I'm looking to buy my first HDTV, but I'm a tad bit overwhelmed with all the options on all the different TVs and peripherals, and it'd be great if some of you with more experience could answer a few questions.
First off, I've been looking at some 720p sets in the 37"-42" size range and $750-$1000 price range (preferably on the lower side, of course). I'd like something with some size so I don't have to sit too close, but I'm in a one bedroom apartment, so I can't have a gigantic screen. My viewing distance would most likely be 7-9 feet. My main purpose for the TV will be watching DVDs and playing Wii, and maybe some computer gaming (this is another thread entirely, but let's just consider that's true for now).
As far as peripherals go, will I need to get an upscalingDVD player? I'm under the impression that it won't make much of a difference in the quality, so would it be a tad more inexpensive to just go with a progressive scan player?
Most HD ready flat panels native res up until recently was 1366 x 768. These are actually recognised as 1080i sets.
More recently the native res has become 1920 x 1080 and they can accept 1080P signals. You don't really want to aiming to achieve just 720P.
I would make sure the set has at least TWO HDMI sockets.
A VGA (D-SUB) is also very useful.
Its probably difficult to buy a new DVD player these days that does'nt have a HDMI socket and that upscales but it isnt all its cracked up to be.
A HDTV can only output progressive signals so interlaced ones are converted by the picture processing technology anyway.
As for size I would probably go with 37". Consider that if you put it on a stand in your room and sit 7 feet away it is going to look very big anyway, however, placed up on the wall would scale things down a bit and it wont appear as big in my experiance.
I sit 6 to 7 feet from a 32" on a stand and it is plently big enough.
Friends have the same set in a large kitchen on the wall and you would guess it was a 24 or 26" set from that perspective.
If you envisage moving to a bigger place before you might expect to change the set again and are sticking it on a wall, go 40 or 42"
