Tuesday, April 13, 2010

TV question from a girl who just doesn't know.?

My fathers Bday is comming up and I want to get him the TV hes always wanted and I have no clue what I'm doing! I've been looking at this Samsung 40in 720p flat panel LCD HDTV thats a little over a grand. I don't even know if thats a good deal? I want to get the biggest TV (flat panel) with the best picture quality for under $1100 (after tax). If anyone could suggest something that would be great!! And I also wanted to get him a new DVD player as well. His old one is probably as old as he is! It really needs to be burned. Anyways, I was wondering if I'm going to get an HDTV do I have to get a certain DVD player? Or will any DVD player I pick work? Oh, and I wanted to get him more speakers as well (he LOVES surround sound!). Same question, do I have to get a certain kind to match the TV? And size or watt should I be looking for?





I'm so sorry for all these questions. I really want to give him the best 50th Bday and I just don't know what I'm doing. Thank you so much!

TV question from a girl who just doesn't know.?
First, may I saw you are a wonderful daughter.





I recommend you search on Amazon.com for TVs. First they have outstanding prices that kill most of the big box electronics stores, plus you get to see real reviews and ratings by people who own them. They offer free shipping and depending what state you live in, no sales tax.





720p is good on 40" sets. You'd have to sit pretty close to see any difference between 720p and 1080p at that size set.





I also recommend you consider 42" plasmas, which can offer a bigger screen for less money.





I'm going to link to a few TVs that I like (I did a lot of searching recently), and you can see the owner reviews as well. All are in your price range or below. All are highly recommended by Consumer Reports and by Amazon reviewers. My top recommendation goes to the Panasonic plasma.
Reply:i have returned 2 samsungs this week. first one had a buzzing noise and the second had no screws for the stand. ended up buying an acoustic solutions 26 ". some people will say they are cr@p bcos they are cheap. but this time the cheapie worked where the brand name didnt. and as far as h.d goes dont believe the hype. i fell for it ,and once my contract ends am cancelling it.
Reply:Best Buy is showing that model (40" 720p LCD) for just under $1000, as well as similar models from LG and Phillips. They also show a similar model from Insignia for just under $900. So, that's about the price you would pay and Best Buy is one of the better-priced reputable dealers (not these fly-by-night, internet-only companies).





Some people swear by their Insignia TVs. I got a Sony Bravia 40" LCD HDTV last year. I just love the Sony picture (it also upconverts 720 resolution signals to 1080i). That one is on the market now for about $1350. Your best bet is to go look at them in a TV or electronics store and see the pictures for yourself, then decide if the top brands are worth the extra money.





If you get a DVD player, at least get one that has component video outputs (red, green, and blue RCA jacks) or HDMI. Even if you don't play HD disks, you still get the widescreen format. Don't worry about DVD HD or Blue Ray just yet. DVD HD may become obsolete by next year and Blue Ray is too expensive right now.





Regarding surround sound, you really wouldn't need more than a 5.1 system (front right and left speakers, center channel, and rear right and left speakers, plus an LFE, or low-frequency effect, output to a powered subwoofer - that's the ".1" of the 5.1 surround sound system). You can get a good Yamaha 5.1 surround sound receiver with about 70 watts per channel for under $200.





For speakers, I always recommend Klipsch. You just simply can't get better sound for the money. You can get a really good system (Klipsch Quintet surround speaker system plus a Klipsch powered 10-inch subwoofer) new for about $600 (plus shipping) from authorized Klipsch dealers on eBay.





Don't forget to buy a power conditioner (removes transient voltage spikes from your line voltage that can damage TVs and audio equipment) as well as good component video/audio cables or HDMI cables, and stout speaker wire. All of this would probably run you an additional $200. But, it would make a difference in the audio and video quality.





So, for everything you're considering (TV, DVD player, surround sound system, and accessories), you're looking at about $2500 after taxes and delivery (if you buy off the internet).
Reply:My first response is LG.





HD TV sets have various formats they can display/accept. 480i is the standard def format, then there's 720p and 1080i, plus newer sets offer 1080p. 720p and 1080i are similar, and there's debate about which is better. 1080p is definitely best. However, these refer to the formats, and not what the TV set actually shows you. Check out sets in the size and price range you are interested in. Examine the specifications, brightness, contrast ratio, viewing angle, and actual display resolution. Higher is better in all cases. Then look at connectivity options, component input, HDMI, and the number of each. That will give you an idea what you are looking for, narrow it down to a few. Then go see them.





I would recommend looking at a Blu-Ray/DVD player to go along with the TV if you choose to upgrade that as well.





This stuff is constantly evolving. By the time I gave you a make and model, and you went to the store, it will have gone out of production. You really have to shop around, go see them.





If you get down to 2 or 3 to choose from, look for style, functionality of the remote, ergonomics, and such.





For surround sound I recommend Yamaha and Harman Kardon. But there are plenty to choose from.
Reply:If you have a Krogers department store nearby, see if they have any Sony KDS-50A3000 (rear projection) TVs left from their recent promotion.





The picture quality is amazing and even though it is not flat, it is only about 15" deep and comes with a stand in the promotion for $999.00 before tax.





It is 50" diagonally and 1080P (Full HD). It ios a steal at this price.





Dan
Reply:go to a shop and let the salesman tell you a good deal


! ( my dad got a bottle of scotch for his 50th)
Reply:If you are looking to spend around $1,100, you can get a pretty decent 40-42" LCD TV from brand names like Samsung and Toshiba. Just go to BestBuy and shop around. Try to negotiate with the sales assosiate because they usually allow some discounts if you get the extended warranty.





Also, if you plan on getting a new DVD player and speakers, I suggest you get a nice Samsung 1000-watt home theatre system which includes a decent DVD player along with tallboy speakers. You can probably make a deal with the sales assosiate at BestBuy so they can make a package deal for you.





I strongly recommend Samsung for both LCD TVs and home theatre systems. I have a Samsung home theatre system and I just love it!

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