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>>> Official Black Friday 2009 HDTV Discussion Thread <<<

Brad

By Brad
in 2009

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Brad

Brad

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As always, we have several dedicated threads for the hotter items each Black Friday. Please try to keep all discussion related to these items in their official threads. Other threads posted will likely be merged into this main thread.

 

This first post will also be used for important links, info, tips, etc... as we get closer to Black Friday.

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civiclover88

civiclover88

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I think they will drop in price, BUT not this year. A HD website I frequent has an article stating that new production standards will cause OLED's to be as cheap to produce as a newspaper. Here's a link to the article.

 

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/OLEDs/Industry_Trends/New_Production_Method_Could_Make_OLEDs_Cheaper_Than_Newspapers/3361

 

I give it another year or so till we see a real drastic price cutting.

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len_mullen

len_mullen

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Is there anyone who has purchased a plasma in the past on BF? Are you happy with your choice?

I got my PN50A450 before black friday last year. It's a 50 720p Samsung. I am still amazed by the picture. I've collected all the information I used to make my decision here. It's a year old, but most is still relevent. I'm still very happy.
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civiclover88

civiclover88

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Mark my words.. BB will have at least one LED for BF.

My wife and I saw a commercial last night for one of those. My wife looks at me and says"Lets get one of those.". I told her the technology is too new and there are some glaring problems with them right now. Lets just wait and see what comes about.

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theimage13

theimage13

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I think they will drop in price, BUT not this year. A HD website I frequent has an article stating that new production standards will cause OLED's to be as cheap to produce as a newspaper. Here's a link to the article.

 

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/OLEDs/Industry_Trends/New_Production_Method_Could_Make_OLEDs_Cheaper_Than_Newspapers/3361

 

I give it another year or so till we see a real drastic price cutting.

First line of the article: "But don’t expect them any time soon..."

 

Big "breakthroughs" happen on a regular basis. Inevitably, something usually ends up holding them up (patent bickering, etc), or it turns out it's not quite what the researches thought it was. OLED sets are going to be way out of the range that most people consider "reasonable" for years to come, so if you're in the market for a TV now, you can't really go wrong with a good BF deal.

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  • 3 weeks later...
TerReuv

TerReuv

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Anyone know anything about these new portable Digital TV's? I was interested in one of these. I saw one in the recent Kohl's ad as regular $199 on sale for $119 with a visa card for $10 and then you can use your code for up to 30% off. I was wondering if anyone thinks these might be something for BF this year? Remember the little portable ones they used to have that ran on regular batteries. Well these have rechargeable batteries in them. They receive digital signals so they would work now. You know, if the power goes out or camping or something. You could watch the local channels.
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  • 2 weeks later...
tn20

tn20

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I'm considering a new TV set for the master bedroom for DH, but I'm completely clueless about tvs.

 

In our living room we have a 42" Panasonic Plasma 1080p (at least I think that's what it is) that we LOVE. It was purchased when Plasmas had just recently been released from Best Buy for $2500 (which makes me SICK when I see people posting prices like $399).

 

I'm assuming that 1080p is better than 720p...? So is 1080i better than 1080p? Is it worth the extra money?

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theimage13

theimage13

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1080i is worse than 1080p. For that matter, it's worse than 720p, really. the "i" stands for interlaced; the "p" for progressive - the two ways to describe how the picture is actually assembled on your screen. Long story short: progressive is better. Also, 720 and 1080 refer to the number of lines being drawn on the TV. More lines = finer picture; more detail.

 

Also, depending on the size of your TV, 1080p isn't even necessary. If you're getting a set for the bedroom - say, a 32" - that you'll be watching from at least as far away as the other end of the bed, you will not see a difference between 720p and 1080p. So ultimately, don't let the resolution alone be the deciding factor in which set you buy.

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len_mullen

len_mullen

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I'm considering a new TV set for the master bedroom for DH, but I'm completely clueless about tvs.

 

In our living room we have a 42" Panasonic Plasma 1080p (at least I think that's what it is) that we LOVE. It was purchased when Plasmas had just recently been released from Best Buy for $2500 (which makes me SICK when I see people posting prices like $399).

 

I'm assuming that 1080p is better than 720p...? So is 1080i better than 1080p? Is it worth the extra money?

First thing you want to do is decide where your new tv will sit. If the room is brightly lit, an lcd will not be as reflective as a plasma. If you sit off to the sides, the lcd will wash out as you move away from center. Measure the distance from where you will sit to where the tv will be. Use this chart to get an idea of how large a set will be appropriate. A sales rep at Sears told me that most tvs come back because they are too big for the room. Put this distance on a piece of paper and stick it in your wallet. When you shop for tvs, stand back as far as you will sit at home. Also not a bad idea to cut out a piece of cardboard about the size of the set you are considering. Stick it where the tv will be and sit in your seat. Is it too big? Too small?

 

Once you know size and distance, use this chart to get a feel for resolution. Use your eyes too -- at the stores at the distance you will watch from at home.

 

Now it's time to shop. Visit a lot of stores. Watch sports and movies -- same stuff you watch at home. Note the sets that look good to you. Go home and google them. Search bargain sites for best recent prices. Make a short list of the tvs you like and grab the first one that fits your budget.

 

I bought a set last year. I documented my experience and linked resources I used here.

 

I think plasma looks best. I was sensitive to motion blur on LCDs and since we sit at wide angles to the set wanted a tv with a wide viewing angle. I went with 720p. In a 50" set, I could not distinguish 720p from 1080p at five feet and we sit eight to twelve feet back. Loved the Kuros, but they were too expensive. Samsung, Panasonic, and Sony occupied the second tier. Sony was much more expensive than the other two. I watched for a good deal and grabbed the Sammy pn50a450 for $930 with a 1200w htib shipped free. We curtained the living room and the window over the sink in the adjacent kitchen to eliminate reflections (many simply tilt the set slightly forward). After a year, I'm still blown away.

 

Hope that helps.

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Kim3498

Kim3498

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Is there anyone who has purchased a plasma in the past on BF? Are you happy with your choice?

 

Yeah. I bought a 42" Panasonic 1080 plasma at Sears BF 2 years ago. It is still an awesome TV. I paid $1200.00 for it on sale. Reg price was around $1600.00. Just to show how much TV's have dropped in price since.... An HHGregg just opened up 2 months ago nearby and they had the same TV for $599.99. That was their Grand Opening sale. Can't wait to see their BF Sale.

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theblackdragon

theblackdragon

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If for some reason you do not get the TV that you want of BF, check in the first weeks of next year at most electronic stores.

 

I waited in line from 6PM until 5:30AM 2 years ago for an LCD TV that was on sale for BF. I didn't get it and me and my wife were really disappointed that we didn't get it. After the first of the year, we were reading the Best Buy add and saw a 56" LCD 1080i TV for only $959 :eyepoppin. We were at the doors when they opened. Bought it and have had noting but bliss ever since. The guy at Best Buy told us that they get rid of the older models in the beginning of the year for a song, just to make room for the new models.

 

This year, I am going after a Samsung BD-P3600 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player. YEAH BABY!!:yup:

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len_mullen

len_mullen

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This year, I am going after a Samsung BD-P3600 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player. YEAH BABY!!:yup:

You may want to consider a PS3 as your blu-ray player. With prices coming down, it's a viable alternative even for people who will never play games. Besides the player function and internet connectivity, you can use a pc to stream content to it. Kids are always watching content stored on their PCs.
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theblackdragon

theblackdragon

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I'm considering a new TV set for the master bedroom for DH, but I'm completely clueless about tvs.

 

In our living room we have a 42" Panasonic Plasma 1080p (at least I think that's what it is) that we LOVE. It was purchased when Plasmas had just recently been released from Best Buy for $2500 (which makes me SICK when I see people posting prices like $399).

 

I'm assuming that 1080p is better than 720p...? So is 1080i better than 1080p? Is it worth the extra money?

As far as the resolution on the TV is concerned the thing you need to look at is what are you watching?

 

If you have ever noticed what they are playing on those nice TV's it is almost always either sports or movies. You will also notice at places like Best Buy that the lights in that part of the building are lowered. There are reason for these things.

 

TV

If your going to watch mostly television shows like House, Lost, or the local news, then it really doesn't matter if you have a 720p or 1080i TV. Most TV shows are shot using the same cameras that they were using in the early 90's. So even if you have HD through your cable or satellite provider you are not getting true HD. Mostly because the resolution on most service providers is at best just 850 to 900 Dots Per Inch (DPI) and the show was filmed in 720 DPI. Now it would look a little cleaner because the resolution is better, but from personal experience I can tell you it isn't really any better than the old CRT TV's. It doesn't matter if your TV is Progressive (p) or Interlaced (i) at this point because you are not seeing the true HD that you are looking for. This is starting to change though and some shows are actually filmed in a higher resolution, but still, it usually isn't even close 1080 DPI and it will be quite some years before it is as good as Blue Ray.

 

SPORTS & MOVIES

Sports like MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, and the Olympics actually have upgraded their cameras to the higher resolutions so they can take fuller advantage of the 1080p format. Which means that it is a progressive DPI like your DVD player is. That is also why if you have watch a sports event on an HDTV every now and then will give you a little jump in the picture. The progressive is where it just anticipates next row of pixels according to a pixel map and doesn't get it just right. Your eyes just barely pick up on it, but that is what your seeing.

 

Blue Ray is the absolute best that you can want and it is the thing that you are seeing in the stores that are trying to sell you an HDTV. They do this because unlike most things that are coming thought the cable or satellite providers, it is true HD. The picture is clean and crisp, not to mention just flawless. :razz:

 

Now, I know what your thinking, "I go into Best Buy and they are playing sports on some TV's and Blue Ray on others". Well, if you pay attention to the resolution on the TV's you will notice why. The TV's that are not 1080i are always playing sports or if they are 720p they are playing just local news or a sitcom. The one that are playing Blue Ray movies are always 1080i. They want you to see how good it is and convince you to buy it. If you also notice that the lights are lowered in the TV section it is because you are focused on the picture and not on the distance that you are from the TV. The isle in Best Buy are even more narrow so you can't get 7 to 10' back like you would at home. So the picture looks even better. Sneaky huh?:gdtmi:

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theblackdragon

theblackdragon

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You may want to consider a PS3 as your blu-ray player. With prices coming down, it's a viable alternative even for people who will never play games. Besides the player function and internet connectivity, you can use a pc to stream content to it. Kids are always watching content stored on their PCs.

Samsung BD-P3600 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player

In addition, the stylish BD-P3600 boasts cutting edge features like support for Netflix and Pandora movie/music streaming; wireless capability with the included USB dongle; BD-Live support; and two USB connections for updating firmware or playing back digital media files. Watch your favorite DVDs and Blu-ray Discs, listen to CDs with the highest-quality audio, stream internet content and plenty more with this sleek and powerful player.

 

PS3 is a fine system, but, I would prefer something that has all the features I want, and none of the extras I don't. There is also a pretty big price difference in the two.

Samsung BD-P3600= $279 off sale

PS3 = $299 off sale

 

Plus the PS3 isn't likely to go down much more than it is, it is too popular. The Samsung I am hoping will drop to maybe $199 or if I am really lucky $150.

 

Thanks for the advise though.:)

Edited by theblackdragon
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tn20

tn20

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Thank you, theimage13, len_mullen, and theblackdragon!

 

You have all been INCREDIBLY helpful and I really appreciate it!!! Before reading your info, I know I would have paid too much for a tv that was too big and, for what we'll use it for, unnecessary.

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msivy

msivy

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PS3 is a fine system, but, I would prefer something that has all the features I want, and none of the extras I don't. There is also a pretty big price difference in the two.

Samsung BD-P3600= $279 off sale

PS3 = $299 off sale

 

Plus the PS3 isn't likely to go down much more than it is, it is too popular. The Samsung I am hoping will drop to maybe $199 or if I am really lucky $150.

 

Thanks for the advise though.:)

i used to work at ps3 tech support and commonly, when people used them solely for bd movies they would brick (become useless without repair) shortly. i always felt bad so i warn people as much as possible. sorry, slightly ot.

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msivy

msivy

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I think you will be able to get a 19" for $99, and a 32" for $249, with a 42" for $399 (they are not far from there right now.

oh man, here's hoping. fingers crossies! 32" is perfect for my small apt. and sweet xbox360 i plan on getting hubby this year.

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len_mullen

len_mullen

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i used to work at ps3 tech support and commonly, when people used them solely for bd movies they would brick (become useless without repair) shortly. i always felt bad so i warn people as much as possible.

I hope you're wrong or anecdotal. My PS3 has been playing movies (db, dvd, and burned) for a year. So far, so good. Of course, we play a lot of games too, but I don't understand how *not* playing games would make matters worse.
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