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Need Help: Looking to Purchase a Flat Screen

IslandDeac said:
Depends on what you are looking to watch with it. A high refresh rate (240+) works well with fast moving images of sports, so that is a good feature to look for if you want to watch a lot of sports. Contrast levels are also good indicators. And the brand does matter and you get what you pay for.

A good place to view tvs (if you want an actual store) is an upscale audio/video store. They'll normally have a decent selection of TVs and all of them will be optimized normally. And lastly, what looks good to one person might not look good to another so get something you like. And buy online, it'll be cheaper, no tax and free shipping (probably).
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Eh actually you are supposed to pay use tax in the state you live.
 
IslandDeac said:
This, but Vizio has amazing ratings as well. Definitely look at them too.
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I think they make some good sets, but I don't like Vizio's presentation. Their menus, remotes, and the look of the set and plastics just scream cheap and Wal-Mart to me.
 
tsywake said:
Nevermind, looked it up myself.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081108020218AAg6kVg
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I should add that I would do Vizio up to like 32" or 37", then I'd go elsewhere. Their quality has gone from lower-mid range to upper-mid (and some high - XVT competes well) range. I have a 32" Vizio and it is amazing. All in all, I'd take a Samsung or Panasonic over Vizio but Vizio definitely is not a poor quality brand that the other brands try to make it out to be.

I've worked in an A/V Installation/Consultation place part-time for a while and while Vizio is not our first recommendation, it definitely can keep up with the well established brands.
 
IslandDeac said:
I should add that I would do Vizio up to like 32" or 37", then I'd go elsewhere. Their quality has gone from lower-mid range to upper-mid (and some high - XVT competes well) range. I have a 32" Vizio and it is amazing. All in all, I'd take a Samsung or Panasonic over Vizio but Vizio definitely is not a poor quality brand that the other brands try to make it out to be.

I've worked in an A/V Installation/Consultation place part-time for a while and while Vizio is not our first recommendation, it definitely can keep up with the well established brands.
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I don't think it is poor quality, I think the brand just exudes cheapness, even if that isn't the case in most situations. I
 
IslandDeac said:
I've worked in an A/V Installation/Consultation place part-time for a while and while Vizio is not our first recommendation, it definitely can keep up with the well established brands.
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AVClub.jpg
 
I'll echo Say Heys great advice on a previous thread: figure out what size you want and then get the next size bigger. You won't regret it.

Incidentally, ladies, I hear this also applies when shopping for the fake dongs.
 
discdude, my tv was $750 including "white glove delivery" (I didn't see any white gloves but maybe I just don't understand the term). I got a 720p because I don't do blueray or ps3. It's over 50 in and HD looks perfect. I don't know if you want 1080 but if not I'll figure out where I got it.
 
RubbinsRacin said:
I'll echo Say Heys great advice on a previous thread: figure out what size you want and then get the next size bigger. You won't regret it.

Incidentally, ladies, I hear this also applies when shopping for the fake dongs.
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seriously. if it doesnt look like it will hurt its not big enough.
 
Keep this in mind:

PlayStation 3 gaming video output is 60 Hz
Cable TV broadcasts at 60 Hz
While the human eye doesn't have a refresh rate, per se, if it did, it would be around 23-30 Hz, if I remember correctly
**EDIT: A quick wiki search revealed that I slightly misunderstood the human eye part. The eye sees artifacts below 30 Hz, while images refreshing at around 60 Hz essentially "trick" the eye into believing the images are smooth.**

TVs which claim to have refresh rates of 120 Hz or 240 Hz (LCD/LED) or 600 Hx (plasma) use software to interpolate the broadcasted images in order to fill in the blanks. As a result, you see these "smooth motion" images which can actually be somewhat difficult for some people to watch. I bought a 120 Hz TV and turned the feature off because after a while it made my eyes hurt. It is highly unlikely that you will be able to tell the difference between these refresh rates to a point where it's worth paying for what's advertised as "top of the line." That doesn't mean you shouldn't consider plasma, because it plasma boasts other advantages that LCD/LED have trouble matching, such as black levels.

I purchased a Samsung LN40C630 from Best Buy on sale at $699. Great TV. Be careful with Samsung, though. They have what I've seen referred to as a "panel lottery." They get the panels for their TVs from 3 different manufacturers. One in China, one in Mexico, and one directly from Samsung themselves which I THINK are made in the USA. You can tell which panel you get by checking the code on the box sticker. There's a code with 2 letters and 2 numbers, with the letters being AA, CN, and SS. SS are the panels you want. I originally got an AA06, which was awful. Brightness was terribly uneven across the screen. I told Best Buy I wanted to exchange for a TV with an SS panel, and I have been very happy with the TV.
 
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The proper way to do this is to go to the store and look at the TVs.

I prefer Panny Plasmas, but then again they're the best for sports and I hate the action that LCDs do w/ movies.
 
Go said:
The proper way to do this is to go to the store and look at the TVs.

I prefer Panny Plasmas, but then again they're the best for sports and I hate the action that LCDs do w/ movies.
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Haven't we already disproved this theory in this thread?

Stores generally turn the settings to all sorts of wacky shit and pretty badly misrepresent the actual quality of the TVs.
 
cookoutdeac said:
Haven't we already disproved this theory in this thread?

Stores generally turn the settings to all sorts of wacky shit and pretty badly misrepresent the actual quality of the TVs.
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The only reason I'd go to a store is to check the deals while testing the set's features out.
 
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