Time for a new TV - maybe

"An HDTV has a Hi Def receiver built into it."
Yes, for over the air antenna reception, will not decode hdtv cable signals except unscrambled QAM. If you have satellite, you will need a hdtv box from your provider, which of course they will charge you monthly for.

Wait on buying the new teevee. Prices will be dropping dramatically as Christmas gets closer and then again in the first part of the new year. There's a couple reasons -

The recent settlement of LCD screen manufacturers on price fixing charges.

The dollar doing better overseas.

Oil prices coming down.

Weak consumer market

By the end of the year you should be able to get 50 inch flat screen for well under $1000.

cArNaGe wrote:I want a new TV for my bedroom but doesn't Hi Def look bad if you don't have a Hi Def reciever?

Yep..hook a HD or any LCD/Plasma up to analog signal and it looks crappier than a CRT.

Also...some TVs cheap out on the software that does the scaling. You get a picture that looks like it's been stretched. Several of our friends have bought inexpensive LCDs and they look like crap to me.

Several of our friends have bought inexpensive LCDs and they look like crap to me.

That's part of the problem people get what they pay for. Wal-mart sells everything cheap but it's all usually cheaply made too. I know a guy and his family runs a local little appliance store where they sell tv's and such, he told me that the boards on the tv's and the chips are all of 'B' grade to have a lower price for all those big retail stores. They fix all types of tv's and you can have two with the same model number but with two completely different boards in them. Wally's tv's are not meant to last any longer then five years.

One tip: Buy a brand name. The cheaper ones are just that. You go get what you pay for in electronics. Don't forget to get a surge protector for the new TV...they are computers!

wow some of those old TVS are so cool.do they still work? i just bought a new Sony Bravia 31 inch for 1000.00
Thats the most i ever spent on a TV in my life.But i am happy with it.It has so many jacks on it i think I could
hook my coal stove up to it lol
Keith

Freddy wrote:One tip: Buy a brand name. The cheaper ones are just that. You go get what you pay for in electronics. Don't forget to get a surge protector for the new TV...they are computers!

These weren't no-name, chinese junk. Magnavox, Phillips and another one that escapes me.....They just weren't the most expensive units they had for sale. It's the Interpolation algorithm and scaling algorithm they use to stretch the pic up to the size of the screen.

Freddy wrote:One tip: Buy a brand name. The cheaper ones are just that. You go get what you pay for in electronics. Don't forget to get a surge protector for the new TV...they are computers!

I own a http://www.panamax.com/Products/Default.aspx that when set up has all my stereo and tv components plug into it and conditions the power before reaching the electronics. Well worth the money for the price everything cost me. Unfortunately it's packed away with my whole surround system waiting for me to finish off the basement


They now have whole house surge protectors that cost around 4-500 bucks and protects everything in your house.

av8r wrote:
These weren't no-name, Chinese junk. Magnavox, Phillips and another one that escapes me.....They just weren't the most expensive units they had for sale. It's the Interpolation algorithm and scaling algorithm they use to stretch the pic up to the size of the screen.

Magnavox and RCA are cheap junk and Phillips falls right in the middle, but they have been improving. They ruin their names by using cheap components in the sets. RCA is owned by GE and they have one of the worst costumer service departments out there. Personally out of all of them Phillips would by the only one I would even look at and even then it would only be for a tv that wouldn't get used like it was the main one in the living room. If you can buy it at Wally World then it's just not worth buying unless you want a cheap set.

No matter what set you get make sure it has a ironclad warenty with it and I hate to say this ...Maybe think about an extended warrenty plan.
I agree with the thought about chinese junk but I am afraid they all have a good share of common "manufature parts" from China.
Call me "oldfashioned" But in my way of thinking this global thinking ( buy anywhere) (cheaper the better) has helped get us to the state of affairs we are in today
Its ok to bailout billionaire bankers...."they need a sound finacial system".....But by god we "we wont loan any money to auto industry" which directly affects every man woman and child on US soil. PS how to US Senators shuttle around this country if not on Corporate Private jets????? Whens the last time you saw a US Senator standing in a Airport Security line
Talk about the pots calling the kettles black. These idots are going to have us all on welfare row soon. TERM LIMITS TERM LIMITS TERM LIMITS
Congress has done such a great job of running the country last 10 years they sure should tell business how to operate.....

Figured I'd throw this in here:

I just bought this http://www.amazon.com/Next-Generation-R ... 930&sr=1-1

Remote control extender & it works great!!

(I have the upstairs kitchen TV connected to the downstairs digital cable box & can now control that cable box from anywhere in the house! (Has an rf sending unit that just replaces either a AA or AAA battery in any remote & sends the signal through walls, floors, etc......You don't even need to point the remote at anything!!) Only $33.00 too!

Is there a difference between a rear projection LCD and a regular LCD or are all LCD's rear projection. I was poking around and found this one for under $500. IS it good technology, bad technology, good TV, bad TV, good deal, bad deal...etc??? We bought some kitchen stuff from them over a year ago for a great price (50% below any other prices we were able to find on the exact same Kitchen Aid products) and are happy with them. They are in Elverson, PA so you can actually see the product and it makes for easy pick up rather than having them ship it.

http://www.3gorillas.com/Televisions-17 ... tInfo.aspx

titleist1 wrote:Is there a difference between a rear projection LCD and a regular LCD or are all LCD's rear projection.

Rear projection TV's, like front projection tv's, are projectors. You get a bigger picture but at the cost of requiring an expensive & limited lifetime projection bulb. Direct view TV's give better pic quality & viewing angle limitations though smaller than projectors $ for $. If you don't need a huge picture, I'd stick with direct view LCD or Plasma.

Arbitrarily dismissing all the products from a manufacturer based on the name is ignorant. They all can make a dog, but many of the products from these vendors are very well reviewed.

http://www.amazon.com/Magnavox-15MF200V ... B0000BZHDO
http://reviews.pricegrabber.com/plasma- ... /13310231/
http://www.nextag.com/magnavox-42-lcd/search-html

Do a little research and find one that fits your budget. Spending more $$$ does not guarantee a better product just as buying a Sony unit does not.

Adamiscold wrote:

av8r wrote:
These weren't no-name, Chinese junk. Magnavox, Phillips and another one that escapes me.....They just weren't the most expensive units they had for sale. It's the Interpolation algorithm and scaling algorithm they use to stretch the pic up to the size of the screen.

Magnavox and RCA are cheap junk and Phillips falls right in the middle, but they have been improving. They ruin their names by using cheap components in the sets. RCA is owned by GE and they have one of the worst costumer service departments out there. Personally out of all of them Phillips would by the only one I would even look at and even then it would only be for a tv that wouldn't get used like it was the main one in the living room. If you can buy it at Wally World then it's just not worth buying unless you want a cheap set.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0017Q4X2C/digitaladvisor-20?m=A3LJ5WMKNRFKQS

Here is 1 i am looking at for my bedroom.vary good ratings with consumer reports
Chris H