Recommend good HDTV (1 Viewer)

[jkuli6]

I'm looking into getting a new HDTV. The specs I want are:

40" screen
LCD
lots of inputs (HDMI, component, and standard inputs)

I have a Toshiba now, and I really like it. It's model # is 30HF66. It's a little bulky, so I plan on moving it to a secondary entertainment room. Also, every once in awhile, it emits a steady high pitched noise that lasts about 15-20 seconds (Maybe a ground-loop?)
Anyway, thanks for the help!

 

[Lew Crippen]

Welcome to the forum Joseph. There are many very fine HDTVs on the market right now. As you have been pleased with your Toshiba, you might consider a purchase of one of their newer LCD models. Their 40” models retail from $1,100 to $2,200 and you can find them for very much less.

 

[jkuli6]

Alright, thanks. Anything (brand/model) I should stay away from?

I'm concerned about glare when sitting in the room and viewing the tv from different angles. I have a 20" Sharp LCD in my bedroom which sometimes is hard to see when I am viewing images with lotws of darkness in them.

 

[Mendoza]

Would you be open to the possibility of plasma instead of LCD? I ask because plasmas continue to exhibit deeper blacks than LCDs, the viewing angle of plasmas is better than LCDs so the picture doesn't change based on where you're sitting , and the anti-reflective screens available on many plasmas can be extremely effective and equal to most LCDs in this regard.
^Of course these are generalizations; there are exceptions; and the gap between the two technologies has closed enormously since they were introduced. Currently, the best plasma HDTVs simply produce a better picture than the best LCD HDTVs. Both can look fantastic, and the difference in picture quality is clearly not enough to dissuade millions of people from buying LCD.

I can't really say which brands to steer clear of -- though more obscure brands are usually crap. Samsung, Sony, and Panasonic are well-regarded.

 

[jkuli6]

Thanks! I actually bought the Sony Bravia KDL 40W4100. The 120 Mhz was an attractive feature I felt worth the extra $$.