TV Buying Soon (1 Viewer)

[Adam Sanchez]

Quick question guys,

Is there a way to know if a TV has the feature of saving the video setting of each input? Whatever TV I get, I definately want it to do that. If I get a newer model TV, is it most likely going to have that feature? My top condender is still:

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTE...me=specs&var2=

But I have been really looking at Sharp Aquos... which I can get for $1500 soooooooooo.... tempting!

 

[Dave Moritz]

Sony 32" BRAVIA™ LCD Flat Panel HDTVKLV-S32A10 $ 1,999.99
• Screen Size: 32"
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9
• Display Resolution: 1366 x 768
• Screen or Display Technology: LCD
• Component Video (Y/Pb/Pr ) Input(s): 1 (Rear) 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i
• HDMI™ Connection Input(s): 1 (Rear) with Analog Audio
• Native Resolution: 720p


Sharp AQUOS™ 32" LCD HDTV Monitor (LC-32DA5U)
• Screen Size: 32"
• Widescreen (16:9)
• 1366 x 768 resolution
• Component Video (Y/Pb/Pr ) Input(s): 1 (Rear) 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i

Samsung HLR5078W 50" Digital-Cable-Ready DLP Projection HDTV $3499.99
• Screen Size: 50"
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9
• Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080
• Screen or Display Technology: DLP
• Component Video (Y/Pb/Pr ) Input(s): 1 (Rear) 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
• HDMI™ Connection Input(s): 1 (Rear) with Analog Audio

Samsung HLR5067W 50" Digital-Cable-Ready DLP Projection HDTV $2499.99
• Screen Size: 50"
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9
• Display Resolution: 1280 x 720p
• Screen or Display Technology: DLP
• Component Video (Y/Pb/Pr ) Input(s): 1 (Rear) 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i
• HDMI™ Connection Input(s): 1 (Rear) with Analog Audio


Mitsubishi also makes a 50" 1080p 1920 x 1080 DLP HDTV with dual hdmi inputs that one I have seen for around $3100. The Toshiba DLP look good as well. I have seen the new Sony LCD's and they do have a nice picture but I look at it this way. The Sony at times you can make out a light screen door effect and dead pixels as far as I know are still an issue. I like the smoother picture that DLP produces, IMHO its more film like, I have no doubt that the Sony is a nice set, I saw the Sony next to a Hitachi Ultravision LCD and the Sony outclased the Hitachi easily. But I would not rule out a DLP set.

 

[Adam Sanchez]

Hey again all,

Most of you have probably tried to forget about this dumb post and my million indesicive questions but here I am again.

I just wanted to let you know I have pretty much decided on the 32 Inch Sony found here:

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTE...ture-KLVS32A10

I would love some opinions... and I am still open to comparable alterative. I still have 2 weeks before purchase. All in all though, I love Sony products and this TV from what I can tell, is a nice TV... if a bit expensive.

 

[Tim Jin]

You are doing a lot of research than you have to and it seems like you are set on the Sony.

There is so much opinions that one can get, to the point of being confused.

You are the only one that can justify the buy. If you like what you see, go with your gut and buy what you want.

Remember, this is won't be your last TV that you buy.

 

[Dave Moritz]

Hey Adam,

I would look at the Samsungs unless you are really set on that Sony. Also take in consideration if you are planning on playing true HD content back on your tv. Meaning a combination of hd on cable and hd off of blueray or hd-dvd?

I have seen a 50" Samsung DLP selling for around $2299 that did 480i/480p/720p/1080i which is not that far off the mark from the 32" Sony. And there is no screen door if you sit to close and no dead pixel issue which is previlent with LCD TV's. If you buy the Sony I would suggest a performance warrenty that will repair or replace anyting that may go wrong with the LCD. You can put your face up to the DLP tv and see no screen door effect and no visible pixels.

Also keep in mind that the native resolution is 720p and any 1080i or future 1080p media will be displayed at 720p. I am looking at TV's as well just like you are. I am trying to find one that will display full 1080i minimum so I am not loosing out to much on HD media. One of the HDTV's I am looking at is a Mitsubishi 50" RPTV HD 1080p with dual hdmi inputs for $3100 at Fry's Electronics. I plan to call Mitsubishi and find out if it will display true 1080p from a future 1080p source like Sony's Blueray Disc?

 

[Adam Sanchez]

Hey Dave,

Thanks for the reply. I will have a look at the Samsung's. I recall I was at BB a few days ago and I was comparing the 32 Toshiba with a 32 inch Sharp Aquos and the salesman said he prefered the 32 inch Samsung that was wedged inbween the two.

What do you think of Samsung's 32 inch LCD? The 50 inch DLP is not an option. I just don't have the room, 32 inch is really the size for me and I know I want an LCD since I will be playing with my computer on it too, at least some of the time. I have also chosen the PERCECT entertainment cabinet for my TV, and it's really fit for the Sony, or any TV with the speakers on the BOTTOM. You can check it out here: http://www.sauder.com/furniture/product.asp?l=5&p=43

It has that shelf on top which will be perfect for my center speaker.

It's a perfect size for my room and space I have. Getting it rules out an Aquos, but no one has really intently recommoned those so I am not really considering them anymore.

How are 32 inch Samsung's? The one I had seen did look nice, but it wasn't much cheaper than the Sony I like and I don't mind paying a bit extra for a well known brand and good product.

As for HD content, I'm not really worried about it. This TV is going to be part of my HT for DVDs 80% of the time and some occational PC hookup just for fun. I'm still debating if I'm even gonna GET Cable or Satelite at all to be honest and if I do... I know the companies often provide boxes Or I can always get a settop box later.

For the Range of $2000 I know I have the options of The Sony mentioned above, A 32 inch Toshiba that has the advantage of a HD Tuner... and The Samsung I'm thinking of which is about $1800. Don't recall if it had a tuner though...

 

[Dave Moritz]

Hey Adam,

Just got off the phone with a Mitsubishi rep MDEA Operational Assistance Rep. The Mitsubishi WD-52627 : 52"
1080p DLP™ HDTV does not have a native resolution. It displays whats comming in at its incoming resolution. 480p is displayed at 480p, 720p at 720p and 1080p at 1080p. The only exception is incoming 1080i gets upconverted to 1080p. I have seen this set for $3100 at Fry's Electronics here in Phoenix, AZ. I guess I know what TV I have to buy now . I will know as soon as I spend alittle more time checking it out and checking out a 1080p Samsung before commiting to the Mitsu

 

[Dave Moritz]

Hey Adam,

No problem I guess my second post arrived just after you responded to my first post. So I guess never mind my second post . You will still be looking at the same possible problems with any LCD set. I to saw the Sony LCD sets at Circuit City, Fry's and Best Buys. The Sony was alot better than the Hitachi and had a very nice picture. I would just go by your gut feeling on what one you liked better. But I would get the extended performance warrenty with any LCD you buy. That way if you get a dead pixel or pixels you can get it replaced. I am really carefull on any Sony purchase I make. My last Sony purchase was a Sony ES DVP-S9000 ES DVD/SACD player that was $1600, I got it as an open box item for $740 including a extended 10 year warrenty from Good Guys. I have owned it for over 2 1/2 years and its been in the shop twice.

I would go with the Sony if you love the picture more than the Samsung LCD. Enjoy your new TV Adam and hopefully chat with you soon in some other thread.

 

[Adam Sanchez]

Dave,

I was just at CC's website and there are alot of good reviews for the Samsung 32 inch which I believe was the one with the HD Tuner. It has 15 reviews... all good. The Sony I like it still very new... very hard to find any reviews of it. I half believe the fact that Sony is overrated, but they do make some good products, TVs generally being one of them.

Still though, those Samsung reviews got me thinking. They say it has a 3000:1 contrast ratio... which I would like to comfirm. From what I see, most LCDs have at most 800:1 so that 3000 kind of stands out and make me wonder. I am aware companies make thier onw determination of that number. What's 800:1 to one company, may be 5:1 for another. An exaggeration, but you see my point.

To be honest, and I don't know why, but in all of this, I had not given Samsung much thought. When I was younger, they were always a cheapie brand... I realize that has changed. Heck I think I read somewhere samsung Tvs and Sony's come from the same plant!

I got a job this week so I do know my TV is happening for sure, which I am very very excited about. The check I am expecting will come on the 26th so I hope to get the TV possibly that day. In the meantime, a little bit more looking around wont hurt right? I'm gonna have to give the Samsung more though and go down and look at it again.

I do know a few things, and if I am wrong on any of this, let me know.

1. I will be buying the TV in person, not online. Online has some great deals... but as a friend pointed out, what if the TV is bad? I don't wanna spend $200 to ship it back!

2. Extended Warranty is a must... even if I have to wait a few days to make sure I can afford it at purchase.

3. I will probably buy the TV at Circuit City. Not that I favor them, I just hear they have a great return Policy and who knows... I might try a TV and then try another one. Maybe both the Sony and the Samsung.

Thanks for going back and fourth with me Dave.

 

[Tim Jin]

I did not know that they offer a 10 year warranty.

How much did it cost you?

I bought my Denon 2200 from Good Guys and I also got the extended warranty plan for 5 years, just because they gave me a combo deal with the player.

Never used it so far. Denon makes some solid player.

Dave is right. Sony hasn't had the best track record over the years. I would look into the extended warranty to make sure that I am cover for years to come.

Usually, you can get a deal on the TV, if you want to get the warranty also.

I hear that Circuit City has an excellent extended warranty plan for their customer. I don't know about Best Buy.

Extended warranty paid off at the end for me with my previous Panasonic. Almost 18 months and after countless of service repairs, Panasonic replace my 47". No problems after that.

I didn't buy the warranty again.

Knock on plastic.

 

[Tim Jin]

If you buy a set from the authorize dealer, you should not have any problems with repairs. It is highly unlikely that they will make you ship back your TV for repairs. It is more likely that they will contact the service repair shop that is authorize with the manufacture and get the TV service in your home.

 

[Dave Moritz]

Lets not forget Sony makes a awsum camcorder

The contrast ratio's for the newer TV are improving all the time. Any your right it does not hurt to shop around especially if it helps you get a better tv in the end. And you are right Samsung was not all that great but as of a few years ago they really steped up and are making some great tvs now. Just like Zenith TV's used to be really good now they just brag that they are the HD authority I laugh whenever I see there comercial claiming that . Samsung is now known especially for there DLP tv's, they are really nice and getting really good reviews. Sony does make stuff that is over rated but like you said they do make some nice stuff. It just hit and miss with Sony but when they make something good I dont pass it up because its a Sony.

I hear that the Panasonic LCD's are nice as well. You might consider looking at Good Guys since you are in California. I moved from So. California 6 months ago and I allways had a good exsperience at Good Guys. When I took something in they allways got to it and it was fixed in a timely manor and I never had problems with warrenties being honored there. And there sales people seemed to be better trained than CC and BB.

I would rather buy something from a store as well because you know where you can take it if something goes wrong. While you can get good deals online it can be a big hastle to get something repaired under warrenty. Also if you deal with a paticular store enough you can sometimes get better deals on future purchases. And the salesman that you buy from is more likely to give you deals and better advice.

I have allway like to do business with retailers that not only carry good brands but have good sales people that give you good deals. Those are the places I would rather spend my money at. I had a salesman at Frys trying to sell me a HDTV and going on about how all there sets where 4th generation DLP not 3rd generation chips. mmmm thats funny since there now using 6th generation chips in the current DLP HDTV's .

I may be wrong but I though I read somewhere that LCD's did not do well in rooms with alot of light. And that most likely why alot of manufacturers are boosting up the contrast ratios on there LCD models. If someone else here knows better please correct me on this? I think you will do ok Adam you seem to have a good grasp on what your looking for and should have no problem getting something that fits your needs. For a short time I was considering a 62" Toshiba DLP that I would have to shoe horn between my large Altec A7 speaker cabinets. But for myself I think I will go with ether the Samsung or Mitsubishi 1080p 50" DLP HDTV. And Mitsubishi also makes LCD tv's as well as DLP tv's. Feel free to email me directly but I will keep checking this post to see how things go. Let us know what set you end up buying

 

[Tim Jin]

Have you checked at any other stores, other than Fry's??

Fry's is only good for one thing and that is blank media because you never have to return them.

I heard pretty bad stories about Fry's by my local repair shop. Like, they are always "fixing" Fry's repairs. One person had a Pioneer Elites 65" RPTV. They call up Fry's because the set was acting up. Fry's sent out their tech guy to look at the TV. The tech basically came as is, without any service manual. Instead of fixing the TV, the tech actually broke off the casing and scratch the screen. The tech was yelling at the customer and I think the customer had to call the cops. After all that, Fry's ended up calling the local shop and the local tech fixed their TV and fixed the damage from the Fry's tech. Even then the local tech could not fix everything because the cabinet was split from the Fry's tech. I think the customer ended up getting a new set because the current set became nonrepairable.

 

[Dave Moritz]

Hey Tim,

Goodguys included the warrenty into the price of the Sony 9000 ES dvd player. They took money off the cost of the player and then added the warrenty. So technically I did not pay for it really. It is covered until 2012 so I am not worried about getting it fixed. It has not had a great track record being in the shop twice in two years .

Denon has been on fire the past few years especially since updating there AVR-3805 to the AVR-3806 for $1299 and it has assignable hdmi inputs as well. Not to mention 100mhz component video, assignable digital inputs, asssignable component video, assignable internal amps if you use external power amps and more. There DVD players are really nice as well. I think that they are actually better than what Sony is putting out in the area of recievers and dvd players. I did like the picture on the Sony LCD set I recently saw but I will be sitting alittle to close to it until I move to a bigger place. And I really dont like the screen door effect from sitting to close. And Sony likes to charge more for the Sony tag on the front as well. Not that there new large HDTV's do not have a nice picture. I thought that there new LCD was noticable better than Hitachi's LCD offering. The Sony had a much more viverent picture than the Hitachi did. I have a Hitachi CRT monitor on my pc and I would not trade that for any Sony or Viewsonic pc monitor. If Sony made a DLP HDTV especially a 1080p set I would check into it and concider it along with Samsung and Mitsubishi.

 

[Adam Sanchez]

The Goodguys here in Hayward, CA have been reduced to a little corner in Comp USA. (I have no idea when that freaky merger happened but it seem's GG's isn't doing too well going by the space they have left in the store that use to be ALL Good Guys.

I think I have to come to a point where I need to stpo adding brands to the mix. Unless the Panasonic's are hands down freakin' awesome and cheaper or something... think I might rule them out simply to keep my options simple.

On and another reason I don't want to buy online: I'm too impatient!!! I had to wait 2 months for this TV as it is!

 

[Tim Jin]

If your budget is not an issue, I would get the Mitsubishi 108p DLP. At 50", that is the set to get. Plus, 1080p looks awesome. If I had the upgrade bug, I would get a 1080p set and the Mits would be my choice.

Samsung has come along ways and they make great DLP's, but you are investing in a Korean company. (I'm Korean, so I can bash . For some reason, I always stayed away from Korean products, especially with electronic. I just don't trust their after service, if something fails.

I know many people love their Sammy's, but don't have time to deal with after service if problems occurs.

Screen door effect doesn't bothers me as much as rainbows on DLP's. Even at 1080p, I can still see rainbows, not as bad as before, but they are still there.

If you are happy what you see at the new 1080p sets, go for it. There is no reason to not to get a 1080p set unless you are on a budget or unless you are waiting for the next generation.

I'm totally jealous .

 

[Dave Moritz]

Thanks for the input Tim Jin. I have just been scared off by the negative things about LCD more and I have never seen a rainbow effect with DLP. I think some people see it more than others and some never see it. I have been very impressed with the Samsung DLP sets over the past 2 years. Before that I would not have even entertained the idea of a Samsung for any reason.

Oh if I do get the 1080p set its really costing me more than just the cost really. I am putting away every spare penny and sitting at home until I can save up the cash for this bad boy I am on a budget and dont make allot of money but I have decided I am going to get a really good tv this time. I am just really stuborn and want to be ready for HD movies next year. And until then I will enjoy 1080i Discovery Channel, HBO and Starz.

 

[Tim Jin]

"Tim" is my first name and "Jin" is my last name. It's not two names put together in one .

You are welcome Dave Moritz .

What do you mean by getting ready for HD movies?

Do you mean 1080p movies or HD DVD/Blue Ray?

1080p Networks are not going to happen anytime soon. Networks still yet to convert over to HD. I won't be betting the farm of a 1080p network in this decade.

HD DVD and Blue Ray will be very slow. They really don't have a nitch market at what DVD did in the 90's. From the normal consumer stand point, there is no reason to upgrade to either format when 480p DVD's looks great. Plus, many people are getting upconvert 1080i players also.

We will see a lot more 1080i upconvert players than HD and Blue format.

You almost never buy the first generation products. They are usually slow and expensive. This is why you see 1080p set at what they are now, exspensive, but not slow.

When the new DVD format comes around, they won't get the market share that they like to get because the mass won't buy it unless it's the same price as the cheap chinese DVD player.

I am more likely going to upgrade to an upconvert player in a few years, than the new format.

Most of the studios are rethinking about the new format for their libraries because they are not ready and there isn't a real player that is ready to go prime time.

The new DVD format is still a long ways off. If the industry doesn't market the new formats correctly, it just might be a dead run, just like DVD Audio.

There market might just be in the XBox 360 and PS3.

BUT, at this point on, I will get a 1080p set for sure.

If you are not in a rush, I would save my pennies and wait for next generation 1080p, or wait for their track records on forums like HTF.

 

[Adam Sanchez]

Hey all... me again!

I was at a local Mom and Pop store today looking at TVs and the salesman told me something I wanted to get som validity on. He told me only a few companies, like Samsung actually make LCDs and they sell them off to other companies to add thier own parts to, including Sony.

Is that true? He was telling that the 32 Inch Samsung equivallent of the Sony I want is a better buy. Is there any truth to that? How is the 32 inch Samsung that is the same basic version as the Sony I like? I want the best product but heck the Samsung is like $150 cheaper. I don't wanna buy the Sony... or any product... JUST for the name.

This would be the Samsung I would get probably: http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Samsu...oductDetail.do

 

[Tim Jin]

The salesman is most likely right and most likely, Sony uses the same LCD that Samsung makes at their own plant. Samsung is a big OEM manufacture for LCD's. A lot of the top brands gets their LCD panels from Korea and Samsung. Almost all computer LCD panels for monitors are from Samsung.

Dell uses Samsung's OEM panels for their LCD monitors. Akai sold a 42" CRT RPTV that was made by Samsung, but rebadge for Akai. Most brands get their panels at the same OEM manufactures.

When you buy a Sony, you are paying more for the name and the style. Most brands might use the same panels, but they also differ from each other as in features, resolutions and etc.

This could be access menus, different type of inputs, or whatever. Sometime you might find the exact same TV with a different name.

You should play around with both set and see which one you like better. Maybe the Sony has better controls and it might be worth the money, or maybe you find the Samsung to be just like the Sony or better and it is worth the savings.

Good Luck!