# LCD tvs?



## carrie (Aug 24, 2004)

i have been looking at tvs lately. and to be quite honest, the features/specifications have my head spinning.

i need some help, please. i have no idea what i'm looking for. i need some things explained to me. 

like what exactly does "29,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio" mean, and what is the right amount? LOL

what resolution am i looking for?

what features do i need?

what brands are the best? 

how hard are they to set up?

and what does the picture quality look like without HD?

any advice would be most appreciated. TIA.


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## I found nemo (Feb 23, 2006)

Ok I don't know any of that :smheat: but I have a 55 inch LCD from Samsung, last time I looked Samsung was one of the best.
LCD I prefer to Plasm, Plasm is easier to break and much more sensitive IMO.
Happy Hunting :biggrin:


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## Max & Rocky (May 20, 2004)

QUOTE (Carrie @ Jan 11 2009, 05:28 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=703805


> i have been looking at tvs lately. and to be quite honest, the features/specifications have my head spinning.
> 
> i need some help, please. i have no idea what i'm looking for. i need some things explained to me.
> 
> ...


Gosh Carrie...


There are like 2 guys on this board... I'd guess that either one of us could give you all the info you would ever need and some on this subject!! In fact, I spend a lot of time on Yahoo Answers try and solve their TV and technology issues....

Not that I need you to answer any of this in public, but lets first consider what you viewing area looks like and how far you will typically be away from the screen while watching TV as well as just how much you want to spend.

High Def TV comes in several possible resolutions. The least expensive sets are known as 720p or 1080i sets. The top of the line right now is 1080p.... but honestly, if the screen size you buy versus the seating distance you will be at are too far, you will not be able to actually see the increased resolution, so it might be something not to spend money on.

Also, something to consider is will the TV be on a stand or can you wall mount it? Wall mounting is highly recommended. But people have a habit of putting these on fairly light weight stands and the TVs themselves are much lighter than the old CRT/boat anchors many of us were used to. As a result, LCDs are a more prone to tipping over... which would NEVER happen with a CRT based set that might have weighed a few hundred pounds. I can't tell you how many brand new sets I have heard of which have fallen over and then people go on Yahoo Answers and ask how much it will cost to repair (answer is more than the set cost new).

Don't worry too much about dynamic contrast ratio. Contrast ratio in general is a measure of how dark the blacks are versus how light the whites. You want a high contrast ratio, but the actual numbers are prone to a lot of fudging. Your best bet is to use your own eyes to find a set you like instead of counting on a contrast ratio number.

Consumers Reports rates the Samsung models as the best, but I am still a hard core Sony fan. Its pretty hard to go wrong with either of those two brands... others... who knows? There are a number of cheap brands out there that if you buy, you will have to send back to the manufacturer for repair, as no one has repair manuals on the lesser known models.

As far as what you need... it all boils down to how much you want to spend on it, the seating area where you will use it. Also important is just the number of inputs and input types it supports.

You would like it to have 2 or 3 HDMI inputs, minimum, as well as several component inputs, composite inputs, etc. The more the better. Also entering into this are what devices you might end up connecting to it and what sort of AV connections these devices have...

cable or satelitte receiver
antenna,
AV receiver
video game (such as my wonderful gesture of getting Peg a Wii Fit for Christmas, which I made the mistake of mentioning here.... :wacko1: 

As far as picture quality without high def service.... you will not be happy I am afraid. It is another very common issue on Yahoo Answers. The simple fact is that an LCD TV will probably have a larger and will have a so much clearer screen than what you are used to, that you will suddenly see how bad the analog TV was that we had been viewing for all these years. Most people complain that the TV looks out of focus... (but it is not. It is just the crummy signal).

Even if you can just get rabbit ears and get a couple local stations, at least you will be able to see some high def content...

If there is anything I have asked that you don't want to answer in public, just PM me.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

The higher the contrast ration, the more shades the tv shows between black and white. Essentially, your black is blacker the higher you go. 

For the HD tvs the resolution is 720p, 1080i, or 1080p, listed in increasing quality. This refers to the number of pixels and the p means progressive scan which is better than the i which is interlaced scan. 

I have a Samsung LCD. Samsung is a very good brand and we like our tv quite a bit. 

We have some HD channels on cable and some not. The ones without look like a normal tv, but sharper (at least to me). 

The only special set-up was buying an HDMI cord for our blue-ray.


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## mamamia (Jul 26, 2008)

We have a Samsung DLP that went out on us in Nov. It was 3 years old and the color wheel went kaput! Anyway...we decided to get a new LCD. After looking at reviews on consumer reports...we went with another Samsung. Now both our tv's are HD. We have the new one in the living room hooked up to HD...its awesome! We had the old one fixed and have it in the study for the kids...no HD. There is definately a difference. The non HD tv has a grainy appearance...but..it doesnt bother the kids.

This is the one we went with...

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?sk...CFQZlswodx2T8DQ

We ordered ours and during the time it was in-route..we had a service man over to fix the old one. After talking to him...he purchased the same tv for himself but only in the 40 inch. We have had it for almost 4 mos and are very happy with it.


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## aggiemom99 (Dec 3, 2007)

We have a 46 inch LCD Samsung High Definition 1080 from Best Buy. It is really nice as no matter where you are in the room, the picture looks great.


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## carrie (Aug 24, 2004)

WOW! first of all steve, i am VERY impressed! thank you for taking the time to write all that up! 

and thank you, to everyone who has offered, and will offer their input, it's VERY much appreciated!!!

oh, and i guess maybe i should rethink the philips my husband has been oogling over. lol

he has been looking at the big monster tvs, longing for one... i kinda just go along and look at them, and to tell you the truth, they all look identical to me! LOL! he asks me if i like, i nod. that's about the entire conversation. i have NO idea what i'm looking at! LOL

and i have no idea what size to get, he wants a monster. he's been looking at a 52". i think it's quite excessive, but then again when he bought this computer with the 22" monitor, i thought THAT was excessive. lol

my living room is quaint (nicer word for small), it's about 16' x 15'. and i don't think i want to mount it to the wall, i just have a problem with bolting things to my walls. :blush: it's going in a corner as well. i should have mentioned that.

we would most likely be using the video games on it.

i'm not set on buying one just yet... i just want to make sure i'm purchasing the right thing when the time comes, so i'm doing some research. 

thank you all SOOOO much!! i'm feeling a little less overwhelmed!


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## domino_angel (Apr 17, 2008)

QUOTE (Carrie @ Jan 11 2009, 06:28 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=703805


> i have been looking at tvs lately. and to be quite honest, the features/specifications have my head spinning.
> 
> i need some help, please. i have no idea what i'm looking for. i need some things explained to me.
> 
> ...


The others already answered your question about contrast...higher is better.

If you are getting anything bigger than a 40" you really need a 1080P resolution in my opinion. You will notice pixelation quite a bit in a 720p screen even on a 40". Look at it this way: you have either 1080 pixels or 720 pixels no matter the screen size. The larger the screen, the more pixels you want. A small screen, like a 27 inch, is fine with only 720p. A big 50 inch screen _has_ to have 1080p, or it would look awful and grainy. Keep this in mind when choosing a size of screen. A 1080p 40/42 inch screen looks a lot sharper than a 1080p 50 inch, because they have the same number of pixels in different size areas. This is also why you choose size based on how close you sit to the screen. Sitting farther away helps to blur the edges and pixelation of a large screen. 1080i is out, its not as good. We personally bought a Samsung 40" 1080p set. It's very pretty, and we sit fairly close, I wouldn't change a thing. 

Right now, Samsung is generally thought of as the best LCD. Sharp, Sony, and LG are also very good. My second choice would probably be LG.

The most important thing you can have on an LCD is plenty of inputs: Composite and componant and HDMI like the other person said. HDMI is the best way to hook up stuff to your TV, it offers the best picture quality and is easy to do with just one plug/cable. Get a set with as many HDMI ports as possible. Things I personally hook up via HDMI: Blu-ray, HD cable box, Netflix roku player...if we had more ports we would hook our Xbox up that way too. 

Another thing you will notice is that some new LCDs have a processing speed like 120hz. This affects your refresh rate, how smoothly the picture moves across the screen. For instance, on one screen a flying baseball may look like a flash of white, on one of the newer 120hz screens you will be able to make out more definition as the ball is flying, like you might be able to notice the seams on the ball. This is most important if you like to do video gaming or like action movies. Only you will be able to decide if this option is right for you based on what you want to watch. 

We don't have a lot of HD content outside of our blu-ray (which looks amazing, btw), the standard def. picture is better than a regular CRT set. It's a little grainy but not bad. 

The more HDMI ports and cables you use, the easier it is to set up the tv. Otherwise, It's still easy. An elementary school kid could probably do it. 

Hope this helps a little! Happy hunting!


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## coco (Sep 20, 2006)

Well, I can say that I've lived in houses with Samsung, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, and Sony HD TV's. We much prefer the Sony pictures to any of the others. We also have Direct TV, and I believe their signals are better than cable, so that could be the difference, too. The Samsung where we are right now has a much inferior picture to our Sony's, but it very well could be the cable versus the satellite signal we have on our Sony's. We just bought new TV's at our home and LOVE them. We have LCDs. I do know, from what I've been told that the runners on the screen (like at the bottom of Fox News and CNN) will cut into your screen on a plasma. We have LCD's because of that. Good luck in your decision!


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## carrie (Aug 24, 2004)

:smheat: i think i need a nap...


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## momtoboo (Jan 30, 2006)

We bought a Samsung 46" widescreen HDTV last spring. It's an LCD with a non reflective screen. We love it & I am addicted to HD, it has the most amazing picture, like real life & awesomely vibrant color. The nonHD channels look awful compared to HD. I can tell immediately what is anolog, standard digital or HD. I'm spoiled now. You will want to get the 1080p with a high resolution & if you're a game player or like to watch a lot of fast action sports, you will want to consider 120 hz. Our tv is near double french doors & the nonreflective screen is a plus as we had big problems with our old tv screen reflecting really bad. We also bought a Onkyo Home Theater surround system to get the full enjoyment of the digital Dolby. The regular speakers on these huge tvs are kind of lacking.


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## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

Before you consider purchasing any LCD or plasma, I would look up reviews from Consumer Reports. Brand names don't really mean anything anymore, for example, one of the highest rated 32" 1080p LCDs is a Vizio -- not a Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, etc.

It will also depend on how large you want to go...for TVs 42" or larger, I would go with a plasma. Then again, plasmas don't get any smaller than 40 or 42" I don't think. The difference is quite noticeable. My husband and I own a 42" Panasonic Viera (the specific model we got was top rated in Consumer Reports at the time, and still remains one of the best plasmas out there). I wouldn't consider an LCD over the plasma for a living room TV. However, if we were to get a TV for the bedroom, we would only want a 32" and therefore would buy an LCD.

Overall, as long as you check numerous reviews on specific models of LCDs or Plasmas you're looking at, you will be fine with whatever you end up with. 

EDIT TO ADD: I also wanted to mention that 1080p won't matter unless you are purchasing a TV that is 42" or larger...even more like 50"+ is where you will basically need 1080p.


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## I found nemo (Feb 23, 2006)

QUOTE (LJSquishy @ Jan 12 2009, 01:26 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=704027


> Before you consider purchasing any LCD or plasma, I would look up reviews from Consumer Reports. Brand names don't really mean anything anymore, for example, one of the highest rated 32" 1080p LCDs is a Vizio -- not a Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, etc.
> 
> It will also depend on how large you want to go...for TVs 42" or larger, I would go with a plasma. Then again, plasmas don't get any smaller than 40 or 42" I don't think. The difference is quite noticeable. My husband and I own a 42" Panasonic Viera (the specific model we got was top rated in Consumer Reports at the time, and still remains one of the best plasmas out there). I wouldn't consider an LCD over the plasma for a living room TV. However, if we were to get a TV for the bedroom, we would only want a 32" and therefore would buy an LCD.
> 
> ...


Great advice!
I always check with consumer reports before I make a large purchase. I bought my TV like 3 years ago so at the time Samsung was at the highest, thats why we went with it :biggrin:


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## carrie (Aug 24, 2004)

we have local channels that have the constant logos, and my husband watches sports channels that have the banner on the bottom. 

i was forewarned to stay away from plasma.

LCD is what we're after. =-]


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## kathym (Aug 5, 2006)

I BOUGHT A 46" SAMSUNG .I WENT ON CONSUMER REPORTS AND IT GOT A VERY GOOD RATING,THAT WAS IN NOVEMBER.I LOVE THE PIC. TRIED TO READ ABOUT THE THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND .BUT WHAT I DID WAS GO TO A FEW STORES WITH A LIST OF DIFFERENT LCD TV AND LOOK AT THE PICS. THAN I WENT HOME AND BOUGHT ITS A LOT CHEAPER ON LINE. I DID AS MUCH HOMEWORK AS I COULD .I HOPE I HELPED


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

My, Carrie.....you sure got a lot of info ....ask and you shall receive, I guess  

But here's my two cents to go along with everyone else:

This past summer I sold our boat and bought a 52" Samsung LCD TV, I forget the entire model # but it ends with - - - - - 650. I didn't want one that big, but finally gave in. Each time I go into that room and see the tv on, I still say "WOW"! What a cool TV.

I chose LCD over Plasma only because I heard Plasma uses much more electricity - and our TV runs...alot.

Good luck! :smilie_daumenpos:


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## Gail (Oct 14, 2007)

"There are like 2 guys on this board... I'd guess that either one of us could give you all the info you would ever need and some on this subject!!"

Huh? Being a women doesn't mean you know nothing about technology.


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## mom2bijou (Oct 19, 2006)

I"m not good with these things either but we do have a Samsung LCD and that TV is amazing....it has such a clear picture. Good luck in your search....it certainly can be overwhelming!


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## Hunter's Mom (Dec 8, 2008)

I can tell you that my husband and I spend a lot of time looking for our flat panel TV. We spent a lot of time searching for just hte right one. We have a smaller scale living room so we were not able to go above a 40 inch. We chose a Sony LCD, it is a 1080i. The reason we chose this was (1) the size of our room (2) this brand of tv allows you to get a clear picture from various angles which was important to us based on the configuration of our room (3) the LCD for the size of our room was much better than the plasma.

The only complaint we have is that during high quality animation we get a little pixelation (little squares) on the screen but its not too big of a deal to us. This is part of the contrast number as well as the black and white issue.

The best way to decide on a TV (in my opinion) is to go to a store like Best Buy and just watch the TVs and see which one you like best! Thats what we did and then we researched the differences beteen the few that we liked.


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## JessicaMO620 (Sep 18, 2006)

We bought a samsung lcd (unsure of the model #, I will have to do some digging) in september 07, around march, it started shutting itself off, but we could turn it right back on, so not a big deal. Then, it started shutting itself off and not coming back on for 3 or 4 hours. 

We replaced it this past august with a panasonic viera. The panasonic has a much clearer picture.

We did research on the samsung, and there are a few models that do that, some switch gets too hot and swells away from what it needs to hit... so it has to cool off before you can turn it back on. Its repairable, but almost impossible to do yourself (we tried, my boyfriend, who is very handy with taking anything apart and putting it back together, couldnt figure out how to get the back panel off :smrofl: ) 

Even if you get it fixed, its going to start doing the same thing again. It happens on a few different models. I think we googled "samsung tv shutting itself off" and it should give you sites with the models that do that.


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## PuttiePie (Nov 22, 2006)

QUOTE (Gail @ Jan 12 2009, 08:20 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=704072


> "There are like 2 guys on this board... I'd guess that either one of us could give you all the info you would ever need and some on this subject!!"
> 
> Huh? Being a women doesn't mean you know nothing about technology.[/B]



Don't worry, Steve was just joking, he is NOT sexist...


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## trvlnut (Sep 14, 2008)

QUOTE (Carrie @ Jan 12 2009, 05:13 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=704062


> we have local channels that have the constant logos, and my husband watches sports channels that have the banner on the bottom.
> 
> i was forewarned to stay away from plasma.
> 
> LCD is what we're after. =-][/B]


I have plasma and have had no problems with burn-in or image retention. I watch a lot of sports. I think you would be fine with a plasma, plus it has much better blacks. Movies and sports are better on plasma. I suggest you look at the following websites.

AVSforums http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=9/

HdGuru http://hdguru.com/

I would stay away from the off brands since it's tough to find parts for them if you need warranty work done. The HDguru site has an article related directly to this.


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## carrie (Aug 24, 2004)

wow, thank you! :biggrin: still not interested in plasma. they use more electricity and they do have ghosting, which i'm not going to take my chances with.

hubby is for sure interested in an LCD, but i have him talked down from a 52" to a 47". 

again, not buying right away. i'm still doing research. however, if i gave jeff the go ahead, he'd have already bought one by now. and i want to make sure i'm investing in the right tv. i don't want to be buying and returning a HUGE item like that.

as for mounting...can you mount a 52" in a corner? i'm not for wall mounting, but i'm afraid i won't get a decent piece of furniture in the corner that would hold up for a larger tv. where the tv is located, the kids can see it from the peninsula (the counter they eat breakfast at), and it can also be seen from the dining room (good for when we have dinner with our family that enjoys watching sports while we eat - mostly my step dad and his RACING! LOL). anyway, that corner has windows on either side, and there are electrical baseboard heat runs on the floor on either side as well. i can't fit a large piece of furniture there with out covering them up and it being further away from the wall than i would like. 
now i know why jeff wanted to wall mount it and put a small corner cabinet under it. :blush:


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## Max & Rocky (May 20, 2004)

QUOTE (Carrie @ Jan 12 2009, 10:57 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=704241


> now i know why jeff wanted to wall mount it and put a small corner cabinet under it. :blush:[/B]




Tell Jeff he is RIGHT!!


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## carrie (Aug 24, 2004)

QUOTE (Max & Rocky @ Jan 12 2009, 01:57 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=704295


> QUOTE (Carrie @ Jan 12 2009, 10:57 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=704241





> now i know why jeff wanted to wall mount it and put a small corner cabinet under it. :blush:[/B]




Tell Jeff he is RIGHT!! 
[/B][/QUOTE]
oh he's knows...lol.


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## 5maltsmom (Aug 12, 2007)

We have an LCD and we have been noticing a very faint line going down the middle of the screen. I think it is a 40", but it might be a little bigger. My husband looked this up on the internet, and said it might go out before long. Ours is a toshiba. I haven't taken the time to research it, but this might be something you want to look into.


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## 5maltsmom (Aug 12, 2007)

QUOTE (5maltsmom @ Jan 12 2009, 05:11 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=704509


> We have an LCD and we have been noticing a very faint line going down the middle of the screen. I think it is a 40", but it might be a little bigger. My husband looked this up on the internet, and said it might go out before long. Ours is a toshiba. I haven't taken the time to research it, but this might be something you want to look into.[/B]


Okay, since I posted this, I did a little research, and there seem to be a lot of people with this problem, mostly with Westinghouse, but there are other brands listed too. They seem to be mainly 42" screens and seems to be a problem with the panels. It is recommended that if you decide to to buy one, you should get the extended warranty. Just giving you some extra information to look into.


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## Hunter's Mom (Dec 8, 2008)

yes, you can wall mount any size tv but to wall mount it in the corner you are going to have to purchase a special device and I am not certain that they can support the span of a 52 inch television; you would have to check with a more knowledgeable person on that one than me 

We bought a Sony and other than the slight pixilation issue (which we knew about when purchasing but could not afford the highest quality television) we love the TV!


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## 5maltsmom (Aug 12, 2007)

I wanted to clarify that other than the very faint line down the center of the tv, that I seldom notice, we do love our LCD. I just wanted to make sure you research this since you plan on waiting a while anyway, so you won't be disappointed if this happens to a tv you might buy. At this point, we just don't know if it's a major problem that will get worse or not. Just FYI.


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## saltymalty (Sep 14, 2004)

I own a 52" LCD 1080p from LG. I love it. Keep in mind, when you watch non-HD channels, you'll see the right and left part of the screen as a blacked out rectangle. It's kind of weird when you first get your set, but you get used to it. HD channels fill up the screen entirely. Also I do think there's a difference in HD quality between the channels. I have Comcast, and I notice that ESPN-HD, Discovery HD, and National Geo HD all seem to look better than HGTV HD, for instance. Am I crazy or is there something different about the resolution these channels broadcast? I can also tell you that my 13 year old son says gamers need 1080p format to get the most out of their gaming experience. I don't know if that's a snow job on ol' mom or if it's true. But regardless, we're buying a 42" LG 1080p for their play room. Another thing I've heard is that the number 120 has some sort of significance when it comes to these sets. I have no idea what that refers to, though.


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