Hi,

What is, in your opinion, the best deal (cheapest, decent quality) for CRT HDTV?

I've been stalking the clearance shelves at Best Buy, but haven't found anything good yet. They did have a cracked-case 30" Toshiba "theaterwide" for $400, seemed excessive.

Phillips 30"

This seems like a good deal. There are downsides to this set though. Just look around on the forums.



Edit: OMG such horrible stories I had to remove the link.

He wants an inexpensive TV, not a $300 doorstop.
link (http://www.amazon.com/Philips-30PW8420-30-Widescreen-HD-Ready/dp/B000AIOWSS/sr=8-1/qid=1171951241/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-4960097-6855851?ie=UTF8&s=electronics), link (http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Philips_Electronics_Outlet), link (http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Philips), link (http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/retailerratings/displaystore.php?storeid=1091)

Surprisingly the 30" Sanyo is adept at displaying games quite well over hdmi.

I've had the Philips 30PW8420 for over a year now. It has awesome PQ and I couldn't be happier. It came from Philips Outlet, from which I've made two separate purchases, both of which have been great.

With respect to MechanicalMan's links above, in general I think that people with a gripe are the ones who write most of the reviews. People without a complaint don't take the time usually to praise their purchases. I suspect the vast majority of TV buyers have no idea that sites like this exist.

Just my 2-cents worth.

With respect to MechanicalMan's links above, in general I think that people with a gripe are the ones who write most of the reviews. People without a complaint don't take the time usually to praise their purchases.
Oh, is that the reason for Philips Outlet's poor feedback? Then I wonder how to explain things like this (http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Newegg), this (http://www.resellerratings.com/store/B_H_Photo_Video_Pro_Audio), this (http://www.resellerratings.com/store/monoprice), this (http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-TH-42PX60U-42-Plasma-HDTV/dp/B000F6SR0O/sr=8-1/qid=1172008142/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-4960097-6855851?ie=UTF8&s=electronics), and this (http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Customer-reviews-for-Sony-34-WEGA-Flat-Screen-HDTV-KD34XBR970/sem/rpsm/oid/147206/rpem/ccd/productDetailReview.do#tabs). I guess those people weren't aware that only dissatisfied customers write reviews. And silly me, I thought that Philips Outlet had exceptionally bad feedback and an incredibly high number of BBB complaints (http://www.knoxville.bbb.org/commonreport.html?bid=4975) because they sell a bunch of DOA/defective products. If you want to see how well these Philips Outlet "deals" work out for people, look up some Philips Outlet threads at deal sites like FatWallet.

Phillips 30"

This seems like a good deal. There are downsides to this set though. Just look around on the forums.



Edit: OMG such horrible stories I had to remove the link.

LMAO WOW!

I needed that laugh too

I cannot comment on the 30" set but my first HD set was a 32" Phillips HDTV from Walmart and it had the worst HD picture I have seen from any set. SD and DVD looked bad also. Returned it the next day. The gal that was helping me told me that they had dropped that model because of all the returns due to poor pq.

It's the most expensive on the market right now but I have to go with the Sony XBR970 because it is the only tube TV currently sold that is worth owning.

It's the most expensive on the market right now but I have to go with the Sony XBR970 because it is the only tube TV currently sold that is worth owning.

Lovin' mine but they might be hard to come by shortly...

You could try mine! SamSung TXP3264! If I bought it for $700 a year and a half ago, you'd get it for probably about $500! 34" flatscreen, SamSung, which I've always gotten quality products from. It's a 4:3 screen that can do the HD shows in letterbox or full screen (by "stretching" the letterbox to fill the top and bottom). I recommend a seating distance of about...4.5 to 5 feet. Especially if you prefer the smaller letterbox mode. That distance (or even closer) will give you the best High Def experience from this set. The only drawbacks are that the TV is EXTREMELY HEAVY. The specs say it's around 150 pounds. Guess I'm a weakling, because it feels like 500 pounds :D! To avoid taking your back out, the TV has to be moved by at least 2 people. It will do your VCR, DVD, and videogame content very well. Some NON-HD channels dont look so hot, but that's not what you're buying it for :). When I get a true 16:9 LCD TV, I'll still keep this one around as a bedroom tv. This TV gives you great bang for the buck. Oh, one more thing! It's basically a moniter, and doesn't come with an HD tuner. I could have bought a smaller version that included the tuner, but I went for size. I got the Comcast High Def box, so there's my tuner.

Get a slimfit from Best buy right now. They are very cheap. Search the web for a 12% off coupon for Rewards Customers. Rewards is free to join.