HDTV purchases over the 2008 Christmas holidays, please share your comments (VANITY)

Vanity | Dec. 26, 2008 | Self

[Las Vegas Dave]

Some of you may have purchased new HDTV's over the Christmas break.

Please share your questions and/or comments on your new HDTV.

Note: Click here: an archieved HDTV thread "purchases over the Christmas holidays", posted on December 31, 2006, that may be of possible interest to some.

[Las Vegas Dave]

Interested in the HDTV ping list?
Please Freepmail me (freepmail works best) if you would like your name added to the HDTV ping list, (approximatrely 360 freepers are currently on the HDTV ping list ).

The pinged subjects will be those of HDTV technology, satellite, cable, and OTA HD reception (Over The Air with roof top or indoor antennas), Broadcast specials, Blu-ray/HDDVD, and any and all subjects relating to HD.

LVD
( If you search Freerepublic using the keyword "“HDTV”, you will find most of my past HDTV postings and others. )

[Las Vegas Dave]

Pinging the HDTV list.. HDTV pings!

[Just mythoughts]

Thank you and a BTTT

[Edgar3]

I waited until after Christmas. I’m going to grab a deal in the next few days. Anyone seen any great deals?

[Las Vegas Dave]

Check out http://www.salescircular.com/ , just enter your state you reside in and you will find the current deals on your future purchase from: Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, Kmart, Office Depot, Office Max, Radio Shack, Sears, Staples, Target, Wal-Mart and select local retailers..

Check prices & features in local stores for ...

ELECTRONICS
Satellite Radio, Digital Camera, DVD
TV, HDTV, Camcorder, Boombox,
Projector, Speaker, VCR, WebTV,
Car CD Player, Home Theater,
Cordless Phone, GPS Receiver,
MP3 Player, Home Stereo

HOME APPLIANCES
Cooking Range, Dishwasher, Washer, Dryer, Microwave, Vacuum, Refrigerator, Freezer

COMPUTER HARDWARE
Computer, Monitor, Printer, Apple, Hard Disk, Flash Memory, USB Drive, Sound Card, Video Card, Memory, DVD Writer, Networking, Blank Discs

COMPUTER SOFTWARE
Games, Education, Finance, Tax,
PlayStation, Nintendo, Wii, XBox
Utilities, Graphics, Genealogy,
Home Design, Video Editing

[CTyank]

I bit on a COSTCO “combo” purchase and bought the Sharp 52”, 32” package at $1799 + shipping and taxes.

I was very dissappointed in the picture quality. I thought the color was poor at best.

Returned them both and bought a 50” Panasonic plasma for $899, and a 37” Toshiba LCD for $599. These were both 1080i/720p.

The Panasonic kicks A**. I set my cable box to 720p, did a small bit of adjustment and have not looked back. I watched the Discovery Channel’s “Sunrise” show in HD and felt as though I was standing in the picture.

The Toshiba performs well, but I’ve not yet read the entire manual. I need to get rid of some of the annoying automatic features and can’t find a way to turn them off. I also have to edit out the duplicate channels.

I’ll be out today at the local Circuit City looking to pick up a Panasonic EX48 DVD recorder VCR combo. Our old cheap Samsung DVD player has got to go! I figure I might be able to barter the Panasonic unit for very small $$. Heck - I may even jump at a Blu Ray player as well. “Can you throw in a couple HDMI cables with those?”

[vikzilla]

check out monoprice.com for all cabling needs. cheap and fast

[Edgar3]

Thanks Dave! By the way, I’ll be moving to your town in June. Started a business out there this year and my partner has been in town since May. Happy New Year!

[Las Vegas Dave]

Stay AWAY from monster cables they are waaaaay over priced!

I bought two 3 ft Phillips at Wal-Mart @ $28ea. I believe a 6 ft cable is approximately $34. The cables are shielded with gold contacts.

As someone said monoprice HDMI cables are inexpensive, as low as $4 each plus shipping.

[Eye of Unk]

For some real good technical forums plus where to get the latest scoop on which TV is a lemon, the cheapest cables and almost anything about a home theater check this out:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/index.php?

[Las Vegas Dave]

I am surprised about Sharp, when I was looking two years ago they got high ratings, but I was unable to locate them in the Cleveland market, so I settled on a 40 inch JVC LCD from HHGregg~which was on sale for $1325!

[WackySam]

Picked up another 50” Pioneer Kuro for the family room. The price for these are still up there ($2,900), but I really wanted another one before they went away.

[Doohickey]

I didn’t get an HDTV, but my wife got me a Blu-Ray player. This Java-powered POS is going to make me miss my up-convert DVD player. My chief complaint is that it’s slow - it takes over a minute to boot up and about 30 seconds to load content. Shuts itself off if you leave the feature paused more than about 10 minutes. Annoying. HD-DVD sucked less. A lot less. I won’t complain about the lack of outputs, because that’s what you sacrifice for price.

Still and all, it does work. Band of Brothers is awesome in HD, and standard DVDs do play (so far - I haven’t tried any Disney DVDs, which tend to give some players fits).

[mad_as_he$$]

I know it sounds odd but check out Amazon for HDTV’s.

[Yo-Yo]

Amazon.com has the lowest HDMI prices I have found on the web. Parts Express is also a good site for low priced A/V components and accessories.

http://www.amazon.com/HDMI-Cable-2M-6-Feet/dp/B0002L5R78

Parts Express

[tarheelswamprat]

I am surprised about Sharp, when I was looking two years ago they got high ratings,...

Unfortunately, in the last few years, Sharp has really lost their quality edge... /g

[WackySam]

Those sub $1000 50” Panasonic’s are excellent TV’s. Probably the best deal out there right now.

[narses]

Now, or after the February switchover? When will prices plateau?

[rlmorel]

Hi folks,
I am thinking of getting a Pioneer PDP-6020FD Kuro...this seems to be getting some praise from some circles.

I notice there is no DVI input on these, but there is vga and ethernet as well as USB.

They do not seem to be expandable or upgradable via a card or anything like that. Am I expecting too much, or is this only on very high end devices?

Also, I am thinking of buying from Amazon-it sounds like they have a “white glove treatment” option for delivery that is worth the money.

Anyone have any experience with these units? How about with Amazon delivery?

[JDoutrider]

BfLtr

[Proud_texan]

I finally pulled the trigger on a Samsung LN40A650 to replace the 30" (CRT based!) Toshiba HDTV in the bedroom.

Got it from Amazon as they were close to the lowest and they do have an excellent return policy.

It took a while to get it tuned in and before that the picture was almost "too good".

Couldn't be more pleased. No motion blur and to my eye the best picture I've seen in the 40" range or if there is I've never seen it.

[sabe@q.com]

Why bother having a blu ray player without a HDTV?

[sabe@q.com]

“Band of Brothers is awesome in HD”

You aren’t getting that in HD if you don’t have a HDTV

[Revolting cat!]

Why bother having a blu ray player without a HDTV?

Quadraphonic sound, that's why! One channel for each of your ears.

[sabe@q.com]

Why when you get a Pioneer elite and get Dolby True HD instead with 3 HDMI inputs.

[BuffaloJack]

I want an HDTV real bad, but I’ll wait a couple more years.
I’m not spending $800 to $1000 for something with a 3 to 5 year life span.
My curent TV, a 36” CRT, works just fine and is 15 years old.
I’ve had 4 LCD computer monitors and they burn out after 3+ years. The LCD part works (you can even see the display when its dead if you shine a strong flashlight on the screen), but the vacuum-fluorescent bulb that lights them up lasts no longer than any fluorescent bulb.
Computer screens and LCD TVs are just glorified fluorescent light bulbs and they don’t last.
I plan on waiting until either my current CRT dies or the LCD people decide to backlight the darn things with LEDs so that they have a working life that is longer than the 5 days after the warranty.

[Las Vegas Dave]

My son bought the Blu-Ray just after Thanksgiving, I told him about firmware upgrade, he contacted SONY and was sent the CD.

I believe it was “no charge”.

[Las Vegas Dave]

Wow $1.88 for HDMI cables!!

[WackySam]

I’m not spending $800 to $1000 for something with a 3 to 5 year life span.

I don't know who's feeding you this, but most new HDTV's have life expectancies of 60 to 80 thousand or more hours. (Life expectancy is defined as a 50% decrease in brightnes)

If you buy a DLP set, you will have to change out bulbs between 5 and 10 thousand hours at a cost of 100-200 each time, but I would not recommend buying a DLP in the first place.

[Doohickey]

I’ve already got three; I didn’t need another.

[CTyank]

I read a bit about some of the Plasma vs. LCD controversy before purchasing a TV. This was my first TV purchase since the early 90s, when I bought a 32” JVC D-series.

In the last couple of years, plamsa TV’s have developed a comparable lifespan with LCDs. The Panasonic I bought is advertised at 100,000+ hrs. By the time I use it up, I’ll be looking into adding a holideck to the family room - or we’ll be huddled around the fire, reminiscing about the days when we had this thing called a TV.

[WackySam]

I’ll be looking into adding a holideck to the family room - or we’ll be huddled around the fire, reminiscing about the days when we had this thing called a TV.

Sadly I think it will be the latter.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks LVD. The old mom (early 80s) can’t seem to work the digital broadcast converter box, and her old TV (repaired earlier this year for something else) seems to be just dying now. Over the family holiday stay she mentioned wanting to get a flat screen. I checked out some on the way home tonight, and it appears that the smallest 1080p in local stores is 32 inches and LCD (and $699, good picture, not a bad price IMHO). Couldn’t seem to find any 1080p (any size) with DVDs built-in (another good idea for her, IMHO), but they may just be sold out around here.

[Las Vegas Dave]

Here is a 32in 1080p sharp for $599(+$30 for shipping-see DETAILS) from newegg.com. Other HDTV bargains as well can also be found there.

http://dealnews.com/ (Scroll down to the TV section.)

newegg.com offers the Sharp AQUOS 1080p 32” Widescreen LCD HD Television, model no. LC-32D62U, for $649.99. Current newegg.com newsletter subscribers can use coupon code “EMCBCCGDK” to chop it to $599.99. With $29.99 for shipping, that’s the lowest total price we’ve ever seen for any 1080p 32” Sharp LCD HDTV. Features include 1920x1080 (1080p) native resolution, ATSC (HD), NTSC, and QAM tuners, 450 cd/m² brightness, 6ms response time, 10,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, two HDMI inputs, and component and other video inputs. Deal ends January 1.

[shove_it]

“If you buy a DLP set, you will have to change out bulbs between 5 and 10 thousand hours at a cost of 100-200 each time, but I would not recommend buying a DLP in the first place.”

Check out the new Samsung DLPs with LED light engines:

http://www.samsung.com/us/news/newsRead.do?news_group=productnews&news_type=consumerproduct&news_ctgry=tv&news_seq=3481&search_keyword=&from_dt=&to_dt=

[dfwddr]

I bought my 50" Panny from here Delivery came from Best Buy. It was 300.00 less than Best Buy, no sales tax, and cash back on my card. Delivery was awesome, as they wouldn't let me touch it until they were done setting it up. (wall mount).

I bought this home theater from Amazon. UPS delivery was good, as I was not there, so the guy acutally wheeled it into the house for my daughter.

And on the subject of cheap cables, I bought this digital audio cable to go with it. It works great, and I can buy 28 more before worrying about breaking even.

[WackySam]

Check out the new Samsung DLPs with LED light engines:

I still wouldn't recommend or buy a DLP set unless cost was the primary concern. They look good, but not great.

[SunkenCiv]

Nice price. I anticipate that prices will continue downward after the analog signal dies, and especially for smaller sizes, which is what my dear old mom wants to get. She can’t handle the steps to use the converter box.

[word_warrior_bob]

Panasonic and Pioneer plasmas are the best, I’m sure you’re enjoying it. Hook up a PS3 (blu-ray) player to that plasma and go to monoprice.com to get hdmi cables for a couple of bucks a piece, every bit as good as the 100 dollar “monster” cables at the big box store.

[word_warrior_bob]

There’s 4 hdmi inputs for that tv. Get the hdmi cables at amazon or monoprice for a couple of bucks each. It doesn’t have a cable card but I think you’ll be happier using a HD-DVR which just about every cable company offers now. Somehow I doubt the white glove delivery will make a difference, if you don’t pay for the white glove treatment does that mean they’re tossing them around like the gorilla in the luggage commercial?

[Nowhere Man]

I don't know who's feeding you this, but most new HDTV's have life expectancies of 60 to 80 thousand or more hours. (Life expectancy is defined as a 50% decrease in brightnes)

Are you talking about plasma and/or LCD?

If you buy a DLP set, you will have to change out bulbs between 5 and 10 thousand hours at a cost of 100-200 each time, but I would not recommend buying a DLP in the first place.

I also heard that DLP sets are not good for homes with smokers, the smoke I heard can get on the mirrors unless they somehow corrected that.

I did not buy any NDTV's this year although I do have three "G.I. Issue" converter boxes, but I did buy a DVD player with upconversion.

I still have and use a 1982 Zenith 25 inch System 3 console we got in early 1983.

[Nowhere Man]

In the last couple of years, plamsa TV’s have developed a comparable lifespan with LCDs. The Panasonic I bought is advertised at 100,000+ hrs. By the time I use it up, I’ll be looking into adding a holideck to the family room - or we’ll be huddled around the fire, reminiscing about the days when we had this thing called a TV.

Probably the latter, after Zero gets us into an atomic war.

"You do miss 'Green Acres,' don't you?"

I'm a role playing geek and one game I like is "Twilight: 2000" where your characters are U.S. (or any) soldiers are stuck in 2000/2001 era Europe a few years after World War III started between NATO and the Warsaw Pact, the game was written in 1984 so it is "alternate history." Everything has been nuked and in the rulebook there was a conversation between two U.S. soldiers about how they miss TV and one of them said, "you really do miss 'Green Acres," don't you?"

[WackySam]

Are you talking about plasma and/or LCD?

Yes, all major brand Plasma's and LCD's are now rated for at least 60,000 hours. Some are rated at up to 100,000 hours.

For comparison, the average CRT TV's are rated at 25,000 hours.

[Uri’el-2012]

I would not recommend buying a DLP in the first place.

Plasma sets burnin the screen.

They also have short life span at altitude.

[word_warrior_bob]

The burn in and short life span of plasmas was at the very beginning. Those problems have been solved in just about every newer model. Technology moves fast. Plasmas will now last longer than CRT’s.

[Uri’el-2012]

The burn in and short life span of plasmas was at the very beginning.

Plasmas work with long life span at 7500 feet ?

That is not what I have told.

Citations please.

[GOPJ]

By the time I use it up, I’ll be looking into adding a holideck to the family room - or we’ll be huddled around the fire, reminiscing about the days when we had this thing called a TV.?

I'll bet people say you have few illusions...

[Uri’el-2012]

Plasma TVs At High Altitudes

[Nowhere Man]

Yes, all major brand Plasma's and LCD's are now rated for at least 60,000 hours. Some are rated at up to 100,000 hours.

For comparison, the average CRT TV's are rated at 25,000 hours.

I don't know the hour ratings for each although I do admit I like how well my Zenith has been doing being used daily for 26 years. I still favor the old CRT's myself.

[rlmorel]

Thanks very much for taking the time to advise...:)