[hollownail]

Hi everyone!


I'm looking at replacing my Sony 32" CRT in the next week or so and wanted to get a LCD tv that can do 720p/1080i. My main use will be gaming (will be purchasing a XBox 360 with it), using my Macbook Pro on it, as well as movie watching. I don't have any tv source right now. The only cable provider is Charter (now SuddenLink) and I refuse to give them any more money. I can't get channels OTA and I have no LoS for satellite. There is a cable line in the house, so it may be possible to get locals if the TV has a QAM receiver, but I'm not sure how that all works.


I've been reading around here for a bit, reading other peoples suggestions and reading about some of the TV's I'm interested in. My budget will either be under $800 or right at $1000. I haven't really decided which way my budget will go.


Right now my main two interests are the Toshiba 32HLC56 and the Samsung LN-S3241D/LN-S3251D. I'm also open to suggestions to other TV's at those price ranges as well. At the current price that Tigerdirect has for the Toshiba (about 300 less than the Samsung) is it a good deal? Does it compare to other tvs around $1000?

I've looked at the Westinghouses as well, but I'm extremely weary of them as my friends went bad less than a year of having it and several other owners seem to have similar problems (screen going black).

Are the Olivias, iLo's and Visco compared to the Toshiba and Samsung? I'm also weary of going with them as I've never really heard of them.


These are some others I've seen at Walmart and Target. I haven't been able to go to any stores to compare any of these tvs yet.

Poloroid FLM-373B

Emerson EWL3706

Akai LCT-3201AD

RCA L32WD12

Olivia 337H

Olivia 332H


These (and the Samsung & Toshiba) are the TVs that look to match my price/needs the most. How do the Samsungs compare to these at the $1000 price point at the Toshiba at the $650-$800 price point?


I know this is a long post, but thanks ahead for the help!

 

[tipstir]

Well you need to go out and check to see what you like to get. I check out all of the above and had picked the Emerson EWL3706 at Walmart it's clone is sold at Circut City.


Right now you can save a lot of money if you go and look at the Electronic connection on ShopNbc, but the only problem with getting 32" and 37" LCD is that you don't know what you're getting. The web site where these two sets come from is limited.


Right now the best bet well I can only recomend what I have is the Emerson EWL3706 made by FUNAI (Japan)


I Samsung has it good points and bad. They use to be like FUANI with pricing and quality but have gone with higher prices. If I had to pick it would a Toshiba 1080p, but if you want to save some money order the Emerson EWL3706 it's Clear Pixel Engine Chip Set does improve Picture Quaility and smooths out edges an etc.. If it didn't have that feature then I won't recommend it..

 

[adamanteus]

the toshiba ROCKS and yes it is a GREAT deal at tiger. you'll save about $200 on it there over retail with the retail price plus tax even before the mail in rebate.

 

[hollownail]

Thanks for the reply Tipstir. I plan to go take a look at CC, BB, Walmart, Target ad any place else I can find. I'll definently take a solid look at the Emerson. The price is great for a 37". But stil, for that 32" toshiba being under 700... That certainly is grabbing my attention.


How easy are 32" to wall mount? I've got a nice spot to wall mount mine, but I'm not sure if this size can be wall mounted without special equipment or anything.


How are the blacks on the emerson? Does it handle both SD and HD content well?

 

[RCKYMTN]

check out HP's 37" - 2 hdmi inputs, great picture, and probably better than any of the ones you listed - BB had it for around $1000.

 

[jeda_zelda]

I kinda had a similar budget/size in mind when I bought in early December. I ended up with the 32" Visco from WM.com, but it wasn't on the shelf to see the PQ...pretty sure it's clone is the Polaroid @ Target but $3-400 more expensive though.


Turns out the ATSC is also QAM as I do get my Local HD over SD cable. The digital SD & HD look terrific while the analog (NTSC) is only acceptable.


Mounting wasn't too difficult, but the average bracket for a mid-size panel was 1/4 the cost of the set itself.


The sound does require the use of the audio out to an external amp & speakers or 2.1 PC speakers at a minimum.


32" - $600

37" - $800

 

[hollownail]

Yeah, I won't be using the audio on the TV at all. All my audio is pumped directly into my Onkyo.

Hrm, well, if the brackets end up being a few hundred (or even over a hundred) then I'll skip mounting it.

The visco looks decent, but lot of people aren't happy with it also. I'm curious how it compares to the Toshiba since they are about the same price.

 

[hollownail]



Quote:
Originally Posted by RCKYMTN /forum/post/0


check out HP's 37" - 2 hdmi inputs, great picture, and probably better than any of the ones you listed - BB had it for around $1000.

Yeah, they weren't an option I looked at earlier. With discount, I can get the 32" for about 800. However, it has no VGA input, and I want to hook up my 360 via VGA.


I'm also concerned about the pc connectivity. It does not appear that HP supports 1 to 1 mapping. Aparantly there are issues with timings and HP's own manual states that it doesn't support PC timings. This isnt' an issue I've seen on other posts about the other models... so it makes me uncomfortable.


The dells don't look bad, but teh 32" doesn't have detachable speakers and... I dunno... I don't see a whole lot about their new model.


**edit**


Adam, do you have the Toshiba? I know it's ALOT more expensive at other stores, but how does it compare to the Samsungs and such at the $1000 price point?

 

[tipstir]

Emerson EWL3706 if you want to buy a 37" LCD for 1/2 the price it's the only one that has ClearPixel Engine and yeah the one sold at Circurt City is the clone under Sylvania.


32" Sylvania sold at Sears is actually very good it has 1200:1, QAM Tuner and some other cool things, price is lower that than of most.


You have to go and check out the sets, for yourself and take time looking trying them out. Don't let the sales person or store clerk try offering ideas in your head.


The HP sets are not that good they have higher contrast but they lack other key features, that's why I didn't go with them either. A lot of these sets lack features, some don't have VGA, you can get around that by using HDMI to DVI which is better than the 15-pin VGA on your PC. Get a better Video Graphics Card and get that digital picture instead of analog.


The best way to go is to use your high end stereo surround dolby digital, DTS blah, blah receiver to pump out the sound for true surround and a real subwoofer with it's own amp.


Avoid


VIZIO (company is just too new in my eyes)

VISCO (same for this one)

Polaroid (when did they start making tv, didn' they make cameras) VISCO does

HP (good for printers, laser an etc.., not for LCD HDTVs)

AKAI (again a company who sold stereo equipment not gone for HDTVs)


Anything you never hear before..

Everyone is makeing a LCD HDTV and slapping his or her name onto it..

 

[tipstir]

32" is easy to wall mount

37" you need two people and use a cordless revs driver drill, they're cheap now 19.2V.

 

[hollownail]

Thanks Tipstir. I'm going to try to check out the Emerson and I should be able to find the Toshiba at best buy. Luckily my Macbook Pro has DVI output, so I'll nab a DVI-> HDMI unit. I'm still a bit confused why most TVs seem to have VGA, not DVI.


Should be a fun, long outing!

 

[tipstir]

They don't need to go analog with VGA port which that is, so DVI can be use with HDMI port just have to get the cable or connectors for that. HDMI to DVI. You could go DVI to VGA but then you'll loose the digital image quality.

 

[mountainfrog]

I know it is a little late but I purchased the Olevia 332H from Compusa this week. Still on sale today but ay not be tomorrow. They had it for $699 on sale. The 2 yr service contract is $70 and is an in home contract. I was very happy with the picture quality with both a PC via HDMI and Xbox 360 via component. I had to return it because one of the audio ports did not work. I upgraded and purchased a 37inch Olevia, the discontinued LT37HVS which they had for $799 on clearance. I am not as thrilled with this set as the 332H.


I prefer to buy from a B&M than online. If soemthing is wrong with the set, it is easier to bring into a store than deal with an online store's return policy, which is abysmal when it comes to lcd tvs.

 

[hollownail]



Quote:
Originally Posted by mountainfrog /forum/post/0


I know it is a little late but I purchased the Olevia 332H from Compusa this week. Still on sale today but ay not be tomorrow. They had it for $699 on sale. The 2 yr service contract is $70 and is an in home contract. I was very happy with the picture quality with both a PC via HDMI and Xbox 360 via component. I had to return it because one of the audio ports did not work. I upgraded and purchased a 37inch Olevia, the discontinued LT37HVS which they had for $799 on clearance. I am not as thrilled with this set as the 332H.


I prefer to buy from a B&M than online. If soemthing is wrong with the set, it is easier to bring into a store than deal with an online store's return policy, which is abysmal when it comes to lcd tvs.

Hrm, nice price for that unit. But I don't have a CompUSA within 200 miles of me. It's good to know that the PC and 460 quality was good.


What/who is B&M?

 

[HTSteve]

Brick and Mortar - i.e. no internet store. Some place where you can actually go and see the unit. You know... built with Bricks and Mortar (i.e. CC, BB, etc.).

 

[hollownail]

Ah okay! I see, I've never heard that before.

 

[boostfrenzy]

but the emerson doesn't have VGA so skip that one

 

[tipstir]

You don't need VGA is analog, the set can handle DVI to HDMI which is digital. You could still do your VGA if you really wanted to by geting HDMI to DVI, DVI to VGA just downgrade to VGA. That works also. So just don't say forget the Emerson EWL3706 just because it has HDMI digital connection. You can do a lot here if you know how to do it.


I've shown how in the Emerson EWL3706 posting just do a search for Emerson.

 

[baker97]



Quote:
Originally Posted by tipstir /forum/post/0


32" is easy to wall mount

37" you need two people and use a cordless revs driver drill, they're cheap now 19.2V.

qft.

 

[adamanteus]



Quote:
Originally Posted by hollownail /forum/post/0


Yeah, I won't be using the audio on the TV at all. All my audio is pumped directly into my Onkyo.

Hrm, well, if the brackets end up being a few hundred (or even over a hundred) then I'll skip mounting it.

The visco looks decent, but lot of people aren't happy with it also. I'm curious how it compares to the Toshiba since they are about the same price.

you can get wall mounting brackets cheap at sjgreatdeals.