Need help with TV (new here) (1 Viewer)

[Nathan J]

Alright, I am looking to buy a new TV, but I don't know that much about them, I really want a 32" but I cannot spend more than $750 and I would really like to spend less than that. I was reading about the Akai and it looks decent, but I need some guidance , one thing that is important to me is a flat screen, I see alot of tv's in the store and I really don't care at all about the conventional tv's with a curved viewing area. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[Masood Ali]

For $750, you're looking probably at a Toshiba 32AF41. ~$750 is probably the absolute lowest you'd find one; might get Sears to pricematch and online retailer.

Otherwise, you'd have to save another couple hundred to get another recommended TV, the Sony Wega 32FS13.

Another TV you might want to demo is a curved screen Toshiba 32A41; around $500, and it's a great performer.

 

[NathanS]

I'd go with Akai, since it's just a rebadged Samsung. So far, everyone seems to love the flat Samsungs, and prices are extremely low.

 

[Nathan J]

Does Akai make a 32" or jjust the 27" ??????

 

[Bill Will]

As far as I can remember Samsung only has the 32 inch Flat Tube in their HDTV model so I doubt that's it's in the Akai brand. On another post I read that BJ's has the 32 inch Samsung HDTV for only $999 If I was you I would spend the extra money & get the HDTV set or I would go the other route and buy the regular 32 inch tube Samsung which can be had for around $450 & it has Component Video Inputs, S-Video Input & a Composite Video Input plus it will do the "Squeeze Trick" for DVD's without going into the service menu. It's just a push of a button on the remote control to select the squeeze. But again for $999 that HDTV model is hard to beat & you'll be set for the future.

 

[Todd smith]

Can someone give me a model number on the samsung. I am looking for a 32 inch with component and 16/9 and I thought the sony fs Wega was my only option if I wanted 16/9 compression in this price bracket.

 

[Nathan J]

Could you explain "squeeze trick" ?????
Please bear in mind I am new here so it will take me awhile to get used to all the lingo

 

[Todd smith]

From my understanding (someone correct me if I am wrong) the squeeze trick basically gives you a 480 resolution in widescreen movies instead of a 360 resolution. A normal 4/3 tv has 480 lines of resolution. When a widescreen anamorphic dvd is displayed on a 4/3 tv, all the lines of resolution in the black bar areas on top and bottom of the screen are not being used. When 16/9 compression is enabled, it compresses those lines into the widescreen image on the screen to now bump the resolution up on that image to 480 lines of resolution which produces a sharper picture. That might be a bad explanation, but it basically improves the picture quality on 16/9 anamorphic dvd considerably.

 

[Bill Will]

Todd, I can't remember the model numbers on the Samsung's but try www.samsungusa.com and also www.audioreview.com Also do a search on them here because there was a lot of info posted on them. Which 32 inch Samsung are you looking for? The Regular 32 inch or the Flat Tube HDTV 32 inch. Samsung does not make the 32 inch Flat Tube in an Analog version, only HDTV. Also on Samsung's website there is no mention of the Squeeze Trick but their sets can do it. Your best bet is to check Sears they carry most of the Samsung line & as for the Squeeze trick on 32 inch Samsung's, if the set has Component Video Inputs it will do the Squeeze, last years models did not have Component Video Inputs.