[I Are Baboon]

What do you think about this Sharp Aquos 46" LCD HDTV?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8220089&type=product&id=1166236338097&ref=06&loc=01&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=8220089

It's going on sale at Circuit City for $1500 on Black Friday and I want a 46" HDTV. I mostly watch movies and sports.

Seems like a pretty good deal but I don't know much about HDTV technology or what to look for.



TV haters need not reply.

 

[Westy]

I'm not a hater but that $1500 could buy you a very nice bike frame.

 

[I Are Baboon]

Can't I have both?

 

[Da Peach]

I seem to remember that one being pretty nice when I bought my 37" toshiba last year, for a couple hundred bucks more than you'll be paying for that one. Plus it's 1080p, which mine isn't, but that may not matter that much to you if you're not a TV nerd. Which I'm not.

Looks like a good deal. Go for it.

 

[Westy]

Can't I have both?

I forgot the new wealth that the credit system will bring you mods. Buy me one while your at it.

 

[I Are Baboon]

Buy me one while your at it.

A frame or a TV?


Peach, thanks for the input!

 

[Westy]

A frame or a TV?


Peach, thanks for the input!

I would be grateful for either but would prefer a frame, 23.5" TT.

 

[narlus]

1080p seems to be the next big push, but unless you are a heavy gamer or have/plan to buy an HD-DVD player, there will be little to no TV broadcast content for a while.

it's kinda like having an exotic sports car for a commuter. yeah, you can go to track and open it up, but how often will you do that?

 

[SK6]

I was wondering about that because we're in the market for one as well. We have Comcast and the box we have does HD, but only 1080i. However I figured that getting the 1080i now will save me in the long run.

 

[syadasti]

1080p seems to be the next big push, but unless you are a heavy gamer or have/plan to buy an HD-DVD player, there will be little to no TV broadcast content for a while.

it's kinda like having an exotic sports car for a commuter. yeah, you can go to track and open it up, but how often will you do that?

Except for the fact the price difference isn't that significant these days.

I would check out http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/ to see which TV are good bets right now and see what deals are available.

 

[Mike B.]

Lots of info here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=845752

The recent Samsung LCD sets have some banding issues and inconsistencies in screen quality. The Black Friday CC ad I saw didn't have the set you linked to. It does have a different 46" Samsung LCD for $1300 though. I believe it was a 64u model.

Found the CC ad: http://www.ashuc.com/fatwallet/ccall.pdf

My BF approach on items such as this is go this week and look at it when you have time and there is no mad rush. If you like, buy it then and go in for a price match on BF. I always use my AmEx with return guarantee so if they fight the price match I'll go through AmEx for my refund/return. I'd rather give the thing up and score a deal elsewhere than pay the full price. My card also doubles the manufacturer warranty so I don't ever purchase an extended warranty even though they aren't a bad idea on HD sets.

 

[binary visions]

For $1500 I'd snap it up. The 46" panel is reputed to be one of the nicer ones that Sharp is still making (rather than outsourcing).

There will need to be a fairly sizable shift in transmission infrastructure before anyone considers broadcasting a 1080p signal, but there will be more and more movies released at that resolution. Since you're not a tech junkie who will be upgrading a lot, at least this will give you the option to choose a HD DVD or Blu Ray player and enjoy its full output.

I love my home theater PC attached to my HDTV. Watching movies is as simple as scrolling through the list and double clicking my choice . Jenn and I have been watching Planet Earth in 720p and it's absolutely outstanding in HD.

edit: MikeB: price matching... that's genius. I am suddenly more interested in Black Friday sales.

 

[I Are Baboon]

1080p seems to be the next big push, but unless you are a heavy gamer or have/plan to buy an HD-DVD player, there will be little to no TV broadcast content for a while.

it's kinda like having an exotic sports car for a commuter. yeah, you can go to track and open it up, but how often will you do that?

Honestly I don't know too much about that 1080 technology or HD-DVD stuff. I was just looking at the ad and read reviews online. I'm looking for a good quality flat screen HDTV that isn't too expensive. $1500 seemed like a good price for a good TV. The difference between buying this and buying the exotic sports car is that I'm only spending $1500 here.

 

[binary visions]

The number just refers to the lines of vertical resolution. p stands for progressive (which means every line is filled in), i stands for interlaced (which essentially means only half the lines are filled in, or half the resolution).

1080p means 1080 lines of vertical resolution. 1080i means 540 lines. 720p means 720 lines... etc.

 

[Mike B.]

Found a CNET review of the 52" version: http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-and-plasma/sharp-lc-52d64u/4505-6482_7-32572268.html?tag=sub

Kind of interested in this myself, would look good over my fireplace and free up some space from the 50" LCD rear projection I have now. Buying local would be a safeguard if the banding was annoying.

BV: the price match is kind of nice since you cruise in at 10am with beverage of choice in hand, well rested from the feast the day before, instead of standing out in the cold.

 

[MtnBikerChk]

Anyone have a pickup truck we can borrow? LOL

 

[binary visions]

Beware of comparing reviews of different sized LCDs. The panel is completely different in the 52" version, since they don't just add more pixels around the edges to make it larger, so consequently performance can be completely different.

 

[oldskoolbiker]

I just want to throw out one tip. DO NOT buy any cables from CC or BB. They are insanely over priced. And when you get your HDTV, you'll need Component cables for your DVD, HDMI or DVI cables for your cable/satellite box. Usually components only come with basic cables, not the HD connection cables. CC & BB sell those cables for like $40-$100 each. I recommend partsexpress.com

Here is an example. The cheapest HDMI cable on the CC website is $38.00. On partsexpress.com their cheapest is $18.00.

 

[binary visions]

I agree with that completely. Actually, I'd recommend monoprice.com as they are generally even cheaper than partsexpress.com and sell some very nice cables.

 

[Westy]

part sex press.com

I'm checking that out after work.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

That 46" Sharp looks like a good deal. Go fo it.

The 3 HDMI inputs is what really stands out to me...I like that companies started doing that. Now you can plug more than one HD device in at one time...that rulez. Good point on the cables and price matching too. I'll have to look into that when I start shopping again....

 

[LordOpie]

That TV looks good to me! It'll last you for years as your buying technology that won't get outdated any time soon. We bought a 42" LCD 1080i/720p for $1400 last year, FYI FWIW.

One advice tho, unless you're comfortable hanging that thing on the wall, just hire someone to do it.

It took me several hours to get it up.

I don't regret it one bit as it was fun, but my stud finder wouldn't penetrate the wall well enough, so I took off the dry wall to see what's up. Turns out that where we were hanging -- the built-ins -- were built up and somehow got two layers of dry wall on top of some supports. Kind of confusing. What I wound up doing was attaching it directly to the interior support studs and rebuilding the drywall around it.

It is not as clean and professional as I'd like, but it's hidden and it made putting the wires though the wall to connect TV to components much easier.

 

[gonefirefightin]

If you have a frys nearby I would reccomend searching there. much better deals on flat screens

 

[SK6]

Anyone have a pickup truck we can borrow? LOL

Yup.[][/]

 

[syadasti]

If you have a frys nearby I would reccomend searching there. much better deals on flat screens

Yeah SAMSUNG LNT4665 $1799 for example and its not even BF...

Best Buy charges $2,339.99 for the same set "on sale"!

 

[Transcend]

I have last year's model of the 46". I ended up picking it up as I got a killer deal and in store it was quite clearly the winner image wise. The store I was at was using a blue-ray DVD feed and it was the winner in quality by a large margin.

I use 1080p for my xbox (and the rez when i plug in my laptop) and it is fantastic.

We had to take it out of it's box to fit it in the backseat of the car.

 

[PatBranch]

A 1080p flat tv connected to my computer, on the wall next to me would be so awesome.

 

[gonefirefightin]

A 1080p flat tv connected to my computer, on the wall next to me would be so awesome.

you just want to " be a part of" the porn you are downloading

 

[PatBranch]

Damn, you're good!

 

[I Are Baboon]

I was reading that Circuit City has a 15% restocking fee if we return the TV? What the hell kind of donkey crap is that?

Tweeter does price matching if you find the product cheaper somewhere else up to 30 days after the purchase, and I don't see anything about a restocking fee with them.

 

[binary visions]

WTF?

Are you sure? I bought my TV from circuit city and inquired about the return policy before I bought it, since it was kind of an impulse item. They said I had 30 days with no restocking fee. Maybe it's only online that they charge a fee?

 

[binary visions]

In-store returns, this is the only restocking fee restriction I see:

Digital cameras, camcorders, desktop PCs, notebook PCs, monitors, printers, scanners, projectors, PDAs, mobile video, GPS and radar detectors must be returned within 14 days of the sale date, and (except where prohibited by law) are subject to a 15% restocking fee if returned opened or in a non-factory sealed box.

No TVs.

 

[I Are Baboon]

Hmmm....

Of course I could always go there and ask them about it.

 

[narlus]

why would you need to return it?

 

[I Are Baboon]

why would you need to return it?

I don't know. Why would you return anything?

You don't like it.
It doesn't work to your satisfaction.
It breaks.
It makes you look fat.


Have you never returned something you bought?

 

[syadasti]

It makes you look fat.

Change the aspect ratio newb

 

[narlus]

I don't know. Why would you return anything?

You don't like it.
It doesn't work to your satisfaction.
It breaks.
It makes you look fat.


Have you never returned something you bought?

yeah, i return stuff for reason #3. there shouldn't be a restock fee for faulty equipment.

if i'm spending decent $$$ on something, it won't be a rash decision, so i'm pretty sure that reasons #1 and 2 will be known prior to my taking ownership of it.

haven't figured out a good way around #4 yet.

 

[Da Peach]

I'm sure you won't need to return it.

Buy it and enjoy. Especially if you're going to HD from regular TV.

 

[LordOpie]

you will not return this.

You'll exchange it if it's broken, but you're gonna be wow'ed! You'll keep flipping back-and-forth between a network that has both regular and HD broadcasts and wonder how you lived before.

 

[MtnBikerChk]

Honestly, I'm just nervous if they decide not to honor the price match - ie: if they say it's part of a limited quantity, then that's in their price match policy that says they don't have to honor it.

SO in that case, I take the tv and return it - and rebuy it.

that's why I had IAB read the return policy. I mean that's a LOT of money to save on that set!

edit: LO - we have HD in our bedroom on a 26" set and LOVE it - that's why we're going to the living room with a BIG screen and I've ordered cables from monoprice before too!