Shopping for an HDTV

[TheGame]

Hey, I'm about to buy an HDTV for my livingroom for gaming/movies tomorrow morning. My spending limit is $750 (before taxes), and I'm probably only going to be checking out best buy, and wal mart... and maybe target.

At this point, any TV that's 32" or bigger would look fine with my livingroom set.. But since I can't bring my Ps3 with me to the store to try it out on each TV to see the difference, I just wanted your opinions on something. Keep in mind that I'm going size over picture quality, unless some of these factors make a noticable difference for video games:

1) 720p vs 1080p

I understand that 1080p is better. But how much better is it? If you had the choice between a 32" 1080p and a 40"720p, which would you chose?

2) 60Hz vs 120Hz vs 240Hz

I really don't understand this listing on TVs.. I just know it has something to do with the refresh rate, and that slower speeds can cause a small bit of lag on the TV screen. For gaming is this a big factor?

3) Brand name...

For LCD HDTVs, do you guys have a preffered brand? Have you had any bad experiences with certain companies?

[BreakABone]

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...01201935156036

This is a pretty cool deal and within your budget.
And a name brand.

As for your questions,

my TV maxes out at 1080i (so most of the time runs at 720p) and it does the job well enough. Never have an issue with it.

The second, I believe is the refresh rate or something like that, and I hear products optimized for them look glorious so I would aim for 120 if not 240

[TheGame]

Originally Posted by BreakABone

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...01201935156036

This is a pretty cool deal and within your budget.
And a name brand.

As for your questions,

my TV maxes out at 1080i (so most of the time runs at 720p) and it does the job well enough. Never have an issue with it.

The second, I believe is the refresh rate or something like that, and I hear products optimized for them look glorious so I would aim for 120 if not 240

Thanks for the info. And yeah that TV looks pretty good for it's price.

[TheGame]

It REALLY sucks that that TV is only available online....

[Dyne]

1.) 1080p, definitely. I never once regretted it. If you're going to upgrade, why not go all the way, pixel wise?

2.) 60Hz. The others still look like gimmicks right now. I've watched countless programs on other TVs with both 120Hz and 240Hz and they just look screwy, wrong, and permanently fast-forward.

3.) I'm told that all the major brands use the same panels/screens, and only add their own firmware and stuff. I'd tend to agree, but you want the warranty of a trusted manufacturer. If you get a dead pixel, who would you trust more to replace your new LCD TV? Westinghouse or Sony?

And seriously don't go for any other gimmicks. They're not worth it. Stay especially far away from 3D and the higher Hz TV's. They might make sense in 5-10 years, but not right now.

I went with a Sharp Aquos 1080p 37" 60Hz and I love it. I think Sharp is pushing the Quattron line right now which adds the Yellow to RGB. I'd probably tend to those right now if I were buying again.

[manasecret]

Originally Posted by Dyne

2.) 60Hz. The others still look like gimmicks right now. I've watched countless programs on other TVs with both 120Hz and 240Hz and they just look screwy, wrong, and permanently fast-forward.

This lack of understanding really irks me.

Like 1080p, there's no reason not to go for 120 Hz or 240 Hz now since it's practically standard, and therefore pretty cheap. A faster refresh rate will not change the source image like Dyne is making out, and can only help reduce motion blur. The faster the refresh rate, the better.

What Dyne is complaining about (which is fine if you don't like it) is the Automotion+ etc. (each company has it's own name) that is only available with 120 Hz or 240 Hz TVs. The feature is totally OPTIONAL, you can turn it off at any time and leave it off if you don't like it. However, if you do like it, you will wish you had it. The first time I saw the Automotion+ stuff is the first time I was actually impressed by HDTVs. But it's not perfect, as any post-source algorithm will be, and in that case, you turn it off.

And honestly, if you're going to buy a TV now, I would seriously consider a 3D TV. Like the Automotion+, it's another feature that is completely OPTIONAL. If you get it for the same price, then why not get it? But they're very expensive right now. I would wait 9 months until they come down to standard prices.

Game, the best way to choose a TV is to simply go by reviews online. Barring going to stores and truly test-driving each TV with a proper source image and getting the settings right, using reviews online is the best way. IMO, if you're going to buy a TV for the next 10+ years, go for one that has everything that you might want for the long run. You can get excellent TVs with lots of options for fairly cheap. Last I checked, Sony and Samsung had the best image quality TVs. That may be different now.

[Jason1]

I worked for a company that answered consumer calls for Sharp Electronics for 9 months. We got these kinds of questions all the time. I would say getting a TV that is 1080 is more important picture quality wise than 60 vs. 120 hz. From my experiences it is VERY hard to notice a difference between 60 and 120 hz.

[Vampyr]

Depending on the size of the TV it's going to be difficult to notice a difference between 1080p and 720p too.

[TheGame]

I've went to a few stores.. I think I might not have the heart to waste $700 on a TV just yet. lol

From what I have seen so far, I like the Sony TVs pictures the most by far, for the 40+ inch ones.

[manasecret]

Originally Posted by Jason1

I worked for a company that answered consumer calls for Sharp Electronics for 9 months. We got these kinds of questions all the time. I would say getting a TV that is 1080 is more important picture quality wise than 60 vs. 120 hz. From my experiences it is VERY hard to notice a difference between 60 and 120 hz.

Originally Posted by Vampyr

Depending on the size of the TV it's going to be difficult to notice a difference between 1080p and 720p too.

Both of these are pretty much true. Pretty much the only time you might notice the 120 Hz is for movies, since the 24 fps of movies does not divide evenly into 60 Hz. Otherwise, the difference is nil, unless of course you're looking into the Automotion+ stuff that only comes with 120 and 240 Hz.

Technically, 1080p for the size TV you're thinking of they SAY is nearly impossible to notice vs. 720p. Realistically, on the other hand, the best image quality TVs being made today tend to be 1080p, not 720p, so you will notice a difference just because the 720ps tend to be poorer quality TVs.

But I see you chose to wait. Good for you. As long as you have a working TV, I wouldn't be buying a new one either. They go obsolete as soon as you buy them, so waiting can't hurt. If your old tube does die, though, I recommend getting an HDTV since they don't make the tube TVs like they used to. My girlfriend went cheap and spent some $100-$200 on a tube TV a few years ago, and it died a year later, and of course it's not worth fixing.

[TheGame]

So yeah.. I built up the courage over night. Got the 1080p 120Hz Sony 40" (Bravia or something). Was on sale for $628.

OMG I feel like I just bought my Ps3 all over. I feel like I gotta play through MGS4 again, and start FF13 over cause my TV didn't do it justice before.

[Dyne]

Welcome to HD.

Yeah that's a heck of a deal, especially for Sony. Good job, dude.

[TheGame]

I'm at work right now.. I so want to go home ASAP.