Flat Screen TV for Dummies (or at least for me)

[bookluvingbabe]

The picture tube on our ancient tv has gone to meet its maker.

I would like to replace it with something that doesn't cost more than $300-$400.

Is LED better? Or LCD? Are they all HD now?

We don't have a place to mount it so it needs to sit on a base. We have an active 5 year old so it needs to be stable.

Where should I start?

Thanks!

 

[momof3ds]

They are all HD.
LED is the latest. You want at least a 120 Hz refresh rate which has to do with speed and motion blur.

Our 46 inch came with a base that has been perfectly stable.

 

[angierae]

Our 46" has a base and we have three very active cats, and they've never managed to topple it.

 

[mrodgers]

I feel for you. Our 1996 TV is starting to flicker and I'm afraid it is finally on it's last legs. Sad that we are needing to replace our 1996 TV while everyone I know who has flat screens are on their 2nd or 3rd TV in a lesser time span..

I'm going for a 50" Panasonic Plasma. $588 for the 1080p model at Sam's Club (compared to $699 everywhere else.) I don't like LCD at all. Every one I've ever viewed are just way too unrealistically bright and look horrible with sports. Plasma has more of a closer brightness look to a CRT picture. I'll stick with using LCD for the computer only (if I ever upgrade my 2005 computer with the 17 inch CRT, LOL.)

 

[HM]

LED! We love it so much more than our regular HDTVs. I recommend Samsung.

 

[pw2pp]

Hi

Can you hold on for another month?
I would recommend waiting for Black Friday. That is when you will see the best deals.

LED is preferred over LCD

Good luck to you

 

[nettekay]

Just be aware that plazma while they are cheaper have the glare factor so if you are putting it in a room with alot of windows it could pose a problem. Also if you use a DVR and pause the tv alot it can cause a burn into the screen. A burn can also happen where the channel logos are. so even when you turn the channel you will still see the logo. These problems are not seen in the LED or LCD.

 

[TrueLove's1stKiss]

If you do decide to wait for a Black Friday deal, but still need a TV in the meantime I suggest going to Goodwill or another thrift store & get a tube TV! We got a nice big replacement when our TV in the basement died. It cost $25 and has worked perfectly! So many people are upgrading to flat screens these days that there are some really nice TV's 2nd hand!

 

[disny_luvr]

I feel for you. Our 1996 TV is starting to flicker and I'm afraid it is finally on it's last legs. Sad that we are needing to replace our 1996 TV while everyone I know who has flat screens are on their 2nd or 3rd TV in a lesser time span..

I'm going for a 50" Panasonic Plasma. $588 for the 1080p model at Sam's Club (compared to $699 everywhere else.) I don't like LCD at all. Every one I've ever viewed are just way too unrealistically bright and look horrible with sports. Plasma has more of a closer brightness look to a CRT picture. I'll stick with using LCD for the computer only (if I ever upgrade my 2005 computer with the 17 inch CRT, LOL.)

We just bought this TV tonight! Our 2002 TV died earlier this week so we bit the bullet and bought a flat screen.

OP, we don't like LCD and weren't too impressed with LED. We actually went to three different stores tonight and spoke to three different salesmen (obviously) and they all recommended plasmas over the LED.

 

[EricBlitz]

I don't like LCD at all. Every one I've ever viewed are just way too unrealistically bright and look horrible with sports. Plasma has more of a closer brightness look to a CRT picture.

This is the exact reason I went with a Plasma as well.

 

[BubMunkeyBles]

We have 3 LCD's. No plasma for us since we move every few years and the military breaks too much stuff.

 

[SandrA9810]

I feel for you. Our 1996 TV is starting to flicker and I'm afraid it is finally on it's last legs. Sad that we are needing to replace our 1996 TV while everyone I know who has flat screens are on their 2nd or 3rd TV in a lesser time span..

I'm going for a 50" Panasonic Plasma. $588 for the 1080p model at Sam's Club (compared to $699 everywhere else.) I don't like LCD at all. Every one I've ever viewed are just way too unrealistically bright and look horrible with sports. Plasma has more of a closer brightness look to a CRT picture. I'll stick with using LCD for the computer only (if I ever upgrade my 2005 computer with the 17 inch CRT, LOL.)

We just purchased a Panasonic 50" Plasma within the past month or so. We opted for the UT model, which is a smart tv with 3D. It is a bit more expensive than the basic U line, but has a faster speed with displaying the picture (not sure of the word for it). Plasma also has a more true black over an LCD, with a glass screen like an old TV. They are also becoming more energy efficient and use less energy than most older LCDs.

The one major issue with viewing tv's in the store is a store mode setting that comes programmed into the TV. It is set for the brightest lighting, because stores are generally over lit. If you ask a sales person, they can change it to a normal house setting. It's also an overkill on the TV to leave it on a setting like that. Try going into the store late at night before closing when they have the lights a bit lower than day time.

Ours was purchased at Best Buy, 4 year warranty, and they gave us $50 off a new tv stand. They were also running a promo with a free xbox 360, so that got sold and went to pay for the TV itself. Not to mention the 3 year 0% on the BB card, and now we've qualified for Silver Premier status with the reward zone points, and they offer free calibration for the TV.

It is a beautiful TV, and almost too big for this little apartment, but it fits ok along the wall.

Ohh make sure you have a darkened room for the TV, because of the glass screen, it does reflect more than an LCD or LED. We had to get blackout curtains in order for the window to not glare back (especially during dark scenes). Thankfully those were only $17 a panel at JcPenneys.

 

[seashoreCM]

If the screen looks too bright or unrealistically bright then you use the Contrast control (once in awhile labeled Picture or White Level) to dim the whole thing down.

You will need to do a little back and forth adjusting contrast and brightness.

(The Brightness control, once in awhile labeled Black Level, is used to keep the shadows from being too buried.)

If your TV has presets you can (should) use one for the brightness and contrast levels that look best during the day with some daylight streaming in, and another preset for nighttime viewing with most of the room lights off.

Plasmas and tubes last longer with the contrast not set so high; some experts say set the contrast no more than halfway up the scale and adjust all the other controls (and darken the room) until it looks right.

Oh, by the way, the picture will look more natural if you don't make the colors too vivid. I'm not sure how the flat panel TVs work but the old fashioned tube TVs have a "color" control next to the "tint" control that should be backed off a little to make the color not so vivid.

They make calibration DVDs some of which come with colored cellophanes to look through. For many folks this is too much time and effort (lots of back and forth and experimenting) and expense (about $30.) to go through but some home theater nuts will go do that anyway.