Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

I am looking into purchasing a HDTV. I have been looking at them for over a year waiting for them to come down in price.

I only want to spend between $1000-$1200 for one. I figured I might as well get the best picture the 1080p and want it to be at least 42".

There are just so many brands out there, just wondering if anyone has any advice? I can get one at Walmart made by Vizio, I see they are new to the TV market, so I am leary on buying this brand, since I am not familiar with them. Customer reviews help a little on trying to make a decision just checking to see if anyone else has any recommendations?

I have checked at Sams club, Best Buy, Circuit City around here and just waiting for a big sale I guess to see what kind of deal I can get. I am sure once all stations are required to go digital a year from now TV prices will continue to drop, so I may even wait a little longer, my cable co. Charter does not have that many HD channels yet anyways.

Thanks for everyones input!

According to the Wall Street Journal Radio (as of last week), LCD TV's should drop to about half of their current prices by Christmas.

I'm waiting for that.

Citicop.

I am looking into purchasing a HDTV. I have been looking at them for over a year waiting for them to come down in price.

I only want to spend between $1000-$1200 for one. I figured I might as well get the best picture the 1080p and want it to be at least 42".

There are just so many brands out there, just wondering if anyone has any advice? I can get one at Walmart made by Vizio, I see they are new to the TV market, so I am leary on buying this brand, since I am not familiar with them. Customer reviews help a little on trying to make a decision just checking to see if anyone else has any recommendations?

I have checked at Sams club, Best Buy, Circuit City around here and just waiting for a big sale I guess to see what kind of deal I can get. I am sure once all stations are required to go digital a year from now TV prices will continue to drop, so I may even wait a little longer, my cable co. Charter does not have that many HD channels yet anyways.

Thanks for everyones input!

For $2000 you can get a nice 42" 1080. Just tonight I bought a 50" Vizio plasma HDTV. I've researched these things alot and I'll tell you this: Buying a certain brand with 1080 on some models won't look as good as 720 on others. The 1080 is nice but most of the time you won't be able to tell a difference with a quality flat panel between 1080 and 720. Not nearly worth the price increase IMO.

You can consider plasma as well. The picture quality is just as good, maybe better and they're a little cheaper. The problems they used to have have been corrected for all but the cheapest brands.

The one I picked up was $1200 at Sam's club and it looked as good as any of them on display. It's not the top of the line but it's close enough to justify the savings. Spend the money you save on HDMI cables and a good blu-ray player and you'll be set.

This is the 2nd Vizio I've bought and I'm very impressed with the brand. One's a LCD and now a plasma.

The one I picked up:
Link (http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=377230&pCatg=5884)


A word of advice. No matter what brand you buy purchase the extended warranty. Three years for me cost an additional $198 at Sam's. It'll run you $250 at Best Buy and $300 at Sears. (Another reason I went the way I did.) Well worth the piece of mind. Every make and model experience some TV's that fail. The repair bills on these things can't get uber expensive if you have to fork it out yourself.

Buying a certain brand with 1080 on some models won't look as good as 720 on others. The 1080 is nice but most of the time you won't be able to tell a difference with a quality flat panel between 1080 and 720. Not nearly worth the price increase IMO.


That definitely is the truth. Unlike a lot of products, when it comes to TV's the brand you purchase really does matter. You can get a really inexpensive brand such as Olevia but your not going to be getting your money worth in it. I have a 32'' 720p Samsung in my bedroom and it has a clearer picture then most of the 1080p's that they sell in other brands. Samsung, Sharp, Sony, and LG are all pretty good brands to look out for.

If you want to save some money go and take a look at the Open Box deals at your local stores. They sometimes have some awesome deals on them and the TV's are perfectly fine. Usually they are returned in the box with all accessories because the first buyer decided the TV was too big / small and got a different one to fit their needs.

Stay away from Samsung tvs! :D

DepDog


I got Olevia. Seriously check it out at Circuit City.


http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Olevia-47-LCD-HDTV-247TFHD/sem/rpsm/oid/192330/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do


I have a 38" in my living room and its amazing. Not a lot of people have heard of Olevia, but it is one of the really good brands. If I'm not wrong, its one of the few still built in the US.


You can't go wrong with that price for 47"

That definitely is the truth. Unlike a lot of products, when it comes to TV's the brand you purchase really does matter. You can get a really inexpensive brand such as Olevia but your not going to be getting your money worth in it. I have a 32'' 720p Samsung in my bedroom and it has a clearer picture then most of the 1080p's that they sell in other brands. Samsung, Sharp, Sony, and LG are all pretty good brands to look out for.
.

I disagree. My Olevia is amazing :)


Held up better then my old Sony LCD.

Only thing I wish could change, is that like a cable controller/universal remote, doesn't work on my tv for some reason. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong...but...I'm too lazy and just turn the TV off by hand when I'm done watching.

The 1080 is nice but most of the time you won't be able to tell a difference with a quality flat panel between 1080 and 720. Not nearly worth the price increase IMO.


Agreed agreed and stressed. Wish I could find it again, but it was an article about how cable companies say they are pumping out 1080 quality, but they are only up to 720. Last couple of times I watched HD, I couldn't tell the difference in the cable hd on a 720 and a 1080 TV.

Stay away from Samsung tvs! :D

Why is that?


I just bought a Samsung 46 in LCD 1080 a month ago, and love it. It was an open box at Best Buy, and I picked it up for about $1,200.

Samsungs are excellent TV's and you really can't go wrong with them.

As for the Olevia, it really depends on what you want. For the money it is an excellent buy, I will agree with that. My friend has one and uses it for his Xbox 360 and occasionally some HD Cable Television, its good for him but I prefer something a little bit better. For an extra 200 dollars you can get a Samsung for the same size and trust me you will definitely see a difference.

I have to disagree with the extended warranties. That is NOTHING but pure profit for your vendor. you are very unlikely to use them. The chances of your TV failing after a year, but before 3 years, is very slim.

My father bought a Phillips 1080p at Sam's 14 months ago. It had an integrated tuner to pick up over the air HD channels. It stopped picking them up about a month ago. He did NOT purchase the extended warranty.

He called Sam's and they said bring it back. The store policy is "Satisfaction Guaranteed" and they stood by that. They took it back, gave him his cash back and he purchased a new set.

You can't get that kind of return policy anywhere else that I know of!

This is one of those areas where research pays off. One of the best websites for this type of thing is www.avsforum.com . It's a board dedicated to everything audio visual. There's enough information there to make your head hurt.

I have to disagree with the extended warranties. That is NOTHING but pure profit for your vendor. you are very unlikely to use them. The chances of your TV failing after a year, but before 3 years, is very slim.

Not that slim according to the hours of reviews I sifted through.

My father bought a Phillips 1080p at Sam's 14 months ago. It had an integrated tuner to pick up over the air HD channels. It stopped picking them up about a month ago. He did NOT purchase the extended warranty.

He called Sam's and they said bring it back. The store policy is "Satisfaction Guaranteed" and they stood by that. They took it back, gave him his cash back and he purchased a new set.

You can't get that kind of return policy anywhere else that I know of!

He probably just got lucky, that is certainly not a common practice otherwise no one would ever buy their warranties. Sometimes you get lucky and companies will make exceptions, othertimes your screwed. I see it every day at work.


[I have to disagree with the extended warranties. That is NOTHING but pure profit for your vendor. you are very unlikely to use them. The chances of your TV failing after a year, but before 3 years, is very slim. }{I have to disagree with the extended warranties. That is NOTHING but pure profit for your vendor. you are very unlikely to use them. The chances of your TV failing after a year, but before 3 years, is very slim.

9 times out of 10 that is true, nothing but pure profit, but that one case where something does happen and your $1500 TV dies on you your pretty much screwed because after 30 days most stores return policies are no longer covered. Then you have to battle it out through the manufacturer, which depending on the brand is easier said then done. Personally though I would never buy an extended warranty on a TV unless its upwards of $1500 or more. Once your spending that much you might as well protect it the best you can.

Not that slim according to the hours of reviews I sifted through.

I am just telling what those who actually sell the warranties say. It's an old tradition of selling something relatively worthless that is 100% profit for the vendor.

I am just telling what those who actually sell the warranties say. It's an old tradition of selling something relatively worthless that is 100% profit for the vendor.

I agree. It all boils down to if you're a gambler or not. Kinda like walking outside during a thunderstorm with rubber boots on. Will you get struck by lightning? Really doubt it but do you want to take that chance?:D

I could have used the money elsewhere believe me but I've read enough to scare me a little bit. Only 5 in 100 will have a problem that the warranty will fix but on anything that expensive I won't take the chance. I turn it down for most everything else though.