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the weekly "How is this HDTV?" thread

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op_ivy

Fallen Xbot (cannot continue gaining levels in this class)
i've begun to shop around for HDTVs and could use some advice.



first, what i'm looking for:

- 16 x 9 aspect ratio.

- $1,000 and under (give or take)

- 720p would be nice, but i'll settle for 1080i

- great image quality is a must. i wont settle for an HDTV image that is fuzzy or has to be viewed straight on in order to see.

- 27" and up. 30" + is really as small as i'd like to go though.

I dont care about:

- brand name. just want a good set that is awesome quality, and will last for at least 5 years without headaches.

- weight/size issues. crts are fine

- # of inputs/options. it may be short sighted, but as long as i can plug in a next-gen console, thats good enough


that said, how is this?
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-NmWOrFpc7li/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=148350&I=05234HF85

l05234HF85-f.jpeg


any other suggestions?

any good review sites where i can read review(s) on most available models?

if all goes according to plan, this thread and some in store browsing will narrow down my purchase list a bit, so that i can nab a set for a great price this holiday season. maybe some shopping tips for black friday could be usefull as well.
 
What is that new upcoming Sony HDTV line called again? SBRX or something? It supports 1080p and HDMI and the full nine yards, whatever.
 
Wollan said:
What is that new upcoming Sony HDTV line called again? SBRX or something? It supports 1080p and HDMI and the full nine yards, whatever.
Click to expand...

is it around 1,000? ;)

truffleshuffle said:
the 42 inch sony lcd is right around 1300. get it!!!!
Click to expand...

link? model #?
 
Could someone recommend a good 20-23 inch HDTV with progressive scan (480 and 720p), DVI and good picture quality. I'm in the Marine Corps, so I tend to stay away from big screens, as I live in a barracks room.

So far I'm leaning toward the

Samsung LN-R238W 23" Widescreen HDTV-Ready Flat-Panel LCD TV

http://www.elise.com/lmtstore/B0008..._Widescreen_HDTV-Ready_Flat-Panel_LCD_TV.html

or

Sony KLVS23A10 23" LCD WEGA HD-Ready Flat Panel TV

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...7259-5409604?v=glance&s=electronics&n=1203586


They both look good and are less than $1,000.

Could some of you provide input?
 
if u want really great picture quality, then

Sony WEGA FD Trinitron 32" HD-Ready Flat-Tube TV with HDMI Input
Model: KV32HS420

I think Marco has one of these and he swear by it. Very Good picture. 1080i only. Maybe not fashionable enough tho being a CRT. Besy buy have it online for $963

The Sony CRTs give great IQ tho
 
They're bulky as hell, but I swear by Sony's HD CRTs. Have a 36", the 36HS500 from two years ago. Nothing I've seen out there in LCD, Projection or Plasma land has looked better to me, with respect to picture quality.
 
Spiderjericho said:
Could someone recommend a good 20-23 inch HDTV with progressive scan (480 and 720p), DVI and good picture quality. I'm in the Marine Corps, so I tend to stay away from big screens, as I live in a barracks room.

So far I'm leaning toward the

Samsung LN-R238W 23" Widescreen HDTV-Ready Flat-Panel LCD TV

http://www.elise.com/lmtstore/B0008..._Widescreen_HDTV-Ready_Flat-Panel_LCD_TV.html

or

Sony KLVS23A10 23" LCD WEGA HD-Ready Flat Panel TV

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...7259-5409604?v=glance&s=electronics&n=1203586


They both look good and are less than $1,000.

Could some of you provide input?
Click to expand...


Samsung > Sony on LCDs... though I believe that model lacks DVI (VGA only).
 
Magnus said:
They're bulky as hell, but I swear by Sony's HD CRTs. Have a 36", the 36HS500 from two years ago. Nothing I've seen out there in LCD, Projection or Plasma land has looked better to me, with respect to picture quality.
Click to expand...


Yup. Nailed it. Here's the basic advice for budget-minded folks. This is true, and don't let anyone say any different. And they will say different.


Get a CRT - a Sony, or a Samsung or maybe a Panasonic at a stretch.

Make sure it has HDMI.

Make sure it can SCALE 720p or DISPLAY it.

1080i on a CRT looks as good as 720p.

Relax, you now have a TV with better image quality than a 5k Plasma.
 
I'm getting an Xbox 360.

I need a TV that can display 720p as well as 1080i/p, although p is a stretch.

Is it possible to get a TV that displays both 720pand 1080i natively, or is is a case of one or the other? I'd imagine it's a one or the other situation, but I'm not sure.

The TV needs to have the best picture quality I can get. I've got $1000 now, but I can probably go as high as $2000 or so for the TV.

It's also got to have HDMI, and it's gonig to need to be compliant with this HDCP shit.

Is anything like this possible?
 
ok... i cant get a CRT because i dont have enough space so I decided to get a LCD and out of these models which do you think is the better buy.


Philips 26" LCD HDTV Monitor (26PF5320)



Features:

- 26" LCD display
- Widescreen (16:9)
- PC compatible
- HDMI interface
- Resolution: 1366(H)x768(V)
- Contrast Ratio: 600:1
- Stereo w/Dolby® Virtual Surround

Price: $1139.99


Samsung 26" LCD HDTV Monitor (LN-R268W)



Features:

- 26" LCD display
- Widescreen (16:9)
- PC compatible
- HDMI interface
- Resolution: 1366(H)x768(V)
- Contrast Ratio: 3000:1
- Stereo w/SRS TruSurround XT
- Picture In Picture

Price: $1329.99


Panasonic 26" LCD HDTV Monitor (TC-26LX50)



Features:

- 26" LCD display
- Widescreen (16:9)
- PC compatible
- HDMI interface
- Resolution: 1366(H)x768(V)

Price: $1329.99


LG 26" LCD HDTV (26LX1D)



Features:

- 26" LCD display
- Widescreen (16:9)
- PC compatible
- HDMI interface
- Resolution: 1366(H)x768(V)
- CableCARD™ compatible
- Stereo with TruSurround® SRS® Effect
- Picture In Picture

Price: $1329.99
 
op_ivy said:
huh. what about this sony 42"

http://www.bestpricecameras.com/272319-0-1--Sony-KDF-E42A10-(42-inch-LCD-REAR-PRO).html

Sony KDF-E42A10
Click to expand...

Holy fuck. Is this place reliable? I'll have to check resellerratings.

For reference the 42A10 is the new model. Get it over the WE655 unless you want features like PiP which the 42A10 lacks. But the 42A10 has native 720P mode and a better picture than the WE655. It's a trade off and I'll take the better picture quality over pip anytime. 42A10 also has a PC input that the WE655 lacks.
 
Is it possible to get a TV that displays both 720pand 1080i natively, or is is a case of one or the other? I'd imagine it's a one or the other situation, but I'm not sure.

NO.

the plasma, lcd, dlp, sxrd, lcos etc are fixed displays ie they will display the number of pixels they have. So a 1024 x 1024 plasma will adjust whatever signal its getting and display it @ 1024x1024 to fill up the screen. If u get a 1920 x 1080 lcd same thing. etc
 
Ecrofirt said:
Not to sound stupid, but this holds true for CRts as well, right?
Click to expand...

CRTs should be able to display multiple resolutions, though it is rare (if ever) that they support both 720p and 1080i. Generally they will just do 480i/p and 1080i OR 720p, but not both.
 
Well, I wish there was a CRT that did it.

I want to try and get the best of both worlds so I don't have to deal with a down/upscaled image :(

Those expensive Sony CRTs look nice, but I'm pretty sure they don't do native 720p, and I'd like that for my Xbox 360.
 
Will i get black borders with a CRT HDTV? LCD HDTV have funky resolutions, on a smaller LCD HDTV, you have to "zoom" to get a bigger picture.
 
For the budget minded looking for an LCD, check out the Westinghouse line. I know it's not a name brand like some of the others, but they have some nice sized screens at reasonable prices, and the buzz on them over at the AVS forums is very positive. BB had the 32" model on sale a few weeks back for $985. Specs look like this:

32" widescreen (16:9) (Why you would buy an HDTV that wasn't 16:9 is beyond me)
170 degree viewing angle
1366 x 768 native resolution
1000:1 contrast ratio
8 ms response time

Someone in the AVS forum basically said this set is one good calibration away from beating the pants off of much more expensive sets. And for those that dont know, the AVS forums are passionate about AV equipment/HD as we are about video games. They spends tons of money on sets, etc. Great place for advice on this stuff.

http://www.avsforum.com/
 
longdi Will i get black borders with a CRT HDTV? LCD HDTV have funky resolutions, on a smaller LCD HDTV, you have to "zoom" to get a bigger picture.
Click to expand...

If you are watching movies on DVD. YES. Films have a variety of aspect ratios, none of them 16:9. The black bars will depend on the aspect ratio of the film. 1.78:1 2.23:1 etc

Cinemas have curtains for that very reason. They control the aspect ratio of the screen behind it and act as the black bars. Otherwise there'd be white borders on lots of movies in cinemas

TV No. Unless it is 4:3 then its either zoom or bars for u
 
Kung Fu Jedi said:
For the budget minded looking for an LCD, check out the Westinghouse line. I know it's not a name brand like some of the others, but they have some nice sized screens at reasonable prices, and the buzz on them over at the AVS forums is very positive. BB had the 32" model on sale a few weeks back for $985. Specs look like this:

32" widescreen (16:9) (Why you would buy an HDTV that wasn't 16:9 is beyond me)
170 degree viewing angle
1366 x 768 native resolution
1000:1 contrast ratio
8 ms response time

Someone in the AVS forum basically said this set is one good calibration away from beating the pants off of much more expensive sets. And for those that dont know, the AVS forums are passionate about AV equipment/HD as we are about video games. They spends tons of money on sets, etc. Great place for advice on this stuff.

http://www.avsforum.com/
Click to expand...

I looked at the Westinghouse LTV-32W1 on Amazon and Best Buy. I really didn't want a huge set, but damn, it looks really nice. I think I found my new tv. Hopefully, the price will go down a bit. Thank You very much.
 
Mrbob said:
Holy fuck. Is this place reliable? I'll have to check resellerratings.

For reference the 42A10 is the new model. Get it over the WE655 unless you want features like PiP which the 42A10 lacks. But the 42A10 has native 720P mode and a better picture than the WE655. It's a trade off and I'll take the better picture quality over pip anytime. 42A10 also has a PC input that the WE655 lacks.
Click to expand...

Is this the part number for the new A10's, I just ask because the picture that place has up for the A10 looks nothing like the 42A10 I saw in Best Buy the other day.
 
FZ4D_l.jpg


This is the set I just picked up. 30" Widescreen LG, HDMI, 1080i native/720P/480P, two component inputs, a strong OTA HD tuner, and I got it for about $850 before taxes. I was looking at this, a similar-sized Sony, and a Samsung set. The Samsung set had really noticeable geometry issues, and while the Sony set I was looking at was certainly nice, I didn't think it was worth the price difference and didn't have an integrated HD tuner. The picture is gorgeous and the service menu's easy to get to if you want to do some advanced tweaking. Also, the TV's case itself is gorgeous, if aesthetics matter to you.
 
tedtropy said:
FZ4D_l.jpg


This is the set I just picked up. 30" Widescreen LG, HDMI, 1080i native/720P/480P, two component inputs, a strong OTA HD tuner, and I got it for about $850 before taxes. I was looking at this, a similar-sized Sony, and a Samsung set. The Samsung set had really noticeable geometry issues, and while the Sony set I was looking at was certainly nice, I didn't think it was worth the price difference and didn't have an integrated HD tuner. The picture is gorgeous and the service menu's easy to get to if you want to do some advanced tweaking. Also, the TV's case itself is gorgeous, if aesthetics matter to you.
Click to expand...

I think that TV looks nice, but I'd probably prefer the Westinghouse, as it's only 30 something pounds, which makes it easy to move.

But definitely an enticing price.
 
Spiderjericho said:
I think that TV looks nice, but I'd probably prefer the Westinghouse, as it's only 30 something pounds, which makes it easy to move.

But definitely an enticing price.
Click to expand...

There's things about LCD sets I'm just not willing to deal with, but if you want something light, it's certainly the way to go.

It took me and a buddy to move this set. In the box, it's a piece of cake to move, but like most CRTs, handling them outside a box is like pulling teeth. I wouldn't want to carry it up a flight of stairs.
 
maximum360 said:
$1600 but still looks like a good deal for a plasma HDTV http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1384958

H45-4200main.jpg
Click to expand...

Is this TV really HD? It's listed as so in the product info, but it doesn't list what formats it supports. Most Plasma displays in this price range are actually EDTV and there is a huge difference. I for one, don't want to pay for a plasma screen that downscales all signals to 480p. Perhaps this one is a full HDTV (even though it doesn't say if it's 720p or 1080i), and if so, it's a good deal for a plasma, but I'd be sure to research it before I bought it.
 
I thought LCD Tv's were bad for gaming due to the blur and ghosting effects, Especially for First Person Shooters.
 
Orin GA said:
I thought LCD Tv's were bad for gaming.
Click to expand...

This really hasn't been the case for a few years now. There use to be major issues with LCD's having a poor response time, which caused images to have blurring and ghosting. The LCD's have improved quite a bit, and it's not a major issue unless you buy a low end, crappy model.

The response time on the Westinghouse that a mentioned earlier is rated at 8 ms. Lower is better, obviously, and that's one of the lower ratings I've seen. Rather impressive on a model that retails at $1300 and is streeting at $1000.
 
teiresias said:
Is this the part number for the new A10's, I just ask because the picture that place has up for the A10 looks nothing like the 42A10 I saw in Best Buy the other day.
Click to expand...

The current A10s are:
KDF-E42A10
KDF-E50A10

So in the site linked or the Best Buy ad you saw, either they had the wrong picture or listed the wrong model.
 
Kung Fu Jedi said:
Is this TV really HD? It's listed as so in the product info, but it doesn't list what formats it supports. Most Plasma displays in this price range are actually EDTV and there is a huge difference. I for one, don't want to pay for a plasma screen that downscales all signals to 480p. Perhaps this one is a full HDTV (even though it doesn't say if it's 720p or 1080i), and if so, it's a good deal for a plasma, but I'd be sure to research it before I bought it.
Click to expand...

It's an HDTV. See "native resolution".

Also, I put the link for avsforums on there as well so you could check the impression so far from some who have bought the set.
 
tedtropy said:
It took me and a buddy to move this set. In the box, it's a piece of cake to move, but like most CRTs, handling them outside a box is like pulling teeth. I wouldn't want to carry it up a flight of stairs.
Click to expand...
I FEAR the day that I move (probably next year) and have to take my TV with me. It's only 26", but the the fact that it's widescreen and 95 lbs doesn't make things easy. I live on the fourth floor of a building with no elevator - getting it up here was HELL with that huge box, but it's not going to be any easier going down..

I didn't even know LG made CRTs, though. I probably would've looked into one. I ended up with a Samsung instead. The geometry issues, SlimFit or not, are true. But considering that I got mine for $530, I decided to take the service menu challenge and it paid off.
 
pxleyes said:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/productDetail.do?c=1&oid=93014&zip=32609&go.x=27&go.y=8

My TV and the best TV currently for the price. CC has it for 849 at the moment, though I got it from them last week for 809.

KV-30HS420
Click to expand...

I was really considering that TV for awhile, but its lack of an integrated OTA HD tuner and similarity in picture quality to the LG made me lean towards it. Overall, I'd say that Sony set has a slightly superior picture, as I always prefer an aperture grille over an invar shadow mask tube. If I could convince myself to pony up the $300 or so extra, I think I'd go with this set...

x158kd30xs9-F_MT.jpeg


Sony KD-30XS955. Gorgeous picture, all the inputs I want, the HD tuner, and an MS card slot I would likely never use.

I may yet find myself in a weak moment, return my LG, and get this one.
 
I have the Samsung SlimFit and, yes it has geometry issues, but I was able to mostly fix them in the service menu.

Nathan
 
maximum360 said:
It's an HDTV. See "native resolution".

Also, I put the link for avsforums on there as well so you could check the impression so far from some who have bought the set.
Click to expand...

Cool! Just wanted to be sure since all the Plasma's I've seen in this price range lately have been EDTV, and I see the native resolution now. Still fairly low res. compared to a lot of other TV's though. Great deal for a plasma though.

BTW, I was just at Foley's (department store for those that don't have them), and they had the Westinghouse model I talked about earlier in the 27" model for $899. Nice TV for the money. I didn't pick it up as Best Buy has had the 32" model for close to this recently, so I'll wait it out for another sale.
 
For people buying a Sony CRT, look out for the Grill lines. Most annoying things ever. If 2 or 3 black lines across the screen bother you when the scene is all white then you might want to look at a different TV.

If I would have known about them before I bought my TV I would have went with another Toshiba.
 
Sp3eD said:
For people buying a Sony CRT, look out for the Grill lines. Most annoying things ever. If 2 or 3 black lines across the screen bother you when the scene is all white then you might want to look at a different TV.

If I would have known about them before I bought my TV I would have went with another Toshiba.
Click to expand...

Bah, the grill lines are so tiny as to be almost indiscernible on a decent-size TV, and even then you'll need a pretty constant bright color to notice. Would you rather have those few thin lines or the moire issues at the edges you'll find on almost any invar shadow mask set? Thankfully it's not too noticable on the edges of my LG, but it is there.
 
tedtropy said:
Bah, the grill lines are so tiny as to be almost indiscernible on a decent-size TV, and even then you'll need a pretty constant bright color to notice. Would you rather have those few thin lines or the moire issues at the edges you'll find on almost any invar shadow mask set? Thankfully it's not too noticable on the edges of my LG, but it is there.
Click to expand...

On my 34XBR960 they bother the fuck out of me at every white logo screen. I can't play Amped 2 because of them. It just bothers me that much.
 
Sp3eD said:
On my 34XBR960 they bother the fuck out of me at every white logo screen. I can't play Amped 2 because of them. It just bothers me that much.
Click to expand...

Wow, really? I've been using aperture grille monitors at both work and home for probably six years now (Mitsubishi/NEC, Sony, etc), so perhaps I've become accustomed to it. I honestly don't really notice the lines anymore. I outright refuse to buy an invar shadow mask computer CRT, as the moire is just too apparent when you're that close. I think the TVs can get away with it a little more.
 
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