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View Full Version : HDTV in the $350 range?


Bonn89
2008-10-08, 20:40
Hey guys, as you all know, the holiday season is rapidly approaching, and this christmas I was thinking of getting an HD television to replace my aging old tube tv (and to be able to see all those pixels I'm currently missing out on with my 360!).

I'm going to have somewhere in the range of $350 to spend on one, and thus I'm looking at something along the lines of 19 to 22 inches.

Anyone have any suggestions? Is it even feasible to think I can get something like that for that price?

Oh, and HDMI and 1080i (or even p) would be excellent, but I can deal with component/720.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, I've found this 22" Vizio: http://www.vizio.com/productDetails.aspx?id=1788&pid=1508

I like the looks of it; it does "1080i" (really 1050, but the 360 can manage that with the NXE update), plus it has 2 HDMI for future-proofing. The only problem is that it's $50 more that I really want to spend.

Robo
2008-10-10, 13:40
You're not going to get 1080p for $350. But you should be able to get a 720p set with HDMI as long as you stay away from the "premium" brands.

I saw a Vizio set at Wal-Mart the other day that was actually pretty impressive. It was 21" or so, but it was basically the size of all the other 19" displays - it just had a much thinner bezel, which was nice. I think it was $330.

So yeah - if you're cool with buying a Vizio, you should be able to find what you're looking for without much of a problem. It just won't be 1080p. :)

Partial
2008-10-12, 15:21
You won't be able to tell the difference between 1080 and 720 at that size anyway unless you're using it as a computer monitor.

Maciej
2008-10-12, 15:58
From what I understand Vizio is the superior bargain brand. What I mean is that you'll get more bang for you buck from Vizio than the other manufacturers, at least on the cheap end of the spectrum.

Somewhat off topic, but here it goes anyway. My first HDTV was a cheaper Samsung model, it was a around 2 grand (this was before the prices shot down, so that was a relatively cheap model then). And although it still looks good, and has decent specs, I'm not very satisfied with it. And what I'm tryin to say is, you get what you pay for.

Robo
2008-10-12, 22:02
Sony gives you $150 off a $300+ purchase if you sign up for a SonyCard. So you could, in theory, get one of those supercute 19" mini Bravias for $350. ;)

But I'm not sure if you want a credit card, too. :lol:

For your budget, I think that 22" Vizio for $329 would be the way to go. I know it's at Walmart, I don't know where else.

But yeah, you really do get what you pay for. I have a 27" Olevia that I got about a year ago for $450...the blacks aren't black at all, and there's even some minor color banding in the corners, too. So while you can get an HDTV for under $350, I'd personally spend a little more to get a set that you know you're going to be super happy with for a long time. But I suppose even an entry-level Vizio would be a big improvement over an SD tube. Enjoy your new TV, whatever you decide!

Partial
2008-10-12, 23:19
Wait until Black Friday and get a 22" LCD monitor that is near 1080p for 130 bucks. Or, get a 24" 1080p for 200ish.