Quote :

"Just ordered this tv Friday (got it for $550 shipped/no tax, sorry!) Look forward to hearing your thoughts. Hope you like it. Did you do the 120 hour break-in and calibration as suggested on AVS forums? Anyone know if a 5 day break-in is really necessary?"

Finally fixed my Xbox and signed up for DTV. I'm going to mess with the calibration when I get home from work.

I did not do the 120 hour break in.

Will report my findings later.

12/1/2010 10:00:44 AM

46 inch lcd $1300

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/site/Sony+46%22+Class+LED-LCD+HDTV+and+PlayStation+3+Package/9999143400050003.p?skuId=9999143400050003&productCategoryId=abcat0101001&id=pcmprd143400050003


or 46 inch with 3d for $1700??

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/site/Sony+46%22+Class+3D-Ready+LED-LCD+HDTV+and+PlayStation+3+Package/9999143400050004.p?skuId=9999143400050004&productCategoryId=abcat0101001&id=pcmprd143400050004

12/1/2010 1:42:40 PM

^^i too, ordered that TV last Friday

12/1/2010 7:33:28 PM

I just picked up an LG plasma for dirt cheap (model 42PX7DC)

It's got some red pixels flickering in one corner.. no permanent image retention, but the red pixels show the outline of whatever is in that corner (like the menu on top of a black screen) once the image changes. only really noticeable when the picture is dark/black

any suggestions on minimizing it? I ran jscreenfix for a while tonight and it seemed to go away, but then once i changed back to TV it came back just as strong as before

if its a permanent problem, i can deal with it. just curious if there's an easy fix.

12/7/2010 10:19:15 PM

^ Absolutely get that thing changed out.

I had a single dead pixel in the upper left corner of my new TV and you bet your ass I had them out there two days later delivering me a brand new one.

12/8/2010 9:27:54 AM

I'd love to get a new one, but when I say dirt cheap, I mean I got it for $75 from a friend.

What I meant above was, since return/exchange is not an option, is there anything I can do to minimize the appearance of the red flickering?

12/8/2010 12:07:12 PM

^^^^^

It's only $400...go ahead and do 3D...why not?

12/8/2010 12:55:16 PM

because 3D (right now) is a pointless gimmick that will be gone or upgraded to something that doesn't require glasses to watch in the next 3 years.

[Edited on December 8, 2010 at 12:59 PM. Reason : .]

12/8/2010 12:59:24 PM

^maybe, maybe not. As far as pointless gimmicks go, you ever watched a football game in 3D?? Absofuckinglutely ridiculous.

And what are the projections for not needing glasses with 3D tvs and movies?? Because 3d movies have been around for a while...you would think we would have already gotten to that point.

But alas, I probably don't know what the fuck I'm talking about!.

12/8/2010 1:13:00 PM

so the calibration settings from AVS forums made a pretty big difference IMO.

12/9/2010 3:23:42 PM

Any suggestions for a TV noob that has $1000 in Best Buy gift cards to spend on a new TV? I don't really know what to look for in any aspect except 1080p and I want a big TV. I don't want to get a crappy unit just because it is big though, I would rather get a slightly smaller TV that has a better picture if the quality would be a big difference. Anyways, any suggestions?

12/25/2010 4:43:13 PM

most HDTVs output 5.1 via optical now right? I remember a while ago they only outputted 5.1 via optical from the built in tuner. Setting up my parents new 42" Vizio and their receiver only has optical. So I'm running the cable box and a western digital hub I bought them both via HDMI to the HDTV. Then optical to receiver.

The receiver switches to dolby digital 5.1 when a channel is surround and back to pro logic II when the channel is stereo so I'm assuming I can just use the TV as an audio switcher instead of the receiver. Trying to limit switching inputs for the parents. Now the receiver can just say on one input at all times.

12/27/2010 11:58:21 AM

^That's fine, as long as your receiver doesn't switch HDMI. It's for your parents, so they probably don't care that they won't be able to get better than Dolby 5.1.

^^Don't trust anything a BestBuy salesman says. Since you have to get it from BestBuy, just go through and write down the model numbers of all of the units within your range. Then look up reviews on http://www.avsforum.com. Also, don't compare TVs to eachother in the store... usually they shift the colors of a unit slightly blue so it looks brighter than the others. Then another will shift even more to blue. Then they get caught up in this "blue-shift" war and they all end up blue, and don't show true color.

12/27/2010 4:10:15 PM

actually for DTS I had to hook the western digital hub straight to the receiver via optical. They'll just have to switch both the inputs on the TV AND the receiver each time they switch between the hub and cable box. No biggy. Now I just need to reduce the number of remotes from 4 to 2 or 3. Hopefully I can program the cable box remote to control the tv. Possibly even the receiver volume

12/27/2010 4:38:35 PM

this is the first Christmas in about 5 years that I haven't been trigger happy about getting a new tv

12/27/2010 4:40:05 PM

Any opinion on the Vizio XVT472SV ?

1/3/2011 11:52:07 AM

As far as wall mounts and wall-mounted shelves go I have a question:

I am interested in something like the Omni mount component shelves. Something like one of these two:

or

However, never having mounted a flat panel TV before, I am assuming that the brackets for the mounts generally required 2 studs and then the TV has a little bit of "slide" back and forth before it gets locked into the place and the TV ends up being ~centered between two wall studs when all is said and done.

With that assumption, how do these component shelves work? I am assuming the component shelves get mounted directly onto a single stud to provide their stability (at least in the case of the first mount). This would mean it would be hard to center these component shelves underneath your TV unless you went with a single stud wall mount. That 2nd larger one might mount to two studs based on it's dimensions (24" wide).

Any thoughts, experiences, or insight?

Thanks!

1/4/2011 9:52:08 AM

That big ass receiver in the first pic looks kind of bulky for that flimsy glass shelf. I would make sure it was bolted in really securely before I put anything more than a cable box or something similar on top of it.

1/4/2011 12:47:50 PM

^ Yeah, I wasn't sure how much they would hold just looking at the pictures at first, but the specs on the 2nd one say each shelf holds up to 40lbs and usually there is a decent safety factor on those kinds of products (though I still wouldn't want to come close to eating into that).

This would be for my downstairs TV which I don't have an audio receiver for (no surround sound setup there). The shelves would just be holding 1 PS3 and one HD Cable Box (or HD-DVR satellite receiver when I switch) each on their own shelf. The PS3 weighs 11 lbs and my current HD cable box weighs 12 lbs. I should be safe even going with the single-shelf model but I thought it might not look as nice stacking the PS3 box on top of the cable box.

[Edited on January 4, 2011 at 1:13 PM. Reason : .]

1/4/2011 1:12:29 PM

You'd need some kind of buffer between them. PS3's can run quite hot sometimes.

1/4/2011 2:15:07 PM

Good point. I'll probably just go with the 2nd two-shelf system I posted since I did confirm it is a double-stud mount setup and will be easier to center with the TV. I think it looks nicer too.

Thanks.

1/4/2011 2:35:03 PM

anyone have any opinions on LG LCDs? Been looking at and reading reviews for LG 47LD520 and am really happy with the specs and the reviews for the price. The 47" is a pretty perfect size for my living room too.

I originally thought about keeping my 42" plasma in the living room and going with a larger 50+" LCD or plasma in the bonus room since it has more distance from the TV, but the wife and I decided that the living room is honestly a little more convenient and thus we would probably use it more regardless. So I think we'll get a new TV for the area we'll use more(living room) and move the 42" to the bonus room. Also, the plasma currently has a slight glare that a matte LCD screen should help out a lot.

2/8/2011 5:01:42 PM

bttt, i'm back in the market now.

It seems most of the higher end units are all Internet ready. Is that what is keeping the price up on some of these? Is that still a gimmick or has it become a useful option these days? I'm sure Netflix is great (i don't have it), but not sure about the rest.

It's been a couple years since i've been in the TV market. Right now i'm interested in 46"+, LCD, 1080p.

Quote :

"Also, don't compare TVs to eachother in the store... usually they shift the colors of a unit slightly blue so it looks brighter than the others. Then another will shift even more to blue. Then they get caught up in this "blue-shift" war and they all end up blue, and don't show true color. "

is this why all the Vizios at Walmart look exceptionally clear compared to the top tier brands (sony and samsung)

4/29/2011 9:08:33 AM

so what are the thoughts on 3D? I've never seen 3D in action on a home TV scale but if i'm going to drop ~2k on new tv I need to know if 3D is something I should look into. Is one brand's technology ahead of the others? I've seen some Samsung units that come with a pair of 3D glasses, most of the others do not.

5/2/2011 10:59:42 AM

I have a 3D ready TV, but at the moment haven't really used the feature (nor puchased the glasses). I got a great deal on a Panasonic Plasma though, and wasn't looking specifically for 3D. It's still a little early to tell how relevant this technology is, so I'd say keep an eye on them but not go out of your way to spend the the extra money

5/2/2011 12:56:41 PM

I have a 3D Samsung Plasma... it is okay. The only cool part is having friends that want to check it out when they first see it, then you never use it again.

5/2/2011 1:24:47 PM

It gets harder to find newer TVs without internet apps or 3D but I didn't care about either when we bought our TV and I shopped around hard to find a TV that had a good picture without having to pay for stuff I didn't need. Unfortunately the model LG model we ended up getting was "last year's" model and so now it's hard to find for the price we paid (iow even though we absolutely love the TV, I can't really recommend it to you since you'd have a hard time finding it).

Either way, you definitely do not need to spend close to $2k to get a nice 46"+ 1080p TV these days. Ours was on sale for the mid 700s (we got an additional $200 deal on top of that via dish that made it even sweeter) and it is a 47" 1080p LCD with TruMotion 120Hz and a TON of picture options that really let me adjust the picture to exactly how I wanted it. Picture is absolutely crystal clear and I like the picture better than many of my friends TVs which cost more (mainly a $1500 Sony 46" LCD and a 50" Panasonic Plasma which were both purchased by friends around the same time).

Yes ours didn't have the 3D (didn't care for) or internet apps (didn't need with PS3 and roku boxes etc. we already had) so that is one reason it was a little cheaper but I compared screens and shopped for a long time to find a bargain and still meet the quality standard I had. Point being: I think it is worth it to hunt for the bargain and decide what you really want/need versus throwing $1500-$2000 at a TV in this size and quality range for very minor differences or things you won't notice and/or use much a couple weeks after the purchase.

[Edited on May 2, 2011 at 2:08 PM. Reason : .]

5/2/2011 2:05:01 PM

I mentioned the 2K range because i may jump up to a 55". It just depends on what kind of deal I can find. 55" may be overkill in my living room though.

I am definitely in the market for LED-LCD as my place gets tons of natural light in the afternoons and I don't want to deal with glare. Which brands seem to be on the top of the LED-LCD game? I have a Samsung now that I like and my parents have had great picture from their two 50+" Sharps. It appears Sharp doesn't have too many LED models yet, Sony seems to have picture issues from ever source i've read, and Samsung's still have the highest price. How are the LGs?

5/2/2011 4:51:28 PM

Careful..pretty much all LEDs and even some LCDs now come with a "glossy" finish so I'm not really sure how different the glare effect will be between LED and Plasma. Plus I'm still a huge proponent of plasma anyways...nothing beats those color levels. If you have a little pocket flashlight you should go into a BBY/WMT/HHG/TGT and shine it to the screens of the better LEDs and then the plasmas and ask yourself how much of a difference you can really see in the glare. Plasma still looks better than anything else...

A few of the newer higher-end internet-TVs come with a built-in web browser...which is the main thing that they're boasting for 2011. I don't see it as too relevant because I like GoogleTV's interface better still...and if you just *have* to surf the web on your TV you can get the Revue Box or Sony's GoogleTV BDP.

The relevance of the whole "3D" aspect of 3DTV is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose. But typically the video processing is better in those units as a whole so even the non-3D picture looks better than compared to other models that aren't 3D capable. I see 3D as something I'd use once or twice and then not much again at all.

[Edited on May 2, 2011 at 11:32 PM. Reason : herpes]

5/2/2011 11:31:36 PM

The LG that we got has a very matte finish on the LCD screen; that was one thing we were definitely looking for. The bezel is slightly glossy but the screen itself has a lot more glare than the plasma we replaced. Obviously it depends TV to TV though.

5/3/2011 8:10:42 AM

^wait, are you sure you said that right?






are plasmas 3D capable? also, haven't the plasma reputations taken quite a hit and that's why their significantly less in price?

5/3/2011 10:13:29 AM

haha woops. *The bezel is slightly glossy but the screen itself has a lot more less glare than the plasma we replaced*

Basically it depends on the specific TV though, so if glare is a problem I'd try to look at some in stores to test glare even if you don't plan to buy it from a physical store.

5/3/2011 10:34:19 AM

do they make any plasmas with a matte screen?

also, are any of the LED-LCDs fully backlit or are they all edge-lit still

5/3/2011 9:00:58 PM

^^^ Yes, plasmas are 3D capable (I have a Panasonic 3D plasma, myself). Unfortunately they're just being phased out of the market at this point, as LCD has become the new tech of the hour.

5/4/2011 8:21:48 AM

^^ yes, there are full-array LED LCDs -- they've been around for years. But they're $$$ and you're probably not likely to find them in big box stores. But they look great. And have local dimming - meaning LEDs in specific parts of the screen can be turned off to give you a better looking image. (one of the common complaints about LCDs is that the blacks aren't black enough).

[Edited on May 4, 2011 at 4:04 PM. Reason : l]

5/4/2011 4:04:23 PM

so what's the real deal behind passive and active 3D? I went into hhgregg today and the guy in there was really nice, but he told me up front he was a bit of an LG fanboy and had great things to say about the LG 47LW5600. It was a nice TV, but it was passive 3D technology instead of active.

How is LG's rep in the tv business these days?

5/4/2011 7:07:37 PM

from my experience (did a good bit of research and went with an LG myself), some of their TVs are very nice (especially for the price). They aren't as "big" of a name in TVs specifically as some others so they benefit from that on the price side. I was very impressed with one series of their LCD panels (LD520) which is what I settled on.

Once again though, just like other TV manufacturers, they do some low, middle, and high end stuff so just because it is a certain brand doesn't make it great. Sorry to be vague, I know that wasn't really a true answer for you.

5/4/2011 7:27:26 PM

is passive 3d cheap glasses and active 3d $texas electronic glasses

5/4/2011 8:16:52 PM

passive 3D is polarized lenses like you get a movie theatres. active 3D has powered active shutter glasses.


passive 3D is supposed to be more affordable and easier on the eyes during long term viewing. but you also lose full 1080 with passive 3D.

5/5/2011 8:24:12 AM

3d is crap. Not good enough to be worth anything, now

5/5/2011 8:55:15 AM

gah the Sharp Quattrons are so wildly oversaturated but it's kind of a guilty pleasure to like it so much

5/5/2011 9:38:40 AM

how hard is it to calibrate a tv on your own? is the $100 professional service worth it?

5/5/2011 11:55:32 AM

what's involved in "calibration"? Is that related to 3D? (I don't have a 3D TV so I'm just curious).

If you're just talking about picture adjustment I would say no because that is dependent on you as the viewer of the TV more than any "correct" settings for the setup of the room (light, angle, etc.). Sure if your TV has tons of options (which is good imo) it might help to go some of the av forums and see what some other guys have listed and use that as a base, but I always remember that how you view the TV is really the only thing that matters.

[Edited on May 5, 2011 at 12:09 PM. Reason : .]

5/5/2011 12:04:26 PM

Jsos some tvs you need to have a device to get in to calibrate them...

Others just need the remote and a password.

Calibration when i had mine done just meant they set the colors up however they thought they should be.

I read a forum and edited mine to be the way i liked them...
(mine on gaming mode the color contrasts were awesome... it was like cheating)

5/5/2011 2:25:27 PM

so i think i'm either going to go with the Sony KDL-46HX729 or the Sharp LC-52LE835U. Both are new 2011 models. As far as specs go the Sony is definitely the better product, but the Sharp offers a lot and also a bigger screen size.

5/6/2011 10:21:43 AM

I'm thinking of getting this 46" Samsung LED [mfg. part # UN46D6050] from Costco this weekend. It's $1200 and includes the wireless adapter and Costco extends the mfg. warranty to 2 years.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11627084&whse=BC&Ne=5000001+4000000&eCat=BC|90607|2341&N=4047300%204294967156&Mo=6&No=3&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&topnav=

What do you people think?

[Edited on May 6, 2011 at 10:41 AM. Reason : linkage]

5/6/2011 10:35:50 AM

have any of you ever ordered a TV online without ever seeing it in the store? is this an idiot move?

5/18/2011 9:11:52 AM

yes, I bought my samsung from Amazon without having seen one in a store. I don't know that you gain much from seeing in in a store-- the environment is way different than your living room, and they may or may not be adjusting settings so that the highest margin TVs are made to look much better than their lower margin counterparts.

5/18/2011 9:29:16 AM

yeah, i've been looking online at a Sony Bravia model that literally just came out. It's one of their higher end models but no one around has them in stock yet, and at Best Buy it would be a Magnolia only model which limits the stores I can check. It's got everything I seemingly want in a TV, there just aren't any reviews out yet and I'm a little hesistant to just pull the trigger and go for it.

5/18/2011 9:42:31 AM

Quote :

"yes, I bought my samsung from Amazon without having seen one in a store."

5/18/2011 2:08:38 PM