Looking for a new TV

[dvalue 17]

I've been looking for a new tv to go into my bedroom. The room itself is roughly 12x12 or 12x13, can't remember off the top of my head, I havent actually had time to measure it yet, though. Primary uses will be for gaming (Xbox 360), general tv (ATT Uverse), and a few movies from my laptop and use as a monitor (HDMI). My budget would be around 5-800, depending of course, on the TV itself. I was looking for a 32"-40". Really not sure if I have the room for a plasma, though.

I had been looking at the LG LE5300 32" and the Panasonic L37D2, which were what looked best to me in-store.

Edit: I forgot to add that I would eventually like to do a 2.1 system a little down the road, but not a priority ATM.

Edited November 28, 2010 by dvalue

[Aaron Clinton 2,372]

I am no expert, a few guys on HAF made some great TV topics/posts.

[nem 2,019]

I am no expert, a few guys on HAF made some great TV topics/posts.

Great advice right there!

[xxaderxx 0]

I prefer using a monitor with a tv tuner. I have asus.

[ford302redneck 15]

Budget?

And how far are you going to be away from the TV? This has a effect on which size to get, just like room size.

Also, don't just judge looks of a TV in store, as they are not all setup equally. Go to a few different stores to compare each TV and make sure you still think the same one looks the best.

Also, I didn't research the models you listed, but today, if I had to buy a new TV, I would go LED. Anything else is becoming a thing of the past already. But this has to do with budget.

[Duran 387]

3D TV's are pushing the price of LED down, I'm on the market too

[onebadmonte 235]

First and foremost stick with LCD. No matter what they say a plasma screen will always burn an image after a couple of years. With an LCD I'd shoot for the highest refresh rate I could afford. There aren't too many options with $800, I think Vizio might have a 240Hz at that price. I'd stay away from LED, it was just a gimmick to raise TV prices. If it comes with it cool, but not a deciding factor. With that said pretty much any 40" 120Hz TV will fit the bill. I will say Samsung TVs picture looks a funny, some like it some don't. I've got a Samsung 40" 120Hz with the Home Theater in a Box that does netflix and pandora, and a Sony XBR9 52". To this day I have not found anything that compares to the Sony in picture quality. Good luck.

[kirill007 52]

First and foremost stick with LCD. No matter what they say a plasma screen will always burn an image after a couple of years. With an LCD I'd shoot for the highest refresh rate I could afford. There aren't too many options with $800, I think Vizio might have a 240Hz at that price. I'd stay away from LED, it was just a gimmick to raise TV prices. If it comes with it cool, but not a deciding factor. With that said pretty much any 40" 120Hz TV will fit the bill. I will say Samsung TVs picture looks a funny, some like it some don't. I've got a Samsung 40" 120Hz with the Home Theater in a Box that does netflix and pandora, and a Sony XBR9 52". To this day I have not found anything that compares to the Sony in picture quality. Good luck.

LED is not just a gimmick.

It gives a better image then normal LCD's, colors are more true and better contrast.

[onebadmonte 235]

First and foremost stick with LCD. No matter what they say a plasma screen will always burn an image after a couple of years. With an LCD I'd shoot for the highest refresh rate I could afford. There aren't too many options with $800, I think Vizio might have a 240Hz at that price. I'd stay away from LED, it was just a gimmick to raise TV prices. If it comes with it cool, but not a deciding factor. With that said pretty much any 40" 120Hz TV will fit the bill. I will say Samsung TVs picture looks a funny, some like it some don't. I've got a Samsung 40" 120Hz with the Home Theater in a Box that does netflix and pandora, and a Sony XBR9 52". To this day I have not found anything that compares to the Sony in picture quality. Good luck.

LED is not just a gimmick.

It gives a better image then normal LCD's, colors are more true and better contrast.

To each his own. LED back-lighting is a novel approach in achieving darker blacks and sharp contrast. The issue I have with it is that it was improperly implemented. The LEDs currently used are like light bulbs. They light up everything with no direction. In a TV they end up screwing up the contrast. To get it right, manufacturers would need to use light pipes to properly direct the light. Unfortunately that is cost prohibitive. So we're stuck with what we got. When I bought my XBR9 I also bought a Samsung UN55B8000. I put them side by side and watch them for a week. We all (me, the wife, and the kiddos) decided to keep the Sony and sell the Samsung. The mother-in-law even comments on how good the Sony looks compaired to her TV, she's got a LG LH90. This might be a little much for this thread as the specified budget was $800 and the TVs I just mentioned were up over $2k when new. I guess it's a little food for thought. Like I said to each his own.

[ssh 924]

I have a sony bravia 1080p 32" that I bought at bestbuy about a year ago for 600-750 (don't quite remember). Looks great to me, I use it for my 360 and netflix, although netflix streaming quality is a joke...

I'm sure it's way cheaper now.

[kraz3one 0]

I have a sony bravia 1080p 32" that I bought at bestbuy about a year ago for 600-750 (don't quite remember). Looks great to me, I use it for my 360 and netflix, although netflix streaming quality is a joke...

I'm sure it's way cheaper now.

Vizio is a top brand in led right now and they build high qaulity units. Their 55 inch out rank samsung, sony, and panasonic, lg on a lot of review websites. I've own lg lcd and my 42" vizio is probably the best to date conssdering its was 600 less. You can scoop up a 40inh vizio for cheap. Led at that.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SP101A9400S4135991101?sid=IDx20101019x00001a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=SPM2266716101

[Julian 641]

I own a best buy branded tv, it's basically a reboxed lg tv and it looks great and performs for the price I got it new for about 600 for a 37" 1080p tv and this was about 2-3 years ago

[///M5 2,833]

First and foremost stick with LCD. No matter what they say a plasma screen will always burn an image after a couple of years.

Mine hasn't. I am pretty sure it won't as well. Obviously the early ones had issues and yes it is still possible, but absurdly rare.

[ssh 924]

First and foremost stick with LCD. No matter what they say a plasma screen will always burn an image after a couple of years.

Mine hasn't. I am pretty sure it won't as well. Obviously the early ones had issues and yes it is still possible, but absurdly rare.

Our other tv is a 3d plasma samsung, it's never burnt an image, but then again we've only had it for maybe 9months?

Looks good though, at the time we thought 3d movies would start coming out, kinda wasted our money on for the 3d shiz...

[onebadmonte 235]

I relate plasma TVs to projector style televisions, they are not exactly intended for everyday viewing. Especially true when most TV station like broadcasting their respective logo and call letters all day long in the lower right section of the screen. If the intention of this TV is for late night movie watching in bed and an hours worth of local broadcast viewing every once and a while then I say go for it. I've got a plasma in my bedroom for that soul purpose. Honestly, plasma set the standard for picture quality. But if you're going to be watching more than a few hours of broadcast TV everyday I'd stick with the LCD. My LCD in the living room stays on from 5 in the evening till the late new is over all week. On the weekends it's on nearly the whole time we're home. It's never missed a beat going like this for 2 years now.

[mariobjones 5]

LG or samsung tv bro. Lighting are the best IMO. I'm currently playing gta 4 from my ps3 on my samsung 50" its sick bro!! make sure you get the hd cable

[mariobjones 5]

And it's LCD.