HDTV suggestions?

iandude94 · Jul 29, 2008

i dont think you can get a 1080p 42 inch with speakers for 1500

moff_quigley · Jul 29, 2008

I've seen some mid range Sony 1080p TV's advertised for right around $1100. The best deals to be found are when the new models come out and the retailer has a few of the old model left.

woodsguy · Jul 29, 2008

Check out Cambridge Sound Works for your speakers. They have some great factory direct prices. Stuff sounds amazing too.

Drunken_Ninja · Jul 29, 2008

hd sucks. not only is the cable company so screwed up and incapable of providing high quality hd tv but the picture you finally get is not worth it. I know a couple of people who bought them. For one my moms hd doesnt work. her cable box has been replaced twice and she has purchased the different cables from the tv to the box at $120 each twice. They still do not have it right and you do not get the entire picture.

As for my other friend he says that a 50" for $2500 is the best purchase for its value compared to the larger and smaller tvs and is happy. However do you really want to spend that kind of coin on cable when it is all repeats except for sporting events anyhow?

Buy another bike, buy hope disc brakes, buy a trip to amsterdam anything but a tv for the living room. Seriously Id say it is worth surfing the monkey more than it is worth watching the tube.

BrokenChain · Jul 29, 2008

I bought a 42" Olevia 1080p at Target a couple weeks ago for $950+ tax. Amazing picture, and the best deal I've seen around.

Just looked, and the same model is on sale (In store only) for $850...Bastards.

Prettym1k3 · Jul 29, 2008

Hey Josh,

Jehn and I just did a week's worth of insane shopping around and investigation on TV's. We got a 50" Plasma Samsung for about $2,400 out the door, tax included. It was pricey, but well worth it.

If I were you, I'd look into last year's 720p models. Some of the 720p models looked as good if not better than some of the new 1080p models. And you save like 20-35% on them.

Speakers are another story.

ridiculous · Jul 29, 2008

ive been seeing alot of deals online for 1080p 120 hz tvs around the $1200 mark.

Do you already have an amp for your speakers?

On a budget costco is almost always a good bet. I see their Vizio TVs everywhere, the bars, gym etc not a bad picture.

Spero · Jul 29, 2008

Total Heckler said:
Wrong thread.

Good idea. I will look into it some more.

That might be worth doing. Is there really that big of a difference between a 720p and 1080p?

I don't have an amp. I was thinking I could find a 'home theater' set up that included everything. I saw costco had a couple under $200.

As for the tv's costcos pricing was around $1,200-$1,300 for 42 inch - 47 inch models. It's starting to sound more and more like the way to go.

My experience with home theaters thus far in pretty much in line with 'you get what you pay for'. Cheap theater systems sound cheap and fail quickly from what I've learned. You can find a decent system for 5-600 that'll suit your needs IMO.

FreeRide-Junkie · Jul 29, 2008

If you have limited funds for speakers try doing some research and buying used. You can even see if local audio shops have demos or blemished models. You will be best off with 2-3 channels IMO. Either just 2 front speakers, or 2 front speakers and a sub to fill out the sound for movies. Running proper surround sound can get expensive quickly. I would much rather have better sound from 2-3 speakers than crap sound from 5-6.

jimmydean · Jul 29, 2008

Video Only here runs deals all the time for solid TV's (Panasonic is my personal favorite right now) in the $1200 range. Amps are expensive, but a good amp with great speakers often sounds 10x better than a great amp with good speakers.

Drunken_Ninja · Jul 29, 2008

don't say i didnt warn you. i cant say i am not used to getting ignored. Some people just have money to burn the way i see it. you can have your wallet back now

jimmydean · Jul 29, 2008

Total Heckler said:
Yeah I actually just got informed about this video only place. Sounds like it might be something to go check out. There is one an hour or so from me.

The everyday prices suck, but they do run some good specials and they also do a lot of older model/floor model in store sales that can be seriously kick ass.

Brian HCM#1 · Jul 29, 2008

Costco has some good deals. IMO the Panasonic is a hard one to beat for price & picture quality.

jimmydean · Jul 29, 2008

Panasonic usually doesn't have as many cool features or fancy crap, but everything I have ever owned from them has just plain worked. They have awesome quality control, that's for sure.

Atomic Dog · Jul 29, 2008

Why do you feel you need 1080P? As far as I know none of the networks broadcast in 1080P, nor will they any time soon. If you have an Xbox 360 or PS3, or if you plan on getting a blu-ray player, then you might benefit from the added resolution.

The other issue is seating distance. Depending on screen size and seating distance, you may not be able to notice the difference in resolution anyways.

I second the thumbs up for Panasonic. Picked up the 50" plasma last January and love it. Originally I was going to go the cheap route and pick up a Visio, but after reading about some customer service horror stories I spent an extra few hundred for the Panasonic and don't regret it in the least. Costco has their version of the same model I have for around $1200 right now.

Also, if you're not hung up on the slim size of the plasmas/lcds you might look into a DLP. Possibly the best bang for your buck out there. Go to Costco and look at the Samsungs.

JustMtnB44 · Jul 30, 2008

I can't say much about the TV other than my roommate bought a 37" Sharp 1080p TV. The picture is great, but the 1080p is unnecessary for that small of a screen. For 46" or so and up I would think 1080p would be more important.

For a home theater sound system, you definitely get what you pay for. I have followed them for a while, and convinced my parents to buy a home theater in a box (HTIB) system a few years ago. It was a $400 Sony, and it sounds ok but certainly not awesome. So this fall after my roommate bought the TV I decided to get a HT system for our apartment. I looked around at the HTIB systems like some of the better Onkyo systems, but in the end after reading a lot on AVSForum I decided to piece a system together from components. This is a good way to go if you can't afford to buy everything at once, you can just start with a receiver and front speakers and maybe sub then add the center and surround speakers later on. I bought a refurb Harman Kardon receiver from HK's ebay store and closeout Polk speakers from Fry's and a good sub (BIC H-100) from ebay as well. It cost more than you are looking to spend, but for say double the cost of my parents HTIB it sounds at least 10 times better.

surfinguru · Jul 30, 2008

Josh, Atomic Dog and JustMtnB44 just put up some really good info. FWIW, we actually just had to replace our 3 yo 42" Panny. We ended up picking up another 42" Panny from Best Buy down on 41st, but this time with the built in tuner, HDMI inputs etc. It's an even better picture than the old one. Don't sweat the 1080p stuff. Most of the broadcast stuff is still SD and at 42", you're not really going to notice a HUGE difference between the 720 and 1080. Best advice I could give you is go read the AVSForums for about a week or two, post your questions and then make a decision.

jacksonpt · Jul 30, 2008

If you're really looking for something easy and just decent for your speakers, consider a powered 2.1 computer speaker system for ~$100 or so. I have a full on theater in my basement, but run and old 2.1 set of altecs from an old PC and they are sufficient for my family room.

Plug them into the variable out on your TV (may need a $2 cable from radio shack) and you can use the volume control on the TV's remote too. Works great.

UNHrider · Jul 31, 2008

I have a Vizio 47" 1080p gallavea, the 2007 model. I love it. Was a solid buy at $1700 when i got mine. The local HD offerings arent anything special, but you can definitely tell the difference between standard and the Hidef. I also got a PS3 for the blu-ray aspect, and the two together make for an awesome pairing. I just need to go with a nice home stereo system at some point to complete the package.

I never heard of any problems with vizios customer service when i was looking. i havent had any issues with mine.

HDTV suggestions?

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