I'm looking to buy a new tv in the coming months (probably by June/July...good ol' tax refund and whatnot). It's been 10 years since I bought a TV, so I'm not sure what kind of specs I should expect in regard to resolution, refresh, and contrast ratio.

Here are my requirements:

-Primarily used for DVDs and TV Sports viewing (via Comcast HD box)
-Stand or Wall Mount (I'm not sold on the wall mount because of the wires and install in a rented apartment)
-No console video games, though maybe a HTPC....is that possible?
-I'm on a budget, so

I really like the new Panasonic Viera Plasma line. They're pretty reasonably priced and the couple that I've seen on display have looked amazing. I don't know if you are set on an LCD, but I'd take a look at these plasmas. Here's one on Amazon that I've seen in person that was outstanding:

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-Vier...8233361&sr=8-1

I figured plasmas would be out of my range, though I just saw a 50" LG at Best Buy for $1400. 720 though.....not sure if I should go for a 1080, of ir 720 works.

Depending on how far you'll be from the TV and what you're inputting into it, 720p could be just as good as 1080p, but you can make an argument on both sides.

That Panasonic 42" plasma I linked to is about $1400 on Amazon with free shipping and is 1080p. Some folks are down on plasmas for some reason, but if I were in the market for a 40-42" set, that would be my first option under about $1500.

That is a pretty sweet TV.

As for how far I'll be from the tv, etc.....who knows. I'm going to be moving in a few months, so I'm not really sure on the setup, which is why i'm not in a rush to buy something right now (unless I find a wicked good deal and can save a few hundred or something).

It seems that things are moving towards 1080p, which is why I'm leaning towards that.....though I'm not sure how much of a diff. it will make for me right now. I don't hav ea BR player (yet), though I will be getting an HD box.

Can a plasma handle an HTPC input and be used as a monitor? I'd like to hook everything into my HT system and stream things into it, etc.

2 members of my family just bought TVs that fit your requirements. One bought a 1080p plasma, one a 1080p LCD. The plasma is superior in picture quality. It's just gorgeous, and I haven't even calibrated it, yet. The LCD is quite nice, after calibration.

A plasma can be used for a computer monitor, although I'd want to break it in for 100 hours before doing much with a desktop showing. For an HTPC that is mainly used to play movies, no problem.

Costco had the Panny 700U 42" 1080p plasma for $1100 a couple weeks ago. That was an absolute steal. Still pretty good at their regular price of $1300. It's sold out online, but may be in stock in a local store.
link

Wow...that hits everything I'm looking for......though it'd be $50 for a membership, and then 5% tax should bring it around $1200....not too shabby!

But Costco does extend the warranty to 2 years, I believe (?), so that offsets the membership cost IMO.

I just picked up a 50" Samsung for $999. Its 720P but more than meets my needs and the price was phenomenal. The newer models are coming out and prices on previous models are going down. Couldn't pass this one up. I briefly looked at Costco and was interested in the Panasonics, but when I called my Costco they did not have them in stock.

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php?t=528352

I'd look for the Panasonic 42" 77U version because it's got a better contrast ratio, and it's Panasonic's 2nd attempt at 1080p last year. To me the 77U looks better color-wise (due to its higher CR), but it'll cost a little more, but it might be worth it if you can find it. One thing that might be a negative is the 77U's anti-glare coating that might impart a little bit of sparklies due to how the reflections are handled with the coating.

Samsung-LN40A550 - 40" Widescreen 1080p LCD HDTV - 30,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio - 5ms Response Time - Piano Black

I've read about that Panny a few different places....it seems like it is well regarded. I'm still stuck on whether I should be looking at plasmas or lcds. I'm not averse to spending a bit more to get quality, but I'd probably go for the 42" and spend more than jump up to a 50" and spend more.

My other thought was to stick with a 42"ish 1080p for ~$1200 and then get a BR player.....how much are they running now? I can rent BR online. How crappy will standard DVDs look on an LCD/Plasma....as I have a few hundred of those....

I bought Sony KDL-40S3000 for $1200 back in Dec. and I find quality of SD more overwhelming than HD DVDs.

That COSTCO warranty coverage is tempting....I may go and check them out for pricing ideas....as 2 yr warranty saves me probably $100. I wonder how their extended plans price out....

I bought a 40" Samsung LCD 720P about two months ago which is just phenomenal. Model 4042H
Spent $900.00
Looks great with everything I connected to it.

I'm a big fan of Costco. It's a great place to buy a TV thanks to their 2-year extension of the manufacturer's warranty and their Concierge Service (which includes free technical support, setup help, etc). Also, their prices on TVs are among the best and almost always better than the other brick & mortar, non-club stores, even removing the warranty extension from the equation. Your $50 membership will easily pay for itself.

(Sheesh, I sound like a commercial, but honestly I'm just a happy Costco shopper).

I've been with them for years, but let my membership lapse as of late. I'm probably going to go check them out this afternoon and see what they have.

Get the 720p 42" or if you have the space 50" panny Plasma. If you qualification is "best picture in this price range" then IMO there is no reason to look at anything else.

I firmly believe you will not see the benefit fo 1080p on this sized set sitting at a reasonable distance (unless you use as a computer monitor).

I had selected the 720p panny plasma for the living room. But because I thought 50" was a little to big (physically, not picture wise) and the room was really bright, I ended up going with a Samsung 1080p LCD. After calibration it is nice. And I'm not disappointed. But the Panny plasma is a better overall picture. I simply cannot get the blacks on the LCD close to what the plasma is and this effects apparent contrast and depth. IMO the plasma also has a more natural look. The LCD is very, very sharp, but almost a "digital" look to it.

If you have the money, nothing wrong with getting 1080p. But for that size set I wouldn't pay extra for it regardless of source. And the newer 1080p panny plasmas are not getting the incredible rave reviews the 720p models got.

And I've told this story many a time, so sorry for those that have to keep reading it

I saw the 1080 42" Panny today..... It was $1299 at COSTCO. The 1080 42" was next to the 720 50", and I liked the 42" better. After looking at a bunch of different LCDs and Plasmas at COSTCO: Panny > LG / Sony > Sharp Aquos > Vizio. There were a few other ones, but in the 42-50"....those where what I remember.

The 42" 720 Panny may be the best of both worlds....inexpensive AND still a great set. It had some great reviews which put it on my radar originally. I am always hesitant to buy something that has been out for awhile, particularly when there is a replacement already, but I still may do it.

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I just checked amazon, and they have the 1080 42" for $1100 and the 720 for $950.....I'd pay $150 more for the 1080, now let's see if I can find either cheaper.

I think the price is around $2k (I'll check shortly), but I finally saw the new Panny 46" 1080p plasma that they came out with this year. Depending on the situation that may be good, but I think you were looking for 40" originally, so probably going too large now that I think about it.

Regardless, nice set.

Also, if you're looking for PC connectivity make sure you get the correct Panny model number. Usually they charge extra (~$100) for this "added" capability (with one or two other things as well). I really wish this was included in the price, much like the Samsung models.

Thanks for the heads up about the "added" feature, as that is something I'm definitely looking for.

I was thinking about picking up this blu-ray drive (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106227 ), though I'm not sure what kind of video card I'd need to make it worthwhile. Has anyone tried this setup? HTPC + Blu Ray ---> LCD / Plasma? Right now I have a low-end PC that I'd like to use to hold my MP3's and surf the web.

Okay....this deal looks good in regard to what you get, but I'm not sure if it is what I need.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-paZv75s...x?I=305LNT4042

40" Samsung 720p and a motorized wall mount, that is admittedly pretty bad ass....for $1200. Considering the wall mount alone is $450, that isn't too shabby.

Honestly, unless you have some need for an articulating arm mount, to view from 2 totally different angles, perhaps, just get a Monoprice $25 tilt mount. And the tilt is just to make sure you can get the right angle in your installation. This isn't something that you tilt back and forth from day to day. It's a set it and forget it.

Why are you getting a set? If for Home Theater I'd really recommend something bigger. And I'm not sure that it is that great of a deal. I got the Samsung 46" LCD (1080p) at Christmas for like $1,399. Now it may not be the = model to that one.

And I got 46" as I thought a 50" plasma would be to big. But you get use to the size quickly and 50" would have been fine.

I need a set for when I move, as I'll keep my current tv for the bedroom, but I'll need something for the living room. I won't have a ton of space, but I'm thinking I can fit a 42" anywhere. Looking at the 50" today, I'm not sure if that is too big.

I think the price difference makes me lean towards a 42"....especially if I could get away with a stand (or mount option for $50) and $1000-$1100 on a tv. I can take that extra $400-$500 and use it elsewhere. Players still look like they are $350+, and I have no use for a PS3, so I'm hoping I can add a few things to my existing server and turn it into a HTPC. The LiteOn drive + a video card + wireless keyboard and mouse seems like something I can do on the cheap.

I guess my hangup is that I always prefer to buy what is 'new' and not an older generation of technology, but the more I read about this stuff, the more it seems that 720 fits what I need. I'd eventually move the 42" into my bedroom and get a larger one for the living room a few years down the road.

The Panny 42" is the front runner at the moment (720 or 1080). I'm going to poke around and see what else is out there in the 42" range. I'm not sure if it was here or elsewhere, but people were saying that 50" could fall into the $1200ish range, which is admittedly tempting.

Let me reiterate, if you go for a Panasonic plasma, go with the 77U series because it's got twice the rated contrast ratio, and it looks better than the 700U series.