bhome83

im sure tons of people have come into these forums wanting to know what kind of tv to get, so i guess ill be another one of them so i have a budget of around $2,000 ( i can probably be flexible though). ive been reading through posts on here, FAQ and stil can't figure out what to get? i want at least 50" (give or take a few inches). im just mainly concerned about picture quality and durability (don't want it to spaz out after a few yrs, especiallly with the $$$ i put into it). i mainly use the tv just for movies and sports, and other regular tv. not really all that into gaming. not sure if this makes a difference in the tv i buy though. any ideas where i should start? ive been going to stores looking at tv's but sometimes its hard to tell the difference. DLP, LCD, plasma, why do they have to make this so complicated

GIjon213

To start, I would just use stores for live viewing, not purchasing. Normally, you can get a better price online. I use the site pricegrabber.com, all you need to do is plug the model # in and it spits out pricing and shipping.

In regards to what kind of TV you want, there are several things you have to consider. Do you want this mounted on a wall or do you have little space? Do you want the biggest picture your $2000 can buy? Etc... For what you are doing, and the little info you provided, I would recommend a DLP rear-projection TV. Now you have to ask yourself, "Self, do I want 720p or 1080p?" You are asking yourself if you want your horizontal lines to number 720 across, or 1080 across. The more lines in the TV, the higher the resolution will be. And the price, that goes up too. Me personally, I believe that Samsung is the best in TV right now. Second would probably be Sony and then a very close third being Toshiba, but I personally don't buy from them because of thier dealings with the USSR back in the day.The HL-S5687W seems to fit what you are asking about.

Sdallnct

Yes, I would agree. The Samsung DLP are by far the best values and excellent TV's. You can easily get a 720p model for well under $1,500, probably closer to $1,300 with careful shopping.

While I agree you could buy on line, don't forget to including shipping in the total cost. Tho you might not have to pay tax, so it might be a wash. Also, do not go to stores to look at the quality of the picture you get. They do not set the TV's up properly and I firmly believe they make some sets look better then others to push certain TV's.

720p v. 1080p typically, on a TV this small, I would say don't worry about 1080p, your not going to see the difference unless you sit way to close. There may be some advantages tho if you pan to hook up a computer to it. However, a long time trusted poster pointed out that the new 1080p Samsung can be had for $1,600 or a little less. And while perhaps the 1080p may not be needed, there are other reasons to get the set (new technology, faster color wheel, etc).

Also I would recommend the 50" Panasonic Plasma. Flat panel, excellent reviews and can be had for less then $2,000 with careful shopping.

Or lastly you could blow both of these away for less money. Get a Optoma HD70 or Mitsubishi HD1000U front projector for less then a grand (both are HD 720p), build or buy a 100" screen and really have some fun! Or the Sanyo Z4 for can had for about $1,200 (if still in stock) with extra buld and 92" screen. The Z4 is also 720p HD. Yes would take more set up, more research, more planning. PJ's are not "plug and play". But once you do have them all set up, they very well can be.

GIjon213

I agree with you there! I personally have the HD70, and it is really something to see! I is not as complicated as it looks, and well worth the effort.