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Help me all you HDTV gods you
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gdubb85
Newbie
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16. July 2007 @ 15:12 |
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Ok, so I have been reading and searching this forum extensively the past 48 hours and would like some advice from all of you hd-know-it-alls.
I'm looking to buy an HDTV specifically by the time Halo 3 comes in Sept. I also want to primarily use it as a pc monitor for gaming and watching normal DVDS and SD programming (but probably HD later at some point). So, in short think - primarily gaming. Halo 3. Must. Look. Sweet.
I believe what I am looking for is an LCD tv since I have read that plasmas arent good for gaming and space in my little one bedroom is short (no rear projection then). Also my room is very brightly lit so again no plasmas (I think). My viewing distance is about 6-7 feet and I'm thinking something in the range of 40-46" and I believe I can settle for a quality 720p instead of 1080p since Im not going too huge.
Have I been totally mislead or do my conclusions sound pretty reasonable? I want to spend right around the 1k mark (say $800-1200) and I know that is pretty cheap but I see brands like Olevia and Vizio on newegg etc. for like 700-800.
Does anyone have any models that they personally own or brands that are reputable that would fit the bill? I am also worried about picking the wrong type of tv that will ghost or something so please yell at me if LCD is a no no!
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gdubb85
Newbie
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16. July 2007 @ 15:17 |
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Sorry but can't seem to find an "edit" button- and What about LCOS???? I know it exists but no stores seem to sell them (unless its under a different name I am not aware of). Are these good for gaming?
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b18bek9
Member
1 product review
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16. July 2007 @ 17:09 |
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u can get some good named brand lcd's for 1k-1200 40-42"....meaning i say name brand is because i have and olevia and love it for gaming and movies well the only down side was i had to send it back to the manufacture to get it fixed as soon as i purchased it and it took forever and i heard online later that they have speaker issues....and i hear speaker issues with this tv are most problems with the tv but my new one works great for gaming and its a 37" i got for 650$ so wasnt to bad i have mixed feelings about olevia even tho i like my tv now...as for vizioi've heard mixed comments..but if money is the issues then olevia and vizio are the way to go but if u dont mind spending a few bucks more then i'd go name brand...try westinghouse for starters they have pretty good deals here an there...good luck with your purchase
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{TKO}
Member
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5. August 2007 @ 20:48 |
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I am certainly NOT one of the HDTV gods. But I offer this advice to any one that asks me.
If possible, get a "monitor only" TV rather than one with a tuner. Main reason, they are cheaper. Some people will tell you that you need the tuner, especially the HD tuner if you're gonna watch anything on TV other than DVD's or gaming. BUT, anything coming in as HD to your TV will be through a cable box or satellite box, etc. And they are the tuner anyway. Your DVD player acts as a tuner. Your Xbox, PS2/3, Wii act as tuners. So why do you need a tuner built in?
I have a Westinghouse 1080p TV and it is monitor only. I have yet to miss a show, movie, video game... you get the point. And I would also spend a little more and get the 1080p rather than the 720p, just so you won't have to upgrade later. Programming hasn't reached 1080p yet, but it will soon and you'll be ready.
Please someone correct me if I'm wrong.
-One Love-Seek God-
"You are not educated as long as you have prejudices against anyone for any reason other than his or her character." - Martin Luther King Jr.
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6. August 2007 @ 11:19 |
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If you want to buy just a monitor without a built in tuner, you're buying a used tv. All tv's come with tuners. Prices are coming down and I wouldn't invest in something that is outdated like a monitor only if you plan on watching television on it. You can get high def over the air.
Buy the ticket, take the ride. -H.S.T.
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{TKO}
Member
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6. August 2007 @ 14:23 |
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could you explain this to me...
Quote:
If you want to buy just a monitor without a built in tuner, you're buying a used tv.
-One Love-Seek God-
"You are not educated as long as you have prejudices against anyone for any reason other than his or her character." - Martin Luther King Jr.
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Member
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6. August 2007 @ 19:18 |
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I said that because new televisions all come with tuners. I haven't seen many televisions that are top of the line or even middle ranged sets without tuner.
Buy the ticket, take the ride. -H.S.T.
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{TKO}
Member
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6. August 2007 @ 19:49 |
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Don't scare me brotha. So my Westinghouse is NOT the gem I thought it was? I know it doesn't have HDMI, but I thought at the very least since it was 1080p, I was getting a good enough TV. LOL... crap!
-One Love-Seek God-
"You are not educated as long as you have prejudices against anyone for any reason other than his or her character." - Martin Luther King Jr.
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Member
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6. August 2007 @ 20:33 |
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Buy the ticket, take the ride. -H.S.T.
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Member
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6. August 2007 @ 20:40 |
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I just looked up your tv and you have a digital connection. The dvi connection is basically an older version of hdmi. It's essentially the same but doesn't carry audio like hdmi.
Buy the ticket, take the ride. -H.S.T.
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{TKO}
Member
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6. August 2007 @ 20:44 |
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Thank you. Very informative. Since you seem to have a pretty good idea what you're talking about, could you take a look at this link and offer your input... http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/544855. If not, no worries. Thanx for the response here.
-One Love-Seek God-
"You are not educated as long as you have prejudices against anyone for any reason other than his or her character." - Martin Luther King Jr.
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albino92
Member
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15. August 2007 @ 18:19 |
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You could go with vizio or olevia but i'd pay a few hundred dollars more and get a westinghouse.
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diabolos
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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15. August 2007 @ 19:30 |
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Quote:
If you don't have hdmi you may run into problems recieving high definition content in the future. HDCP will effect you.
The Westinghouse 1080p HDTV has DVI-D with HDCP support. Its not a problem.
Ced
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Member
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15. August 2007 @ 20:52 |
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after that post I read about the tv in question and actually posted just what you said.
Buy the ticket, take the ride. -H.S.T.
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diabolos
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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16. August 2007 @ 12:59 |
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The difference in what you said versus what I said is that I state that the DVI connection does support HDCP. You said
Quote:
I just looked up your tv and you have a digital connection...
Keywords: "Digital" and "Connection." All DVI-D connections don't support HDCP (actually most don't). For that matter not all HDMI connections support HDCP either (although most do; HDMI version 1.1 and higher).
So stating if the connection supports HDCP is important with older model tvs.
Ced
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morguex
Account closed as per user's own request
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16. August 2007 @ 13:19 |
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gdubb85
If I was you I would look for a nice 32" LCD tv, Sacrifice a little bit of size for quality.
I think for a viewing distance of 6-7 feet a 40" or bigger tv is not gonna look so good, you will problay notice a bit of blockiness.
But hey go to your local electronic store and stand 6 feet from a lcd tv and see how it looks.
Good luck
Peace all
If I can't sense time, How can I heal?
Why am I in this precorpse state?
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westie69
Junior Member
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17. August 2007 @ 11:21 |
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HDextreme
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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23. August 2007 @ 20:04 |
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I haven't looked lately, but if I were you, I would check out the Vizio line. Lots of people bought them and I haven't seen many complaints. I personally have a Westinghouse LVM-42w2. It's a great TV in HD, but the SD channels are subpar (hurts my eyes). I bought it over a year ago, before the market was flooded with 1080p sets. I was looking for a year before I bought it. Note: Westinghouse was one of the first manufactures to offer 1080P.
I agree with {TKO}... you really don't need the "built in" HD tuner since most HDTV owners are using their cable or satellite box as the tuner. 1080P is becoming the standard so you may want to invest in one. LCDs are great if you have a small space... They also look cool.
Note: HDTVs without "tuners" are technically called HD Monitors.
Here are some other things to look for:
High contrast ratio (nowadays look for a 10,000:1)
Keep in mind the differences between Dynamic and Static CRs
Multiple inputs (at least 2+ HDMI connections)
Hope this helps... Good luck!
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 23. August 2007 @ 23:18
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Member
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23. August 2007 @ 21:18 |
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When you say high contrast ratio, you kind of have to know a little more than that. With the advent of dynamic contrast you can sometimes have much more colors per pixal than a standard contrast ratio that is higher.
Buy the ticket, take the ride. -H.S.T.
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HDextreme
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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23. August 2007 @ 22:11 |
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Yes, there is a difference so you will need to do your homework. The "Dynamic" Contrast Ratio is NOT the same as the "Static" Contrast Ratio. Unfortunately, this little detail is usually not mentioned in stores or on ads so you will need to verify this information yourself to make sure you're comparing apples to apples and so on.
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mixwell
Suspended permanently
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5. February 2008 @ 03:57 |
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I personally have a Westinghouse LVM-42w2. It's a great TV in HD, but the SD channels are subpar (hurts my eyes).
This is kind of my question. I watch DVDs only, and my older BBC TV-series DVDs don't look that great on my 1080i 42" HDTV--at 7 feet; at 12 feet, they look much better, lol. Will an upconverting DVD player solve that, or not?
Also, I hear people saying this and it's driving me crazy--"when I view a 480i movie at 780, it looks....when I view it at 1080i..." I cannot find anywhere on my TV to change this--where do you do that on an HDTV? Or is it in the DVD player that you change that--I can't find it there either. Thanks.
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