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The TV Thread: More for Less

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Posts

  • Skoal CatSkoal Cat Registered User regular
    Lord Jezo wrote:
    I notice the OP doesn't have CRT listed in his Types of TV section. Elitist.

    Am I the only guy on the block left with a non flat screen? I have a 36" Sony Wega CRT monitor. It does 720p/1080i and has component and HDMI ports on the back. Because it's a CRT it also does true blacks and has unlimited viewing angles.
    Lord Jezo wrote:
    Skoal Cat wrote:
    Your Wega has a curved screen?

    Nope. It's a pure flat screen.

    Just has 24 inches of cathode ray tube behind it


    I guess the answer then, is no?

  • Lord JezoLord Jezo Registered User regular
    edited August 2011
    95322436.jpg

    Size comparison of my tube to a month old baby.

    He still has room to grow.

    Lord Jezo on
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  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    Sound Dummy question:

    I can't/don't want to hassle with rear speakers in a 5.1 setup, but if I want to do 3.1, how do I go about that? Just buy any 5.1/7.1 receiver and only plug in left, right, center, and sub? Will it know to adapt 5.1 stuff to just 3 speakers instead of 5/7?

    I currently use a Sony sound bar and it's good, but the dialog tends to be a bit muddy, so I'd like an upgrade.

    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • BurtletoyBurtletoy Registered User regular
    If you are buying a new reciever it will probably have options in the menu to turn off the rear speakers.

    And you probably wouldn't need to do that anyways, since rear speakers in a 5.1 setup don't take load away from the front, iirc.

  • ChopperDaveChopperDave Registered User regular
    Cross-posted with my H/A thread -

    I'm looking at a pretty sick deal on Amazon right now: buy a a LED 3DTV from Samsung's UND6400 or UND6500 series and get a free Blu-ray player and 2 3D glasses. If I go with the 46" 6400 model I can get the whole kit and keboodle for $1200. Yoink!

    So, does anyone have any experience with TVs from these series? I was actually looking at TVs from the cheaper UND6000 series (BestBuy has a 46'' on sale at $1000), but a few of those reviews mentioned "flashlighting" at the edge (i.e. really bright and noticeable edgelighting when in the dark). Is that still a problem with the higher-end versions of the TV model?

    Also, does anyone know the difference between the 6400 and 6500 models? As far as I can tell, it's just that one has built-in WiFi and the other doesn't.

    3DS code: 3007-8077-4055
  • Lord JezoLord Jezo Registered User regular
    Are viewing angles an issue anymore? Back in 2005 or whenever I last looked a TV could only be seen straight on without it going black and dark at the angles. Since my TV will be mounted at top of seated head level on the 4 foot shelf do I need to worry all these years later that because we are not direct eye level to the TV that no one will be able to see anything?

    With my PC monitor I specifically bought an non TN based panel because I wanted to be able to see it from all angles, can I get something similar with a TV?

    The max size I can fit in my spot if a 47" wide (not diagonal).

    Do I need to wait for laser TVs or the OLED things or will a standard LCD or LCD LED be enough?

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  • theantipoptheantipop Registered User regular
    edited August 2011
    I'm upgrading my 32" to a 42" and have kinda settled on an LG both for cost and the general reputation for low input lag. I have widdled my choices down to the 42LK450, 42LV3500 and 42LV5500. Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with any of these?

    I know LGs have an annoying panel lottery to get the more desirable S-IPS panels, and the more expensive LV5500 seems to avoid this, but I don't know if 120hz and some TV Apps are worth the extra money. And even between the cheaper ones, if LED is worth an extra $60.

    Edit: Ordering the LV5500 tonight.

    theantipop on
  • shadowaneshadowane Registered User regular
    My Panasonic plasma has great viewing angles. The two Samsung LCDs are so-so. They don't go black, but the colors are not good.

  • TehSlothTehSloth Hit Or Miss I Guess They Never Miss, HuhRegistered User regular
    edited August 2011
    So, are there any real downsides to the current line of Mistubishi DLPs compared to a mid-range large sized LCD or plasma TV? I've kinda been entertaining the idea of replacing an old 32-inch HD CRT and keep thinking that since I'm not going to be fiddling with a wall mount or anything I may be better off just going big.

    Is the picture on a 51" Samsung plasma going to be significantly better than a 60" Mitsubishi DLP?

    I think my co-worker has one, and I'm gonna ask him about it, but none of the local big box places seem to have any of the DLPs out on display so I can't really get a decent side-by-side.

    TehSloth on
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  • a5ehrena5ehren AtlantaRegistered User regular
    TehSloth wrote:
    So, are there any real downsides to the current line of Mistubishi DLPs compared to a mid-range large sized LCD or plasma TV? I've kinda been entertaining the idea of replacing an old 32-inch HD CRT and keep thinking that since I'm not going to be fiddling with a wall mount or anything I may be better off just going big.

    Is the picture on a 51" Samsung plasma going to be significantly better than a 60" Mitsubishi DLP?

    I think my co-worker has one, and I'm gonna ask him about it, but none of the local big box places seem to have any of the DLPs out on display so I can't really get a decent side-by-side.

    In general DLPs won't be able to get the picture quality of a good plasma, but I don't know enough about those specific models to compare them.

  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    edited September 2011
    So my TV burnt out in my bedroom, 32" CRT TV from god knows when, I think it was a toshiba.

    Any recommendations? I don't really need anything huge, fancy, super crisp, just something to watch DVDs with or cable TV.

    My budget is about $250. I can obviously wiggle around that a bit, but if possible, around that.

    bowen on
    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • Skoal CatSkoal Cat Registered User regular
    Sign up for NewEgg's email specials and check woot/deals.woot every day. You're going to want to by a name brand TV from a manufacturer you've heard of. Odds are, you'll be going with a Vizio at that price.
    note: You may have heard of Westinghouse or Polaroid, but don't buy TVs from companies that aren't known for making TVs.

  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    Skoal Cat wrote:
    Sign up for NewEgg's email specials and check woot/deals.woot every day. You're going to want to by a name brand TV from a manufacturer you've heard of. Odds are, you'll be going with a Vizio at that price.
    note: You may have heard of Westinghouse or Polaroid, but don't buy TVs from companies that aren't known for making TVs.

    I'll second this. And add that Vizio makes really damn nice TVs in the low-price range. Like, shockingly decent. You'll probably also see some RCA TVs in that price bracket. Avoid them and stick with Vizio.

    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • Skoal CatSkoal Cat Registered User regular
    There is a Woot Off happening right now, odds are a TV will pop up

  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    Something tells me I'll end up going to best buy or walmart tonight instead, hurgh, just because being without a TV is shitty shit.

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • Skoal CatSkoal Cat Registered User regular
    Oh, then yea, Vizio.

  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    @Skoal Cat Anything I should directly avoid besides RCA? If I know my Best Buy they'll probably have one Vizio and it'll be a 46" one. Beyond what I need in the bedroom.

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • BurtletoyBurtletoy Registered User regular
    Avoid BestBuys in-house brand, Insignia.

    If you are buying a 720p or 1080p TV at that price, look at the listed resolution (not just the 720p!!! on the side of the box) and make sure it is ACTUALLY 720 or 1080, those smaller sets tend to lie.

  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    edited September 2011
    1920x1080 and 1280x720 right?

    I think my 46" incher downstairs is Insignia, it is pretty nice. Anything wrong with them, cut a lot of corners? I didn't see much in the OP. Other than that we're probably about 10-15 feet away from the TV max in the bedroom, not sure which TV resolution I should really consider. We have a blu-ray player hooked up so it'd be nice to get some high quality blu-rays going there, not sure how much I'd really notice it though.

    bowen on
    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • Skoal CatSkoal Cat Registered User regular
    Nah, at that distance you're not going to notice much of anything. The top brands for picture quality and build quality are Panasonic, LG, Sony (premium price for a company that doesn't manufacture most of their own screens), Phillips, Vizio (the defacto best bang for the buck set). Some other brands may have similar picture quality, but their build quality hasn't impressed the market at large.

  • TehSlothTehSloth Hit Or Miss I Guess They Never Miss, HuhRegistered User regular
    Insignia's are typically just re-branded older TVs.

    This Insignia is actually just this samsung

    This insignia I believe uses the same panel as this LG

    That said, they're pretty hit or miss. You're basically buying a new copy of last years TVs with an insignia logo on it. I'm not a big fan of best buy, but the only Insignia TV I've actually watched anything on was pretty good looking for being a bargain brand.

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  • DjeetDjeet Registered User regular
    Magnavox, Philips, and Sceptre are also considered bottom tier brands. That all said, I've been warned away from AOC (primarily a budget monitor company), and the 32" I got really cheap works well enough, though Vizio probably beats it in PQ and increased functionality. It's only for casual TV watching; I've been watching most tv/movies on my computer lately: the monitors attached having higher resolution and has better color reproduction IMO.

  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    Yeah I'm probably going to shoot for vizio or LG if I can, LG it'll probably end up being because I know BB carries though.

    I almost don't even want to bother with wal-mart. Though they have good prices the TVs there always look like shit. Not sure if it's because of the shitty coax splitting they've got going on or they're just shit TVs

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • Skoal CatSkoal Cat Registered User regular
    I think Walmart carries a lot of Vizio sets

  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    @Skoal Cat I've heard wal-mart gets bottom of the barrel in terms of electronics, is this true with TVs? Obviously with video games they don't, but I'd hate to buy a Vizio and get screwed because it's a junky model only wal-mart carries.

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • BurtletoyBurtletoy Registered User regular
    I was under the impression that Vizio was Wal-mart's insignia, aka in house brand.

    This doesn't appear to be true, but, yeah. WalMart carries a shit load of Vizios.

  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    Vizio is definitely it's own thing. Not a store brand, but Wal-Mart carries a shit load. Great sets for the prices. As long as they meet your input and resolution requirements, you'll be happy. The only thing about Vizio that pisses me off is their habit of having their logo on the front of the tv light up. Even when it's turned off. Ugh. I had to put black electrical tape over my bedroom Vizio. So stupid.

    I personally prefer Samsung TVs on the moderately high end, but at that price range you're really just picking between a handful of big names (Samsung, Sony, LG, Panasonic, etc) based on aesthetics, inputs, refresh rates, etc. not a lot of quality difference in the actual panels.

    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    Thanks for all the help fellas.

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    So I went shopping and snagged a Samsung LN32D403 for $280 at best buy. Looks good, sounds good, base is a little wobbly like the reviews said but all in all it seemed like a good purchase. I had bad quality audio when I used RCA input but as soon as I switched to HDMI wooooooow did it sound better. Need a little fine tuning the sound because quiet sounds are too quiet but that's okay, I can fix that at least.

    Thanks for your help duders. Hopefully I didn't get taken for a ride, but it looks and works great for me at least. I may just be used to my old CRT TV though which this is leaps and bounds ahead of.

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    That's a damn fine TV. For under $300 for a 32" you did pretty well.

    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • Skoal CatSkoal Cat Registered User regular
    Wow, yea. I bought a similar 32" almost two years ago for $400.

  • IdolNinjaIdolNinja Registered User regular
    I've been putting together a home theater for our new house these past few months. This thread and previous one have been a great help in deciding on the TV I want. I have my eye on the Panasonic Viera GT30 60" plasma, now that the fluctuating whites issue has been resolved.

    The pricing has been pretty steady these past few months for around $2000 on Amazon. MSRP is $3000, so it's a pretty hefty discount already. I kind of want to jump on it now, but was also thinking of waiting to see if there will be price drops around the end of November with Black Friday, Christmas, and the new 2012 lineup coming up. I have a little 22" LCD setup now that will be moved to a spare room, so I don't mind waiting a bit. It's actually kind of funny to have it on a huge 60" stand with glorious 7.1 DTS-HD surround and a teeny tiny little screen. :lol:

    So, Is there a "best" time to buy? Is there a chance of an even greater discount? I'm not going to sweat a couple of hundred bucks off if that's the best I can expect. Thoughts?

  • Skoal CatSkoal Cat Registered User regular
    Well, the price probably isn't going to be going up anytime soon. Might as well sit on it until you need it.

  • BurtletoyBurtletoy Registered User regular
    IdolNinja wrote:
    I've been putting together a home theater for our new house these past few months. This thread and previous one have been a great help in deciding on the TV I want. I have my eye on the Panasonic Viera GT30 60" plasma, now that the fluctuating whites issue has been resolved.

    The pricing has been pretty steady these past few months for around $2000 on Amazon. MSRP is $3000, so it's a pretty hefty discount already. I kind of want to jump on it now, but was also thinking of waiting to see if there will be price drops around the end of November with Black Friday, Christmas, and the new 2012 lineup coming up. I have a little 22" LCD setup now that will be moved to a spare room, so I don't mind waiting a bit. It's actually kind of funny to have it on a huge 60" stand with glorious 7.1 DTS-HD surround and a teeny tiny little screen. :lol:

    So, Is there a "best" time to buy? Is there a chance of an even greater discount? I'm not going to sweat a couple of hundred bucks off if that's the best I can expect. Thoughts?

    MSRP might be $3000, but I bet you $50 you'd have a hard time finding it for sale at that price.

    I mean, it's $1999 at BestBuy.

  • IdolNinjaIdolNinja Registered User regular
    Burtletoy wrote:
    MSRP might be $3000, but I bet you $50 you'd have a hard time finding it for sale at that price.

    I mean, it's $1999 at BestBuy.

    Well, sure. You rarely see anything ever at msrp. It's just that $1000 off msrp is nothing to sneeze at. I'm simply wondering if it's worth it to hold out for the holiday sales. Like, if historically there's a good time to buy a TV, such as when the 2012 ones hit, or end of the year sales.

  • BurtletoyBurtletoy Registered User regular
    edited September 2011
    It kind of is something to sneeze at, if $2000 is the price it actually retails at, everywhere.

    iirc last years 60" ST model was $600 at, like, 5 different online retailers right when this years model came out.

    Burtletoy on
  • IdolNinjaIdolNinja Registered User regular
    Thanks for the info. I think I'll wait until at least the holiday sales and see if I can get a better deal.

  • CoolTrainerCoolTrainer Registered User regular
    IdolNinja wrote:
    Thanks for the info. I think I'll wait until at least the holiday sales and see if I can get a better deal.

    Also, if you can somehow get a VT30 for close to the price of a GT30, it's well worth the investment to pay the difference (depending on how much). Much better black levels, coming close to even the last gen Pioneer Kuros.

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  • BurtletoyBurtletoy Registered User regular
    IdolNinja wrote:
    Thanks for the info. I think I'll wait until at least the holiday sales and see if I can get a better deal.

    Also, if you can somehow get a VT30 for close to the price of a GT30, it's well worth the investment to pay the difference (depending on how much). Much better black levels, coming close to even the last gen Pioneer Kuros.

    Kuros are like, 5 gens back at this point, arent they?

    Like, 2008 or something?

  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    Well yes, but Kuros were like the Rolls Royce of television sets. A 3 year old Rolls is currently still better than any other car in the world...

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