My setup dilemma

isaac17

Alright here's my setup & problem:

I'm looking into buying a 32 inch HDTV for my room. I'm moving out in 4-5 months to head to college (dorms dude... dorms...) but I'm gonna be living with a good friend of mine who plans on going in on the HDTV with me, so it would only actually cost me 300 bucks. I currently have a wii, and I'm borrowing a friends ps2 (longterm ), but I wont' have it when I leave for college. I also do a lot of art stuff, already have a 20" monitor that I use with my macbook, and I do a lot of music/music recording stuff

So the options are:
a) buy a ps3 (bluray + my ps1 library + my ps2 library + orange box and such/new games) $350

b) buy an xbox 360 (just a lot of good games in HD, stick with DVD watching) $300 bucks

c) realize I won't have time for all that stuff and just stick to using dvds + wii/gcn games on the hdtv $0

d) realize I WON'T HAVE TIME for all that stuff and not buy an hdtv at all... -$300

I could also buy a ps2 on ebay for like 80 bucks and just play wii, ps2, gcn and watch normal dvds.

Thoughts?

Satan.

If anything, the PS3. I guess. You pretty much reasoned yourself out of each option and into another.

isaac17

Apparently the newer PS3s don't even have backwards compatibility, so that kills that choice. DVDs look fine anyway, so it's really between buying a PS2 or an Xbox 360...

bigwah

Look for a 20/60/80gb model. Should be able to get a 60 easily from Gamestop... refurbished.

Improvolone

If you go "in" on any item, it won't be long before you are completely "out" of any item.
ie, don't split the cost of something you want with anyone

Satan.

isaac17 wrote: »

Apparently the newer PS3s don't even have backwards compatibility, so that kills that choice. DVDs look fine anyway, so it's really between buying a PS2 or an Xbox 360...

Find one of the older ones and save a couple bucks, if you'd like a PS3. It sounds like you're only considering cost at this point (all options appear to be, for you, functionally equal).

Malkor

Improvolone wrote: »

If you go "in" on any item, it won't be long before you are completely "out" of any item.
ie, don't split the cost of something you want with anyone

I totally agree. Either save up more for your own TV or ask your future roomie to do so.

Satan.

Improvolone wrote: »

If you go "in" on any item, it won't be long before you are completely "out" of any item.
ie, don't split the cost of something you want with anyone

Dumb advice.

It's a dorm. Things are going to get split. If/when you two part ways, it's not hard to make a deal to make up the other person's share on object X. My roommate and I freshman year in college split several things. When it came time to split up, we talked about what each of us wanted to keep and came to an agreement. He kept objects X, Y and Z while I kept A, B and C and gave him like $100 to make up the value difference.

ElJeffe

Satan. wrote: »

Improvolone wrote: »

If you go "in" on any item, it won't be long before you are completely "out" of any item.
ie, don't split the cost of something you want with anyone

Dumb advice.

It's a dorm. Things are going to get split. If/when you two part ways, it's not hard to make a deal to make up the other person's share on object X. My roommate and I freshman year in college split several things. When it came time to split up, we talked about what each of us wanted to keep and came to an agreement. He kept objects X, Y and Z while I kept A, B and C and gave him like $100 to make up the value difference.

It can work, but I would recommend you come up with a plan for how to determine who gets the TV when you split up ahead of time. I mean, just like "one of us will get it and give the other person $200, and if we both want it we flip a coin". You'll avoid a lot of headaches if you have a plan from day one.*

As to your larger question, it's sort of silly to buy an HDTV and not have any HD content to put on it. Wii is kinda-sorta pretty, but it won't justify the cost. If you're into the idea of HD movies, get the PS3. If you're more into gaming, get the 360, as it has a much better library at the moment.


*At 3:00am

isaac17

Here's the thing with the splitting costs: we're both leaving the country for 2 years after we finish the year, so we're re selling it after the year anyway .

As far as which system to get, I think we mutually decided to go with the 360, as it has the game library closest to our tastes, and it it's not too pricey on ebay (300 for the pro and a few games). Plus if we want one for a while we can grab a ps2 on ebay.

isaac17

Oh and for LCD HDTV: It's a nice bigger screen, it fits in the dorm, it's beautiful, it's only like 300$ each, everything looks better on it, etc. Even if we didn't get a 360 I'd still want one, is that me just wanting one because it's pretty? I tend to do that...

Satan.

...

You're silly as shit for even thinking about this in the first place if you're just going to sell it in a year. Grab a shite SDTV for like $200 (total, not each) and save yourself some bullshit later (as well as some money).

KalTorak

Yeah, it sounds like the biggest reason to buy an HDTV with your current situation would be an investment in future-proofing, but if you're just planning to unload it in a year anyway then that reason goes out the window.

isaac17

well I'm leaving the country, but I want one now...

Satan.

isaac17 wrote: »

well I'm leaving the country, but I want one now...

It's an extremely stupid financial decision. Buck up and deal.

isaac17

300 buck investment, resale and get 200 back, so 100$ lost for having a 32" samsung hdtv for a year is stupid decision? I mean, it could be, but... I still think it's not that big of a deal

Improvolone

For $600 you'll only really be able to get something thats 720p. Also, most people won't buy a used TV for only $200 off. Especially if it's a 720p from a year ago.

I think you're expitations are way off. Way, way off.

isaac17

Oops, I just bought a used samsung 32" HDTV for 500$ on ebay. I'll probably be able to resale that for at LEAST 300 bucks in a year (if I keep it in good condition), which means I'd only lose 100 bucks. Where is my logic off?

isaac17

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEBTOX:IT&item=110239624827&_trksid=p3984.cTODAY.m238.lVI

May not be the best option to buy it refurbished, but I got it for 500 bucks (250 off new), and that was about my only option (I personally only have to pay 250 of it anyway...)

Improvolone

Yea, and it's 720p. I've lived in dorms, and you're often very close to the TV. Dorms aint that big. You won't get the HD you want from a 720 set. On top of wanting an HD set however, odds are the channels you get on campus won't be HD. On some cheaper HD sets, which are the ones you are looking at, SD content winds up looking noticably worse. Look, I know that anyone saying "don't do it" won't neccecarily change your mind, but I can't help but stress one more time that I don't think this will work out how you want it to.

KalTorak

Improvolone wrote: »

Yea, and it's 720p. I've lived in dorms, and you're often very close to the TV. Dorms aint that big. You won't get the HD you want from a 720 set. On top of wanting an HD set however, odds are the channels you get on campus won't be HD. On some cheaper HD sets, which are the ones you are looking at, SD content winds up looking noticably worse. Look, I know that anyone saying "don't do it" won't neccecarily change your mind, but I can't help but stress one more time that I don't think this will work out how you want it to.

Hey now. It's going to look awesome while it's turned off.

isaac17

KalTorak wrote: »

Improvolone wrote: »

Yea, and it's 720p. I've lived in dorms, and you're often very close to the TV. Dorms aint that big. You won't get the HD you want from a 720 set. On top of wanting an HD set however, odds are the channels you get on campus won't be HD. On some cheaper HD sets, which are the ones you are looking at, SD content winds up looking noticably worse. Look, I know that anyone saying "don't do it" won't neccecarily change your mind, but I can't help but stress one more time that I don't think this will work out how you want it to.

Hey now. It's going to look awesome while it's turned off.

Har Har . Let me reiterate though: I don't watch TV (ever), I plan on buying a 360 or PS3, or watching BluRays, This is to watch DVDs, play Wii and PS2 games on. If those are going to look bad on it (only 480p anyway) then I won't keep it, but we need some sort of big screen... Too small for a projector to really work...

Satan.

Your logic blows my mind. How can you look at all this and say "I'm leaving the country in 12 months and I'm going to sell it all" and not hit yourself in the face for being stupid?

I wish I had this kind of money to burn.

isaac17

Okay look, I'll put it this way: I already own my wii and ps2, have for years. I'm going to college in a year. I'm going to need a TV or projector to use them on. I don't have space for a big old fat tv, I need a slim one, it's dorms. My friend is going in on this with me, so reselling is only going to lose me 100 bucks. WILL the PS2, DVDs and Wii look good (with component cables) on that 32" HDTV? Do you see any other option that would work out better?

Thanks, I'm not trying to be an asshole, but I don't see any other options really...

Satan.

It's the dorms. Back in my day (a YEAR ago) those "big old fat TVs" fit just fine in the dorms.

Improvolone

Yea man, tops of dressers haven't gotten thinner. If you must buy a flat screen however, check out craigslist. Used might work well for you in this situation.