Recommendations on HDTV 32in to 42 in. - $1.5k to $3k? (1 Viewer)

[Lowell~W]

I would appreciate recommendations for the purchase of a 32 inch to 42 inch High Definition TV in the $1,500 to $3,000 range. The prime seating area is approx. 10 to 12 feet from the TV. I am leaning towards an LCD or plasma type screen. I have a Yamaha RX-V2400 receiver that will connect to the TV.

Thank you for your help.

 

[DaveGTP]

At the distance you're talking, if you're thinking plasma, you might consider a good 42" ED plasma. Most people say they can't tell the difference between the ED and the HD beyond 8-10 ft. Just food for thought.

The Panny 42" ED commercial model (no speakers, tuner) is available online @ $2800ish. It's generally considered a best buy for its excellent contrast ratio (3000:1) and black level detail.

 

[Lowell~W]

Thanks for the suggestion. Yesterday, I looked at a consumer Panasonic TH-37PD25U/P. It is a 37" Diagonal Plasma TV with Built-In ATSC/QAM/NTSC Tuners and CableCARD Slot. 480p/EDTV. Very nice but a bit more than I wanted to spend. I will look at the commercial products. Should I be concerned about setting up a commercial unit purchased over the internet (i.e., no support)?

Is it a good idea to go without the tuner in the TV? I currently have a digital signal from my cable TV provider and would get the HDTV signal from them as well. I see from the specs on this unit that it has 2-tuner PIP. The tuners handle NTSC, SDTV & HDTV broadcasts. I am wondering if I would be able to do the PIP with or without the tuner in the unit.

Any other suggestions are appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[DaveGTP]

Your best source of info is the avsforum plasma & LCD forum. A lot of plasma owners over there, and a lot of FAQs. As far as tuners, you can use a VCR as a NTSC tuner, and HD external tuners are still almost the standard (cablecard HD tuners are in some TVs, not sure what companies actually use them yet). The only big issue with the service on the consumer models is that the warranty is carry-in instead of in-home. You'd be responsible for shipping (or more likely, driving it) to the service center. Somewhere over on AVSforum someone had a list of all the Panny service centers.

I know VisualApex is recommended for plasma purchases.

Edit: I got a sale notice from Ecost today, they are selling the 42" ED Panny for $2569. Not that I trust Ecost very much based on their iffy reseller ratings, but it's a good price.