What is the best value for a 32inch <600 dollars? (1 Viewer)

[frascati]

I have been reading the forum, and others, for a couple of days now. I have most of the basics down regarding the technology. My currrent television is a twenty year old 26 inch diag Zenith. It's my good fortune, perhaps, that pretty much anything out there today should be a fantastic improvement.

Two days ago I was about to push the button on a Samsung LN32C450 32 inch 720p 60hz LCD. Here, at 400USD via Amazon....

http://samsung-ln26c450.com/samsung-ln32c450-price/

Very good reviews. Probably the best possible outcome for 400USD and free shipping. Then I said to myself, let's not get hasty here.


I'll spend as much as 600 dollars. Can I do much better? I'll stay with 32inch. Happy with that and it's such a popular size that the value is probably quite high if you don't mind the size. I don't. One of the things I put a high priority on is what I've seen referred to as image 'jitter'. I've noticed it in the stores on many of the big flat screen LCDs and it really annoys me. Is a 60hz LCD a non starter for me then?


This is for movies and cable television only. HDMI port for my laptop (is this not a standard feature anymore on LCD tvs?). Only basic features. No internet or gaming. No blu ray for the foreseeable future. My technical aspirations are low, but I do appreaciate a beautiful and correct picture.


Given the basic criteria I mentioned, are there any really good values currently for 600 dollars?


Thank you so much if you can offer any advice. I realize this is a bit of an annoyingly common type of question. All I can do is promise to contribute what I can in the future.


[COLOR= red] [/COLOR]

 

[frascati]

http://reviews.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/panasonic-plasma-tv/panasonic-tcp42c2.html


Better value than the 400 dollar samsung? Bigger screen and it would almost certainly have less potential for blurring and jitter... no?

 

[frascati]

I got into Best Buy today just to stand in front of the the LCD LCD/LED and Plasmas side by side.

Assuming that this store did a decent job on adjusting the sets, I noticed that up to about 50 inches, the LED screens looked remarkably better than the Plasma. Similar in the midsized models. And reversed, Plasma looking remarkably better, in the largest 3000 to 5000 dollar sets.


In fact, in the 32 to 42 inch models I was looking at, the plasmas, all brands, looked pretty bad next to the lcd and leds. Biggest difference was brightness and contrast. I could also make out (granted I was no more than four feet away) vertical lrows of pixellation in the plasmas.

Anything to this? Or were they set up wrong? Probably the best I saw was a 42 inch Samsung LED. I wonder though.... are side by sides very trustworthy? I'm often afraid that, like food, I'll be drawn to the sweetest and saltiest, only to get tired of those enhanced qualities once I have to eat it three meals a day. Is it possible that the LED sets are merely unnaturally bright and clear looking?

 

[frascati]

Sir. Uh.... sir!! Is Plasma really better for fast action? Or have LED/LCD, in some brands pretty much caught up?


Uh... wasn't there a forum on this corner not too long ago?

 

[Sam Posten]

Hi Frascati, sorry I don't have specific answers to your questions. I think at the 32" range you are going to have a lot of nice choices but trying to min/max 'the best' is going to be an exercise that only leads you to frustration. My advice is to shop around and find one that looks good in your opinion and get a casual feel for how it is being accepted at the review sites or even customer reports at Amazon and Best Buy and don't look back.


Welcome to HTF!

 

[Mike Frezon]

Brad:


Like Sam, I'd like to welcome you to the HTF.


I purchased a [url=http://www.vizio.com/vl320m.html]32" Vizio 1080p last year (VL320M). I got it on sale around the holidays for $400.

Like Sam says, it's going to be your eyes which are going to tell you which set is right for you. Unfortunately, you never can be sure if the sets are set up even CLOSE to correctly on a showroom floor of a place like Best Buy or Sears or Target. They often times exaggerate the colors and contrast and other settings to get customers' attention. That is often one of the hardest parts about display shopping.

I would have gone bigger than 32" if my room and budget had allowed for it. I would advise you to go for as large a set as your room and budget will allow.


HERE'S an online calculator.


The calculator will help you determine your most-desired viewing size based on room size, seating distance, etc.