# LCD TV Buying Advice 32"-37"



## imeldamac (Aug 20, 2005)

This is not really mac, but you guys give great tech advice.

We want to buy a 32-37" LCD TV. Price is important. We are not big gamers/videoapliles, but we want something that is good quality and that has some "futureproofing value." Our current tv is a 27" Hitachi from 1998 so we need an upgrade.

Thinking of Toshiba models -- any advice?

Thanks!!


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## silentsim (Apr 15, 2006)

I currently own a Toshiba LCD HDTV. I think it was awsome, and great quality for the price. Right now best buy has a 1080p westinghouse television for 999$..you should check that out(They do have a 14 day return policy). That is a 37 inch. Costco has a 32" Viewsonic for 799$(and we all know there return policy..rocks). They do also have a daytek, and from what ive read Daytek Panels are made by Samsung or LG, and the 32" is 699 and 37" is 999(both available online at costco.ca)


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## TheBat (Feb 11, 2005)

Check out Sharp. Great picture. Fast response time. 

Beware that when you view TV's in store, all manufacturers tweak the picture to make it appear brighter, which the eye inteprets as "better". Once you take a set home, and adjust it based on ISF (Imaging Scinece Foundation) data, the picture is amazing.

As an aside, the picture on Sony's 42" Bravia 1080p is drop dead gorgeous; but this model is probably well outside your size / price range, but 1080p will be commonplace in 5 years time (likely more though)!

On tv's smaller than 42", the difference between 1080p and 1080i is hard to discern.


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## Oakbridge (Mar 8, 2005)

I recently picked up a 32" HP LCD from Best Buy at $999. After a couple of weeks, I exchanged it for the 37" HP LCD which dropped down to $1399. I'm very happy with it. Includes 2 HDMI inputs. I'm using one with a DVI-HDMI cable from my PowerBook.


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## phuviano (Sep 14, 2005)

imeldamac said:


> This is not really mac, but you guys give great tech advice.
> 
> We want to buy a 32-37" LCD TV. Price is important. We are not big gamers/videoapliles, but we want something that is good quality and that has some "futureproofing value." Our current tv is a 27" Hitachi from 1998 so we need an upgrade.
> 
> ...


First question you must answer

Do you have a digital signal from a digital source?? If not, regular cable TV looks like crap imo. As for 1080p TV's are concerned, don't bother spending the extra money if you don't have HDTV, and don't plan on getting it soon. I'm assuming that you don't have HDTV though. 

In regards to the TV maintaining its value over the years, it probably won't. As new technology comes out, old technology gets lower in price, because the demand for it is not there anymore. So it really doesn't matter which TV you buy, it won't retain its value well. 

I prefer Sony Bravia line, or Samsungs in general. I like both those brands, and I think both produce great quality TV's. Rule of thumb though. If something is cheap in price, it mostly like is in quality as well. Its not always true, but quality equipment always cost more. So if price is an issue like you say, then obviously you won't get a good quality TV for cheap.


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## imeldamac (Aug 20, 2005)

Thanks all. Still thinking and I am appreciating all the adivce.

We don't have digital signal -- but may get it.

Re. future proofing -- not concerned about price, more about whether it will still do what it needs to do in 4 or 5 years. 

I have an 11 year old and I am sure that he will soon be saving for a ps3.

Beyond this, I am just concerned about good picture quality, etc. 

I've been looking at a 37" Toshiba on sale at Future Shop for $1499.

Thanks again.


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## MACinist (Nov 17, 2003)

There is a 37inch Viewsonic Widescreen HD LCDTV on sale at Costco for 999.99. I have the 32inch version and I really like it. Dunno if the sale is regional to Ontario though.


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## AppleEnthusiast (Sep 25, 2006)

My dad is a huge Audiophile, and he dabbles with a TV obsession too. Always swore by Sony XBR CRT TV's, they used to cost obscene amounts of money, but the quality was there. Our old 36" was pricier than most 50"s at the time. Anyways he knows all about the HDTV, DLP, LCD, etc. Basically all the acronyms. He's looking right now, same sizes that you are and he's all about the Sharp Aquos line now. When he said Sharp I was a little shocked, used to seem budget to me, but he says its the best LCD he's seen. Check it out, he was saying that the 32" and 37"s may have been onsale too? Ones with built in HDTV tuners, back home in Windsor we could pick up something like 6 HDTV channels with an antenna, have a HDTV cable box now.


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## dmg (Feb 4, 2003)

*I have a Sharp Aquos LC-37D90U*

And I absolutely love it!

The detachable speaker is mounted under the panel and not at the sides. That was important to me as none of the Sonys I saw at that time could remove their speakers. I don't have the physical space for speakers on the side so this was very important to me.

Also be aware that some LCD panels have 1920 x 1080 pixels but don't support a 1080p input signal. I found this very odd, but it's true. So be sure to check the specs to make sure it explicitly states that it can input a 1080p signal. Don't take the sales rep's word for it.

Sony made such a TV and even their own online sales support guy kept re-itterating to me that since the panel had 1920 x 1080 pixels it had to accept a 1080p signal. Sony's own online sales support guy was wrong. It simply up-converts a 1080i signal to 1080p but does not accept a true 1080p signal.

I bought mine at Bay Bloor Radio in Toronto. Generally speaking Costco, The Source (formerly Radio Shack), Best Buy and Future Shop tend not to offer the high-end models.

So I'd be very careful when checking the specs and don't trust sales reps. One argument I kept hearing to influence my decision to get a 1080i TV that they had in stock was that no one in Canada is transmitting in 1080p, just either 720p or 1080i. Why would I need a 1080p TV?

As you know the PS3 is now out and supports 1080p. As far as I can see the XBox 360 only supports 1080i, even with the optional HD DVD drive. But I may be wrong about that. However dedicated Blueray Disc and HD DVD players output in 1080p. So I think full 1080p support is necessary to future-proof your TV.

If you can wait until the summer or fall you may want to wait for SED TVs to hit the market. They are supposed to blow Plasma and LCD TVs out of the water.

One last point. Once I had an HD TV it seemed wasted with only a standard cable signal so I upgraded to Rogers' HD PVR. It was really cool watching the World Cup in HD.

Hope that helps.

~dmg


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

DMG I thought SEDs were in 2008 - you sure about 2007??


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## silentsim (Apr 15, 2006)

The Xbox 360 can support 1080p, though only if you are using a VGA cable.


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## dmg (Feb 4, 2003)

*I thought SED technology would arrive in 2007*



MacDoc said:


> DMG I thought SEDs were in 2008 - you sure about 2007??


I thought SED technology would arrive in 2007. However I could be mistaken.

They may also have been delayed.

As I understood it, SED technology produced much better images than Plasma or LCD but were, in fact, much cheaper to produce. So the manufacturers were going to have very hefty profit margins as they could sell SEDs for a higher price than LCDs owing to their better picture quality. Even if they undercut LCDs they'd still have higher profit margins and most of the market share. After all, why would buy older, poorer quality technology at a higher price?

But with the price of LCD TVs falling rapidly, it seemed that they wouldn't be making as big a killing and so investing in new manufacturing facilities became less attrictive. It's quite possible that caused a delay in commitment to funding which has pushed back the manufacturing date. A years delay would not be unreasonable.

However I'm pretty sure that SEDs were originally targeted for delivery in 2007. But that wouldn't be the first time I got something wrong.









~dmg


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## TCB (Apr 4, 2003)

http://www.hdtvsolutions.com/flatscreen_news_story_138.htm


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## pcronin (Feb 20, 2005)

MACinist said:


> There is a 37inch Viewsonic Widescreen HD LCDTV on sale at Costco for 999.99. I have the 32inch version and I really like it. Dunno if the sale is regional to Ontario though.


that sale is on in Moncton too. 
if I only had the extra, I would have gotten 2


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## Ohenri (Nov 7, 2002)

Ha...

The battle rages on. I was almost bought that Westinghouse LCD for $999. Great size and a greater price. No tuner though...

I figure that the move should happen now. 1080p is here, and they have to clear the excess stock. That means all 720s and up. DLPs thru flats. On top of that, tis the season to get the sales. 

I did just come from 2001, and the dude told me that starting tomorrow, their XMAS sale is starting. 

I saw a dual HDMI 32" from Sammie for $1199. Same sized Panny for $1299. <-- I find the pannies clear as evian water!

I'm likely buying in the next week or so.


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

I got an LG LC2D37 LCD screen from FutureShop for $1379 (was on sale for $1599, regular price was $1799), which price matched Vision's $1388 price.

XBox 360 supports 1080p output now with the latest update.


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

MACinist said:


> There is a 37inch Viewsonic Widescreen HD LCDTV on sale at Costco for 999.99. I have the 32inch version and I really like it. Dunno if the sale is regional to Ontario though.


It's everywhere, and the word's been out for a while. I recommend that you skip to the end.

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=317019&highlight=viewsonic


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## Ohenri (Nov 7, 2002)

dona83 said:


> I got an LG LC2D37 LCD screen from FutureShop for $1379 (was on sale for $1599, regular price was $1799), which price matched Vision's $1388 price.
> 
> XBox 360 supports 1080p output now with the latest update.


Nice LG deal. I like the fact that LGs hit you with a 2 yr coverage period. 

I think that I'm going to do a 32", might top out @ a 37. 42 might be a little much. I don't have the biggest living room. Would like to stay as close to $999 as I can. WIll look for that costco deal. Is it still on?? Don't recall seeing that on their site.


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## silentsim (Apr 15, 2006)

Ohenri said:


> Nice LG deal. I like the fact that LGs hit you with a 2 yr coverage period.
> 
> I think that I'm going to do a 32", might top out @ a 37. 42 might be a little much. I don't have the biggest living room. Would like to stay as close to $999 as I can. WIll look for that costco deal. Is it still on?? Don't recall seeing that on their site.


Yeah the Viewsonics are only in store though, not online for the 32 and the 37.


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## imeldamac (Aug 20, 2005)

Wow!

Thanks everyone. I haven't had a chance to look around yet. This is all helpful.


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## mycatsnameis (Mar 3, 2000)

In the most recent consumer reports ratings, Toshiba was king of teh 32" and 26" models, Sharp the king of the 37"ers (although that was their 1080p model, the more recent 1366x768 Aquos models have not reviewed well).

If you are really serious about "futureproofing" then you should probably be buying a 1080p set so that the HDDVD or Blue Ray unit you buy for $200 for Christmas '09 will look good on it. Big problem though is that the 1080p sets now are too expensive. The Westinghouse 1080p set did not fare well on overall picture quality in the CR report (it was rated as so-so for DVD and SDTV picture quality although very good for HDTV).

I bought a 26" Toshiba that looks great and was not too expensive (~$700 at BestBuy) to tide me over till the 1080p sets come down in price, I was not mounting it on a distant wall so the pic size was reasonable.


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## yatko (Oct 9, 2004)

My recommendation is not buy LCD TV for another year or so since not all channels are HD and even those that claim to be HD ,they have SD signals time to time. You will see 2 thick black bars on and off.

The regular digital cable signal on LCD TV will look worse than your old TV unless you use a good scaler ($$$).

Prices are settling down so you should be able to get a 40+ LCD TV for or under $1000 within 6 months or so and I expect(hope) 46" and up will come down to $2000 range within a year. Tube TVs are on their way out from the retailer shelves within 6-12 months.

The 32" incher you will get for a grand and a change will look miniscule next year.

We waited thus far another year will save us a lot :


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

And by that time there will be no reason on earth to buy an LCD as SEDs will be available. 

I agree with Toshiba but would recommend a 40" DLP for a far better picture.


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## yatko (Oct 9, 2004)

I don't know. LCDs still have some problems like banding, backlight leakage, clouds, dead pixels etc. They say SEDs will be in the market around 2008 but expect to pay $10K+ for at least couple years after that.

By the end of 2007 they will be perfected the manufacturing of LCDs.


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## mykull (Dec 13, 2006)

Some have mentioned it before my post here... and its totally true... get a good TV that is important.. and looks great on the store shelf which has a great picture.... but when you get home, if you don't have a great TV video feed as in high def, or a digital signal... you'll be dissapointed big time. I knew when I bought my 37 inch LCD Toshiba that was awesome in the store that I wouldn't get that when I got home and hooked it up to my Bell expressvu... and that is the truth. I mean if I'm sitting say more then 8 feet back from it, the picture looks GREAT.. but if I get closer then that.. you start to see the digital 'blocks / pixels'... so that is the down fall big time of what type of video feed you are sending to your TV. I totally know that if I want a perfect picture I need to fork out for a new high def bell receiver.. and pay more for the high def channels.. but not right now.. can't afford it. DVDs on the other hand will show you at home the difference big time.

Also one major concern I had when looking at buying either a LCD or Plasma is the screen glare.... my TV is on the wall and on the oposite wall is a big window. I originally had a 51inch projection TV where the LCD is now, and the glare was totally insane.. that I couldn't watch TV at certain times a day, and curtains still didn't help. So I was told and I can say, that LCD's do not give off the light glare as what Plasma screen / screen face / protectors do... and I'm really happy with the LCD.. no glare at all. So thats just another thing to keep in mind if windows are around and glares might bother you.

Good luck


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## happ ymac (Dec 16, 2004)

Check out this link ---
http://news.com.com/A+big-screen+TV+with+a+not-so-big+price/2100-1041_3-6144189.html?tag=nefd.top


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## imeldamac (Aug 20, 2005)

Now I am completely confused.

I am leaning towards a Sharp Aquos 37" on sale at Future Shop for $1699.

This would be combined with switch to digitial/HDTV hardware and service via Shaw.

But I am completely not sure whther I should do this now or wait, if prices will be coming down in the next 6 months. My 9-year-old tv is still going strong and maybe I should just wait this out.

Any thoughts? Lots of good advice so far, but I think I may be more confused than when I first posted the message.

Cheers/confused!


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

If you are waiting at all, wait until Boxing Day. Go online. You should have a new TV by 12:15 a.m.

Otherwise, enjoy your current TV. Waivering might just mean you don't need a new TV yet.


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## imeldamac (Aug 20, 2005)

HowEver said:


> If you are waiting at all, wait until Boxing Day. Go online. You should have a new TV by 12:15 a.m.
> 
> Otherwise, enjoy your current TV. Waivering might just mean you don't need a new TV yet.


Maybe the best advice ever!


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

My dad just bought a demo 1080p BenQ 37" for $700  Other than the ugly right speaker damage and who cares built in speakers suck anyway, it's GORGEOUS. Am I ever jealous...


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## Oakbridge (Mar 8, 2005)

HowEver said:


> If you are waiting at all, wait until Boxing Day. Go online. You should have a new TV by 12:15 a.m.
> 
> Otherwise, enjoy your current TV. Waivering might just mean you don't need a new TV yet.


Boxing Day is not what it was 10 years ago. With 30 day price guarantees and new models coming out all the time, there are no real special sale prices on Boxing Day for standard products. 

What you will find is that most retailers are bringing in special Boxing Day purchases, products that they don't normally carry. Don't get me wrong, there are a few bargains that can be found but it is not an 'across the board' sale anymore, at least not in electronics. They will have the lost leaders and door crasher specials but it is not like it was 10-15 years ago when there were few if any specials before Christmas.

To see for yourself, keep this week's flyers for an extra week and last week's too if you still have them. Then compare them to what is actually on sale on Boxing Day. What you will find is that many so-called Boxing Day Specials could have been had this week and last. 

I remember looking at Future Shop's Boxing Day flyer last year and seeing the lineups at the store. In some cases, the prices in the flyer were actually higher than they had been a week or two earlier. I think that they are hoping that most of their Boxing Day Shoppers will have been too busy Christmas shopping and not realize that they are not getting the deal that they think they are getting. 

The one exception that I know of, and I'm not sure if they are running it this year. Sam the Record Man and HMV on Yonge St. will typically mark the entire store down by 20% with many exceptions. However it was always a great time to pick up catalogue stuff (i.e. stuff that is in the regular bins, older releases which sell for full price), as well as classical and jazz.

It's also a good time to pick up box sets which don't normally go on sale.


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

Oakbridge, you might be right, stores may panic and pre-Christmas sales may be plentiful this year. But I don't think we shop the same way, so it's hard to say. I have no use for line-ups in stores either.


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## Oakbridge (Mar 8, 2005)

HowEver said:


> Oakbridge, you might be right, stores may panic and pre-Christmas sales may be plentiful this year. But I don't think we shop the same way, so it's hard to say. I have no use for line-ups in stores either.


I was trying to remember when things changed. I knew it was at least 10 years ago (I've got a background in retail IT and I was with Danier Leater until 1994). These are two stories I found from the New York Times from November of 1991:



New York TImes said:


> "Retailing's Wistful Christmas Dream
> By STEPHANIE STROM
> The 20-odd days between Thanksgiving and Christmas were once a magic time for America's retailers. Merchants could count on selling most of their goods at the full retail price and producing as much as half of their profits for the entire year. The pre-Christmas sale was anathema. Shoppers so improvident as to have waited until the last minute were punished with empty shelves. Absolutely no markdowns until December 26. And measured year to year -- with an occasional blip from a recession... "
> 
> ...


Staples ads for Boxing Day last year were just as bad as Future Shop's. A few products brought in specifically for 'door crashers' but other than that, same old, same old.

The retailers know that most of the population 'thinks' that Boxing Day is still this magical day when everything that wasn't sold before Xmas gets heavily marked down. As I said in my earlier post, there are still some gems out there on Boxing Day but it isn't like it once was when NOTHING went on sale before Christmas. So the impact of what the price on Boxing Day is, compared to what the price was before Xmas Day isn't as high.


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## Apple101 (Jan 22, 2006)

Toshiba does make pretty nice LCD TV's

Really for LCD TV's your top brands are:

1) Panasonic

2) Sony

3) LG

4) Samsung

5) Toshiba, Sharp, and Hitachi (Tied)


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## MACinist (Nov 17, 2003)

Is that an official rating system? I dunno, I always see top 5's comprised of - Sharp, Sony and Samsung mostly.... 

http://www.lcdtvbuyingguide.com/top10.shtml

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,124104-page,1/article.html

http://reviews.cnet.com/4323-6531_7-6509128.html

I definately think Sharp (Aquos) is better then Toshiba, Hitachi, Panasonic and LG. I've only had Samsung (which I recommend but the warranty sucks - 1year with no Extended options) and Viewsonic which is ok but not close to the Sammie's.


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## mycatsnameis (Mar 3, 2000)

As I had pointed out earlier, Consumer Reports has found the Aquos lacking lately (finishing in teh middle of the pack or worse) except for the new 1080p models which are very highly rated. Panasonic is king when it comes to plasma but not for LCDs (they acknowledge themselves they're only in the market b/c they have to be and make no attempt to hide the fact they care most about plasma technology). For non-1080p models, Toshiba has consistently scores top CR marks in the under 40" ranges.


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## Apple101 (Jan 22, 2006)

MACinist said:


> Is that an official rating system?


lmao well it was last year


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## yatko (Oct 9, 2004)

Prices for 42-inch LCD TVs to drop to US$999 by end of 2007


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