Help Suggest a TV for the TV Addict

January 26th, 2008

This Thursday January 31 is a truly exciting day for the TV Addict.

Not only does it mark the much anticipated fourth season premiere of LOST (alongside the series premiere of ELI STONE and the return of SMALLVILLE and SUPERNATURAL), it is moving day for the TV Addict. And with the big move comes the obligatory and much needed television upgrade. Suffice to say, my 37″ Sharp Aquos that currently resides in my bedroom simply won’t cut it in my brand new, moderately spacious living room.

With that in mind, I thought I’d open it up to my fantastic and far smarter readers. In the 42″ – 46″ family, what TV would you suggest? Got a favorite brand? LCD vs. Plasma? With so many brands, so many choices, in all seriousness — what’s a TV Addict to do?

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 26th, 2008 at 7:38 am and is filed under Random Musings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

12 Responses to “Help Suggest a TV for the TV Addict”

Todd W in NC Says:

January 26th, 2008 at 7:59 am

I am saving up to replace my car first, but I am hoping to have some left over for a 40″ – 46″ LCD HDTV by fall. From my research, it sounds like Sony, Sharp, and Samsung are the most popular brands, although some people at Yahoo Answers swear that cheap brands like Vizio and Insignia are just as good. Also, it appears that 780p is gradually on its way out and that it may be worth it to just go with a 1080p.

If I could afford a TV right now, I would get a Sharp Aquos 1080p, because for a limited time, they are giving away a free Blu-Ray DVD player with Aquos TVs.

TV Addict, how do you like your 37″ Sharp Aquos? Anything particularly good or bad about it? How well does it handle color, glare, deep blacks, etc? Since you’re the one wanting advice, does anyone else know which TVs have a the best colors, deepest blacks, least pixelization, most user-friendly remote controls, etc.?

theTVaddict Says:

January 26th, 2008 at 8:40 am

Todd,

Thanks for the tips. While I really enjoy my SHarp Aquos 37″ I has one flaw. The black isn’t nearly as crisp and deep as it should be. Truthfully, both my brother and parents have a 42″ Panasonic Vierra and it looks incredible. My one worry is that my living room is quite bright, and I’ve heard that Plasma doesn’t do so well in bright rooms.

Aleks Says:

January 26th, 2008 at 9:56 am

Check here for suggestions: http://reviews.cnet.com/4370-6485_7-168-110.html?tag=dir

You could check other tech-related sites, but I like Cnet the most because of a lot of their reviews also have video so you can have a closer look.

Oh course, this all depends on your price range, but I’ve found that I like Samsung TVs the most. I only have a 32″ set, but I love the picture, and I don’t feel like I wasted any money.

Josh Emerson Says:

January 26th, 2008 at 11:46 am

Dude, I want your Aquos! haha I’ve got a 32″ Vizio LCD in my bedroom and the picture just isn’t as crisp and clear as the higher quality brands. I wouldn’t recommend that you go with a Vizio after having that Aquos, even if the price is great.

My parents have a 50″ Sony LCD and it is an amazing TV. The picture on Sony TVs is just fantastic. There’s a Blu-ray player hooked up to it, so between that and broadcast shows like Heroes and Chuck, we really get to see some great stuff.

I’ve also heard great things about Samsung and Panasonic, as far as the best brands go. In terms of LCD vs. Plasma, I personally prefer LCD. What I’ve heard is that plasmas are energy hogs, but are best for sports fans. LCDs are great for gaming and regular TV viewing.

tdot Says:

January 26th, 2008 at 2:14 pm

My parents have a 50″ Samsung Plasma, and its great. I prefer Plasma because it smoother with action and sports, AND i play my PS3 on it, so dont belive those burn in myths. You should try: Samsung,Sharp,Panasonic. Do some research and talk to someone at Futureshop or Bestbuy, and you should be set.

PS, when is the next podcast……………………..?

Josh Emerson Says:

January 26th, 2008 at 8:58 pm

^ I’d research online more than I’d rely on the salespeople at those stores. I know this can’t be said of all of them, but for the most part the people working there don’t really know what they’re talking about. I got so much misinformation when I was looking at TVs. You’re better off doing your own research online.

*showtime Says:

January 26th, 2008 at 10:10 pm

Samsung TVs are awesome!!
I watch anything just to use the TV.

Kate Says:

January 27th, 2008 at 2:26 am

Hi!
Love your blog BTW and my sister Erika at MOAD can attest to my geeked out electronics buying. I went high def a year ago and the readers here all have good advice.

My one bit to add here? Get the biggest TV you can afford that will fit in your space! I went with the GIANT 65inch Hitachi – not a plasma but awesome 1080i CRT HDTV and I LOVE it! I coupled it with a set of BOSE speakers and do not regret it one bit.

I have a long living room and the TV is the same size as my old entertainment center was that housed my 27 inch tv and all of my assorted components so it fit nicely into the space I already had for my system. I had that unit forever- starting with the cottage I rented right out of college – you can fit more TV into your smallish space than you think you can.

Buying around the SuperBowl is a good bet- great sales prices right now. If you go with Best Buy or Circuit City- check your frequent flyer miles programs- I bought mine online through Continental from CC and got a whopping 6000 miles for my purchase!

Do your research online but back it up with trips to see stuff in person. Nothing worse than going with what everyone says is best and just not being satisfied…

Cheers and happy shopping!

Sam Says:

January 27th, 2008 at 2:20 pm

We have a 36″ Sharp Aquos and a 46″ Vizio LCD. We like them both, but I have been amazed at how great the Vizio is for the price. We checked them side-by-side and couldn’t tell a difference!

Alison Says:

January 28th, 2008 at 8:01 am

I say, go big or go home!
We just purchased a 40″ Samsung 1080p (LN-T4061F) and I am so happy with the purchase. Get the 1080p, it will be worth it in the long run. My parents also have a 50″ Samsung and that’s great too, but they went with the 720p cause they’re not TV addicts like us!
I would look at the Samsung LN-T4661F, LN-T4665F and LN-T4671F. They’ll cost you $1699 – 2299 if there’s a Circuit City near you.

Ned Says:

January 28th, 2008 at 1:18 pm

Defintely go with 1080p. Right now it is only useful for your bluray/xbox/etc, as most hdtv signals are only 1080i, but thast won’t last forever.
I got a great price on a 46 inch Samsung LCD, which was very highly rated by consumer reports. I was looking at the Sony Bravia as well, but it was $400 more, and only slightly better looking. I am not in love with the so-so blacks (typical lcd problem) but I love that I can hook my laptop up to it and watch episodes of shows I’ve missed at hulu, nbc.com, etc. The picture quality isn’t as great as cable, but hey, it still beats watching it on a laptop! That, to me, is the best argument for an lcd–you can use it as a computer monitor as well as a tv.
Any way you go, enjoy!

the TV addict » Blog Archive » Win WEEDS Season 3 on DVD Says:

June 23rd, 2008 at 7:25 am

[...] I realize we’ve played this little game before, but after a surprisingly lucrative Birthday weekend, I’m finally ready to upgrade from my [...]

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Help Suggest a TV for the TV Addict

12 Responses to “Help Suggest a TV for the TV Addict”

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