Wait Until Next Year to Buy That Flat Panel TV

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Wait Until Next Year to Buy That Flat Panel TV

As if consumers didn't already have enough to worry about (480i vs 720i vs 1080i vs HD-ready vs HDTV vs EDTV vs plasma vs LCD vs projection), Reuters analysts are suggesting you hold off until next year to buy a flat screen tv. I've been doing a lot of research into it and considering a purchase of a lower-end model, but I'm finding this Reuters report is spot-on.

Flat panel TVs are evolving much like PCs, with prices dropping with every significant technology advancement or manufacturing upgrade. What costs $5000 today will cost $2500 a year from now, and as reports come in that gas plasma screens loose their contrast and luster over the course of a couple years, dropping six grand on something that will be useless in three years and cost half as much next year doesn't look like the best idea. Personally, as much as I'd like to get something HDTV aware in my home to start playing with this technology, I'm probably going to wait until the end of 2004 when I can hopefully get a 42-50" LCD HDTV for 2-3 grand. [via dangerousmeta]

by Matt Haughey December 3, 2003 in News

Comments

If you just want to play with HDTV, Samsung makes a terrific 30" 16:9 tube set for under $900. Picture quality is great. For my needs and budget, it's been a perfect fit, although when I get done building my media room I'll probably upgrade to a larger screen size.

Posted by: paul at Dec 4, 2003 3:23:39 AM

So I'm guessing, the sweet spot to upgrade will be sometime between the end of 2004 and July 2005... so you get the benefit of better technology and reduced prices, while still getting "uncrippled" PVR functionality in your HDTiVo?

Buying a TV sure wasn't this difficult a few years ago.

Posted by: Joshua Rafofsky at Dec 4, 2003 9:41:12 AM

Great point Paul. Given the way the market is going, and the impending law changes, I might look into a 30" or 34" widescreen TV to hold me over for the next couple years until flat TVs are more attractive in price.

Posted by: Matt Haughey at Dec 4, 2003 10:46:23 AM

You should get a front projector. 720p at 100in for $2k.

Posted by: David at Dec 5, 2003 2:29:31 PM

Front Projector tvs are crap. They are for people that cannot afford a real better tv. They are so 1980s.

Posted by: Michael Tomlinson at Dec 5, 2003 6:07:51 PM

"Front Projector tvs are crap. They are for people that cannot afford a real better tv. They are so 1980s."

You are an idiot. Do you even know anything about digital front projection?

Posted by: David at Dec 7, 2003 12:44:56 AM

I am also considering the purchase of a Plasma TV on the weekend before the superbowl. The thing is, I do not know the difference between Plasma EDTV and Plasma HDTV. Gateway has Plasma EDTVs for $2,800. That seems like a cool price compared to the Plasma HDTV for $4,200. ANy opinions?

Posted by: Boom at Dec 9, 2003 8:47:41 AM

EDTV is only 480p (480 lines progressive) or DVD quality. HDTV is 720p (720 lines progressive) or 1080i (180 lines interlaced) but plasma HDTV are always 720p.

The bottom line is EDTV looks a lot better than regular TV (DVD quality) but not nearly as good as HDTV.

Posted by: David Marks at Dec 9, 2003 12:06:17 PM

Beware of Plasma screens/TV's!
They do age and slowly fade. They also can suffer from "burn-in", if you ever watch much 4:3 content with the black bars on each side. I personaly can't stand the distorted image if you stretch 4:3 image to fill the 16:9 screen.
The usual reason a 42" plasma screen is half the price of another is that the cheaper unit only has half the resolution of the other.

Posted by: Richard at Dec 10, 2003 2:25:34 PM

David and Michael,

I don't think Matt meant Front Projection TV's as he said "Front Projector" not Front projection. I'm fairly sure he meant, an actual projector which is what most high end home theaters go with over flat panels etc.

You guys should also think before you type, because there hasn't been a front projection TV in like, god knows how many years. Anything that comes out now is rear projection via DLP, and is quite different from anything that was made in the 80's.

TimT

Posted by: Tim Tringle at Dec 24, 2003 9:50:13 AM

Sorry michael, didn't see the last line of your post, thought you were agreeing with him, not pointing out the flaw in his post.

Tim

Posted by: Tim Tringle at Dec 24, 2003 9:52:25 AM

Check out Panasonic's PTAE-500 and Sanyo's PLVZ 2 projectors.

100"+ screen, HDTV resolution, and Dvi input. Check price, its amazing.

Posted by: Thomas at Dec 29, 2003 5:20:55 AM

I went the way of the 30" 16:9 1080i samsung. Yes, it doesn't project 720p, and converts the signal to 1080i. However, it is cheap. Hey, until all these formats are fially settled. Let's all go the cheap route. It's way better then analog and DVDs really rock. After all 2yr form now they will most likely come out with S(super)HDTV, and then we'll all be out of luck.

Posted by: Michael at Jan 13, 2004 8:52:54 AM

In my case I'm thiking to buy a Projector instead of a TV. What do you think.

Posted by: Roberto Rodriguez at Apr 3, 2004 10:08:05 AM

i bought a 42 daewoo plasma for 1999.00 at best buy satisfy my plasma crave, its a edtv...which has a awesome picture for the $$$$ and great picture when watching dvd's. when hdtv flat panel drtop i will get another and shove this one in the bedroom or use it else where, 18 months same as cash makes it 100/month and i couldnt wait....

Should i upgrade my comcast digital cable to hdtv even tho the unit can only display 480 i think? will it improve the picture?

how do i get the best possible signal? stick with digital cable or go hdtv? is the signal better than digital cable? or waste since the set is edtv?

Posted by: alex at Apr 13, 2004 5:38:54 AM

Front projection Tv's are the best! They are easily moved from place to place. You can litteraly watch TV or play a video game on the side of a building!! It appears as if there is no TV at all until you turn it on and your whole wall is a TV screen! The only drawback I've heard is that Playstation II can ruin a projection TV. Is this true?

Posted by: Marc at Oct 5, 2004 2:05:29 PM

I am looking to buy a flat lcd tv in a fews days but after reading in your message board about waiting for next year to buy...I have become a bit hesistant...Nevertheless, if I can find the best deal, in value and price...I will probably buy...I'm considering a 26'' Sharp Aquos or the 32'' Sharp Aquos. A seller at Circuit City said that they are the best of the best for value and quality...What is your take on this? Also, on the smaller screens flat (20-22'')which brand offers the best picture quality??? What other brands do you recommend? I have done some research at cnet.com...But I need opinions, advice and reccommendations...
Thanks,
Mercedes

Posted by: Mercedes at Dec 7, 2004 6:00:49 PM

I just got the new 45" Sharp Aquos LC-45GX6U. It's phenomenal. I considered the 37," but once i saw this new one, i couldn't resist. I use a cable card and have no cable box for my HDTV; they took it away when they hooked me up with Comcast. LCD is so much better than plasma in every way except price, but if you amortize the whole purchase w/ different life spans for the 2 types (LCD lasts about TWICE as long and doesn't burn in the static images such as horiz/vert bars in 4:3 broadcasts or stationary logos, like the CBS eye. Plasma does and is also subject to elevation challenges. It's a no brainer. Go look at it at the store, but buy it only at a serious discount; I got $3K off on mine.

Posted by: Norman Wheaton at Dec 10, 2004 3:34:01 PM

If you're looking to get a feel for the most popular DVR systems out there, http://www.mightyhot.com/dvrsystems.php keeps up to date information on the latest buying trends. It also shows which models are increasing and decreasing in popularity.

Posted by: Jim Frazier at Dec 10, 2004 4:56:22 PM

Mercedes is right! I just got my Sharp Aquos LC-45GX6U and it is the best Christmas present (to myself) I ever got. Me and my friends did our research and LCD is by far better than Plasma. I got mine for $5,100 at one of the largest Electronic store near my place.

Posted by: Jercas at Dec 26, 2004 10:28:05 AM

i just (a month ago) bought a mitsubishi 52 in dlp after doing tons of homework on all this. it was the only way to go. picture is as good atleast sitting next to plasma / lcd in the store and rocked at home too. i can hook it to my computer to get a 52 in pc screen or go half tv / half pc on screen. the "cool" factor on that cant be denied. i wont ever get burn in. it has a removable glass sheild , if you have kids a must and was a big selling point , that and life span is what sold me. my tv is on 15 hrs a day. any other choice would have been a waste of 4k (4 thousand after i got all needed cables like hdmi cable etc...) cause at 8000 hrs when everything else is junk and not fixable , i just replace a lamp. good as new. picture as good or better than anything in best buy. awesome hd picture. awesome all. expensive , but worth every penny. projection has come a long way. every one i ever saw had a junk picture. this new dlp technology is ...well...you have to see it. a month later , this , for 4,000 , is still the only tv i would buy. amazing . truely the best choice. mitsusishi dlp. go see one next to.... anything. it kicks ass. and , i can fix it at 8000 hours when all else is junk. no comparing it to plasma or lcd. im not putting them down but unless you can afford to throw it out in a few yrs , go with next generation dlp technology.

Posted by: rob wilkins at Jan 23, 2005 2:58:33 PM

tv on 15 hrs. a day? do you have anything else to do or are your kids absolute zombies?

Posted by: PT at Jan 24, 2005 9:25:17 AM

my kids come only on weekends. im home recovering from a spinal fusion. as if there was any point in those facts on this message board. im pretty sure the post is about tv's ---

Posted by: rob wilkins at Jan 24, 2005 9:04:09 PM

I'm considering a lcd hdtv, which route would be the best to go for my buck? I'm looking at about a 27 to 32 inch.

Posted by: DJ at Feb 10, 2005 9:38:12 PM

Rear projection, DLP, Projector, LCD, Plasma. 720p vs. 10891

Rear projection TV’s are usually more inch for the buck, and 1080i is 1080i make or model makes no difference. Color and contrast are a different story. But RP is the same resolution as any other 1080i HDTV. Don’t look at RP as old technology, but more refined.

DLP is an exciting newer technology that uses a single lamp or bulb to project the image off millions of tiny mirrors. They are very lightweight, with great contrast ratio, and small slim cabinet designs. For the most part however it is an unproven technology with a high price tag.

Plasma TV’s the word plasma just sounds cool, but hold off. Take into consideration for most Americans the plasma is going to have a short gas life. What I mean by that is that we watch a lot of TV and as Plasma heats up the gas in the chambers dissipates and breaks down. Next time you’re around a plasma TV feel how hot the screen is, and as mentioned before plasmas are all 720p

LCD’s are the way to go if you like flat panel TV’s. Burn in on an LCD in almost impossible, in fact I have never seen it happen. Sony makes a sweet LCD rear projection TV that combines 2 styles in one. LCD can run in 1080i or 720p depending on what model.

Now 1080i or 720p. I have read the arguments from both sides; my favorite two are “720p looks better for fast moving action such as sporting events. And 1080i is a more desired format for still pictures. Blah blah blah blah blah… The truth of the matter is that both are awesome. 720p is in reality an up-conversion technology and makes no difference in “fast moving action” whether you are watching a rear projection 1080i or a plasma 720p you are watching light, hmm what is faster than the speed of _ _ _ _ _. Can you tell the difference between the speeds of light from different flashlights? 1080i is interlaced and swaps 540 lines of resolution faster than 30 times a second, which would be fast enough to catch even the “fastest action”. Here is a solution get a TV that does 1080p like the Mitsubishi WS-65615 and settle the argument.

Bottom line if you want a sleek cabinet or flat panel I would go DLP or LCD. If you want a larger cabinet that you can put your components on, I would go with the rear projection. What do I have? I have the Mitsubishi WS-65615. Here’s why, fist 65” is as big as I could go, otherwise I may have gone projector. Also in my opinion it has the best lens system on the market the same as the 65”mitusbishi Diamond series (without the shiny black cabinet). My parents have owned several TV’s the ones that still work are both Mitsubishi, a 35” tube and a 60” RP. Plus this TV has all the bells and whistles firewire ports HDMI, HD content is scanned in at 1080p. Built in Tuner yadda yadda.
Last but not least, and this may sound odd, but the better your HD tuner is the worse standard TV will look. http://www.rcwilley.com/SetProduct.soa?id=WS-65615

Posted by: Grant at Mar 5, 2005 5:25:15 AM

Hey guys. I just bought a 37" sony lcd which set me back quite a few AU$, but heck I was told it was worth it. They have rich colour, terrible black shades but great quality in picture. This tv goes in the living room (we also have a 100" projector in the Home theatre) and will be the secondary tv. But even with all this new tv technology nothing beats a good old CRT. I love em. I've got one in my room (A 20" flat) that I adore, but I was wandering if there was any way to improve quality, maybe by using s -video or something. What is S - video? I have never set up the tvs and do not know, I just heard the installation guys talking about it. I also found out about YUV or something that has the blue, green and red cable heads. Which is the best way to make xbox and tv picture better?

Posted by: Mal at Apr 20, 2005 4:27:42 AM

Just found this forum on a search for HDTV's. Same is true as the first post i read from 2003....new tech still coming out and prices are all over the place. Just when you think that Samsung 42" DLP is a great deal @ $2500, Sony intros a 50" SXRD @ $4000, to be reduced in the next 6 months!!! I don't need the absolute best, but I don't want to have buyers remorse after 6 months when better sets come out. So I go into Tweeter every so often and kick the tires. If I had bought a Pioneer Pro Elite rear projection a while ago I know I'd still be happy........yup, their huge...but great blacks!!!!

Posted by: dg at Nov 4, 2005 4:34:45 AM

Is there a single person among you sad lot that has pubic hair? Are you all 12 years old, or just too busy for speaking in a coherant manner?

Suuuuurreee you spent $6,000 on the tv. Or maybe you just looked at a review of the set and imagined.

Anyone actually blowing 2 grand on a plasma EDTV is a very sadly misinformed and ignorant lout. 480p is terrible resolution compared with 1080i, which you can easily get, with *much* better contrast ratio, black levels, color reproduction and screen size all rolled into one, for **less** cost than previously mentioned "flat screen."

Flat screenw are a big fad right now. CRT's, projectors and the like, will continue to provide superior image quality for many years to come.

Look for carbon nanotubes to be the first worthy "flat screen" technology you should sell your left arm for.

Don't hold your hand on your ass though. Gonna be a while.

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Posted by: mr johnson rhodes at Jun 22, 2006 3:59:04 PM

Wait Until Next Year to Buy That Flat Panel TV

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