TV BlegAre there any videophiles among my readership? The combination of being lazy and having an abnormally low time preference mean that despite all expectations, I don't own an HDTV even though it's 2008. I currently have one TV — a 27" CRT purchased over 8 years ago. It's long past time for an upgrade. In fact I had been talking with my co-workers about doing this around the time of the Superbowl… in 2007! Even I have to roll my eyes at such delay. So, I'm in the market for a new TV. On the technology front I'm biased toward getting an LCD. (The wrinkle there is that I'm sensitive to black levels and I don't want black to look light gray.) I'm not very price sensitive so I'm happy to spend up to about $3000 on this TV. Based on my initial research that puts me at a screen size around 52". I'd appreciate any advice or recommendations about what brands to consider or avoid, things I should keep in mind when deciding what to buy, etc.
© Kyle Markley
— Posted 2008-04-13 02:16:56 UTC —
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Comments: 10
Based on my initial searching, the two models that seem most attractive to me are the Sharp LC-52SE94U and the Samsung LN52A650. They have similar real-world prices a little under $3K.
I'm still looking for general information, but advice regarding those two models would be particularly appreciated.
The slightly smaller Samsung LN-T4681F is a contender too.
I'm not really qualified to give advice on the topic (my TV's smaller than my computer monitor), but I've heard a lot of good things about projectors. Have you considered one of those?
A month or so ago, Consumer Reports did a review of HDTVs (LCD, Plasma, & Rear-projection). You might want to check it out - maybe it's on their website?. Not sure how much they charge for access, but considering a $3k purchase, it might be worth it?
I have a better idea. Come buy one for me. My TV is older than yours. :)
$3000 for a TV? You need better priorities.
#6: Now that's a loaded barb.
How could somebody else know better than Cap'n Arbyte what's the right way for Cap'n to use his own money? Surely Cap'n knows best what use brings him the most happiness? Who are you to tell him that your values are better than his, that your judgment should override his?
I went to
BestBuy and was able to compare Samsung A650 and 81F models on display there. (They didn't have the Sharp.) I thought the LED backlight of the 81F gave noticably better blacks than the CCFL backlight of the A650. (I had to play with the configurations because in the store everything is set up to be hideously bright.)It looks like the 81F series is the only TV on the market right now with an LED backlight, so I think we have a winner even though I haven't seen the Sharp first-hand.
Real world price for the LN-T4681F is $2600, and for the LN-T5281F is $3700. That's a huge price jump so I'm obviously leaning toward the 46" set. Then again, the 52" would completely cover the surface of my entertainment center… hmmm…
Kyle,
Just be like me and live TV free. :)
Have you looked into Ultra HD TV? I have no idea what the differences are, just thought I'd throw that your way.
And, yes, maybe perhaps $3K for a television by most standards is too much money for such an item, but if anyone knows about the "lifestyle" in which Kyle "enjoys", then let the poor guy "splurge".
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