[stormtech]

I am really out of my league when it comes to TV and audio, so I need some help to choose the right one.

My 15+ year old tube type TV is going out - there are vertical black borders that wiggle and are closing in on the center of the screen - I think it's trying to tell me something.......

I'm not a big TV watcher, but want to choose the right TV to hopefully future proof myself a bit. Here is what I am working on:

Analog cable - yes, I pay a fairly low price for this and it is good enough. I hate the concept of paying to have TV then being forced to watch commercials.

I use a Tivo unit almost exclusively (see commercial comment above).

I had a discussion on Tivo Community about my also aging Tivo unit - they couldn't believe that there still was such a thing as analog cable. From what I learned there, it is probably inevitable that I will be forced into digital eventually, but of course at a higher price. If/when that time comes, I've already decided to go to DirecTV to get the HD programming at no extra charge.

So.....it looks like I need a TV that will work with both an analog and digital signal, plus be able to view HD programming. I just took a look on the BestBuy site to get an idea of what is out there - all the terms are pretty much over my head.

The physical size I have a limit of 32" wide - it looks like the 32" TV's have the horizontal dimension of 32" so that will work.

Because of where I live, unfortunately I will probably have to buy this at Wal-Mart - there is no other place to purchase a TV within 100 miles. I'm a little leery of buying something like this on-line in the case of a possible return.

So, at least I have the size down - 32" it is. Now the questions......

LCD or LED?
720p or 1080p (what the heck is that?)
Smart TV?
HDTV?

I hate to rush big purchases like this, but I think I may need to buy one by the end of the week. Also, I try very hard to be an informed consumer not having to rely on a kid sales person who will laugh at me when throwing these terms around.

HELP!!

[dane.dawg]

For the price of a 32 you might as well get a 40 inch..
1080p is better resolution then 720p..
LED is better IMO..
I think you have done research on monitors and more or less the same applies for TV.

[stormtech]

For the price of a 32 you might as well get a 40 inch..
1080p is better resolution then 720p..
LED is better IMO..
I think you have done research on monitors and more or less the same applies for TV.

Yeah, I'm relating a lot of what I am seeing to monitors since I just went through buying one last fall.

I've read that the LED is better also.

As far as 1080p vs 720p - I realize that 1080p is more resolution, but will I see a difference on a 32" screen from 10" away?

32" is my size restraint unless I move everything around in my living room.

Thanks for the input!

[scratchpaddy]

720p or 1080p (what the heck is that?)

As a photographer, you're actually better equipped to understand this than many. Those numbers refer to the number of pixels on the vertical side of the screen. 720p is a resolution of 1280x720. A picture posted on these forums at the maximum size allowed would fill one of these screens completely. 1080p is 1920x1080. For reference, your regular, non-HD TV has a resolution of 640x480.

The "p" means "progressive scan," as opposed to "i" for "interlaced." This has to do with video compression. In interlace, each frame of video only updates every other row of pixels. Broadcast T.V. traditionally used interlace to reduce bandwidth. Progressive scan updates the whole screen with every frame. Any screen that has a "P" can also do interlace if it needs to.

future proof

I'm sorry, but the television industry is not familiar with this term. Their latest plot to make the latest 3D HD set obsolete is 4K: that is, screens with a resolution of 3840 × 2160. After that, it's off to 8K! They really love their letters and numbers, you see.

LED is better IMO..

Usually true. LED sets are more power-efficient, and a cheap LED set usually gives better colors than a cheap "regular" LCD.

The "LED" designation is all about the backlight. A conventional LCD screen is lit by cold-cathode fluorescent tubes. An LED T.V. still uses the same LCD panel, but lights it up with more power-efficient LED lights.

[stormtech]

Thanks for the additional input scratchpaddy.

I think I have it narrowed down a bit. Also, since these 32" units are so small and light, I'm not worried about the possibility of shipping a return.

I've been looking at a lot of reviews - the same as I do when shopping for camera gear. I have it narrowed down to Samsung or LG. I'm leaning toward LG right now because there are a lot of positive reviews.

Also, when making my spreadsheet (read pen and pad), it looks like the difference in price for 720p vs 1080p is negligable.

I've looked at Best Buy, Amazon, Crutchfield, and Wal-Mart - looking at the LG 32" LED 1080p unit. Crutchfiled only has it in 720p.

Best Buy $330
Amazon $301
Wal-Mart $307

I've only bought one small item from Best Buy a couple years ago, so not much experience in the return department. Amazon returns are top notch of course, as is Wal-Mart as I could return it to the store. If anyone has any other good on-line vendors to check, let me know. I will likely be pulling the trigger on one tomorrow morning.

[Parallax]

Just get the biggest, most expensive one that your wife will let you buy.

[stormtech]

Just get the biggest, most expensive one that your wife will let you buy.

Ha! While that seems to be a trend around here, especially when I am trying to sell something, believe it or not I buy what I want when I want.

Actually I hate having to buy this - that's $300 out the door when I could be buying my new field monitor

[stormtech]

After deciding on which unit I was going to buy, I did one last price sweep on the web. When doing the comparison on Google Shopping, B&H and Adorama showed up. Ended up that B&H was the best price (equal to Amazon) with free shipping and no tax. I was quite happy to give B&H my order.

I never thought of B&H and Adorama - they do have an extensive inventory of audio and video equipment at great prices and of course we all know about their great service.

[Docrwm]

Glad you've found one you like, that was fast. Remember to click through here for your B&H order or give the order # to Adam so you and the forum get credit.

[Rupert]

Me too...I'm shopping for a new TV. About 40-42 inch and either LG or Samsung LED.

My question? Is WIFI a necessary or useful option, and what can you do with it?

Regards!

[stormtech]

Glad you've found one you like, that was fast. Remember to click through here for your B&H order or give the order # to Adam so you and the forum get credit.

Actually I hate making fast decisions like this, but it was necessary. Might have been a good thing actually since I will usually drive myself nuts for a week researching and comparing etc. That's why I asked for some advise here as I was in unfamiliar territory with TV's. After doing all my research, I think it is all pretty much a wash for something like this anyway. They all are made in China, probably with all the same components. With that, brand name probably doesn't make much of a difference either. So I picked a unit with the features that I wanted for a good price from a good vendor and called it good.

Didn't think of clicking through Adam's link - I thought the order had to be at least $335 for any credits to be granted anyway.

[Parallax]

Is WIFI a necessary or useful option, and what can you do with it?

You can watch just about any tv show ever produced (well, not quite, but you know how I love hyperbole!) with Hulu, Netflix, etc.

[stormtech]

You can watch just about any tv show ever produced (well, not quite, but you know how I love hyperbole!) with Hulu, Netflix, etc.

But isn't there an extra cost to using Hulu (whatever that is) and Netflix?

[Docrwm]

But isn't there an extra cost to using Hulu (whatever that is) and Netflix?

Netflix is about $8/mo and it allows us more control over what we watch. It's certainly better in many regards, for us, than the exorbitant cost of the "premium" channels via DirecTV.

[lammie200]

Me too...I'm shopping for a new TV. About 40-42 inch and either LG or Samsung LED.

My question? Is WIFI a necessary or useful option, and what can you do with it?

Regards!

One other thing would be to send your pics via a wifi card to your tv for viewing. Also as I understand it, LED's are better for angled viewing. If you are watching straight-on LCD's will work fine.