LCD HD TV's ?

[125gJoe]

My three year old Mitsubishi 'died' recently. It had the DLP technology.
It was great while it lasted, but the repairs are too expensive, and I've heard the repairs will not last long. Mitsubishi cut corners and used cheap capacitors and other components in their sets. I'm "done" with M*!%#subishi...

I don't want Plasma, and DLP will be history soon.
What LCD TV's are worth looking into? So far I like Sony and Samsung but not sure what model numbers to look for. ...52 or 46 inch screen size...

Anyone have any expertise in new TV's?


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[robbob2112]

I replaced my TVs last november with LCD HDTVs... they are awesome....

In the den I have a 46" Vizio and in the bedroom I have a 36" Sony Bravia XBR.

Looks for good contrast ratio, at least 3 HDMI inputs and 2 component inputs. After that S-video and AV input is needed for old equipment. I went to the store and looked at all the different brands/models and picked what I liked and then researched them before buying. About half the models were disqualified right away because they faded dramatically unless viewed from straight in front of it.

If you are just a normal TV watcher most brands are fine. My Vizio tends to pixilate a little bit if there is a TON of motion and action on the TV. Like a fireball that covers half the screen. The Sony never does this. The difference is the refresh rate and speed of the chip inside it. I paid as much for the Sony as I did for the Vizio even though it is smaller. If I could have justified double the cost I would have gotten a Sony for the den as well.

That said... the cables you use to hook up the TV will make a HUGE difference. In order of preference: HDMI, Component,S-Video, AV (Red, white, yellow video), composite (coax).
Any HD signal should never pass through any cable/component with less than component or you loose quality. Also, cable quality matters to an extent. The GE proline at Home Depot are mid-priced, but work perfectly well. Basically shielded and gold contacts is what you are looking for. IMO there is NO reason to spend the money on monster cables, you are paying for the name as much as for the cable and the GE cables work just as well. (Opinions differ on that, I tried them one after the other on the same TV with the same source and couln't tell the difference so I took the monster cable back)

Also instead of daisy chaining stuff like you used to, it should be hooked up in a star pattern... i.e. each video source goes directly to the TV without going through anything else. This ensures that the signal doesn't degrade. This is also the reason having a good number and variety of inputs on the TV is good.


So, in a nutshell, if money were no object I would get the Sony Bravia XBR... (note there are 4 or 5 models of Sony Bravia, the XBR is the most expensive of course, but the reason is the speed of the chips inside)

[Squawkbert]

Besides Sony, Panasonics (the higher grade LCDs) are well regarded.

[almo75]

Whatever you decide...buy the longest warranty you can!!!

[Sploke]

Just out of curiosity, why LCD over plasma? I'm looking to buy a new TV sometime soon and been trying to do research on the different technologies.

[almo75]

Sploke, ever consider a projector? I used to have a TV that was 8 feet wide and 4 1/2 tall. It was awesome, but you have to be able to control ambient light in the room. Projectors can be had for at or below a thousand dollars. Cheaper than most TVs.
As for why LCD over plasma....just my preference now that the black levels are up to par. My old 26 inch LCD gets to dark grey and that is about it, not a solid black.
Some cool tech in the not too distant future. Check out SED TV technology.

[almo75]

BTW...selling parts to fix electronics is what I do for a living. If anyone ever needs a repair and does not know who to trust let me know where you are and I will tell you someone reputable you can use. Hopefully you will never need to know!!!!

[TKOS]

Plasma have some of the best colour rendition out there, but glossy screens can lead to glare. They also produce a little noise and consume more power (they need a cooling fan). Bravias and Aquos higher brands (these are the generic Sony and Sharp name) tend to be the best choices, though the Series 6 or greater Samsungs are also extremely nice. I am personally buying a Samsung 40 inch 4 series. I can't afford anymore but it still looks great.

I still watch a lot of standard def tv and the store I went to hooked up a standard def signal for me. That was really nice.

[Sploke]

Thast why I asked, I'd always read that the black levels on a plasma were much better than on LCD, although it sounds like they've pretty much equaled out. I'm not too worried about glare, as all the lighting in the room is indirect. There's a Samsung 50" plasma on sale for like 1200 at BJs right now, it would be in my house already if I had the money.

[robbob2112]

Little known fact... Plasma TVs make a sound like bees buzzing at altitude.. I live at 9144ft... plasma wasn't an option.

[125gJoe]

Thanks all for the advice!

I went with the Sony 52 inch LCD. It looks 'great' but, I may downsize to a 46 inch, not sure yet.
The screen might be too big for my viewing area.
I have 90 days on the return policy.

There's hardly any glare since it has a matte finish to the screen.
The plasmas had a glossy finish that produced way too much reflection.
There's no way a glossy screen work near a sliding glass door.

This Sony works great on dark/black scenes compared to a few years ago - LCD technology. The menus are so much better than the Trashsubishi I had. The Sony is much easier to adjust...

There's a side panel with extra hook-ups that makes it much easier to plug into.

...hmmm... Where's the XBox!?


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[The Zigman]

Well I have a 25" GE... Old school CRT TV...
Yeah! so there!!!

Plasma.... HA!!!