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Thread: flat screen tvs

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    Default flat screen tvs

    im looking to buy a new tv bc the one i have in my living room is kinda old and big and bulky. but i know nothing really about this stuff! i think i want a 37 inch, and not the kind you hang on the wall. so.. help? plasma or not? good brands? places to buy? prices?

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    Senior Member Tara_SW's Avatar
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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    We just got ourselves one for Xmas. It's a 42 inch HD, LCD Polaroid brand & sits on this little pedestal thing rather than mounted to a wall. It's so light I couldn't believe it! You won't be sorry for getting a flat screeen, especially if or when you even change homes. We paid like $900 including tax for it at Walmart, but that was during the holiday sale so it might not be quite as cheap now though since your looking for 37 inch you should be able to get a nice one for under a grand no problem

    I'd suggest you consider a LCD over a plasma though because the plasma kind can get messed up easy and are not cheap to fix either.

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    God/dess Silverback's Avatar
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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    "He will come in one of the pre-chosen forms. During the rectification of the Vuldrini, the traveler came as a large and moving Torg! Then, during the third reconciliation of the last of the McKetrick supplicants, they chose a new form for him: that of a giant Slor! Many Shuvs and Zuuls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Slor that day, I can tell you!"

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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    I worked at Circuit City as a Christmas seasonal employee in 06 in the TV dpt. and I learned a lot about LCD's and plasmas.

    Samsung makes the best LCD TV. They have the highest contrast ratio and have the best picture. Next to Samsung is LG and Sony, if I ever get one it will only be made by one of the names listed above. Sony don't make Plasmas is the bad thing.

    With Plasmas, which will be my choice if I get one. They are cheaper than LCD and they have better pictures than LCD and a better viewing angle. Same with LCD, LG and Samsung are the best I think. If you want 37 inch then the smallest a plasma makes is 37 inch. The only bad things is that plasma screens are glass so they will reflect and LCD won't. About the plasmas messing up a lot, no, not anymore unless you lay it down flat, NEVER do that cause they have gas on the inside that will leak and mess it up. That is the only thing that will really mess up a plasma.

    I would buy one from Best Buy, Circuit City or HH Gregg. I would never buy one from Wal Mart or Target myself because they don't offer store warranties and that is definitely something I would get if I bought one.

    Depending on the brand you want of course is going to make a big difference in price. You can get a 37 inch off brand LCD for about $750-$850 and a good brand will be around $1,000-$1200.

    Same with plasma but they are a little cheaper. $700-$800 and around $900-$1100.

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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    ^ plasmas arent cheaper, at least not at best buy. not in the size i want. and according to the link from silverback, very large lcd's are more expensive than plasmas, but the size i want, lcds are cheaper.

    wow, in comparing just best buy and circuit city, circuit city is WAY more expensive.

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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    LCD has more off brands than plasma too. Prices have changed some since I worked there though.

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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    LCD's will last longer, consume significantly less energy (appx 1/3), provide better contrast and are much lighter (helps when moving or mounting). They are also more forgiving when watching from an angle than on a plasma. LCD displays have a better refresh rate/ response time and will result in a smoother picture during fast scenes such as sports.

    Samsung makes the best LCD's.

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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    Quote Originally Posted by glambman View Post
    LCD's will last longer, consume significantly less energy (appx 1/3), provide better contrast and are much lighter (helps when moving or mounting). They are also more forgiving when watching from an angle than on a plasma. LCD displays have a better refresh rate/ response time and will result in a smoother picture during fast scenes such as sports.

    Samsung makes the best LCD's.
    Yep yep agree with everything esp the 1st sentence.

    Btw we have a lovely Samsung 50"


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    Veteran Member Delilah27's Avatar
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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    I know this sounds cheap...but Wal Mart is always good with prices...

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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    Can someone buy me a flat-screen tv please? I feel to guilty to do it myself.

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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    Quote Originally Posted by Delilah27 View Post
    I know this sounds cheap...but Wal Mart is always good with prices...
    haha, i cant shop in walmart. period. i tried to once and turned around and walked back out. target i could see, but not walmart.

    what do you think about craigslist? i get nervous. theres a tv by me that the poster says they only used it for a few months but its too big for their entertainment system, and they want 950 for it. i looked it up online and its like 1800 regular priced!

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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    I've actually read that Plasmas have a better refresh rate, so I guess there's contention on that point. They are brighter and with more vivid colors. All around a better picture, but the pixel burn-out and short life span are such negatives I went with an LCD. In theory, the downside to an LCD is reduced brithness, lower refresh rate, and poorer viewing angle, but I've not yet experienced any of those and my Panasonic LCD is fine. In hindsight, Samsung makes amazing LCDs, and Sony, and I should've gone with one of those two.

    My 32" Panasonic 1080i LCD TV cost me $2,000 2.5 years ago (or was it 3.5? I'm getting old), and now costs $800. The point being the prices do go down dramatically. I just helped my parents shop for a TV this past weekend, and I found a 1080p 40" Samsung LCD for $1500, while a 1080p 46" Samsung LCD was $2500, so look at the price curve. Sometimes sacrificing a few inches means a significant price drop.
    Quote Originally Posted by _Avery_ View Post
    omg, why is it so huge?!! lol lol

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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    ^ well i def decided on an lcd because where i want to put it there would be a bad glare if i got a plasma since theyre glass.

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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    ^^^ Whatever the reason, I agree with your choice on LCD over plasma.

    Samsung vs. Sony. I like the look of the Samsung sets better. They're black, sleek, and cool (i.e. they have blue lights), although the Sonys have a bit of a brighter picture. So I'd say personal preference on which brand you go with, but the two are both very good at producing LCDs.
    Quote Originally Posted by _Avery_ View Post
    omg, why is it so huge?!! lol lol

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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    LG's have great picture quality! I love LG brand overall. From their washers/dryer to their cell phones, I've owned many of their products.
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    God/dess lestat1's Avatar
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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    ^^^ Yup, for LCDs, LG comes in third in a lot of reviews I've read, so they definitely deserve an honorable mention!
    Quote Originally Posted by _Avery_ View Post
    omg, why is it so huge?!! lol lol

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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    Quote Originally Posted by lestat1 View Post
    I've actually read that Plasmas have a better refresh rate, so I guess there's contention on that point. They are brighter and with more vivid colors. All around a better picture, but the pixel burn-out and short life span are such negatives I went with an LCD. In theory, the downside to an LCD is reduced brithness, lower refresh rate, and poorer viewing angle, but I've not yet experienced any of those and my Panasonic LCD is fine.
    Actually, LCDs are brighter than plasmas as far as I remember from when I used to have to buy them for a previous job. Plasmas have a wider range of colors and black is truer than on a LCD. However, because plasmas employ the use of gas, picture starts to degrade after the 7 year mark on average. Plasmas run the risk of images burning in but the pixels of LCDs can retain a charge that can producing ghosting images.

    Really, I don't think you can go wrong with either plasma or LCD. It's more a question of the environment you're putting it in that should determine what type to get.

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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    Personally I wouldn't go with either Plasma or LCD.

    I say go with a DLP TV with an LED Bulb. These tvs are beyond fantastic and will last for a good long time.

    My buddy just bought a 56" Samsung LED DLP for roughly $2K and is loving every minute of it.

    If you buy the LED Bulb equipped DLPs you don't have to worry about replacing your bulb, as it will last at least 150,000 hours or more.

    I'm actually surprised no one else has even mentioned DLP tvs, as they are in my opinion better than either LCD or Plasma.
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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1188560191815

    thats the tv im buying from my friend for $1400. its less than a year old, theyre getting the same tv in a bigger size because theyre getting a great deal so that means that i get it for way cheap!

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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    ^^^ ahem, you can get a brand new LG or Magnavox or Philips or Polaroid or Sanyo or Panasonic or Sanyo LCD / plasma in a 42" or larger sized 1080p with warrantee (and option of extended warrantee) for essentially the same price as you'll be paying for the second-hand Sony with no warrantee (in your name at least) !!! It seems that a lot of the discount electronics retailers 'overbought' large screen TV's in hopes of a better Christmas season, and prices have now been lowered to try and dump the overbloated inventory. Check out for starters. And actually, you can buy essentially the same 40" Sony Bravia brand new with warrantee for $1200 -->

    Personal opinion wise, I prefer the 'processed' image of RCA and Panasonic.
    Last edited by Melonie; 01-26-2008 at 04:02 PM.

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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    ^ yes, i can buy the brand. not the same tv. that tv you linked to isnt the same. also, i would not make such a large purchase from walmart.

    and i could buy a lesser brand for the same money. point being, i'm getting a $2800 tv for the same price i'd be paying for one of those lesser brands. and if i'm spending the money anyway, why not get a better quality tv? it's barely even been used, so this is like when i got my first car. i got it "used" with 2000 miles on it.

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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    ^^^ well, the first major difference is that every city has a car repair / car dealership that is willing to work on your second-hand car. Not the case with a second-hand flat screen TV. Of course, as long as the sellers are willing to 'front' for you on a warrantee claim in case the 40" Sony craps out, this really isn't much of an issue. But if the Sony decides to crap out next year and you're left to your own devices trying to get it repaired, good luck ! Welcome to the age of 'disposable' technology !

    The second major difference of course is that a TV that stickered for $2800 last year may not provide any better picture quality or any better features than a different brand TV stickering for 1/2 that much this year. However, if you're sold on the brand for the sake of the brand, hey it's your money !

    As to spending this amount of money at WalMart, at least there is reasonable assurance that WalMart will still be in business 2-3 years from now should you need to make an extended warrantee claim. The same cannot be said for some of the major electronics retailers like Circuit City ... who have essentially put all of their profit eggs in the one basket of electronics, and who will be devastated as the rising cost of 'necessities' and the evaporation of creditworthiness / rising 'subprime' credit card interest rates force working class Americans to give up the future purchase of flat screen TV's and other non-essential techno-toys.

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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    i'm honestly not worried about it. theyve bought many flat screens, they have a home theater in their basement, and previously sold one to another girl at work. i went to my friend asking about what kind i should get in the first place because she knows what she's talking about when it comes to tvs

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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    Quote Originally Posted by michele_b View Post
    INext to Samsung is LG and Sony, if I ever get one it will only be made by one of the names listed above.
    Quote Originally Posted by Miss Jessica View Post
    LG's have great picture quality! I love LG brand overall. From their washers/dryer to their cell phones, I've owned many of their products.
    this is what i have, LG. I got it on Black Friday.


    Britt, consider buying from Newegg.com. I think they offer some good deals, and they ship right to your door. Just make sure you're buying something that has a return policy that you like. I bought my DVD player at Newegg, and I love love love that. (pioneer hd)

    Make sure, also, to get 720p or 1080p vs 1080i, (as technology is increasing, interlaced (i) will be going out of fashion/style). I ended up with a 720p and my bf got the same LG tv in 1080p. He ended up with a 37" while I got 42".

    *****I'd caution against buying something your friends owned previously, you won't have a warranty in effect for as long as you may want (or at all for that matter) and for the price, you can get a damn good TV (westinghouse, LG, Sharp are all good by Consumer Reports and by those I've seen in action) for the same price if not cheaper!!!


    DLP isn't a bad suggestion either Britt, read into that. I did a shitton of consumer report research before buying; and you won't be leaving your friends high and dry, since they can sell it on Craigslist and get good money for it (my bf has done that twice now with several TVs).

    Love it!

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    Default Re: flat screen tvs

    ...buy the tv that looks the best to you at the price you want to pay. In the same price and size range, its like splitting hairs trying to say one spec is "fabulously" better than another spec. Because no matter what the spec, its how it looks to you.
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