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Buying a New Teevee. Cheap Brands?
AbsoluteZero
The new film by Quentin KoopantinoRegistered User regular
The new film by Quentin KoopantinoRegistered User regular
So I'm lookin to buy a new LCD HDTV to replace my 2 year old 32" Westinghouse... mostly because it's just too small for how far away I'm sitting from it in my new place. Don't get me wrong I really like the set it's just... too small.
In my hunt for a new set it seems I get more inches for my buck from bargain brands, specifically Vizio and Insignia. So how do they stack up against name brands like the aforementioned Westinghouse, or Samsung, Panasonic, etc? I'm not looking for anything top of the line here, just above average. Should I be steering clear of the cheap brands? Or is it safe to save some dollars?
Specifically I'm looking for a 1080p LCD set that is at least 42" ... bigger is better, though. I tend to find that I can get a 47" Vizio or Insignia for the same price as a 42" name brand. I just don't know if I should.
In my hunt for a new set it seems I get more inches for my buck from bargain brands, specifically Vizio and Insignia. So how do they stack up against name brands like the aforementioned Westinghouse, or Samsung, Panasonic, etc? I'm not looking for anything top of the line here, just above average. Should I be steering clear of the cheap brands? Or is it safe to save some dollars?
Specifically I'm looking for a 1080p LCD set that is at least 42" ... bigger is better, though. I tend to find that I can get a 47" Vizio or Insignia for the same price as a 42" name brand. I just don't know if I should.
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If you want to save money, maybe consider getting a 720p instead of 1080p? at 42", it's not going to make a noticeable difference, but the difference in price will be huge. Only problem is it's going to be hard to find a 720p at over 40" for sale.
I have a Panasonic and a Westinghouse flat screen, both 3 years old, and the Westinghouse doesn't look as good as it used to, whereas the Panasonic still looks like the first day I bought it.
You get what you paid for, the name brands are more expensive for a reason, I personally think the extra money is worth it. There are exceptions, but they don't happen often.
You can always consider getting it at BestBuy with financing, there's no interest if you pay it off within 18 months. Good way to build credit too.
I'd recommend a Samsung if you can find a nice sale on one. But if you must go for a budget brand, Vizio all the way.
There are some cheap, awesome, Panasonics for 700 bucks or so.
God, I'm retarded. I don't know how I missed that you have a westinghouse. I don't think the coffee was working.
still, get another westinghouse.
The company who made the Olevia line of TVs (Syntax-Brillian) filed for bankruptcy and was (eventually) purchased by Emerson Radio Corp. They were mismanaged - the jokers who ran the company did it for personal gain rather than to build a successful company. I don't believe that the line is being produced anymore. Also, their stock went to nothing and was delisted from the NASDAQ. Not that I'm bitter. God damnit.
Go with a Visio, good product. You can pick 'em up at Walmart.
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Anyway.
Not wishing to derail the thread, but is LCD > Plasma?
if you have a store like video only, i'd check there. unless you're getting a vizio at wal-mart or costco, it'll be the cheapest TV you can get thats not on huge discounts. i got a 42" LG there that i'm happy with. it was $100+ cheaper than any other TV because it was last years model.
i think LCD still has the edge when you're going for <40" but gets better as you're going for bigger sizes.
also, as was said, go for 720p, it will be much less expensive, and i don't think many broadcasts are coming in 1080p.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889104131
So Insignia is bad, Vizio is decent? That seems to be the vibe I'm getting here.
A really cheap 1080p projector. Might compare to a slightly more expensive 46" plasma but with a bigger screen
Get the Sharp. Projectors are all a business you don't need, with setup, keeping the room dark, bulbs, etc etc.
A pretty Aquos would be rad.
The bulbs were my only actual concern. And actually now that I think about it, surround sound would be awkward to set up with needing to be connected to the projector in the back of the room.
I was really just wondering how the image quality compared to a real Tv, I have little to no experience with HD projectors. And a 1080p one for a couple hundred less than the tv was intriguing. Also there is the fact that it is much smaller, which means much more portable.
I haven't had any experience with HD ones myself, but projectors as a genre require:
- A dark room
- A flat wall (or preferably, a screen)
- Bulbs
The number of people who can satisfy those requirements are very low, you basically need a media room to justify it.
From my experience, when it comes to electronics, cheap brands can perform as well as named brands, it's just that they don't last as long, they malfunction easier, or they don't keep the same high performance up as long.
I like that this television has audio out, not that it's a long shot feature these days but it is cool, my insignia lcd 42" has this, and basically I connect all my devices to the television via hdmi, and then connect to my receiver via optical, the television acts like the center channel, and the only input I need to worry about is the tv.
Hah! I can offer some anecdotal advice here as well.
I've got this projector in my living room. we did install a projector screen on the rather large wall that we are projecting onto (a proper screen is going to made of like a glass silicate material that reflects light like 100 times better then your wall paint, and in our living room with huge ass windows we just put up some blackout curtains and as long as the lights are off the picture quality, even at 720p, is amazing.
and as far as surround sound question goes, what you really wanna do is only have a single hdmi for video running up to your projector and then have everything else plug into a receiver somewhere else in the room. it's a great solution for your large screen viewing options (with the throw on that Mitsubishi and the size of our living room we get 103" screen, making my house the de facto home for all ppv events, rock band marathons and movie nights)
warning! owning an HD projector will take the edge off the movie theater experience, symptoms include, not being motivated to see that awesome new movie that just came out because you know it'll be more intense AND look better once you get it in your home on Blu-ray.
Is Panasonic a good brand? Up until yesterday you could get a free BluRay player with it..but unfortunately I haven't quite saved up enough for my tv yet. Still...$1200 and free shipping seems good for a 52"
Whats your yearly budget for bulbs, if I may ask?