well i dont have to pick it till june.. but i will have the wiring and mounting hardware all installed.. i have an appoinment on friday to get all the electrical outlets and everything.

 

Or it'll be the other way around, and LCDs will catch up to plasmas in terms of contrast ratios, response times, and size. LCDs are lighter, brighter, and last longer. And they have an entire computer industry driving R&D. Laptop and desktop users want better contrast ratios just like TV users do. I can't see a laptop shipping any time soon with a plasma display. Some LCD manufacturers have made prototype TVs that are 84+ inches. Sharp now sells a 65" LCD (though for $25,000 CAD). So, they may be smaller than plasma right now, but give it some time, and LCDs will be just as large as plasmas.

My money is on LCD flat panel too. 32" TVs took a huge dive in prices just last year. Now 37" and 40" LCD TVs are on the way down. I'm waiting for the 46"-47" 1920x1080 resolution TVs to crash. I think it'll happen very late this year to middle next year. Cheap-ass manufacturers like Prima are introducing models with these specs, which only means more price wars are coming.

Chris.

 

i was at future shop and saw these prima and insignia, digimate stuff.....
i know u pay for what u get... but seeing this stuff on the floor... this stuff looks just as good for way less

i think im leaning towards the panasonic ones

 

Tell me about it. I thought I got a heckuva deal when they sold me the 40" Samsung for $3800.00 ($5000.00 retail). Just before Xmas, I saw Visions selling the same TV for $3400.00. And Panasonic plasmas are selling for a fraction of MSRP these days.
Be careful, though. As attractive as a "big TV" sounds, it can be too big if your room isn't also "big". My co-worker recently bought a 52" rear projection TV. When he got it home and set up, it was HUGE - way too big for the room. He took it back and came home with a 42" plasma instead. I view mine from about 10' and the 40" is just about right. Any bigger and I'd feel like I was living in an IMAX.

 

i was thinking just a 27-32 is good for me

 

The most high risk item in a flat panel TV is the liquid flat panel itself. Fortunately, there's only three major manufacturers that make about 95% of all panels in today's TVs. So the small, no-name guys like Prima, DiCON, etc, are all using the same panels as in a Sony, Sharp, or Samsung. The only difference are the electronics. And these usually use a chipset "kit" bought from someone else and assembled onto their own PC boards and put in their own cases. It's a lot lower risk to buy from these no-name guys now. Their business plan is to buy up proven commodity parts and sell consumer electronics for as cheap as they can (like Dell in some ways).

And if you're worried, get it from a local seller with a proven track record and buy their extended warranty (or get it at Costo and your protected for life). When something fails on a flat panel, they just throw it away and give you a new one. These things are almost impossible to economically fix.

Chris.

 

I think a standard Panasonic is a 42". I wouldn't go 27". Just too "old school" and too small for even a tiny room. 32" is a common size for LCD. If you go that route, take a look at what Dell offers. I think Chris has a 32" LCD Daytek from Costco that he can tell you about.

 

Can anyone explain what the difference between EDTV and HDTV. The EDTV versions are usually $1500 less than their 42" counterparts.

 

Here's the gory details in layman's terms:

http://www.projectorcentral.com/hdtv_edtv.htm

The upshot is EDTV is like watching a DVD on a progressive scan player (about 480 real line of resolution), where HDTV is 720 (the most common right now) or 1080 line of resolution, either interlaced or progressive scan.

Chris.

 

Hey J you should come over to my place and check out my new 50 Panasonic plasma. I got it wall mounted over the fireplace, might give you an idea of what you want.

This is the TV Panasonic 50" Widescreen Plasma HDTV** (TH50PX500)

Maybe this thread will help you out too http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread.php?s=&...t=lcd+vs+plasma

Good Luck J