Old TV broke, just want new TV to watch DVDs, not shows, what TV should I be looking at?

Lookin' on the internet | 2/26/12 | Me, Myself, and I

[EinNYC]

My faithful old Sharp TV just bit the dust tonight after so many years I can't count. I don't watch TV programs at all, no cable, no nothing---I just use the TV to watch my DVD movies. So now that this TV is kaput, what's all that about LCDs, LEDs, plasmas, 720p, 1080p, and all that other headache causing stuff? I've been reading up on this online, but I am just overloaded with information here.

Could I get some input from our Freepers as to what kind of TV I should get just to watch my DVDs in the bedroom? I would appreciate that so much!

[sr4402]

Love watching my old DVDs on my 40" HD Sharp Aqious TV on HDMI. These old DVDs have new life as there is more picture information there than you ever imagined.

What I've heard is that Blue Ray DVDs are good at 42" and above so they don't help my 40". So if you plan to stay with your DVDs think 42" or less.

Consider buying a new DVD player with HDMI. Composite (5 wire cables) just does not compare. With HDMI every pixel is perfect. You can get these very cheaply.

We found this information the hard way by purchasing a Blue Ray player and wondering why the Blue Ray DVDs were not any better on our 40" HDTV. The Blue Ray player did come with Internet enhancements (Youtube, Netflix and more). So we use our old DVDs on our Blue Ray player and have all these now. But I write so you don't have to find that out.

[philly-d-kidder]

WOW

[Sirius Lee]

I purchased a Sharp Aquos four years ago. Spent $1300 on it. 2 weeks ago...wouldn’t come on...So, I purchased a Sceptre 46” ... Better picture than the Sharp and much better sound quality.

I should hope so, hee hee hee.

[rabidralph]

I purchased a Vizio (American-made) three years ago. It's a 42" HD LCD. I love it! Great picture, beautiful design. I have the audio hooked up to my stereo but the native speakers are adequate. Lots of inputs, including HDMI. Very easy to hook up.

I don't know anything about the performance of the LED TVs but I'm told that's a step up from LCD in HD delivery. I don't care for 3DTV because content is not widely available and I do get motion sickness easily.

[Rightly Biased]

Fer later cause I’m in the market as well and Freepers are soo smart.

[rabidralph]

Buy a 1080P because that is the full, expanded size of HD, so far. The P stands for progressive scan, which moves in a zig-zag motion when refreshing the screen to show the TV image, as opposed to the CRT interlaced scanning, which is alternating lines scanning down the screen to create an interlaced image of what's on the screen.

Back to 1080P, 720i or p is have the image information of 1080 so your HD information is being compressed so it can show on a 720 set. So go with the 1080P.

[Kartographer]

I've got my next TV picked out. Anyone got have any ideas how I can talk the wife into letting get one of these?

[ican'tbelieveit]

I have had a 47” LCD/LED LG for two years now. I couldn’t be happier. For a computer monitor I am using a LED 1080p ViewSonic.

[ican'tbelieveit]

And for my bedroom I am using a Visio LCD. I love it too, again, couldn’t be happier. I have it attached to a satellite box and an bluray with internet access so I can watch Netflix movies.

[DaveArk]

The Amazon reviews don’t seem to match those, you’re right about buyer beware.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

By a cheap LCD TV at Walmart. They are all decent these days. Why spend a fortune when it is not necessary? p> Make sure it has HDMI so you can plug a computer into it. You would be amazed at all the free documentaries and other things you can find online, such as:

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/

[Dallas59]

I have a 2005 SHARP 26 inch LCD that I use for my monitor. Never given me any problems and still bright after 7 years of continuous use.

[Gene Eric]

>> HDTV FREEPER HELP REQUESTED.

There are a few very good, recent-model LCDs out there at decent prices. I wouldn’t include Smart TV or 3D technology as a feature requirement. The Smart TV technology can be found in other technologies like a Blu Ray players for example. Smart TV gets you things like NetFlix and Hulu (Internet TV programming which is very good!)

Read as many consumer reviews as possible. Don’t be discouraged by the occasional reports of lemons.

[Chickensoup]

bump

[goodnesswins]

bookmarked...we were just thinking about this

[EinNYC]

OK. So far, I went window-shopping today while my Maine Coon was at the groomer’s. I found that I really preferred the LED over the LCD and WAY over the plasma. Target had a Sony 1080p 120Hz 40” LED for I think $599.99, although it did not show up online at target.com, funny enough. BJs Warehouse had a whole bunch of flatscreens to look at, but few LEDs in the 40” size. You might get a better price online, but what if there’s a problem?

It might be nice to be able to get Netflix streaming with the new TV, but if it’s going to drive the cost up a lot, I’d content myself with the Netflix DVD route, supplemented by the occasional Redbox and library contribution.

[Gene Eric]

That makes sense.

You’ll probably want to take advantage of Blu Ray technology with your new screen. As I mentioned up the thread, you can get your Smart TV tech (streaming NetFlix) in the Blu Ray unit.

Good luck!

[OldPossum]

I’m with you. My TV is connected to a VHS and DVD player. I, too, think that TV is Mr. Minow’s wasteland and I would never watch it.

Can’t help you with your question. My TV is a 17-inch very basic set. No bells, no whistles. But good enough for the OldPossum.