TV experts, I need your advice

Bronco

Bronco

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Okay, the budget: around $750 to $800. The mission: need a new TV for the family room. Something around 32" would be just about right (upgrading from the old 27 incher).

Based upon my research thus far, it would appear that the Sony Trinitron Wega flat screen KV-32FS100 at about $750 is the way to go. (For the record, I couldn't care less about picture-in-picture.) So, whadda ya think? I'm I on the right track here?
 
Buy yourself a 32" GE and then get yourself a new Custom Folder with what money is left :)
 
Rule of the thumb - get the best money can buy.

Years ago, I bought a Goldstar (made in S.Korea). At that time, it was top of the line with the most modern features. It has not disappointed me. The colours are still brilliant.
 
Yes you are :D .

Follow Golok's advice and don't skimp out.

Make sure it has at least 1 s-video and 1 component (RBG) input.

If you have a stereo or surround sound system, don't buy a T.V. with big stereo speakers built in. Most of the big name brands make 2 versions of each T.V. , one with/one without. Sometimes it's up to a $200 difference in price.

Don't forget to buy an RGB cable for the DVD player ;) .
 
No, I'm not a TV expert, but I play one on TV! HAHA!

Here's my opinion. I really don't see the big deal of all the flat screen nonsense and all the extra cost. I have a 36" Toshiba TV that is not a flat screen. I have had this TV for several years, and STILL people come over and say, "damn, that's a great TV!". I think we paid $950 for it years ago, but now you can get it for $700 or so. Whenever it finally kicks the bucket, I will buy another. Another great choice is a Panasonic Panablack 32". This is also not a flat screen, but awesome nonetheless. The main features you are looking for are a 3 line digital comb filter and the newest "S" video and component connections. You can find the 32" Panasonic for $400. Go check the pictures out on the Panasonic Panablack TVs at Best Buy or Ultimate Electronics or Circuit City. See if you can see any need to pay 3 times the price for a flat screen TV. Use the extra money to buy yourself a new knife.
 
Buy yourself a 32" GE and then get yourself a new Custom Folder with what money is left :)
Click to expand...

The other suggestion would be to buy the GE and 2 days after the warranty expires, buy a TV that works :barf:

From personal experience, I will not buy another GE television. In fact, I think it isn't even worth the effort to load a free one in my car. The GE television I had worked great and, looked great, for about 6 months. Then it died. 2 years later consumers union won a settlement against GE to replace defective TV's like mine. Unfortunately I'm not in a habit of storing dead TV's and the store receipts for them for two years.

I have had excellant experiences with Toshiba TVs. Phillips has proven to be a very good bargain basement priced TV and, the upper end Sony's are simply stunning.

Bronco,

Buy the best television you can possibly afford. The overall ownerships costs will be less even though the initial price may be more. You also get the benefit of better electronics to drive it. A Sony WEGA model is hard to beat - get the "300" series with the additional sound options even if you don't care about the PIP feature.
 
Originally posted by Sid Post
The other suggestion would be to buy the GE and 2 days after the warranty expires, buy a TV that works :barf:

From personal experience, I will not buy another GE television. In fact, I think it isn't even worth the effort to load a free one in my car. The GE television I had worked great and, looked great, for about 6 months. Then it died. 2 years later consumers union won a settlement against GE to replace defective TV's like mine. Unfortunately I'm not in a habit of storing dead TV's and the store receipts for them for two years.
Click to expand...

I know what you mean, I have read that RCA and GE televisions are notorious for reliability issues.

However, I have had nothing but good luck with them. My family owns 2 GEs and 1 RCA and all of them have worked fine for several years. The RCA is my college TV and gets seriously banged up moving from place to place, but still works just fine. Maybe I'm just lucky.

The ironic thing is that prior to selling that portion of their business out to Thompson Consumer Electronics (French :rolleyes: ) and moving towards the bottom end of the market, GE made some of the finest consumer electronics in the world.
 
While I don't sell TV's myself at the moment, I sell the rest of the stuff that home theater specialty stores sell to their customers along with all those cool new TVs.

In my experience, Sony makes about the best tube TVs available. Plasmas and projection TVs are a different story, although Sony generally has a top three offering in any caregory that they don't flat dominate. Speaking of flat, the early flat screen tube TVs had some geometry issues, and the cheapest ones still do, but the better ones are generally going to look better than even the best curved tube sets. If everything is equal in the power supply, video section and the glass itself, a flat screen will reflect less ambient room light and have less glare problems. I'd get the WEGA.

The Panasonic stuff is also pretty highly regarded these days from what my dealers tell me. GE and RCA are generally considered near the bottom of the pile as far as quality goes.


jmx
 
I have become a big fan of Toshiba. Like Danbo I have a 36" as my main TV with a pretty good surround system. I just couldn't see the extra money for a Sony.

I recently bought a 24" flat screen Toshiba for the area I most frequent, MY LOFT. This is a great size for smaller spaces and kicks butt over my old 20'.

Good luck and enjoy your new TV,

Win
 
With the French bashing that is occuring, I chose not mention that French link with GE's and RCA's demise in the consumer marketplace. You get what you pay for and, GE in particular, in my area is the cheapest and lowest quality unit I normally run across.

Samsung, Goldstar, Daewoo and similar brands appear to be offering superior "economy" models at a price similar to those terrible GE's. However, in all fairness, what do you expect from a 32 inch GE television for $330 :confused:

Win,

Those 24inch flat screens have my attention too. They seem to have tangible benefits in rooms that typically would see a cheaper 19 inch set. Picture quality and price seem to be hitting a sweet spot for those bedroom offices, game rooms, etc. Consumer Reports/Consumers Union typically has Toshiba models on the recommended buy list and they typically hit the top portion of the ratings in their magazine.
 
Just wanted to pop back in and thank everyone for offering their opinions and suggestions. :)
 
Hitachi, Panasonic, Sony

S-video input is a must if you expect to get optimum performance from DVD.
 
Originally posted by hso
Hitachi, Panasonic, Sony

S-video input is a must if you expect to get optimum performance from DVD.
Click to expand...

How about a component input to get the most out of DVD. S-video can introduce dot crawl. A TV with progressive scan component inputs is nice....but only if you have a DVD with progressive scan output.
 
Bronco, Before you decide what to buy do a little
homework on the new HDTV standard that is due to
be put into use about 2006. From what I understand
ALL broadcasters will have to abandon the the
system we use now.

That said I elected to buy a "cheaper" TV than I
would ha normally and my old eye can't tell enough
differance to make it worth extra bucks. Now HDTV..
THAT'S a very different story:D
 
The new rule is going to be digital, not neccessarily high def digital that is what the fcc wants. I work for the cable company in phoenix and see waaaaay more t.v. problems than i like and my customers seem to have had the best luck with toshiba, mitsubishi, and hitachi the ones actually made in japan not one of the other eastern countries, normally they are the top of the line models. Just my .02.
 
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