[Stereodude]

I'm looking to get a "low end" (about $500) Flat 27" TV. I'm planning on getting a LCD projector (Sony HS10) for serious movie viewing, but I don't really want to put hours on the bulb to watch CNN, nor do I really want to watch Wolf Blitzer head at 5' tall on my screen.


So, along those lines what's a good TV for me?


I've read a lot of good things about the JVC AV-27F713 and it's silver clone the AV-27F703. I've also been looked at Toshiba 27AF42, Sony KV-27FS100, and the Panasonic 27SX12.


Should I discard any of these from consideration due to serious flaws, or a short warranty (Sony), or any other tips?


Stereodude

 

[pigvomit]

Take the Panasonic Tau CT series. You will not be disapointed.


IMO the PQ is much more lifelike than the Sony the others I have no experience with.

 

[Stereodude]

Well I compared all the TVs in question (except for the Toshiba) at Circuit City during lunch and I was underwhelmed. They all looked about the same. I wasn't really happy with the image quality of any of them. They just seem so coarse. Granted I'm used to sitting arms length from a 19" monitor that runs 1600x1200 at home and arms length from a 15" 1400x1050 LCD at work, but I didn't think that would taint my opinion so much.


Bottom line is I wouldn't spend $500 on any of those TVs. I just didn't find the image quality to be good enough. The 27" Zenith HDTV monitor for $699 however did catch my eye. I found it to be much better than the other standard analog 27" TVs. I'll have to see how it compares to Samsung's 27" HDTV monitor.


Stereodude

 

[exsilio]

Stereodude,


I can understand you feeling underwhelmed..I was there too.


I was in the market for a 27" for my home office.


Went sony...eh, okay


read about the Panasonic flavor, good reviews....better than sony, but had some issues and wasn't overly impressed.


But then I thought to myself, "self...why not consider a 27" hdtv, afterall you want to keep it long term, might as well get something somewhat future-proofed."


So I came across the Samsung 27" HDTV ready TXM2798HF..all I have to say having just got it..is WOW!


I have owned more than my fair share of TV's and this one is a stunner. Beautiful picture, even with cable.


It is HDTV ready, has a sub, nice remote, and it looks sleek as well. Yes, it is over your $500 budget, and $500 was my self-imposed budget too, but after seeing what this TV could do and actually viewing it in my office...I feel very happy with my purchase.


Here is a product link. Good luck.

Samsung 27" HDTV Ready

 

[Patrickhat]

As always, my advice is to stay away from flat screen analog televisions. Go to your local electronics store and compare a high quality Toshiba or Panasonic (horribly calibrated out of the box) 27" televisions against thier flat screen cusions. You'll see the difference--the scan lines will be much less noticeable on a quality curved screen televison.


But if you must go with a flat screen I'd recommend the Panasonic Tau since its scan lines seem much less visible than the Sony or Toshiba flat screen models. The Panasonics are a little dark, however and brillant whites are always a pleasure.

 

[Stereodude]

I ended up getting a Samsung 27" HDTV Monitor. It looked a lot better than any of the other flat screen 27" TVs (except for the Zenith which was about the same).


Stereodude

 

[JoelH]

This is a timely thread - I need to purchase a 27" flat-front TV today for a (female) friend, and I've been looking at the standard group of TVs. Prices run from $250 for an Apex at Wal-Mart, through about $400 for an analog Samsung, through around $500 for Panasonic Tau, Toshiba or Sony, and then the $699 Samsung HDTV. I am also leaning toward the Samsung HDTV ("EDTV"?) unit, and I have a 10% coupon for Best Buy today.


Two important question though:


1. Digital TVs sometimes can look pretty bad with low quality inputs. Should I be concerned that the Samsung HDTV will look so much worse on VHS playback and/or a mediocre cable feed, that it will seem like a step down from the owner's previous 27" analog TV? If so, would the Panasonic at (about $450 with coupon) or the analog Samsung (about $360 with coupon) be a better choice?


2. If I get the Samsung HDTV, I think the next step will be to pair it with a progressive-scan DVD player rather than a low-end unit which might otherwise be fine with an analog TV. Are there any progressive-scan players I should avoid (remember this will be modest setup for someone who is not a home theater hobbyist), or can I be safe in doing some price-shopping for the DVD unit?


Thanks in advance!


Joel in Tucson