looking to buy an HDTV

[CHAOS]

ok so im still rocking a POS 27" rca tube tv... it sucks and i know that... ive had it for about 5 years now... no problems at all with it... but im looking to step up... ive decided im looking around 27-32" ... i dont think anything bigger will fit in my entertainment center... plus this will be in my bedroom...

my top choice is this...
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8293517&type=product&id=1172880154412

mainly because it does 1080i... and its a really good price

however dom and vertabreaker (nick) have been telling me to get LCD and look at sharp and westinghouse... obviously different price ranges... but yea... lets here some suggestions.

[jb1830]

I have a small Panasonic LCD HDTV (720p) and an LG Slim 30" HD CRT (almost identical to what you're looking at) and they both look great...I watch off-the-air HDTV on the LG and colors are much better than the LCD as well as no blur during action scenes.

I do all my gaming on the CRT through the component cables and everything looks better than the LCD...the only things that bug me about the CRT.

First, it's not pixel perfect...there is slight distortion near the edges of the screen, it's almost not worth mentioning...but its there.

Second, because it is not pixel perfect some of the image gets cut off at the sides...probably the only thing that actually bothers me.

Third, the size.

Since you said you already have the space this is not a problem...but if you plan on moving...it can be a pain...I'm tall and weigh like 180lbs and having to carry the bulky 150lbs TV up steep stairs to my 2nd floor apartment was quite challenging...I had my 100lbs gf pushing me from behind making sure I didn't topple...compared to my flatscreen which I palmed and ran up the steps.

Bottom line is...unless you're short on space...too weak to carry your TV...or must absolutely have the latest and greatest burn-your-retinas-1080p LCD... The CRT is a lot cheaper...color rendition is still better than most LCDs and you wont notice the difference.

[CHAOS]

haha dude youve met me, im not too weak to carry a tv...

either way i think im going to go look at a few stores today to see what they offer... maybe ill take a ride into wilmington/concord to avoid tax.

[jb1830]

lol yea I know you probably wouldn't have a problem...

Anyways, good luck finding something you like. Make sure when you go to the store you know what you want and what you're looking for (Size, price, HD tuner...and in my case as many inputs as possible for all my junk)...Some TV store people will have no idea of what they're talking about or what they're trying to sell.

[CHAOS]

i have a pretty good idea of what i want, its all coming down to price and actual performance...

[Ender81]

For LCD go with Sony or Samsung. I researched the hell out of LCD's when I was buying one a couple weeks back, when I got to bestbuy though he mentioned you have to also be concerned about how well your choice will take a regular signal and those two were the best, even though they wer priced higher. After all of my research into LCD's, when I was standing in Bestbuy I ended up buying a Panasonic 42" plasma lol. They take a regular signal better, have a better picture and it was cheaper for the size then an LCD.

[06evors]

I bought a 50 inch sony lcd from circut city for 1400 w/ a 3 year warranty. Not a bad deal if you ask me.

[ToTheIX's]

ill sell you mine for 1100.....then you dont need an entertainment center......i need the 72...57 just doesnt do it for me

[BradC]

Personally, I think small LCD TVs look like ****. If you aren't going to go big, why waste the time with an LCD/HDTV/etc?

Also, IIRC, 720p would be better for games than 1080i...due to progressive vs. interlaced.

[CHAOS]

dustin, i have the entertainment center for storage, your tv would eliminate most of that...

[ToTheIX's]

storage of a tv....an xbox...some games....bla bla bla....my tv is on a stand that comes with it...thats all the storage you need

[CHAOS]

and the rest of the **** in my bedroom

[The Captain]

whats the difference between 1080i and 1080p...would p be progressive and i be interlaced?

[grimm]

CRT will give you the BEST picture hands down. There is no competition.

Before you buy any sony or samsung I recommend you read up on the well known clouding issue that is known in sony's and samsungs. I'm sure if you search "sony clouding", you'll find it. As you may know a few months ago I got a 42" sharp aquous. It's 1080P and I love it. The best thing you can do is check them out in person. and get a hold of their remote, and play with the adjustment settings. The store may have theirs set up weird so play with them. Also the stores signal going to their wall of screens is probably fed from one source then DA'd to all the screens making the quality rather poor. But if it looks good there, it'll probably look better once you get home.

[jb1830]

^^ this is true....I didn't even think about the clouding problem...this affects some of the bigger flatscreens...Very noticeable during darker/black scenes...Also read a lot about dead pixel problems a year or 2 ago...don't know if it's common a problem...but it's still something to keep in mind.

[SexyDSM95]

whats the difference between 1080i and 1080p...would p be progressive and i be interlaced? Here ya go http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6449_7-6361600-1.html

[grimm]

whats the difference between 1080i and 1080p...would p be progressive and i be interlaced? Yes thats exactly it

[9 Ball]

I’m a total noob at these.

I was thinking of getting an HD (I watch allot of Discovery Channel,) however, how is the picture quality when a gaming system is connected? Is a decent CRT still just as good?

[grimm]

It depends on the resolution capabilities of the CRT. A rear projection CRT capable of 1080i/p will surpass plasma and LCD.

[redline]

I love Samsung as a company. I am on my second Samsung 42" Plasma 1080i. The first had screen fog or whatever its called and they replaced it in home with no questions asked. Great customer service. To me that means more than the name. I will buy another when I upgrade.