New TV

[Chief Walking Stick]

Hey guys my shitty 27" TV died last night after the game (yea I don't blame it after showing me the Hawks game).



I need to buy a new one between 27"-32" and I don't have a large budget. I literally know nothing about TVs or the best places to buy them for a good deal.



I was wondering if any of you have any suggestions, preferably I would like to have it for the game tomorrow but if it's cheaper to buy online I can just go out for the game.



It would be nice to have HD because I've never had an HDTV but I don't know how much thats going to cost with all the cables and stuff I'd have to buy.



TY In advance!



EDIT: My price range is $200-$500 and I looked at TigerDirect.com.... here are the search results and are any of these a good deal?



http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/guidedSearch.asp?CatId=37&sel=Price;Price5

 

[Soaps]

Abt Electronics is having a private sale this weekend. Its the biggest sale of the year where you kind find a good tv for less.

 

[Chief Walking Stick]

Abt Electronics is having a private sale this weekend. Its the biggest sale of the year where you kind find a good tv for less.

Where do I find information on the sale and what does a "private sale" mean as opposed to a regular sale?



EDIT: I found it: http://www.abt.com/promo/customer_sale



Looks like free shipping on a lot of stuff too.



My main concern is choosing the right brand making sure I get the right cables and all of the logistics stuff. I know $500 investment in something like a TV isn't a lot to some people but for me it's a pretty big deal haha... want to research before I buy and am unhappy.

 

[canucklehead]

For that size/price range, pick yourself up a LCD TV. Make sure it has a high contrast ratio (the higher the better) and a fast refresh rate (the lower the number the better).



Sony, Sharp, Magnavox, Westinghouse, Panasonic and Samsung all put out good LCD TV's.



For the output, 720P is good enough unless you are going over 45" (at which point 1080P starts to become noticeably better).



What you want to do is go to your local electronics shop, and just choose the TV that display's the best picture (deepest blacks and brightest colours) within your price rage/size. Just make sure you get a service plan (I've had 2 TV's crap out on me, all with free replacement/upgrade under the service plan. Got a Panasonic Viera now, and it's been great for a long time, I'd highly reccomend it.

 

[Soaps]

Where do I find information on the sale and what does a "private sale" mean as opposed to a regular sale?

you can just go to abt.com its on our website. private sale is just what we call our sale. its open to the public

 

[jakobeast]

Check out dealnews.com as well. They sometimes have a good deal on tv's.

 

[Soaps]

Where do I find information on the sale and what does a "private sale" mean as opposed to a regular sale?



EDIT: I found it: http://www.abt.com/promo/customer_sale



Looks like free shipping on a lot of stuff too.



My main concern is choosing the right brand making sure I get the right cables and all of the logistics stuff. I know $500 investment in something like a TV isn't a lot to some people but for me it's a pretty big deal haha... want to research before I buy and am unhappy.

most of our salesman are pretty reliable and will let you know what are the right cables to get. However there are a few who will try to sell you stuff you really do not need.

 

[Chief Walking Stick]

For that size/price range, pick yourself up a LCD TV. Make sure it has a high contrast ratio (the higher the better) and a fast refresh rate (the lower the number the better).



Sony, Sharp, Magnavox, Westinghouse, Panasonic and Samsung all put out good LCD TV's.



For the output, 720P is good enough unless you are going over 45" (at which point 1080P starts to become noticeably better).



What you want to do is go to your local electronics shop, and just choose the TV that display's the best picture (deepest blacks and brightest colours) within your price rage/size. Just make sure you get a service plan (I've had 2 TV's crap out on me, all with free replacement/upgrade under the service plan. Got a Panasonic Viera now, and it's been great for a long time, I'd highly reccomend it.

TY for the helpful information.



Having never had an HDTV do you have any suggestions on cables so I don't get screwed and overpay for a "name"?

most of our salesman are pretty reliable and will let you know what are the right cables to get. However there are a few who will try to sell you stuff you really do not need.

TY for the info I'll have to check it out... I think Glenview is pretty far away I might have to order online. Looks like some TVs even have free shipping.

 

[Soaps]

TY for the info I'll have to check it out... I think Glenview is pretty far away I might have to order online. Looks like some TVs even have free shipping.

Np, I know alot of good people in phone sales who might be able to help you if you do not wish to drive all the way to glenview

 

[canucklehead]

TY for the helpful information.



Having never had an HDTV do you have any suggestions on cables so I don't get screwed and overpay for a "name"?







TY for the info I'll have to check it out... I think Glenview is pretty far away I might have to order online. Looks like some TVs even have free shipping.

If you are getting a HDMI cable, the cheapest one they have is good enough, there is virtually no difference between an el-cheapo HMDI and a Monster MHDMI gold plated triple shielded "HD" "high performance" HMDI cable, unless it is something like 100 feet long, which it shouldn't be.but it all depends on what exactly you are hooking up to the TV. I could tell you what you want for each device if you list them off.

 

[TSD]

Stu, I have a 32" Sony 720p HD TV thats done right by me for the past few years.



The cables you need depend on what your cable box can connect with, generally component and HDMI. I prefer HDMI. Brand doesnt friggin matter one cable is as good as the next.



That TV was like 700 at the time I bought it, they sell essentially the same TV (different model but same specs) for like 400 now, I bought one for my grandfather for christmas last year because his TV that weighed 800lbs and doubled as furniture from 1974 went out. and if you have a ps3/Xbox360, get the HDMI cable for that. believe me if you use the stock RCA jacks it comes with use HDMI the difference is huge.

 

[Tater]

If you are getting a HDMI cable, the cheapest one they have is good enough, there is virtually no difference between an el-cheapo HMDI and a Monster MHDMI gold plated triple shielded "HD" "high performance" HMDI cable, unless it is something like 100 feet long, which it shouldn't be.but it all depends on what exactly you are hooking up to the TV. I could tell you what you want for each device if you list them off.

QFT

 

[winos5]

I'd say Walmart, but if your in Chicago that's not possible without making a trip to the burbs. Worth a look at BestBuy, Sam's Club or Price Club as well. You might also consider waiting until Black Friday (Day After Thanksgiving). There are always awesome deals on electronics if you don't mind waiting in line.



I never purchase additional warranties. Sure I've been burned once or twice with clunker, but I've paid far less over the years anyway from not shelling out an additional $50 for warranties for everything we buy.

 

[canucklehead]

I'd say Walmart, but if your in Chicago that's not possible without making a trip to the burbs. Worth a look at BestBuy, Sam's Club or Price Club as well. You might also consider waiting until Black Friday (Day After Thanksgiving). There are always awesome deals on electronics if you don't mind waiting in line.



I never purchase additional warranties. Sure I've been burned once or twice with clunker, but I've paid far less over the years anyway from not shelling out an additional $50 for warranties for everything we buy.

the ESP's are really only usefull for big ticket items like TV's, Comps, etc.

 

[Chief Walking Stick]

If you are getting a HDMI cable, the cheapest one they have is good enough, there is virtually no difference between an el-cheapo HMDI and a Monster MHDMI gold plated triple shielded "HD" "high performance" HMDI cable, unless it is something like 100 feet long, which it shouldn't be.but it all depends on what exactly you are hooking up to the TV. I could tell you what you want for each device if you list them off.

I have an Xbox that I use for movies and gaming and a TiVo. I am getting rid of TiVo I think thought because the new Comcast stupid ass box system makes it so I can only record one show at a time instead of two. That being said I have the Comcast Cable box but that doesn't matter right?



I am so confused about how all this HD nonsense works. My Xbox has the standard AAudio/Video Y W R cords but it also has a branch for R B G. What exactly do HDMI cables do? Where do they connect to make the actual TV show games/programs in HD? And would I just need to plug the R B G cords into the TV?

Stu, I have a 32" Sony 720p HD TV thats done right by me for the past few years.



The cables you need depend on what your cable box can connect with, generally component and HDMI. I prefer HDMI. Brand doesnt friggin matter one cable is as good as the next.



That TV was like 700 at the time I bought it, they sell essentially the same TV (different model but same specs) for like 400 now, I bought one for my grandfather for christmas last year because his TV that weighed 800lbs and doubled as furniture from 1974 went out. and if you have a ps3/Xbox360, get the HDMI cable for that. believe me if you use the stock RCA jacks it comes with use HDMI the difference is huge.

Is it widescreen? Seems like everything is widescreen these days and I don't know how I feel about that. Is it just acquired taste?

 

[MassHavoc]

You can always go to a store like Grants who matches prices and sells for less. Find the TV you want, then find it somewhere else cheaper and go back to Grants and have them beat the best price.



Personally, I bought mine at costco cause it was cheap and the built in warranty is hard to beat. Not to mention their customer service is unreal. I pre-ordered a game from there and the instruction book a wasn't stapled correctly so it fell apart when I took it out of the box, they customer service guy was calling their vendor the manufacturer, all over the place to try to find someone to send me a new one. Normally I wouldn't suggest a place like Costco, because they usually get a slightly different model than the rest of the retailers, but in this case I looked into everything and found it to be really no different.



I went slightly more expensive than you thought.

 

[canucklehead]

I have an Xbox that I use for movies and gaming and a TiVo. I am getting rid of TiVo I think thought because the new Comcast stupid ass box system makes it so I can only record one show at a time instead of two. That being said I have the Comcast Cable box but that doesn't matter right?



I am so confused about how all this HD nonsense works. My Xbox has the standard AAudio/Video Y W R cords but it also has a branch for R B G. What exactly do HDMI cables do? Where do they connect to make the actual TV show games/programs in HD? And would I just need to plug the R B G cords into the TV?



Is it widescreen? Seems like everything is widescreen these days and I don't know how I feel about that. Is it just acquired taste?

All new TV's are widescreen, as are HD programs. Widescreen is what you want.



For the X-box (i'm assuming a 360) use the cheapest HDMI cord you can find that goes just far enough to make it from the X-box to the TV. HDMI ports look like this:

The one on the bottom left.

Here are the cables:

They carry digital Video and Audio, and provide HD graphics. It's much better than the component (Standard RYW) and the component (RGB and Audio) cabels. the component is the middle ground as far as display does. If you have HDMI, use it.



This is what Component cable slots look like:

Cabels:

Don't use them unless you have to (no HDMI). they will still give HD, but not nearly as good



This is what the composite cable slots look like:

Cabels:

avoid these at all costs

 

[roshinaya]

For that size/price range, pick yourself up a LCD TV. Make sure it has a high contrast ratio (the higher the better) and a fast refresh rate (the lower the number the better).

Shouldn't it be the higher the better? LCD TV's are usually 60Hz, but 100Hz and more are probably more common nowadays. I think you are talking about response time, in which case the lower the better. Lower response time means less artifacts and ghosting.

 

[MassHavoc]

I wouldn't say component is not nearly as good as HDMI, it's main downfall is that it's video only and no audio like HDMI. I believe some or even most component cables can run upto 1080p, they just may not have the contrast range or soemthing.

 

[Chief Walking Stick]

NICE Very helpful, you're not so bad for a Nucks fan!



My question is... is it the TV that makes the programs in HD automatically?



I just need to know what exactly I need to make sure programs are in HD and my Xbox runs HD for Netflix etc... I understand that I will only need ONE HDMI cable to make sure my Xbox runs smoothly, but what about just sporting events etc? Don't want to get assrammed by salesmen trying to sell me stuff I don't need.



I feel like such a moron on this stuff because I've never really bothered with anything nice when it comes to electronics.