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Charles · Jul 10th, 2009, 10:09 AM

Yeah, you can find HDMI cables for like 10 bucks if you take the time to search.

rainedrop1019 · Jul 10th, 2009, 11:29 AM

I'm with Amanda - I personally love Samsungs and the Sony Bravia XBR (and only the XBR series. Z, W, V series are all okay I guess....) Samsungs are of course more affordable but IMO, my personal favorite line is still the XBR. I helped my family buy 2 XBR6s in my house and 1 XBR7. The XBR8 is still way expensive, even after the hefty discounts I was able to score.

Sure, sure of course the XBR line is much more expensive but have you seen a 52" XBR? It's honestly the best, most vibrant quality I've seen. Color closely matches the clarity and color contrast of a plasma if I remember correctly.

If you can get a hefty discount on the XBR, I think that is still the absolute top-line out of everything I've seen but realistically speaking, if you're paying retail, it's probably not worth it. Samsungs really the more reasonable choice if you're paying retail - they make great quality HDTVs for reasonable prices.

boomie · Jul 10th, 2009, 06:21 PM

We have a refurbished 42" Vizio 1080p LCD. Got it for a great price and wanted 1080p to take advantage of it for the XBox 360 and PS3...it was probably a customer return and when we received it, it looked just like new. I highly recommend refurbs! It has the same warranty as a brand new one. I think we got it from MacMall. Also, make sure to google the model number for reviews. I read pages and pages of reviews before the big purchase. Also, Amazon has cheapy HD cables. Good luck!

disney16 · Jul 11th, 2009, 11:45 PM

Originally Posted by amanda

Actually, in the size that she's looking for, the visual difference between a 720p and 1080p TV is going to be pretty inconsequential. Also, there aren't any cable or satellite providers that provide programming in 1080p, so unless she's going to hook up a Blu-Ray or PS3 to it, nothing she views on it will be in 1080p anyway. My mom was in the market for a 32-inch about a year ago, and I helped her find one, and I think the Sharp Aquos line was the only one that Best Buy carried that even had a 1080p at that size. And at 30 inches, plasmas aren't really even an option. I can't think of a manufacturer off the top of my head that makes one that small. LCDs are easier to find at smaller sizes and plasmas are easier to find at larger, as a general rule.

To the OP - honestly, at that price range, you might find a decent TV but probably won't get a great one. Bump it up to around $700-$800 and you'll be in much better shape, if you think you can fit that in your personal budget. If not, totally understandable, but getting a quality TV AND getting it wall-mounted for $500 or less is going to be a challenge.

Actually I will be hooking up my son's PS3 to it so I guess I need to be prepared to spend more money.

disney16 · Jul 11th, 2009, 11:53 PM

Thanks for all the wonderful advice. I have decided to wait until the Holidays since I'm not in a big hurry and hope they have some great sales.

msJenna · Jul 12th, 2009, 12:11 AM

My advice is to shop for sales and as soon as something new comes out, good tvs go down in price. I have a massive LCD TV that was in the $700 range.

It's Toshiba and EXCELLENT.

I had a smaller tv that was insignia and it was cheaper and was excellent. I gave it to my dad when I got my LCD.

You should look into it!

amanda · Jul 12th, 2009, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by disney16

Actually I will be hooking up my son's PS3 to it so I guess I need to be prepared to spend more money.

Like I said in my post, even if you do hook up a 1080p source to it, at 30", the visual difference is going to be negligible. If you're not comfortable spending more money on resolution, then don't feel like you need to.

boomie · Jul 12th, 2009, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by amanda

Like I said in my post, even if you do hook up a 1080p source to it, at 30", the visual difference is going to be negligible. If you're not comfortable spending more money on resolution, then don't feel like you need to.

True true, but with me at least, knowing we have the crispest, sharpest image possible, taking full advantage of the PS3's capabilities, is well worth it. Otherwise, I'd always wonder what it'd look like in 1080p. It looks pretty darn good too, I have to say :)

amanda · Jul 12th, 2009, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by boomie

True true, but with me at least, knowing we have the crispest, sharpest image possible, taking full advantage of the PS3's capabilities, is well worth it. Otherwise, I'd always wonder what it'd look like in 1080p. It looks pretty darn good too, I have to say :)

It just depends. The OP's budget is tight for a 1080p TV, so it's up to her to decide whether she wants to sacrifice things like processor speed or contrast ratio in order to get a higher resolution. A lot of things go into making a bright, crisp picture, not just resolution (that's one of the biggest misconceptions of TV shopping, actually). At any given price level, you have to decide which element is most important. When I bought my TV, I chose to go with processor speed as my main concern because I wanted it to be good for watching college football. As a result, I got one that was 720p and a DLP in order to stay within my budget. It was the right choice for my needs!

lily25 · Jul 12th, 2009, 11:24 AM

We are Samsung lovers in this family, I even have a tiny one in my kitchen to watch Sponge Bob Square Pants while doing dishes or preparing dinner. No TV in the bedroom though.

I suggest Samsung LN26B360 26 in. LCD TV it's less than 500$. My sis has this one and it is perfect.

Our dvd player is a dead cheap one and plays anything (all systems all kinds of files etc).

Hubby is more interested in his sound system than the tv, so he already had the perfect Mission Electronics speakers he got from UK, and a really good Sony amplifier. Any dvd player is better than the most expensive cd player so no need to buy a different player for music. Just make sure your dvd player plays mp3s.

InstantKarma · Jul 12th, 2009, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by Charles

Yeah, you can find HDMI cables for like 10 bucks if you take the time to search.

Yeah, HDMI cables can be found for $10 bucks on Amazon.com or Monoprice.com

ILuvShopping · Jul 13th, 2009, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by InstantKarma

Yeah, HDMI cables can be found for $10 bucks on Amazon.com or Monoprice.com

monoprice.com! that's the website i was thinking of i think you can get them for like $6 (plus shipping of course)

Charles · Jul 13th, 2009, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by boomie

True true, but with me at least, knowing we have the crispest, sharpest image possible, taking full advantage of the PS3's capabilities, is well worth it. Otherwise, I'd always wonder what it'd look like in 1080p. It looks pretty darn good too, I have to say :)

I think what Amanda is trying to say (sorry A, if I'm putting words into your mouth), is that physically, the TV is so small, that 720p and 1080p won't look any different. Sure, the PS3 might output 1080p, but you won't see any difference cause the screen is so small, the resolution can't be appreciated. Now, if you're talking about a 52" TV, that's a bit different.

amanda · Jul 13th, 2009, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by Charles

I think what Amanda is trying to say (sorry A, if I'm putting words into your mouth), is that physically, the TV is so small, that 720p and 1080p won't look any different. Sure, the PS3 might output 1080p, but you won't see any difference cause the screen is so small, the resolution can't be appreciated. Now, if you're talking about a 52" TV, that's a bit different.

Yep, you got it right!

If you were to sit two 50" TVs next to each other, one at 720 and one at 1080, that were pulling off of the same 1080 feed, I could tell you by looking which one is 1080. Not everyone can even do that, it depends on how sensitive your eyes are and how used to looking at TVs you might be. At 30", I would think it would be basically impossible. However, at that size, there are OTHER things to consider that may help your picture quality - processor speed and contrast ratio are among them. In situations where a budget is limited, it would benefit a customer more to focus on those things rather than on finding a 1080p TV (which are pretty rare at that size anyway). It's not just resolution that determines picture quality.

Jul 10th, 2009, 10:09 AM	#16
Charles Sucks at budgeting Joined: Jan 2007 Location: Jacksonville, Fl Posts: 6,182	Yeah, you can find HDMI cables for like 10 bucks if you take the time to search.
	__________________

Jul 10th, 2009, 06:21 PM	#18
boomie Dogs Rule Joined: Nov 2008 Location: Norfolk, Va Posts: 1,567	We have a refurbished 42" Vizio 1080p LCD. Got it for a great price and wanted 1080p to take advantage of it for the XBox 360 and PS3...it was probably a customer return and when we received it, it looked just like new. I highly recommend refurbs! It has the same warranty as a brand new one. I think we got it from MacMall. Also, make sure to google the model number for reviews. I read pages and pages of reviews before the big purchase. Also, Amazon has cheapy HD cables. Good luck!
	__________________ My favorites: HH: GZ Trophy RM: Sea Green MAM, Cobalt Mini Nikki, Teal mini Devote MJ and MbMJ: Indigo Blake, True Blue Teri Treesje: Blue Asher Coach: Teal Lindsay

Jul 11th, 2009, 11:53 PM	#20
disney16 OP Sofa King Delicious Joined: May 2006 Location: Planet Coach Posts: 2,135	Thanks for all the wonderful advice. I have decided to wait until the Holidays since I'm not in a big hurry and hope they have some great sales.
	__________________ Putting myself on a complete spending ban so I can get a new Large HDTV. No more bags for a while.

Jul 12th, 2009, 12:11 AM	#21
msJenna Member Joined: May 2007 Posts: 737	My advice is to shop for sales and as soon as something new comes out, good tvs go down in price. I have a massive LCD TV that was in the $700 range. It's Toshiba and EXCELLENT. I had a smaller tv that was insignia and it was cheaper and was excellent. I gave it to my dad when I got my LCD. You should look into it!
msJenna Member Joined: May 2007 Posts: 737	__________________ I Only Have Eyes For European Cars, European Shoes, And European Handbags

Jul 12th, 2009, 11:24 AM	#25
lily25 ♥.Blessed & Happy.♥ Joined: Sep 2007 Location: Athens Posts: 2,822	We are Samsung lovers in this family, I even have a tiny one in my kitchen to watch Sponge Bob Square Pants while doing dishes or preparing dinner. No TV in the bedroom though. I suggest Samsung LN26B360 26 in. LCD TV it's less than 500$. My sis has this one and it is perfect. Our dvd player is a dead cheap one and plays anything (all systems all kinds of files etc). Hubby is more interested in his sound system than the tv, so he already had the perfect Mission Electronics speakers he got from UK, and a really good Sony amplifier. Any dvd player is better than the most expensive cd player so no need to buy a different player for music. Just make sure your dvd player plays mp3s.
	__________________ ✿ . . ✿ . . . .wish list: Valextra Medium Boston in Powder Pink Hermes Picotin PM in Potiron Hermes Massai in Ebene . . . . ✿ . . ✿

Jul 10th, 2009, 11:29 AM	#17
rainedrop1019 To buy or not to buy Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 930	I'm with Amanda - I personally love Samsungs and the Sony Bravia XBR (and only the XBR series. Z, W, V series are all okay I guess....) Samsungs are of course more affordable but IMO, my personal favorite line is still the XBR. I helped my family buy 2 XBR6s in my house and 1 XBR7. The XBR8 is still way expensive, even after the hefty discounts I was able to score. Sure, sure of course the XBR line is much more expensive but have you seen a 52" XBR? It's honestly the best, most vibrant quality I've seen. Color closely matches the clarity and color contrast of a plasma if I remember correctly. If you can get a hefty discount on the XBR, I think that is still the absolute top-line out of everything I've seen but realistically speaking, if you're paying retail, it's probably not worth it. Samsungs really the more reasonable choice if you're paying retail - they make great quality HDTVs for reasonable prices.

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