Help buying an HDTV (22" - 26")

I'd shell out a little extra and get a bigger TV. You can get nice TVs these days for $900~-$1000

 

get the refurb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889253167

$380.

$400+ is too much for a tv that small.

 

you dont need a new tv, just get a converter box

jk

i am actually shopping for a new TV as well, but 37" for me, and getting a xbox360

 

you can find 37s for cheap cause 40in tvs are the now the norm after 32inch.

 

the deals on 37s have slowed down.. seems like because 40 and 42 are more popular nowadays (and 32 still of course)

 

Costco has a 26" Westinghouse for $299 and a 46" Sceptre for $699.

 

that's probably a good deal on the 26inch.

if you spend near $500, then you should go 32inch

 

In the market for a new TV myself. Not to derail this thread (a simple answer will do) but should I go plasma or LCD? There's a gigantic 50" or so plasma at Best Buy I have been eying up for roughly $1,000 after taxes. I know LCD is better but is the difference really that dramatic? If I buy this plasma it's not going to crap out after two years? Thanks!

 

Plasmas are great TVs, they have a 60,000 hr life span.
Plasma has the advantage of much better contrast and viewing angles.

However they do eat more electricity.

If you go Plasma, go panasonic. I do know some Samsung owners who love their plasmas too, but Panasonic has better reviews.

check this out:
http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatv/reviews.html

 

Thanks, timman.

So do LCD's have a longer lifespan then?

 

If you're asking the question based upon the 60,000 hour figure, do the math and see if it would even matter...

If your tv were on 12 hours a day then 60,000/12 = 5000 days or about 13-14 years of service.

FYI : I have a Hitachi plasma I bought about 4 years ago that's still going strong with no problems.

 

its about even. trust me you aren't going to watch 60,000 hrs of tv in short time period!

For larger TVs, Plasmas are the better deal. LCDs the price can flux big time based on brand and features.

for a 42 or smaller, get a 720p tv if you can find one. 1080p only makes a difference on 50 and larger. at that size you can see the pixel difference.

but its not a gigantic leap.

i have a 720p and everything looks great on it. bluray, xbox360, hd cable etc.

 

Haha -- Yeah, immediately after I posted that I felt a "brain fart" moment coming. Hey, it's been a long night of watching painful, deplorable Rockets basketball and mentally preparing myself for the NFL playoffs.

But thanks again for the advice guys. I never really knew the difference.

 

I picked up a Vizio 1080p 22" for $299 from Sam's right before Christmas. Perfect for my office, but it may be a bit small for your needs. But for true 1080p, heck of a deal.

 

I do not mean to sound like a MEANIE at all, dude, but... why would you need 1080p on such a small screen?

You can't really appreciate 1080p unless you're going larger than 40", in my opinion. I don't make to say you made a bad choice, I just mean to say if it was a good price, heck why the hell not buy it, but... 1080p on a 22" is a waste, I think. Nice find, though.

WORST BUY has a 46" 1080p 120Hz LCD for ~ $1500. Not BAD!

How about a DLP with a larger screen for about the same price...? With DLP, you can go MUCH LARGER with less money.

Granted, the image may not be best, but your D o l l a r stretches much farther.

 

No it's not mean..

Like I said, I just needed a small tv for my office, and everything else in that same general screen size was just as much if not more, so there was no reason NOT to get the 1080p. Besides, put a blu-ray movie on it in full 1080, yes, I actually can tell a difference
Sure, 40" or more would be better, but I have my 12' projector for the big screen, so I ain't lacking in the size department.. hehehe

 

I got a 22" Dynex 720p for $200 at Best Buy for my apartment.

I'd have much rather had a bigger/better/name brand, but considering that I'm broke and I've been watching TV on a 13" CRT that is 16 years old....I'm happy and can't complain.

 

Do all plasmas have screen glare? I think I'd prefer a plasma, but I hate seeing reflections on the screen. LCDs don't seem to have this problem.