I want a new HDTV and have questions.

[DoctorWhosScarf]

I have a Toshiba HDTV that is small (maybe 19 inches or low 20's) and a Sony Blu-Ray player hooked up to it by HDMI cable. The picture and sound is good in my opinion, but I've been told that I'm not going to be getting the most out of my Blu-Rays with such a small TV.

I did a little bit of reading about HDTVs, but that hasn't brought me much closer to knowing what to buy, and you've probably forgotten more than I know about HDTV. Now for some questions:

1. What size TV will I need to do justice to my Blu-Ray player?

2. I've read that it would be a good idea to get a TV that is 120 hz. When I was looking at Plasma TVs I noticed that these TVs had 600 hz, yet they're cheaper than LCD and LED TVs. So are Plasma TVs with 600 hz better than LCD or LED TVs with 120 hz?

3. The price difference with Plasma TVs and LCD and LED TVs has me a little worried. Do Plasma TVs have a shorter lifespan than LCD and LED?

4. I keep talking about Plasma, but in your opinion should I for sure get a Plasma or an LCD or an LED TV?

5. 1080 and 720 have me confused. I have seen reviews from people saying they have both a 1080 TV and a 720 TV, but they say they can't notice a difference in picture quality. But is there a difference in picture quality, and would you recommend getting a 1080 TV or a 720 TV?

6. You're probably going to hate me for saying this, but I sort of like that motion interpolation feature. I totally understand why people hate it, but when I go to the store and see a movie playing with that feature on, sometimes it looks interesting. This isn't a feature I'd use all the time, but now and then I might want to turn it on, or I may want to use it enough to get the "it looks interesting" feeling out of my system and then never use that feature again. Is this feature only exclusive to TVs that are 1080 and 120 hz, or could I find that sort of feature on a TV that is 720 and 600 hz? Do most HDTVs these days have that sort of feature?

7. Is there a specific brand and model you would recommend?

8. Where do you recommend buying a TV from?

I know I should say how much I'm willing to spend, but the truth is I don't know. I'd love to not have to spend more than $600, and if I could go even lower than that and still get the sort of thing I want that would be great. But I have absolutely no clue at all what the typical pricing is when it comes to an HDTV that will knock my socks off. Despite having an HDTV for a few years (albeit a small one) I'm still very new to this. So if the TV absolutely has to be more than $600 then ok, but please try not to make my wallet hurt too much.

[chipmac]

While its true that you won't get an immersive experience with a 20 inch display, you should still see an improvement in video quality as long as you're not seated too far away. Your seating distance should help determine what size display you should be shopping for. If you're watching a 20" display on a desk from 2' away you're good to go. However if you're watching that same 20' display from across the room at 10' away you're not going to get the most from it.

For comparison I have a 720p projector displaying on a 100 inch screen that I sit 12 feet away from and it looks very good to me. I'm looking to upgrade to a new model at 1080p next year now that prices have come down but at the time a 720p PJ was within my budget and was good enough for my needs.

So determine how far away you'd like to sit comfortably and then you can see what size TV fits your budget in the various display technologies that are out there.

[pelenor]

40" or 42" inches are in your budget and will be a huge improvement over your current tv.

As for your questions:
1. For your budget, a 40 or 42 inch tv should be great.

2. Most, if not all, HD TV's are 120 MHZ now. This basically means that for quick moving action, the tv "smooths' the picture so there is little to no blur. Some people like it's effect others don't. Here's a discussion about it on an HD forum:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1154446

3. The newer plasmas are actually better at showing black, which makes a better picture but, honestly, you really can't go wrong with any of the newer LCD, LED or plasma tv's. The plasmas are cheaper because many manufacturers are moving away from the tech but it'll last you as long as any other tv.

4. See above.

5.All HD content from cable and satellite is broadcast at 1080i, which means it is interlaced. See the video below. You will really not notice too much of a difference in 720 vs 1080 until you get to a 50" or larger tv. I have a720p 32 inch and a 720p projector and I have a blue ray and hd-dvd player (yes I still got mine :)) and the picture is amazing. If you get a 720 tv, you'll be happy.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Z-JXfyvlPh0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

6. I believe most tv's have this feature, but look at the specs when purchasing. It should say something like "motion flow" or "auto motion".

7. I've always been partial to Samsung. :)

8. This is a tough one. I usually get my stuff from Best Buy or Amazon, depending on the price.

Hope this helps!

[DoctorWhosScarf]

Thank you for your responses.

I'm going to be putting this TV in my bedroom and will probably be laying in bed watching when watching it, so I'm guessing I might be 10 to 12 feet away from it.

I was at the store today looking at TVs and they had Hugo playing on two of them. The picture quality looked great! They were both Vizio's though and around here people don't seem to be too fond of Vizio, so I passed. I'm leaning towards Samsung.

[DoctorWhosScarf]

I'm considering going with the Samsung UN46EH6000. It's 46 inches, 1080P, 120hz, and an LED TV. It's also above the $600 price point and priced at $880.85...but should I get it?

[Mr. Salty]

You should strongly consider Panasonic plasma as well.

[cwwallace]

I'm having to a replace a 57" Mitsu DLP after many, many issues with it. I'm thinking Panny Plasma as well. They have a great reputation and are priced reasonably when comparing across the major brands.

[Sdallnct]

Panny plasma. In the size and sitting distance, 720p is fine.