Need HDTV advice

So many choices, and reviews, and prices. Find one you like and it isn't in the stores, or it is not the same model.

I'm thinking I want a 37inch, but of course there are not many of those, want a good quality, but not REAL expensive. I have direct tv and will not be hooking up to the HD right away.

Any advice, suggestions?

We recently bought a Sharp Aquos 1080p and the picture is really good.

We have a Toshiba Regza 32HL67. We are very happy with it. We bought it in May. My husband says to look for a 1080p if you can.

We are going shopping for a TV tomorrow (oops! today). My husband is the one who evaluates electronics, being an engineer. I will let you know our results, but it sounds like you need something BIGGER than 37". Well, that is what hubby would say.

Just looked it up in consumer reports. Their best buy quick picks for 37" are:

LCD:
Olevia 537H
Magnavox 37MF337B
Vizio VW37LHDTV
The Sharp Aquos LC-37D43U made it to the top of the list but was more expensive so didn't make the best buy list.

They didn't list plasma's that were smaller than 42". We have a 42" Panasonic and love it.

Consumer reports recommends to get the largest screen that you can afford. Their poll with buyers told them that most people regretted not buying a larger screen.

Make sure that whatever you buy has a flat screen. You can see the picture no matter what angle you are sitting looking at it.

wow, thanks for the quick response. I am taking notes.
for size, I read that if you are not more than 6 feet or so from the screen, you do not want a big one, My living room is not huge. Hey here's a pick, please excuse the clutter. My back is against the wall and my head will be on the pillow below, facing the tv. this tv is a 27"

Are you thinking of plasma or LCD???
One of my BIL's bought a Panasonic Plasma last yr after MUCH RESEARCH and are very happy with it-the size er a 37"?? Another BIL just got a 46" Sony LCD and likes it too.
We looked at Best Buy last night but we have built in bookcases and it we want one to fit that space it can only be a 37". Make sure you buy a 1080p one.

Just a couple of things to consider.
If you are sitting (up) to 12 feet away then a 32` or 37` will do you fine. Anything bigger and you will start to notice any artifacts in the picture. Plasmas have been labeled HD ready, newer models are labeled Full HD. If you have no plans to pay for HD channels in the future then its not worth paying the extra for a Full HD set. Do not be taken in by the high quality of pictures that are on display in the shops, some of those are being fed through an upscaling video converter that would cost as much as the tv itself. dont be rushed into buying something based on the sales pitch that those spotty faced kids give you. Believe me if you bombard them with technical questions they go red and then run off.

First rule of thumb,the picture will only be as good as the signal going into it, although you should see an overall performance boost with a new LCD or Plasma.

Most plasmas are set to factory default settings when you get them ie: brightness, contrast, colour whilst some of them come with different settings for you to adjust, you can if you want get the best out of it by spending an extra couple of hundred bucks on getting it calibrated by a technical engineer, but thats optional.

Try and visit somebody who has got either an LCD or Plasma and judge for yourself.

Panasonic is a brand which has sold well in the uk, its also a top seller in the states as far as I can see.

Have fun whatever you get

Originally Posted by gailuvscats

wow, thanks for the quick response. I am taking notes.
for size, I read that if you are not more than 6 feet or so from the screen, you do not want a big one, My living room is not huge. Hey here's a pick, please excuse the clutter. My back is against the wall and my head will be on the pillow below, facing the tv. this tv is a 27"

Click to expand...

We had a 27" toshiba tube tv that died this April (it was 8-9 yrs old and survived 2 cross country moves). My DH still gripes that we should have gotten a 42" LCD tv for the new one. That's just because he wants the hugest tv he can talk me into. I'm not going to have a tv literally as big as the room. Ours is a 32" LCD and is quite nice. It's big enough for DH and small enough that it doesn't seem to dominate the room. Our living room is similar to yours in size/setup.

I just saw the size of your room.

You would do fine with a 27" flat screen.

I have a 27" Sony Wega HDTV and I absolutely love it. I can see it from all angles even when I sit to the side of it. And when I lay on the couch I'm about as far from it as you will be, and I see the picture just fine.

Picture

Here is the TV from where I watch it from. As you can see it's plenty big!


.
.
.

This is (most of) my tv. It's a 42" and not a name brand or anything. It works great and only cost about $1000 (canadian). It is just wide enough for Milo to walk on it.

Here's my new tv, and the room cleaned up.


It is a 37" toshiba. A 42 inch would have been way too big, I think.
Now I have to get the hd service and dvr, more money. geez