[jkc120]

Hi All,


Well, my aging Samsung 42" 720p DLP is slowly dying. I've lost another bulb, and I suspect there are some issues with the color wheel starting to go I think (flickering, etc intermittently).


Anyway, the wife is convinced we should just pay the $150-175 for a new bulb but I'm frankly tired of putting money into an aging set to replace the bulbs (this'll be the 4th).


So I think I've decided to go with an LCD over a plasma due to power consumption and burn in (from what I can tell, they are still potentially susceptible to burn in).


I'd like something bigger than what we have to make it feel like more of an upgrade - so 46" or larger is a must. Of course, going 720p to 1080p is a huge upgrade in and of itself, but the diagonal viewing size is just a psychological difference I guess

So with all that said, the most I'd like to spend is $1200, absolute maximum. I'd prefer to keep it closer to $1000, if possible, but $1200 is ok.


I've done a fair amount of research/reading on various units, and quite frankly I'm inclined to solicit opinions on folks who already have a set and can speak highly of it or against another unit. I saw a similar thread from earlier in the year, but figured this deserved a new thread since a lot changes in 6 months!


So again, constraints are:


- Budget: $1000 - $1200

- Size: 46" or larger

- Technology: LCD (though if there is a plasma that is decent power consumption wise and people can assure me it won't burn in, I'm willing to consider a plasma)

- Horizontal Viewing angle: mostly 0 degrees (straight on), or about 45 degrees (measured from the line perpendicular to the TV screen)

- Vertical Viewing angle: pretty much 0 degrees (straight on)

- Mostly will be viewing 1080i or 720p HDTV sources on FiOS, but with some PS3 bluray movies @ full 1080p

- Lighting conditions: the room is fairly bright during the day. We have blinds we can close, but there are still about 8 windows in the room and neighboring rooms

- No need to wall mount, we already have a glass entertainment stand it will rest on


I've heard mixed opinions on the 60 vs. 120 Hz thing. Most say it's better to spend the money on a larger 60 Hz screen than spend the money on a smaller 120 Hz screen. I've also heard a couple of people say the 120 Hz screens tend to look "blurrier".


So with all that said, I'd love some opinions on some TVs to check out and consider.


Thanks everyone for your invaluable opinions and information!

 

[pjizel69]

I believe the LG 47lh40 might work for you! It is $1199 at Best Buy this week. I will be purchasing the 42" lh40 very soon. Some people have experience audio lag issues, so if you are one to experience this, make sure your HDMI cables are all 1.3 and good quality. If there is still the audio lag you can just return it to Best Buy within 30 days and go with a different TV! If you don't experience this problem at all then you will have a great 47" cheap TV

 

[jkc120]

Thanks for the recommendation! I would be using my Onkyo receiver for audio, so that should avoid any audio de-sync problems, right?


I was looking at the Samsung LN46B530, too. How does that set compare to the LG 47lh40?

 

[pjizel69]

I'm not an expert at TV's so maybe someone else can help you better. The reason I'm choosing the LG is because it is a great all around TV. The input lag for gaming is much better on the LG. I believe the picture quality on the two TVs would be very similar. I personally don't like samsungs too much because they tend to make the pictures a little "fake" and the colors extremely bright.


Most people who had the audio problem on the LG were able to fix it with making sure they had good 1.3 HDMI cables, and the receiver should help as well.

 

[pjizel69]

I could be wrong about the audio lag problem, and you may not be able to fix it how I told you. I'm just telling you what other people have reported and I have read, so if you buy it from Best Buy and it affects you then you can simply just return it!

 

[jkc120]

Unfortunately, best buy doesn't have the LG in stock in my area...I know I can probably find the TV cheaper elsewhere online, but I'm weary of getting something shipped and with best buy I can finance the TV. I could probably afford it outright, but I'd rather pay it over 18 months (with no interest, why the heck not!)

Another contender is this Toshiba 46" which I've found quite a few good reviews of: the Toshiba REGZA 46XV645U.

 

[pjizel69]

Yeah I was actually going to go with that Toshiba or the Toshiba 46zv650u. I believe the 650 has a better picture, but it's more money of course. I have read great reviews on these two TV's as well. The only complaint people had where that the images weren't very smooth. The picture quality, however, many people said compared great to the upper end samsung and sonys. I would suggest going to your Best buy and seeing if they have one of these two Toshibas in stock and compare it. If you don't notice the image stuttering then I would suggest either of the Toshibas.

 

[koretex]

 buy.com/prod/toshiba-46xv645u-46-widescreen-1080p-lcd-hdtv-120hz-50-000-1-dynamic/q/loc/111/210933141


I'm going to be buying that at the end of the month.


edit: first post so it wont let me post a link so add a "www." on the front and a ".html" on the end to make that work

edit2: I just noticed 2 posts above me recomended the same.