Tv Guru's Please Help!!!

[22mountaineer 10+ year member]

Ok first off I have a 56" projection tv and I hate how wide it is. I do not want a wide TV, I want one that can mount on a wall or on a stand.

Whats the difference in a plasma and dlp? Also what is the difference in 1080p and 1080i? Is that just that the DLP is the P and the plasma is the I? Also which is better, 1080p/1080i/720p

Here is a list of how big I want and the price range I can handle.. They may not be the best brand but help me out on which one would be the best for the money.

1st- Samsung 50" Slim DLP HDTV- 799.99

2nd- Zenith 50" Plasma HDTV-HDMI inputs and pc inputs, 15000:1 contrast ratio- 999.99

3rd- Toshiba 65" 1080p DLP HDTV 1499.99

4th- Hitachi 50" 1080i Plasma HDTV widescreen w/3 hdmi inputs- 999.99

5th- Panasonic 50" 720p Plasma hdtv widescreen w/2 hdmi inputs 1399.99

I am clueless when it comes to TV's but I want to get a nice deal.. So please help a fellow member out..]

Also if you could, with the brands listed tell me which ones is the best and which are the worst. Thanks so much.

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[MikeofTulsa Moderator]

ok, if you want a tv that you can mount on the wall, dlp's are out. the 1080 and all that are the different resolutions, 1080p is the highest out right now.i'd say plasma or lcd is the way to go for what you are looking for. me personally, im a fan of samsung products

 

[tEh koRnDog 5,000+ posts]

Nevermind.

Was thinking to small to OP's listed tv's

 

[22mountaineer 10+ year member]

Can the dlps be mounted on a stand? I just dont want anything like my projection which is like a foot and a half wide.

 

[silvercookie 5,000+ posts]

dlp is a prjector digital light proccesing

lcd is liquid crystal display flat panel wall mounable

plasma is wall mountable

i=interlaced

p=progressive

progressive is better

i would say get the hitachi.

 

[bigbangtheory 5,000+ posts]

You want to save space, then you want a LCD or Plasma TV. If you have 1500 bucks or more to spend, you could get something very nice, especially with all the sales going on right now.

I like this one and Toshiba is a good reputable company.

http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-REGZA-40RF350U-Super-Narrow/dp/B000W3JHJK/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&s=audio-video&qid=1195788396&sr=1-19

Right up your price range and is a good brand and will save a lot of space. Now if you want to go big, like 65", you will not be able to do LCD or Plasma, but maybe DLP. I don't like the DLP's and have heard nothing but bad things and they are basically a heavier tv like an CRT, with a slim flat panel screen.

 

[22mountaineer 10+ year member]

999.99 sounds alot better than the 1499.99 but the 15" difference in the toshjiba and the hitachi also looks nice.. But again I have no clue when it comes to tv's and I want one with a great picture and that can mount on a wall or a stand.

 

[bigbangtheory 5,000+ posts]

Can the dlps be mounted on a stand? I just dont want anything like my projection which is like a foot and a half wide.

Yes, they can. They are pretty heavy still, I mean in the middle between an old crt and an LCD. They are projection, just used these mirrors for image and have many problems. Read up on some reviews on Cnet. com about it if you are intrested on those. They are cheaper in most cases and there is a reason for it. I say do LCD or if you want to save some dough, the Plasma's keep dropping in price.

 

[22mountaineer 10+ year member]

Alright, so I am left with # 2,4, and 5. But #5 is only 720p, does that make a difference?

 

[bigbangtheory 5,000+ posts]

That Hitatchi should be a nice deal. I myself would rather have LCD because of the glaring effect you get from the screen on plasma's, but that is just a small thing to get over. Some Plasmas have anti glare shields like Samsung, but still will get some glare. I have tested a lot of TV's out and to me nothing beats a good LCD.

 

[22mountaineer 10+ year member]

So what is the diff in 1080i 720p and 15000:1 contrast?

 

[22mountaineer 10+ year member]

That Hitatchi should be a nice deal. I myself would rather have LCD because of the glaring effect you get from the screen on plasma's, but that is just a small thing to get over. Some Plasmas have anti glare shields like Samsung, but still will get some glare. I have tested a lot of TV's out and to me nothing beats a good LCD.

I have not found anything yet as big as I want it and in my price range for an lcd. I have been looking for one.,

 

[bigbangtheory 5,000+ posts]

Out of those, I would hit up the Hitachi and get a nice wall mount and call it a day.

 

[bigbangtheory 5,000+ posts]

Like the one guy said, 1080i is interlaced and can get choppy to where 1080p is somewhat smoother lines. Honestly to me I can't tell a difference and have some very expensive TV's to a somewhat cheaper TV 2 are I's and 1 is a P and I can't tell much of a difference. That is just IMO though.

 

[kmanian 5,000+ posts]

For the price an size you can not beat a rear projection, they usually are between 12 and 16 inches deep. They typically don't carry the "cool" factor because you can't hang them on the wall, They don't typically have as deep a black as plasma or lcd flat screens, however that is not to say that they don't look **** good. If you get one that is 1080p it will give you approximately a 6X better picture than you are experianceing with your standard CRT TV. If you are looking at units that can be hung on a wall, they are generally 2X as much for compareable size and Resolution and you can't get them as big as the rear projection (lets face it size matters!). If I was to give you the my choice, I would go with a Samsung rear projection DLP. bigger screen better price. I can say that because it is exactly what I am doing.

Good luck, I hope it helps