HDTV- Plasma, LCD, or rear Projection? New TV help!

[ametaldiva]

How much of a discount did you get for being an employee at BestBuy?

Now I can't really reveal that on a public internet forum (of course, if you search hard enough online you'll find it anyway), but let's just say it was several hundred dollars less...

 

[bicker]

I've had our new DLP for about a month now and couldn't be happier. While flat-panel would be nice, it's utterly out of our price range. DLP is the best balance between price and quality.

 

[PatMcDuck]

The AVS Forums are the BEST for this sort of research. I also read alot of background info on Comsumer Reports website (I am a subscriber). Rear projection does not allow viewing from the side angles, and takes up more space. Basically, the stuff plasma gas running out is not a real issue, so scratch that. The life of plasma tvs nowadays is quite long. LCDs are much better for people who have alot of natural light in the room the TV will be placed, and also better for long term gaming, and of course for a screen smaller than 42". From my research! LOL. We went with Panasonic 42" plasma, (most reliable plasma per consumer reports) and bought from Costco (more or less unlimted return policy, no NEED for an extended warranty)

It on the wall, we buried the wires, relocated the power receptacle, etc. Its just SO cool. Later we will add better sound.

 

[tinker&belle]

Yes, plasma tv's can have the image burned onto the screen if you play video games for a long duration.(everyday for 45-60 min. etc.) If your hubby is a hardcore gamer I would skip it. You also have to remember that plasma tv's run on plasma gas. Everytime you use the tv you are using the gas. As the gas continues to become less and less the picture will become not as clear, grainy, etc. Finally, once the gas is gone, the tv is shot. YOu cannot refill the gas. Our friends had a plasma tv. Sure the screen is great but 2.5 years later they are out buying a new tv again. Not worth the money , in my opinion. We just purchased a hi def- rear projection and love it. Good luck with your decision!

We did the research when we got ours as well, and couldn't believe how quickly expensive plasmas can wear out! We went with an LCD. We waited until Best Buy had them on sale, plus it was a 12% off coupon weekend for reward card members (if you are thinking about getting one at Best Buy definately join the rewards card program and wait for the 12% coupon.) Between the sale and coupon we got about 25% off the price. We got a Sony LCD and LOVE IT!

 

[bicker]

Rear projection does not allow viewing from the side angles

That's no longer true. We have some seats that are on the side of our DLP and the image is fine.

 

[luckofthedraw]

Between the sale and coupon we got about 25% off the price.

How often does Best Buy give out 12% off coupons? Any certain time of the year? And why 12%??

 

[tinker&belle]

They seem to send out the coupon about every two-three months, but sometimes more often. They send out extras at gift times like dad's and grad's, xmas, etc. I know we got one in Feb., one around May and one again in June.

They usually send out three coupons, two specific to different depts. for 10% off and one special general one that is 12% with rewards card. (I don't really understand why since you have to have a rewards card to get the coupon.) You also earn points on the purchases. After we purchased the TV we waited for the rewards and purchased and inexpensive speaker system from the rewards spending nothing OOP. It is a great program if you do any major purchasing or several smaller purchases at Best Buy.

 

[!@#$%]

I have a Phillips 60" rear projection HD TV. It was $1299 at Sams. I'm a gamer, and I LOVE it!!! No burns ins. The instructions clearly clarify the problem. You dont leave the game on pause for hours and your OK. Most games move around. As long as the screen dont sit there for many many hours with EXACTLY the same picture, your probably going to be fine. The HD on mine isnt true HD, its video components, not HDMI, but I will put the picture on my TV against any TV out there IN MY HOUSE under MY circumstances. My sofa is 10 feet away from my TV. We have PS2 extension cords (I dont do wireless) and the picture is SO lifelike.... its amazing. Its crystal clear, the color is perfect, and the clarity is amazing.

With subs and amp mounted in the couch, 4 powered subwoofers, and a total of 18 speakers in the walls and ceiling... well, it will almost take your breath away. Why pay more for an expensive plasma or LCD when you can put the extra into the sound system???
The only catch is you really do have to be sitting in front of the projection to see it. If your directly under it on the floor, the picture isnt as clear. Personally, I like to play games from the couch, so its not a problem.

I have actually been to movie theaters where I would rather have watched it on my Phillips!!!

Another thing to consider is your sences. If you watch a TV with JUST stock TV seakers, it really cant compare to the experience you get from a surround sound system. The sound moving around the room and missles flying by your head really help the experience. I used to install home theaters. My advise is if you have to choose between expensive TV or cheaper TV and home theater, go with cheaper Tv and home theater. Or better yet, buy the TV and buy the sound later!

JMHO.

 

[bicker]

There is a discussion going on on the AVS Forums now that dispute the assertion that HDMI is better than component video. I have my HD DVR hooked up to both, and I cannot tell the difference between the two.

 

[ceecee]

Thanks! Funny you mentioned the SXRD- we went to Bestbuy yesterday and that is the one that caught my eye! I am researching them now. I found it is about $1000 cheaper to buy online than at a store like BestBuy, but I am not sure if it is safe to spend $3k via an online store....

oh yeah, Hook 'EM!!

We just bought one too. If I see another TV, it will be too soon. The guy at Best Buy (we loved this one too...$3698) said it would go down in August due to a new release. They also showed us Blue Ray? technology...awesome and expensive.
Be warned the TVs look much smaller in a large room than in your living room. We thought no smaller than a 60" but when they delivered it..whoa, it's big. Took some getting used to but we like ours. We got a Toshiba HDTV. We have analog cable until the end of the month and they will put in the digital, we got a cable and hooked up the DVD player to it and it looks great. DH said we will see a big difference with digital cable. It's $5.00 a month more though.

 

[bicker]

My experience with screen size was actually the opposite. In the store, the 50" seemed like it would be big enough in our living room, but once it was delivered, I realized that we truly could have easily gone up to 56" and perhaps even 61" without it becoming "too large".

About the SD (analog cable) versus HD thing -- once othe downsides of HDTVs is that they make all the imperfections in analog signals so much clearer. With very minor exception, SD will always "look worse" on an HDTV set, just like gross bugs look even grosser under a magnifying glass. However, don't forget the impact of having programming on a big screen; for me, that more than makes up for the fact that the imperfections inhernent in SD are more apparent when projected on HDTVs.

 

[!@#$%]

One warning to anyone shopping for a High def TV...
Best Buy (at least in my town;Winston Salem) is EXTREMELY pushy on the expensive wiring. To the point that they are down right RUDE! My system has very nice wires; shielded and very large and gold plated, but they STILL insist I buy newer ones.
Listen folks... wires really are important. You really shouldnt use those thread like RCA racks, but once you have nice thick shielded wires, dont let them sell you new ones just because they are new. There is NO difference in a $30 wire and a $100 wire to the naked eye in 99% of the cases.

I used to own a car audio business as well. You see that famous up-sell in car audio too. YES, you need good wires, but its possible to go overboard.
Just be careful, and remember you cant believe everything they say. Ask them how many home theaters they have personally installed, and if its less than 20 or so (I use that number because thats a good number for friends and family) then, buyer beware; they are just repeating what they hear.

 

[bicker]

I had some quibbles from the guy at Circuit City about the extended warranty.

Earlier, he wouldn't match the price I had from an Internet seller for the television, but did come down a good amount -- but I suspect he was figuring he'd make it back on the extended warranty. But I had a comparison from an Internet seller for that too. He got a little miffed. He started bad-mouthing the Internet extended warranty, and I listened patiently and told him, "Gosh that's really interesting: However, here you can see that this warranty does cover those things." I brought him over to their website and asked him to point out what was better about the Circuit City extended warranty. Open eyed -- very interested incidentally, in what, in his professional opinion, were the qualitative differences between the two warranties. He gave up.

I don't blame the guy. He wants to make money, and there really is no way for them to make money, having to pay the costs associated with running a B&M business, competing against Internet vendors. If every customer did their research, there would be a big problem, because no one would ever stock HDTVs in a store -- there just wouldn't be any money to be made.