Great LCD TV 1080P buy, for those looking

[Northstar]

So I saw in the Circuit City ad that there was a 46" Sharp Aquos 1080P LCD TV for $1200 off ($2499 down to $1299), and so me and my mom went out to see if anyone was already waiting at about 10PM last night, and there were 25 or so people in line, so we scratched that idea. Then today we went to Best Buy just to compare some and see which looked the best (more on that below), and we saw the same TV there, this time for $1399 ($100 more, but it didn't involve standing in line for 10 hours to get it). We compared all the TVs of that size, and decided it was one of the better, with only the Sonys being definitively better.

After comparing all the TVs for quite some time, I've come to the conclusion that Sony is the best, and it's really not even that close. Sharp and Samsung are the only two brands that are close. Panasonic is not far behind, but I didn't think it was quite as good as the other three brands. Sony's more expensive, however. The Sony 46" was $2399 ($1k more than the Sharp's sale price, but only $100 more than the Sharp's regular price) and it wasn't even the top of the line model (which was sitting by itself, and was a 40" unit for $2599). I'm sure the top of the line Sony 46" would be around $3k ($500 more than most of the competition), but I'm also sure it would be significantly better. Bottom line is that if you want the best LCD TV you can buy, go with a Sony XBR Series.

However, we didn't think even the $2399 Sony was worth $1k more than the Sharp, so we're going to take a look tomorrow again and make sure we want to buy it. $1399 is really a steal, especially considering it's one of the top 3 brand in my opinion based on looking at them for an hour or so.

Just thought I'd give anyone who's looking for a new TV this holiday season a heads-up on this great deal. I would assume it's pretty much nationwide since it seems to be a Sharp-sponsored deal being at both CC and BB. The sale ends tomorrow according to the BB guy we talked to.

[Z-06]

So I saw in the Circuit City ad that there was a 46" Sharp Aquos 1080P LCD TV for $1200 off ($2499 down to $1299), and so me and my mom went out to see if anyone was already waiting at about 10PM last night, and there were 25 or so people in line, so we scratched that idea. Then today we went to Best Buy just to compare some and see which looked the best (more on that below), and we saw the same TV there, this time for $1399 ($100 more, but it didn't involve standing in line for 10 hours to get it). We compared all the TVs of that size, and decided it was one of the better, with only the Sonys being definitively better.

After comparing all the TVs for quite some time, I've come to the conclusion that Sony is the best, and it's really not even that close. Sharp and Samsung are the only two brands that are close. Panasonic is not far behind, but I didn't think it was quite as good as the other three brands. Sony's more expensive, however. The Sony 46" was $2399 ($1k more than the Sharp's sale price, but only $100 more than the Sharp's regular price) and it wasn't even the top of the line model (which was sitting by itself, and was a 40" unit for $2599). I'm sure the top of the line Sony 46" would be around $3k ($500 more than most of the competition), but I'm also sure it would be significantly better. Bottom line is that if you want the best LCD TV you can buy, go with a Sony XBR Series.

However, we didn't think even the $2399 Sony was worth $1k more than the Sharp, so we're going to take a look tomorrow again and make sure we want to buy it. $1399 is really a steal, especially considering it's one of the top 3 brand in my opinion based on looking at them for an hour or so.

Just thought I'd give anyone who's looking for a new TV this holiday season a heads-up on this great deal. I would assume it's pretty much nationwide since it seems to be a Sharp-sponsored deal being at both CC and BB. The sale ends tomorrow according to the BB guy we talked to.

Does it come with the 120Hz frequency modulation like the XBR?

[Northstar]

Does it come with the 120Hz frequency modulation like the XBR?

I don't think so, but the XBR is $2k more for the same size. Certainly it's better, but I don't think it's worth well over double the price.

[Z-06]

I don't think so, but the XBR is $2k more for the same size. Certainly it's better, but I don't think it's worth well over double the price.

That does make a difference. What is the native resolution of the Sharp?

Currently in the world there are three manufacturers investing heavily in LCD. The 3S's (Sharp, Sony and Samsung). The one with the biggest budget is the Korean.

[Northstar]

That does make a difference. What is the native resolution of the Sharp?

Currently in the world there are three manufacturers investing heavily in LCD. The 3S's (Sharp, Sony and Samsung). The one with the biggest budget is the Korean.

By native resolution do you mean 1920 x 1080? The native contrast ratio is 2000:1. Here is a link to the TV: http://www.sharpusa.com/products/ModelLand...58,1921,00.html

I don't think it's a technology powerhouse by any means - Sharp has 46" models above it that do have the 120Hz frame rate conversion, but it's such a good deal that it's very hard to pass up, and the reason we probably will pick one up. I don't think we'd be getting it if it was the regular price and the Sony that is undeniably better was only $100 more (not an XBR, the KDL46V3000, which also doesn't have the 120Hz frame rate -- the $3300 Sony has that. There's a Samsung for $3k with the 120Hz), but it's $1k more with this great sale price. One thing I really like about it is that it's ridiculously thin (new "Slime Line" design), only 3 3/4 inches deep. The Sony is 4.8 inches deep and the Samsung is 4 1/10". Not that it really matters.

Yes, the "3S's" are the best, with Panasonic not that far behind. If you have the cash, Sony is the best, IMO. It also looks the coolest with the glass "frame."

[Z-06]

It has pretty decent specs. I think it is a steal at that price.

[ChevyNovs99]

You could also check out this 1080p 47" Olevia at Circuit City for $1099.

Edited November 24, 2007 by ChevyNovs99

[regfootball]

the only LCD's worth considering are the sony and samsung and i hate sony. some philips are ok.

some like the sharps but i think they are a step down and have very pinkish color.

lcd in general has improved A LOT in one year.

i got a plasma in march. if i had to do it again today i would high definitely get a top quality LCD. I still love my plasma, but that's how much better the LCD's have gotten.

upscaling dvd players are amazing as well.

wait on the whole hd dvd/blu ray mess until its figured out. the upscaling of a normal dvd looks just fine.

Edited November 25, 2007 by regfootball

[Northstar]

They had sold out of it by the time we got there, so we went to a specialty local store to see what they had. They don't carry as many brands, but they do carry more high-end brands than Best Buy, and no super cheap brands. They had some amazing sales on their Mitsubishi sets, and they had it set up next to a Sony, and it was much better than the Sony, surprisingly to me. They said they recommend the the Mitsus over the Sonys, and they feel they have better quality of picture, which was apparent seeing them next to each other.

So we got a 52" model. They also had this amazing Pioneer plasma (said it was the best TV on the planet) which was even better still, but very expensive and plasmas are no good for gaming since they can get the image burnt into them. We haven't gotten it set up yet for TV, but it's amazing for Xbox 360.

[regfootball]

pioneer plasmas are beyond excellent.

the samsung plasmas have quite an eloborate pixel shift techonology that goes a long way to eliminating burn in supposedly.

[Intrepidation]

Sony makes excellent screens, both TV and computer monitors. They are expensive though. I'm quite happy with my Hanns·G HW-192DJB Gloss Black 19" 5ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor. The price was unbeatable for $200 and the picture quality, sharpness, and colors are superb.

[Nick]

We picked up a 46" Bravia XBR recently...beautiful picture, beautiful tv...expensive though.

I was looking at the new Aquos today and they are very nice...I'm surprised at how inexpensive they are now...they used to be comparable in price to the XBR's...

[Z-06]

Sony makes excellent screens, both TV and computer monitors. They are expensive though. I'm quite happy with my Hanns·G HW-192DJB Gloss Black 19" 5ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor. The price was unbeatable for $200 and the picture quality, sharpness, and colors are superb.

As much as people will hate me for saying this, 19" through 27" market for the LCD monitors is owned by Dell. Nothing can beat it when it comes to picture and clarity, and versatality.

The screen is supplied by Samsung, (which is like I said is one of the best in LCD TV's). Dell packages it. Dell monitors have more options and components than Samsung's own monitor.

Panasonic is the pioneer of plasma, so I will not be surprised that they have some excellent display.

Sony Bravia XBR with the 120hz feature is amazing and almost bridges the gap between the LCD and plasma. The lesser Sony's are not as good, and it is better to buy Samsung or Sharp.

Edited November 25, 2007 by smallchevy

[RichW5]

the only LCD's worth considering are the sony and samsung and i hate sony. some philips are ok.

some like the sharps but i think they are a step down and have very pinkish color.

lcd in general has improved A LOT in one year.

i got a plasma in march. if i had to do it again today i would high definitely get a top quality LCD. I still love my plasma, but that's how much better the LCD's have gotten.

upscaling dvd players are amazing as well.

wait on the whole hd dvd/blu ray mess until its figured out. the upscaling of a normal dvd looks just fine.

I bought a Sharp 32" for the basement family room about a year and a half ago. Three weeks after that, my family room TV died after 18 years, so I bought a 42" Samsung Plasma to replace it. The Sharp looks pale compared to the Samsung and if we're watching football, the game looks so much better on the Samsung. I agree with REG, that the LCD's have improved, but I don't know if it's really the TV's or the way they are set up for viewing at Best Buy or Circuit city.

I know that I would definately buy Samsung again.

[Intrepidation]

As much as people will hate me for saying this, 19" through 27" market for the LCD monitors is owned by Dell. Nothing can beat it when it comes to picture and clarity, and versatality.

The screen is supplied by Samsung, (which is like I said is one of the best in LCD TV's). Dell packages it. Dell monitors have more options and components than Samsung's own monitor.

Panasonic is the pioneer of plasma, so I will not be surprised that they have some excellent display.

Sony Bravia XBR with the 120hz feature is amazing and almost bridges the gap between the LCD and plasma. The lesser Sony's are not as good, and it is better to buy Samsung or Sharp.

I've got 2 older Sharp TVs and I would not buy another one based on past experience. First one lost it's sound, 2nd one the cable connector broke off of the TV itself.

UMass has new dell PCs with LCD monitors. I don't know what model the Dell monitors are, but they pale in comparison to the HANNS-G I have. Colors aren't as vibrant and the picture quality is nowhere near as sharp. Maybe you're talking about a different model LCD monitor than the ones here though. They are black with silver trim.

If there's one thing to like about G5's is the awesome wide screen monitors they come with...the picture quality is amazing...plus they look nice (far better than those cheesy clear plastic blobs that the G4's had).

Edited November 26, 2007 by Dodgefan

[regfootball]

if you love movies or sports, a plasma is almost a neccessity to be satisfied......although the latest high buck LCD's are darn close to being adequate.

[daves87rs]

What about for those on a budget? I would love to have an LCD-but mine has to be in the lower price range (for now)

Either that, or I might just get a regular upgraded TV for now....480i isn't great-but better than my old TV now.....

[Northstar]

What size of TV do you want and what do you want to spend? I'm sure they'll be more great discounts before the holiday season is over. Keep checking your local ads.

[Northstar]

if you love movies or sports, a plasma is almost a neccessity to be satisfied......although the latest high buck LCD's are darn close to being adequate.

The only TV that we looked at that had blacker blacks than our Mitsu LCD was the Pioneer. There was a Samsung plasma at Best Buy that was comparable, they were very comparable, but the Samsung was more (plasmas are generally cheaper except for the Pioneers) and we wanted an LCD anyways so no games got burnt in.

I was very surprised to see how good the Mistus were. When we went looking I would have never guessed the Mitsu would be second only to the Pioneer plasma in terms of image quality, and it cost a little over half as much due to the great sale. It was the first time I had ever seen an LCD next to a Sony LCD that looked better than the Sony. Before then, I had it set in my mind that if you were spending big bucks on an LCD, Sony was the only way to go.

One other thing about our deal that was even sweeter was in addition to about $1k off, it has no interest no payments until 2010. My parents could pay for it at once if they wanted, but they figured they might as well pay a little bit each month instead. That is something else to think about if you are on a budget -- if your local stores have Mitsubishi the financing option is great. Best Buy does not carry Mistu flat panels, and I don't think Circuit City does. Go to a local place that's more upscale and only carry the better brands.

The Mitsus are also great for customization of color. They are the only company with magenta as a color, and they have 6 colors that each have 62 degrees of adjustability (they call this PerfectColor). If you think there is too much red in the color, turn the red down until the red is at the correct amount. Same for blue, green, magenta, cyan, and yellow. Most TVs can have the colors adjusted, but not all of them by themselves. They have settings, or brightness levels, that adjust all the colors. You could, for instance, take all of the blue out of a picture if you wanted.

[daves87rs]

What size of TV do you want and what do you want to spend? I'm sure they'll be more great discounts before the holiday season is over. Keep checking your local ads.

26-32"

For now around 500 bucks is it...

Something nice, but no "poppers" (ones that last a few years)

while 1080 is nice, 720 is more than fine for now ( current TV is 7 years old-plain ol' TV)

[Northstar]

1080P is not at all necessary under 32", most companies don't even offer it because you can't tell the difference.

There are 30" 1080i Samsungs at Best Buy for $550. That's about the best deal I could find, though I didn't look anywhere else. If you really want 720p your best bet is probably to wait until close to Christmas because there are bound to be big deals a few days before, though the best deals seem to be on the bigger models, where there is more price to play with.

[RichW5]

One of the local newspapers had an article on HD TV's yesterday. It suggested looking at a web page (hdguru.com) for reviews and the best prices. I briefly checked it out and it could be a good source of what to buy, where and when to buy it.

I don't know if cable (Comcast) is sending HD programs in 720 or 1080, so upgrading to 1080 isn't that important right now. When I go to Best Buy (or other stores) the 1080 sets don't seem to be any better than my Samsung, but it may be the signal they use in the store. When I'll need the next new set (when everything goes digital) I'll probably move the Samsung to another room and get a 50" for the family room, along with an HD player.

My step-son has a Sony (60" DLP) that is 1080, but doesn't have a better picture than my 720 Samsung. You have to sit directly in front of his TV to get the best picture, while my Plasma has a much wider viewing angle. His 60" TV is too big for the room it's in and it hurts your eyes after a while.

[the_yellow_dart]

Doesn't anybody else think that $1000+ for a TV is insane? I bought my TV for $260 and I thought I spent too much.

[Z-06]

Doesn't anybody else think that $1000+ for a TV is insane? I bought my TV for $260 and I thought I spent too much.

I agree. I spent $105 on my Sanyo 27" which was a show piece and that sucker is still going strong after 6 years.