I'm Finally Buying An HDTV

by Jeff Clark on Nov 12, 2010 12:06 PM EST in Enhance Your Experience

This is a sponsored post, but I'm not here to advertise anything, just to "talk about technology" in general. As the title would suggest, I'm buying an HDTV and since I'm doing the research and Black Friday is coming up, I thought I'd share it with you. Enjoy.

First of all, why did it take me so long to buy an HDTV? I have seen what a difference they make and it is pretty jaw dropping I must admit. But, ...well, to be blunt, I'm cheap.

You've got your bleeding edge tech geeks, your early adopters, your mainstream buyers, your "wait for it to come down in price" buyers, and the occasional "you mean they make TVs in color now?" folks. Put me in the "wait for it to come down in price" category.

The good news is that we're finally seeing the prices on these things fall. Overstock and low demand is dropping prices and the theory is that they will drop further on Black Friday. That doesn't mean you should pass up on any deep discounts you see. Some of the "early bird" sales are pretty good and the longer you wait the more you risk seeing the selection dwindle (at any particular store).

Below are some bullet point pointers that I've gleaned over the last few weeks of research. Please feel free to add your own.

LCD vs. Plasma:

LCD uses less power than Plasma but has a smaller viewing angle - better for light color rooms
Plasma uses more power but has a larger viewing angle - shows blacks better and is better in darker rooms
Plasma typically 25% cheaper
More from CNET: Plasma vs. LCD: Which is right for you? - TVs

Specs:

Resolution: 720 vs. 1080 - I haven't got this fully figured out yet but I can give you this link for further research
Refresh Rate: probably important for sports viewers. Lower rates create blur so go higher if your budget allows.
Contrast Ratio - probably ignore this unless you are really into that sort of thing - there's no standard measure so the numbers may or may not mean anything

General Advice:

don't pay extra for HDMI cables - there's no difference between cheap and expensive ones they are trying to earn commission on
skip the extended warranty - usually a 90 day warranty and most models hold up well
every TV has Energy Star certification - not a big deal to have that now
make sure you have enough ports to input all the different systems you want it to access
try it out - ease of use is important
don't forget to use a surge protector

That's what I've come up with. Best of luck if you are searching for a deal as well. Thanks.

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Comments

Hertz, Brand Name, and other things

Go with 120-240 Hz . Trust me. It’s a huge difference. I have three 60 Hz Samsungs (32, 40, and 50") and like them all but wish I had more HZ. The first HD TV I bought was a Westinghouse. It was a price I could not walk away from but I should have. Within 3 months it blew up!!! From then on, I’ll only buy Samsung or Sharp AQUOS. For HDMI, go with this website:

http://www.monoprice.com/home/index.asp

They are the cheapest and best quality place around. They also sell only 1.4 which is what you need if you are lucky enough to get a 3D TV. All 1.4 are backwards compatible.

If you feel you must have a warranty, try:

http://www.cpscentral.com/index.aspx

It’s a great warranty at a good price.

by Chief # 1 on Nov 12, 2010 12:42 PM EST reply actions

Have both Sharp AQUOS and Samsung and

I like the Samsung picture better. I bought the Sharp first and I thought I was happy. Then got the Samsung for another room because in the store it was just a better picture quality, and that’s proven to be the case at home as well. I heard this may be because Samsung actually makes the screens themselves (??).

by Surferdad on Nov 12, 2010 1:45 PM EST up reply actions

For value, I'm going to put in a prop for Insignia

I like Samsung and LG as well, and have a lot of electronics from both around the house. But my last two HDTV purchases both were Insignia and I am very pleased with both the value and performance.

by mmmmm on Nov 12, 2010 1:01 PM EST reply actions

Insignia and Dynex are both Best Buy store brands. They are not bad tvs by any measure.

From my experience (admitting that it is not current within the last 6 months) both Insignia and Dynex have bad contrast ratios, so the blacks look like charcoal gray. Depending on what you watch or do with your HDTV that may not affect you. But my TV doubles as my gaming computer monitor.

He knows not his own strength that hath not met adversity.

by Kungfuguy on Nov 12, 2010 2:15 PM EST up reply actions

Both mine are less than a year old

the latter, just 3 months .

I would say neither have the poor contrast you are talking about. ‘Sitting here at the moment watch ’How to Train a Dragon’ with my daughter, which is heavy CG animation and the contrasts and general picture are excellent.

Also you can get most modern screens color-calibrated – maybe the ones you saw were not. It makes a huge difference and can make a cheap display look better than a much higher priced one, if the latter is off.

When you look at screens on the store shelves, you often will say to yourself, “Gee this one looks too warm.” or “That one looks to stark.” – yet if both screens were properly calibrated you might not see hardly any difference between them.

by mmmmm on Nov 12, 2010 4:28 PM EST up reply actions

here are a couple articles on calibrating you hdtv

ymmv:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/148462/how_to_calibrate_your_hdtv.html

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1975752,00.asp

I found both of these to be pretty useful.

One thing that is obvious is that ‘charcoal’ blacks are probably a symptom of brightness being turned up too much – for the store showroom flourescent lights. Not the generally dimmer environment of your living room.

by mmmmm on Nov 12, 2010 5:06 PM EST up reply actions

Also check out newegg.com. site where i got my first HDTV that was extremely affordable and lasted over 5 years (only reason i lost it was because of a housefire). you can basically put in your price range and/or what brand name you’re looking for, great site for electronics in general but i especially love them for tvs

by JBone4eva on Nov 12, 2010 1:55 PM EST reply actions

You list LCD and Plasma, but what about the new kid in town . . . LED?

From what I understand, Plasma is on the way out and soon may not be an option due to energy usage.

I was in Sam’s Club this weekend and LCD’s were extremely on sale, 32’s 42’s etc. That may indicate something, like end of life is coming for these as well?

What I really loved was the LED’s. Those are the very, very thin ones. They have quick refresh rates for sports and here is a major clue: Look for the FOUR (4) color ones, the ones that include yellow. The salesman said that you cannot make yellow from the standard three pixtel colors, you can only get close. The LED’s with 4 colors give a truer color renditioning.

Another great feature with the LED’s was that you could stand way over to the side without any noticable loss of picture clarity.

One last thing, from what I have read, 240 Hz is the way to go for fast-moving action, be it a movie or sports.

I haven’t bought one yet because I have a 54" Hitachi Ultrascan HD old style set from 2001. It is still going strong, but my sister had the same unit and hers was dead after 2 or 3 years. Part of me wants to see my TV die, ever since my inlaws got the plasma. The difference is striking!! My Mother-in-law loves to watch the Celtics now that she has the net TV.

Jeff, before you buy, you better check the LED’s out. They are new, so they are a little pricier, but you have to remember, when spread over the entire life of the unit, it is not that much extra to pay each year.

by GetYourSoxOn on Nov 12, 2010 2:36 PM EST reply actions

*now that she has the new TV

*new

by GetYourSoxOn on Nov 12, 2010 2:38 PM EST up reply actions

Seriously, one last thing . . .

The LED may make the “LCD Vs. Plasma” debate as relevent as the “Betamax Vs. VCR” debate of the late 70’s early 80’s.

by GetYourSoxOn on Nov 12, 2010 2:58 PM EST reply actions

honest question

not trying to be snarky – but why would I care if it is getting phased out? doesn’t that just lower the price for me? it isn’t like I’m going to find my TV to be incompatible with my other equipment (like BETA)

"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers" Henry V

by Jeff Clark on Nov 12, 2010 3:07 PM EST up reply actions

It's an honest question and it may matter to some.

I agree that after you buy your new set, whether or not the technology behind it is being advanced doesn’t enter into the equation. You bought it, and that is that.

More relevant is the possibility that the technology not only is being phased out, but that the Research and Developement in that specific technology may have ended months or even years ago. But then again, that is one reason that the price has come down.

Like I said, it may matter to some that the developement cycle is over or winding down. For some, it is price. I will say that no matter what, any of these options would be a huge upgrade in viewing pleasure.

I think the LED is both an upgrade of and a compromise between the other two choices.

Super thin, low power usage, no loss of picture at wide angles, good refresh rates, better color rendering, great in low lighted rooms as well as darker rooms, etc. I am not a salesman, but I had a conversation with one just last week at Sears.

I read the Consumer Reports article about “Plasma vs. LCD” back when LED’s were first out. I don’t believe it (CR) is quite a year old, but it mentioned LED’s and said some of the stuff I wrote above.

by GetYourSoxOn on Nov 12, 2010 3:40 PM EST up reply actions

I had to go hd way back when I had to go directv for the nba pass

They charge you more for a hd receiver, but to see the Cs put the beat down on teams in hd is, well, priceless. The receiver also has one of the greatest inventions ever which is now very old news, a dvr—so I can rewind & watch Rajon’s dunk in slo mo about 10 times & savor the moment as my fix until the next game. Seriously, I need the dvr a lot of times to see, appreciate, & fully understand what Rajon is doing. There are a lot of things which Rajon does (like breaking up that bosh alley oop) which are never mentioned in the games. You can rewind & enjoy them in hd. He could be the world’s best magician with that hand speed.

My big hd tv is a plasma samsung. It’s worked very well over the years except for 1 hd port on the back not working. I didn’t think to test all the ports when I first got it = you should probably test all the ports (don’t assume anything). The only thing I hate about it is the heat it puts off. I’m heat sensitive (no pun intended), & I have to make sure there is good air flow in the room because it acts like a heater. Still, it’s worth it to be able to cheer the Cs & yell at the refs & the enemy & Doc (occasionally) etc in hd. I support your decision to go hd 100%. You will be very happy after you’ve watched a C victory in hd on your own tv the first time. From there, it will be an addiction…you can never go back.

by Ibemebe on Nov 12, 2010 3:45 PM EST reply actions

2 real choices

they have been mentioned before but, I have to concur. It goes Samsung-Sony, both are really good but will put a hurting on your pocket. Then Sharp….. not much diffrence from the rest. I found I could have bought a Samsung at the same stats for about 1800. I ended up with a Sharp Aquios same stats for about 900. the stats 40inch 120 htz, 1080p, 10,000:1 contrast ratio and LED LCD. It was last years best model, but I LOVE IT. sports are the greatest thing on TV right now. I may never go to another game in person for a worse view. The newer models claim they can go on the net. Mine is setup that way as well. Bang for your buck it is Sharp. If you want the absolute best picture Samsung and Sony are the ways to go, just you cant really go anywhere else after spending that much.

Jeffrey M Melhorn

by 18-1 damn on Nov 12, 2010 4:49 PM EST reply actions

Avoid Philips, Magnavox and Vizio

I had a Philips 42 LCD 1080p and it lasted a little over two years. The screen went completely black during a Red Sox game. I was quoted around $600 to have it fixed and the repair shop said Philips had this known defect with their boards. They said Sony and Samsung were the best made TVs.

I’m thinking of a Samsung 42 inch Plasma which is currently priced around $499 and hopefully this will drop some for Christmas. If it craps out in two or three years then it won’t be as painful to dispose of compare to a more expensive TV. I would also recommend the extended warranty if buying a real expensive TV. This way if you do have issues after a few years then you will be covered.

My in-laws bought two Vizio LCD 1080 TVs from Costco. One was a 50 inch and it had problems with overheating after having it for thirty days. Vizio tech support told my father in-law to put a house fan behind the TV to cool it down. It worked until they were able to replace the TV.

by Maguire10 on Nov 12, 2010 7:26 PM EST reply actions

I bought a Vizio from Walmart for quite cheap.

Surprising how cheap TVs are these days. No issues at all with the Vizio. It’s 3 years old now.

The beatings will continue until morale improves.

by Mencius on Nov 14, 2010 11:08 AM EST up reply actions

So many options.

If you want more screen for the buck, get a projection DLP, I recommend Toshiba. I`ve had mine for 4yrs. Did have to replace the lamp.200 bucks. Not to bad. If you have small children beware, they will scratch up your screen, especially if it is a 65 inch. If you go plasma, I would say Panasonic. Check consumer reports.Stay away from the cheapy brands. LCD, I would go with Sony or Samsung. Make sure you by the right size Tv for the room.

by Rebound Machine on Nov 12, 2010 10:29 PM EST reply actions

Has anyone on here bought a TV from "Abes of Maine" ?

I have bought one large LCD from Amazon and had no issues…but Abes of Maine has better prices and I am getting ready to buy my 3rd Samsung and this time I am going top of the line Plasma….so I need more savings

just curious if anyone knows about this online store…thanks

Is it Soup Yet?

by Master Po on Nov 13, 2010 12:19 PM EST reply actions

I bought a couple high-speed SD cards for a new camera a few months ago, as Abe’s had the best price, and they came just fine.

I think their only actual location is in New Jersey, for what it’s worth. They started in Maine and kept the name when they moved. Guess “Abe’s of Jersey” didn’t have the same ring.

by FierceLikePaulPierce on Nov 13, 2010 7:36 PM EST up reply actions