Tech Geeks: Looking for my first HDTV

[dansaint]

is this a good HDTV? Good value?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/RCA-32-Cla...B45RQ/20628112

This will only be for my bedroom and will be my first HDTV?

Should I jump at it now or should I wait until Cyber Monday and look for one then?

[CaptainHindsight]

You need to go to the store and see the picture in person before buying ANY TV. you're eyes wont lie, but the internet will. If you are happy with the picture in store and the price, then you should get the TV.

I recently bought a Vizio TV from Walmart. I've been very happy with it. Got a good deal too.

[Ransom Stoddard]

Originally Posted by CaptainHindsight

You need to go to the store and see the picture in person before buying ANY TV. you're eyes wont lie, but the internet will. If you are happy with the picture in store and the price, then you should get the TV.

I recently bought a Vizio TV from Walmart. I've been very happy with it. Got a good deal too.

To add to this--TV's in the store are set with their contrast and brightness jacked waaay up to compensate for crappy lighting conditions. As long as they are all set roughly the same way you can make an apples/apples comparison. Ask the salesperson to cycle through the video settings just so you can try to get a relative scale. Also make sure when you're comparing pictures that you're aware of the refresh rate. The TV you reference is 60Hz, while others may be 120Hz (or higher). The higher the rate, the crisper the picture, particularly when watching sports, action movies, etc. Also make sure that the thing has enough inputs for your existing components, video games, etc. I made that goof on the TV I bought for my office and have to unplug HDMI cables when I want to switch between Blu-Ray and my computer.

Be aware that the TV may be pre-set on this "demonstration" video mode when you first turn it on. If it is, it will likely look terrible in a darkened room. There are usually a handful of preset configurations, and you can tweak them to account for your room lighting, source, etc.

Your mileage may vary, but I personally would never ever buy a TV from Walmart, Target, Sears, etc. In my experience their salespeople know next to nothing and their service departments don't give a rats tail about helping you. Best Buy isn't much better, but it is better. I've always been happiest spending a few extra bucks and buying from a store that makes their living selling audio/video equipment--but stay away from extended warranties, they're next to worthless, no matter where you buy the equipment.

[KBLEE]

Also - if you are looking for reviews of various models from individuals who own them or have demoed them, check out the threads on AVS Forum. It has been my go-to source for audio / video info for years.

Just browsing, there are nearly 4,000 posts in "the help me choose an LCD" thread. As it was started almost 3 years ago, I would start at the end and work backwards.

[ill07]

Originally Posted by KBLEE

Also - if you are looking for reviews of various models from individuals who own them or have demoed them, check out the threads on AVS Forum. It has been my go-to source for audio / video info for years.

Just browsing, there are nearly 4,000 posts in "the help me choose an LCD" thread. As it was started almost 3 years ago, I would start at the end and work backwards.

This, all day long. AVS Forum is probably the ultimate source for anyone with questions about home theater equipment. The combined knowledge on that forum is scary. It can be overwhelming, but worth the time to sift through.

Even as someone who is fairly tech savvy, I manage to learn a ridiculous amount each time I visit that site.

[Clemens]

We bought an LCD last year? 42" Panasonic and we love it. I recommend that if you work for a large company that you check to see if they have any type of employee purchasing program. My wife does and they had one with panasonic and we were able to buy it delivered to our home for about 20% less than it would have cost anywhere else.

[DaytonIllini]

Make sure you have an HD input or these TV's are disappointing. Lots of people think you can pump standard cable or over the air standard def into one of these but most people would find that fuzzy. If you have an HD cable box though, HDTV is great.

[dansaint]

I got that. We have 72 in HD in the living room so we got the DirecTV HD addition.