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Official Black Friday HDTV Discussion Thread


Brad

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Wasn't this pinned yesterday?  29 posts on HDTVs this year.  How times have changed.  No more debates about plasma vs LED.  No more 1080p vs 720p.  No more Kuro vs...the world.  No more discussion of 3D or 4k or OLED.  No more size matters jokes.

 

I guess flatscreen televisions are officially a commodity.  It may surprise you to learn that LCDs have been around since 1988, plasma was introduced in 1997, and even LED screens have been in the market for five years!  Here is a good primer for anyone actually shopping for a tv.  It was updated in April...

 

http://www.rtings.com/info/lcd-vs-led-vs-plasma

 

 

Some really bad news for the industry: plasmas and LCDs/LEDs are holding up much better than predicted.  Panasonic, Samsung, LG, and Sharp all claim 100,000 hours for their panels.  Let's do some math: 100,000 / 24 = 4,167 days of continuous operation -- that's 11.5 years!  Even if you only turn the set off for eight hours of sleep, your screen will not reach it's 'half brightness' state for seventeen years.

Happy shopping!

 

Your quote reminded me of something I remember reading about a long time ago.

 

While I am a staunch supporter of plasma HDTVs, if you happen to live at very high altitudes, say in Denver, CO, plasmas have been known to create a buzzing sound.  Personally, I've never encountered such a thing, but I'm told on good authority that it happens and at one time read about the physics behind it.

 

And since we're missing some good HDTV banter and jokes, how's this for filler?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCLYh4JSus8

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I'll put a plug in for the Panasonic Plasma TV - we bought one almost 9 YEARS ago.  Just now seeing the faintest bit of that "black bar" on the sides.  It's been set to "vivid" since then, and with my work schedule vs my husband's schedule, that sucker stays on almost the entire day, especially with the little ones watching TV.  Not only that, it's been moved from homes 3 times, and my son took a particular delight when a toddler to smack the screen WITH BLOCKS - nothing.  No breaks, no warping, no cracks, nothing!  We're looking for a replacement mostly because the one in our bedroom is an RCA that is well over 20 years old and THAT one is finally going. 

 

Not that I have it in the budget this year with the kids' things, but I will do my best to get another Panasonic Viera before they all disappear.  Love love love our TV. 

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What do yal think about the HDTV deals in the wal mart BF ad? I am thinking about the 46" Samsung or the 60" Vizio LED smart tv. The deals are on at 8 pm TG night so I am wondering when I should be there...??? I am hoping that everyone will be going after the cheaper ones..lol..

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I'm going for the 70" Vizio.  Plan on getting in line 2 hours before the sale if not more.

I'm very tempted by that and even the 55" Samsung. I like Samsung a lot. I got a sony a couple of years ago and had nothing but trouble out of it.

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Last year I was able to get a 32" LED by Coby from Amazon for $149.  Think that will happen again this year? Not necessarily Coby but a 32" for under $150.

 

Walmart's ad has a 32" for $98.  Though it is not a superstar - it's only 60hz and they're not even telling you the brand.

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What do yal think about the HDTV deals in the wal mart BF ad? I am thinking about the 46" Samsung or the 60" Vizio LED smart tv. The deals are on at 8 pm TG night so I am wondering when I should be there...??? I am hoping that everyone will be going after the cheaper ones..lol..

 

A 60" for $688 really is a heck of a deal.  I would prefer 240hz over the one in the ad that has 120 hz, but at that price point, that looks like a great deal.  The 46" is again 120hz, but for $500, that's not a terrible deal. 

 

But personally, I would (and may) buy the 51" plasma for just a few bucks more at $427.

 

I'm hoping the masses fall for the marketing junk and rush to the 1080p LED/LCDs and leave the good stuff - the plasma screens - for me. :)

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Lol, um, you need to maybe take day off to get in line day before for those bigger TV's.

 

Darn :(  I live in the swamp so maybe there won't be tons of ppl fighting over the 70" *i can only hope*

Edited by emelie
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PS I'm glad you guys like plasma IMO LED looks better. Plasma looks so dark compared to LED.

That's because plasma actually reproduces the color black. The (as-yet unsolved) motion problems of LCD (remember: "LED" TVs are just LCD sets with LED lighting) have, if anything, slowed the rate of adoption of HDTVs.

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What about a good HDTV Projector? I'm sort of interested for one for my basement... but now I'm thinking that the 70" Vizio would be a better deal....

You can get a decent 1080p projector for probably a bit less than that Vizio 70". But there are other factors to consider: A decent surface to project on is one. Another is that, if you don't already have a home theatre sound solution of some kind, you're gonna have to put one together, as the projector is unlikely to have anything useful to contribute in that area. Also, DO YOUR HOMEWORK regarding the longevity and price of a projector's light source, as that can represent a substantial back-end cost that many folks do not take into account before they buy.

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You can get a decent 1080p projector for probably a bit less than that Vizio 70". But there are other factors to consider: A decent surface to project on is one. Another is that, if you don't already have a home theatre sound solution of some kind, you're gonna have to put one together, as the projector is unlikely to have anything useful to contribute in that area. Also, DO YOUR HOMEWORK regarding the longevity and price of a projector's light source, as that can represent a substantial back-end cost that many folks do not take into account before they buy.

 

Thanks... I already have a decent sound solution in the basement...  I'll have to do some research.

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