Best TV for @ $500??? 16x9??? HD? A budding HT enthusiast on a buget needs our help! (1 Viewer)

[DaViD Boulet]

A coworker who is *really* excited about HT has been given a $500 limit by her husband (grrr) for their new TV for the basement rec room. They've got a DVD player and seating distance will be around 6-8 feet away from the set. She's aware of 16x9 aspect ratio sets and would love one but this budget seems like it might make that impossible.

So...what can we do? How big can we go? Can we get 16x9 resolution for anamorphic DVD? I'm thinking a 27" Sony Wega might work cuz of the 16x9 compression and generally great picture. Is there a TV out there I'm missing? Is there a 16x9 SD or HD set that's in the ballpark (even if a little higher)???

Thanks!!!

 

[DaViD Boulet]

how about either of these:
4x3 27" Samsung with 16x9 mode (less than $500):
http://www.bestbuy.com/Detail.asp?m=...=27&e=11101072
4x3 27" HD samsug with 1080I and 480P compatibility and 16x9 mode (a little more than $600):
http://www.bestbuy.com/Detail.asp?m=...=27&e=11101060
Advice welcome!!!

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Personally, I'd wait for the direct-view HD sets (like the 27" Samsung) to drop below $500 (probably within a few months). My 'living room' TV is a 27" Wega with squeeze, but I'll never buy another 480i-only set again (bought the Wega 3 years ago).

 

[Jan Strnad]

I'd wait, too. So far all of the widescreen action has been in large TVs, but it'll filter down.
$500 isn't enough, though. I'd recommend that she take her hubby along on the shopping trip. That budget will budge when he sees what he's getting, if he's any kind of man at all.
She could also pull the "it's what I want for Christmas AND my birthday" deal. And it should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway: Take along his favorite DVD when shopping.
She could also remind him that the HTF is full of young studs who'd love to find a spouse who shares their addiction!
Jan
Who used a lot of smileys in case her husband reads this and is a WWF wrestler.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

We saw the 27 inch 4x3 HD samsung that does both 480P and 1080I and has 16x9 compression. Beautiful picture (flat tube too). Can't even *watch* an interlaced display now. Even from 10 feet back you could see interlacing artifacts on the other 27 inch screens!!!
She's sold. Her husband let her up the budget to $663 to get it

 

[Michael St. Clair]

David,

Great news!