Decent 32" HDTV for under $1200? (1 Viewer)

[Richard_Brodsky]

My Sony WEGA KV32XBR250 is dying and it's time to get a new TV/Display. I'm thinking maybe it's time to go HDTV, but not yet fully convinced. It's hard to even find regular CRT/tube televisions anymore, but alot of the LCD and flat screen displays are still a bit pricey. I'm also a bit confused about HDTV vs. HDTV ready. I have a Deneon AVR-3803 receiver and I'm not sure if that would allow me to simply buy an HDTV ready display, or if I can use a full HDTV display with it. Anyway, is there anything decent in the $1000-1200 price range? Looking for a 32" display.

 

[Mark:F]

HDTV ready means you must add a tuner...from the cable or satellite company, or you would buy your own if you're using over-the-air.
True HDTVs have the tuner built in...but the cable company still makes you use theirs...but for over the air the built in is ok.
If the Denon has an HDTV tuner you'd know it...it's a big deal to have that in a receiver.
I'm biased to Sony...have 34"XBR and 30"HS CRT HDTVs.The only new Sony CRT HDTV I could find on line is the 34XBR970..lists for $1199, weighs 190lbs..
Many members and experts here thinks it's got the best HDTV picture going.

 

[Richard_Brodsky]

So if it's a big deal to have that in a receiver, do most people just go direct from their sat/cable to their display?

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Depends. I go from my digital cable DVR and my DVD changer to my audio/video receiver (which does not have an HDTV tuner) via component cables and optical digital audio cables, then send the video to the TV using component. My receiver is thus my switching device, when I change inputs from DVD to DVR, both the picture and sound change, so I don't have switch inputs on the TV separately.

Others may send video directly to the TV and audio to the receiver and put up with the extra switching step.

But none of this really has anything to do with receivers. Either the TV has its own HD tuner or it doesn't. If it doesn't you need an external tuner of some kind. If you're a cable customer your cable box serves thsi purpose. I have three HD sets. Two are flat-screen HD monitors without tuners (27" and 32" respectively.) The third is a 56" LCoS set with a tuner. On the LCoS I"ve split the cable signal from the wall, sending on part to the HD DVR, the other to the f-connector on the back of the TV. I can watch all of the standard analog channels my cable company offers on this input, as well as the OTA HD channels available in my area (ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox), but not any of the cable-only HD channels like Discovery HD, INHD, ESPN-HD or the HDNet channels. So I can watch a show while recording two others on the two-tuner DVR. On the other sets I can only watch what's available through the cable box. (Which means I can watch one show while recording another or record two shows on the HD DVR in the bedroom, or watch a single show on the HD cable box on the 27" TV in the home office.)

BTW, my two flat panels are last year's Westinghouse HDs and they look pretty good. This years models are much-improved and I think the 32" can be had for under $1200.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Mark:F]

Richard...Joe hit on it. Audio goes thru the receiver, as always. Video can go directly to the display, or to the receiver where it's passed on to the display. Some folks say the direct video is purer. Others like using the receiver for switching.It often depends on the availability of various inputs. Joe has so much going on he probably needs switching capability.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

I have two DVD players connected currently, plus the HD-DVR, so yeah, switching makes life easier. I've done a/b comparisons and I absolutely cannot see any difference in picture quality between component video going through the receiver and going directly into the TV. For that matter I can't see any difference between the component out from my Sony DVD changer going through my receiver to the TV and the all digital HDMI going directly into the TV. YMMV.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Mark:F]

Joe I agree...I use HDMI and DVI, and component looks just as good. Similarly, DVDs look the same whether I have the TV do cinemotion, progressive,etc.
Richard, one more thing. I connect digital and analog audio to the receiver,but also run analog audio from the cable box to the TV. Then my wife just has to turn on the TV and not mess with the sound system.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

The only time anyone watches my TV when I'm not home is when I have a repair person or contractor coming "between 8 and 5" and my mom or dad (or both) will hang out at my place waiting for them. That's when I switch the TV to the TV input, hide all the other remotes, and just make them watch the basic cable and OTA HD channels.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Richard_Brodsky]

I think the way it's set up now is that my DVD goes to my receiver via component and the DirecTV rcvr is connected via S-video and then I have component going from the Denon to my TV. I think I can just pull the existing cables from the old TV, drag it out of the entertainment center, plop the new HDTV in there and plug the cables all back in and everything should be ok (fingers crossed). I currently don't have any audio going from my TV back to the receiver. Audio is going to the receiver from the DVD and DirecTV box only.