[mopar03]

my parent's are currently in the market for a new TV. it must be more than 40" and $1600 max (ideally closer to $1200 or so, but definitely willing to go up to ~$1600). physical size and weight is not a huge concern, so they're definitely considering rear projections as opposed to LCD's or plasmas. they want something that will give a quality picture and will need as little maintenaince as possible.


there's a 51" hitachi in all of the local ads around here for $800 (as I'm sure you all know)....1080i. is this a decent tv? do rear projections still give put out better pictures than the LCDs and plasmas in stores now?


we've also seen other various smaller sets (closer to 42"), both in LCD, plasma, and DLP form for around $1300. I've heard from many people that the general rule with the flat screens is LCD for anything smaller than 42", and plasma for anything larger. do you guys have any suggestions? we're going to try and stay away from the cheaper brands like westinghouse, etc.

 

[mopar03]

I've had one suggestion for the 50" 1080p samsung DLP from circuit city

 

[davegow]



Quote:
Originally Posted by mopar03 /forum/post/0


my parent's are currently in the market for a new TV. it must be more than 40" and $1600 max ... do rear projections still give put out better pictures than the LCDs and plasmas in stores now?

Although flat-panels are getting better and cheaper, so are RPTVs, which I think remain the best buy for screen size over 45 or so inches. Look for well-proven models of 720p DLP or LCD, for example 46-50 inch Samsungs, Toshibas or Sonys. Have your parents look at various models in stores to see what appeals to them. For long-term reliability I suspect the Sony E2000 would be hard to beat, and are starting to be discounted heavily. The best buys are usually in the summer when stores are clearing out old stock to get ready for next year's models.