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Tell us in one post which HDTV you bought and why, Read Post 1

162K views 219 replies 189 participants last post by  ExDilbert 
#1 · (Edited)
The purpose of this thread is for members to briefly tell us what HDTV they bought and why in order to help others in their purchasing decision. (comes from this reader suggestion)

If you've bought an HDTV recently (last 3 or 4 months) then in this thread tell us:
  • What HDTV you bought
  • When you bought it
  • What other HDTV's you considered
  • Why you bought the set you did
  • Likes and Dislikes
Before Posting please note:

This thread is strictly for new HDTV owners to tell us what they bought and why. One post per member please!

This thread is not meant to be a discussion thread. If you'd like to discuss a particular set or technology please use existing threads and if you want to discuss, best deals, please see the HDTV deals forum and please, as per the rules of the forum - no retail links! (manufacturer links are perfectly acceptable)
 
#2 · (Edited)
Bought Two

At Christmas I picked up a Tosiba 42HL57 (720p) for my wife, mostly because of the price point (under $1000). This is the TV set up in the living room and is used the most in the house and is hooked up to a Bell HD PVR and an old SD Toshiba DVD/VHS combo player. I've always had good luck with Toshiba's which was another reason. Pretty happy with this TV as a stand alone unit ie: no surround sound hooked up.

At the end of Feb also picked up a Epson Home Cinema 1080 front Projector for the basement. This is set up with a fixed screen and the full surround sound treatment. Mostly used for movies and the odd hockey game or NASCAR race. Hooked up to a different Bell HD PVR. Extremely happy with this purchase and am already using it more than originally envisioned.
A friend of mine has a Costco 'All In One' package which impressed me until I started thinking It may be better to upgrade some of the components, especially the screen. I looked at a couple of retailers for the Panasonic and Sony projectors but it kind of pissed me off how high there pricing was compared to their counterparts just south of the border so I ended up going with the Epson through a Canadian Internet retailer.

Sorry if it got a bit long.
 
#3 ·
What HDTV you bought:
Panasonic TH-42PZ85

When you bought it:
April 3, 2008

What other HDTV's you considered:
Sony Bravia

Why you bought the set you did:
I decided to buy a plasma vs lcd. Panasonic plasma's reputation. PQ. New 2008 model. Price.

Likes and Dislikes:
The picture quality is fantastic - clear and sharp.
Dislikes? None, really.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Just before Christmas we retired our old cathode ray tube television, a 27" Sony KV-2781R that was built over 21 years ago in May 1986. It was still running strong (much better than our old Panasonic) but because this year was my big "four-oh", my wife decided to mark the occasion with a new flat-panel TV.

I went through a very thorough decision process choosing a new TV. I already have a 37" LCD in the bedroom and was looking for a 50"+ for our living room. I was sure that I wanted a plasma, until I did more thinking about what my actual needs were.

Reasons why I wanted Plasma first:
- deep black levels
- vibrant colours
- wide viewing angle
- cheaper than flat panel LCD

Reasons why I changed my mind about Plasma:
- 50" was too small, 58" was too big--nothing in between
- potential reflections on screen (lots of lights in our great room/kitchen)
- going to connect Wii: possible burn-in risk (minimal, but don't want risk)
- not as bright as LCD (lots of windows in the room)

Reasons why I finally chose flat-panel LCD:
- larger screen sizes available
- brighter screen than Plasma--good for daylight viewing
- less reflections on screen
- viewing angle very good
- many 1080p models available
- no burn-in risk for Wii
- sale price cheaper than 1080p plasma

I ended up buying a 52" Bravia KDL-52W3000 that I'm very happy with.

If I had to do it again? I'd go even bigger! :)

RE Edit: Hugh, those links were to my personal blog where I'd written additional info about my decision process.
 
#5 ·
What:
Samsung HLT5687sax (LED DLP Rear Projection)

When:
3 weeks ago roughly,

Others considered:
Sony's line of RP's and Panasonic's Lifi models after I decided I would be taking the RP route.

Why:

I bought this unit because I wanted at least a 56" set. Price played a big part in my decision making process. Big price difference between an RP unit vs plasma or led at that size... also life of the led light engine vs bulbs... and gaming burn in as well.
I looked around for a sony rp as they received great reviews on the net. However, Sony I take it has gotten out of the market and the type I was interested in was not available in Canada.
So sorry sony ... you lost out on my money.
I saw the samsung next to a 50" panny lifi and the picture looked better so I bought it even though it was more then I had hoped to spend.

Likes and Dislikes:

I like the look of the unit. I have a small bowing issue at the top of my screen but I hope to have that resolved as samsung is aware and I have a tech coming in a few days to see what can be done.
I like the inputs on this set , 3 hdmi, usb, pc.
I'd like to see an ethernet hookup though.
PQ is great otherwise, now that I've figured out how everything works.

Overall I'm a happy HT camper.
 
#6 ·
What - RCA L19WD20

Why - I needed a basic television. I don't watch Hi-Def cable very much, as there are basically no channels to choose from. I just play Playstation in Hi-Def.

When - 1 year ago.

Pros - Small size means easy to carry around and fits anywhere. Multiple HD inputs, such as component, DVI, and HDMI. Doubles as a PC monitor.

Cons - Tinny speakers, did not include HDMI cable, and remote is a bit confusing. (But this could be my fault, as all the new TV's are turning digital.

Overall a good TV set, if you don't mind 20".
 
#7 ·
What HDTV you bought:
LG 42LB4D LCD

When you bought it:
December 27th 2007

What other HDTV's you considered:
various Toshibas, Sharps, Samsungs

Why you buy the set you did:
I had read great things regarding this model. I had a neigbour who owns last years model, and I found the picture quailty (both SD & HD) extremely good. Two year warranty is a nice touch

Likes and Dislikes:
The quality of the picture is great. I have heard people mention that they find it a bit washed out or blurry, however, I spent a great deal of time callibrating it. I don't see that, and I am very satisfied
No real dislikes. It is not the top of the line, so there are other tv.s out there that are better i suppose, but that will always be the case.
Dislikes? None, really.
 
#8 ·
What: Panasonic 42PX75 from FS
When October 2007
Others: Sharp LC42D64

Over then summer I picked out some HDTVs that had good reviews, narrowed it down to Panasonic and Sharp and waited for the prices to reach a point that I would pull the trigger. I bought the full package -- a Toshiba A3 (HD-DVD) and a StarChoice HD PVR (I already had an AVR). I went with 42" because that's the right size for the space. I never considered rear projection because the image brightness drops off as soon as you're off-axis and that just bothers me.

Random Comments:
- I don't like the long long startup times for the TV. I understand it takes time to warm up the plasma but it doesn't accept commands (like changing inputs) either. That messes up the Harmony remote.

- The room is all windows (north facing) but glare isn't an issue. At least it's no worse than the previous Sony 27" TV. Who watches TV in the day anyway?

- I only watch broadcast HD or disks so I'm not concerned about burn-in.

- I'm like a zoom mode for movies that zooms just enough to remove the bars top and bottom (and trims a little from the sides). You can manually adjust the zoom; it just won't do it for you.

- I haven't used the speakers in a TV in 20 years so I have no comments on the audio quality.

- The piano finish is really nice but there's no kids to touch the screen or bezel. Other than wiping off dust it never gets touched.
 
#9 ·
# What HDTV you bought
Sony KDL-52W3000


# When you bought it
First Week of March 2008

# What other HDTV's you considered
Sony 46XBR4
Sony KDL-46W3000


# Why you bought the set you did

3 HDMI inputs, VGA Input. Good SD performance.

Was going to get the 46" Sony W4000 along with an HTIB. Decided to drop the HTIB and upgrade to either the 46XBR or the 52W3000. Size won.

# Likes
-Nice design.
-Beautiful and Bright Picture.
-Outstanding SD playback.
-Excellent menu system.
-P&P and PinP is VERY useful.


# Dislikes
-Buttons on TV are on the top of the unit. Also awkward for such a large TV. Completely unusable if TV is wall mounted.

-Dimming functionality when screen is dark/inactive. Used to prevent or reduce the effects of clouding even though I haven't noticed any clouding at all. On the other hand, it might save me a dollar a month in electricity.

-Blacks aren't as superblack as I would like. The dimming might have something to do with that perception.

-Menu System is slow.... compared to the PS3.

-TV takes about 5-10 seconds to power up before you can access the menu after turning it on.

-I'm just nitpicking.
 
#10 ·
What - Sony KDL40W3000

When - March

Others Considered - everything in the 37-42" size range (space limitation)

Why This one?

- no burn in concerns
- 1080P
- Headphone jack
- 1080P via PC port (potential future use)
- Previous experience setting up hundreds of HDTVs
- liked the price/performance point.
- Considered the XBR4, but it wasn't worth the extra money (25% more) to me - this is a second TV, mostly for my wife's occasional use, replaced a 27" CRT.

Likes - Not much not to like, especially as a second TV

Dislikes:

- Would have preferred a darker bezel, but it's OK, the room is bright in the daytime, but most of the viewing is in the evening.
- Like many LCDs, it interferes with the SA3250HD remote for a few seconds after the TV turns on. After that, everything's fine.
 
#11 ·
What HDTV you bought:
Pioneer KURO PDP 6010 FD ( 60" Plasma)

When you bought it:
Dec, 2007

What other HDTV's you considered:
Panasonic 58" PZ series

Why you bought the set you did:
I decided to buy this plasma vs Panasonic because of the overall PQ. (on side by side comparison no matter how I tweaked the Panasonic it could never come close to the Pioneer.)

Likes
The EXCELLENT picture quality....(1080i/1080P)
True 1080p/24, with function of 72 hz/ 3:3 pulldown
Great menu system
Loaded with up-to date features ( PIP, 4 HDMI, RS 232, USB, etc....)
Gorgeous asthetics
Ease of menu navigation
BD movies, like you've never experienced!!
Function buttons actually produce visible results ( DNR , Mosquito NR etc)

Dislikes?
Heavy to set up.... need 2 people to wall mount.
A slight buzz is heard, if you are listening for it (at dead silence in room)
Pricey compared to others in same class.... MSRP $7,500.00, could be had for less.

Thanks

Paul
 
#12 ·
What HDTV you bought:
Sony KDL 40-S2400

When you bought it:
March 2007

What other HDTV's you considered:
Samsung and Toshiba

Why you bought the set you did:
I thought the Samsung and Sonys looked the same, but I didn't like the piano black finished (very bright room and lots of glare) and I got a better price on the Sony. I sit too far back to appreciate 1080p

Likes
HD Quality is very good
DVD look Great
No connection issues yet
good SD looks very good
light! could carry it with one hand

Dislikes?
poor SD channels look terrible
not 1080p
one HDMI input
 
#13 ·
What HDTV you bought
Toshiba 37CV510U

When you bought it
Saturday, April 12, 2008

What other HDTV's you considered
Panasonic, LG, Sanyo

Why you bought the set you did
Looked better than the average 720P set, had all the I/O's i need and a good Built-In tuner. Meant it to be a cost saver bedroom TV.

Likes and Dislikes
Good Quality HD signals **** great!! (after i turned off default torch 'sports' mode)
SD is worse, blurrr, viewing angle is not near as good as advertised.
the remote is really useless, fortunalely i have an EVu remote and a Harmony remote.
 
#14 ·
What HDTV you bought:
I bought Panasonic Plasma TH-50PX77U.

When you bought it
December 2007.
What other HDTV's you considered
I considered Samsung 52' LCD.
Why you bought the set you did
I bought Panasonic plasma over Samsung LCD due to superior refresh rate and color reproduction though it is only 780P. Better price.
Likes and Dislikes
Panasonic picture quality. Dislikes: No PC connectivity.
 
#15 ·
What HDTV you bought:
Samsung LNT3251D - 32 inch LCD

When you bought it:
December 2006

What other HDTV's you considered:
Sony S3000 (tested at home and returned), Sharp's 32 & 40 inch models

Why you bought the set you did:
Liked the Sony brand, but SD channels looked terrible
The best looking TV I've ever seen while on AND off.
Potential bedroom TV size.
Employee discount (25% off the sale price) :D
No burn-in (it was still somewhat of an issue at the time of purchase)
Less power consumption compared to plasma sets
PC connectivity via VGA (now that I have a HTPC with DVI, HDMI works too)

Likes and Dislikes:
ATSC, HD Cable, PS3 games, Bluray, DVD, and even SD cable channels look great on this TV.
Great design that never gets old (to me, at least)
Included swivel stand is very handy.
Overall, I love my Samsung and I'd stick with them with my next purchase :D
 
#16 ·
Please only post if you have purchased an HDTV since Christmas since older sets are no longer available.
 
#17 ·
We bought our first HDTV just after Christmas: Sharp Aquos LC32D42U, a 32', 1080p set.
My mind was pretty set on an Aquos, I was just waiting for the price to come down below $1000. I must admit I didn't research my purchase very much. I had always liked the aquos picture and the price seemed great.
I immediately got a CM4228 antenna. We watch mostly OTA digital programs and dvd from an upscaling player. I find the picture quality absolutely stunning in HD, particularly on channels like radio-canada (SRC) and CBC that seem to have the least amount of compression. Occasionally, I thought there were artifacts during fast motion, but this always happens on channels that have limited bandwith (such as PBS HD, which only has a bw of about 12-13 Mbps). The Superbowl, on Fox was stunning! Sunday afternoon HD movies on CBC have PQ and SQ just out of this world.
SD picture quality needs more tweaking, but I think this is true of most brands. SD picture will never look that hot on a 1080 set anyways.

Negatives: the tuner is notoriously slow, but it doesn't bother me that much because I don't zap all the time. I wish it had two coaxial inputs to accomodate the antenna and analog cable...but we will probably get rid of cable pretty soon.

All in all, HDTV is a revelation and that Sharp Aquos is perfect for our needs. And BTW, we have a pretty small living room and I like to sit real close, so i think a 1080 set was still worth it. I am not ready to pay $2000 for a large tv!
 
#18 · (Edited)
What HDTV you bought

LG 32LB4D

When you bought it

Feb 25 2008

What other HDTVs you considered

Panasonic TC32LX700

Why you bought the set you did

Lots of inputs....3 HDMI with HDCP, USB Media Host, 2 component,
one RGB PC Input .....important because I also use it as a PC monitor
and the Panasonic 32 inch set didn't have a PC input.

Good specs....at least on paper:

• 1366 x 768p Resolution
• 10,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
• TruMotion Drive (120 Hz)
• ATSC/NTSC/QAM Clear Tuner
• XD Engine®
• 178º True Wide Viewing Angle
• Super IPS Technology
• SRS TruSurround XT™

2 years warranty (plus 1 extra year with purchase on Platinum credit card)

Good price....$899 plus tax on sale at FS.

Light weight...only 30 lbs including stand.


Likes

Looks good, good feature set, brilliant picture for sports, movies, all HD inputs

Dislikes

It's an LCD so the blacks aren't as black as a Plasma...but that's a given.

Not 1080P, athough that doesn't matter for a set this size.

SD isn't that good....watchable but nothing to write home about.
 
#19 ·
What HDTV you bought

Panasonic TH-50PX80U Plasma HDTV

When you bought it

March, 2008

What other HDTVs you considered

Pioneer PDP-5080HD Plasma HDTV

Why you bought the set you did

I had a 42 inch Hitachi (T51 series I believe) in the family room. We sit about 10 feet away from it, and after purchasing it I discovered that it was too small. So, when an opportunity to swap it out came around I jumped on it(parents needed another TV after moving into a condo, so I gave them the Hitachi since they would be sitting closer to it).

I was looking for a 720p unit since at my seating distance of 10 feet, the added resolution of a 50 inch 1080p would make no difference to me. And since I am in the process of setting up a projection home theatre system in my basement, I didn't want to blow a lot of budget on my family room HDTV. So this year's Panny 720p model seemed to be a no brainer to me (although I did spend a lot of time with the Pioneer Kuro set, but couldn't justify the extra $1000, because to my eyes, I really couldn't see a difference that was worth that much).

Likes
Excellent colour saturation and accuracy (to my naked eye). Out of the box, this unit looks like it won't need any grayscale calibration at all, although I will confirm this once the set is fully broken in. Blacks are very deep. Maybe not as deep as the Kuro (although I was very pressed to tell a difference...to me they looked the same, but some folks think that the Kuro is darker...either way, in my opinion, the difference is negligible). Whites are extremely bright and lack that yellowish tint that I've seen on previous Panasonics. Awesome HD performace. Very Good SD performance too (DVDs look gorgeous, SD cable has the potential to look gorgeous...good channels do).

And of course, I love the price (the set can be had for a few hundred below MSRP with some haggling at the big box stores...surprising for a unit that just came out, considering last year's PX75 is still available widely).

Dislikes

The only one issue I have with this set so far is that the 3rd HDMI input is located in the front of this set. I would have liked to have 3 HDMIs at the rear, with an additional one in front. So, I guess the complaint is that an extra rear HDMI would have been nice. Not a big issue if you use your AVR as an HDMI switch, but I like some components to be connected directly, so an additional HDMI in the back would have been helpful...my plasma is mounted on the wall with wires run through the walls, so running additional component cables wasn't something I was interested in doing...stuck to HDMI).
 
#20 ·
What HDTV you bought:

Sharp Aquos LC-46D82U


When you bought it:

Boxing Week


What other HDTV's you considered:

Samsung version of 120hz, can`t remember model number


Why you bought the set you did:

I love watching hockey and I glad I got this model.


Likes

Amount of HDMI inputs
Picture overall

Dislikes

Blacks can be poor
 
#21 ·
I've purchased 2 new HD tvs this year.

What HDTV you bought:
#1 Samsung FPT5084, #2 Samsung HPT4254

When you bought it:
#1 January 2008, #2 March 2008

What other HDTV's you considered:
#1 50" Panasonic and Pioneer, #2 42" LG

Why you bought the set you did:
#1 & #2 Best bang for buck in my price range

Likes:
#1 & #2 Beautiful picture quality, very nice tv design (simple and clean)

Dislikes:
#1 & #2 Makes watching my other tvs very difficult
 
#22 ·
Panasonic Viera TH42PZ77U

January 2008

Toshiba and Samsung

3 friends have Pannys and they all look fabulous, one of the highest rated sets. After 3 Sony HDTV failures in 5 years, Sony is out. Permanently.
This set will be retired to the living room shortly to make room for the FP in the basement once the HT room is complete hence no need for a larger screen.


Razor sharp PQ and vibrant colour. HD and BD look excellent, DVD looks near HD on this set through the PS3, even SD satellite looks good. Full 1080p.

No pip. SD card reader in a bad spot. Would have preferred it in the front of the set behind a door.
 
#23 ·
I got the Sony Bravia XBR 46" at the end of Feb 2008

Requirements were. 40"-46" 120 mhz display.

My wife and I visited many stores, and different locations, so we could compare each 120 mhz model beside each other, one BB had a Sony, beside a Panasonic, the next had a Samsung beside a Sharp, Toshiba, etc.

A lot of stores did not know how to set a TV up, but after comparing just about everything we could find in FS, BB, AV2000, Badboy and one or 2 other stores in the area, we came to the conclusion that the Sony had consistently the best display, when it came to colour and motion.

So bought a Sony.
 
#24 ·
What HDTV you bought - Sony XBR46 46" LCD flat-panel TV
When you bought it - Purchased Jan. 2008
What other HDTV's you considered - Samsung, LG, Hitachi LCD & Plasma
short listed Hitachi HD Plasma, but it used too much energy.
Why you bought the set you did - It's a Sony, still very hard to beat.
overall color accuracy is very good, plenty of input ports.
Likes and Dislikes - Like the general look and configuration.
dislike the lack of a swivel base or the not very good speakers.

very good television set, highly recommend this unit.

used with: Motorola 6416 PVR ; PS3 ; Yamaha RV-X1800 ; M&K speakers.
 
#25 ·
* What HDTV you bought
Panasonic Plasma TH46PZ80

* When you bought it
May 11 2008

* What other HDTV's you considered
Sharp Aquos LCD, was my other choice in but opt for plasma

* Why you bought the set you did
When I looked at several sets displayed beside each other, but I did several stores to make sure, comes some store setup the tv in a way, that where they make the most profit make it look better. The Panasonic looked the best, Pioneer was too expensive,

* Likes
Looks, 46" inplasma which I think its the only one that makes that size cause 42" would be a little small and 50" a little too big. But that was not the main reason. Plenty of connections, Great colors on HD, Analog, when we all know.

Dislikes
well, manual could have been more detailed.
 
#26 ·
What HDTV you bought
Insignia NS-LCD40HD-09

When you bought it
May 17, 2008

What other HDTV's you considered
LG 32LB4D & Sony KDL32M4000

Why you bought the set you did
I was actually pretty set on buying the LG 32LB4D, it has impressive specs, and cost was definately a factor, so I only looked at 30-39 inch models. I got to the store, and the salesman was giving it a ringing endorsement - and then I pointed out there were no boxes underneath and appeared it was out of stock. I asked him to check the computer to see if it was in stock and he told me enthusiastically that they had one left in Gatineau. I pointed out that Gatineau is in Quebec, and that I'd look around a little on my own...

I then noticed the Insignia 40" LCD on sale for just under a grand (which was my budget), that it was full 1080p and had plenty of inputs. The picture quality of the set looked like almost every other tv beside it, mind you none of them were set-up as good as they could have been.

Likes
Very nice PQ in HD
Lots of Inputs
NTSC/ATSC/QAM
Size turned out to be perfect for my 400 sq foot apartment where I sit 7.5 feeway from the screen. Big difference from my 27" tube.
I use the TV speakers, and they sound great, volume can go up extremely high.
Very bright whites

Dislikes
Poor SD PQ. However, It is still being fed by Component inputs from the cable box while the HDMI cables are in the mail, not sure if that will improve the PQ - also, I'm unable to move back any further, to view SD.

Nitpick: Advanced Video features 'Adaptive contrast, Noise Reduction, etc' are not explained in the manual at all - it just tells you to select On and Off. They actually make PQ worse. Set to the default "off" though, it's a non-issue.

All in all, I was apprehensive buying a somewhat -no-name or discount brand, but am very happy with the results.

[Also would like to say Hi to everyone, have been lurking for a little over a month now and have learned a lot from this site.]
 
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