Best Sub $1100 37" LCD

[tannenhauser]

I am going to be purchasing an LCD for my bedroom, primarily for watching blueray and some regular TV.
I've been getting mixed advice on whether to get a 720p or 1080p. I've decided to go with 720p as I've read in numerous places that for 37" LCDs the visual difference between 720 and 1080 is negligible and one only starts to notice the difference on sets above 40" (but definitely correct me if I'm wrong!). Can anyone recommend what they think is the best 37" LCD thats below $1100?

Also, is this a good deal? it looks like its been discounted from $1499 to $699...
http://www.jr.com/aquos-37-inch-lcd/pe/SHA_LC37D43U/

Thanks!

[jdcfsu]

I have a 32" Aquos 1080p and it's awesome so this one looks like a similar spec tv with a larger screen. I've had the screen since December and haven't had any problems with it. They make a quality product.

[Wyatt]

That looks like a pretty good deal to me. You'll be hard pressed to find a better TV at that price.

[Luca]

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadgethd.com/media/2006/12/resolution_chart.jpg

A nice, handy chart for determining whether you'll benefit from 1080p. Looks like, unless you're going to be closer than 7 feet to it, 720p will be fine.

BTW, $700 for a 37" Aquos is an excellent deal. Get it, you won't regret it. That's the same cost as or even cheaper than many budget brands, but Sharp's more of a midrange brand.

Oh, also, I'm not even sure you can get a 1080p TV under 42".

[tannenhauser]

Thanks so much for the advice guys!
Do any of you have any recommends other than the Aquos? I am going to the store after work but am worried that maybe they will not have it at the store anymore.

[dmegatool]

Weird chart. I can't beleive that on a 45", at 12', I won't notice the difference between 480p and 720p. Maybe it's true, but it looks a little bit unreal...

Nice deal indeed. Must... resist... and... not.... buy... it

[Luca]

Eh? I'm looking at the chart and it looks like a 45" at 12' is just under the line where 720p starts to help.

But I do somewhat agree. 720p is a pretty big difference from 480p for me. On the other hand, it may depend on the source. A lot of 480p SD content is sort of blob-like from being deinterlaced from 480i, and a lot of it isn't widescreen either so it's even smaller than you'd expect (at least SDTV broadcasts seem that way). Maybe it's different for DVDs.

[dmegatool]

Ok let's say 40" then... :)

[tomoe]

If you want to get a little more precise than the graph Luca linked to, here's (http://www.carltonbale.com/ht/calculator/theater_calculator_v3.7.xls) an Excel sheet that let's you get pretty specific with screen size, resolution, seating distance, acuity, et cetera.

[bender0069]

OK, let's see if I understand this right. The 50" plasma 720p/1080i that I just bought for the bedroom that will be viewed at approx 10' is on the cusp? Not that I care. Don't need something spectacular to watch while I'm falling asleep, just trying to make sure I'm reading the chart right. And if you are asking yourself, why so big. I'm don't see well without my glasses and I was hoping I could see it OK with them off, if the screen was bigger. I can't wait to get this baby hung and fired up. New furniture gets here on the 1st! WooHoo!

[RowdyScot]

As a random question, since I'm buying an HDTV soon, what usually are considered the high-end brands? I'd guess Sony and Samsung, but are there any others that are up there?

[tannenhauser]

As a random question, since I'm buying an HDTV soon, what usually are considered the high-end brands? I'd guess Sony and Samsung, but are there any others that are up there?

pioneer
phillips

[tomoe]

As a random question, since I'm buying an HDTV soon, what usually are considered the high-end brands? I'd guess Sony and Samsung, but are there any others that are up there?

The Sony Bravia XBR series is supposedly pretty good.

[bender0069]

I have a Sony Bravia, very nice!
The one I just bought is a philips, jury is still out until I get it hung and calibrated, but Philips is a brand that's been around for a while. Pioneer is good, Samsung and Panasonic from what I understand.

The Vizio is getting good reviews for a low end, TV with a reasonably good picture. IMO I believe LG is up and coming and has some good new TV's out.

[evan]

Best buy is currently running a special where a lot of TVs over $299 have 2 years no interest financing... how legit is this? I wasn't planning on getting a new TV for our apartment because I'm not gonna make that much money this summer, but with this i could pay $20 a month and then pay off the rest next summer... is it too good to be true? I'm gonna go to best buy and talk to someone about it today but I just wanted to ask ya'll to see if you've done any sort of financing plans for purchases such as this and what your experience is.

[Luca]

Not too good to be true, you just have to know how "no interest for X years" works. First, make sure you're approved before you do anything. Second, most of those thing will make you pay all of the interest retroactively should you fail to pay by the time those two years are up. If you get a $1000 loan and don't pay it off, and thus are slapped with a retroactive 20% interest rate, you'll then owe them $440 in addition to whatever you haven't paid off.

[dbcdenver]

The Best Buy deal is great, but you can find comparable deals all over the Internet.

[evan]

oh i thought I posted this... best buy caveat is you have to sign up for their credit card. that's a no-go for me.