TV Selection Take 2

[Ashura]

There's a similar thread here but it went off onto Monitor selection, and I didn't want to threadjack/not sure if that'll fit what I'm looking for.

A coworker of mine asked me for help in choosing a TV and gave me some basic details. He wants something that's 24"-30" with a max cost of $1k, preferred cost $500. I don't really know all that much about TVs, I'm guessing he should go for something that's 720p. He expects to always be 6-10 ft away from it so, for a screen this small, I don't think 1080p is necessary?

Any tips or name/brand drops?

[azuza001]

Here are some general pointers.

1. For every 10" of screen you should be at least 2' away. SO, a 32" TV would put you at least 6' away for the sitting position.

2. On smaller sets, 720p is going to be what you generally find. The difference between 720 and 1080 at 32" for example is hardly noticible if it is at all. Myself, I can't tell the difference at that size.

3. Don't be fooled by plasma's lower price. Go LCD.

4. When looking at the TV, make sure that it has an acceptible contrast ratio. Contrast ratio keeps the black levels black when you increase the brightness on the TV (which you'll do if the TV is in a bright room). The higher the better. In normal lit rooms nothing lower than 1000 looks acceptable in my experience. If the TV is going to be in direct sun light, you should go as high as you can afford in this range.

5. Check your manufactuers extensivly. For example, Phillips and Magnavox are the same company. If you look at their TV's they look EXACTLY the same. Vizio may be a cheap manufactuer, but these guys make crappy TV's. They come back to the place I work broken ALL THE TIME. We've got a pile of them in the back broken becuase Vizio refuses to accept them all back at once (we can only send them 1 tv a week basically).

6. Check the buttons on the TV. Do you have access to the menu from the TV or do you need the remote? What about access to the different inputs? These can be deal breakers if your expecting them and the TV you pick doesn't have them.

7. Finally, be aware of other features that the TV's may have. Westinghouse for example (the TV that I own and use as a monitor) has an auto-daybright feature that auto-ajusts the brightness to the ampient light it detects whenever you switch inputs. It also has an auto-source detection that can be turned on to have the TV automatically switch inputs whenever it detects a device that is plugged into the TV is turned on (a lazy mans feature but I love it). Other TV's have features that you may not expect. Sharps have a "Showroom" setting that makes their TV's look super bright and sharp for being on display. Sure, it's nice and makes them look great but if you leave this feature on for too long you can actually damage the screen. (Don't get me wrong, Sharp is one of the best manufatures out there, just be aware).

[Graphicism]

Depends what hes using the TV for... if it's just HD cable that's only 720p anyway, if it's BlueRay or gaming then 1080p for sure. I have a 42" 1080p Westinghouse that I sit about 8-10ft away from and I like it better than my friends 32" 720p Sony Bravia. The closer you are the better it's going to look, I mean you don't go to the movies to watch a small screen.

If I were you/him I would go to circuit city and just look at them, specs mean diddly squat really, whatever looks right to you is the one you should go with.

Is 1080p necessary? 1080p is ALWAYS necessary! :)

[Ashura]

Thanks for the tips, I'll keep them in mind. Any other specific brands to look for or avoid? I've got Sharp, Samsung, Sony and Westinghouse under my look for list, and Vizio in my avoid.