need to get a new TV to go with the Series 3 - TV selection and merchant advice ?

[c-surfer]

I need to get a new TV to go with my Series 3. Although, HD programming downsampled to S-Video by the Tivo looks better than standard on my 27 inch set.

I'd like to get a new Sony KDL-40V2500 40" with full 1080 resolution but would appreciate any model selection advice.

Also, who shall I order from?

http://www.pricegrabber.com/p__Sony_BRAVIA_KDL_40V2500_40_LCD_TV,__25949446/sort_type=bottomline

Are dead pixels an issue with large sets? When I last ordered a large LED monitor, I used Tiger Direct and there was one bright green pixel. Tiger Direct happily exchanged it. Tiger Direct specifically state all TV exchanges must be though Sony however.

Does Sony honor warranties from small (and perhaps dodgy) merchants like http://www.drplasma.com ?

[Granzella]

If you order from crutchfield, you get free shipping and no tax. I just ordered a TV from them today. (sony KDS-60a2000). Also they have a no interest and no payments until Jan. 2009.

[myosh_tino]

I just ordered a 26" Sony LCD HDTV (KDL-26S2010) from J&R out of New York for about $900 which includes 2-day UPS shipping. I did buy a mobo from them a couple of years ago for a computer I was building and as I recall, I didn't have any problems with them. Hopefully this purchase will go the same way.

FWIW, the same TV from Circuit City costs over $1100 which includes sales tax. Also, this is my first HDTV and my Series 3 should be arriving early next week. Am I excited? You bet!

[mstrroissy]

A suggestion here, if you have a Costco membership, buy a tv from them at the store, or on their website. For now they still offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on purchases from their stores. What does this mean? If at any time during your ownership of this equipment, it fails, they will give you your money back. I know it sounds too good to be true but it is well worth it. I have taken advantage of this policy twice in recent months.

Cell phones, wifes and my cell phones both started having issues about the same time (2+years). We took them back they refunded the FULL $500 price of the phones. When we re-upped our contract and bought brand new phones we made a PROFIT of $200 for using the phones for 2 years.

Now I know you are thinking, why is he spouting off about cell phones when we asked about tv's. Well.....I thought the phones were too good to be true, they MUST have made a mistake.... so here's my beautiful 60" Sony HD Projection tv, about 2 1/2 years old....well out of warranty. I start having an issue with the component video inputs, and call the sony dealer to get service..... they wanted almost $1000 to come out a replace the input card....EFF that. Longer story shorter..... it wasn't the board, and now I am stumped. I call Costco up on the rare chance that they had some sort of Extended warranty on this expensive type of set. They say no, they don't ever sell extended warranties (input heart sinking here) but they do refunds and exchanges (WHAT!!! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING!!) So we load the truck up, return the 2 1/2 year old tv, and get my $2500 back!!! We walked over to the tv isle and bought another one from Costco immediately. Bottom line, if they have a tv with all the features you're after get if from them.

TV Recommendation: Get something that has 1080p. Right now you may not see a difference, but this is what you need to fully appreciate HD from HD-dvd or Blu-ray, and most 1080p sets can also double as a HUGE monitor for your computer....watch all your media, surf the net, play solitaire on a big screen. I got the Samsung HL-S6767W (http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11126871&whse=BC&Ne=5000000+4000000&N=4001374%204294966780%205000015&Mo=10&No=2&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&Sp=C&topnav=)

[Jazhuis]

I will give you the same advice that someone gave on these forums, which is some of the best I've seen. If you're looking for a new HDTV:

1. Go to www.avsforum.com.
2. Read the various HDTV forums as research, get a feel for what's out there and people's opinions.
3. Make your selection, and go find someplace to purchase it for a reasonable price.
4. NEVER VISIT AVSFORUM EVER AGAIN.

Step #4 is probably the most important part of that equation.

[AbMagFab]

Some general advice:

- HD on anything less that 42-50" isn't that much better than (good) SD on the same size set. Unless you're sitting about 4-feet from the TV, you won't get a ton of benefit from the HD set.

- If you have to have that small a set, you really don't need 1080p, as you definitely won't see a difference between 1080p and 720/768p. The only benefit is that it's a newer set so some of the internals might be better.

- Plasma is, IMO, on the way out. It's hot, thicker, has a short life, has burn-in, and generally a softer picture (which some prefer).

- LCD flat panels are great, but still too expensive, IMO, per inch.

- DLP is getting better with the LED (versus color wheel), but it's still wobulated and single-chip for 1080p, which makes it inferior.

- DILA/SXRD (LCoS) is the current superior 1080p TV technology, with three chips and true 1080p, and lots of other great things.

I personally prefer Sony, and lean towards the XBR line. You really can't go wrong there.

[Mike Farrington]

So, with Cosco...

Do you need to maintain your membership to get that return service? I would think so, but does anybody know for certain? The closest Costco is about an hour away, so maintaining a membership would be wasteful. But I wouldn't mind paying $50 for an initial membership for this kind of protection.

[IzzyB68]

So, with Cosco...

Do you need to maintain your membership to get that return service? I would think so, but does anybody know for certain? The closest Costco is about an hour away, so maintaining a membership would be wasteful. But I wouldn't mind paying $50 for an initial membership for this kind of protection.

I *think* you have to maintain membership....not sure since once we got membership we have always kept it. We save way too much money at Costco's to not keep our membership there.

[astrohip]

Some general advice:

- HD on anything less that 42-50" isn't that much better than (good) SD on the same size set. Unless you're sitting about 4-feet from the TV, you won't get a ton of benefit from the HD set.

Maybe I'm reading this wrong, are you saying a 40" HD TV serves no purpose (unless you camp in front of it)? I would strongly disagree. I have a Sony 40XBR3 LCD, and the difference between HD and SD on that TV is astounding. It is so dramatic a difference that I find myself avoiding SD shows, unless they are must see TV.

We have one in the den, and one on the wall of our bedroom. Just to pick one, the bedroom one is about 12-14 feet from the head of the bed. We specifically bought it because watching HD in the den spoiled us for HD, and we had to have it for late night viewing pleasure :D

There may be a point at which a TV is small enough that HD vs SD becomes a non-issue. 40" is not that point. Further, we tried a 46" in the bedroom, and found it too large for viewing comfort. 40" is a perfect size for many settings, and HD on a Sony Bravia LCD is mind-blowing.

PS: go with 1080p; makes you future-proof for the next few years.

[nastychild]

[AbMagFab]

- Plasma is, IMO, on the way out. It's hot, thicker, has a short life, has burn-in, and generally a softer picture (which some prefer).


this made my day, what a nonsense statement, the only excuse is that you are saying "IMO"

nasty

[IzzyB68]

this made my day, what a nonsense statement, the only excuse is that you are saying "IMO"

nasty

We all have our opinions and most of them are nonsense statements...because they are our opinions. Like for me I like DLP the best. I feel I get a good quality TV for a good price. I don't need the "best" on the market because I would pay for that. I want the best I can get for the money I want to spend.

[Jerry_K]

I just went through the pick an HDTV set gauntlet.

My findings.

I can see the pixels on all LCD and Plasma regardless of whether 720p or 1080p and regardless of size.

There are some nice DLP sets.

Samsung, for some reason the Samsung shows jaggies on edges. And it's SD performance leaves a lot to be desired.

Sony sets have nice "smooth" picture but colors are somewhat washed out. Not quite the snap I would expect for multi thousands of dollars.

I settled on a Mitsubishi WD57831. I bought from our local BigScreen store.

I looked at the other Mitsubishi models, the 731 and 732 are fine but just miss that final WOW factor for me.

The 65 inch was side by side with the 57 and I could see pixelization on it from over 13 feet away. Could not see any pixelization on the 57.

You MUST see these wth your own eyes. Everyone of us has different expectations and opinions on what looks good to us. Be absolutely certain to view SD on the set too. If the salesman will not put an SD feed on then you better bet the set is horrible with SD. The salesman at the bigscreen store jumped at the opportunity to show me the SD feed. Rightfully so. The Mitsu makes my SD DTiVo recordings look very good indeed.

[DeathRider]

You have to keep up the membership in order to get the satisfactory guarantee

But even @ $50/year is probably less than most extended warranty prices. Plus, even if you go 1/month to Costco to purchase stuff, you can still make it worth your while if you stock up on stuff.

I was thinking of getting a Costco membership now that I'm close to one again, but may just take the hour+ drive to New Hampshire to forgo the sales tax...

I remember someone telling me Sony uses Samsung panels. Not sure if it's true, since it was a best buy salesperson. But i wouldn't find it too far fetched. I think Samsung makes great products anyway and unless the Sony is vastly superior, I would prefer Samsung myself.

From what I read, anything smaller than 42", Plasma oses it's edge in resolution to LCD. Plasma does have a linmited lifespan, they are prone to burnin (but I've seen burnin on a LCD (on 24/7, static display, approximately a year old).

DLP may seem to have a limited bulb life for some and aren't cheap replacements.

[IzzyB68]

DLP may seem to have a limited bulb life for some and aren't cheap replacements.

Yes, mine went last night after a little over 2 years old. We got the Best Buy Warrenty so everything is covered and they are coming on Wednesday to replace it. Now it is a pain not having our main TV that long, but then again my husband is getting a ton of work done around the house...so it may not be too bad :)

We use our TV more now, so I am hoping the bulb goes one more time before our warrenty runs out :)

[AbMagFab]

Maybe I'm reading this wrong, are you saying a 40" HD TV serves no purpose (unless you camp in front of it)? I would strongly disagree. I have a Sony 40XBR3 LCD, and the difference between HD and SD on that TV is astounding. It is so dramatic a difference that I find myself avoiding SD shows, unless they are must see TV.

Yes, I'm basically saying this.

Start with good quality SD on a quality 27" 4x3 SD TV. It looks amazing from more than about 5 feet away. The colors are good, the detail is great, and it's virtually indistinguishable from an HD picture at that size and distance.

Go to a 32" TV, and you get pretty much the same results, expecially if you're a little further away (like 6-8 feet).

A 40" 16x9 TV is basically a 32" 4x3 TV. Specifically, a 4x3 image on a 40" 16x9 TV has a 32" diagonal.

Your eye simply can't distinguish the pixels on the TV from 480p to 1080p at the distances your talking about.

Take the other end. A 60" 1080p HDTV will only look better than a 720p 60" TV at 6-9 feet. Any further, and your eye can't make out the pixels.

So:
1) A 40" HD TV viewed at more than around 6 feet is no better than a 32" SD TV, except that it looks cool.

2) A 40" 1080p set versus a 720p/768p set is pointless when viewed at any distance, except perhaps for better/newer resolution-independent features.


What you're likely really seeing is the better quality HD source material. If you were to view that same source material on a good SD set, it would look just as good to you as it does on the 40" HD set. The only issue is the 16x9 versus 4x3, which isn't insignificant, but certainly wasn't what you were hailing.

What the TV manufacturers really need to start doing is 480p 16x9 sets at ~42" and below, and 1080p sets at ~60" and above.

[AbMagFab]

this made my day, what a nonsense statement, the only excuse is that you are saying "IMO"

nasty
Want to be more specific? Plasma is definitely on the way out:

#1 - LCD flat-panels are getting cheaper every day.

#2 - LCD flat-panels have no phosphers (ergo no burn in)

#3 - LCD flat-panels can be made larger than Plasma sets

#4 - LCD flat-panels run much cooler

#5 - LCD flat-panels can be made much thinner (and lighter)

#6 - LCD flat-panels have a crisper, brighter look

#7 - LCD flat-panels don't have the life-span issues of Plasma

It's pretty well known that LCD flat-panels have replaced Plasma. Plasma is all but obsolete, with only bargain-basement plasma left available (since they can't compete on anything but price).

The only people who would argue this are people who own Plasma sets, and can't accept technology evolution.

[SC0TLANDF0REVER]

Want to be more specific? Plasma is definitely on the way out:
They aren't going anywhere.
#1 - LCD flat-panels are getting cheaper every day.
So are plasmas.
#2 - LCD flat-panels have no phosphers (ergo no burn in)
Plasma don't have BI issues anymore.
#3 - LCD flat-panels can be made larger than Plasma sets
Bigger than the Panasonic 103" as seen on NBC Football? Give a direct link please.
#4 - LCD flat-panels run much cooler
My plasma doesn't exactly heat up the room.
#5 - LCD flat-panels can be made much thinner (and lighter)
Until we're watching TV on 'paper displays' I don't see either being as thick as they are currently as being a 'dealbreaker'.
#6 - LCD flat-panels have a crisper, brighter look
In Your Opinion. Everyone knows this is a Subjective Opinion.
#7 - LCD flat-panels don't have the life-span issues of Plasma
What life span issues? 60,000 hrs *Half-Life'? That's a non-issue.
It's pretty well known that LCD flat-panels have replaced Plasma. Plasma is all but obsolete, with only bargain-basement plasma left available (since they can't compete on anything but price).

The only people who would argue this are people who own Plasma sets, and can't accept technology evolution.
I do own a plasma - but I'm not writing this because I have to 'justify my purchase'. I'm doing so because you may steer those who don't know better away from a technology they may thoroughly enjoy.


.....

[AbMagFab]

Okay, you need to go hang out with the CRT guys. No burn in, cheaper, long life, big...

Plasma is all but dead. I'm glad you have one, enjoy it, but it's irresposible to steer anyone today towards a plasma purchase, when they are basically obsolete.

Technologies die, we have to move on.

DLP color-wheel is all but dead as well (replaced with LED). Wobulation will be dead in another year (replaced with true 1080p). Single-chip DLP will be dead in 2-3 years (replaced with true 3-chip). All these changes are why it's good to steer away from DLP, as it's still 2-3 generations away from even meeting DILA/SXRD (which will be vastly improved by then as well).

LCD flat-panel has replaced Plasma. Period. I no longer state this as an opinion, but as fact.

[bmgoodman]

LCD flat-panel has replaced Plasma. Period. I no longer state this as an opinion, but as fact.

I am sexier than a young Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt combined! I no longer state this as an opinion, but as fact. Sadly, I can cite no corroborating evidence nor produce any well-regarded links, so you must take my word for this fact. :D

I own no HD set yet, but so far, I've seen MANY, MANY LCDs whose picture lags a typical plasma screen. I cannot see myself settling for an LCD if I buy in the next year or so. BTW, this paragraph is entirely my opinion.

[nastychild]

AbMagFab
Want to be more specific? Plasma is definitely on the way out:

I am sorry if a was too harsh, maybe I didn't express myself correctly. It wasn't so much nonsense but a false statement probably on all 5 issues regarding plasmas that you listed. Of course everyone has opinion but a lie is a lie. At the end of the day you buy what fits your pocket and preferences.

nasty

[Jerry_K]

And LCD's have got missing pixels many times. And not a dadgum thing will the vendor do about that nice black spot or spots on your screen. No thanks.

And I am even sexier than bmgoodman. My feeble brain told me so.

There is no substitute for critical evaluation with your own eyes and biases.

[kmackenz]

Yes, mine went last night after a little over 2 years old. We got the Best Buy Warrenty so everything is covered and they are coming on Wednesday to replace it. Now it is a pain not having our main TV that long, but then again my husband is getting a ton of work done around the house...so it may not be too bad :)

We use our TV more now, so I am hoping the bulb goes one more time before our warrenty runs out :)

Mine went in just under 2 years, but is covered by Tweeter warrenty... Seems to quick.

[Jerry_K]

Part of the reason I went with the Big Screen Store was an included 5 year warrantee with three bulb replacements. Mitsu manual suggests replacing the bulb yourself to save time. Imagine that, a TV that says on the back, "User Serviceable Parts Inside".

[astrohip]

Yes, I'm basically saying this.
<snip>
A 40" 16x9 TV is basically a 32" 4x3 TV. Specifically, a 4x3 image on a 40" 16x9 TV has a 32" diagonal.
<snip>
What you're likely really seeing is the better quality HD source material. If you were to view that same source material on a good SD set, it would look just as good to you as it does on the 40" HD set. The only issue is the 16x9 versus 4x3, which isn't insignificant, but certainly wasn't what you were hailing.

Actually, I did misunderstand you, and then you misunderstood my reply. I agree with the part that SD 4x3 on a 40" widescreen is like a 32" TV. Size & quality. But HD on that 40" is nothing like SD at any size. I have watched 4x3 HD broadcasts, and they still beat the pants off SD. Our local news is 4:3HD, and sometimes they show a clip at SD; yikes :(

And when you factor in HD at 16:9 vs SD, there is a reason 40" LCDs are selling like hotcakes. It does look better. Why else we would waste our money buying them?

Actually, to further my point, I just realized there are some shows I record both ways. Because of Fox's terrible caption problem (captions lag audio by several seconds, making it unwatchable), I tend to record FOX shows on both the HD and SD channels if I don't have a 2nd recording going. I sometimes flip back & forth. I assume the source material is the same; the difference is HD and widescreen. There is no comparison. HD is better. At any size.

[DeathRider]

Yes, mine went last night after a little over 2 years old. We got the Best Buy Warrenty so everything is covered and they are coming on Wednesday to replace it. Now it is a pain not having our main TV that long, but then again my husband is getting a ton of work done around the house...so it may not be too bad :)

We use our TV more now, so I am hoping the bulb goes one more time before our warrenty runs out :)

My friend who has a Samsung DLP, the bulb went out under warranty. The bulb was easily user swappable. The replacement was different, came with instructions. My friend spent almost 2 hours swapping it. After about an hour, it shuts off. Tech said replacemnt bulb is a PitA to get to work right :eek:

My friend is the head of the IT dept in a big company, so it's not like he doesn't know his way around electronics.

[Razorbak]

I need to get a new TV to go with my Series 3. Although, HD programming downsampled to S-Video by the Tivo looks better than standard on my 27 inch set.

I'd like to get a new Sony KDL-40V2500 40" with full 1080 resolution but would appreciate any model selection advice.

Start your research by reading the CNET website. They have an excellent primer on all things HDTV, and once you're familiar with all of the tradeoffs between the different types of technologies and features, you can start reading their reviews on individual sets, which I find to be outstanding.

Go to the CNET website, click on the top-level "Reviews" tab, then click on the "TVs" tab below that. Finally, go down the left hand side menu and click on the "HDTV World" link under "Related Features".

Good luck.

[CraigHB]

HD on anything less that 42-50" isn't that much better than (good) SD on the same size set. Unless you're sitting about 4-feet from the TV, you won't get a ton of benefit from the HD set.Disagree, went from a 27" SD TV to a 37" HD TV (LCD), viewing distance 10 feet. HUGE improvement in every way, HD is beautiful, SD is much better. No matter what you get, it's going to kick the pants off an SD TV.

The size you should get depends on the viewing distance. In my case, 37" is good for me at 10 feet. That's probably a bit small for most people, but I'm comfortable with it. There was a also a cost and physical size limitation for me.

Also, 1080p sets are more expensive and the benefit is only perceived with larger screens and closer viewing distances. With a 40", you probably will never see any benefit unless you are viewing it pretty close. The only media that will actually send 1080p to the TV in the near future will be Blu-Ray or HD DVD. Broadcast TV will be 720p or 1080i for quite some time to come. However, it is nice being able to do 1080i without scaling the picture. 720p sets have to scale down 1080i sources. 1080p sets don't. They just de-interlace 1080i. And, as stated previously, 720p sets don't double as a PC monitor as well.

[FlippedBit]

If I had to buy a flat panel today, I would buy the Hitachi 37HLX99 LCD. It is a 37" 720p LCD with a 120Hz refresh rate. The only other set out there with a 120 HZ refresh rate is the JVC LT-37X987 but the Hitachi has better PQ. There is really no reason to have 1080i/p unless you are looking at larger than 42" screens. The problem with bigger than 42" is that SD will look really bad on them. SD looks very good on a 37" 720p set. The 120Hz refresh rate really goes a long way toward solving one of the big problems with LCD - motion blur.

[Jerry_K]

Flipped Bit,

Go to a store with a Mitsubishi 57831 and watch some SD. You will be very pleasantly surprised.

[DeathRider]

LCD flat-panel has replaced Plasma. Period. I no longer state this as an opinion, but as fact.

I am sexier than a young Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt combined! I no longer state this as an opinion, but as fact.

I cannot see myself settling for an LCD if I buy in the next year or so. BTW, this paragraph is entirely my opinion.


http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=706727

http://nerdapproved.com/home-electronics/sony-to-end-plasma-tv-production/

http://displayblog.wordpress.com/2006/08/03/sony-plasma-tv-no-more/

Sony’s plasma TV shipments were 100,000 units in FY2005 (ending March 31, 2006), which was down from 300,000 units in FY2004. That’s down 67% year-over-year. One reason for this, according to Katsumi Ihara, the Executive Deputy President of Sony’s Procurement Strategies, is due to a lack of a vertically-aligned plasma display panel (PDP) manufacturing source. Instead, Sony will concentrate on LCD TVs. With its S-LCD joint venture with Samsung, Sony has a strong source of LCD TV panels and will increase the 40″+ LCD TVs to more than 50% by the end of 2006.

Recently Sony signed an agreement with Samsung to jointly invest in a G8 fab, a fab that will focus on 50″+ LCD TV sizes. Monthly capacity is slated for 50,000 glass substrates per month and will start mass production in the fall of 2007. Sony is targeting 8 million LCD TV shipments in FY2007.


8 million is alot more than 100,000 (even if it's only a projection/target).

I'm lookng for it, but read an article where a manufacturer shut dow their Plasma production in favor of producing LCDs .

Sony maybe out of the plasma market, but...

http://www.fujitsu.com/emea/news/pr/fme_20050527.html

Then there's always SED:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,121083-page,1/article.html

Any thoughts on LaserTV?
http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/8010.cfm

[Thursday]

I need to get a new TV to go with my Series 3. Although, HD programming downsampled to S-Video by the Tivo looks better than standard on my 27 inch set.

I'd like to get a new Sony KDL-40V2500 40" with full 1080 resolution but would appreciate any model selection advice.
First of all, decide what TV is right for you.

Do you want to hang it on the wall?
How far will you viewing distance be?
What type of programming ( cable / satelite / OTA HD / etc ) will you have?
Will you be getting an HDDVD / BluRay Player for 1080p viewing?
Will you connect an Xbox360 / PS3 for HD Gaming?

Once you have these types of questions answered, you will be able to make a much better decision than picking a TV set first and then fitting it around your room.

I just purchased a 32" Samsung LCD for my bedroom. I searched for a long time, and initially, I was dead set on getting a DLP, because, in my opinoin, I think that they have the best PQ. But, it was definately too big to have in my bedroom. After searching for a long time, and actually deciding what would be the best fit, I decided on LCD.

I then started to research the LCDs on Amazon.com from the user reviews. I probably spend about one month figuring out which one had all of the inputs and accomidations that I wanted, and now, after having it for about 3 months, I am extremely pleased. Both OTA HD and Cable HD look phenominal. My viewing distance is about 6-7 feet. DVDs on my Oppo971 look very good and only occasionally do I see pixelation, usually on channels like Fox or NBC when there is a football game on, it is noticable direclty around the bodies of the players; although I think that it is more to do with either the cable signal or the actuall programming itself and not the TV. Xbox 360 is simply stunning.

This is the link to the TV I purchased Click Me (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ELSY0I/002-3900594-5924845)

[mpastreich]

I'd second both the advice and the recommendation. My wife and I got the same TV shortly after we got our Series 3. Our viewing distance is about 8-10 feet and the TV certainly is a step up from our previous one (21" SD Sony Trinitron).

We picked it up in November and have been very happy for the past two months. I loved the fact that it had a boatload of connectors, the viewing angle was great, and the contrast was very high (compared to other LCD).

They will certainly drop in price (this one has already dropped about $300 in advertised price since Mid-November). New models will also probably come out with improved features (to help boost price), and as a whole the market should get better and cheaper over time.

At some point you have to take a plunge though, so if you're ready, go for it and I doubt you'll regret it. :)

I'd suggest starting at consumer reports (the TV link on the main page has a guide) and figuring out the size and basic features. For us the size limit was 32" (widescreen) because of where it was going, this precluded Plasma, although since I like console gaming, and plasmas still have burn-in I'd have probably ended up with LCD anyway.

The deciding factors for us on this TV were:
Decent customer feedback on sites like Epinions, NewEgg, Amazon, etc. Decent Consumer Reports ratings. Great color saturation and viewing angles (important in the room we have it since our guests might be off angle to its location). Half the price of the "Market Leader" "Sony Bravia" with a comparable picture quality. Advertised as supporting gamers (my wife makes fun of me because I have a PS2 and plan on getting a PS3 once availability increases). It has a 720p native resolution, 2 HDMI inputs, a Component input, 2 AV inputs, an S-Video input, a VGA input and 2 Coax inputs (OVA antenna and cable). It also has Digital and RCA audio out jacks.

As an added bonus the TimeWarner installer who put in the CablCards said he'd been hooking TiVos up to them regularly. :)

[sthor]

Okay, you need to go hang out with the CRT guys. No burn in, cheaper, long life, big...

Plasma is all but dead. I'm glad you have one, enjoy it, but it's irresposible to steer anyone today towards a plasma purchase, when they are basically obsolete.

Technologies die, we have to move on.

DLP color-wheel is all but dead as well (replaced with LED). Wobulation will be dead in another year (replaced with true 1080p). Single-chip DLP will be dead in 2-3 years (replaced with true 3-chip). All these changes are why it's good to steer away from DLP, as it's still 2-3 generations away from even meeting DILA/SXRD (which will be vastly improved by then as well).

LCD flat-panel has replaced Plasma. Period. I no longer state this as an opinion, but as fact.

LMAO! Ask one of those guys with banding on his new Sharp 1080p LCD about that. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=733575

Or the Sony LCD's with clouding
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=683533

I have never seen an LCD with the PQ of a good Panasonic or Pioneer Plasma.

[sthor]

Want to be more specific? Plasma is definitely on the way out:

#1 - LCD flat-panels are getting cheaper every day.

#2 - LCD flat-panels have no phosphers (ergo no burn in)

#3 - LCD flat-panels can be made larger than Plasma sets

#4 - LCD flat-panels run much cooler

#5 - LCD flat-panels can be made much thinner (and lighter)

#6 - LCD flat-panels have a crisper, brighter look

#7 - LCD flat-panels don't have the life-span issues of Plasma

It's pretty well known that LCD flat-panels have replaced Plasma. Plasma is all but obsolete, with only bargain-basement plasma left available (since they can't compete on anything but price).

The only people who would argue this are people who own Plasma sets, and can't accept technology evolution.


Funny, you didn't mention picture quality. That trumps all the other items you mentioned, even if they were true or relevant.

[CraigHB]

The deciding factors for us on this TV were:
...2 HDMI inputs, a Component input, 2 AV inputs, an S-Video input, a VGA input and 2 Coax inputs (OVA antenna and cable).Yea, that's one thing that kind of torques me about the TV I got (Toshiba LCD). I'm really happy with the PQ, but it has only one HDMI input. Seems like HDMI is pretty standard now. However, from what I've read, there's really no difference in PQ between that and component so it's probably no big deal. I'm running an upconverting DVD player on the HDMI port and plan to run an S3 over component.

I really dislike the pixel problem mentioned in a previous post. I believe the lister was talking about compression artifacts. I get none of that from my DVD player, but I do get some with my standard definition TiVo. I think that's due to my equipment and provider, but I won't know for sure until I get an HD tuner.

I probably should have shopped around a little more , but I didn't want to get a new entertainment cabinet and the 37" I found fills the cavity perfectly with about an inch clearance on all sides. The Toshiba was also a really good price. I got it from Newegg.com, but next time I think I'll go to Costo. Can't beat their return policy and prices.