what are my best options for a TV under $250? (1 Viewer)

[trevor]

i'm leaving for my last 2 years of college next fall and i'd like to go ahead and get a new TV.

because im not sure how big my dorm will be, i'd like the TV to be 24inches to 27inches.

what should i look for in a TV?

it will be used mainly for gaming and DVDs.


thanks!




Trevor




p.s. this is my first post on what seems to be a very neat forum!

 

[ChuckSolo]

Well, for under $250.00 you are gonna really be limited to what you can get. I would check out Wal-Mart and Best Buy or Circuit City. Most of the time you are going to have to settle for a brand like Apex or Emerson in this price range. When buying a budget TV, check to make sure that the set has at least an S-video input and has stereo sound. I haven't seen too many TVs in this price range that come with component inputs so you are probably out of luck there. You could always try and get a floor, open box model at one of the stores I mentioned above and maybe get a better brand, like RCA, Samsung, Sharp or Panasonic. I bought an Apex 27" Stereo TV from Wal-Mart for my bedroom and it was around $190.00. I ended up selling it in favor of a 27" Panasonic because of the component inputs the Panny had that the Apex did not. Also, the Apex didn't "remember" which video input it was on just before it was turned off for the day and always defaulted to the last active TV channel it was tuned to before it was shut off. This was not to my liking since I always watch TV through the tuner in my VCR. The picture on the Apex was great though and I had no troubles with it during the six months I owned it. Hope this helps.

 

[trevor]

thanks for the response.


i actually found several 27inch TVs at ultimate electronics for close to or under $250.


what brands are the best? there were a couple panasonics, JVCs, Sharps, i think there might have been a Sony or two...

 

[Steve Schaffer]

Panasonic, JVC, and Sharp are all good brands for budget tvs, far better choices than Apex, Emerson, etc. The cheapest Sony 27" set is about $439, but it's a flatscreen Wega with a 16/9 mode.

 

[Bill Will]

If I was you I would save up around $50.00 more or so & get a Flat Tube JVC. JVC's have the 16:9 DVD Mode, Color Temp. Control, Component Video Inputs, S-Video Input & 3 Composite Inputs (One in Front) Sams Club has the AV-27F704 for $289.82 & a store in my area had the Flat Tube AV-27FA44 for $277.00 a few weeks ago. Sears has the AV-27F704 right now for $351.49 but I would see if they would beat Sam's Club's price of $289.82 So for under $300.00 you can get a FLAT TUBE JVC if your willing to fight with them because the under $300.00 mark is not out of line for these sets. Also the JVC comes with a 1 Year Labor Warranty. Just my 2 cents You can find the specs. on the JVC sets at www.jvc.com

 

[Bill Will]

Forgot to add that on the JVC's the SVM can also be turned ON & OFF.