LCD TVs

OK, well I finally got a little lucky. I switched banks to PNC, then filled out a contest card for the hell of it. A few weeks later, they call me and tell me that I won the grand prize: a $4,200 gift card to Best Buy.



Well, of course, I'm getting Christmas shopping done first, then I take care of me, which includes getting a LCD TV. I'm looking between a 40-50" screen, high contrast ratio & I'll be playing some Xbox on that sucker. Which brand is the best as far as quality & durability? The brands that have caught my eye are Sony, Phillips, Samsung & LG. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Come on, show some self-awareness and start a poll with the different brands. It's what the people want.

 

Phil, 1st off...congrats, that's wonderful.
I will say this, wait to use the card till after the New Year, you can get a 60" plasma pretty cheap.
Also, I say plasma because even with LCDs , you need to be seated in front and the screen needs to be at eye level to ensure full brightness.
If you have a family who will be watching at different angles, go plasma. And go Panasonic or LG, they get great reviews.

 

This TV will hopefully be taking up residence in my apartment... which is hinging on the fact that I actually turn a recent interview into a job. [/loudly gulping]

 

But, will you be the only one watching it regularly?

 

Possibly the future Mrs. PhilaYank & my college buddies.

 

Then go plasma.
Only one person can really benefit from an LCD.

 

Get one of these:


Epson PowerLite Home Cinema...one of the only affordable 1080p projectors.

 

I don't see how you can go wrong with this model.

 

Make sure you pay taxes on that big-boy gift card. It's gonna set you back $1,000. That's just as important as figuring out what type of TV you'll want.

 

That's a good point I hadn't thought of.

 

Yikes. So I'm guessing that I save that card once I'm done and write it down on my tax forms? Also, I have two more questions:

1) Is the brightness factor between LCD and plasma that much of an issue? I have every intention to log some serious Madden time on it, and I was told that plasmas get "frozen images" & video games aren't as sharp on them over LCDs.

2) Do prices nose-dive enough after Christmas that I should hold off on a purchase until then?

Again, I have no clue as to where to put this thing, since I'm still waiting for a second interview, but that's another topic. I also intend on getting a sound system, DVD/VCR combo player and a stand for all that stuff. So far, I'm seeing some good stuff from LG under $2K.