*sigh* My own HDTV hunt question

Sorry, I ALWAYS hated seeing these all over every forum.  I got $500 as a bday gift.  I am currently playing on a 1999 Apex TV - so bad the plays on Madden make my eyes hurt trying to read them.

I don't want the end-all be-all.  I only have the $500.  And further, the space in our armour is rather limited (until I finish law school, we move, then I will buy a 62 inch DLP).  So for 500 what's the best bang for my buck TV, for gaming for the next 1-2 years?

Dude, If I had your B-day cash and didnt want to spend a ton I would get this TV.

link

I'm partial to the CRT, but this samsung is a 16:9 flat 30" that does up to 1080i with two HDMI inputs for $599. Do some research before you make any purchase.

Dude, If I had your B-day cash and didnt want to spend a ton I would get this TV.

link

I'm partial to the CRT, but this samsung is a 16:9 flat 30" that does up to 1080i with two HDMI inputs for $599. Do some research before you make any purchase.

Darthmatt

Yes, do research, while maybe Samsung has refined that tv by now, but the slim CRTs are know to have bad picture issues. 

We'll probably upgrade to HD Cable. I always research the heck out of electronic purchases. But this kinda' a whim, so I thought I'd get advice from GS. Links like those help :) UBER busy right now.Yankee_In_TX

If you have cable like Comcast, then getting HD often requires you to sign up for digital cable to get the hardware box to do so. So that will cost a little more a month for digital and then $5 a month for the box. THough, it's worth $10 a month for the HD DVR to record HD, but the interface and ease of use is horribly compared to TIVO (but I'm not going to pay over $600 for the first gen HD Tivo) If you just want HD, if the TV has a cable card slot they can rent you a card for $2 and possible just unlock HD stations without an need to go digital. Also, if the tv has a built in digital cable tuner, QAM, then you'd most likely get the free local HD stations, like Fox, NBC, ABC, CBS and PBS-HD. They're SD most the time, but when say 24 or Letterman comes on, it will be HD.

 I got a Olevia 32inch LCD 232v from Circuit City for $495, nice tv, bad blacks, but I only bought it for my bedroom. It came with a HD tuner and picked up the digital versions of those previous mentioned stations. So channel 13 is analog, but go up to 13.2 is digital with HD (depends on your cable company which station the digital version ends up over these internal tuners)

http://www.pricegrabber.com/p__Syntax_Olevia_332H_32_LCD_Display,__27671230

$520,  free shipping, and no taxes

I wouldn't waste your money on that.

Honestly, if $500 is all you have to spend, and you're doing cable, get a name brand LCD PC monitor with HDMI and Component

You're really best off with a Samsung slimfit at that price. Seriously. No quality LCD is that low.

My real suggestion, save the money, stick it in a high-interest 1 year CD and combine it with more birthday and Xmas money and get something really good. LCD prices are going to majorlly drop for this Christmas, and if you just wait a few more months, you'll be able to get something so muchbetter for the same money

I don't think some slimfits accept 720p.  That would suck.

Here is another 20" LG LCD,  this one has HDMI.

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=SEARS&sid=I0093600040004300085&pid=05771807000

And here is a 26" Viewsonic  LCD for $520+Shipping

http://www.techonweb.com/products/productdetail.aspx?id=D52384&src=RN

Here is a 23" Samsung LCD for $510

http://www.wilddigital.com/product.asp?id=salns2352w&showmore=showmore

and here is the same TV at Bestbuy for $630

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7679586&st=hdtv&lp=15&type=product&cp=1&id=1134703132256

It has a PC Video Input (VGA?)

2 Component

1 HDMI

2 Composite

S Vdieo

3000:1 contrast ratio

I'm really liking the Olevia.  I just need a TV for the next year (after I graduate law school I'll get a real TV).  A PC monitor is just too small to use as our family room TV.  I'm broke as a joke until after graduation, so this $500 is all I am going to spend.

Just tired of the worst graphics ever w/ my PS3 due to the crappiness of my TV.

Did you see my post on the SANYO 30 INCH HDTV 1080I CRT 16X9 AT WAL MART FOR $224? 

So....

PixelWorks® DNX (Digital Natural Expression) video processor

or

ATI Xilleon

or no true difference?

The Samsung slimfit HDTV's are as good as you're going to get at your price range, you might have to pay $100 more to get the newest one but what is $100?  They are good TV's for the money and should have you singing their praise for a long time.  Plus, the SD picture beats the pants off of any flat panel, as well as the HD picture.  CRT is the best technology available still, just too big and bulky to be a serious contender...and imagine this...no gaming lag.TheSystemLord1

 Hmmmmmm, 1080i.....  This might be a contender, also.  Can these run 720p as well?

[QUOTE="TheSystemLord1"]The Samsung slimfit HDTV's are as good as you're going to get at your price range, you might have to pay $100 more to get the newest one but what is $100?  They are good TV's for the money and should have you singing their praise for a long time.  Plus, the SD picture beats the pants off of any flat panel, as well as the HD picture.  CRT is the best technology available still, just too big and bulky to be a serious contender...and imagine this...no gaming lag.Yankee_In_TX

 Hmmmmmm, 1080i.....  This might be a contender, also.  Can these run 720p as well?

Not all CRT's can accept a 720p signal, convert it to 1080i...Just check out the spec's and make sure you see 720p listed somewhere..

And here you go dude,  The Official Samsung Slimfit HDTV Thread right here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=541592&page=70&pp=30

Happy Reading

Here are some threads about the Olevia 332H

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=837716&highlight=332h

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=756375&highlight=332h

By the way,  Newegg.com has that Olevia for $420