Best HDTV for $1,200.00?

Theo · Post by **Theo** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 8:45 pm

Looking for a widescreen t.v for around $1,200.00. What about a 4:3 t.v? Would it give me a better picture? Thanks very much for any suggestions.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 8:48 pm

Hitachi 46F510

http://www.hitachi.us/tv/browse/project ... F510.shtml

I talked em down at Sears for $1199 before the 2 year warranty/tax/delivery...I'm sure it's cheaper now as this was 6 months ago. I freakin' love it.

bdoughty · Post by **bdoughty** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 8:51 pm

Just make sure you visit

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=9

I have retired from giving opinions about TV's here at DSP.

My advice is to wait it out, save up a little more money and wait for a good 1080p set.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 9:02 pm

bdoughty wrote:Just make sure you visit

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=9

I have retired from giving opinions about TV's here at DSP.

My advice is to wait it out, save up a little more money and wait for a good 1080p set.

That's my plan. I'll probably seriously start looking once I pick up the 360. Heck, I walked into Best Buy the other day and the main televisions they show now are the 4 inch thick or so flat screen tvs! It's unreal how far and how fast technology has come in a matter of a few years. Plus, the prices are dropping big time! It seems like each week, they're getting less and less expensive. Off to the corner of the store are the bigger HDTVs.

ubrakto · Post by **ubrakto** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 9:38 pm

Not sure what you're looking to get out of it, but I recnently got Sony's 30" HDTV tube (30xs955, I think) and am mostly pleased with it. There are some control bits I'm not happy with (having to cycle through all its inputs, that sort of thing) but the image quality in HD (built-in tuner) is terrific and the CableCard support is a plus if you get your HD through your cable company. Crutchfield.com sells it for $1200 with free delivery (right out of the box and onto your TV stand), and they have a pretty sound return policy should you have any problems. (You can probably talk them down at least a little from that $1200 figure).
---Todd

Jima · Post by **Jima** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:13 pm

bdoughty wrote:Just make sure you visit

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=9

I have retired from giving opinions about TV's here at DSP.

My advice is to wait it out, save up a little more money and wait for a good 1080p set.

I don't think you will see anything being broadcast in 1080P anytime soon.
If your looking for a set now I would go with the Hitachi. I have a 57S500 RPTV and it is excellent
Can't wait for HD gaming on the 360!

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:27 pm

IGN ran this feature the other day. Seemed to have a good sampling of sets at various price ranges.

http://gear.ign.com/articles/635/635835p1.html

Then I saw this today which sounds good but have to find out more:

http://www.engadget.com/entry/123400073 ... /#comments

A 32-inch LCD flat panel for $2000 from Sony. It's only 720p and it doesn't appear to have an ATSC or QAM (CableCard) tuners. Don't know what the contrast ratio is and how it compares to the more expensive Sharp Aquos models.

But it's a sign that prices of these things have come down a long way.

I don't think you'll find 1080p displays down under $4k, or even $5k in the next year or two.

One thing to watch out for is that some of the lower-priced models still seem to only have component instead of HDMI/DVI. Make sure to get the latter as future set tops like HD-DVD and Blu-Ray are expected to require a copy-protected digital input.

bdoughty · Post by **bdoughty** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 11:57 pm

I don't think you will see anything being broadcast in 1080P anytime soon.

That's not my reasoning. The PS3 will be using 1080P as the REQUIRED default resolution for every game. So I would have plenty of 1080p goodness to display, not to mention when HD DVD's start making an impact.

Now to WCO

I don't think you'll find 1080p displays down under $4k, or even $5k in the next year or two.

50" DLP 1080p UNDER $4K - NAMEBARND

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-sMqnO0kbWH ... arch=1080p

56" 1080p FAR UNDER $4K

http://www.wholesaleconnection.com/prod ... 01&refer=1

61" 1080p WELL UNDER $4K

http://www.fotoconnection.com/viewitem. ... ag=froogle

I could go on but you get the point. There are also plenty of Non-name brand 1080p's mentioned for well under $2000.00 at the avsforums.

anchester · Post by **anchester** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 12:13 am

for that money i recommend a traditional big screen CRT. With a light controlled room, the picture still can't be beat. Dont worry about burn in as with normal contrast levels and common sense, no burn in occur.

I have a 57 inch toshiba for 1499, which i love. I am sure you can get a 51 inch for about 1300. Toshiba, sony, mitsu, hitachi are all good. Toshiba tends to be a little cheaper.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 12:50 am

Those are nice. One thing to watch out for is that they have 1080p inputs, which the first 1080p sets, including the very expensive Sharp LCD, reportedly didn't have.

The only affordable 1080p I've heard of is the Westinghouse LCD.

Still, for that kind of money, I would wait to see how SED and LCOS or the Sony SXRD shakes out before investing in a DLP.

As for 1080p on the PS3, there's some skepticism about 1080p games. There is no minimum requirement from Sony, as Microsoft has imposed for X360 games. Right now, some people believe developers would have to choose between 1080p with no AA or HDR versus 720p with 4x AA and HDR. If they pull it off, great, but if they don't, it'll probably be another broken promise.

Even with movie playback, 1080p output isn't assured. While Blu-Ray discs should be capable of storing movies in 1080p, the studios may not necessarily want to deliver that level of fidelity. Same thing with HD-DVD where the first Toshiba players are expected to only have 1080i outputs.

Still, if you already got a 1080i display and want to upgrade, I wouldn't buy anything less than a 1080p display either, unless I was staying under $2000.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 12:54 am

Since we are talking TV's, which of these types would you go for and why? Plasma, CRT, DLP or what I am inclined for so far : LCD

Here's some info on 1080P TV's:

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6475_7-626 ... ?tag=prmo1

bdoughty · Post by **bdoughty** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 1:01 am

There is no minimum requirement from Sony, as Microsoft has imposed for X360 games.

Funny Sony has stated the STANDARD will be 1080p numerous times.

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/636/636848p3.html

Will the PlayStation 3 output 16:9 or HD video?
Yes. In fact, the standard resolution for the system is 1080p. Yes, as in 1920x1080 progressive, not interlaced. 1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i are all supported as well, of course.

As for the rest of the 1080p discussion I could show you a few more non-name brands other then Westinghouse and the NAME Brand SAMSUNG I listed above selling for less then $4K. I just sometimes you would research things a little better before posting. Saves me alot of time having to correct you (finding links and all). It's not like any of this stuff is hidden and only I have access to it. I just do not want people to be misinformed.

No matter how much techno babble you throw out I am still waiting for 1080p sets to come down (and they will), it will cost me far less then $4K and will suit me just fine. Just as my former 40" XBR did which I do miss so.

I apologize for sounding edgy or rude and this is why I am trying to stay out of topics like these.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 1:21 am

10spro wrote:Since we are talking TV's, which of these types would you go for and why? Plasma, CRT, DLP or what I am inclined for so far : LCD

Depends on when you need to buy, how much you are willing to spend, how long you expect it to last you.

I wouldn't spend big money on plasma, DLP or LCD. There are better things coming which promise not to have any of the compromises of these types of displays. SED for example will supposedly have image quality rivaling CRT and plasma in a thin form factor but without the burn-in and costly manufacturing of plasma.

You should be able to find good buys under $2000 to start enjoying HDTV content now -- sports, HD movies on TV or cable networks, DVDs, HD-DVD/Blu-Ray, X360/PS3 games. CRT is the best value but limited in screen size while being bulky and heavy. There are also DLP and LCD rear-projection sets falling into this price range as well.