HDTV Upgrade: 32" to 55"

[dhorn]

So here's the deal. I have a 32" Samsung 720p LCD, and I'm looking to buy something in the 50"+ range. I'm curious what the best route to go would be to upgrade, budgeting around 2000 give or take a couple hundred.

I'm intrigued by the Samsung LED LCDs, but are they worth the extra price? Should I consider plasma? Any thoughts are appreciated.

More Information:

I sit at least 8' away, but when I move to my new place, it will probably be 13' or so. I do game on it (PS3), but it's mainly for movies. I might hook up a HTPC now, and will invest in surround sound eventually.

I try to position the TV so there is as little glare as possible, so I would say glare isn't too big of an issue.

Thanks

 

[Pacfanweb]

How far away from the TV do you sit?

Do you game on it?

How is the lighting in the room, does the TV get a lot of glare on it?

 

[dhorn]

Updated with more information about my viewing experiences.

 

[sivart]

At 13' you won't be able to tell the difference between 720p and 1080p on a 50" screen.

With your budget you could probably get two nice brand name 50" Plasmas, so I wouldn't rule out plasma...unless of course you are going to use the TV outside.

Response time is more important than Hz. Plasma's will get you a picture with better black levels than LED without that 2.5x the price. As long as you don't game 24x7 for weeks on end, you won't burn in a plasma. However, you can burn in any screen with enough effort (I.e. pausing an image on the screen for 2 weeks). This includes plasma, LCD, rear projection, and CRT.

 

[dhorn]

Well, I could be sitting closer than 13'. I haven't been to the new place to arrange it yet. It may end up being around 8' again. Gotta love jumping apartments every 6 months or so.
I definitely want to go with 1080P, partially because my PC monitors are 1080P, so it scales perfectly. And the TV might get a decent amount of action, between gaming, sports, and movies.

 

[3chordcharlie]

Do you really want to move a 50" TV every 6 months?

 

[sivart]

I definitely want to go with 1080P, partially because my PC monitors are 1080P, so it scales perfectly.

That makes no sense. If you are using it as a PC monitor, then get 1080p. Otherwise you won't be able to tell a difference.

On a 1080p TV
720p broadcast (ABC, ESPN, etc) will need to be scaled to 1080p
1080i broadcast (CBS, NBC, etc) will need to be scaled to 1080p
480p DVD will need to be scaled to 1080p

On a 720p TV
720p broadcast (ABC, ESPN, etc) will need NO Scaling
1080i broadcast (CBS, NBC, etc) will need to be scaled to 720p
480p DVD will need to be scaled to 720p

So, if you watch a lot of TV, a 720p TV will have less scaling. If you watch / play 1080p sources (I.e. blu-ray) then 1080p is best. From your viewing distance, I would go with the source that will do less scaling and more of viewing the original source.

Plus, moving a 42"+ TV every 6 months will be a pain...even for a flatscreen.
1) They are hard to transport without the original box
2) They are bulky and require two people to move, especially with stairs involved.

Good luck and have fun with whatever you decide to get.

 

[dhorn]

What I mean is that I have two 1080P PC monitors, and this will likely be hooked up as a third monitor. So when using it connected to the PC the monitors will all be the same resolution. It will mostly be used with 1080P sources (blu-ray), and hardly ever 480P.

I also always keep the original box. It's a habit of mine. Plus if I ever decide to sell it, makes it nicer. The transportation issue is one of the reasons I don't like plasmas. They can weigh nearly double that of an LED LCD. It probably shouldn't be a factor, but if I were to wall mount it I would feel more comfortable with something that was 50lbs.

 

[Pacfanweb]

What I mean is that I have two 1080P PC monitors, and this will likely be hooked up as a third monitor. So when using it connected to the PC the monitors will all be the same resolution. It will mostly be used with 1080P sources (blu-ray), and hardly ever 480P.

I also always keep the original box. It's a habit of mine. Plus if I ever decide to sell it, makes it nicer. The transportation issue is one of the reasons I don't like plasmas. They can weigh nearly double that of an LED LCD. It probably shouldn't be a factor, but if I were to wall mount it I would feel more comfortable with something that was 50lbs.

Have you ever taken a look at the size box those TV's come in? Where would you keep that in an apartment?

I don't think moving one is a problem....they only weigh like 75lbs....you have to have help moving pretty much any TV that's 25" or larger. I have a 35" CRT that weighs about 220lbs.....I'd MUCH rather move my 50" DLP than that one.


8ft, IMO, is a bit too close for a 55"...IMO. But if the distance is going to vary and you like a big screen, it wouldn't keep me from buying ont.

 

[dhorn]

Ha, sorry. I should be more specific from now on. I have other places to keep the boxes. Family lives only an hour away. They provide my moving vehicles anyway. Yeah, the whole distance thing is hard to guage right now, as I don't know the setup yet. But I know I sit at least 8 ft from my 32, and it's hard to see. When I play games I have to get a chair and slide it closer.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Well, depends on what YOU think the TV looks like at that distance....the charts don't always tell the whole tale.

Personally, I'd probably see the screen door effect on a 55" LCD or Plasma at 8ft. But you might not. Or it might not bother you.

 

[alimoalem]

If you can buy your top 2 or 3 TV picks from a store that has a no-restocking-fee return policy, I would do that and compare the TVs at your home, side by side. We have a Panasonic P54G10 54" plasma. We like it. The P54V10 (the V10 is a higher model than the G10) was out of our price range so I didn't check to see what the advantages of the V10 are over the G10...if you can get your hands on a P54V10 (~$2000), I'd pick that as one of your TVs to compare.

As for Samsung LEDs, what I've heard is either pick the B8000 or B8500 series LED, or don't buy one. The B8500 is out of your price range, but the 55" UN55B8000 at Beach Camera (with Bing Cash Back) is right around $2200. However, I don't think CNET gave the B8000 an amazing review.

LG has, from what I've heard, a good LED TV at a good price (the LG LH90). ~$1400 for the 47" and ~$1900 for the 55.

You can also check out the Samsung PN50B650 or PN50B850/B860. The latter, afaik, is just a thinner, more expensive, nicer looking version of the B650. These plasmas have gotten good reviews and can be had either in 50" or 58".

Basically, I would look at a Panasonic P54V10 54" plasma, Samsung P50B850/860 plasma, Samsung UN55B8000 55" LED, and 55" LG LH90 LED for your price range. But also check out the Panasonic P54G10 and Samsung P50B650 to see what cheaper TVs have to offer. I wouldn't recommend an LCD unless it's a Samsung, and even then, if you can afford an LED, there's no point in settling for a cheaper LCD set. I would stick to plasma or LED.

BTW, if you have worries about burn-in for the Panasonic plasmas, we don't take care of our P54G10. I'm only home on the weekends (I go to school 100 miles away) and my parents almost always watch TV with black bars. Sometimes the TV will be paused for 20 minutes. We've experienced no problems. On another note, while I don't know how much better LEDs are when it comes to glare, the Panasonic is NOT good if direct light will hit it. In the room the TV is in, there are a LOT of windows. It still works fine. BUT, if we put the TV in a spot where we can see the reflection of a window in the screen, the TV is HORRIBLE. Let me try and explain. If the TV is placed on the West wall of the room and you sit on the East side of the room, make sure there are no windows behind you (on the East wall of the room). Now, I don't know if this is specific to Panasonics, plasmas, or all flat-screen TVs.

Sorry for the long post, but I hope it helped.