New TV?

D-MaN88 · June 18, 2007

Hey all, I know I made the TV thread a couple days back but anyways, I need to get a new TV and well I want and LCD and HD! I'm only looking for either a 27" or a 32" as its for my room and those are just the two most reasonable sizes I can see with 32" being the biggest. I noticed there are a couple newer brands out (Olevia, Vizio, etc) and I was just wondering what my best option was for getting an LCD HD tv for the cheapest price but best quality for that price? Also, I couldn't really tell, but do all LCD TVs allow you to plug your laptop/desktops in to use as monitors? Any help is appreciated and thanks in advance! Just trying to get some help as to what to look for and what brands to look at and to stay away from!

kovalchuk71 · June 18, 2007

http://reviews.cnet.com/4566-6475_7-0.html...=edRating7+desc

Reviews from the Cnet squad.

Vapor · June 18, 2007

What is your price range? Do you have a problem with plasma? It matters what ports your computer has on it (DVI, VGA, etc)

TheSnake22 · June 18, 2007

i'm very happy with my samsung 32" lcd. model LN-T3242H. 1,000 bucks at circuit city. awesome picture. once you get hd you just can't go back... 32 inches is plenty big enough for almost any room. if you have a smaller room, 27 inches might be enough for you. Generally, sony and samsung are considered the top 2 brands in lcd's. i'd stay away from the value brands unless you plan on replacing your tv sooner rather than later...

D-MaN88 · June 18, 2007

I'm not sure what my price range is yet, I'm about to pick up this MacBook this weekend for $1,000 (deal I can't pass up) and then whatever I have left over from that and whatever my mom would pay would be how much. I think we're going half-half so about $600-$700. I know that isn't a lot and I don't need much but I just want HD and an LCD with a solid picture and performance for the price.

LegoDoom · June 18, 2007

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?...ec=&topnav=

Maybe a little more than you were looking to spend, but it's a great price for a 37" LCD with 1080p. It also has an HDMI, DVI, and component input... so you should be set.

Vapor · June 18, 2007

You can get the vizio P50 for 950. It is more than you are looking to spend, but its 50 inches...

But in your price range:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Se...99&CatId=37

42" for 700 bucks. Drawbacks: 1080i max. Most people cannot even tel the difference between 1080i and 1080p.

LegoDoom · June 18, 2007

Vapor.... that resolution sucks. Also, no DVI input.

Edit: And it's a refurbished TV.

ShaneyB · June 18, 2007

Try Samsung, they look great and show great. Ive had my 32" for around 8 months now and very happy with it.

http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-and-pla...p;tag=pdtl-list

Thats the one i have but in white.

cougarscaptain87 · June 18, 2007

i have a 42" plasma sylvania, and coulnt be happier. they are priced alot better than sony and samsung, and from what i can tell (comparing to family and friends) it works just as nice. i paid a little over 1200 for the my 42" plasma, but i do not know for sure if they make a LCD. very good brand tho, and rather affordable.

BK · June 18, 2007

You just missed out on all of the Father's day sales. I don't know what was going on in the ways of TV's but you probably could have gotten a pretty good deal.

I would shop around locally. Check Circuit City and Best Buy. They will rotate deals on their deals weekly. I would avoid having your tv shipped. I have a coworker that ordered his online and got 2 duds (Phillips 42" plasma ordered from Best Buy's). One the screen was busted (literally cracked across the face) and his 2nd one arrived doa, not powering up. He waited a total of 2 weeks before he saw what he had dropped his money into.

cougarscaptain87 · June 18, 2007

check walmart, and sears/kmart. i went to best buy or circuit city i dont remember and saw the same tv i got for like $300 more, and they didnt seem to offer the same warranties that sears did. i would strongly reccomend taht you get atleast a 3 year warranty because it generally is very expensive to get these fixed, as to where if you have the warranty you take the tv to the store, and get a new one on the spot.

LegoDoom · June 18, 2007

I would shop around locally. Check Circuit City and Best Buy. They will rotate deals on their deals weekly. I would avoid having your tv shipped. I have a coworker that ordered his online and got 2 duds (Phillips 42" plasma ordered from Best Buy's). One the screen was busted (literally cracked across the face) and his 2nd one arrived doa, not powering up. He waited a total of 2 weeks before he saw what he had dropped his money into.

Circuit City does price matching. So, while they might rotate deals, they'll usually match almost any stores price. They also have decent financing available (if you need it).

As far as shipping TVs, I've had two 50" plasmas delivered and haven't had a problem. Of course, it may depend on the freight company.

check walmart, and sears/kmart. i went to best buy or circuit city i dont remember and saw the same tv i got for like $300 more, and they didnt seem to offer the same warranties that sears did. i would strongly reccomend taht you get atleast a 3 year warranty because it generally is very expensive to get these fixed, as to where if you have the warranty you take the tv to the store, and get a new one on the spot.

Spending ~$200 for a warranty on a $700 tv seems kind of silly to me. Most TVs come with a year warranty from the manufacturer. My thought is that you could get a better TV in two or three years for the same price as the old one cost you. So, it's not a huge amount to upgrade if you put the warranty money towards your next tv.

And as I mentioned before, Circuit City does price matching.

Vapor · June 18, 2007

Vapor.... that resolution sucks. Also, no DVI input.
Edit: And it's a refurbished TV.

But it has HDMI, which I am sure you are aware, is DVI+audio. DVI is good if you have a seperate sound system.

http://www.buydakota.com/product_info.php?products_id=509

42" plasma for 679. Pretty much the same specs as the LCD.

LegoDoom · June 18, 2007

But it has HDMI, which I am sure you are aware, is DVI+audio. DVI is good if you have a seperate sound system.
http://www.buydakota.com/product_info.php?products_id=509
42" plasma for 679. Pretty much the same specs as the LCD.

I saw that it had HDMI, but will that do him any good if he's hooking a computer up to it? I don't hook my computers up to my tv, but I always thought that DVI was a much more standard output from a video card.

That Vizio still doesn't have great resolution or a DVI input, but it does have an HD tuner, which the Westinghouse doesn't. Of course, I've never needed a built-in tuner, but some people might.

Edit: Also, the Westinghouse has both HDMI and DVI inputs. So you could hook up your cable box through the hdmi and computer through the DVI. Basically, it's just an extra digital input, which is important.

Vapor · June 18, 2007

it is true, most video cards at this point do not support hdmi-out. There are always HDMI-DVI adapters.

BK · June 18, 2007

Edit: Also, the Westinghouse has both HDMI and DVI inputs. So you could hook up your cable box through the hdmi and computer through the DVI. Basically, it's just an extra digital input, which is important.

HDMI and DVI are the exact same signal (except for dvi carries no audio). Pretty much every single videocard out there besides onboard video will have a dvi port. Most come standard with two now and an adapter for them to switch to vga.

Another thing I would look for would be a tv that has 2 hdmi ports. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but its a pain in the butt to switch out your dvd/tevo/xbox 360 etc everytime you want to use them.

I wouldn't invest much into it being a computer monitor either. They have a very low resolution for the size and make very impractical desk monitors. My boss has one and it looks like crap because you have to sit about 5' away from an hdtv to get the best experience out of it. Being so close to it makes everything look blurry and gives me a headache. If you are running a home theater pc, its a good choice though because usually you will have your tv a good distance away and having everything being big from the resolution is a plus.

precursor · June 18, 2007

newegg.com for the win - I get all my computer equipment, and a majority of my consumer electronics from them. I have never been displeased. Make sure to read the customer reviews - they are way better than your typical cnet review.

LegoDoom · June 18, 2007

Edit: Also, the Westinghouse has both HDMI and DVI inputs. So you could hook up your cable box through the hdmi and computer through the DVI. Basically, it's just an extra digital input, which is important.
HDMI and DVI are the exact same signal (except for dvi carries no audio). Pretty much every single videocard out there besides onboard video will have a dvi port. Most come standard with two now and an adapter for them to switch to vga.

I know the difference between HDMI and DVI. The difference in the setup is the a computer is most likely going to have a DVI port. So, unless you want to spend more for a converter box to go from DVI to HDMI, then you're SOL if the TV doesn't have a DVI input.

Another thing I would look for would be a tv that has 2 hdmi ports. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but its a pain in the butt to switch out your dvd/tevo/xbox 360 etc everytime you want to use them.

If you have more than 2 HDMI components, then you might as well just get a receiver to route the different input signals. Your cable box, game console, and dvd player will all be HDMI. Without a receiver, you have to suck it up and use a component cable for one of them. And with a budget of $700... good luck finding one with multiple HDMI inputs.

I wouldn't invest much into it being a computer monitor either. They have a very low resolution for the size and make very impractical desk monitors. My boss has one and it looks like crap because you have to sit about 5' away from an hdtv to get the best experience out of it. Being so close to it makes everything look blurry and gives me a headache. If you are running a home theater pc, its a good choice though because usually you will have your tv a good distance away and having everything being big from the resolution is a plus.

What's the resolution on your boss' TV? 1920x1080 isn't exactly crappy resolution.

it is true, most video cards at this point do not support hdmi-out. There are always HDMI-DVI adapters.

Do you know why most video cards do not support HDMI output?

BK · June 18, 2007

What's the resolution on your boss' TV? 1920x1080 isn't exactly crappy resolution.

Its not that good. Its a 720p. I have never personally seen a 1080 tv used as a monitor.

Do you know why most video cards do not support HDMI output?

There are a few reasons that I can think of off the top of my head. First is that most pc monitors don't have hdmi support. Second is that hdmi, in terms of a general computer timeline is pretty new. Most people I know still have their old crt monitor. Its pretty uncommon to find a CRT with dvi.

then you're SOL if the TV doesn't have a DVI input.

I didn't know this until about a month ago, but they make DVI to HDMI cables.

LegoDoom · June 18, 2007

What's the resolution on your boss' TV? 1920x1080 isn't exactly crappy resolution.
Its not that good. Its a 720p. I have never personally seen a 1080 tv used as a monitor.

The Westinghouse is 1080p. And the resolution is 1920x1080. Do you use much more than that?

Do you know why most video cards do not support HDMI output?
There are a few reasons that I can think of off the top of my head. First is that most pc monitors don't have hdmi support. Second is that hdmi, in terms of a general computer timeline is pretty new. Most people I know still have their old crt monitor. Its pretty uncommon to find a CRT with dvi.

It's a little simpler than that. You'd need to feed the audio into the video card in order to output HDMI. Most monitors don't support HDMI because most monitors don't have speakers.

then you're SOL if the TV doesn't have a DVI input.
I didn't know this until about a month ago, but they make DVI to HDMI cables.

You're acting like these converter cables are cheap. Not to mention having to switch out the cables every time you want to go from the cable box to the computer.

BK · June 18, 2007

You're acting like these converter cables are cheap. Not to mention having to switch out the cables every time you want to go from the cable box to the computer.

Pcclub sold theirs for $16-$20. If you are going to get them from bestbuy or compusa, they will gouge the hell out of the price.

It's a little simpler than that. You'd need to feed the audio into the video card in order to output HDMI. Most monitors don't support HDMI because most monitors don't have speakers.

Actually, you don't have to have audio to use hdmi (of course you won't get any audio signal). Big monitor makers are actually switching slowly to HDMI. I give it about 2 years before you start seeing 1 hdmi and 1 dvi instead of 2 dvi, or 1 dvi and 1 vga on videocards. Its a little more user friendly compared to DVI which comes in a few flavors DVI-d, Standard DVI, dual DVI, etc. Most high end monitors, have no speakers but have an hdmi port for using it as a tv.

The Westinghouse is 1080p. And the resolution is 1920x1080. Do you use much more than that?

You said that your 50" tvs run 1080i @ 1920x1080. That IS a good res, but even 30" monitors have them beat by a longshot at a native 2560 x 1600. 2560x1600 is a great resolution for a pc (considering you have the videocard to back it up) 1080i is a good resolution for a tv. I just don't like using either for the other purpose. Thats just my personal preference.

added:

They are starting to make videocards that come with HDMI support for both video and audio.

http://ati.amd.com/products/Radeonhd2900/specs.html

Heres the Ati Radeon x2900xt hd. It has full 5.1 hdmi audio (without any extra soundcard).

LegoDoom · June 18, 2007

The Westinghouse is 1080p. And the resolution is 1920x1080. Do you use much more than that?
You said that your 50" tvs run 1080i @ 1920x1080. That IS a good res, but even 30" monitors have them beat by a longshot at a native 2560 x 1600. 2560x1600 is a great resolution for a pc (considering you have the videocard to back it up) 1080i is a good resolution for a tv. I just don't like using either for the other purpose. Thats just my personal preference.

First off, did you look at the link for the tv I suggested? The Westinghouse 37" LCD with 1080p and a 1920x1080 resolution. I wasn't talking about my TV. Secondly, the original poster said he was looking to hook his computer up to it. It's not about what you like using it for, it's about what he wants to use it for.

I'm sure having a 30" monitor with 2560x1600 resolution would be great. Can you recommend one and a TV for under $700?

added:
They are starting to make videocards that come with HDMI support for both video and audio.
http://ati.amd.com/products/Radeonhd2900/specs.html
Heres the Ati Radeon x2900xt hd. It has full 5.1 hdmi audio (without any extra soundcard).

Seriously... you want to recommend a $400 video card to someone with a TV budget of $700?

BK · June 18, 2007

The Westinghouse is 1080p. And the resolution is 1920x1080. Do you use much more than that?
You said that your 50" tvs run 1080i @ 1920x1080. That IS a good res, but even 30" monitors have them beat by a longshot at a native 2560 x 1600. 2560x1600 is a great resolution for a pc (considering you have the videocard to back it up) 1080i is a good resolution for a tv. I just don't like using either for the other purpose. Thats just my personal preference.
First off, did you look at the link for the tv I suggested? The Westinghouse 37" LCD with 1080p and a 1920x1080 resolution. I wasn't talking about my TV. Secondly, the original poster said he was looking to hook his computer up to it. It's not about what you like using it for, it's about what he wants to use it for.
I'm sure having a 30" monitor with 2560x1600 resolution would be great. Can you recommend one and a TV for under $700?
added:
They are starting to make videocards that come with HDMI support for both video and audio.
http://ati.amd.com/products/Radeonhd2900/specs.html
Heres the Ati Radeon x2900xt hd. It has full 5.1 hdmi audio (without any extra soundcard).
Seriously... you want to recommend a $400 video card to someone with a TV budget of $700?

:D Sorry

I didn't mean for this to pull away from the original suggestion. I was contributing more to the thread and less to the OP. Just discussing HDTv's.

To the op: The Westinghouse is a great tv. The one he linked is a great tv for the price.

LegoDoom · June 18, 2007

And by the way, have you noticed the resolution the ATI card supports through the HDMI?

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