HDTV shopping tips

[I'm Gone 60]

This one of the better AV Websites:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/

I have had a 42 inch Vizio LCD for just about 2 years and it hasn't given me any trouble. I have a 50 inch Maxent plasma and it does suck up a lot more electricity than the LCD.

One other thing I have noticed is if you are buying an LCD that you will be viewing from below, anything smaller than a 32 inch the screen will look very dark. I bought my daughter a 20 inch LCD to watch while in bed and the TV is above the bed and she has to sit up in bed to get a clear view. Going to buy her a 32 inch for Christmas. Probably go with a 32 inch Vizio from Costco.

One other thing, if someone tries to sell you an LCD or plasma TV in the mall parking lot make sure you aren't buying an oven door. LOL

Edited November 15, 2008 by I Quit

[IAMX 3,055]

There's a lot of irony. I had my uncle take back his Maxent TV from Coscto the same day he bought it. Though not sure if it was an LCD or plasma. I had him buy a Sharp Aquos instead. He never regretted it.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

This one of the better AV Websites:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/

I have had a 42 inch Vizio LCD for just about 2 years and it hasn't given me any trouble. I have a 50 inch Maxent plasma and it does suck up a lot more electricity than the LCD.

One other thing I have noticed is if you are buying an LCD that you will be viewing from below, anything smaller than a 32 inch the screen will look very dark. I bought my daughter a 20 inch LCD to watch while in bed and the TV is above the bed and she has to sit up in bed to get a clear view. Going to buy her a 32 inch for Christmas. Probably go with a 32 inch Vizio from Costco.

One other thing, if someone tries to sell you an LCD or plasma TV in the mall parking lot make sure you aren't buying an oven door. LOL

AVS forum rules.

Oh. And last week I bought a replacement oven door and got a plasma TV instead. So it's all good.

[I'm Gone 60]

AVS forum rules.

Oh. And last week I bought a replacement oven door and got a plasma TV instead. So it's all good.

Didn't you get ripped off on something you bought a few years ago in one of those on the street deals?

Edited November 16, 2008 by I Quit

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

AVS forum rules.

Oh. And last week I bought a replacement oven door and got a plasma TV instead. So it's all good.

Didn't you get ripped off on something you bought a few years ago in one of those on the street deals?

A 'forever' flashlight that ran on watch batteries.

[Ling Ling 22]

Good tips there....

Especially the one about having enough HDMI (and other) inputs. We have a NetFlix Roku box,

a PS3 for BluRay movies, and an HD-DVD player (great scaler for SD discs) that all need HDMI.

Not to mention 2 DVD players (one is a 5 disc carousel for series, one is region free),

2 Nintendo Wiis (one is US, one is Japanese and hacked....I need the US model to understand the instructions),

and a VHS player (you never know when aunt Sally's gonna bring over a VHS tape).

So yeah, we run out of inputs pretty quick. I picked up a 5-1 HDMI switcher that rocks...but I'd really like

something that has HDMI and component inputs, with an HDMI output. Anyone, anyone?

Another good forum is HomeTheaterForum.com

[I'm Gone 60]

One other thing that comes to mind is don't let Best Buy or Circuit City sell you $50.00 HDMI cables. Go to

http://www.monoprice.com/home/?CartID=&style=

You will get the same 6 ft HDMI cable in plain black without a pretty package for under $10.00 They ship stuff in a reasonable amount of time and I like being able to pay through PayPal.

[NickD 203]

It's going to be a mess come February, UHF never took off because of line of sight transmission problems, while VHF can sneak through a tree or a building, UHF bounces right back off. And I would much rather watch a snowy picture if the program is good, than watch pixels popping up and disappearing off the screen. If using rabbit ears with minor ghost problems now you are going to receive a digital messed up bunch of numbers your brand new HDTV does not know how to handle. If you have cable, will be paying extra for HDTV, even though the cable company does not originate the signal, only down converts it with even cheaper equipment than is used for analog.

Second ripoff is the diagonal measurement of the 16:9 new ratio compared to the old 4:3, while you may think you are buying say a 27" screen, actually buying a 20" set. No ifs, ands, or butts about that.

Suggest you bend over, because you are going to get it, this system is approved by the same administration that gave us the Iraq war and the financial crisis. Wife wants me to buy a 60" HDTV, we have a very bright ten foot screen now, said, let's just wait and see what happens. We also have tons of things with the old format to watch, that would have to be obsoleted too. All in all, we are really going to be screwed, so just smile and bend over, mark my words on this.

Oh, one nice thing about my trip to Venezuela was rather than watch Hugo on every channel, actually started doing things than staring at the box and actually getting a life back. Really haven't watched that much TV since I am back, can get to be a bad habit. Maybe this new system would be could for this country.

Edited December 2, 2008 by NickD

[Niels Bohr 72]

NickD,

You don't need to replace your VCR machine.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

I bought my Mom a 32" LCD Vizio for $399 at Costco on black Friday. She loves it as it replaced her 25" CRT. I was ready to pay $449 but there was an additional (unadvertised) $50 instant rebate!!!