the "help me choose an LCD" thread - Page 6

I've already seen both models at Fry's Electronics--and that's based on the salesman actually allowing me to change the picture mode to Standard and Movie modes. I like the LN40C630's vivid colors, but it's also hard to beat the better color balance on the KDL-40EX500, too. Help.

please help me choose between the following LCD sets,
1-Toshiba 47ZV650U
2-Toshiba 46XV645U
3-Toshiba 46SV670U
4-Sharp LC46E77U/LC46e77UN- isn't the UN model the newer panel being made now for this set?
5-Sony KDL-46S5100
6-Sony KDL-46V5100
if there are any other models that I should also consider, please do suggest it

1. Budget(around $1000, could be a little less or more than that)
2. Seating distance(8-10 feet away)
3. Size/placement limitations(46-47" that will be placed in a corner)
4. Uses and sources(Directv service, Blu-Ray, Netflix movie streaming, home theater system with a Blu Ray player)
5. Room lighting(can be well lit or well dimmed)

the sony models you list have a problem known as "red flash" do a search on these forums to read about it


the sharp models will be the best sets for gaming on but you made no mention of gaming use so i'm going to guess that does not matter to you

the 47" Toshiba is likely to have the best viewing angles of the bunch because its the only one on you list that uses an IPS panel (its got LG's 47" panel in it)

the blacks on the other models should be better than the 47" due to using VA panels but viewing angles will vary greatly, generally speaking the xv645u's have terrible viewing angles i know i owned on for a short amount of time

nope no gaming will be used, would you know if the Sharp UN models are the newer panels being used in place of the U models? so of the models listed, which one should I buy?
I like the 47ZV650U because it has 2 completely separate composite inputs, while the others are sharing it along with a component input, also, it's the only 47" of that list, thanks for the help

the 47zv645u will be an excellent TV

I would also choose it just because its the biggest you can fit in your space

I'm not positive about the UN being the new panel but that may be the case.

overall picture quality once adjusted on all these model's will be pretty similar so you really cannot go wrong with any of them to be honest. i would avoid the xv645u though due to the viewing angle issue i mentioned and the red flash on the Sony's can be a problem after awhile of use if it comes up and bothers you but otherwise they will be good performers esp the V5100.

sony's motionflow imo works better than Toshiba's motion enhancer but they both do a decent job

look in this owners thread for the 77U/77UN models and i'm sure you can find out what the difference between them are

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...150301&page=32

Sorry for the re-post, but another member suggested I might try posting this request for advice in here. Thanks in advance!

After 6 years my trusty Pioneer 503CMX plasma has died a sudden death, complete with sparks and a loud pop. Repair costs and scheduling headaches are just not worth it.

I think that a new LCD screen might be the best choice for a replacement, but I'd like to see what some of you think. Here is my situation..

- Bright living room with many windows
- Existing wall cavity for 50" screen, 29" x 49"
- Analog / Component video distribution system

I would prefer a monitor only screen, just like the old 503CMX. No speakers or tuner is needed. I'll be viewing from odd angles, so good off-center quality is important. 1080p is not very important to me since my video switch maxes at 1080i, but being future proof doesn't hurt.

What do you guys recommend?

Which LG models 40" to 47" are recommended for streaming, internet (wi/fi) and games?

I can purchase a LG tv and blue ray to support those features.

I'm looking for the best combo to support all of the above for the price!

is it safe to buy refurbs

Wish I wouldve looked here before I bought my Vizio.

What are some of the general differences between entry level Sony and Samsung PQs? I noticed while at BB that the Samsung's (40B530) colors were generally brighter than the Sony (EX400). Is this something that distinguishes Samsung from Sony?

Ok, so after wavering between plasma and LCD I think I'm firmly back in the LCD camp.
I'd like to know what people recommend as the best LCD for the following criteria...

- 50"+, but 52" is better then 55"
- Bright room with lots of windows.
- Under $2000. I think this means no local dimming, but tell me if I'm wrong.
- Speakers aren't needed
- Thin bevels are good. I would just buy the LG 55LH90 if it weren't for the Jay Leno chin. But let me know if you think this is still my best bet.
- I'll be viewing at angles
- This is a general use living room TV. Comcast HD movies, TV shows, news, etc.
- I have an analog video distribution system, so 1080p is of no use to me


Thanks in advance, and a special thanks to Spyboy for helping me along in other threads.

ok so I like another LCD set, the Toshiba 46SV670U, so between the 2 Toshiba, which one would you buy? thanks

What's the difference between the Samsung LN32C530 and LN32C550? The 550 is priced higher but I'm not sure what's different.

Also, of the Samsung and the Sony 32EX400 and 32EX500, which one would be best for PC usage? Thanks!

Hi all, just registered and feeling overwhelmed with all the choices. Would really appreciate some advice!

Budget
$800, could stretch that if it gets to a really good price/performance zone

Seating distance
flexible, probably 6-8 feet

Size/placement limitations
Would prefer the 40" range is possible.

Uses and sources
Will be used for playing games on our Wii in 480p, playing games and blue-ray through a PS3, also DVDs and Netflix instant-watch. With that in mind, being able to accurately display 24FPS sources is moderately important and good upscaling is very important.
In the future we'll probably get some sort of digital cable so will be used for TV including sports.

Room lighting
We're moving (sometime) soon, so can't answer that definitively. I'd guess moderately bright to dark.


I looked at Best Buy today and liked a lot of the LGs and Sonys. Some of the stuff I've read here has also got me interested in Sharp but I haven't yet found any local ones to check out. Thanks for your help!

lococarlos,

Given your criteria right now your choices would be Samsung LN40C630 or the Sony KDL-40EX500. I've seen both with the picture controls turned down to Movie mode and they look pretty good.

Ray, thanks for the tip! Those both look like very attractive options I'll have to check them out.

New user here too, and I'm at a loss for what panel to go with.

Requirements:
Budget - ~$1500-2000
Seating Distance- 8-10ft
Size/Placement Limitations: None
Room Lighting: Fairly bright room, with the light source being a sliding glass door to the left of where the panel will be. The door has big blinds over it that can be closed/turn light away from the TV.
Uses: Gaming (xbox 360), HTPC, TV (HD), Movies

My budget is fairly flexible, but the more I spend on a TV, the less I can spend on other components/TV stand. It's going to be my first TV, and I'd like to get something that will last. I had been wavering back and forth like some other users between Plasma and LCD, and I really don't want to deal with changing black levels and other concerns that go along with owning a plasma (image retention, burn-in). Another thing as far as a concern goes for me is something that is durable. I'm in a career field that sees me moving every few years, so I don't want something that can be broken or damaged easily (even if I'll be reimbursed for the partial value).

Thanks!

Which LG models 40" to 47" are recommended for streaming, internet (wi/fi) and games?

I can purchase a LG tv and blue ray to support those features.

I'm looking for the best combo to support all of the above for the price!

the SV670U is Toshiba's current top of the line model, it will have a little bit better PQ overall than the 47xv650u probably mostly in contrast ratio and black levels

for LCD the LH90 will provide the best picture and viewing angles and it is in fact a local dimming LED TV

considering your using a ton of analog video connections though your still probably better served if you were to buy a 50" 720p or 1080p plasma and use the cash saved to buy a blu-ray or some other new stuff

LCD's do not handle SD analog very well at all, HD over component video is fine but most sets make 480i content look much worse than it should be due to LCD's inherent sharpness of displaying images it tends to bring out defects in the source more often than plasma because of this.

i would definitely suggest that you at least buy locally so if your disappointed in how your current equipment looks on it you can always return it because the various LCD brands and models all handle SD differently and the result can be anywhere from terrible to good

then there is the viewing angle thing as Sharkcohen already said no current LCD can match Plasma with viewing angles and don't be fooled in stores by LCD's viewing angles once you get it home and watch a movie in a dim room this downside of most/all LCD's becomes much more apparent to your eyes (blacks/dark images always change at different angles is the major thing that happens but color and color temperature often change slightly at off angles on LCD's)

Okay, I may have to drop the idea of using my old Panasonic DVD-S35 DVD player even if I could bump it up to 480p progressive scan mode. I may have to get a real Blu-ray player with reasonable DVD upscaling.

So I decided that I don't really like the look of the Samsungs, and found out that the Sony has unacceptable input lag when playing games with component cable (e.g. Wii gaming). So I'm kind of back to square one.
Anyone have any other suggestions?

1. Budget
US$ 1000 - US$ 1400

2. Seating distance
~8 feet.

3. Size/placement limitations
42 inch

4. Uses and sources
1. SD channels should be above average
2. Blu-ray contents, some DVDs
3. Heavy game on PS3 (FPS, so preferable low to no lag) and should be at least 100/120Hz
4. Direct video play via USB is a plus
5. No crappy audio please


5. Room lighting
Controllable, I have dim lighting, and usually off the light when I'm watching video for more cinematic feel

DVD's over component video at 480p is usually ok because all the TV has to do is upscale the image.

I was referring to 480i signals over composite and S-Video above, they require color decoding, de-interlacing and upscaling to be displayed and by the time thats all said and done the picture is pretty terrible looking on many LCD TV's


if you can go down to 37" size Panny 37" LCD's (any of them) will perform great for gaming at any resolution i own a 37S1, tested it for input lag and it performs very well even with non-native resolutions its still faster than most HDTV's


120hz does not improve gaming performance, it actually hurts it (adds more input lag)

read the thread in my sig for more info on input lag and to determine if this matters to you

your probably going to need to throw the good speakers part out of the equation though if you want to find a TV that has 120hz and still performs good with gaming

models i would suggest are

any sharp E77U(n), 700UN (both are 120hz)
LG LH90 (120hz local dimming LED)
any Panasonic 37" LCD (720 or 1080p does not matter they both perform good) (most models are 60hz but there should be some 120hz coming out this year, last year only the 37G1 was 120hz)

avoid samsung and sony as they perform the worst generally speaking for gaming but sony is usually better than samsung in this area

Hi,

I am looking for an inexpensive LCD to use as a PC monitor. I currently have a 22" LCD & the text is too small. My eyes could use something larger. I dont plan to run 1080 resolutions on the PC (probably 720).

I would like help on a decent PC compatible (VGA I guess) monitor/tv for use with a PC.

I am thinking a TV for usage as a monitor mainly because I suspect it is less expensive than buying a 30" Dell monitor for 1700 bucks.

Budget
$500

Seating distance
Roughly 2 feet

Size/placement limitations
I would like a 32"

Uses and sources
Only used for a large monitor for PC usage, no games, just web, email, documents, etc. No gaming, movies, TV.

Room lighting
Sitting under florescent lighting in my office at home.

Thanks,
Rich

Looking for a nice 55"
2k budget
will be using it for ps3 gaming and blu-rays

is the 46SV670U set a true 240HZ or is it similar to the 47ZV650U where it's not 100% 240HZ? from what I can tell from researching, it supposedly is true 240HZ but Toshiba's website online manual doesn't clearly state that? if it is 100% true 240HZ then I will buy it, the price difference between the 2 is just $200 more for the SV670U set, so which one would you buy? also, what is LED Backlighting? are all 240HZ sets incorporated with that? thanks

OK, so Best Buy has approved my replacement for my old Westy TX-47. Apparently I have an older replacement plan (from 2007) and so I don't just get the price I paid for the TV, but rather the price the TV was last sold at OR a comparable set.

So, I can either get a 46/47" 60hz TV that best buy currently carries, or I get $1200 store credit towards any set that I'd like. So I'd really appreciate some suggestions. I don't want to drop below a 46" if I can help it. The TV is already on the small end of what I'd like for the space. I'd also like to not put too much more money into the replacement - I can MAYBE throw in an extra $200, but I can't push it more than that. The TV is mostly used for watching Blu-Ray/HDTV, but I also have a 360/PS3 that I use with it, and would like the gaming performance to be good.

Currently, my options look like:
LN46B750U1F (+$200 from me)
LN46C630K1F
LN46B550K1F
KDL46EX500
47PFL5704D/F7
52XV645U
55LH40 (+$300 from me)

If you can think of any others that BB currently offers that I'm not seeing, feel free to recommend away. I'm LEANING towards a sammy, but the LG is tempting (if not a bit above my price range...)

I really appreciate any help, thanks