I have browsed this forum a bit and although found some useful info I feel like I still need some direction. Anyway, my wife finally admitted that we should think about replacing our 8 y/o 36" tv with something more modern. We do have a 50" LCD rear proj in the media room but we actually do most of our casual viewing in our family room where the old tv is. We are looking for something in the 40-50" range and a flat panel. I am probably leaning towards LCD versus plasma as the tv wil be on alot and oftentimes it will be on channels that will cause burn-in. However, I am not sure if I should spend the extra to get a 1080p set. The only HD component we will have hooked up in the foreseeable future will be a Dish HD tuner. Other than that we have modulated s-video signals that will be input to the tv. When modulating HD signals becomes realistic and affordable we will probably bump up our in-house signal to HD but who knows if/when that is going to happen. We were hoping to stay in the $1500-2000 range but if it would be dumb not to spend a few hundred more for a 1080p model or if a 50" was only a little more than a comparable 40" model it is not really a problem doing that.
So I guess I am looking for recommendations. Plasma vs. LCD? 720p vs. 1080p? Any specific model recommendations? (our cabinet size limits are 48" x 38") Costco seems to have some great deals on several tvs in the 40" range - at least better than I've seen at BB or CC - but I don't really care too much where I get it. However, I would prefer to be able to go pick it up at a local store rather than ordering it. Thanks for any input.
well if you are putting it in a cabinet than i would go with LCD because plasmas can tend to over heat more than LCD. i would just say go with a good brand, my 2 favorites are Sony and Samsung for LCD. if you can afford 1080p i would get it. i just bought a Sony 40" LCD and i love it but its not 1080p. you can pick up the new Sony 40" 1080p V series for $2500 but i just could not justify spending that much. getting a Samsung or Sony 40" for under $2000 is pretty easy but if you go up to 46" than you be over $2000. Happy Shopping!
Thanks for the reply. I also am leaning towards the Sony or Samsung but I did see a 40" Panasonic 1080p for $2300 that caught my interest. I am not so concerned about the heat from a plasma as it is technically not going in a cabinet but rather into our built-in shelves so it is quite open. I guess I should have said the shelf space is 48x38 - sorry about that. I think I am convinced to go with LCD since it is not much more $$ (if any) than a comparable sized plasma. I guess I have the same reservations about spending that much more for 1080p over 720p. I think the Dish HD channels on our 720p set look pretty darn good but then again I don't want to buy a 720p set if in a year or two it is going to be synonomous to what having an edtv set today is. Thanks again for the input and keep it coming.
Matt, i don't think there is any way a year or 2 from now all channels will be broadcast in 1080p. they dont even offer all the channels in regular high def yet. i think the main advantage to getting the 1080p is being ahead of the game on the new DVD formats coming out, and they just look so damn good. it may be quite a while before they get all the issues worked out as far as the new formats are concerned. if i could have possibly justified the cost or just been patient and waited 6 months i would have gotten the 1080p but i am very happy with my panel, it looks wonderful, no regrets.