looking for big screen buyer guide

[fishguyxd]

Hi Anyone know of some good web sites or magazine etc.brands to understand all the lingo / what big screen /feature a guy would want. what best for what ie movies ,general tv ,you know. Everytime I check out BB or future etc, etc there trying to sell you the first thing you look at and try to know everything about "that" certain product so if any imput let me know.

[mark]

Here's a good site and like the forums, again on the internet everyones an expert but there are a few true ones here: http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/ide...asp?forumID=41

When it comes time to buy, best I found for price is: http://www.doublediamondltd.com/
Way it works is find the product you like, see if they carry that manufacturer and if they do phone for a quote.

[Pan]

Originally Posted by fishguyxd

Hi Anyone know of some good web sites or magazine etc.brands to understand all the lingo / what big screen /feature a guy would want. what best for what ie movies ,general tv ,you know. Everytime I check out BB or future etc, etc there trying to sell you the first thing you look at and try to know everything about "that" certain product so if any imput let me know.

you NEEDto go look at them in person, bring a few of your favorite dvds and play them on various screens. Plasma vs LCD is like MH vs Tek 5 (i think its tek 5..er..umm..uh)

Plasmas don't last as long, lcds keep their picture longer but are not as vivid etc...etc...plus you need to plan on the future like hdmi etc...

[dirtyreefer]

Get one with 2 HDMI ports (for HD programming), and 1080p (the best picture quality available to the "regular" consumer right now).

Plasmas are generally cheaper for 42" and above, but LCD has come down alot in price over the past year. Both have their pros and cons. Most plasmas now are rated for something like 16,000-20,000 hours, so unless you watch tv 8 hours a day for 15-20 years, you won't have any problems. They will probably have "holographic tvs" by then Plasmas are good for lower light rooms and have great "viewabilily" from all angles.

As for LCDs, their technology is a little newer for tvs, and the more common problem is the chance of pixels burning out (I've seen this on LCD computer monitors and the viewfinder on the back of digital cameras). LCDs are good for higher light rooms and aren't as good if you want to view from a sharp angle.

Pioneer has arguably the best plasmas but they're expensive. Sony Bravia XBR2 & XBR3 are nice higher end LCD tvs. Panasonic plasma I think is the best bang for your buck, but if you got the bucks then go for one of the above.

[trilinearmipmap]

I used http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/ to research my satellite system and they have information on big screen TV's too.

[woodcarver]

As 'subdued ' says you do need to do some legwork and actually look at each model and compare technologies. I spent a wack of time looking and ended up with a 50inch LCD rear projection Hitachi . I have been more than pleased with it's performance to date ( about one year)You have to bear in mind that all the stores are showing dvd's or have hdtv hookup and all of the tv's look pretty good !!
I was not happy with the reported burnout of of plasma and wanted a reasonably big screen.The lamp can be replaced easily from the front ( when it becomes necessary !!
We do not have the hdtv box , just digital service,so quality of picture varies considerably depending how the content was shot, from awesome to mediocre! Just waiting to get Tivo or similar .
The most irritating aspect is the paucity of decent programming .The well worn ' 400 channels and nothing to watch ' syndrome .
We were laughing tonight about how many times they show 'Jaw's ' at least once a month !!
I'll stop rambling . Good luck with your search .........Dave

P.S. cnet has a lot of info and reviews from purchasers

[Tarolisol]

If its going to be for a dedicated home theatre/sports room id also look at projectors. I have a LCD HD projector 120" of crystal clear picture, but you need to have good control of the light level in the room.

[dirtyreefer]

The best forum for research is AVSforum.com, however it is friggin huge. Each tv has a thread, and they're about 1000 posts long

[midgetwaiter]

I've been helping a buddy cut through some of the techie lingo with this stuff lately, I can't believe what some of the big box stores try and get away with. Like subdued said I think it really comes down to preference, everyone's eyes work a bit differently.

One thing I can't get past with this stuff though is the cables. It amazes me that you can spend $150 on a 2M HDMI cable, it's got to be the biggest scam running.

[Matt]

I'll second the vote for Digital Home Canada http://www.digitalhome.ca - it is my current source for information.