Television Selection Help!

[Chunka]

I am desperate to find a reliable TV

 

(I don't subscribe to Consumer Reports and don't know their ratings) on

TV's

 

Our Panasonic 27" Flat Screen CRT TV lasted 3 years and it went out.

 

What is the best bang for the buck out there that should* last?

 

I want at least a 32" and am considering LCD's and Rear Projection TV's (I understand with Rear Projection I may have to buy a bulb in a few years time.)

 

Who has what?

with the best ratings/price?

[mrn8]

What's your budget for this TV?

 

A couple of things to consider with them are to make sure the viewing angle works for the room you'll have it in. Head to a local store and stand off to the side of the TV and make sure the quality will be good at all the distances and angles that you have seating for.

 

The other thing is to make sure it has a tuner. Some brands sell HDTVs that don't have a tuner built in, so it's essentially a monitor.

 

My personal preference on LCD TV's is Samsung. I've read favorable reviews on them and when I see them in-store, I am always impressed with the picture that they put out. A quick look at Amazon.com shows that you can get a Samsung 32" LCD HDTV for less than $900.

[Chunka]

Ty on that, our room is well our floor plan is open the seating is head on only no off to the side seating. So a rear projection would work now when we move who knows (Military)

 

I'd like to stay below 1000.00 including all prices/tax/delivery

I saw the samsung and love some of the ones that are there, I've read mixed reviews its just killing me to not have a clear idea of what one we want! (Argh)

[DaveL]

I would go with an LCD or Plasma and there are a lot of deals out there right now for ones 32"+ that are sub $1000. I have a rear projection and wish I bought an LCD or a Plasma. The one that Consumer Reports consistently rank high is the Panasonic 42" THX-42PX60U. Its a great TV and costs slightly above $1000 with shipping. I had both my parents and my wife's parents buy this TV when they asked for a recommendation (mainly based on the CR rating).

 

Right now Circuit City has it on sale for $1199 but you can find it at some other online retailers for even cheaper.

 

Hope that helps with the decision. Good luck!

[guilliam]

I would not buy another panasonic lcd tv! We've had ours (50") for about 3 years and had nothing but problems with it! When we did a search on it, there are several complaint sites dedicated to Panasonic LCD TVs. All were having the same problems we've had. And Panasonic won't do anything for you once the 1 year warranty is gone. Even though they know there is a problem. There is actually a class action lawsuit about it too (We received the notice)

 

JMO, hope it helps

[DaveL]

The Panasonic I was refering to was a Plasma not LCD. If you search enough about LCD's you will see all manufacturers had issues when they first came out. It's the price that you sometimes pay for adopting new technology. My info came from CR and they show good reliability on most new LCDs and Plasmas that are currently out.

[mystikal1]

If you are looking for a 32" The Westinghouse HDTV LCD (BF 2006 $479) is a good place to start. I use mine as my computer monitor and I love it. You can find deals under $600 for this TV and I would recommend it to anyone.