Well, I'm trading up from my 42" Plasma 480p to a true 1080p HDTV. Set on a 52" because of where I will be putting it. I've looked at several brands and definitely want the 120Hz refresh rate. I had planned on a Sony, but saw the Samsung S650 next to a Bravia and was just blown away. Looking for other people's experiences....
Quote from: NAKID on February 14, 2009, 03:27:39 PM
Well, I'm trading up from my 42" Plasma 480p to a true 1080p HDTV. Set on a 52" because of where I will be putting it. I've looked at several brands and definitely want the 120Hz refresh rate. I had planned on a Sony, but saw the Samsung S650 next to a Bravia and was just blown away. Looking for other people's experiences....
I really like how the samsungs look, except in a room with a lot of natural light, their gloss finish has a tendency to reflect it. I believe the 6 series is the middle of the road, which Braiva were you comparing it to?
Not sure, salesman there told me they were comparable. Had the 60Hz next to each other and the 120Hz next to each other. Samsung in the Sony beat in 60 and 120 IMO...
Ive got the Samsung 58" plasma and I love it! Its in a bright room and it still looks great.
Quote from: NAKID on February 14, 2009, 03:36:32 PM
Not sure, salesman there told me they were comparable. Had the 60Hz next to each other and the 120Hz next to each other. Samsung in the Sony beat in 60 and 120 IMO...
Where were you shopping at. There are tricks to make the higher margin TV look better than the others by tweaking with the settings. Best buy is super shady about this.
Personally I was blown away with the Sony new dlps. Probably what I will be replacing my tv with when I upgrade.
look for a good picture.
wanna save $$$ ?
buy vizio, I own 7 of them and they are fantastic.
It was at Sears. I even messed with the settings a little myself, still found the picture much better on the Samsung. DLP is out for me. Don't really like rear projection and the viewing angle is too narrow for how my room in setup.
I bought a Samsung 32" LCD a while back for the bedroom. Very satisfied.
I plan to seek out a Samsung again when it comes time to replace the old tube in the living room with a 42-50" flattie. 8)
the most important thing is to figure out how you are gonna get that old TV to my house...
Old TV is going to the bedroom, "old" bedroom tv (5 year old Panasonic 32" flat CRT) is going? ? ? ? ?
Getting a/v advise from the dmf is like getting ducati advise from an a/v forum (no offense to anyone).
Try this forum www.avs.forum . Go to forums and then flat panel tvs for specific information and info.
I'd suggest at minimum finding the "official" threads for each of the models you're looking at to get all the facts (good/bad/bugs/workarounds/etc) before you buy.
Cheers.
I like to think of the DMF as a resource rich in information about just about everything...
Id go for the samsung. why? because the samsung display store in NYC has a few 52"s (not sure if they are LCD of Plasma) for us to play guitar hero on and watch 3d movies on.
Also they have a zero tolerance for dead pixels. 1 dead pixel and they will send a guy to replace/repair it. not sure what sony has to say about that. I also own a 32" samsung 6 series (it maybe 5 though....) and i absolutely love how rich the color is. But the speakers suck terribly.
Quote from: NAKID on February 14, 2009, 05:26:13 PM
Old TV is going to the bedroom, "old" bedroom tv (5 year old Panasonic 32" flat CRT) is going? ? ? ? ?
sheesh.............
how many tv's does a household need?
Quote from: herm on February 14, 2009, 07:59:26 PM
sheesh.............
how many tv's does a household need?
My daughter has a 13" Disney Princess TV and DVD player in her room too.
Quote from: He Man on February 14, 2009, 07:54:15 PM
i absolutely love how rich the color is. But the speakers suck terribly.
Doesn't matter to me, the speakers will be muted on the TV. That's what I have a 5.1 system for...
Shop NBC features very large Flat screens almost every week. They had a 60" name brand for under $1500 which included a wall mount , cables and the " box ." I think shipping was $100 range. Full 1080P -3D ready , DVR, but it was a DLP.
If it included everything needed to plug in and watch TV that would be a " good " price wouldn't it ? Dolph
Shop NBC? As in the TV Station?
So, who can beat Amazon? Found the same Samsung for about 500 less than at Sears with FREE shipping...
Quote from: NAKID on February 14, 2009, 03:27:39 PM
Well, I'm trading up from my 42" Plasma 480p to a true 1080p HDTV. Set on a 52" because of where I will be putting it. I've looked at several brands and definitely want the 120Hz refresh rate. I had planned on a Sony, but saw the Samsung S650 next to a Bravia and was just blown away. Looking for other people's experiences....
I have a Samsung ln52a630
Just like the 650 except it has a matte screen.
Abe's of Maine.
Beautiful tv.
Check out Nextag. I got my Samsung from a site called "Camera Addict" which was listed and rated on Nextag. Free shipping, really good customer service, was at my house 3 days after ordering....
Costco? Maybe sams club?
I think you can order online without a members card. Not 100% sure though, their 2 year extended warranty ontop of manufacturers is awesome. anyting over 30" = they come and replace it in your house.
Checked Sam's Club, Costco and a place near here called BJ's. None of them carry that model, and even some of the lower quality models are more expensive than Amazon.
Now, can anyone tell me why anyone would pat $245 for a 6' HDMI cable??
gold wires with secret squirrel inert gases surrounding it compressed with a super duper coating in a rubber thingy.
in other words,
i paid 10.99 for mine and im happy.
I have a Sony 52" XBR LCD, have had a Samsung (DLP) in my living room, and work with many other brands (including a Panasonic 50" plasma in my office) [cheeky].
P.S. Sears sucks for electronics. Mostly low end crap.
I've been into a/v for a while now, so here are my opinions about the 2.
1) To get equal quality, you WILL HAVE TO SPEND MORE MONEY ON THE SONY. (kinda like ducati vs jp bikes)
2) During constant/repetitive resolution changes, the Samsungs sometimes fail the resolution change.
3) Some inputs on some Samsungs ONLY support specific resolutions.
4) The menu system on the Sony is more user friendly.
5) The remote on the Sony is more user friendly.
IMO:
1) Don't always believe what you see in the showrooms (period).
2) Subtle differences you notice side-by-side in the showroom will not be noticeable at home.
3) The higher end Sony cases look better (if that matters to you).
4) Chose the right screen (shiny,matt,size) for the room.
Conclusion:
1) If your on a budget get the Samsung (more bang for the buck).
2) If you not on a budget, get a high end Sony.
One thing that irritates me the most about newer TV's is that they dim the backlight to compensate for s!itty black reproduction. Although this does make the for better black resolution, it SUCK BALLS on dark movies (and it sometimes can't be turned off). I've notices cheaper TV's claiming good specs do this more often.
re: cables:
Unless it's a run over 15', don't buy monster.
Just make sure you buy HDMI 1.3b rated cables from:
Monoprice.com or meritline.com or bluejeanscable.com
If your installation is over 15', I'd try to snag a monster 1000 cable from a closing circuit city.
Yes, a bunch of $, but it has a lifetime guarantee on both the physical cable but also the technology - that is to say that if you ever need a cable with more bandwidth, they'll give it to you for free.
I really like the case of the Samsung, very high quality. The remote doesn't matter to me, I have my Logitech 880 and does everything need. Also, the contrast ratio on the Samsung is the highest that I have seen in this range, 50,000:1...
Quote from: Supero100 on February 16, 2009, 07:47:00 AM
re: cables:
Unless it's a run over 15', don't buy monster.
In my opinion, don't ever buy from Monster. They are assholes*, and there is no way to make a *digital* cable appreciably better. Digital = 1s and 0s. Either it works or it doesn't. Now, we could talk all day about connectors, attenuation, etc, but the bottom line is that an HDMI or DVI cable is working and transmitting an HD signal of a certain resolution, or it is broken and transmitting nothing. The cable cannot make a digital connection better or worse.
* They are Sue-happy (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/11/08/BUG1J9N3C61.DTL&type=business), snake oil salesmen (http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/03/audiophiles-cant-tell-the-difference-between-monster-cable-and/), and did I mention sue-happy? (http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/26/monster-cable-at-it-again-sues-mini-golf-company/)
So... When are they gonna sue Ducati [laugh]
JM
Quote from: il d00d on February 16, 2009, 09:30:15 AM
In my opinion, don't ever buy from Monster. They are assholes*, and there is no way to make a *digital* cable appreciably better. Digital = 1s and 0s. Either it works or it doesn't. Now, we could talk all day about connectors, attenuation, etc, but the bottom line is that an HDMI or DVI cable is working and transmitting an HD signal of a certain resolution, or it is broken and transmitting nothing. The cable cannot make a digital connection better or worse.
I generally agree with your rule. I would refer you to gizmodo's hdmi test, bluejeans cable's whitepapers and informative FAQ, as well as (gasp) monster cable's whitepapers, which closely resemble the research of bluejeans cable (double gasp).
It boils down to transmission distance, bandwidth, and impedance on a cable conceived to implement HDCP, not to push 10+ Gb/s as will be required by new equipment with 120 hz refresh rates, so-called x.v. deep color, and 1080p+ resolutions.
Think of it like cat 3 Ethernet cable vs cat 5e ethernet cable. Both are 'lossless bit-for-bit' but you won't be able to stream an uncompressed 1080p video stream with lossless 7.1 audio for a lack of bandwidth.
I'd pontificate further but i'm on an iPhone in Rome. Read those resources.
One thing that I learned while working in high end A/V installations is that someone will always show up with a graph backing up their claim thay something sounds better or looks better.
There are variables outside the picture quality that can bring a persons loyalty to a brand. Whether its case design, remote control "heft"/ease of use or simply prior positive experiences. With a proper set up DVD and good equipment, Id bet that noone here could tell the difference between pictures. How often will you have both TVs in the same position in the same room.
Budget wasnt a huge variable when I purchased my Samsung, both pictures can be amazing. I just couldnt get past the clear lexan surround on the Sony, that thing is butt hein! ;D
I usually buy expensive analog cables, and cheap digital cables.
For analog cables (dual sub-woofer cables with 15" velodynes on either end in my case), if I get cheap ones, I get all sorts of interference from near by power cables.
As said before, in most cases, a digital connection is going to work, or it's not. It's just 1s and 0s.
However, the cheap cables are...well...cheap. They will not hold up to too much abuse. I consider them to be disposable if you may.
On the other hand, we've broke MANY mid to semi-high end cable at work.
At work, HDMI cables are notorious for breaking. No other cable regularly breaks, except HDMI.
So, with that said, in the case of HDMI cables, they can ALL break. would you rather break a cheap cable, or an expensive one?
I will only need three cables, HDMI from cable box (HD cable) to Onkyo receiver, HDMI from DVD player to receiver, HDMI from receiver to TV...
What model onkyo?
I just got a SR806. It's already back at the shop. >:(
HT-R557
If no runs over 15', get a trifecta of 1.3 category 2 hdmi cables at bluejeanscable.com
In My Humble Opinion
Nope, none should need to be longer than 6'...
Quote from: NAKID on February 16, 2009, 10:53:18 AM
Nope, none should need to be longer than 6'...
BJC F2 for you!
Wow, really decent prices and cheap shipping...
OK, so if price really doesn't = quality for HDMI cables, why shouldn't I buy these?
http://www.amazon.com/HDMI-Feet-Super-Resolution-Cable/dp/B000N47CEA/ref=sr_1_32?ie=UTF8&m=A3VODXGBJ323R7&s=electronics&qid=1234814260&sr=1-32 (http://www.amazon.com/HDMI-Feet-Super-Resolution-Cable/dp/B000N47CEA/ref=sr_1_32?ie=UTF8&m=A3VODXGBJ323R7&s=electronics&qid=1234814260&sr=1-32)
Quote from: NAKID on February 16, 2009, 12:00:38 PM
OK, so if price really doesn't = quality for HDMI cables, why shouldn't I buy these?
http://www.amazon.com/HDMI-Feet-Super-Resolution-Cable/dp/B000N47CEA/ref=sr_1_32?ie=UTF8&m=A3VODXGBJ323R7&s=electronics&qid=1234814260&sr=1-32 (http://www.amazon.com/HDMI-Feet-Super-Resolution-Cable/dp/B000N47CEA/ref=sr_1_32?ie=UTF8&m=A3VODXGBJ323R7&s=electronics&qid=1234814260&sr=1-32)
You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink!
;)
You have the final vote!
Quote from: NAKID on February 16, 2009, 12:00:38 PM
OK, so if price really doesn't = quality for HDMI cables, why shouldn't I buy these?
http://www.amazon.com/HDMI-Feet-Super-Resolution-Cable/dp/B000N47CEA/ref=sr_1_32?ie=UTF8&m=A3VODXGBJ323R7&s=electronics&qid=1234814260&sr=1-32 (http://www.amazon.com/HDMI-Feet-Super-Resolution-Cable/dp/B000N47CEA/ref=sr_1_32?ie=UTF8&m=A3VODXGBJ323R7&s=electronics&qid=1234814260&sr=1-32)
Bottom line they'll work fine.
If you're into all the engineering and the Great "science" or "mythology" (depending on your view) Debate of A/V cables then again I suggest heading over to
www.avsforum.com (http://www.avsforum.com). You'll find heated arguments on both sides by serious A/V nerds and engineers with all the white papers, graphs and algorithms you'd expect.
For what it's worth TV wise the sets that tend to get the best reviews year in and year out by category ...
LCD
1. Sharp Aquos
2. Samsung
3. Sony Bravia and XBR
Plasma
1. Pioneer (they'll be getting out of the TV business this year though)
2. Panasonic
3. Hitachi
Console
1. Sony
2. Hitachi
3. Samsung
4. Mitsubishi
Regardless of TV chosen the best cheap advice I can give anyone is to at minimum calibrate it using a DVD you have that uses THX (Star Wars, etc). THX Discs come with a THX Optimizer in the options menu that will guide you through a simple calibration for sharpness, white and black levels, color, tint and audio. The difference it makes picture wise is significant. Is it as good as a pro calibration? no. does it get you 80-90% there? yes. Is it more than 99% of the population will notice? absolutely.
From a shopping experience - I bought my Pioneer 60" plasma from Amazon 2 years ago and saved huge. I received it within 3 days in perfect condition. They even called to make sure everything was OK a week later.
Other stores with great reps include www.onecall.com and http://www.visualapex.com. I bought my first plasma from Onecall and had a great experience. It's also worth popping into BB. I was in mine this weekend and they had a highly rated Panasonic 42" plasma on sale for 799.
<edit> Onecall has some smokin prices on plasmas (50-60"). They have 2 different 1080p 58" plasmas for $2500 (Panasonic and Samsung) http://www.onecall.com/ProductSearch.aspx?N=230+1678. In LCD TVs they have a number of 120hz 1080p 52" plasmas for 2400-2600. http://www.onecall.com/ProductSearch.aspx?N=227+666
<end edit>
For you movie guys looking for a new DVD player. This is the best DVD Player resource around. Worth noting is that the highest scoring players aren't always the most expensive. Below the chart is a paragraph summary of each players score, strengths and weaknesses.
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi?function=search&articles=all&type=DVD+Player&manufacturer=0&maxprice=0&deInt=0&mpeg=0 (http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi?function=search&articles=all&type=DVD+Player&manufacturer=0&maxprice=0&deInt=0&mpeg=0)
Cheers.
Quote from: Supero100 on February 16, 2009, 09:53:25 AM
I generally agree with your rule. I would refer you to gizmodo's hdmi test, bluejeans cable's whitepapers and informative FAQ, as well as (gasp) monster cable's whitepapers, which closely resemble the research of bluejeans cable (double gasp).
It boils down to transmission distance, bandwidth, and impedance on a cable conceived to implement HDCP, not to push 10+ Gb/s as will be required by new equipment with 120 hz refresh rates, so-called x.v. deep color, and 1080p+ resolutions.
I think we are saying the same thing. Except the part about Rome. And for the record, I would much rather talk about cabling in Rome.
So at the risk of sounding like I am debating, I define a "broken" cable as one that does not meet the specs for the current standard of HD. So if you are taking about the gizmodo tests that measure 120Hz 1080p, all I can say is that if a cable outperforms the current specs, that's great. However, a cable that meets the specs -but does not exceed them- doesn't look any better or worse than a cable that exceeds them. So, if a cable can transmit a 1080p 60hz signal without degradation, but not 1080p at 120hz, that is still a working cable in my book. Also, a cable that can transmit 1080p @ 60hz AND 1080p holographic signals does not transmit 1080p any better than the cable that can. Point: belabored :P
By my reading, EIA specs are basically all about distance - that, and twists/distance, pinouts, etc. Cat 3 over can probably transmit 10Gig - just not very far, or very reliably :)
Quote from: COWBOY on February 16, 2009, 01:37:32 PM
Bottom line they'll work fine.
If you're into all the engineering and the Great "science" or "mythology" (depending on your view) Debate of A/V cables then again I suggest heading over to
www.avsforum.com (http://www.avsforum.com). You'll find heated arguments on both sides by serious A/V nerds and engineers with all the white papers, graphs and algorithms you'd expect.
For what it's worth TV wise the sets that tend to get the best reviews year in and year out by category ...
LCD
1. Sharp Aquos
2. Samsung
3. Sony Bravia and XBR
Plasma
1. Pioneer (they'll be getting out of the TV business this year though)
2. Panasonic
3. Hitachi
Console
1. Sony
2. Hitachi
3. Samsung
4. Mitsubishi
Regardless of TV chosen the best cheap advice I can give anyone is to at minimum calibrate it using a DVD you have that uses THX (Star Wars, etc). THX Discs come with a THX Optimizer in the options menu that will guide you through a simple calibration for sharpness, white and black levels, color, tint and audio. The difference it makes picture wise is significant. Is it as good as a pro calibration? no. does it get you 80-90% there? yes. Is it more than 99% of the population will notice? absolutely.
From a shopping experience - I bought my Pioneer 60" plasma from Amazon 2 years ago and saved huge. I received it within 3 days in perfect condition. They even called to make sure everything was OK a week later.
Other stores with great reps include www.onecall.com and http://www.visualapex.com. I bought my first plasma from Onecall and had a great experience. It's also worth popping into BB. I was in mine this weekend and they had a highly rated Panasonic 42" plasma on sale for 799.
<edit> Onecall has some smokin prices on plasmas (50-60"). They have 2 different 1080p 58" plasmas for $2500 (Panasonic and Samsung) http://www.onecall.com/ProductSearch.aspx?N=230+1678. In LCD TVs they have a number of 120hz 1080p 52" plasmas for 2400-2600. http://www.onecall.com/ProductSearch.aspx?N=227+666
<end edit>
Thats funny, MY list put Samsung at the top for Plasmas....
[evil]
lol. not making a value judgment just reporting on what I found on that site and most rags over the past 5-8 years. Black levels, contrast and color detail are what consistently separates the Panny and Pio over the past 4 years from the others. Samsungs are very nice and at this point almost any plasma TV can produce an excellent picture.
Look here for info on your specific model and how to get the most out of it.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1011420 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1011420)
Quote from: COWBOY on February 16, 2009, 04:24:20 PM
Look here for info on your specific model and how to get the most out of it.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1011420 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1011420)
Holy Crap! Talk about information overload! The Samsung LNxxA650 thread has 720 pages!!!!!!
LOL. If you try their search button and search for settings it'll narrow it down. Or start at the last page and work back a few and you'll generally uncover any major faults or must dos.
Well, I got the LN52A650. So far, I love it! Got it mounted on the wall, hooked up to component right now since the HD cables haven't arrived yet. Even so, the picture quality is SO MUCH BETTER than my non HD plasma. 120Hz makes for such a sharp picture!
Also, it's at least 10lbs lighter than my 42" plasma. Weird....