Update: Did we do ok? How on Earth do we choose a new TV?

[veronica]

UPDATE: So, we were tied to walmart or sams due to our gift cards. sams had nothing that great in our range. Walmart had these two. Of the two, we went with the Sony. Did we do ok? I'm just asking because the price of the Sony was less in store and we got the last one. The samsung comes out to the same price that we paid if we buy online with 10% bing cashback. Which of the two is "better"? they are both 60hz but DH and I are ok with that aspect......

http://www.walmart.com/Samsung-46-LCD/ip/10980686
http://www.walmart.com/Sony-Bravia-46-Flat-LCD/ip/10926915




Neither DH nor I are well versed in the world of TV's. We have two sets in the home and both are old "tube" tv's. We have store credit at walmart so we'd like to upgrade the 23 inch tv in the play room to a large flat type tv , since the kids have so many things that plug into it!

How on earth do we go about it. The main two things for us are:

Keep the price around $650 and I'd like the minimum size to be at least 40 inches.....

Anyone care to find me the best one from walmart? Or at least tell me what to look for? A huge TIA to anyone that can help us out!

[WatchingThemGrow]

Sam's club (accepts Walmart cards, etc) has one that I've had my eye on for quite some time. We have a 26" tube from the early 90's as our only tv. It doesn't accept DVD players, etc.

So... the one at Sam's is this Sony 40" http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=433678
The price adjusts with competitors' so it has been in the $750s for a while, now a little lower. They told me that new TV's are released in March, so I was going to wait for those, but probably still not buy one. Hopefully others will chime in with more "research" worthy responses.

[NewMom2007]

Try out the CNET HDTV finder: http://reviews.cnet.com/4247-6475_7-1.html?tag=centerColumnArea1.3

Cnet also posts lots of great reviews.

[khalloc]

I just look on Amazon and find one in your price range there and read the reviews on it.

[Tondi G]

Best Buy has lots of reviews on their site as well. Go with an LCD as opposed to Plasma. Sony is typically a good brand but also expensive. We have an LG that we love. My mom almost got a Samsung but after reading a few bad reviews on that particular model, she sized down but got a Sony for the same price (it had great reviews).

here is some info I found

http://www.lcdtvbuyingguide.com/

[wellyes]

My favorite site for reviews of TVs is Newegg. They have some good deals too. I wouldn't buy without reading reviews.

For size, the important thing is make sure the room is the right distance from your viewing space. Too small is no good, but too big is not good either. I have friends iwth an itty bitty living room & a 50 inch. It is ridiculous. Here's a good site that explains: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-WlQP6E2SiFd/Learn/learningcenter/home/TV_placement.html

Keep in mind that if you're going to hang it on a wall, you'll need to budget some ($50ish I think) for a wall mount system.

[codex57]

I agree with going with lcd over plasma, even tho plasma can be cheaper.

Sony makes good lcds, but you definitely to check prices compared to other brands cuz they do charge a premium.

[mommylamb]

keep in mind that the flat TVs eat a lot more electricity than your old tube TVs do, so look for energy star.

[veronica]

I can't comment on all replies now but thank you all so much.

WatchingThemGrow:thanks for letting me know that we can use the credits/cards at SamsClub. We will definitely check them out.

Sounds like everyone is saying LCD so we will focus on those for now. I also have looked into the cnet reviews in the past and will start there.

I know prices are down so much in the past couple of years but it all still seems so expensive to me! our play room was formerly our formal living space and the room is easily about 22 feet in length. We would hang it from one end and and sit at the other, the way our current set up is, so you can definitely tell our current 23 inches is not cutting it!!!

[AnnieW625]

LCDs are very nice, if you have the extra money look at LEDs though....those are super nice. I used Consumers Reports to buy our last TV and have been very happy. I narrowed it down to the top two choices by CR and ended up going with the Toshiba over the Sony. I liked the picture a bit better.

[MoJo]

I don't know what you should buy, but I would avoid Phillips. We've had two in the past two years, and now we are without a working HDTV (which means no TV at all for us, since we don't have cable or satellite), because both went out on us. The first one my DH was able to return and exchange under warranty, but not the second.

Definitely the worst purchase we've made. Even computers last longer!

[codex57]

I'm not a huge fan of Consumer Reports. Food for household appliances and that"s about it.

For things like cars, electronics, car seats, and others, they're outdated at best or completely wrong at worst (the more suspicious of us think they intentionally fake the more sensational results to gin up ratings rather than it resulting from pure incompetence).

I cancelled my subscription because too many categories had the same accuracy as the National Enquirer.

[larig]

we got a vizio from costco and have been very pleased. they have a deal this month on a 42 inch vizio. it's like 650 or 550 I can't remember. Great return policy there too.

[Penny's Pappa]

Sounds like everyone is saying LCD so we will focus on those for now. I also have looked into the cnet reviews in the past and will start there.

I don't know. I wouldn't get hung up on LCDs. Plasma technology has gotten better over the years, and in some ways they surpass LCDs. For instance, they tend to have better contrast capabilities because they produce fantastic blacks. They also tend to have better image quality when not viewed head-on compared to LCDs.

Here are a couple "LCD vs Plasma" articles:

http://www.lcdtvbuyingguide.com/lcdtv-plasmavslcd.shtml
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-C7uyFZPe9YV/learn/learningcenter/home/tv_flatpanel.html

Either way you go, plasmas and LCDs can both create fantastic images.

Other factors I look at with HDTVs are:

Resolution -- Either 720p or 1080p. For smaller screens, say, 40" and below, you may not notice a difference between 720 and 1080 unless you get really close to the screen. You may want to save some money and just get the 720p.

Refresh rate -- The faster the refresh rate, the less blurry movements on the screen will be. Plasmas win hands down here at rates of 600Hz. LCDs are commonly available in 60Hz, 120Hz, and, more recently, 240Hz.

[Correction] OK, after a little more research it looks like I was a bit mistaken. Plasmas still outshine LCDs in terms of motion blur, but the 600Hz isn't comparable to the 60, 120, 240Hz of an LCD. They describe slightly different things. Sorry for the confusion.

Number of Inputs -- Probably not a big factor as most are built with several inputs, but I do connect several high-def, HDMI connected devices to my TV, so I have to make sure it has enough of those inputs.

Overall Image Quality -- I find myself just staring at Best Buy's Big Wall O' Screens and tend to gravitate towards a few models. At the end of the day it's all about your perception of the image quality. Sometimes, there's just one TV that stands out.

[Pepper]

We bought a 42" Vizio from Costco recently. A little more than you want to spend (I think it was $850) but we learned a lot in the process. Look for 1080p and 120 Hz or greater - 60 Hz sets can have a jittery, or dragging appearence when things are moving on the screen, so not so great for viewing sports. The LED backlighting is nice, too. Also look at the number of inputs - some sets only have 2, so if you plug in a cable box and DVD there's no room for a games console.

Consumer Reports had a nice article recently about HDTVs, which is where we learned most of these tips :-)

[AnnieW625]

I'm not a huge fan of Consumer Reports. Food for household appliances and that"s about it.

For things like cars, electronics, car seats, and others, they're outdated at best or completely wrong at worst (the more suspicious of us think they intentionally fake the more sensational results to gin up ratings rather than it resulting from pure incompetence).

I cancelled my subscription because too many categories had the same accuracy as the National Enquirer.

Knock on wood, that second place 27" analog Toshiba from the 2003 CR ratings is still working just fine. I am no technical nut, but I have also found CNet to be extremely out of date, esp. in fall 2008 when I was looking for navigation systems for my car. I do find their ratings for cars a little out of date and prefer Motor Trend, Car & Driver, or even a 2 yr. old episode of Top Gear to be more accurate.

[kozachka]

We have recently bought a large flat screen TV and we went with plasma over LCD. The only disadvantage of plasma vs. LCD that I could identify was the weight. We got one of the newer plasma sets from Samsung that is very slim and much lighter than traditional plasmas. Also since we are currently living in a rental apartment, we had no plans to hang it so it was not an issue anyway. Personally, I prefer plasma over LCD for a large screen size (ours is 50") - you get better value for your money and better contrast. Ours is second best rated for plasma TVs by Consumer Reports. Panasonic was rated #1 but I did not like the colors, Samsung was more natural even if not as bright. We bought from a local store (Video Only) and it was a better deal than buying online since they threw in a free Blueray player and we could return it for exchange if we were not happy with it. We did get another plasma TV from Cosctco before that, and while it was also a Panasonic it was not as nice, the image was sort of soft. I've heard that warehouse clubs and Walmart get lower end TV and in my experience it's been true. I would not buy a TV without reading lots and lots of reviews both online and in Consumer Reports first.

[stefani]

we got a vizio from costco and have been very pleased. they have a deal this month on a 42 inch vizio. it's like 650 or 550 I can't remember. Great return policy there too.

:yeahthat: DH bought a 37" Vizio from Costco, it was the 1080p resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate. We have been very happy with it.

[veronica]

bump for update in first post. Hoping to not have any buyers remorse!!!

[wellyes]

Good pick! Sony Bravia is a really well-regarded line. I think you'll be happy with it. I have the same one, except a little smaller :).

[Penny's Pappa]

I think either one of those models is a great choice. Samsung and Sony are both very respected names in the HDTV market and I think you'll be quite happy with the Bravia you've picked out.

[kozachka]

You can't go wrong with either of the two sets you've linked to.

[AnnieW625]

My uncle has a 46" Sony (probaby very similar to the one you have, if not the same one) and he's really happy with it. I think in general you made a really great choice. You probably bought the base model Sony for that size (they have levels according to letters and I don't understand the ratings, but have seen them in the store ads), but for the average non tech geek you won't know the difference. Enjoy your new TV:)

[SpaceGal]

I LOVE Sony TVs...I have always had a Sony and never regretted it. I know a lot of people like Samsungs and they are very highly rated
, but everyone that I know that has had one has the same issues with some line appearing on it...and required someone to come out and fix it. But they still love their Samsungs...but I haven't come across a Sony owner with a problem. We have 3 Sony LCDs in our house and all are great and an older tube one and it still works great. My former Sony tube last 10 years before it broke down...probably from being moved around A LOT (college dorm life and what not).

I think you made a great choice.