Help a Newbie Choose

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

In article <1125787171.422675.33780@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
kit4306@aol.com wrote:

> Looking for some advice here. I'm not totally ignorant on the subject,
> but by no means am I an HDTV expert. I've done some research, some
> digging, and based on my budget ceiling (about $500, no more) I know
> it's going to be a tube TV. These are the two best options I've found:
>
> Sony KV-32HS420 - 5 months old, used from private party, 7 mos.
> warranty remaining. About $500
>
> Philips 30PW8420 - Refusrbished, direct from Philips. 90-day warranty.
> $420 shipped
>
> Obviously, Sony has the advantage in terms of general quality and
> reliabilty concerns. It's also a larger screen, has more input
> options, and doesn't have a repair history. The Philips is cheaper and
> it's a true 16:9 set - the Sony will display HD and widescreen DVDs at
> 29", but of course you get the bars. But the Philips is a refurb, with
> all that implies. What else should I be factoring in here, and which
> way would you go?
>
> For that matter - if you had $500 to spend on an entry-level HDTV,
> would you even be considering these options?
>
> Thanks in advance...
>
> Kit

I'd spend the extra $150 and buy the Sanyo 32", but...

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

In article <1125788589.719093.153160@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
kit4306@aol.com wrote:

> Is that the HT32744 you're referring to? That's a little cheaper than
> I've seen it anywhere...

Locally at Wal-Mart, $647. Online, I think it's a little more. And
it's available *only* at Wal-Mart, so...



> What's your main reason - the integrated
> tuner?

The integrated tuner (I don't do digital cable or cable boxes at all, so
I get my HD content over the air) plus the fact that it's only $650. If
technology changes radically over the next 5 years--and it will--I won't
care so much about getting rid of a perfectly functioning TV just to get
new features, since I only paid $650 for it in the first place.

I can't imagine paying a couple, three thousand dollars for a TV set
only to find that in three years I'm yearning for some of the latest
technology.

I have the Sanyo. It's a good set, a fine value at that price. It has
two component inputs, so it handles my DVD player plus my ReplayTV (for
what *that's* worth, but so be it).

And--very importantly--it has HDMI. Notice that Sanyo has taken that
out of their later TVs. HDMI gives me input from any number of HD
sources should I choose to go that way--such as a cable box (shudder),
or HD DVD.

I just wish it had CableCard so that I could plug digital cable straight
in. Like I said, I don't like cable boxes. Looks like I'll stick with
analog cable straight into the analog tuner, and antenna straight into
the digital tuner for OTA HD content.