flat panel TVs?

[dan_nc]

It appears they've really come down in price over the last 18 months or so ... what seems to be the best value these days? What about the LCD vs. Plasma debate?

[Foolish Old]

It appears they've really come down in price over the last 18 months or so ... what seems to be the best value these days? What about the LCD vs. Plasma debate?

Smaller sets = LCD. Bigger sets=Plasma. I like the Panasonics and Pioneers in plasma. I've had a 50" Panny plama for almost a year, love it.

check out http://www.avsforum.com/ more than you'd ever want to know. :D

[PN]

If the TV set is going to be in a room with lots of sunlight then it is better to go with the LCD and I think the largest screen you can purchase is 47 inches. LCDs cost more per square inch than plasmas and therefore you get more bang for your buck with a plasma TV (and they do look good). Plasma is now 60,000 hours until half brightness or eight hours a day for the next 25 years.

I would recommend that you read the customer reviews over on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BKJZ0K/ref=sr_11_1/104-0473826-2646343?ie=UTF8) because in aggregate the opinions can be helpful. Costco (http://www.costco.com/Common/Category.aspx?cat=2341&eCat=BC|79|2341&whse=BC&topnav=) is another place to consider purchasing a TV because they usually have good prices, along with a very liberal return policy. UltimateAV (http://ultimateavmag.com/flatpaneldisplays/506vizio/) is an on-line magazine where the professionals rate the products and ths is another good resource if you're considering purchasing a new TV. The "HD" nomenclature is now named 720p & 1080p. If I were to purchase a new TV today, that was under 42 inches, then I would stay with 720p (progressive scan) and I would want at least one HDMI input and probably one DVI input.

[Chaptcheex]

http://ec3.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000F6SR0O.01._AA280_SCLZZZZZZZ_V54921688_.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F6SR0O/104-3793251-3987928?ie=UTF8&tag=northmyrtlebe-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B000F6SR0O)

Ok i have a 19 inch regular ole TV but i can dream....

[Patonb]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F6SR0O/104-3793251-3987928?ie=UTF8&tag=northmyrtlebe-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B000F6SR0O

http://ec3.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000F6SR0O.01._AA280_SCLZZZZZZZ_V54921688_.jpg
Ok i have a 19 inch regular ole TV but i can dream....

Chaptcheex...... why do you have amazon product links in ALL your posts?..

Just curious.

[CapnGimp]

NOTHING can touch a plasma. I've been using mine for 3 yrs now and use it as a monitor for my computer.
If it is going to be in a bright room, BETTER go with a plasma, LCD's can't compare, not bright enough.
Ever use your laptop outside? My nephew has a LCD for a tv in his room, doesn't compare.

Paton, 2 easy places to buy just about anything....ebay and amazon. And if ya use the USED item links, you save a fortune on some types of items. I check there before I buy anything.

[dan_nc]

I'm a bit apprehensive about purchasing used consumer electronics. Do you guys have good experiences buying used TVs and so-on?

~dan

[Patonb]

Paton, 2 easy places to buy just about anything....ebay and amazon. And if ya use the USED item links, you save a fortune on some types of items. I check there before I buy anything.

All 16 posts have a hidden product link in them, spread through out all forums.

Kinda of fishy to me.

[kkmay]

I could use a new plasma TV. The one from 2003 is not cutting it.

[dan_nc]

All 16 posts have a hidden product link in them, spread through out all forums.

Kinda of fishy to me.

I suspect something's turned his default search engine to Amazon dot com.

My livingroom LCD from July 2005 is old and tired and ready to be retired into my bedroom. I'm thinking of a plasma for the livingroom.

[PN]

My livingroom LCD from July 2005 is old and tired and ready to be retired into my bedroom. I'm thinking of a plasma for the livingroom.
I wouldn't think that an LCD TV from 2005 is ready for the retirement home/bedroom!?

[PN]

I'm a bit apprehensive about purchasing used consumer electronics. Do you guys have good experiences buying used TVs and so-on?
dan
I want a full one-year warranty on a new TV and sometimes this will include on-site repair.

[Patonb]

I have a 26" Sharp LCD, almost a year old. Diggen it imensely... Made my last year in bed pleasent...

P.s. I'm running Slax right now... with a Broadcom card :)

[CapnGimp]

Hey Dan, I meant used items like books, cd/dvd's etc. NOT tvs :) Almost every item I have bought 'used' is actually a new item, old stock. THAT is why I check used on such things.
LG is the brand of plasma I have now. It carries a FULL 2 yr warranty, no one else gives more than a year. I sat in Best Buy in Spartanburg, SC for over 2 hours and IN Knoxville,TN for almost 3 hours comparing every tv they had. I had 3300 dollars of in-store credit to replace my old plasma that they couldn't get a power supply for as it was no longer manufactured. I wanted PIP or split screen so I could compute AND watch tv at the same time. It existed in a 30 inch LCD but the picture just wasn't what I was accustomed to from my plasma. I looked at every lcd, rear projection and plasma under 3 grand. I wound up taking the 42" LG plasma. It has all but the PIP or split screen, but the picture is the best of any I have ever laid eyes on. It was 1000 dollars less than my in-store credit which I did not get a refund for, store rule is spend it or loose it on the warranty. (4 year extended bought at time of my original purchase). Think about it, I tossed a grand to get the tv I have now. It MUST be a great picture.
My suggestion is go to a few places and saee every tv you can. Check all the functions and warranties and get your best shot. Don't go by what other people say, let your eyes speak for you. When ya get it home, gimme a shout and I'll tell you how to best adjust your picture ballpark, and you can go from there.

Paton, is that SLAX as in Linux? I have a 54 meg footprint system in mini disc I use to troubleshoot other folks computers. See whether it's hardware or windows failure.

[PN]

I sat in Best Buy in Spartanburg, SC for over 2 hours and IN Knoxville,TN for almost 3 hours comparing every tv they had.
My suggestion is go to a few places and saee every tv you can. Check all the functions and warranties and get your best shot. Don't go by what other people say, let your eyes speak for you. When ya get it home, gimme a shout and I'll tell you how to best adjust your picture ballpark, and you can go from there.

I couldn't agree more strongly about going to the stores to look at these TVs before you buy. Robert Heron (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Heron_(TechTV)) stated a few months ago on TWIT (http://www.twit.tv/TWiT) that stores such as Best Buy, Circuit City (they are all guilty of doing it) turn the brightness levels all the way up and this makes the picture stand out more but after viewing for an hour you will end up with eye strain, headache or both! I would suggest that you look at the remote control and see how they have calibrated these different settings.

[dan_nc]

I wouldn't think that an LCD TV from 2005 is ready for the retirement home/bedroom!?

I paid way too much for it; got a 37" Sharp Aquos for a little over $3500 back in July 2005. Anyway, I got it home and decided it looked really puny in the livingroom but since I really don't have the kind of money to replace it, I've been living with it.

Lately I'm seeing all kinds of great deals on plasma and LCD flat panels. Is now a good time to make a purchase? Any idea if the prices will fall before the Christmas rush? Maybe it'll pay to wait a few more months.

[Rrrrronnn]

I have a 40" Samsung 1080p LCD LN-S4095. It's fantastic. Extremely sharp picture, and just as bright as plasmas. LCD's have come a long way. I actually brought the brightness down a bit. Watching baseball on high definition is like having a window into the ballgame! Samsung LCD's also come in 46" and 52" sizes as well. Like others have said, look at them in person b4 u buy.

[PN]

Lately I'm seeing all kinds of great deals on plasma and LCD flat panels. Is now a good time to make a purchase? Any idea if the prices will fall before the Christmas rush? Maybe it'll pay to wait a few more months.
Hi Dan!

Common sense would dictate that you wait until after the Christmas/seasonal holidays to make your purchase. Let us know when you are ready to go shopping and we can try to help you find a good deal on a plasma or LCD TV.

Good luck!

[zillazangel]

Hey Dan - Chad is the TV king ... you can ask him and he'll give you the scoop. Also, we're good for tomorrow, about 10:15 (if you see this, I'll email you too).

[dan_nc]

Hey Dan - Chad is the TV king ... you can ask him and he'll give you the scoop. Also, we're good for tomorrow, about 10:15 (if you see this, I'll email you too).

Cool. See you at 10:15 if you see this. I'll email you too.

[mike]

I have an old 52" projection TV that I have had for about eight years. I paid about $1500 for it and have had little or no problems with it. A similiar TV today goes for less then half that amount with far superior picture quality. I say that because I believe the prices of plasmas are going to drop like a rock beginning on black Friday. I would not be surprised to see these sets go down by 25% by next year. It is difficult for me to get so worked up by the picture quality to immediately make a purchase when I can do much better in a year. Obviously you can say that about any electronic product these days, but I believe that plasmas have just begun their price descent.

[smokey]

We got a 42" Sony KDF-E42A10 LCD HD TV last Christmas. It is a rear projection HDTV but is only 17" deep. I think it is fabulous. Everyone that has come here and seen the picture over the past year has been blown away and remarked how terrific the picture is. I love the fact that it has a cable card...so there is no cable box...Comcast provided the cable card for free, encoded it, installed it and unlike the box, there are no monthly charges. We paid around $1600 after rebates but you can get it under $1000 now. The new Sony Bravia is supposed to be very good as well. I think you have to go to Circuit City, Best Buy etc., and look at all the TV's side by side and compare all the features and prices...that's what I did.
http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Sony%20Grand%20Wega%20KDF-E42A10%20Television:1992423974;_ylt=A0oGkjvF7ERFMn EBXlFXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTBxNjc3cjMxBGNvbG8DdwRzZWMDc2 MEdnRpZANpMDIxXzQ3

[2jazzyjeff]

Samsung LCD's also come in 46" and 52" sizes as well.they just posted a new 57'' LCD and the largest LCD at 70''!!

http://www.samsung.com/PressCenter/PressRelease/PressRelease.asp?seq=20060821_0000281216

[Wesley]

We got a 42" Sony KDF-E42A10 LCD HD TV last Christmas. It is a rear projection HDTV but is only 17" deep. I think it is fabulous. Everyone that has come here and seen the picture over the past year has been blown away and remarked how terrific the picture is. I love the fact that it has a cable card...so there is no cable box...Comcast provided the cable card for free, encoded it, installed it and unlike the box, there are no monthly charges. We paid around $1600 after rebates but you can get it under $1000 now. The new Sony Bravia is supposed to be very good as well. I think you have to go to Circuit City, Best Buy etc., and look at all the TV's side by side and compare all the features and prices...that's what I did.
http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Sony%20Grand%20Wega%20KDF-E42A10%20Television:1992423974;_ylt=A0oGkjvF7ERFMn EBXlFXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTBxNjc3cjMxBGNvbG8DdwRzZWMDc2 MEdnRpZANpMDIxXzQ3

I don't understand. Are you saying with the cable card that you don't pay for cable services? Or perhaps it's that you don't need to pay for high-definition services?

[smokey]

Wesley, The cable card is the functional equivalent of the cable box.....except you can't get PPV or Movies on Demand......neither of which bothers me. I'm just saying because of the cable card feature I don't get charged the extra $9.20 a month for renting the HD digital cable box from Comcast. I get a regular cable bill and I upgraded to the HD programming which was about $8 more per month. I just don't pay to "rent" any HD cable box. My monthly Comcast cable bill is currently about $99. That includes both the internet service and the basic and expanded TV service and "Digital Classic" with HD programming. I think I get about 15 HD channels and maybe another 180 non-HD channels.....I could get more HD channels if I wanted HBO, Showtime, etc. but I'm trying to keep it under $100/month...I don't watch a ton of TV anyway.

[doingtimeonmyass]

I'm looking toward the 56 inch Samsung DLP projection TV. It's not super thin like plasma, but it's not extremely huge like the old rear projection televisions were and burn in is not a factor. It has a great picture, contrast ratio is 10,000:1, and movies look awesome. I would choose something like this over LCD and plasma.

[dan_nc]

The more I look at my LCD, the more it seems tired and faded. The colors are not nearly as vibrant as the old CRTs. What improvements have they made in LCD technology in the last 18 months? Or is plasma a better bet? The room gets quite a bit of sunlight during the day.

~dan

[Foolish Old]

I'm looking toward the 56 inch Samsung DLP projection TV. It's not super thin like plasma, but it's not extremely huge like the old rear projection televisions were and burn in is not a factor. It has a great picture, contrast ratio is 10,000:1, and movies look awesome. I would choose something like this over LCD and plasma.

Samsung DLP offering 1080P at (relatively) reasonable cost was my original interest in a large screen HiDef tv. The more I looked into this technology, the more complaints I heard from owners. Of course, the dissatisfied are the most vocal.

Burn in is no longer a real issue with plasma, and never has been with LCD.

There's a world of information out there, make an informed choice. (or flip a coin ;) )

[doingtimeonmyass]

Samsung DLP offering 1080P at (relatively) reasonable cost was my original interest in a large screen HiDef tv. The more I looked into this technology, the more complaints I heard from owners. Of course, the dissatisfied are the most vocal.

Burn in is no longer a real issue with plasma, and never has been with LCD.

There's a world of information out there, make an informed choice. (or flip a coin ;) )
With the burn in comment I was comparing it to the older rear projection displays where that was an issue. What complaints have you heard with DLP? I guess it's possible to have stuck mirrors, but then again you can have dead pixels on LCDs.

[Foolish Old]

What complaints have you heard with DLP? I guess it's possible to have stuck mirrors, but then again you can have dead pixels on LCDs.

Noisy colorwheels, frequent (and expensive) projection bulb failures, "rainbow" and "screen door" visual artifacts, failed light engines, stuck mirror arrays....

[doingtimeonmyass]

Noisy colorwheels, frequent (and expensive) projection bulb failures, "rainbow" and "screen door" visual artifacts, failed light engines, stuck mirror arrays....
I have read that bulbs need replacing after a few years ($300-$400). I have also read that the rainbow effect is hardly noticed with the newer sets having a faster color wheel. The screen door effect only pertains to LCD. I would think if anything was defective on the set it would show up within the warranty period.

Nowadays knowing most everything you buy is made cheaply to some extent, I would definitely get an extended warranty on something like a large-screen television no matter what the technology is.

Here is an excellent web site with forums pertaining to most everything audio and video. It has some good reading.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/index.php

[Foolish Old]

Here is an excellent web site with forums pertaining to most everything audio and video. It has some good reading.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/index.php

I posted a link to this site in the second post of this thread. Good source, I read there for months before purchasing my monitor and other home theater equipment.

[doingtimeonmyass]

Ah, sorry I didn't catch it. :o Yes with the free time that I have I try and research stuff like that the best I can too. Although whatever you buy, you can never look back. Technology gets better and prices go down.

I need to replace a dead 1999 Pioneer Elite projection TV in the family room with something and would like to get a nice display for the bedroom that can be positioned on something kind of high so it can easily be seen from bed. Hopefully there will be some sales around Christmas time.

[Foolish Old]

[quote=doingtimeonmyass Yes with the free time that I have I try and research stuff like that the best I can too. Although whatever you buy, you can never look back. Technology gets better and prices go down.
[/quote]

One thing is certain, as soon as you buy it (any electronic marvel) there will be a better, cheaper one out before you plug your purchase in.:D

In 1986, I paid $2,200 USD for a mail order computer. It had a 12" B&W monitor, 1 MEG of ram (most of which was inaccessible), a 286 processor, and DOS OS.:) My nerd friends were soooooooooo jealous!

[doingtimeonmyass]

Wow. Did it have the whopping 10 MB hard drive of that time, or did you have to floppy boot? I had an even older 8088 a few years later for my first real computer and thought it was heaven to boot without the 5.14". (I guess that beats having to save your data to tape!)
-edit-
I was thinking more along the lines of the BASIC days with the tape recorder, but tape backups were pretty cool to back up your hard drive partitions before hard drives became so cheap.

[Foolish Old]

Wow. Did it have the whopping 10 MB hard drive of that time, or did you have to floppy boot? I had an even older 8088 a few years later for my first real computer and thought it was heaven to boot without the 5.14". (I guess that beats having to save your data to tape!)
-edit-
I was thinking more along the lines of the BASIC days with the tape recorder, but tape backups were pretty cool to back up your hard drive partitions before hard drives became so cheap.

It booted from the HUGE 20MB HD and had 5.14" and the NEW 3.5" "hard floppies". Some software ran from floppies. Came with a million hard copy manuals with hard backed binder covers.

[doingtimeonmyass]

It booted from the HUGE 20MB HD and had 5.14" and the NEW 3.5" "hard floppies". Some software ran from floppies. Came with a million hard copy manuals with hard backed binder covers.

No wonder your friends were in awe! That's cutting-edge stuff for 1986.

[Andy]

Ahh, the good ol days of computing. I remember when I was a kid (sort of) some Tandy computer that had a CGA adapter in it and I was in awe. I think they wanted something like 2K for it back then, pretty laughable now, eh? :p . In high school there were the awesome Apple 2's, and IBM's...wow, what pricey professional business machines. I also remembering thinking...why get a 486, a 386 is plenty powerful LOL.

We got a 42" Sony KDF-E42A10 LCD HD TV last Christmas. It is a rear projection HDTV but is only 17" deep.

Yep, great TV. I have a KDF series 55 incher, works great. The only thing I dont like about it is that it is native 720P so that max resolution is the 1280x720 when connecting a computer to it for games, etc. I could have the computer graphics card run 1080i, but it looks funny, and still would be downconverted in the TV anyway. Those 1080 progressive DLP projectors sound cool, I gotta check if any of them allow a DVI input at true 1920x1080 progressive now, that would be cool. Then I gotta think how to easily unload a 6 foot long TV set if I do replace it, uggh :thinking:

[PN]

I paid way too much for it; got a 37" Sharp Aquos for a little over $3500 back in July 2005.
The more I look at my LCD, the more it seems tired and faded. The colors are not nearly as vibrant as the old CRTs. What improvements have they made in LCD technology in the last 18 months? Or is plasma a better bet? The room gets quite a bit of sunlight during the day.

Dan, Sharp Aquos makes a good LCD TV, and yours is only 15 months old. For the color to look faded in less than two years is not normal wear. You can do a Google search on how to calibrate (http://www.lcdtvbuyingguide.com/lcdtv/lcd-tv-calibration.html) your LCD TV. Also, check your warranty because there may be something wrong with this Sharp Aquos.

HD CRTs have accurate color representation even though they are interlace rather than progressive scan.

Over time digital TV performance will go up, and the price will come down.

[bob clark]

Ah, sorry I didn't catch it. :o Yes with the free time that I have I try and research stuff like that the best I can too. Although whatever you buy, you can never look back. Technology gets better and prices go down.

I need to replace a dead 1999 Pioneer Elite projection TV in the family room with something and would like to get a nice display for the bedroom that can be positioned on something kind of high so it can easily be seen from bed. Hopefully there will be some sales around Christmas time.

Hi Doingtimeonmyass,

I got an relatively inexpensive Soyo 32" LCD TV and suspended it from my ceiling joist with a Peerless Adjustable Ceiling Mount. My LCD is a little strange in that it has a regular base that will fit nicely onto a desk or TV stand or whatever you want or it uses a "Universal" mount to wall mount it with. But my wall is too far away from my bed for my liking so I removed the base and went with the ceiling mount. Usually a Universal mounting system is for the heavier Plasma TVs but the usual standardized VESA mounting system couldn't be used on my LCD TV. So I bought a universal adapter plate that I drilled to the standard 100mm (or 400??) VESA mount holes and suspended it in that fashion.

In other words, the Peerless Ceiling Mount is standard VESA and my Soyo LCD TV is standard "Universal".

Most LCD TVs should have a standard VESA mounting system on them (maybe the bigger, heavier ones don't???) and you won't need to go through the hassle that I did. But check before you buy an LCD TV to see if it has the standard VESA mounting bracket on the back of it.

You can always have a professional company come to your house and do the work but when I called one up they wanted $375 just to walk through the door. Then the equipment/parts costs (I'm sure they'd charge twice the amount for the same Peerless Ceiling Mount etc.) and then they're "on the clock" if they need to rig up a special adapter plate etc! A "handy" friend can do it for free or for a lot cheaper. Just don't let him get too drunk!

I bought this Peerless Ceiling Mount (http://www.mountsandmore.com/Peerless-LCC-18-LCC-36-PE0410.html) and it works great. I bought the extra length extension (36" to 48") so I could mount it lower. When I'm in my chair the bottom of the screen is about 4 inches above my shoulder so I can easily navigate around my bedroom. I can have it as high as I want (within reason) but I have it set so when my head is on the pillows (and sometimes when my feet are elevated on pillows) it's perfectly aligned with my eyes. And the ceiling mount has an adjustment on it so you can angle the TV to your preference.

When I'm in bed the TV is about 9 feet away from my eyes and that's perfect for me. Although I would have preferred a SHARP AQUOS Black 37" 16:9 6ms HDTV LCD Model LC37D40U (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16889101045) but they're $1,700 or so and that's more than twice what I paid for my little ol' Soyo!

I also had a couple aluminum braces made up ($20) that go under and behind the LCD TV that the Hi-Def cable box and DVD player set upon. As soon as I get access to a digital camera I'll post a picture. It looks really cool (IMO!) and it swings around with the touch of a finger so I can watch it and control it with the remote while in the bathroom!

I also hooked up four Klipsch 4.1 powered speakers (and subwoofer) to it. 2 to the ceiling pole and the other two to the back of the LCD TV on 2 - 2x2s (painted flat black to match everything) that really separate the speakers very well yet rotate with the LCD TV. The speakers project out about a foot from the TV and are separated top to bottom by about 2 feet. Everything is connected as a single unit.

In any event, they also sell all manner of ceiling mounts for projection TVs if that's what you prefer.

Counting the beer and what I paid my neighbor friend to help I got mine hooked up and running for a total of around $1,000, that includes everything. I already had the Klipsch speakers just lying around collecting dust so they were finally put to good use.

You can Google for LCD mounts, plasma mounts, projector mounts or LCD/Plasma adapter plates and find just about anything you need. Or feel free to ask me anything.

Bob.

[doingtimeonmyass]

Bob,

Thanks for all the information. That definitely gives me something to think about because I hate having to look over my feet when watching TV in bed. I'd like to see how your setup looks.

I've been taking a lot of time trying to think out what I'm going to do yet. It's turning into the snowball effect because it's not only the TV, but what I'm going to put or mount it on, cable management, then audio. I have speaker wires coming down in each corner of the room and am thinking about some Boston Acoustics corner mount wall speakers. The room dimensions are 14' x 20'. Luckily I'm not in a hurry....

[Foolish Old]

Bob,

I have speaker wires coming down in each corner of the room and am thinking about some Boston Acoustics corner mount wall speakers. The room dimensions are 14' x 20'. Luckily I'm not in a hurry....

I read somewhere that Best Buy is discontinuing BA speakers. If this is true, might be some real bargains on closeouts.

I use five BA speakers (no sub-woofer, but scary bass) and LOVE them.

[Andy]

I have speaker wires coming down in each corner of the room and am thinking about some Boston Acoustics corner mount wall speakers. The room dimensions are 14' x 20'. Luckily I'm not in a hurry....

If you want to make the surround speaker mess a little cleaner you could get one of those surround sound in a box type setups with IR driven rears. I have some sort of Sony "Dream System" that came with IR rears and all the speakers are pedestal style so you dont have to worry about hanging them from walls and headaches such as that either.

[Foolish Old]

The discounts, or what Wal-Mart Stores Inc. counts as rollbacks, are effective through Dec. 31. They include such items as Panasonic 42-inch HD plasma TVs, slashed to $1,294 from $1,794; the Polaroid LCD HDTVs, reduced to $997, from $1,297; and Cingular C139 prepaid phones, marked down to $19.97 from $29.98.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061104/ap_on_bi_ge/wal_mart_electronics

Looks like a deal!

[2jazzyjeff]

Doingtime and Foolish Old, have you guys went to Brandsmart USA yet? they are only located in select parts of Florida and Ga..

http://www.brandsmartusa.net/locations.htm

they are waaay below everyone else. i saved over $2,000 on my recent buys of a 71'' and 61'' Samsung DLP's.. if you are close, check 'em out bc you can only get info. in-store only.. very impressive displays of mostly Samsung LCD's, DLP's, and plasmas..

[Foolish Old]

Doingtime and Foolish Old, have you guys went to Brandsmart USA yet? they are only located in select parts of Florida and Ga..

http://www.brandsmartusa.net/locations.htm

they are waaay below everyone else. i saved over $2,000 on my recent buys of a 71'' and 61'' Samsung DLP's.. if you are close, check 'em out bc you can only get info. in-store only.. very impressive displays of mostly Samsung LCD's, DLP's, and plasmas..

The only downside to Brandsmart for me was they only carry some models in a manufacture's line. I wanted a specific commercial monitor (not a tv) that they couldn't get.

[ramer]

Thanks, I am happy with my TV. ;)

[doingtimeonmyass]

Thanks Jeff. You have some pretty huge televisions. Is the 61“ in your bedroom? I'm going to wait until probably around Christmas and see if they come down much in price. Then again I'm sure there will be plenty of sales right before the Super Bowl. Decisions, decisions... :thinking:

[2jazzyjeff]

actually, the 71'' is in my bedroom, i have a pretty good size room and the 61'' is in the den bc the clearance to the door to the deck wouldn't clear the larger screen or there would be a 71'' also.. :( i haven't found anyone to come close to Brandsmart. i was just in Circuit City pricing a Samsung 23'' LCD HD tv to use as a comp. monitor and compare at Brandsmart..

[PN]

i saved over $2,000 on my recent buys of a 71'' and 61'' Samsung DLP's.. if you are close, check 'em out bc you can only get info. in-store only.. very impressive displays of mostly Samsung LCD's, DLP's, and plasmas..
71 inches is definitely bringing home the movie theater experience coupled with a good sound system. Anything over 80 inches is heading into Mark Cuban's territory, but he doesn't have to ask how much it will cost.

[2jazzyjeff]

yeah.. having that size screen w/o nice sound would be a waste.. i put together my surrounds before the tv's.. gotta have my tunes.