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OT -- Question for those that own an HDTV


Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329

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Hi Folks:

Well, I'm finally going to enter the 21st century & buy an HDTV.

I want my Westerns to be bigger & more clear!

 

Looking at the LCD version.

 

Looking at two:

The cheep alternative is: TCL

 

The more expensive alternative: Panasonic

 

Any better choices out there for about the same $?

 

My question:

Is it "worth it" to buy an extended warranty?

 

I realize that this is a judgment call, but what has your experience been?

 

How's he reliability of these things?

 

Any advice from you electronics savvy pards would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

--Dawg

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There's Brand X. At least I've heard of that. Never heard of TCL. For the extra money I would get the Panasonic. Also take a look at the Samsung LED's. I had a 60" Sony that was over eight years old, gave it to my sister two years ago and it is still working fine. Now I have a Samsung 55" LED. My experience has been if they are going to fail, they usually fail within the factory warranty period. If it fails after four or five years, the technology will have completely changed by then so junk it and buy a new one. For example, who wants a ten year old lap top computer or cell phone?

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The standard answer on extended warranties is that they aren't a good deal. Having said that I would still compare the purchase price to the warranty cost. If the item is expensive and the warranty cost is minimal you might want to go ahead and buy it. I can't comment on those two TVs, but I would stay away from plasma, I've read consumer reports that say they produce a lot of heat and don't last as long as LCD. I currently have an RCA which I'm happy with, my prior HD TV was a magnavox and it only lasted a little over 2 years. I suggest you do a little research, things like contrast ratio, interlaced or progressive, and refresh rate can have a big impact on picture quality.

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Howdy Dawg, prices are way low nowadays. I have upgrade over the past year and bought three different types of HDTVs. I have found the best picture to be from my Samsung LED model which is 42" and cost right around $500.

 

I have a plasma, LCD also, the plasma cost me near $2k and the LED blows it out of the water for clarity.

 

Edited to add.... I never buy an extended warranty for anything.

 

 

Wasatch

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we have a 42' VIZIO plasma HDTV, when we were looking for one a new TV we look at the pictures first price second. We like our VIZIO

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Of the two, I would go with Panasonic.

 

I've had good luck with VIZIO. I have a 32 inch LCD and a bigger LED. The LED are better of course with much better contrast.

 

My pard saw mine and bought a 42 inch VIZIO as well. They are a relatively new brand that is an up and comer. Not heard of much but last year they were awarded with set of the year. So they are usually a little cheaper than some of the big names, but as good or better.

 

 

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VIZIO. Owned two of them so far. Current 47" is both my primary PC monitor and used for shows/movies. I think this one is about a year and a half old. Couldn't be much happier with it. Would love to have a new model LED w/3D capability.

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Here's what I did. I knew I wanted a 40-42" set, so at BEST BUY, where they have a bunch of kinds all playing the same picture, I stood back about 50 ft and eyeballed the pictures(where I wouldn't be influenced by brand name hype), and picked out the best two. One was a VERY pricey Sony, the other was a Samsung. Not the bottom rung samsung, but their slightly better line. It's a fourescent backlight (3 yrs old), but if anything the LED backlit units are better yet. (My new laptop is LED lit, and it uses very little power and has a superb HD picture)

 

To my mind, even if ya only watch TV 3 hours a week (add it up most of us are way over that), over the life of the set, a couple hundred bucks more to go from el-cheapo" to "dang that looks good" is very little to pay for the use ya get out of it...

 

PS No plasma for me. When they fail, it's catastrophic.

 

I also don't do extended warranty on electronics. If they last a month, most will outlive the warranty.

 

My wife works for a reverse-logistics outfit handling returns for Walmart. HALF the TVs they get back are visio. At Christmas time, the CS desk are at walmart is loaded with returned Visio sets. I don't know if I like those odds.

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Here's what I did. I knew I wanted a 40-42" set, so at BEST BUY, where they have a bunch of kinds all playing the same picture, I stood back about 50 ft and eyeballed the pictures(where I wouldn't be influenced by brand name hype), and picked out the best two. One was a VERY pricey Sony, the other was a Samsung. Not the bottom rung samsung, but their slightly better line. It's a fourescent backlight (3 yrs old), but if anything the LED backlit units are better yet. (My new laptop is LED lit, and it uses very little power and has a superb HD picture)

 

To my mind, even if ya only watch TV 3 hours a week (add it up most of us are way over that), over the life of the set, a couple hundred bucks more to go from el-cheapo" to "dang that looks good" is very little to pay for the use ya get out of it...

 

PS No plasma for me. When they fail, it's catastrophic.

 

I also don't do extended warranty on electronics. If they last a month, most will outlive the warranty.

yep I agree with that

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Oh, hint: When ya do get one, don't scrimp on cables. Choke down the price for a high end HDMI cable to run from your cable box or satellite box to the set, and another for your DVD player. Crap cables degrade sound badly and contribute to low signal pixlization issues when incoming signal is weak.

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Ill jump in...

 

First you have to decide..Is your viewing room brightly lit or a bit on the darker side...?? Brightly lit then a LCD/LED might be a better choice...The new batch of Samsung are tops in all tests with Panasonic a very close second..If your room is more dimly lit, than plasma is your best bet as the screen is a bit more reflective..Plasma has the best color and the blackest blacks HANDS DOWN...They are mmmmmuuuch cheaper now as well...The screen throw off more heat, but it is not an issue..If you live in a mountainous region, forget the plasma or it will buzz the higher the elevation...Cnet is a good place for comparisons and AVSFORUMS is a GREAT resource..One other thing DO NOT BUY EXPENSIVE HDMI cables as suggested..They are a RIPOFF..They either work or they dont..They only channel data..1 and 0's NOT SOUND OR VIDEO...1 and 0's...Good luck..Let us know what ya decide. !!

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dawg, here up north we have a 54" Phillips LCD, like it alot! Down south we have, I think a Samsung LED 47. LEDs put out a LOT less heat, but are slower changing channels, my wife is the surfer not me, Our daughter has our Sharp 42 that has been real good.

 

Good luck

 

Cheyenne, who doesn't buy extended warranties either, Culpepper

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I recently bought a Samsung LED 55" HDTV

 

Best picture I have ever seen...To me, the difference in LED and LCD is dramatic, with the LED winning hands down.

 

(LCD or LED, be sure to buy a good quality Power Backup for your new TV..If there is a power outage and the TV doesn't shut down properly, it can very possibly

 

be irreparably damaged)

 

Unless you have young kids don't even consider a 3D TV...They are cheap, and for a reason.

Plasma is also very cheap now, but compared to an LED, again no comparison.

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I have a 46 sony,32 samsung and a 37 dynex all lcd and 2-5 years old no problem with any as of yet. you want to look at if its a 720 or 1080 resolution the higher the better the hdmi cable is great one plug from your dvd or cable box is all you need (as long as the dvd and or cable box has it) I bought mine so that when I turn on the blue ray player it turns on the tv to the correct channel. the other thing you want to look at is if it has internet to get netflix ( they have a lot of old westerns) as far as the warranty its in there favor but I did have one on my plasma tv that didnt last but lcds are alot better

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Just to throw more confusion at ya...LCD televisions ARE LED's..the flat panel display that uses LED backlighting instead of the Cold cathode (CCFL) used in traditional LCD televisions. But are prone to banding...The Samsung 8000 series which are the best TV's out there also are the most returned because of banding issues...(A horizonal line(s) that appear about center of the screen)..LED also are noticeably brighter are on the edges and have shading from one side to the other. (as that is where the LED are on the edges and in the center)..True videophiles (is that a word..??) will tell you plasma is the best picture as each cell is "charged" with plasma which is why their pictures are superior as they dont use "lights" in the flat panel....Plasma has a shelf life of about 20000 Hrs of TV life..(about 30-25 years) so its not an issue...But the screen can BURN if you leave you DVR on pause for 30 or more minutes...The new Plamas wont pause that long anyway, they have built in safeguards...ALL the new batches of quality HDTV are 3d as well, its a feature you dont even know thats there if you choose not to utilize it...

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plasmas have a great picture better blacks and a higher refresh rate than lcds. they do make more heat and use more power which I would think that means that lcds and leds would last longer

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I liked plasma, but the reflections are much worse and in my house, there are windows or lights that would cause problems. If it were in a basement with controlled lighting, plasma can be outstanding.

 

As mentioned, they are all LCD but the LED has more back lighting that greatly improves contract. For LCD/LED the refresh rate does matter especially if you watch anything with motion such as football or car racing. Then you need at least 120 hz. The difference between 60 hz and 120 hz is quite noticeable. Going up to 240 is better, but not as noticeable to me.

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I'll leave the electrical engineering discussion to others who have posted before (even though I am one) and offer one piece of advice not yet posted. Whatever you buy make sure you get the best surge protector you can afford. If you have a little more money get a UPS (battery backup) large enough to handle the TV, satellite receiver, cable box, audio amp, DVD player and anything else plugged in associated with the TV. I work for an electric utility company and can tell you first hand that blinks and voltage spikes and sags kill more electronics than most any other thing you'll run across short of manufacturers defects. The battery backup will maintain power through the momentary outages and voltage dips and a quality surge protector will provide some protection against voltage spikes.

 

Just my $0.02

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You should consider viewing angle also. If you have a broad (wide) room with seating towards the extreme either end, a lower priced set will have a poor picture beyond a ??certain angle from center.

Plasma does not suffer this, LED/LCD is notorious.

I have been nothing but happy with the Panasonic Plasma I bought 2 years ago. Forget the warranty & expensive cables, spend your money on good power conditioning instead.

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I have a 20" Dynex in my office at home which also doubles as my ham radio room. The TV is for convienience when I want to catch the news or something and for one of my ham radio activities. It suits my purpose well. (it was $129 on sale with a DVD player) My two picks for features and picture are Vizio and Samsung. Both seem to be better values for the money. I like LCD, wouldn't touch a plasma (see other posts for why) and the LED's hold promise but I always stick with the "proven" technology and right now that's LCD. After reading up on the subject, anything over 60hz is overkill unless you're gaming however, I like my 120hz/1080 TV much better than the cheaper alternative picture-wise.

 

I've never taken advantage of extended warranties - waste of money. If the thing works past it's initial warranty (usually 60-90 days) it will work for years.

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I agree with Russ and Marauder. First, a lot of the discount HDTV's are the lower resolution 720p as opposed to the full HD 1080p. You want the latter, especially if you plan to use a blu-ray player with it. Like has been already mentioned, get a high refresh rate if you watch a lot of action (sports, movies, etc.). Don't forget to buy HDMI cables to connect to your source, either satellite dish, blu-ray player, or cable. Also, some cable companies don't deliver a full HD signal due to the band width required - if you use cable, check to see if you do. As has also been referred to, the 3D feature is best suited to animated movies and not many of the movies you would normally watch are offered as "3D." In addition, the 3D glasses are expensive -some costing as much as $150 - $200 a pair.

 

Get a good HDTV with a blu-ray player and enjoy your favorite movies as you haven't been able to previously. Happy trails, Squint

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Dawg, I'm running a Sony 32" LCD. It's only a 720P, but the picture is extremely good with TW cable source. When I was looking, the Sony's at that point had the lowest return rate of the ones listed on Wally's site........Buck :blush:

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Oh, hint: When ya do get one, don't scrimp on cables. Choke down the price for a high end HDMI cable to run from your cable box or satellite box to the set, and another for your DVD player. Crap cables degrade sound badly and contribute to low signal pixlization issues when incoming signal is weak.

 

 

Are the HDMI cables THAT much better than Component cables? I don't have any idea, but would like to know if I am missing something.

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Are the HDMI cables THAT much better than Component cables? I don't have any idea, but would like to know if I am missing something.

 

Component are 2nd best... they carry video and audio in separate cables...HDMI are digital and carries both audio and video in the same cable..Cleaning up clutter and it takes advantage of digital handshakes with components that can share signals...(Audio receiver's, BR Players, ect, ect)..You can tell the difference (somewhat) if viewing a 1080P source..(Blue Ray)..But most broadcast are 720 and 1080i....(Practically no difference in signal(s))

 

* Make your purchase at BestBuy and save the box...You can return it if you dont like it !!! No restocking fee..

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Howdy,

I found a deal on a 40 inch Philips led.

It was at target for 599.

It works well except for being difficult to match

the video format to the screen.

There are sites on the web which will give you power requirements for flatscreens.

There are some pretty big differences on power use.

I dont care for warranty all they are is a beginning point for arguements.

I was surprised how easy it was to sell my old one.

Best

CR

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Does distance from seat to TV still matter with LED set? Im looking at either 32 Samsung LED or 40".

We have a 21" plasma shiny computer monitor for 7 years picture is perfect, we watch shows on it,movies, etc, wife leaves desktop on from 3 to 12 every day.

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Let's get one thing sorted, there are two DISPLAY types, plasma and LCD (liquid crystal diode). LCD is the most common, and like the early LCD calculators with the black numbers, requires backlighting to see it. The "hot ticket" lately is LED backighting instead of fancy flourescent bulbs. LED is fine, uses less energy than light bulbs, and results in a thinner unit (some only an inch as opposed to 3" for flourescent.)

 

EITHER LED or Bulb lit LCD can be great or mediocre, depending on other factors. Most will have very good range where they are OK to watch, up close to distant, and most in the last few years have decent angle where the picture is still good.

 

Earlier I suggested going to Best Buy or some other place with LOTS of different sets all hooked to the same "canned" signal and WATCHING THEM! I did that first at some distance, 40 or 50 feet, picking out the best two pictures while NOT being influenced by brand or price. I wanted sharp and good color matching and freedom from glare (which is abundant in a brightly lit store). Once I narrowed it to two sets, I watched both up close (like a kid will laying on the floor) and because of the way our living room furniture is laid out) from a 45 degree angle as well as straight on. I was looking for ZERO fade at an angle and resistance to glare (I got a window at a 45 degree angle to the set, on the south side of the house).

 

A real shiny glass-like screen flunks the glare test, yet some with a real "matte" screen flunk the sharpness test. Both my LCD(flourescent backlight) and LCD (LED backlight) units from the last 3 years (TV and laptop monitor) pass the glare and side viewing test nicely. The most significant advantage to LED is cool and cheap to run.

 

My vote (with my $$$) went to Samsung.

 

You can watch a 40-50" LCD (LED or flourescent) TV anywhere from say 3 feet to as far as you can see it. Closer will be "pixillated" where you can see the individual blocks that make up the picture, but that's also pretty close, where a news anchor will look bigger than real life, etc. TO ME, a 40" set at exactly 10 feet feels "right" for anything from car racing or football to a movie. At say 5 ft it kinda blows me away on a close-up.

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Hi Folks:

Well, I'm finally going to enter the 21st century & buy an HDTV.

I want my Westerns to be bigger & more clear!

 

Looking at the LCD version.

 

Looking at two:

The cheep alternative is: TCL

 

The more expensive alternative: Panasonic

 

Any better choices out there for about the same $?

 

My question:

Is it "worth it" to buy an extended warranty?

 

I realize that this is a judgment call, but what has your experience been?

 

How's he reliability of these things?

 

Any advice from you electronics savvy pards would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

--Dawg

 

I've got the 42" Panasonic Plasma - I'd go bigger.

 

Measure the diagonal of the screen, and multiply by three - that's your viewing distance . . . .

For an older TV we'd multiply by 4, for these guys multiply by three. . . Does that fit in your room - and give you the perspective you want . . .

 

I've a 42" - going to move to a 55" next year . . . and BTW - I think Plasma is far better - especially for movies - not so important for TV shows . . .

 

Give these guys a read through .. . . TV guys .. . .

 

YMMV -

 

Shadow Catcher

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5 year old Sharp LCD with no problems

 

Extended warranties are a rip off IMHO. Think about it. Why for a small fee are they willing to expose themselves to a higher monetary risk?

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