vinnys025 Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 How much does an HDTV cost, and is it really worth it? Also, If you already have a 37 inch Sony Trinitron (that happenes to weigh 500lbs) can you convert the signal to HDTV via a HDTV video converter from DirectTV or something? I'm pretty clueless about this whole thing...thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinnys025 Posted August 17, 2006 Author Share Posted August 17, 2006 sorry, put it in the wrong place....i just woke up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxman Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 It is worth it. Don't think about conversion. Think about taking all your money and putting it into a new TV. College fund? Cmon, what if your kid decides that college isn't for them. What a waste that would have been. You have 2 choices...you can get a 42" plasma for around 2 grand (or less). A 50" will cost more. Let me know when you are ready to buy and I will send you links to the proper tv. lcd, dlp....don't listen to silly talk about that stuff. Follow my advice and you will be happy. Also charging the tv at high interest rates is also an option. It is worth it as well. Never blink when staring consumer debt in the eye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxman Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 sorry, put it in the wrong place....i just woke up It must really suck being your wife in the morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinnys025 Posted August 17, 2006 Author Share Posted August 17, 2006 It is worth it. Don't think about conversion. Think about taking all your money and putting it into a new TV. College fund? Cmon, what if your kid decides that college isn't for them. What a waste that would have been. You have 2 choices...you can get a 42" plasma for around 2 grand (or less). A 50" will cost more. Let me know when you are ready to buy and I will send you links to the proper tv. lcd, dlp....don't listen to silly talk about that stuff. Follow my advice and you will be happy. Also charging the tv at high interest rates is also an option. It is worth it as well. Never blink when staring consumer debt in the eye. You just made up my mind not to buy an HDTV, thanks max. I will keep my regular tv. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green DNA Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 HDTV is excellent. I just bought two HD tv's and there is no going back. Football games are awesome. There are not eenough HD channels right now however and if you want the full monty, you have to pay extra every month. I've heard that porn is pretty good in HD also, but double check with Max just to be sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob D Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 sorry, put it in the wrong place....i just woke up It must really suck being your wife in the morning. If that's not a POTW NOM then I don't know what is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 Figure out what channels you watch the most. Then see what channels are available in HD in your area. Frankly, with like 6 each HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, etc. - for just two of them (regualar HBO and Showtime) to be in HD on Time Warner is weak. Also sometimes the sound seems off which makes it unwatchable. Also I notice a delay (I've been on the phone during a game & a friend sees the play finish before I do). The picture is stunning though. When you flip back to regular TV (that seemed fine beforehand) it now looks completely blurry by comparison. Also be prepared for "the other" black lines (on the sides instead of top/bottom, unless you like everyone's face as fat &d istorted as Max's then you can use the stretch mode). If your current non-HD 37" is a widescreen you already know what I mean. The cost keeps coming down & will continue. Don't make yourself crazy with the tippity-top technology. Most people can't tell the difference in the picture anyway unless you've got a front-projector & you're splashing a 6-foot picture on the wall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugg Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 I have Directv, but since I no longer get Sunday Ticket, Cablevision(my local provider) actaully has more HDTV channels than Directv. For example, YES and SNY both broadcast almsot every game in HDTV, but DTV only broadcasts around 75% of YES Yankee games in HD and so far, no Met games except when they're on FOX or channel 11. MSG also broadcasts in HD, but due to the fact that MSG/Cablevision and DTV are at war, you'll never get Knick or Ranger games in HD. Directv charges a fee for the HDTV box as well as about $6 a month for HDTV service, while Cablevision only charges a fee for the box upon inatallation and nothing for service. If your big thing is football, DTV still might make sense, since the Sunday Ticket premium package is basically ridiculous-every game in HD, highlights packages, rebroadcasts of games in 1/2 hour format on Mondays and Tuesdays. Look into having you cable/sttelite combined with you ISP and phone service. I believe you can get HD with a Wega"HD ready" set. The problem is the picture simply isn't as good as LCD or plasma. But you do get to tell everyone how you had to recruit every teenaged boy in the neigborhood to get your 600 lb. tv into your wall unit and how you damaged various items in your living room doing so.Seriously-go for the $2000 set. You can get decent untis at Costco or Sam's Club or BJs which with their "cash back" programs will cost a lot less.Models similar to the 43" Pioneer plasma I got at Costco in April 2005 are now going for around $1800 there now. I'd be disinclined to go to an electronics store, since thier customer service and salesmen are no better than being ignored at a big box store. Few other things-you cannot clean plasma or LCDs with Windex or water. Go to an electronics store or on line and get a microfiber cloth and fluid kit, which should go for about $25. For some bizarre reason, you have to get the monster cable to hook up your tv. You can get it on line for $40. Even though it may cost more, have the cable or sattelite guy install the HD box,and when you schedule the appointment make sure they send someone who 1. has the HD box(if you haven't ordered it yourself already) and 2. knows something about HDTV. It can be enormousy frustrating to spend clsoe to 2 grand on a tv to have an idiot who knows nothing baout it and doens't have the box to hook it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxman Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 If that's not a POTW NOM then I don't know what is. Rob, Thanks for the nomination but Beans will screw it up this week as well. I had two good lines last week but Beans is on a power trip so he doesn't pick me. Whatever. Also nice use of the multi quote feature! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxman Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 Also be prepared for "the other" black lines Burn in is no longer an issue with Plasmas. Also expected life has been increased. These are no issues now. As a public service I won't post why, how etc. You are welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob D Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 Also nice use of the multi quote feature! Thanks, and it didn't slow the board down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winB4eyeDIE Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 I highly recomend Samsung's DLP HDTV. I bought a 61"er around this time last year, and it is awesome. It cost me about $2,900 from (insert whistle) PC Richards. It weighs under 100 lbs and is only about 1ft deep. Only problem with it is that you will have to replace the bulb every 3rd year, which will cost you around $300, but the picture quality will never fade, and you will never get those "burn in" phantom images like you can get with other HDTV's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
124 Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 Dude, does it just suck being you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winB4eyeDIE Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 Dude, does it just suck being you? If you're talking to me, let me just say that I felt like I was at both Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park last night while sitting on my couch. You can't beat High Def. So to answer your question, it only sucks to be me when I'm here at work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
124 Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 If you're talking to me, let me just say that I felt like I was at both Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park last night while sitting on my couch. You can't beat High Def. So to answer your question, it only sucks to be me when I'm here at work. Wasn't talking to you but honestly I've never been impressed by the HDTV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryK Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 I just helped my neighbors choose/buy one and it's pretty nice. I'm too cheap to buy one myself. They have a samsung dlp 55". There's also a 60" that wouldn't be bad either. These tv's are slim enough that you don't really need a plasma. Tech Note: When choosing an hdtv, understand that there ar 3 KINDS of hdtv. 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. the bigger number is better, and 1080p will cost you the most. If you walk into Best Buy, only 3 of their 25 HDTV's will be 1080p, the rest will be the cheaper 1080i. GET a 1080p. Yes, most broadcasts today are only in 1080i, but 1080p is coming and not having a 1080p tv when it comes will be annoying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 I have a 54 inch Toshiba DLP.. Love it,, plasma is good is you have to hang TV since viewing angle is not effected,, If you are content that you will be viewing TV at normal angles than a DLP is great,,DLP is sold in mnay brands, its just the Texas Intusment chip,,DLP is laser oriented,, Also when a Plasma goes bad the cost is high, ie new screen etc,, A DLP goes bad its the $200 light engine that you easily install yourself via a side door in TV. JohnnyGreenballs has both a DLP and a Plasma,, maybe if he reads this he will help... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 I just helped my neighbors choose/buy one and it's pretty nice. I'm too cheap to buy one myself. They have a samsung dlp 55". There's also a 60" that wouldn't be bad either. These tv's are slim enough that you don't really need a plasma. Tech Note: When choosing an hdtv, understand that there ar 3 KINDS of hdtv. 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. the bigger number is better, and 1080p will cost you the most. If you walk into Best Buy, only 3 of their 25 HDTV's will be 1080p, the rest will be the cheaper 1080i. GET a 1080p. Yes, most broadcasts today are only in 1080i, but 1080p is coming and not having a 1080p tv when it comes will be annoying. true, but dont get hung up on 720 vs 1080,, They are both SO SHARP that you can only see the difference in 1080 at about 2 feet, you can pixel size difference (which no one watches that close),, once beyond 2 feet you cant notice difference... I wouoldnt spend alot more for 1080 at this point,,you wont notice digffernce and 720 shows 1080 broadcasts and viceversa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryK Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 I don't blame anyone for buying 720, as long as they knew the difference when they got it. Retailers don't seem to be in a hurry to tell people the difference and it seems a little deceptive. I've heard a 720 will do regular dvds better than many entry-level 1080's too, but the new Samsung units can upgrade the signal very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green DNA Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 I have a 50" Panasonic Plasma in the living room and a 50" Samsung DLP in the basement. The plasma has a truly phenomenal picture and can be viwed from all angles. The DLP has a really nice picture also but needs to be watched from a straight on, perfect height type of angle otherwise the picture looks dark. You can not fill the screen on non-HD broadcasts on the DLP. The DLP is a good deal cheaper than the plasma, but either way, you can't go wrong, the picture is phenomenal. Southern is right on the resolution. The 720p is phenomenal and there is reallly no content yet on the 1080p. Don't let a salesman convince you that you can't live without the 1080p. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinnys025 Posted August 17, 2006 Author Share Posted August 17, 2006 yeah I dont have money for a tv in the thousands, so I'll just stick to what I got. Thanks anyway guys. I guess you must have forgotten how much they pay us military folk.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 I have a 50" Panasonic Plasma in the living room and a 50" Samsung DLP in the basement. The plasma has a truly phenomenal picture and can be viwed from all angles. The DLP has a really nice picture also but needs to be watched from a straight on, perfect height type of angle otherwise the picture looks dark. You can not fill the screen on non-HD broadcasts on the DLP. The DLP is a good deal cheaper than the plasma, but either way, you can't go wrong, the picture is phenomenal. Southern is right on the resolution. The 720p is phenomenal and there is reallly no content yet on the 1080p. Don't let a salesman convince you that you can't live without the 1080p. cant fill screen on nonHD broadcasts??? very odd,, i can on Toshiba.. I just switch the Pic setting from Natural (used for what its supposed to be, ie, u get HD for HD and smaller screen for nonHJD) to Theater1 setting which streches it,, check your Owners Manual,,I cant imaging Samsuung screwing u like that... Also, the newer Texas chips, 2005 timeframe are clearer and brighter,,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 yeah I dont have money for a tv in the thousands, so I'll just stick to what I got. Thanks anyway guys. I guess you must have forgotten how much they pay us military folk.... slow down,, you can save over a thousand bucks,, i did,, by not goin to circuit city/best buy,,buy from a reputable online vendor,, i bought from http://buydig.com/shop/home.aspx I saved 1300 dollars over what Best Buy wanted... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinnys025 Posted August 17, 2006 Author Share Posted August 17, 2006 wow thanks, thats more my price range....which one did you buy? Does DPI and other crap matter at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 wow thanks, thats more my price range....which one did you buy? Does DPI and other crap matter at all? I am sure newewr models of what I got are now avaialble,, I got this a year ago,,, http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/televisions/product.asp?model=52hm95 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxman Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 wow thanks, thats more my price range....which one did you buy? Does DPI and other crap matter at all? Vinny, You can save up the money. How much peanut butter are you lathering up with before you call the dogs in? Cut the amount in half and that is a savings right there. Think man. Sometimes you have to be creative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 Vinny, You can save up the money. How much peanut butter are you lathering up with before you call the dogs in? Cut the amount in half and that is a savings right there. Think man. Sometimes you have to be creative. yuk... have you been reading my newest book,, '10 easy steps to go from normal to obscene' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elon Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 slow down,, you can save over a thousand bucks,, i did,, by not goin to circuit city/best buy,,buy from a reputable online vendor,, i bought from http://buydig.com/shop/home.aspx I saved 1300 dollars over what Best Buy wanted... What TV did you buy? what did you pay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny green balls Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 buy this: http://buydig.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=TB56HM66 integrated tuner/cable card a waste of money. you'll have a tuner in your cable box or from direct tv anyway and with cable card you can't do DVR or on demand. don't waste your money. buy the biggest DLP you can afford, rent every porno you can get your mits on and send your wife and kids away for the week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 What TV did you buy? what did you pay? got the 52hm95 first week available,,aug 2005 'i paid i think 1600,, was like 2500 2600 at best buy,, i also saved on stand that goes with it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoFlaJets Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 we just got the 42" Panasonic plasma with a 5 DVD surround sound system AND the $100 cable needed to hook it all up for 2300 bucks at Circuit City Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elon Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 got the 52hm95 first week available,,aug 2005 'i paid i think 1600,, was like 2500 2600 at best buy,, i also saved on stand that goes with it Thx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxman Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 I bought my plasma (years ago) on EBAY. An online retailer. At Best Buy at the time they wanted close to 6 grand. I saved THOUSANDS. It was scary though having that thing shipped but I took the gamble and it paid off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green DNA Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 cant fill screen on nonHD broadcasts??? very odd,, i can on Toshiba.. I just switch the Pic setting from Natural (used for what its supposed to be, ie, u get HD for HD and smaller screen for nonHJD) to Theater1 setting which streches it,, check your Owners Manual,,I cant imaging Samsuung screwing u like that... Also, the newer Texas chips, 2005 timeframe are clearer and brighter,,, The option to stretch the picture is grayed out. I have only had both tv's less than 2 months (package deal). I'll look some more but I'm pretty sure that with non-HD the bars stay on the side. Maybe someone else with a Samsung can help out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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