Hey guys, I know relatively a decent amount about HDTV's.. but had a question for those in the "know"... I was buying a 32 inch HDTV for my room.. I don't have BluRay, but will have it hooked up to digital cable (we have hd, but from what people said not many stations broadcast in 1080p anyway...) I rarely play video games, so is it worth buying a 1080p? I'm kind of on a budget, so I don't know if its worth spending the extra cash? I was looking at a few LCDs and LED's that have 70,000:1 contrast ratio (some are better)... so my question is, for casual viewing (movies streamed from my laptop, and cable.. will 720p be a good option? Also how much better is LED?
No Blu-ray, infrequent gaming, only digital TV, only 32 inches, and to top it off, you're on a budget. I'd definitely go with the 720p. The drop-off from 1080p to 720p is minimal at best if you're not getting the full use of it, and isn't worth a fifth of the extra money you're paying for. A lot of people say you don't even notice a difference unless the TV is bigger than 50 inches anyway.
I'll probably be in the minority and it's not my money, but I have bought 3 HDTVs in the last 4 years so I have experience and trust me I did my research.
I have a 32" 720p Toshiba, 42" Westinghouse 1080p and 58" Samsung 1080p 3D ( )
I would STRONGLY suggest getting the 1080p, especially with the prices of these things right now. Best Buy isn't the best place to buy, but I am using this as an example. I bought 2 of my 3 TVs from here by doing no interest for 3 years, so it made it really practical. My most recent I got on Amazon (no tax, which adds up on a 2k purchase).
You could probably even find a smaller gap on Amazon and not even pay tax and free shipping AND their warranties are cheaper, but for a few hundred dollar TV I wouldn't even get a warranty to be honest.
I can't tell you what is justifiable or not, I can only speak for myself, but to me I would spend the extra $80 (probably even less on Amazon) for 1080p just in case I want a Blu-Ray player, or if in a few years TV starts broadcasting in 1080p...
You have no frame of reference, Donny. You're like a child who walks into the middle of a movie...
wow, thanks guys.. Phat, actually VERY helpful.. since you seem to know your stuff.. in my room ill probably be viewing from about 8 to 10 feet away.. do you think 32 inches is big enough? in all likelyhood it will be closer to 8.
dans2 wrote:wow, thanks guys.. Phat, actually VERY helpful.. since you seem to know your stuff.. in my room ill probably be viewing from about 8 to 10 feet away.. do you think 32 inches is big enough? in all likelyhood it will be closer to 8.
I'm not a huge proponent of viewing distance to "notice" the difference between 720p and 1080p, I think it's exaggerated because I can definately tell the difference between the two if I am 10ft away and staring at them on a 32". Does 720p look beautiful? You better believe it, but 1080p is even better! If it's for a small room I think within 10ft you'll for sure see a difference. 32" seems small compared to all the 50"+ TVs around, but it's a decent size when you get in inside a bedroom. I remember when I got my 42" for my room I thought it would be too small and convinced myself I needed 42" when looking at the 32" sets inside Best Buy. Once I got it home, it seemed HUGE inside my room. Realize this when you go into a store, the TVs will always seem larger in your house than on the sales floor, by A LOT.
I was thinking about it. I think you can get a 32" 1080p on amazon and without the tax you're basically even than if you bought at a store, so I would strongly suggest getting the 1080p if you can afford it. I am also a big believer (from experience) that if you can afford something or make it work, always get the better brand/technology/size otherwise you'll ALWAYS kick yourself thinking you should have just done it after the fact.
You have no frame of reference, Donny. You're like a child who walks into the middle of a movie...
i'm going with 1080p, butttttt do you think the 32 inch will be a good enough size? i have a 52 inch HD downstairs, so this is just for room viewing.. like i said its gonna be about 8-10 feet away.
dans2 wrote:i'm going with 1080p, butttttt do you think the 32 inch will be a good enough size? i have a 52 inch HD downstairs, so this is just for room viewing.. like i said its gonna be about 8-10 feet away.
i have a 32" in my living room...i often find myself wishing it was a little bigger, at least for sports
Phatferd wrote: (I am exclusing cheaper sets like Dynex and Coby because you don't even want to waste your time over those. You'll regret it quickly like I did with my Westinghouse).
Agreed. Think of TV brands as baseball players. Assuming you play fantasy baseball since you're posting at a fantasy baseball website.
Tier 1: Bravia
Tier 2: Samsung Vizio
Tier 3: Phillips Sharp
Tier 4: Polaroid Toshiba Westinghouse JVC basically all others.
Cafe Home
Fantasy Football
Fantasy Basketball
Fantasy Hockey
by dans2 » Mon Mar 07, 2011 9:25 pm 
)
