Sorry if this has been discussed before, but I did a search and couldn't find anything.

So my 50" Toshiba (2000) took a George Brett on me this week. It would cost over $400 to repair, so the wife and I decided to look for a new television. We don't want anything too big and too pricey, something reasonable, and probably less than 50". Some questions for anyone that can help:

1. Which are the best brands?
2. Which is better - LCD, Plasma or DLP (or is it all the same)?
3. Where is it best to shop (remember, I'm in Tinley Park)?
4. We'd like it mounted so the kids can't mess with it; however, the wall we'd like it on is also the wall that the washer and dryer is on, so would the vibrations cause a problem? Also, wherever I purchased it would have to install it.

Any other help or advice would be much appreciated. You can either respond in this thread or pm me.

Depends on your habits:

videogames: DLP only (burn-in)
Cable: Plasma has the best picture but gas has to be refilled...
DLP is the most economical
LCD is good picture but has a limited viewing area (sides get cut off)

Now that analog is going away, I use the picture test...which TV's picture looks the best? It's fairly subjective. If you're not playing video games, I'd go plasma. If you are at all, DLP is great.

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

We would have the Wii hooked up to that tv, plus whatever games the kids may (or may not depending on the effect it has) hook up (i.e. smartcycle).

People will tell you that plasma has a inperceptably moving screen to avoid burn-in, but I say go DLP just to be safe. I'm quite satisfied with my Mitsu...

If you're looking to buy on the cheap(er)...look/ask for a floor model. They'll be much cheaper. Then pay for a warrantee on the bulb. Three years should suffice...

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

as am i.

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@audioidkid

I'm very happy with my panasonic viera plasmas but I don't use them for gaming.

As for the repair versus buy, it would seem 400 is cheaper than buying a new one. If it's 720 or 1080, it will be fine going forward and worth the repair perhaps.

For the best black levels, the Panasonic Kuro line can't be beat, it's head and shoulders above everything on the market. You might pay a bit of a premium bit it's a HUGE difference if you read some reviews online. I've had a lot of TVs and a few HDTVs in the last few years and even though I hate them as a brand have to recommend Sony. I currently have a 42" 1080p LCD and a 50" 1080p LCD Projection. They are both incredible with my PS3, Wii, BluRay, and Comcast HD. I tried some other brands to save some money but ended up returning them since they weren't the image quality I expect. Also, stay away from off brands like Westinghouse, Emerson, etc. You'll end up with a tv that can't render blacks properly (they'll look purple or grey) and have terrible contrast ratios. Blacks and contrast ratio is what the Kuros are legendary for. Hope this helps.

My mitsubishi was the biggest for the best price and it has performed well going on almost 10 months now. Love it i'll buy another one when this one George Bretts

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... In my opinion.

As far as mounting on the wall goes, I wouldn't trust the guys from the store as they would just screw the mounting rack into the studs and call it a day. I'd suggest that you build a frame using heavy gauge perforated steel square tubing behind the drywall. Edges of the metal frame should sit on top and sole plates of your wall framing so they don't apply any load on your studs. I would then attach a heavy wood board or better yet steel plate to the frame and bring it forward enough to be flush with your drywall. The board or the plate will then be the surface I'd use to mount the TV rack to.

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"It's not exactly a rocket surgery." D.J.

If it was up to me i would make the 50 minute drive north to ABT Electronics. drop the kids at the G.rents.
I will never buy a "major purchase" electronic device from any other location ever.

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@audioidkid

Thanks for all the help. After a lot of research (by my wife) and asking many questions, we decided to go with a 52" Samsung LCD from Grants. Pretty decent deal with a five year warranty. Plus they delivered it the next morning.

Now, my next question is, is an HDMI cable necessary to get the full HD effect? If so, where's a good place to get one of those. Grants wanted around $35 for a 6 foot one. We told them "no."

ebay or amazon. i got 2 6' hdmi cables for less than $10 each, free shipping. i cant remember the exact site i purchased mine from, but there were tons of them available on ebay and amazon. work great, my picture is as sharp as a tack for a fraction of the price.

Ok, last question (I swear). Is there a particular brand of HDMI cable that is better than others? Or are they pretty much all the same? I'm looking on ebay and the price range of some of these is pretty wide.

i am not a video expert. i do however have a pretty keen eye for HD picture quality. before i invested, i did a lot of investigation on this topic on cnet, consumer reports, and so forth. the information i got was that the over-priced expensive HDMI cables are very over-rated, and that you can very easily go cheap and never notice the difference. i did that, i bought the most affordable cables i could find, and i could NOT be happier with my picture.

check this out:

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-11276_7-68 ... ent;rb_mtx

monster!

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@audioidkid

I had a funny argument with a coworker about 720p vs. 1080i yesterday...

Him: 1080i is better than 720p for sports and gaming because it has more data on the screen...

Me: Yeah, but only half the picture is getting refreshed every frame...

Him: Doesn't matter...more information is better...

Me: Ok...so why is 720p better for still imagery then?

(end of conversation)

Cables are cables. I have 2 words for you Craigs List. Search for HDMI and you'll find a guy in downtown Chicago who will give you a killer deal. BTW I have a 4 foot monster HDMI cable which you can have for free and I'm in Frankfort. PM me if you want it.

Second - If you are mounting on a wall again go to Craigslist and search plasma and you'll find an Indian guy up around Irving and Kedzie who will sell you a mount for $20. Comes sealed in a box with all the hardware and instructions. I've had my 42' hanging on the wall for almost a year and it is good.

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I'm like a carpenter building stairs.......Always thinking one step ahead.

No question, best guitar cables around. I don't have one!!!

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"It's not exactly a rocket surgery." D.J.