Best 32-37" displays right now? (1 Viewer)

[Adam Lenhardt]

I'm moving to a new apartment at the end of the month, and the living room is small enough that a 37-inch display is about as large as is practically given then relatively small distance between the couch and where the screen will be. So I need to downsize to a 32-37" TV.

I want a 1080p display, preferably 120Hz. Given those parameters, what are some well-reviewed options? I was looking at the Samsung TVs, but it sounds like there's some quality control issues with lower quality panels being used in some of the displays.

 

[schan1269]

As you've no doubt checked by now, there is slim pickings in 1080P in 32inch. As 1080P is, essentially, pointless till 40inchI think this year Sharp Aquos(Sharp branded never had one) actually dropped their 32" 1080P 120hz sets altogether. They were door stops in the marketplace.Outside of the $500-$600 Samsung, LG and Panasonic, you aren't finding much.Philips/Magnavox is all cheap Funai.RCA/Proscan are also cheap Funai.Vizio...Toshiba is still reeling. Their small sets are fighting for the crumbs left over from the crap-brands.Sony...they might have a 120hz(since they are no longer joint venture with Samsung, many people think Sony is going to stop producing LCD eventually altogether...and jump back in with OLED when it reaches normal consumer pricing).Basically, you are at the mercy of the manufacturers giving up to the crappy stuff. Nobody buys $500+ 32inchIf you quit looking for a splendid 32The only two worth what you are actually paying...Haier and Hitachi(yeah, Hitachi no longer makes their own TV like they used to...but at least the ODM they use isn't Funai. And hurry, Hitachi pulled the plug on their "CE branded" stuff this year.)

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Thanks for the input, though I wish the news you had for me was less discouraging! I'd love to get a bigger display, but it's purely a space issue driving this decision.

Here are the two I'm currently considering:
Panasonic TC-L37E5 SMART VIERA® 37" Class E5 Series Full HD LED HDTV (36.5" Diag.)
Samsung UN32EH5300F - 32" Class - LED - 1080p - 60Hz - Smart - HDTV

Any advice toward one over the other? Any reason I should avoid one or both of them?

 

[schan1269]

I have a predilection against Samstung anyway(and yeah...I meant Samstung).
LG has come a long way past being the scourge that was Goldstar. The G is Goldstar.
Haier is where LG was right when Lucky bought Goldstar. Still trying to make inroads, and they are the ones doing more damage against the "traditional Japanese" than LG and Samsung.
Panasonic is still clinging to "we make good stuff" and uses IPS in almost everything(and makes sure you know that) but the market increasingly doesn't care. IPS and Sharp's proprietary are the two LCD panels. Haier uses IPS as well(one of the reasons their TV "don't suck").
I would ignore that Samsung and pick this...
http://www.amazon.com/Haier-LE39F2280-39-Inch-1080p-60Hz/dp/B007ZT45U0/ref=sr_1_15?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1365429146&sr=1-15&keywords=haier+1080P (if you have room for the 39, great. I would still take this 32 over that Samsung. Haier doesn't do a 32 or 39 "Smart and 1080P". Pick one, 1080P or Smart. Smart are all 720P)

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Based on what you're saying about Samsung and some of the reviews of that particular Panasonic, I'm considering the new LG 32" smart TV:
LG 32LN5700 32-Inch LED-lit 1080p 60Hz Smart HDTV
The only thing that gives me pause is that it's so new and there are so few reviews.

 

[schan1269]

The only thing that sucks about that TV is it is edge-lit. But it is only 32", so it probably won't make much difference.

Edge-lit LCD are the biggest "returned it cause I didn't like it" version of LCD there is.

Check how many Warehouse Deals on Amazon there are of them. But predominantly they are the 46 and bigger.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I'll have to take a look at some edge-lit LCDs and see if that's something I can live with. Thanks for all of your advice and information.

 

[schan1269]

The easy way to tell...

Edge-Lit are ALWAYS trumpeted by..."look how thin it is"...

Full-Array is what back-lit is typically called.

Full Array are never less then 2.5inches thick...and the edges are curved around. They almost look like a plasma TV(the case of it) of 2-3 years ago. Plasma TV are getting almost as thin as edge-lit LCD...but Full-Array LCD will never get there(physically impossible).

 

[Steve Schaffer]

If you can push your screen size up to 40/42 you have a lot more choices. We just got a Sony KDL40R450 from Costco a few weeks ago--1080p lcd with led backlighting (not edge lit). It's true refresh rate is 60hz but has backlight strobing to reduce judder. Very basic set otherwise with only 2 HDMI, no smart features (you can do those better with a BD player or Roku or Apple tv anyway). It's got no flashlighting or clouding and pretty decent black levels, although not the best I've seen for off angle performance (not a factor with our setup). I'd equate it with Sony's well regarded EX-500 ccfl model from a few years back--good basic performer at a good price. We got ours from Costco for under $500.

42" would also let you get a 720p plasma from Panny or Samsung at about $400. Much better off/angle and motion handling than any lcd, with better blacks except in a very brightly lit room.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Thanks for the suggestion, Steve. I checked out the KDL40R450 and was pretty impressed by it. The 40-inch size is pushing the space a bit, but from the viewing distance of the couch it seemed doable. The thing that concerns me is that there's only two HDMI ports. Is the HDMI PC input one of those two HDMI ports, or is it a separate port? My PC has a CableCARD in it and I'm planning on continuing to use Windows Media Center as my DVR. My graphics card has an HDMI output, and that's what I'm planning to use to feed the cable to my TV.

If I can use the HDMI PC input with computer and still have two HDMI ports free for my blu-ray player and my WDTV box, then they might be the way I go.

 

[schan1269]

Well, if considering 40"...

http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-40L5200U-40-Inch-1080p-120Hz/dp/B0077E47SI/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1365463791&sr=1-2&keywords=40%22+lcd+toshiba

 

[Steve Schaffer]

Thanks for the suggestion, Steve. I checked out the KDL40R450 and was pretty impressed by it. The 40-inch size is pushing the space a bit, but from the viewing distance of the couch it seemed doable. The thing that concerns me is that there's only two HDMI ports. Is the HDMI PC input one of those two HDMI ports, or is it a separate port? My PC has a CableCARD in it and I'm planning on continuing to use Windows Media Center as my DVR. My graphics card has an HDMI output, and that's what I'm planning to use to feed the cable to my TV.

If I can use the HDMI PC input with computer and still have two HDMI ports free for my blu-ray player and my WDTV box, then they might be the way I go.

it has two HDMI total.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Thanks, Steve. That pretty much rules it out for me, even though it looks like a very nice TV. The more I think about it, the more I'm thinking that 40" is just too darn big for the space.

 

[edwimb]

How about http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/samsung-pn43e450/4505-6482_7-35169614.html ?

Dell has it on sale for $400 and you get a $50 gift card as well.

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=A6259192&dgc=SS&cid=259584&lid=4660910&acd=12309173244274935

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Thanks for the suggestion. I ended up going with the LG Electronics 39LN5700 39-Inch 1080p 60Hz LED-LCD HDTV with Smart TV. It had the combination of size and features I was looking for. It arrived yesterday and I set it up temporarily just to make sure everything was working and nothing was damaged. I'm very pleased with the picture quality, and I wouldn't have wanted to go any larger.