2011 Official LGP HDTV Buying Guide

[skullman80]

I ended up picking up a Panasonic Plasma P50ST30. Got a good deal on it. I'm actually going to hook it up this Friday once I get settled into my new house with my fiance. It was only out of the box once to plug it in to make sure it worked and then went back in the box.

That will now be the main TV and the 42" LCD I have now will move into the bedroom.

[JS©]

That was a special edition tv Toshiba put out just to sell very cheaply for Christmas time.

If you will go a little smaller, the 60" Panasonic ST30 can be had right now for $1499. Much higher contrast levels, better motion, more accurate colors, a few internet widgets, and 3D capability.

If youre hell bent on the large screen size at that price point I'd look into the 73" Mitsubishi. The one without the high end speakers is around $1500

I'm going from a 47", so I want to jump into at least a 60 and stay around $1400-1500.

[JS©]

and isn't that Mitsu 73" a projection?

[pittsoccer33]

yea it is, but they are only a few inches think now and sit up on a stand just like any other tv. I've seen the 82" for $2000.

That Toshiba was $1000 at Walmart on Black Friday. Since it isn't a standard model I'm not really sure what they look like. At that price range a 60" Sharp 830 or a 60" Panasonic ST30 would be my recommendations. Very few make a 65" tv less than $2000.

[JS©]

yea it is, but they are only a few inches think now and sit up on a stand just like any other tv. I've seen the 82" for $2000.

That Toshiba was $1000 at Walmart on Black Friday. Since it isn't a standard model I'm not really sure what they look like. At that price range a 60" Sharp 830 or a 60" Panasonic ST30 would be my recommendations. Very few make a 65" tv less than $2000.

The 65" was a stretch based on the price of that Toshiba. It doesn't have to be a 65, and it's looking like something in the 59-60" is gonna be the more realistic choice. Just saying that if I'm gonna make a jump from what I have, it's going to be a noticable size upgrade and not one from 47 inch to something in the low 50s.

[no name]

Just got a Visio 37 inch for the bedroom $398, was a good choice in size and every Visio i seen at the store no matter the size seemed comparable in picture quality. Also has the PC connection to use as a 2nd monitor if i choose to.

[tjand72]

I ended up picking up a Panasonic Plasma P50ST30. Got a good deal on it. I'm actually going to hook it up this Friday once I get settled into my new house with my fiance. It was only out of the box once to plug it in to make sure it worked and then went back in the box.

That will now be the main TV and the 42" LCD I have now will move into the bedroom.

I just got the Panasonic Viera TC-P50X3 plasma. My last TV was a DLP, so it's taking a bit to get used to. The black levels are pretty amazing, though the picture itself is still a bit darker than I'm used to - even after using a calibration DVD.

It only has 2 HDMI inputs and 1 component input, but: 1) I don't have many hi-def components to worry about and 2) it was less than $500.

[JS©]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+-+5 ... Id=2254075

1600 with 2 sets of 3d glasses. Not really worried about 3d but I like the reviews, and it's close enough to being a 60. Little over 1500 that I had originally planned, but I have gift cards to offset the difference.

[bhaw]

My 5ish year old DLP finally bit the dust. Lamp went out 6 months ago and it's having issues again. I can probably rig it to work for another couple months but obviously a DLP won't last too much longer without having to rebuild it like a car.

So... given we are Dec 31, where would be the best place to look for deals.

TV can either be cheap and just go in our bedroom where we don't even have a digital box, so no HD... OR I can upgrade the Panasonic I have in the family room which has PS3 and the HD box hooked in. I'm leaning that way since my Panasonic was a TV I won at work. It's a Panasonic Viera tc-p42c2. Only 720p, so maybe I get a nice 1080 for the HD stuff. Not willing to go too expensive since I'm not terribly picky. I just want the movies/sports/ps3 to look good.

Suggestions?

Is there a noticeable difference for the average person between 60 and 120 Hz?

Are Vizios solid? A guy at work who is a big home theater guy said they are a good TV. Obviously not your superstar, but it looks good and built well. Thoughts?

[Idoit40fans]

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-BRAVIA-XBR65 ... B004QXDIM4

[Letang Is The Truth]

Only three left! Buy now!

[pittsoccer33]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+-+59%22+Class+/+Plasma+/+1080p+/+600Hz+/+3D+/+HDTV/2254075.p?id=1218315991840&skuId=2254075

1600 with 2 sets of 3d glasses. Not really worried about 3d but I like the reviews, and it's close enough to being a 60. Little over 1500 that I had originally planned, but I have gift cards to offset the difference.

You will be happy with that set.

TV can either be cheap and just go in our bedroom where we don't even have a digital box, so no HD... OR I can upgrade the Panasonic I have in the family room which has PS3 and the HD box hooked in. I'm leaning that way since my Panasonic was a TV I won at work. It's a Panasonic Viera tc-p42c2. Only 720p, so maybe I get a nice 1080 for the HD stuff. Not willing to go too expensive since I'm not terribly picky. I just want the movies/sports/ps3 to look good.

Suggestions?

Is there a noticeable difference for the average person between 60 and 120 Hz?

Are Vizios solid? A guy at work who is a big home theater guy said they are a good TV. Obviously not your superstar, but it looks good and built well. Thoughts?

I think there is a larger difference between 60hz and 120hz than there is between 720 and 1080. Especially for bluray movies.

Vizios are nice looking tvs, but they do not carry an inventory of parts for them at all. They are not a manufacturer and have said before that they consider their tv's to be disposable. I'm not suggesting that they are time bombs. They were the first to offer their smart tv features at a really affordable price. Their XVT series is their top, the M series are the middle market ones. If youre interested in 3D them and LG use cheap passive glasses, and I really think thats a more consumer friendly way of doing it.

Hard to recommend something without knowing a size or price range. The Samsung D6000 series LED were huge sellers this year. The 46" was just $899 this past week.

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-BRAVIA-XBR65HX929-65-Inch-Local-Dimming/dp/B004QXDIM4

That is one of the three best reviewed tv's this year, along with the Panasonic VT30 and Sharp Elite LED.

[Letang Is The Truth]

Hard to recommend something without knowing a size or price range. The Samsung D6000 series LED were huge sellers this year. The 46" was just $899 this past week.

I bought this tv on black Friday it is awesome. Highly recommended

[bhaw]

Hard to recommend something without knowing a size or price range. The Samsung D6000 series LED were huge sellers this year. The 46" was just $899 this past week.

42-47" with 46-47 being ideal.

Keeping it below $800 would be phenomenal.

[Rylan]

Ah yea bhaw, get a nice tv so we can tear up battlefield 3.

[pittsoccer33]

Hard to recommend something without knowing a size or price range. The Samsung D6000 series LED were huge sellers this year. The 46" was just $899 this past week.

42-47" with 46-47 being ideal.

Keeping it below $800 would be phenomenal.

Think about the features you really want and then think of the decision like this: do you want a more fully featured 42" or a more basic 46"? Also plasma tv's are good bit cheaper than LED/LCD.

Panasonic 42ST30 (42" 3D plasma with some streaming options)
LG 42LV5500 (42" LED w/ web browser, wifi adapter included and wii style remote for the internet)
Vizio E3D420 (42" LCD w/3D and Vizio Internet Apps)
Vizio E472VL (47" LCD w/ streaming)
Samsung 46D630 (46" LCD)
LG 47LV4400 (47" LED) <--- have not seen one but heard they dont look particularly nice. Make sure you actually see one before you buy it, as we weren't even allowed to take one out of the box and display it.

[bhaw]

thanks

[JeffDFD]

Question for those in the know:

How much would the temperature fluctuations in a room hurt a decent tv? I have a sun room that can get fairly warm in the summer. In the winter, it can get chilly, but I can control that more and keep it warmer than I can control the heat in the summer. Right now I have an old tv in there and I was thinking about upgrading to something nicer. Thoughts?

[pittsoccer33]

you will really have to look at specific models to see what their ratings for those are. the ranges vary between different manufacturers and different models. generally speaking if you are going to be between 50 and 100 degrees F you should be ok.

[skullman80]

I love my new Panasonic P50ST30. Needed calibrated out of the box, but after that... just wow.

[JS©]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+-+59%22+Class+/+Plasma+/+1080p+/+600Hz+/+3D+/+HDTV/2254075.p?id=1218315991840&skuId=2254075

1600 with 2 sets of 3d glasses. Not really worried about 3d but I like the reviews, and it's close enough to being a 60. Little over 1500 that I had originally planned, but I have gift cards to offset the difference.

You will be happy with that set.

Bah, it jumped $100 after the new year. #YouSnoozeYouLose

I have a feeling leaving my current set in my car today wasn't the best idea. Kept it well insulated, but blankets and stuff can only do so much.

[mac5155]

Just let it warm back up before turning it on.

[JS©]

Just let it warm back up before turning it on.

done and done. Didn't touch it for a half hour after I brought it in. I was more worried about the excessive cold from yesterday doing some damage, especially since it was in my car for 24 hrs and wasn't exactly upright.

[crokin]

My rules for HDTV:

Specs:
1080p
120 Hz

Brand:
Samsung, Sony, LG

Size:
Bedroom/small room: 30-32 inch
Small living space or bedroom (college dorm like): 40-42
Regular living room: 50+

Extra:
Ability to stream and connect to youtube/google
That simple

[shmenguin]

Samsung and LG announced that they're releasing 55 inch OLED TVs this year. they will make any TV you've ever seen look like a piece of ****

http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/10/sams ... -on-video/