09-09-2007, 02:05 PM

Without question, Samsung is the big dog on the market for HD TVs as of recent. With their LN series TVs, the 61F and 65F are solid picks, and in my opinion, the best overall HD TVs this year. Sony is a second close, with their Bravia series, offering ultra crisp images, but less contrast ratio.
LCDS in particular I think are making a big jump over plasmas, and in my opinion are better than plasmas in terms of picture quality.

I have been researching and looking at HDTVs the past couple of months. First I was originally getting a Sharp Aquos, as I was led to believe that the model line was the best on the market, but then I was introduced to the Samsung models.

Through tedious research, this has been my pick, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...d_i=B000N4Z42C
Boasting the highest in its class, a 15,000 contrast ratio, with full 1080p HD, for its price, what's not to like? In my opinion best TV of the year. I compared it to the other TVs at Circuit City from far away and without question its blacks were blacker and whites whiter.
But. After checking Samsung's site. I came across their new lineup, their 81Fs. How could they make a jump of 15,000 to 500,000 in just a short time by LED lighting. Is it worth to wait a bit longer for this?

For me the question is hard. Because yes, electronics are the hardest category to buy in, because they always make something better. And continuously waiting to buy the next big thing will yield fruitlessness.

09-09-2007, 02:17 PM

I own a Sharp Aquos 37" LCD HDTV (720p) that I bought about 6 months ago. In comparison shopping, I found it to offer superior contrast ratios to comparably priced LGs and Samsungs. The Bravia series was simply too far out of my budget of $1300 and was only offered in a 40", so I didn't look at it too closely.

One thing I would say about LCDs in comparison to Plasmas is that they simply don't have as wide of a viewing angle. Although the Aquos boasts one of the widest viewing angles (both horizontally and vertically) in the market, in my family room, I notice quite a bit of "wash-out", particularly evident in dark movies scenes, when sitting even slightly off-center to the TV. Calibrating with a good tool like "Digital Video Essentials" and those offered on THX-certified DVDs is absolutely essential. You really can't trust the pre-calibrated settings that are designed to look good under fluorescent lighting in a store.

I shopped for about a month, comparing models both online and in stores before I finally settled on the Aquos. My only suggestion would be to take your time and do fiddle with the display presets while you're in the store and try to take a critical look at how the LCD displays as you move off-center. If you're going to put it directly in front of your couch and not sit at any other angle, LCD is probably the perfect fit. But if that's of concern, I would strongly recommend taking a second look at plasma. Also keep in mind that although they are getting better with contrast ratios across the board, LCDs will never display a true black.

Just my $0.02, hope it helps.

09-09-2007, 02:32 PM

I tried pricegrabber.com because they had my Samsung for $200 less than I could get it on Amazon. But it was the same price on both sites for that model.
I don't know a lot about TV's but I did some research. 1080p isn't all that it can be. I read that Progressive scan looks smoother because it displays at 60fps. 720p displays at 60fps but1080p only displays at 30fps (equal to interlaced scan.) The technology isn't there or a decent price range isn't there to have a 1080p 60fps TV.
Secondly, I don't think there is a noticeable difference between 720p and 1080p on a TV under 42". 40" is close but I couldn't tell the difference. Luckily my Best Buy had the 1080p and 720p TV of the same model next to each other. Personally, I couldn't tell the difference.
The Samsung I was originally looking at was a 40" 1080p set but I decided to get a 32" 720p set instead. My studio isn't huge and I didn't want a overly large TV. Plus it was a savings of over $700. I have the LN-T3253H TV. I love the piano black finish and the hidden buttons. It's a lot cleaner and nicer visually than any of the other Samsung TV's.
To answer your question, I saw they had a 20" LED monitor. That really excited me untill I saw the price. It was like $1200. I couldn't imagine how much a large TV would cost but I doubt it's close to $1400.
Honestly, if you can wait, you really don't need a TV, do you? If you don't need a TV, buy something you need. But that's really my opinion.
-Peace