Hello everyone,

I am, as the title of this thread suggests, a confused/intimidated newbie. Im just about to move out of student housing and into a new apartment and think its the right time to invest in a new home theatre system. Here are some details:

1. Looking for: LCD TV (atleast 40")
2. Room size: 13' x 11'
3. Will mainly use it for: TV, Blu-ray movies, PS3 games, music. (Dont ever plan to use it as a computer monitor)

I think I have settled on the TV for now (Samsung LN40A550) but am open to suggestions from you wise men.
Any help in this matter will be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!!

Check out the Toshiba XF series (although I have no idea where you can see them in person). I really like my 52".

Features to look for:
true 1920x1080 resolution
true 24p w/o 3:2 pulldown (i.e. 5:5 for 120Hz or 4:4 for 72Hz)
HDMI, component, PC and S-Video inputs (multiple HDMI because switchers aren't passive)

I have a Sammy 46 inch, 2 years old. LNS4692.

if your in the 40 in market or 42 in, dont even bother with the 1080p
you will see no difference at all on a tv that size.

768 p ones 1080i look amazing, as most tv broadcasts are 1080i or sometimes 720p. most games are 720p. (PS3 XBOX)

if you can try and get a 120 hrtz one, it helps with fast motion blur, which is not a big problem anyways just sometimes it will pixalate a bit.

another thing that is important is the refresh rate, sammy are 8 miliseconds which is good.
others have a faster one like 4 milisec.

Contrast Ratios are a big hype also, you can get a great picture with a 5000 contrast ratio if they tell you this one is 10,000 good but it doesnt really make much difference to you eyes.

I looked on the Toshiba site and the XF series seem to be way over my budget. I cant spend more than $1300-$1400. I'd really like the LN46A550 but at $1699 thats out of reach too.

As for the 120 Hz, I saw a movie on a tv on display in one of the stores around town and it looked different thats for sure. But Im not sure if I actually liked how it looked. It was like it was a little 'too real' for my liking. I cant explain it any better. I dont know what difference it makes while watching sports yet.

If you have a size and cost budget, then you should be able to quickly narrow down what models fit within your budgets. Then have a look at websites to see what experiences other people have had with those models and previous generations.

I have talked myself into spending the extra cash and getting the Samsung LN46A550. Heard good things about it and it looks great too. Your thoughts?

Good choice, I was going to go for the 550 myself too.

You need to tell us the viewing distance. The distance from where you watch the tv to the actual tv screen itself.

If you can spare a little bit more, 50" would be an awsome TV for ya.

The viewing distance will be approx. between 9-10 feet. I really cant go any bigger than a 46". My original home theatre budget was 2k but Ive increased that to 3k. So, Im definitely going to be happy with this home theatre for a while.

I'm still browsing too, but I'm leaning towards the Sharp 64U models - they're getting very cheap (this weekend at Future Shop, they're on sale for $1,436 for the 46"). It's a very decent TV for that price! I like that it's one of the few lower-end models that have 3 HDMI ports on it.

I've been comparing these TVs in the stores for years, but I keep coming back to Sharp (64U) VS Sony (V or W series) - I haven't really been impressed with anything else compared to these two. I don't plan on spending more than $1,600-$1,700 (CDN) so this seems to be the sweet spot for me.

Anybody - feel free to convince me otherwise! I'd love to consider some of the Samsungs but I just haven't seen anything that impressive from them yet (unless you double the spending amount)...

I am just going to say I am looking.

I currently have a 20" CRT set on its last legs but stable.

I absolutely do not want another SD CRT set, nor an ED set.

I have around a $500 budget, but that could change.

The room is about 8x11, with about 7 ft viewing distance from the viewing seat to the TV screen.

I have been looking around, and I might be able to get a 26" set in budget, on the outside a 32".

I need at least two SD inputs, and some components and HDMI. I'd prefer it have ATSC, but probably don't need that at this time.
An absolute must is an HDMI/DVI video/analog audio mode, to connect a Starchoice HD receiver, and a stereo analog audio output to connect my older stereo receiver (on its last legs too, perhaps I should take bets as to which fails first, the receiver or TV).