Help choosing a new HDTV?
#$%& it! I’m giving in and gonna buy a new TV. I was doing fine but the TV in our family room broke the other day and I brought up another one (circa 1995) but can’t get any of the universal remotes to work on it. So… I want to buy one of these 42” thin screen TV’s but frankly I have no patience for learning all the terminology and sales jargon. I was at Target the other day and am pretty sure I want a 42 incher. Questions are:
1. there’s some sort of DPI number on the TV’s 720 or 1020 or something like that. Important? Rather not hear a discourse on screen resolutions/sizes—just bottom line it for me if you don’t mind
2. Are all these thin screens HDTV now? If not, how important is that? Do I have to buy a premium cable service to get the most out of it?
3. maybe I’ll want to play videos off my computer on the TV. Does that require a special TV?
4. So, which make/model should I get? I’m not a videophile but I want a nice crisp, clear, vibrant image.
What is the best value for a 42” TV and where should I buy it?
Thank you!
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I’d recommend any of the Sony/Samsung models that have 1080P if you plan to play any sort of video from your computer to it. 1080P is the resolution of the panel (1920×1080), and the higher it is, the sharper things will be when you use it as a monitor. 1080P is the highest resolution found in home entertainment televisions currently.
Any television that has HDMI inputs on the back, or a VGA input on the back can be used as a monitor, it doesn’t require any special TV to do that, but it may require a decent graphics card from your computer.
The Samsung B550 series would be good for anyone who wants a decent TV, but doesn’t care about the 120hz refresh rate for gaming/sports. And it has the 1080P resolution. The B550 Samsung goes for around about 900–1000.
If you want one of the latest and greatest TV’s, you can go with one of the Samsung LED TV’s that are about 1.5 inches thick, and have 1080p, and the 120hz refresh rate in them. But you’ll pay a premium for it.
To take full advantage of the whole digital aspect / high definition stuff, you will need to pay a little bit extra from your provider for a high definition cable box to get those channels. Or you can just use Hulu.com to watch TV through your computer.
Most 42in models you find are going to be the other brands out there aside from Sony/Samsung…I find the quality in both those models worth paying a few dollars more for.
Samsung/Sony are going to have a 40” model, then a 46” model
I suggest LCD 120hz technology.
That way you dont get the pixelation blur on high speed imagery such as sporting events or action films.
Samsung LED owns all TV right now IMO
This site can help you pick a different TV if Samsungs are out of your price range.
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