDs sometimes have issues with blur (mostly on high contrast scenes) and ghosting, but not everyone notices it (nor it is on every set). 1080p isn't necessarily better unless you're sitting pretty close to the screen, but many companies are phasing out 720p (I don't think you can get 720p LCDs anymore).

LCDs don't have any problems with image retention/burn in, but it's generally greatly exaggerated on plasma TVs anyway (especially nowadays). Plasmas typically have deeper blacks and brighter whites, and the colors "pop" more, but if you're in a bright room that you can't control the light well, dealing with glare can be annoying.

I spent a lot of time looking at reviews on CNET and then comparing to avsforum.

vonPoonBurGer

In terms of picture quality, I've heard good things about Vizio, Sharp and Sony LCDs. Vizio is more budget / bang for the buck, Sharp is more middle of the road price-wise, and Sony tends to be at the upper end. I'd recommend checking some units out in a store, there's really no substitute for seeing it in person. Online reviews are great for finding out about quirks and gotchas that could be dealbreakers for you, and for building a shortlist of models that will meet your needs.

Spoom182 wrote:

We know we want an LCD, as opposed to plasma, because they last longer (right?).

Early plasmas had short lifespans, but it's really not a factor in modern plasmas from quality manufacturers. This page has a good overview comparing plasma to LCD. LCD has closed the gap considerably in the last little while though, with a lot of improvements to picture quality and maximum screen size. For a 46" TV, I'd imagine that LCD is what you'd be looking at, if only because plasmas don't tend to be common or cost-competitive until you're talking about 50"+ screens.