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[Mejilan]

Ok, here's the deal. I want to move all of my gaming stuff from the living of my apartment to my personal bedroom. So, I'm in the market for a medium sized flatscreen, and relatively cheap TV. I'm currently eyeballing THIS TV for its decent price, and component cable hook up. I'm also scoping out THIS STAND to compliment the TV. It looks quite capable of matching the TV, aesthetically, as well as holding my N64, PS2, GCN, and SNES (should I feel like digging it and my Genny out of the closet.)

Prices and features aren't too shabby. I'm thinking of purchasing both over the net and having them delivered. Why Target, for the TV? Because Target's TV stands are crap, and I've got a $100 Target gift cert. Both of these items were painstakingly researched by a friend of mine, and it turns out that we have pretty good taste. He chose out 2 TVs and 3 stands. I compared them to each other and to the rest of the options available at Ikea, Target, Best Buy, Circuit City, etc, and these seem like a good match. Ryu, you rock.

That said, this is GAF's opportunity to chip in with some additional suggestions and/or comments! Also, I'd like to get book shelves, or regular shelves, also on the cheap, to store (at least) my ~200 movie and game (PS2, GCN) DVDs. If they'd still have additional room left over to store SNES, Gen, and SNES style game boxes, that'd be even better. (I've already got suitable arrangements for my GB, GBC, GBA, NDS, PSOne, DC, Sega CD, and Saturn gear.

To clarify, I'd really like the TV to be under $400, AT LEAST 21 inches, flat screen, and have at least 1 component and 1 s-vid input. 2 or more component inputs would be ideal, but I'll live with 1. If only 1, are there any cheap component switchbox solutions?

Help me GAF. Please. Thanks in advance!

Edit - It bears mentioning that there are certain companies I'm inclined to trust, such as Panasonic and Samsung. Though, I'm always willing to be educated about other companies!

 

[border]

Ehhhh, seems a bit retarded to be buying any TV these days, unless it's either super-cheap CRT or HDTV. At least see if those Samsung EDTVs are still available -- should be pretty cheap right now.

27" HDTV - $349.99 this week at Best Buy....only twenty bucks more than you were going to spend on a TV set that won't even do 480p
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...38208&productCategoryId=cat03003&type=product

 

[Ninja Scooter]

i got a 20" Samsung Dynaflat about a year ago and i can't complain. Component hookup is nice, and its a good, cheap TV for the bedroom.

 

[Mejilan]

Border, what does it mean that it is HD ready with an optional source?

I honestly don't know too much about TVs.

Edit - And since your option doesn't seem to be at Target, it would cost me $120 more, not $20.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

from what i have heard/read, its not even worth getting HD unless you are going with a bigger TV. The differnece is supposed to be harder to see on a smaller set (like the ones you are looking into), but i can't really speak on that cause i haven't upgraded to HD yet. If i were you, i'd just go with something cheap for the bedroom, and save the rest of that money to get a real HDTV set for the livingroom sometime in the future.

 

[border]

I think that it basically means the source of the video has to be in high definition. Your games won't become HD unless they are programmed that way.

If you want to watch television in HD, you will need a special tuner box that you can either purchase separately or get through your cable company. High-res or progressive scan games and DVDs will not require any extra equipment. Nearly all Cube and Xbox games will run in progressive scan, if you do the software settings right and use component cables. Modded Xbox or PS2 w/ new DVD drivers will run DVDs in progressive scan.

Advent is a budget brand, but personally I would rather had a low-end HDTV than a high-end basic TV. If you really wanna feel comfortable, take the remaining $50 from your budget and buy a service plan I suppose. I haven't heard too many major complaints about their product reliability though.

Also -- the internet is probably a bad place to shop for furniture. That TV stand is a ripoff, IMO. I've bought an entire entertainment center from Wal-Mart, for less then $100. What you really need to be careful about is that stands and entertainment centers have a weight limit. The Target site doesn't tell you how much the TV weighs, nor does it tell you the weight limit of the stand. Even if you're not interested in the HDTV, I would advise you to at least research the things you are going to get a little further, just to make sure you get a stand that can handle your new TV.

And since your option doesn't seem to be at Target, it would cost me $120 more, not $20.

You have to use the gift card on this purchase? Just buy groceries with it or something....

 

[Mejilan]

I am looking for something cheap. I said under $400 in my original post, but I'd like to keep it as close to $300 as possible, on the high range. Cheaper is better, too. I don't need 27 inches for the bedroom. I have that now in my living room, and I can certainly do with smaller for my bedroom. Flatscreen is a must, however, it'll be my first such tv. And at least 1 component input is a must as well. 2 or more would be golden, however.

 

[Mejilan]

I think that it basically means the source of the video has to be in high definition. Your games won't become HD unless they are programmed that way.

If you want to watch television in HD, you will need a special tuner box that you can either purchase separately or get through your cable company. High-res or progressive scan games and DVDs will not require any extra equipment. Nearly all Cube and Xbox games will run in progressive scan, if you do the software settings right and use component cables. Modded Xbox or PS2 w/ new DVD drivers will run DVDs in progressive scan.

Advent is a budget brand, but personally I would rather had a low-end HDTV than a high-end basic TV. If you really wanna feel comfortable, take the remaining $50 from your budget and buy a service plan I suppose. I haven't heard too many major complaints about their product reliability though.

Also -- the internet is probably a bad place to shop for furniture. That TV stand is a ripoff, IMO. I've bought an entire entertainment center from Wal-Mart, for less then $100. What you really need to be careful about is that some stands and entertainment centers have a weight limit. The Target site doesn't tell you how much the TV weighs, nor does it tell you the weight limit of the stand. Even if you're not interested in the HDTV, I would advise you to at least research the things you are going to get a little further, just to make sure you get a stand that can handle your new TV.

Thanks a lot for the clarification. I already have component cables for both my PS2 and GCN. I got the Nintendo made ones from their online store a couple of months after having the GCN, was blown away by the difference (particularly in color) even on a regular TV (my current, curved 27 inch Panasonic). When I got my PS2 a bit later (2 years ago) I instantly bought the Sony component cables as well.

As for prog scan support, with your TV I wouldn't need anything more to run compatible GCN games in prog scan? Do you know what PS2 driver versions I'd need to run DVDs thus? I have a model SCH-30001 PS2, and my newest drivers are the ones that came with the PS2 HDD, I think...

Edit - Border, your Advent model specifies 2 component hookups. However, it lists them as 1 Y/Cb/Cr and 1 Y/Pb/Pr. What's the difference, and why do I think only one of those will actually work with my PS2/GCN?

And yes, that stand will work with just about any 27'' set. Thanks again!

 

[border]

Akkk....didn't see that the stand will do up to 240lbs. That should be more than enough for pretty much any 27" set.

 

[border]

You would have to do more research on what PS2 DVD driver is necessary for progressive scan DVD playback. Yours is probably recent enough, but I can't say for sure.

To do progressive Cube games, I believe you have to set it in the system menu or hold down "B" at the startup screen or something. No extra hardware necessary.

Not sure about the difference between component inputs. That's above my level. Maybe look up the specs on your current cables and see exactly what type(s) they are. Or look up specs on your current set.

Not sure if you have room for it or if it's the "style" you're looking for, but Wal-Mart has an entertainment center for under $100, that will handle up to a 135 lb TV. Advent set is 117 lbs, Samsung is 97 lbs

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/prod...e=1&dept=4044&path=0:4044:103150:91790:110736

No free shipping, but you could probably find one in-store without much trouble. If you only have a PS2, Cube, and no home theatre or DVD player, you might not need it. You can check their TV stand section for some cheap stuff though...

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product_listing.gsp?cat=112666&path=0:4044:103150:91790:112666

 

[Mejilan]

Thanks again for the help. My current Panasonic has only 1 component input, and both the PS2 and GCN work through it. I'll be damned if I know which of the two listed under that Advent TV's specs it is, however.

 

[Mejilan]

I'm finding it very hard to find any reputable reviews on that Advent TV, border, but scrounging through Google I've noticed lots of bad word of mouth in forums and comparison opinion articles. Plus, this review (http://www.hometheaterescapes.com/?docname=hdtv_compare1.uf) CNet doesn't even seem to acknowledge that this manufacturer exists!

I think I'll stay away from it. Thanks anyway, though.

 

[Mejilan]

No one? Bumped for the Monday morning crew... I hope.

 

[Seth C]

Akkk....didn't see that the stand will do up to 240lbs. That should be more than enough for pretty much any 27" set.

That stand would hold the weight of my 51" rear projection.

 

[Nerevar]

Border, what does it mean that it is HD ready with an optional source?

I honestly don't know too much about TVs.

Edit - And since your option doesn't seem to be at Target, it would cost me $120 more, not $20.

HD ready means that the TV cannot "tune" HD signals AFAIK. That means that, in order to "see" HD programming you have to get an HD cable box to display the signal, rather than just being able to put up an antenna and see OTA (over-the-air) HD broadcasts or running your cable into your TV. This might be a big deal for you (if you don't currently have a cable box and like the savings of roughly $10 a month it costs to rent one) or it might not be. But that's more or less what it means.

 

[Mejilan]

I currently use a Direct TV Satellite service with a TiVo box. Am I good?

 

[Nerevar]

I currently use a Direct TV Satellite service with a TiVo box. Am I good?

Is your TiVO an HD-TiVo box? If not, then it won't tune the HD signal and you won't be able to record HD material. I don't know about price (i've never used satellite before), but DirecTV should replace your current set-top box with an HD set-top box once you switch over to their HD service. Your best bet is probably going to their website and looking up their info for switching to HD service - most companies have it readily available.

 

[Mejilan]

No clue, I use a Philipps TiVo box that I purchased independently, and replaced DTV's standard box with.

 

[Mike Works]

Ah, good timing for this thread. I'm about to buy a new TV, and I'd appreciate the advise of the many people here who know more about TV's than I do.

I'm looking to get a widescreen HDTV. I'm probably going to spend inbetween $1000 - $2000 CANADIAN ($800 - $1700 USD). Anyone have any advice?

 

[Mejilan]

Sorry Mike. I have the WORST ever luck with tech-related threads here at GAF OT. In my opinion, I generally see other people asking more obscure questions than I, and getting tons of responses.

Sadly, I never do.

 

[GXAlan]

If you really need to buy from Target, then that's not a bad choice. Nevertheless, I strongly encourage you to save up a bit and go with HDTV. Otherwise you'll be looking for a new TV when Xenon/PS3/NR comes out and you'd now be a few hundreds down.

 

[Crazymoogle]

Edit - Border, your Advent model specifies 2 component hookups. However, it lists them as 1 Y/Cb/Cr and 1 Y/Pb/Pr. What's the difference, and why do I think only one of those will actually work with my PS2/GCN?

Y/Cb/Cr = 480P Component
Y/Pb/Pr = 480i Component

That being said, it would be incredibly odd if only one of the hookups can do progressive. I've heard of HD-restrictive plugs before but not interlaced-restrictive.
EDIT: Actually, now that I think about it, the spec just says "digital", so yeah, one plug is probably 480P/720P/1080i only. If the other doesn't support 480P I would still be surprised, though.


For anyone who cares, I posted a four part guide online with a heads-up on all things gamer HDTV. I think most of you guys here already know the scoop on it, but for reference there you go.

Mike: Prices seem to vary a lot in canada, but just looking through the major retailer ads, it looks like the only options available in the 1-2k category are 51-57" HD Projection CRTs (which I'm not at all convinced about) and 30-34" HD CRTs (which look awesome but as usual weigh a ton).

Cheap-ass 42" plasmas don't seem to come into the picture until $2500 (and I definitely wouldn't trust one at that price), while Philips LCD HDTV's (flat, not projection) start at 1600 for a 23 incher. 3LCD starts at 2500, while DLP is more around the 3500-4k price mark.

Personally, I'd go HD CRT despite the weight; you won't get true 720p out of it, but you should be able to find a model that upscans it to 1080i (well, the CRT version anyway).

 

[Mike Works]

Mike: Prices seem to vary a lot in canada, but just looking through the major retailer ads, it looks like the only options available in the 1-2k category are 51-57" HD Projection CRTs (which I'm not at all convinced about) and 30-34" HD CRTs (which look awesome but as usual weigh a ton).

Cheap-ass 42" plasmas don't seem to come into the picture until $2500 (and I definitely wouldn't trust one at that price), while Philips LCD HDTV's (flat, not projection) start at 1600 for a 23 incher. 3LCD starts at 2500, while DLP is more around the 3500-4k price mark.

Personally, I'd go HD CRT despite the weight; you won't get true 720p out of it, but you should be able to find a model that upscans it to 1080i (well, the CRT version anyway).

D'oh, forgot to mention what kind I want. An HD CRT is absolutely fine with me, I just bought a new TV stand that holds a ton of weight AND I've got plenty of room for a CRT in my TV room, as I'm got a normal CRT there right now. So yeah, forget flatscreen, it's not needed.

Also, 26" widescreen and up (don't need anything about 34" I don't think, but if you find a great price on a 40" feel free to share of course) is all I need. I don't really need a TV that brings 720p to the table, 1080i is fine enough for me.

So do you have any suggestions that meet that criteria?

 

[Crazymoogle]

D'oh, forgot to mention what kind I want. An HD CRT is absolutely fine with me, I just bought a new TV stand that holds a ton of weight AND I've got plenty of room for a CRT in my TV room, as I'm got a normal CRT there right now. So yeah, forget flatscreen, it's not needed.

If that's the case, then yeah, HD CRT is the only way for you to go. (well, the only alternative being to wait 8 months or more for a SlimCRT, I guess).

Also, 26" widescreen and up (don't need anything about 34" I don't think, but if you find a great price on a 40" feel free to share of course) is all I need. I don't really need a TV that brings 720p to the table, 1080i is fine enough for me.

Well, keep in mind you probably want 16:9, and that means the you want to buy bigger. (30" 16:9 is equal to what, 27" 4:3?) Make sure the TV you do want can at least upconvert 720P, because being shit out of luck on a standard that's probably going to grow more important with time would suck.

Future Shop & BB fliers for this week aren't out yet so I don't have any specific recommendations for you, but if I were to pick a set, it would be the Sony Wega KV30HS420, which seems to be going for $1277 at A&B Sound. (I don't like the store, but it seems to be a respectable price). 30", 16:9, 720p handling, manual scaling (for non-anamorphic letterbox), and HDMI input (if Klee is to be believed, this is going to be crucial for future consoles).

Keep in mind that's from general Wega experience at trade shows and a look through the manual and featureset for that specific TV. Lord only knows how much the official stand costs (if you want to use it) or if it has any other funny bits I don't know about. Usually the best thing to do is hit up hometheaterforum.com and avsforum.com for comments, and then way those for or against the feature set.

I'd be surprised if the TV sucked, though.

 

[Mejilan]

I'm probably gonna go with that Samsung. The Advent seems like a faulty pos (no offense border), and prices ramp quite a bit from there.

Amusingly enough, I did just pick up a choice component switchbox, the Audio Authority 1154A (brand new) for about $160. Hot shit.

 

[Mejilan]

So, I wound up going with THIS TV and THIS SWITCHER today.

Also picked up a cheap but matching (to the rest of the furniture in my room) TV stand. Spent the last couple of hours totally reorganizing my room, bringing over my GCN, PS2, and the ~160 or so games I have for those 2 systems to my room. Even dusted out my old SNES and N64 and hooked them both up to the TV via S-Video.

Excellence.

 

[Poody]

from what i have heard/read, its not even worth getting HD unless you are going with a bigger TV. The differnece is supposed to be harder to see on a smaller set (like the ones you are looking into), but i can't really speak on that cause i haven't upgraded to HD yet. If i were you, i'd just go with something cheap for the bedroom, and save the rest of that money to get a real HDTV set for the livingroom sometime in the future.

Not true. I have a samnsung 26" HDTV and you can really see the difference from channels that support HD. Sports venues like football, basketball are amazing in HD, along with TV shows. Movies on the other hand, i can't discern.