What to look out for when buying a HD LCD Tv ?

[cypher_soundz]

Any things to look out for when buying a High definition LCD tv ? My old CRT take like 10+ tries to turn it on T_T;; and its kinda anoying whne you miss half an episode of something ;) lol. (debating trying to get it repaired:) but LCD is too tempting:))

a few things i think are good to look for(please correct me if im wrong:p) :

HDMI Connectivity or DVI Connectivity with HDCP ???
High Definition Ready

also has anyone had any experience with LG?

Regards
cyph

[Video Dude]

You should look at the response times. The lower the better. 12ms or lower should be good. Also consider contrast ratio (the higher the better) and viewing angle. If you are going the be watching standard definition TV then the scaler will be very important. Figure out what you are going to connect to it and make sure the TV has enough inputs and the right type.

Read the reviews at avsforum.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=40

Most people at avsforum seem to agree that the Sony Bravia or the new Sharps are excellent. From what I have seen in stores, the Sony Bravia has the most accurate "black" for an LCD.



EDIT: Replaced the word "best" with "excellent" and "most accurate."

[jggimi]

Seeing the display can really make a difference, since what one likes is often subjective.

That said, another great source for HDTV discussion is http://hdtvoice.com.

[Shinigami-Sama]

I"ll agree with the sharps
I"m not to happy with sony but I agree the LCDs are nice
but over all price/prefomace, I'd put my money with sharp, nice clean images

[charleski]

Bah, you wimps, I can't believe no-one advised cypher_soundz to get a TV that turns on when you press the power-button! :p

But seriously :) avs-forum is indeed a better place to go to check this sort of stuff out. I avoid it to relieve wallet-strain, but you can read lots of first-hand owner experiences there.

As far as HDMI or DVI goes, I'd ideally say both :(. DRM has created a real problem with Hi-Def these days, which is partly the reason I'm holding off on it. You don't want to lay out $$$ on a TV now only to find it can't handle whatever DRM nonsense is needed in a year's time. HDMI looks like it will probably become dominant if only because it's a simpler topology, but you want DVI now because most non-DRMed sources support that.

Unfortunately, until we see REAL HD-DVD/Blu-Ray players hit the market, we won't know what they'll need in terms of display connectivity. The DRM-crap has just turned the whole thing into a huge guessing-game.

[cypher_soundz]

Bah, you wimps, I can't believe no-one advised cypher_soundz to get a TV that turns on when you press the power-button! :p



LMAO!! :goodpost:
Thanks everyone for the advice :) i will pop over to the other sites see what i can dig up over there :)

Regards
cyph

[twistedcain]

Last year my 36" crt started going out. I wanted be able to hook a computer to my next tv. So I spent months reading through av and htpc forums looking for the best solution. I found that plasmas were out of the question due to burn in, small screen size and pricing. LCD's were good but had bad response times, poor blacks, and price to size ratio wasn't worth it. The best picture and screen size to price ratio were the old rp-crt's. The problem with rp-crt's were the massive weight, burn in, and no easy way to hook to a computer.

I started looking at front projecters with dlp or lcd. My question was, would movies look good on a projector made for a computer? The projectors designed for movies were all too expensive and wouldn't have worked well with a computer.

I settled on a Infocus X2 for $1000 (now ~$700). The X2 had a DVI input and the only big concern was this rainbow thing people talked about. The X2 had a special plug for the DVI plug that I had to order. When running through VGA or S-Video the quality was crap. When I went from DVI to DVI the quality of the X2 blew me away. DVD's were pixel perfect. I'll admit that colors on a cheap projector like the X2 are a little flat and muted next to a $4000 42" plasma, but watching movies on my 100" pull down screen has its upside. I play games, surf the web, watch movies, and am typing this post on my projector.

Before I bought a projector I went to a store to see one setup. It looked like crap, most of the stores hook them up through s-video or component. Another bonus for projectors is that, unlike plasmas and lcd, instead of my picture getting dimmer over time I can just buy a new bulb and its like brand new. Also, since my projector weighs 6 pounds I can take it and a laptop with me on trips and watch it in my hotel room.

[feedback]

The oversupply ratio of LCD monitor panels is expected to widen in the first quarter of 2006, as the period is a traditional slow season for the segment and panel supply will continue increasing, according to Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT).

LCD monitor panel suppliers will start to face stronger price-cutting pressure this month due to seasonal effects, the company said.
I don't know if you can wait till the 1st quarter of 2006 but you will save some $ if you do.
Original article Located Here. (http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20051201A7041.html)

[Doobie]

Too bad the CRT HD TVs get overlooked. They only provide the best picture at the lowest cost.

[Shinigami-Sama]

they scale to SD better too

[SeeMoreDigital]

Don't buy a 4:3 display.... get a 16:9 ;)

[Shinigami-Sama]

do they still *make* 4:3 tvs?

[SeeMoreDigital]

do they still *make* 4:3 tvs?Yes.... especially LCD displays!

[Shinigami-Sama]

I knew they were still in stock
but still *MAKING* them!?
-__-
then again I guess they still make VHS tapes too <.<

[Doobie]

I knew they were still in stock
but still *MAKING* them!?

They'll continue to make 4:3 SD televisions until HDTV costs are much lower.

[SeeMoreDigital]

They'll continue to make 4:3 SD televisions until HDTV costs are much lower.More's the pity for LCD display buyers!

I don't think it's possible to get hold of an 4:3 plasma display ;)