TV Help I'm So Confused

[Dee4707]

I think my TV is going out and Nationals is just around the corner. I am so confused by all the TV's that are out now. My main concern is being able to use my DVD recorder/vcr. It's just a year old and one of the guys at work bought a 54" TV and had to buy a new dvd player that was compatible with the TV. Any suggestions on what's what with all the TV's, HDTV (?) LCD's and other kinds. I would like something nice and easy to hook up all my equipment.

Dee

 

[antmanb]

Sorry but i don't think i'm going to any help whatsoever. I remember when LCD screens first came out someone told me that watching skating on theirs was frustrating because the image of a skater often distorted when a skater was spinning. I read a few posts on the internet saying similar things but i think it was a relatively small problem and i've heard no complaints since.

I think HD ready TVs are basically just getting ready for the new "High definition" way in which some programs will be broadcast and films will be made. At teh moment in the UK we only have about 10 or so channels available in "HD" and you have to subscribe to them specifically at some exhorbitant cost so i haven't even though my TV is HD ready.

As to you DVD player - can you take some of the cabels with you to a shop when you go to buy, or maybe even note down the make and model number and just verify with the shop assistants that you will have no problem using your dvd. Most recent dvd player shouldn't have a problem.

Ant

 

[Dee4707]

As to you DVD player - can you take some of the cabels with you to a shop when you go to buy, or maybe even note down the make and model number and just verify with the shop assistants that you will have no problem using your dvd. Most recent dvd player shouldn't have a problem.
Ant

Ant, that is an excellent idea. I think that would help a lot.

Dee

 

[babyoscar]

cable and tv

you just use RCA cable with your DVD player and recorder right?
http://www.taiwanconnector.com/RCA 3m pic.jpg

if so, just tell the store you use RCA cable, don't bring it...

as far as TV goes, I would do some online research before I go. Do you watch TV a lot? Do you want highest quality and willing to pay for $$? if so, get the HDTV.

if you are like me, use tv just as entertainment, I wouldn't bother spending all that $$ for a tv. Also, there are stores such as Costco where you can purchase the item and try it out at home. If you aren't satisified, then just return it within the allowed time. That is another way to go if you want to see whether you would like the tv or not.

 

[Dee4707]

Babyoscar, thanks for the info. I could be wrong about what I'm going to say but won't TV's change over time and won't prices on the HDTV come down as time goes on? I guess that's why I'm reluctant to spend lots of money right now. I use the TV for entertainment and I record all the skating competitions. That's about it.

Dee

 

[JOHIO2]

Dee, I just bought an HDTV-ready LCD tv/monitor by Samsung this summer.

What you buy really depends on how much money you want to spend, how big or small the screen, whether you have cable/dish reception and whether HDTV programming is available. I was told, yes, they are going to all HD programming (2008? 2009? 2010?) but you can get an HDTV box when the time comes if you don't want to go that expensive now. Also, the cable company said the same thing. Right now, digital and HDTV are extra cost for my basic cable and the cable co. said that they would offer HDTV programming with a converter box. So I just went with HDTV Ready. The HDTV tuner would have cost more. Right now, most of the local stations have already converted to HD, but not all the cable stations are truly HD and you have to subscribe to HD to get the HD reception. In other words, just having an HDTV doesn't mean you are really seeing all HDTV programming.

As to LCD and plasma....my son voted for LCD, but said to get the extended warranty. Both are flat-screen and really thin. LCD has been the preferred choice for computer monitors, so they have probably improved/been proven the most. And, there are "thin" or "flat screened" tvs that are not LCD or plasma. thoroughly confused yet???

I made sure to check where all the input/output/earphones, etc are located. Really makes a difference when you are setting it up to have those in convenient places. Then, there are the speakers. Built-in? Will you be using a "theater" set-up, with external speakers?

Last, but not least to me. Will you be using you new tv as a computer monitor? Some of these new systems can all be tied together but not all new tvs are plug'nplay ready to be monitors.

So, my advice. Decide how much money you want to spend. And will you be able to buy a newer tv in the next year or two? Prices are constantly coming down. Will you be using the set as a monitor? What kinds of hookups are you already using and what do you forsee using in the near future? (count the dvd, the playstation/xbox/etc., as well as the home theater stuff) And how big a screen do you want/have room for? I really couldn't stand having a huge tv taking up all my wall space in my tiny apartment.

One last thought. Check and see how long the company has been around. There are lots of new ones that might not be around next year. A little research will tell you the leaders. (that's why i bought samsung and not westinghouse. samsung makes the stuff they used for the westinghouse. i just cut out the middle man. lol)

and as any hitchhiker will tell you, DON'T PANIC!

 

[babyoscar]

Tv

Babyoscar, thanks for the info. I could be wrong about what I'm going to say but won't TV's change over time and won't prices on the HDTV come down as time goes on? I guess that's why I'm reluctant to spend lots of money right now. I use the TV for entertainment and I record all the skating competitions. That's about it.

Dee

price will come down, but it won't come down to what you think it might or what people are hoping. The reason why the flat screens are so expensive is becuase it is expensive to produce the screen itself. I doubt that will change within the next year or two. So it all depends on how much you are willing to spend. Ask yourself those questions: how much are you willing to spend? how big do you want the screen to be? is this your main tv? or will this be your backup tv in a year or two (in the kitchen etc)? are you willing to pay extra service such as HDTV, TiVO etc to go with your brand new extra nice tv? I would sit down and plan out exactly what the tv would be used for.

There are technology out that is in the process of replacing DVD discs (blue-ray is one of them). the other technology has proven sucessful, but it isn't cost effective yet so it is not available to the general public. So the technology is changing fast, it all depends on how much you want to shell out.

forgot to mention, have you looked at Consumer Report the magazine? they usually give really good reasoning for their picks. you can find a copy in the local library if you don't subscribe to them
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/index.htm

 

[heyang]

I started looking at large TV's last year. Every time I asked, I got a different answer. DLP projection vs Plasma vs LCD. A year ago, DLP and Plasma were the way to go. I decided to wait a year.

Currently, DLP is an option if you don't mind a bulkier unit. Otherwise, Plasma or LCD seem to be the preferences. Currently, Plasma vs LCD under 40" depend upon the unit - prices aren't too different. So, it would come down to your perception of picture quality. Over 40", there's about a $500 to $1000 difference between LCD and Plasma.

The prices have come down on 720P units, but 1080p is a much better resolution picture.

With LCD, you have to check viewing angle. Like a laptop screen, you can't always view the picture well from an extreme side angle. So, if you're looking at LCD, check out the viewing angle by observing in a position besides dead center.

At the moment, I prefer LCD over plasma because the technology has been around a LOOOONNNGGG time. Burn in is no longer much of an issue. I hesitate over plasma because the rumor is that tube life is about 10 years - considering that my current TV was purchased in 1992, I'm not into turning technology over so quickly.

As for HD ready vs HDTV, I'd go with HDTV. It's got the built in tuner; so, you essentially eliminate the need to rent a tuner from your media provider. Within the next few years, all TV's will require digital tuners by the FCC. So, unless you plan to buy another TV before then, I would get the built in tuner.

Why haven't I purchased yet? I'm trying to decide if I want to spend the extra money for a 46" or so LCD HDTV TV. I also want 1080p. I'm sorta at the point where I'm thinking that I should just get the most features for the amount of money I'm willing to spend - sorta like buying a computer. They change so rapidly now that you might as well buy the best thing you can afford.

You will likely need HDMI cables - not the standard RCA cables. They are a bit pricier. However, all relatively new DVD players should be compatible with the newer TV's. If you have an older DVD player, there are probably adaptor's that can be purchased to make it compatible with the newer TV.

This month supposedly has the best buying opportunites. Retailers want to clear out the old models for the newly released models. That's why you'll see some decent deals in 720p since that's the less brilliant resolution.

 

[Kara Bear]

Hi Dee,

We have a HDTV that we bought several years ago when they first came out. It was several thousand dollars. Now the same tv can be found for a few hundred. The prices have already came down a lot. I thought I wouldn't be able to notice the difference but now I am unable to watch regular tv, the quality is so bad. We have HD digital cable. We rent one box from our cable company for the digital cable which includes a PVR, something I cannot live without. Pausing TV rocks! When we first bought the TV there were only a handful of HD channels, now I think there are over 20.

There will always be new technology replacing the old stuff. If you wait for the newest stuff, you'll be waiting forever. Take the jump and do it. You will enjoy watching skating on your beautiful TV. Just decide what features you want and do it!

As far as Blueray goes, my dorkie man tells me that HD is going to win the formatting battle. I guess Sony, the maker of blueray, has refused to license the format to pornography makers, which pretty much hands the battle over to the HD DVD format. Weird eh

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Dee4707]

Thanks everyone for all the great information. It helps to hear what others have purchased and like. You really helped make it less confusing.

Dee

 

[SeaniBu]

You really helped make it less confusing.

Dee

And here I wasn't around to get involved Hunh, must be why.

Dee, I don't know if you read the link info, but I want to point out that "RCA" and "Composite" connections are the same thing. Incase they use those terms. Component is totally different, that is the 3 different color bands. If you can hook up Component do so for it will give a better picture. This will mean you must also use the composite in / out puts for the audio... blaa blaa. Yes I see why it was less confusing than if I had commented prior.

Seriously if you need any help in the future with A/V equipment, PM me and I have a friend who does this professionally. He LOVES to inundate me with everything he knows or currently learned. I listen to him for a while then I expect him to listen to all my FS nonsense

 

[heyang]

are you willing to pay extra service such as HDTV, TiVO etc to go with your brand new extra nice tv?

Just want to point out that TiVo has nothing to do with High Def. In fact, the series 2 Tivo does not record HD programming. There are 2 newer TiVo models that can record HD. One can record 1 HD program and a basic digital station simultaneously - I think it costs about $300. The latest unit can record 2 programs in HD simultaneously and it retails for over $700. TiVo is software that works with their DVR's. Service is about $13/month - they no longer offer a lifetime of unit contract.

If you're going to get HDTV, you really need to get HD service from cable/satellite to make the most of it. Note - ABC does seem to broadcast in HD.