LCD Newbie - buy now or wait?

You might also consider Samsung 81 series 46'' LCD that should be available next month which promises to be a big improvement over existing LCD technology.

This has my curiosity too, touting a 100,000 to 1 CR. But, be forewarned, the prices, at first, will gag most of us. I read $3000 MSRP for the 42", $4000 for the 46".

sony and samsung are launching new tvs in the july-august timeframe. give a month or so to start seeing waht users and tech sites are saying about that. by that time prices on the old models will drop significantly and you can decide whether to get a deal on last summer's/winter's models (who's issues have mostly been resolved) or wait another couple months for the prices on the new sets to drop. that's what im doing. it's a been investment and the last thing you want is to feel like u got ripped off or you didnt get what u wanted. 7 years is a long time to be unhappy with what you are watching.

I hate to muddy the waters and cast doubt into the mind of the original poster but I read somewhere else that the launch for samsung was Sept., so it's still couple months away and if one were to wait for other's to review/comment on those new models, a few months out. But it's good advice if you can wait. Since I'm cheap I would like to wait for last year's models to drop in price and then buy. I'm hoping that will happen close to when the new ones release.

thanks for the correction, underonesun. im kind of in your camp. if the 71/81 series drops the price of the 61/65/66 even more, its gonna be hard to justify a 50-60% price difference and go for a 71. same goes with sony. if the xbr4/5 pushes the xbr3 price down, we are going to be looking at similar numbers. first gen production technology like the LED BL in the 81 series worries me.

on the note about how much prices will drop on new models, consider this.....when the samsung ln-t4065/66f launched it was available for ~$2300 at best buy in the first week of april. 2 months later, in june, it was available for $1800 online and $2000 (today) at best buy. on the other hand, if you want a sony 32xbr2 (last years model) you are going to pay just about the same as this years model (32xbr4). if you want to pm me i can send you a link to a B&M vendor in New York that has incredible prices, so if you are within like 50 miles of NYC most places will give you a price match.

Actually, the 71/81 series will be out in August, not September.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=788306

There are so many 1080p panels (more to come next couple of months) so you need to narrow your options down a bit. There will always be some kind of problems with the LCD tvs like banding, black crush, mura, glossy panel, overprice, etc. Perhaps you should go to a local electronic store like BestBuy or Circuit City and see if they have those two models plus Samsung LN-T4665F. Check them out and see which one you and your wife like best.

I think you should consider getting the Samsung LN-T4665F with the latest panel so you won't run into problems with dropping signal or weak signal. Looks like the new firmware/board (1028/1008) fixes it.

Otherwise, wait for Sony XBR5 to come out next month and pay an overprice for it.

I am currently waiting for the Vizio 52" due out at the end of August. I have 3 Vizio's & am quite happy with them, especially for the price. I would make a list of demands & a price point & wait for a set to fall in. Here is mine so far:

*120hz refresh rate for smoother motion (might rule out the 52" I had my eye on)

*A non-reflective panel (unless your room is completely dark with no windows, this should be a MUST) Vizio's do well here except for their black borders which I have covered with 2" wide felt tape bought on EBAY.

*46" - 52"

*Price point under 3K

*1080P

* Set must pass Cnet's test for converting 1080I to 1080P for tv broadcasts--example: "the Vizio's was unable to resolve every line of a 1080i test pattern from our Sencore VP403 signal generator--a test the Pioneer and the Westinghouse sets passed... "


*3 or more HDMI inputs

*Wait for the set to be in people hands for atleast a couple of months & check owners threads for major flaws.

Sharp has 120 hz models available now, and Toshiba has released three 120hz HDTVs, and Samsung 120hz- 71, 81 series 1080p http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/11/...080p-lcd-hdtvs/

The Samsung 71 & 81 appear to be the best sets out there. The 81 is a little more, but worth the extra $. I have not seen 1 in person so I don't know if the screens are "non-reflective". All other specs look great.

Hopefully my dream LCD will be available through Costco. Purchasing with an American Express card will automatically extend the warranty & returns (if necessary) are easy at Costco.

I am pretty set on these specs. As quickly as technology changes, a set with these specs should make you quite content for years to come. Be patient.

lcd-bob's posts are very informative, look for his guidance.

I know I forgot some important things, hopefully others will chime in.

-Norm

i didnt mean to say you are unhappy with ur current tv, i was saying that if you keep the next tv as long u dont want to be unhappy. sorry for the confusion.

Well it turns out the new models are announced but I'm not sure if you can buy one yet. engadget had an article, prices are high $3000 for the 40", $4000 for 46", $5000 for next size 52"??

I'm more of a trailing edge consumer, let someone else take the risk of new issues with new models. (^:

Wait. LCD technology is still evolving, the picture quality is getting better each year and the price is dropping each year. If you spend a load on a premium tv today, it might not feel so "premium" by the time you pay it off!

And I doubt that any LCD HDTV will match your brother's CRT HDTV when it comes to SD broadcasts. SD television programming might actually look worst on an LCD HDTV than on your 7-year-old CRT, because LCD shows off all the problems in the SD signal.

Or, if you'll primarily be watching high-def cable and upconverted DVDs, consider a less expensive HDTV. You don't need 1080p for high-def cable and upconverted DVDs.

Don't wait. The next great thing is always around the corner, when it arrives there will be yet another great thing to wait for on its heals. If you wait for the next great thing you will be waiting forever, the time will never be right. My advice is to just go ahead and jump in. I agree that 1080p is not needed, its probably not of much value on a 46" screen unless your viewing distance is less than seven feet or so. Also keep in mind that the only 1080p sources are Xbox, PS3, HD DVD players and Blu-ray players. There will not be 1080p broadcast sources for many years if ever.

If you must get LCD then I advise a wait. I expect you'll be able to get a nice 46'' Bravia for less than 2k by year's end.

Buckeye is exactly right. A lot of people are probably going to tell you to wait a year or two for second and third generation LED and local dimming back lights, but the reality is, by the time you do, something like OLEDs or SED's will literally be launching the next year. HDTV's are very much like PC's. They constantly evolve, and you're never going to have the best one unless you buy a new one every single year.

Yep, this is very good advice.

The technology train never pulls into the station. By the time "today's" technology is priced right, then the "new stuff" will be released. All of the new technology, assuming it "really" solves an issue, will never be at the price point of the value priced models.

Look at a set today, if you like it, buy it. The technology plateaus are very short.

might be worth checking out the olevia 747i thread.. it appears to have the least number of issues with the largest being the menu system.. it also has a lot of PiP features that are missing on some of the other more popular sets.. also it has great SD reception, which is still a big deal for me..

I am in a similar position. Don't feel like plunking down $2,200 on a LNT4665F only to have something much better come out next week, and it drop to $1,400 overnight.

Critique this idea. First, buy a minimal set, such as a Vizio or Olevia 37" (42 if on sale < $750) 720P (1366x768 native res) TV for now. Wait 1-2 years, then the set everyone is drooling over will be down to a grand or so, or the refined dynamic LCD backlight (to increase CR) is perfected, and the second generation is around $1,500 (in 46-47" size). Then either put the 37" in a bedroom, sell (probably get $300 or so), etc. Thus you cut your dollar loss from $1000 to $300-400. And you learned about HDTV and LCDs and know what you REALLY want and what to look out for.

Is this viable to stick a toe in to test the waters, or better to jump in with both feet, or even head first?

^ Sorry, but I think that is a terrible idea. Don't waste your money on something you'll be disappointed in only a year or two down the line. I'd just spend slightly more or wait a few months for prices to come down.

It all depends on what matters the most to you, for example:
- watch lots of sports, do gaming? 120Hz might be a big difference for you, then look the latest Toshiba, Samsung, Philips, Sony, LG...
- want deep blacks? Samsung seems to have the edge now
- want "shadow details" (no black crush, clear image in dark scenes)? Samsung does not have a great track record
- want "natural, vibrant colors"? Then LED back lights will be critical for you

You will gave to visit lots of sales floor to get an idea of what really matters to you and then try to make a choice (be wary, as usual, of the settings of the TVs on the floor...).

LCD technology as we know it has not fully matured. It does however to never stop getting better, bigger, and cheaper.
The good news is, it's never been better than now. You can get alot of LCD for not too much coin. Consider any LCD you buy now an interim step to viewing bliss.
I project we are two to three generations away from something superb.
Also, with OLED on the horizon, flat panel is lookin' 'good'.

If you can wait it out, you are tougher than the rest of us. If you can't, join the club...we have jackets.

Consider this...

TV prices almost drop by half every year. So a TV worth $3600 this year might well be selling for $1800 next year, and have a better image.

$1800 over one year is $150 a month!

For the same price, you could get a $1000 this year...

Nothing would stop you (except your wife) from getting a $2600 TV next year. Next year's TV would probably cost over $5000 right now (a 60 inch?). And you would have a bonus TV, the one you bought this year, to put in another room.

And, you'd have the bragging rights with your brother!

If he buys a better TV right away, you'll have the bragging rights again next year!

I think I'll do that, hoping to get either that Costco Sceptre 46" 1080P, or that Westy TX30 series 47" Westy, in a month or two, or a similar set. I've budgeted $1,500-1,600 for this. I still can't muster the $ or courage to pony up for an XBR5, as the XBR6, and XBR7 are probably not far behind, etc. Also seems every manufacturer, even the expensive ones that rhyme with pony, have issues. At least I'll have a decent size 1080P screen.

Went to a few stores and looked around and saw little qualitative difference between the models. Blacks looked OK on all, etc.

120hz by itself its not enough....its kinda like using 1080P as your only criteria....the current 120hz machines are not as good as the best 60hz machines on blur......they may not be as good as the middling bunch too.

I'd say its a good idea to wait 2-3 months given the current LCD market forecast. The Sammy 81's could be a big step forward for LCDs. If they wind up being a great panel your decision will probably be pretty simple if you can afford an 81 series. The 81s could be big leap forward versus the incremently steps we have grown accustomed to in LCDs. We will all have to wait and see. My money is already on the LN-T4081.