Which HDTV?

[Rox&Mud]

I do want to warn you though, for watching regular TV that is in non HD...for us thats quite a few of the non major stations and some local stations....the picture actually seems more washed out on the lcd than it did on the 32" tube tv we had. I beleive its like taking a photo on the computer and enlarging it...when you do that the low pixel count makes it blurry. But on the flip side when we have a movie on or a tv show in HD its like you could walk into the show.... Someday I'll have to try some HD porn when the wife isn't around

Believe it or not, you can sometimes correct the SD broadcast blurriness by not using the best input such as S-video. On some TV's using the composite input "yellow video RCA jack" will improve the pic using the TV's internal processors/filters that can be bypassed by S-video. This was the case w/ a Samsung I had. Obviously if ya got HD signal then use the best input available, Component, DVI, Hdmi.

On a side note when going to HDTV, I would recommend LCD over plasma unless you are going super large (50" +). LCDs are much more repairable compared to plasmas though you will begin to Plasmas re-emerge due to next wave of super large TVs which will go all the way up to 100" plus. Vizio is known for great customer support and their prices are low but they also have a very high number come back and resold as refurbished.
Just my .02.

If you want a BIG picture w/out Big$$$ you can opt for a projector. Picture size is largely dependent on distance from wall/screen. I use a Sharp DLP HD projector I got about two years ago for $800 + $200 for screen + 13ft = 100" 4:3 ratio (never measured 16:9). At 7' it was about 53" in 4:3. It also doubles for my computer monitor. You can set these up on a table, overhead, upside down even behind a screen with an inverted image. They have virtually no footprint.

My opinion (and for what its worth you are talking about some guy who buys 2-300 TVs per year) if you have been happy with a 19" for that long look for a DLP product. It will be much more familiar to you in terms of price, and longevity.

X2, and there are DLP units that use LCD light sources instead of bulbs, longevity.

 

[VortecJeep]

OK, so a guy at work has a 50" Samsung DLP that he bought in 2005 he is willing to sell me for $600. He said the light engine has been replaced and it comes with a spare bulb. He is single and just said he would like to upgrade and nothing is wrong with it. What do you think?

 

[Rox&Mud]

Probably not a bad deal. Some of the earlier samsung models had board issues, as did mine. They replaced and I had no further problems. Did he get it from Tweeter? If he did and he bought a warranty, it should be transferable. I dont know about other vendor warranty's. Check craigslist and ebay for pricing on that or similar units.

 

[rbo1577186]

I didn't buy a DLP for that reason. Bulbs are only good for 1000 - 3000 hours and $300 a pop.......

We have a Sony Projection, only problem was a green bulb going bad. We had the extended warranty and getting it fixed was no prob.

Someone mentioned that some cheaper TV's are obsolete in a short time. This is true. You may get a good deal on a TV, but in 2 years when it gives you a problem, it may not be serviceable. There goes your $$

 

[NCJeepin]

I purchased a magavox at wallyworld a year ago. Its been a great tv, great picture... good price..

My parents have a visio.... Actualy a nice unit for the money


and my GF's parents have a samsung. and thats a nice unit as well put pricy..


Stay with LCD vs Plasma.

 

[Rox&Mud]

I didn't buy a DLP for that reason. Bulbs are only good for 1000 - 3000 hours and $300 a pop.......
We have a Sony Projection, only problem was a green bulb going bad. We had the extended warranty and getting it fixed was no prob.
Someone mentioned that some cheaper TV's are obsolete in a short time. This is true. You may get a good deal on a TV, but in 2 years when it gives you a problem, it may not be serviceable. There goes your $$

Bulbs are expensive, but you can usually find them much cheaper online. That said, one of the new processes of generating light is using LED's which last much longer than the bulbs but that would be a new tv purchase.