Aegon

iTrader: (5)

I'm looking to spend about $1000 on a TV. My 3 top choices are:
(1) 30" wide-screen HDTV Sony from best buy
(2) 32" HDTV Sony Best buy
(3) 36" HDTV Toshiba Costco

The sony TVs have HDMI. The Toshiba only has component input.

I'm kinda leaning toward the wide-screen format sony. Does anyone have any info or input on these?

thebankman

iTrader: (7)

My family really likes the look of the HDTV picture...but at this point, it's better just to wait until HDTV gets adopted by more programming and networks. If I were you, I would buy the cheapest standard large-screen tv and spend the rest on hookers. But that's just me

ryball

iTrader: (6)

What he said.

But if you must go HD, then this is always a decent place to start...

http://reviews.cnet.com/Televisions/...g=cnetfd.glnav

http://reviews.cnet.com/Home_video/4...tml?tag=promo2

doodoobrown

iTrader: (1)

I hear comcast HDTV rocks... it's only 5 bucks more a month for local HDTV + ESPN and some other channels.

I'd go for 4:3 format instead of widescreen. Isn't most HDTV programming not in widescreen? I hate that the black lines or stretched look of 4:3 programming on widescreen

Aegon

iTrader: (5)

In 2007, broadcast is supposed to go widescreen. That isn't so far off.

Plus I mostly watch DVDs and play video games. Gran Turismo 4 on widescreen = drool.

bassplayrr

iTrader: (9)

IMHO Sony TVs are overpriced. Sure they have a lot of nice features, but everyone I, or anyone in my family, has ever owned has dissapointed in value v. money over time. The type of TV that I have really come to love are Mitsubishis. They are built like tanks, and last forever. Out of your list, though, I woulsh go with the Toshiba.

-Chris

p.s. In order for a TV to truely be considered HDTV it has to have the widescreen alspect ratio. If it is the standard 4:3 it is considered "High-Resolution."

ryball

iTrader: (6)

Samsung, then?

bassplayrr

iTrader: (9)

Another brand you should not count out is Sharp. In years past they were a cheaper brand, but they make THE BEST plasma tv out of any of the major brands, imo.

-Chris

Aegon

iTrader: (5)

Cool, thanks for the advice folks. I'll be deciding soon enough.

I like Sony because of the Sony things I've owned, they all Just Work. That is, they do what they are meant to do very well. In addition, the picture quality for Sony tubes is superb.

My last TV was Toshiba, and after 3 years it started to get discolorations and the metal sleeves around the component inputs fell right off! That bothered me. I'm not sure that I'm ready to go back to Toshiba -- except that it is huge and from Cosco so the price is right.

bassplayrr

iTrader: (9)

Another good aspect is that it is from Costco. If your new Toshiba starts to break, you can always take it back to costco, even like 10 years from now.

-Chris

ftnssn

You would be throwing your money away if you didn't at least get an HDTV ready tv. Don't spend the extra bucks for the built in components just get one that is ready because all cable/dish providers will give you the components for free. Only get a TV with teh components built in if you plan on using only your antenna. The reason you would be throwing your money away is because there is a federal mandate that all tv be broadcast in HDTV by somewhere in the neighborhood of 2007. And HD is widescreen the two go hand in hand.

Aegon

iTrader: (5)

I think I'm pretty much decided then. I'll be buying the Sony widescreen HDTV 30".

Thanks for the input.

ldivinag

iTrader: (3)

FYI, ALL the BAY AREA tv stations REACHABLE via an "off the air" (OTA) antenna is now broadcasting it's DIGITAL signal.

i mean ALL. i believe in the top 15 tv markets in the US, this is a first.

now granted NOT ALL are broadcasting HDTV.

in fact:

FOX - KTVU
NBC - KNTV
CBS - KPIX
ABC - KGO
PBS- KQED
WB - KBWB
UPN - KBHK

are all BROADCASTING some shows in HD. so please, dont think HD is not alive and well.

if you are a FOOTBALL fan, you are in luck since FOX recently started doing HD this season.

on the cable and dish side, there are TONS of options too.

HBO, SHO, SKINEMAX, STARZ all do HD.

for the comcast HD package, you get:

ABC, NBC, CBS ad PBS for an extra $5 a month on top of your current ANALOG setup. plus in addition i current get INHD (1/2), DISCOVERY HD (which is diff from the lineup of analog DISC) and ESPH HD. before comcast started to encrypt their PAY channels, i was getting the 4 premium channels for free... legally...

on the dish side (D* and E*) have similar channels. they do have BRAVO HD, TNT HD and HD NET (and i think a couple extra more).

ldivinag

iTrader: (3)

HD standards say 16x9. sound, though, contrary to the john dvorak article in this weeks "PC MAG" is dolby digital ENCODING. it's doesnt say 5.1 though. ATSC, which HD follows onlys says DD. so it can be DD1.0, DD2.1, etc...

4x3 anything isnt high resolution. it's crappy resulotion.

dont be fooled by ads saying EDTV. this is DVD quality (480p, at most). i say a recent good guys ad. very sneaky. it was a big screen 16x9 but EDTV, ENHANCE DEF...

ldivinag

iTrader: (3)

no.

the FCC mandates that all TV stations in the country stop broadcasting ANALOG and switch to DIGITAL.

now DIGITAL doesnt mean HD. nor does DIGITAL mean widescreen.

it just says how the transmission is...

btw, that 2007... it's a soft limit. the country was suppose to transition to D-TV a couple years ago. but the FCC with no backbone kept giving extensions to tv stations left and right...