Does size matter?

[peacefreak]

Got your attention, huh? I'm about to break down & join the 21st century & get a flat screen television.
I know nothing about them. So....what brands are good? What ones to avoid? I'm thinking about a 40" screen for more definition, but don't want one where I see people's ugly pores. I don't do sports (best thing about divorce), but enjoy movies & nature programs. I truly appreciate any info, even on the size issue.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

1. !!!

Check out Samsung...

I have a 40" Sony and the picture is not as good as the comparable Samsung I had. I regret giving away the Samsung... because the big tv is also a Sony and the remotes are interchangeable and one of my kids needed a television, should have given her the Sony. My son bought a 60" Samsung a few months ago and is delighted with it.

[RiffRandell]

2. Our biggest and latest is 55".

That's an LG, before that we had a Samsung which is now in our bedroom and we have another Samsung downstairs.

My husband is in telecom, so he does his research and gets the latest and greatest when the price is right.

He usually goes to Best Buy.

I just called him at work and he said you would be happy with an LG.....we had one problem with our last Samsung where the volume would constantly go up on its own, but we got the extended warranty (which we never do) so they came out and fixed it. Otherwise they were fine.

Just his opinion. Congratulations!

[peacefreak]

16. I haven't seen many LG's

but the Samsungs I've seen are really nice. If I can find one in my price range, it will be a go.

[pipi_k]

3. I have three

LGs

Two are 47"

One is 55"


The two smaller ones are replacements for 43" TVs that got blown out when our house got hit by lightning a couple of years ago.


No issues, no problems. I love them.

and even the larger one doesn't show ugly facial pores or underarm sweat glands

[shanti]

4. i'll second that on samsung

i have one, sis does too. i got it at costco because of their return policy and warranty. i'm quite satisfied with it.

[pokerfan]

5. It depends upon your viewing distance

http://www.rtings.com/info/television-size-to-distance-relationship

[olddots]

6. i used to sell high end video & audio ---you're in luck

we have the cheapest /biggest 500$ LG plasma with a picture almost as good as the 20thousand dollar Pioneer Elites we used to sell to zillionaires .....the down point is you have to have hi def or the thing looks terrible .....the toys are cheap now but you have to but thru the nose for the batteries= sat/cable rental .

[Xithras]

21. I still love my plasma

Yes...they're heavy. And yes...they generate heat. And yes...they use more electricity.

But when it comes to picture quality, I STILL have people rave over how good my matte screen Panasonic plasma looks. They still compare incredibly well to the modern LED and LCD screens, and can be found pretty cheap nowadays (at the stores that still carry them).

[In_The_Wind]

7. Since you ask

Yes

[peacefreak]

8. Took you long enough.

But you probably like that.

[In_The_Wind]

12. I was out buying new shoes, banking, supervising the dudes

who live here with me ... working in the yard.
Did I mention that I like to watch men at work.


We are putting in a privacy hedge to avoid looking at the neighbors:


[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

[NewJeffCT]

9. refresh rate is important

If you buy a cheaper one with a 60Hz refresh rate, you might have some trouble with the screen refreshing for things like live sports or video games. 120Hz is better. 240Hz is very good for LCD/LED tvs, but also more expensive. We have an older LCD tv with only a 60ms refresh rate and we can't hook up the Wii to it because it will lock up.

Plasmas have a much better refresh rate (600Hz), but suck a boatload of electricity down as well. But, they're great for sports and/or video games.

Sony is good, but I think they're a bit overpriceed - you can get a similar quality TV for cheaper with other brands. Or, better quality for the same price.

(We also have a new DLP tv - it's a lot thinner than DLP TVs from 8-10-12 years ago - and they even better for sports/video games than Plasma, and use about the same power as LCD TVs - but, you can't really mount them on the walls.)

[jakeXT]

14. And if you are a dog, you'll need that

The human eye discerns flickering movement at a rate of 50-60 Hz while in dogs, that same ‘flicker fusion rate’ is as high as 70-80 Hz. Older television sets, with a CRT screen, refreshed their picture at a rate of 50-60 Hz with the result of a smooth picture for humans and a flicker nightmare for dogs. New LCD technology however, has changed all that. The refresh rate on the newer television screens is now 100Hz and up, perfect for continuous canine viewing.

http://dogtv.com/Faq

[datasuspect]

10. don't buy a television

television is the mind destroyer.

[peacefreak]

15. No worries.

I pulled cable years ago & digital television sucks where I live. I do watch a ton of movies, however.

[Moondog]

11. I want to see every pore and

all the crow's feet. Reality.

[lunatica]

13. Size matters!

Don't worry about the pores. What's great about HD is the deep, deep blacks! The colors are great!

[TheMadMonk]

17. A size down on as big as you can realistically fit/afford.

Unless you want to also make the spend for everything else: a dedicated media room; the sound system; blackout curtains; lighting; and seats. In which case buy a $279 Full HD, 32 inch and build the room first.

Most important atribute is always going to be resolution with more is better, then contrast ratio comes next. By coming back a size you'll save a fair chunk of change, which you can use for that better contrast ratio, whizz-bang features, or to accessorise with a blu-Ray player or multi-channel DVR.

And of course always. How heinous is the control system?

[dr.strangelove]

18. Size matters in most things

TVs included. The thing about HD and the newer sets, you will see pores on a 12 inch screen just as much on a 60 inch screen. It is the resolution showing the wrinkles and facial details, not the size of the screen.

Base the size of the TV on the size of the room. Most will tell you to divide the distance you are sitting from the TV in half if you want the biggest possible TV for your space and down to 2.5 if you want something that is big but not overpowering. So if your sitting area is 8 feet (96 inches) from the TV, get something in the 46 inch range and you will be fine. If you are 10 feet (120 inches) away, go for as big as 60 inches.

Size in other things, try lots and find the right size for you. Enjoy the research though.

[Jeff R]

19. Been told both:

[blueamy66]

20. yes

nt

[GermanDem]

22. We have a 42" Sharp and a 54" Sony.

I like them both! I agree with a previous poster, the refresh rate is important. The bigger one is awesome for watching movies and nature shows. We cut the cable - ditched the dish years ago, are happy with what we can get over the internet and through netflix and hulu plus, and over the air (for free!). Tip: if you have decided on a model, go check out Amazon warehouse deals. We got our there Sony refurbished for several hundred dollars less; it had just a little cosmetic flaw (was still brand new, had just been returned).