Buying a 52" TV, what to look for?

[DoubleEagle]

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

[NAKID]

Shop NBC? As in the TV Station?

[NAKID]

So, who can beat Amazon? Found the same Samsung for about 500 less than at Sears with FREE shipping...

[Supero100]

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.

[rgramjet]

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....

[He Man]

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.

[NAKID]

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??

[He Man]

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.

[DarkStaR]

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)  .

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.

[Supero100]

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.

[NAKID]

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...

[il d00d]

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, snake oil salesmen, and did I mention sue-happy?

[the_Journeyman]

So...  When are they gonna sue Ducati 

JM

[Supero100]

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.

[rgramjet]

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!