Want a new TV and 360

[Jon]

I want to spend around a grand for a new TV. Size could be anywhere for 26 to 42, not to big, not to small. It's primary use is going to be playing halo 3 and other games on 360. Maybe some HD TV too. I don't know jack crap about HDTVs so what should i be looking for when it comes to contrast ratio, refresh rate and all that other TV stuff?

Some sales guy had me looking at a 42" LG at best buy yesterday for 989.99 and it looked good to me. What does everything think of LG? Is there another brand i should be looking at?

Is it worth spend a little more and getting a TV that'll do 1080p? The LG only did 720p and i was thinking that that would be enough for playing halo. But i really have NO clue when i comes to TVs.

[Robk0000]

Back to your original post, 1080p is awesome, not much better than 720 but its noticable, I had my bropther buy a 720p tv just because its much cheaper, As long as you have size Quality is not the deciding factor atleast for me. LG is a good brand, I would go with LG, panasonic, Toshiba or Sony Aquos brand line. They all are nice tvs, but if you are looking at 42" and does 180p you are going to spend more than $1000. Also, Are you looking for thin tv or does size depth not matter.


http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...205&CatId=1755 (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3208205&CatId=1755)

There is a sweet Deal! Ill come over and istall it, Free installation!
thats what i would do, but thats just me.

[Robk0000]

wow i just noticed we have the same amount of POSTS, SOOOO COOL!


im on a sugar high right now so dont mind me typing away

[Jon]

The thinner the better, but it doesn't really matter.

[Jon]

How are those projectors in a bright room? My girlfriend has one in her theater and it's no good unless you turn the lights off, granted, it is about 6 years old now though.

[Robk0000]

Yeah the old ones Suck, I have a 900 lumen one in my room, its not a perfect picture. If you have lots of windows you might as well throw the projector outta the room, but if you have one that shines right where your playing the picture, then your pic sucks, As long as you are playing it on a wall where the light doesnt strick directly you are okay, then again if you have window blinds dont worry about windows.

~No direct sunlight on wall where you want the Screen, then you dont have to worry about glare.
~over 1500 lumens and you dont really have to worry about glare, unless your in direct exposure, the 1500 is poretty much ideal for most homes.

[Robk0000]

Also if you dont want a projector, and you want a TV, get a DLP as long as the room is not important, DLP has the same picture as LCD just you pay much less and get a bigger tv.

[Jon]

sweet, thanks for the info. I'm going to go out in a little while and check out some more TVs at the surrounding stores and see what they have to offer.

[Robk0000]

DLP ftw if you dont care about size of actual tv.

[banned4life]

if you are serious and ready to start shopping, ill be happy to look around for u. i got my 42" plasma for ~$700. There are some awesome deals if you shop around. My plasma is a VIZIO, but has an LG panel

[banned4life]

Also if you dont want a projector, and you want a TV, get a DLP as long as the room is not important, DLP has the same picture as LCD just you pay much less and get a bigger tv.

and you pay alot more for bulbs in a dlp

[Robk0000]

bulbs have an expected life around 5000-8000 Hours of use, I changed them for Sears as a tech, plus they are easy to do. About 150 a bulb, and the new ones are very realiable.

[Nate8409]

I want to get rid of my damn TV and get something a little smaller. I have a Sony 32" CRT HDTV.

[Robk0000]

wait Did you say smaller?

[Jon]

wow, this might be the hardest choice i'm goign to make in a long time! There are so many that i like. A couple of 32" and a couple of 42". The 32" i think i've narrowed down to the sony bravia ones. They have two, one has the HBR or something and the other one doesn't. It's like 1350 for the better one and 1000 for the regular one. then there is a 42" LG that looks pretty nice that is 1350 too. They just have so many TVs t's so hard to choose!!

[Nate8409]

All I can say is westinghouse.

[Robk0000]

ahh I see.

[doylfish]

i have a 37in sharp aquos lcd hdtv, really nice stuff, couple hdmi inputs as well, 1080, that's what i would recommend, sharp or samsung, they both make the nicest, clearest, best all around picture, i chose the sharp over the samsung because it was the better deal of the two

[doylfish]

All I can say is westinghouse.


sorry nate man, westinghouse breaks, my bro-in-law's did, my neighbor's did, and another buddy at school had one that broke too..POS

[doylfish]

^^^
btw..how's that defi link?

lol

[Nate8409]

On my shelf. I am waiting until I get another trim piece and am going to remold it in like I had it before.

[Jon]

i was looking at 32" sharp aquos at best buy. I thought it looked great and it had a fast refresh on it too. The sales person said that i was a good TV but he didn't recommend it. I just can't choose what i want to get. If the TV is over 999.99 and i buy a 360 with it, i get 100 off the total price soooo.... I just can't decide.

[Jon]

Well, i'm GOING to get a TV today. I have the day off again today so this is going to happen. I'm kinda leaning towards the sharp right now, but the 42" LG is looking temping too.

On the specs of all the TVs i am looking at it, it says that now are digital cable ready. What does it take it order to watch digital cable on them? Does that just mean i have to hook it up though a comcast box?

[Nate8409]

You just have to have your provider set you up with an HD signal. All you need is digital cable.

[Jon]

All the TV's ARN'T cable ready so does that mean i need to get a box from comcast to watch TV? that's what i meant to type. I read something about getting a cable card for the TVs, anyone know anything about that?

[Robk0000]

if you dont have an HD tuner built in dont buy the TV basically. In january 2009 all analog broadcast will beobsolete. meaning you can watch tv without buying the tuner. Im not sure what they go for but with out the tuner you cant watch HD through cable. or satilite...Go for the smaller TV that comes with more features, IE: 1080P, Remote, built in tuner, and lots of inputs!

[Nate8409]

You don't need the tuner. Only if you are not going to have digital cable. The cable box is the tuner.

[Jon]

They all have a built in HD tuner now, they just don't have a digital tuner built in. So i guess i'd have to get a box from comcast to watch the digital cable we have in our house right?

[Robk0000]

yeah, but thats normal thropuigh your cable provider. I havent looked at tvs in long time, but if you need anything on projectrs, call me!

[doylfish]

you definitely need to subscribe for the hd package from said local cable provider, my TV is HD ready to go, i just don't subscribe, i can pick up a few digital channels like fox, cbs, etc so it's cool, i don't need to pay the extra

[Jon]

Would a regular digital TV box from comcast have the ablilty to take advantage of any of the free HD channels that i get with digital? I know there are a few, like fox and some other local news channels. I was just wondering because i'm a huge lost and 24 fan and if i could get those channels in HD it would KICK ASS!

[Robk0000]

im not sure how it works with cable, with satilite i had to get a seperate dish just for HD channels. Perfect clarity which is all i care about.

[banned4life]

sorry nate man, westinghouse breaks, my bro-in-law's did, my neighbor's did, and another buddy at school had one that broke too..POS

ive had zero problems with my westinghouse

[banned4life]

Would a regular digital TV box from comcast have the ablilty to take advantage of any of the free HD channels that i get with digital? I know there are a few, like fox and some other local news channels. I was just wondering because i'm a huge lost and 24 fan and if i could get those channels in HD it would KICK ASS!


no. You will need a HD digital box. Its maybe 4-5$ more a month than the regular box. at that point, u might as well get a HD DVR box. look for the 6412 or 3416

After reading this thread, there is so much inaccurate information. If you want to speak with me about HDTVs and Comcast, give me a call. I have 3 HD tvs at home and used Comcasts HD DVR box for over 3 years now.

Here are some questions you should understand and be able to answer:

Are you planning on connecting it to an HD comcast box? HDMI, D-SUB, coax, composite or Component?

Are you planning on connecting it via coax cable?

Are you planning on using it with the 360? Component, HDMI, or VGA?

I know you feel like you "need" to buy one soon, but please research wahtever model you buy first on avsforum.com Contrary to popular belief, Sony and Sharp do NOT make the best panels. Actally, there are only 3 or 4 panel makers in the world.

[banned4life]

if u decide that u really want a sharo..

www.sharpusa.com/friendsandfamily

[RobE]

^^^ Those are some pretty sick deals....but I can get better deals on Sharps through work. :p :D

[Jon]

Well i ended up going with a 32" sharp I think it's awesome for what i want. The only problem is i've had to bring it back once for a bad pixel and now i'm going to bring it back again for the same thing. Is it normal to have a bad pixel on a brand new TV. I mean it's so damn tiny, but i sit close to the TV and i can see it when the screen gets dark. I noticed the bad pixels as soon as i turned on the TV for the first time for each of the TVs. The thing that really sucks is that they don't have anymore in stock and i'll have to wait again to get my replacement. Am i just anal or do these things happen on most LCDs?

[Jon]

after a little research, i guess they are not dead, just "stuck". I still think i'm going to try and get a new one tonight.

[Robk0000]

yeah defineatly. Is it a sharp Aquos 32"? if so its probably the smae tv my brother recently picked up. $799 i believe he paid for it, does 1080p really awesome pic and great for HD gaming. Good pick if you got that one.

[Jon]

They had a couple different 32" models there. I got the 32GP1U. It's a beautiful set, besides the white dots i've had trouble with.

Well, time to go set up my 3rd TV!! i hope this one is better, if not, i'm going to try another TV.

[RobE]

good luck.

[Jon]

3rd times a charm! It's beautiful!! I like picking up a few HD channels too.

CBS HD on ch. 4.1
ABC HD on ch. 5.1 and 9.1??
NBC HD on ch. 7.1

I picked those up without a box, just the digital plugged into the TV. Does anyone else know of any other channels that i would pick up in HD? I also noticed that i get a couple of movies now and then on 90.1 and 90.2, that normal?

Oh yea, the 360 in 1080p rocks, especially forza 2 and GRAW2!

[banned4life]

3rd times a charm! It's beautiful!! I like picking up a few HD channels too.

CBS HD on ch. 4.1
ABC HD on ch. 5.1 and 9.1??
NBC HD on ch. 7.1

I picked those up without a box, just the digital plugged into the TV. Does anyone else know of any other channels that i would pick up in HD? I also noticed that i get a couple of movies now and then on 90.1 and 90.2, that normal?

Oh yea, the 360 in 1080p rocks, especially forza 2 and GRAW2!


yes that is normal. those are called OTA HD channels. your tv has a tuner that is able to view them. you will get more (such as NESN HD) once you get a HD box. you should go and look at the VGA cable for 360 if you really want it sitting pretty

[doylfish]

i've got the LC40C37U..good choice on yours man

[doylfish]

if u decide that u really want a sharo..

www.sharpusa.com/friendsandfamily (http://www.sharpusa.com/friendsandfamily)

what's the promotion code eugene? you have one? lol...i'm looking to step up over 37 in

[Nate8409]

Did you get live yet John?

[banned4life]

what's the promotion code eugene? you have one? lol...i'm looking to step up over 37 in


i have one that should work... im not publishing it on the web though

[banned4life]

Did you get live yet John?

live is for suckas.. modded 360 with tons of games FTW

[Robk0000]

i bought bomberman for arcade games last night!

wow that game is the best game for 360! now you guys should get it so we can all play this sick game together.

[Jon]

VGA cable to hook it up to the TV? I thought that the HDMI was top of the line? I got the elite that comes with HDMI so thats how i have it hooked up.

Nate, i'll be on live soon, i just need to run another cable into my room and set it up.

[Robk0000]

yeah thats what i thought?

VGA is computer to monitor or TV whichever...I dont get it.

Oh whats your XBL name, im robk0000

[Jon]

I am taking this TV back and NOT going to be getting a sharp again. This is the 3rd time i'm going to be taking exchanging it because of bad pixels! It was perfect last night and not it's got a nice big dot again. I guess i'll try the LG or the sony i was looking at.

[Robk0000]

LOL, Projectors FTW! no bad pixels eva! just bulbs.

[Jon]

ended up with a 32" sony bravia XBR4. The people said it has much better colors than the sharp and better blacks too. I can't wait to see it. I have to eat dinner first then i'm going to set it up. If this doesn't work, screw it, i'll go projector!

[doylfish]

sorry to hear your troubles man, i love my sharp, maybe it was just the model, give an update on the sony, i'm looking to step up

[Jon]

Well so far the sony is awesome, much more color than the sharp. I did notice like a ghost shadow effect while watching one channel in HD but i haven't noticed it since. Playing forza2 is awesome, i can't notice any difference from 720p to 1080p. In fact, i think it looks better. The sony has a faster refresh rate too. It's just a better TV with a hell of a lot more things to play with to get the picture just how you like it. I'll review it more tomorrow when i get some more time sitting in front of it.

[Jon]

Well after a week of having the sony, i'm still pretty happy. There are a few things that i don't like. The cinemotion and motion flow features are weird. It makes things look 3D. It's odd watching TV that way. And if the picture moves to quickly, it tears really bad. It has 3 setting for the motionflow, high, standard and off. Depending on the show i'm watching, i'll find the best setting. I think the motionflow has something to do with the 120hz processing chip thing. I end up turning cinemotion off which completely disables the 120hz chip and runs like any normal 60 hz TV with 8ms refresh rate. It seems better that way watching SDTV. The TV does a 3:2 pulldown thing which changes the show into 24 FPS from 25, or something like that, and it really screws with your brain watching older shows. It'll seem like it skips a frame every second or so. anywho, i love the TV, the colors are AWESOME and it's great for gaming. With the motion flow on high, gaming looks soooooo good! It makes things look so real. Well i'm really tired and and don't feel like writing anymore so i'll write some more stuff about it soon when i feel up to it.

[TrickyDik]

I need a new TV now too. I'm looking at getting one over the next couple weeks. I'm looking at a price range no higher then $1000. It has to be from best buy too because I want the reward zone points when buying it. Any suggestions for me anyone? Looks like my budget puts me in the 32"-37" range. That is perfect size for my apartment if anyone has been there since the TV will be about 6 feet away.

[Jon]

All of my free HD channels are now gone. Lke ABC and NBC and crap. They worked last night, but now nothing. Did comcrap take them off or something?? Or did my 2 day out of warranty TV break?

[Robk0000]

it was probably a free showing of what you are missng out on, I get those all the time, free Showtime in HD for like 72 hours...i wouldnt worry about it

[Jon]

Those are suppose to be free over the air channels. I've had them for well over a month and now they are gone. I'm going to call comcast now because my parents said when they got the digital cable, comcast said there were free HD channels to be had if you had a TV to pick them up.

[Robk0000]

ahh

[Jon]

Yea we lost channels on our comcrap box too. It just says to wait and they'll be available shortly. They are probably going to be sending out someone tomorrow.