[Sly Fox]

We had a thread on here several months back, but I am too lazy to find it and get it restarted. We are in the midst of a remodel of our house and as the lone perk for me in the process I have worked a new set into the mix for our family room. I know a thing or two about the technical aspect of today's offerings. But I am looking for some of the wisdom of the techno-gurus on the board.

Who has the deals these days that I should be looking towards a purchase?

I know a slew of you guys have bought products in the past year. How about some reviews?

I don't want to pour a significant amount of cash into something that is a lemon or will be obsolete in 3-4 years. So help a brother out.

[Fumblerooskies]

I would look at either Sony Bravia or the Samsung models. If you can afford it, go 1080p/i w/ 720p and a high refresh rate.

[Rocketfan]

I own a sony 42" TV its the 3 LCD version they dont make any longer and i love it.....however based on way to many hours of research if i had to buy again....id go Vizio without a doubt.

[LUconn]

If money is not too much of a limiting factor, look at the contrast ratios. I think that's how vizio gets away with selling HD at such low prices. I've got one in my bedroom at home, and it's been really great so far, but I don't plan on buying one for my home theatre when I have to replace my current TV. You've got the ultimate in contrast ratios in your OLED TVs at 1000000:1 and the Vizios range anywhere from 600:1 to 10000:1. I really think that this is one of the main factors the people overlook. Everybody's too distracted by how many pixel lines it has and how many inches it is.

[Rocketfan]

If money is not too much of a limiting factor, look at the contrast ratios. I think that's how vizio gets away with selling HD at such low prices. I've got one in my bedroom at home, and it's been really great so far, but I don't plan on buying one for my home theatre when I have to replace my current TV. You've got the ultimate in contrast ratios in your OLED TVs at 1000000:1 and the Vizios range anywhere from 600:1 to 10000:1. I really think that this is one of the main factors the people overlook. Everybody's too distracted by how many pixel lines it has and how many inches it is.

He said family room and not home theatre, i guess thats why i went Vizio. To me that means the kids are gonna be watching it for hours. Therefore id want something with excellent rated customer support and decent 4 yr warranty rates. I do agree though, if price isn't that much of an object look into those things that Luconn mentioned.

[adam42381]

I own a sony 42" TV its the 3 LCD version they dont make any longer and i love it.....however based on way to many hours of research if i had to buy again....id go Vizio without a doubt.

I agree. I have a 42" Magnavox 1080i plasma I bought in 2005 which has good picture but isn't great. We're looking at buying a house and selling our condo and one of the things I want to do is buy a bigger tv. Vizio is probably the best option. It might not be as good as a Bravia but it gives you the most bang for your buck from what I've read. They typically get excellent reviews. You can get a 47" LCD 1080p for $1199 at Costco.

[ALUmnus]

Yes, Vizios are great and cheap, but their ratios suck. I've had my eyes on a Samsung for a while, and was so close to the buy, but then the wife hurt her back and, well, there went the tv money. If you want a good price, avoid best buy at all costs, and look online. www.vanns.com almost always has great deals and free shipping, that's where I was going to buy.

Now as far as plasma v. lcd, there really is no way to lose, it's mostly a matter of preference. I have always looked at lcd's and was sure that's what I would get, but the tv I was ready to buy was a plasma and looked amazing.

Also, look at other features such as the sound, inputs and outputs (see if there's a usb port, hdmi connections, available wireless), built in digital receivers, screen protection, etc.

All in all, sony, samsung, and pioneer make the best flat panels.

[Ed Dantes]

There is no way you can call yourself a man and walk away with anything less than a 42'' television. The price jumps from 42'' to 46'' significantly; not so much from 40'' to 42''. Shoot for 1080p.

I have a Panasonic 42'' flat-screen that works perfectly for me. The only drawback is that it doesn't have PiP, but I wasn't going to shell out an extra $500 for that feature.

Now, if you're making a "home theatre", I'd recommend going with a projector & screen. That'll be a little bit more expensive, though.

[ALUmnus]

Oh, and a great place to research is the AVSforums. There's typically a thread dedicated to most tv models out there, and someone will have all the optimum picture settings posted so you won't have to figure that all out. Technogeeks are your friends, and they love giving out free information/advice. www.avsforum.com , click on the forum tab.

[Hold My Own]

Samsung

best out...I own a panasonic...friends have Samsung's...no comparison

[adam42381]

Well, having done a little looking around I would probably go with a Samsung. This one looks quite nice:

http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/ ... 87581.html

You can get a great deal on it here:
http://www.cameraaddict.com/viewproduct ... Everyprice

[BJWilliams]

When my parents decided to remodel our house my dad went with a Sharp Aquos for the family room. I think they have a Samsung in the master bedroom though. I was watching hockey in HD last night...man was it nice...

[SumItUp]

I was looking for televisions for a commercial application and spent last year reviewing and viewing them. While they are not going to be the cheapest, I would buy an LG if quality is my top priority.

Interesting note about LG. They have the patent on the device that is used for HD televisions. So they actually make money off of every HD set that is sold.

[Hold My Own]

When my parents decided to remodel our house my dad went with a Sharp Aquos for the family room. I think they have a Samsung in the master bedroom though. I was watching hockey in HD last night...man was it nice...

My mom bought 2 46in 1080p Aharp Aquos' I like it alrite, but the price is even better...I think she got them off QVC for $999

[RubberMallet]

as one who owns a vizio 42" plasma i don't know if i'd buy vizio again.

the tv is great. it does some wierd things. it autodetects channels and also auto deletes them. for some reason. but you can't punch in the number and go to it and readd it...the only option is an autosearch that takes 3 or 4 minutes to find them again. obviously if i had a dish box or a cable box i wouldnt' have to worry about it but alas...

[Sly Fox]

Thanks for the insight from everyone. While I'd obviously rather have a 47", I know that in light of how much money I am sinking into other aspects of our home renovations that I have a strong feeling I'll wind up with a 42" ... Unless a bunch of our contractor bids come in lower than expected.

If I wind up with the smaller one, will 720p be adequate? My seating is from 6-12 feet from where my screen will be located.

And what about stands? I am not about to drill any more holes into my block paneling than I have to at this point. Any suggestions for table mounts?

[BJWilliams]

Depends on the height of your table and your intended sight lines Id guess if you wanted a table setup. When my family renovated my dad went ahead and mounted it on the wall. Great for the sight line.

As a side note, my parents got my mom's mom (only surviving grandparent...will be 86 a couple weeks after my birthday and still living on her own) a 26 inch HDTV for mother's day.

[INeedAManager]

I got an Olevia 37in about 3 months ago and I cant be happier with it. i know 4 or 5 other people that have Olevia's and absolutly love them. they have most all the features of a high price tv and they are still in the lower cost bracket. i paid 690 for my 37 and a friend of mine bought a 42 for 999 that had native 1080i resolution. my cable tv isnt the best picture quality but my hdmi equipped dvd player and hd cables on my 360 send a great picture. the tv is native 720 but is adjustable to 1080. plus they sell these tvs at target, so if you sign up for a target visa you can get 10% off the purchase of the tv.

[RubberMallet]

Thanks for the insight from everyone. While I'd obviously rather have a 47", I know that in light of how much money I am sinking into other aspects of our home renovations that I have a strong feeling I'll wind up with a 42" ... Unless a bunch of our contractor bids come in lower than expected.

If I wind up with the smaller one, will 720p be adequate? My seating is from 6-12 feet from where my screen will be located.

And what about stands? I am not about to drill any more holes into my block paneling than I have to at this point. Any suggestions for table mounts?

Viewing Distance


Recommended Display Size

5 feet, 7.5 inches - 27 inches

6 feet, 9 inches - 30 inches

8 feet - 35 inches

9 feet - 40 inches

9 feet, 9 inches - 42 inches

10 feet - 45 inches

10 feet, 5 inches - 50 inches

12 feet, 6 inches - 55 inches

13 feet, 9 inches - 60 inches

15 feet - 65 inches

all of my seats are either 6-10 feet away. my 42" is perfect.

and the difference between 720p and 1080p is unnoticable from 10ft with a tv less than 50"...here is a chart for you...

[ALUmnus]

My wife and I have an ongoing "discussion" about tv placement, but more along the lines of how high the tv is placed, and everyone she's brought into the "discussion" seems to think I'm an idiot. She wants the tv to be on top of the fireplace, but to me, that's way to high. I don't want to be looking up when watching tv, and the kids sit on the floor a lot, it's going to kill their necks. My thinking has always been, the optimal tv hight is eye-level when you're sitting on the couch. Am I wrong on this?

[Fumblerooskies]

Our's is eye level when sitting on a couch...which is a "tad" too low for when I want to kick back in the recliner (which messes me up b/c I have the graduated lenses on my bifocals.

[RubberMallet]

My wife and I have an ongoing "discussion" about tv placement, but more along the lines of how high the tv is placed, and everyone she's brought into the "discussion" seems to think I'm an idiot. She wants the tv to be on top of the fireplace, but to me, that's way to high. I don't want to be looking up when watching tv, and the kids sit on the floor a lot, it's going to kill their necks. My thinking has always been, the optimal tv hight is eye-level when you're sitting on the couch. Am I wrong on this?

NO YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT....what is it with people and their idea of the tv being a centerpiece over the mantle...it might look nice there but its not practical...

[Rocketfan]

My wife and I have an ongoing "discussion" about tv placement, but more along the lines of how high the tv is placed, and everyone she's brought into the "discussion" seems to think I'm an idiot. She wants the tv to be on top of the fireplace, but to me, that's way to high. I don't want to be looking up when watching tv, and the kids sit on the floor a lot, it's going to kill their necks. My thinking has always been, the optimal tv hight is eye-level when you're sitting on the couch. Am I wrong on this?

Your not wrong. i think this is the best explanation of your point ( which i agree with ) Its a random site but its explained for anyone to understand.....

If you plan to watch television standing up, placing the LCD screen at the same height you hang pictures is probably perfect. People typically hang pictures so the center of the picture is at eye level (unless they are trying to acheive some unique perspective variation). For normal viewing from the couch, this results in tilting your head back to look up at the screen.

Television screens are optimized for color and brightness to look best when viewing with the center of the screen at eye level. If you typically watch television from your sofa, this means you should position the screen with the center of the screen at eye level. In addition to best viewing conditions for the screen image, not craning your neck to look at the screen has important longterm health benefits. Now this doesn't mean you need to invest in surveyor's equipment to configure your screen exactly at eye level, but using your best guess of eye level compared to the center of the screen will result in better viewing than placing the screen above eye level.

http://www.jakeludington.com/ask_jake/2 ... eight.html

[Sly Fox]

We had the above the fireplace discussion as well. I successfully averted that disaster. We atre repositioning our location onto one of the new versions of entertainment centers that everyone seems to be buying these days who don't hang their screens on the wall. It will be slightly above eye level when it is purchased. Thanks for factoring in the reclining aspect, fumbles.

[Fumblerooskies]

We had the above the fireplace discussion as well. I successfully averted that disaster. We atre repositioning our location onto one of the new versions of entertainment centers that everyone seems to be buying these days who don't hang their screens on the wall. It will be slightly above eye level when it is purchased. Thanks for factoring in the reclining aspect, fumbles.

Never neglect the reclining aspect. We have one of the big box TV's (purchased 6+ years ago) and I seriously considered building an 8" platform to put it on.