[icebergshorty]

I'm currently on a $1000 budget and am in the market for a HDTV LCD. The Samsung LN40A450 is $997 at Best Buy and I was wondering is that the best deal overall compared to other brands and Samsung models?


I was interested in the Samsung LN32A650 at first, but was told that 1080p at that screen size is just a waste. At the same time I've heard that 720p, which is the native res of the LN40A450, at 40" or more is a waste. I'm confused and don't know what to do.


I went to check out the LN40A450 at Best Buy the other day, but knowing my luck once I found the model it was on stand by. In this case I had to go look at the LN37A450 which was between an Insignia 37" and a Sony 40" 1080p. I didn't notice a difference in resolution, however it seemed that the Samsung's display was a little darker than the other lcd's. I don't know if it's a setting, or whether that's a good thing or bad thing.


All in all I just want to know if the LN40A450 is the best deal for me and my $1000 budget. The LN37A450 is $899 at Best Buy, is 3" worth the extra $98? Both lcd's have the same specs. Is there a better lcd that you can recommend, preferably 1080p native?


P.S. I know this is asked a lot, but is their a huge difference in 720p and 1080p on a 40" screen or smaller? I didn't notice a difference at best buy, but at the same time both screens probably weren't calibrated right and the Sammy's screen was a little darker.

 

[Allnatural]

It was the best deal for me.

I couldn't tell the difference between the 720 and 1080 sets either, but the store displays are not the best way to measure such things. I can tell you that I don't feel like I'm missing those ~360 lines when I watch HD (or SD for that matter) content at home.


I'd argue that those 3 inches are worth a C-note. I was going to get the 32" because it was $200 cheaper and "big enough" for my small apartment (I was using a 27" CRT). As I was standing in the store though I knew I'd feel like a chump if I didn't splurge a little.