I don’t agree with the no 1080p for smaller monitors recommendation. I know a lot of people starting to use 32″ and smaller hdtvs as computer monitors. Then you are sitting 2 ft away and taking advantage of 1920×1080 resolution. It is a great value, and allows you to play hd/blu-ray content downloaded from the internet. If you tried to run a 720p hdtv as a computer monitor, your desktop looks aweful with 1 inch tall icons.

I wrote above “Stick to 720p displays in this size range if you plan to view beyond 5 feet” . You commented about a 2 foot viewing distance.  I don’t know of anyone that watches television programming on an HDTV in their living room with the couch 2 ft from the display. Perhaps other readers would like to comment.

HD GURU

You don’t recommend any Sony LCD’s (eg the ‘Z’ series) which passed the 3:2 pulldown tests. However, you do go with the Samsung 650′s which failed that test. I am confused. Also, what kind of panel does the Sony Z have?

After the 125+ tests were completed, Samsung updated its signal processor firmware and now passes the 3:2 test.  If you own an earlier version of an affected Samsung LCD HDTV, you can receive a firmware update by contacting Samsung customer service at 1-800-SAMSUNG. Thanks for the catch. 

As stated above, Sony does not disclose the type of panel they use in its HDTVs.

HD GURU

fyi – Best Buy has a house brand “Insignia” 32″ plasma for under $500.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8760771&st=32%22+plasma&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1203815033908

The 42″ 768p Panasonic Plasma is actually the Th42PX80U… and it is a fantastic tv.

Im a huge fan of The Panasonic series THxxPZ80u and up

is there some reason I cant copy/past anything from this page? even the urls are not showing up as clickable? Im using firefox.

@looking:

Ctrl-C does magic things.. Try it sometimes

No Sharp TVs? And I liked them.. Well, not that I know much on this subject..

I had read that the Panasonics, though wonderful TVs, suffered from a near fatal flaw of the power supply being faulty and often failing prematurely.

I’m assuming by your recommendation that this issue has, by and large, been remedied in newer models.

Yes?

Consumer reports and feedback from friends and family find Panasonic HDTV to have top reliability (so far its 100% among the many sets purchased by friends and family). Panasonic makes many of the components inside its HDTVs including the panels and it has very stringent quality assurance testing.

HD GURU

Hi, I am trying to choose between the LG 47LG50 and the Samsung LN46A550. The salesman at local retailer warned me away from the Samsung because it has a glossy screen where the LG is a mat screen. The room this will be in is kind of bright, but I have also heard that these screens are bright enough to handle this.

Help?

In the 40/42 LCD range what is the difference between the Samsung LN40A650 and LN40A630? Is it just the casing, gloss vs matte screen, and 1 extra HDMI port? The specs and even price seem relatively comparable. The 650 usually cost a bit more and has a little more advertised contrast ratio (because of gloss screen?).

You are correct. The main difference between the 630 and the 650 series is the anti-glare (AG) coated screen on the 630 with a matte finish versus the anti-reflective (AR) smooth finish screen on the 650. The AR coatings transmit the image with higher contrast when compared to the AG screens.

Unless you have a lamp or a window without shades or curtains directly opposite the display and view during the daytime, I doubt you will have a problem with the AR screen 650 model.

It’s funny, no one seemed to make an issue of the flat, highly reflective CRT TVs that were being sold a few years ago. I have seen salesman try to convince customers that they don’t want a plasma or a particular LCD because the model has an AR screen. For many, if not most consumers, the smooth finish of the AR coating should not be an issue.

HD GURU

Just curious why you went for the Panasonic TH50PX80U over the Samsung PN50A450? Contrast of the Samsung is twice of the Pan.

I don’t see the Mitsu LaserVue mentioned in your recommendations. Too rare or bizarre?

The Samsung LN46A550 does NOT have a glossy screen.
It’s slightly more reflexive than a full matte screen, but nothing like the glossy screens on some LCDs.

I was wondering if the Guru or somone can help. I have check out the distance chart. I have measured my viewing distance for my office chair. The distacen is exactly 5 feet / 60 inches.

Reading the chart I see that the 37″ 1080P would fit the bill. I think the 32 would be too small.

Would 40″ display be pushing it? What would be some of the consequences? The screen door effect I read is one. I didnt notice that with the 40 nor the 42 for that matter at the store but am really afraid that once the screen gets home, I ‘ll regret it (going 42/40″).

About a year ago I purchased a Panasonic 50″ 1080p and have been pleased with it. So for a smaller room I purchased a Panasonic 42″ 1080p and am not the laest bit satisfied. The 42″ is not as bright as the 50″ except when on the brightest setting. I was under the impression that a 42″ set would be at least as bright as a 50″. Help!!

[...] HDguru.com is a great place to start with your search for the perfect HDTV. Check out their Holiday Guide. The one thing I’m curious about with Gary Merson’s choices is why there aren’t any Vizios on the list. [...]

I can’t believe every commenter above neglected to say this, but **THANK YOU** for this awesome guide!!

I’m probably a more casual shopper than most of your usual readers, so I’m definitely grateful for the cheat sheet, it’s a huge help!

As a result I’m now excitedly eyeing the TH-50PZ85U.

I have an old 45″ Mitsubishi 4:3 rear projection TV I am replacing. It suffers from burn-in from the QVC shopping channel. I had ruled out Plasma because of this, but you stated no burn-in as an advantage of a “adjusted for in-home viewing” TV. Seriously? Hours upon hours of QVC will not burn in a plasma TV? I’m looking for a 52-60″ TV. And, thanks for the great guide.

A Samsung plasma had a top recommendation from Consumer Reports. Although I find that Consumer Reports’ evaluations are not necessarily based on the same criteria that I would use, I wonder why it doesn’t get a mention in HD Guru’s recommendations.
Obviously he isn’t biased because he quite likes Samsung’s LCD’s.

[...] The HD GURU has tracked down the hottest deals on a number of its recommended HDTVs. (You can find the list at: http://hdguru.com/hdtv-christmas-buyers-guide-and-recommended-models-part-ii/323/) [...]

You said: stick with 720p displays if we plan to buy 32″ or 37″ TV. The three 32″ LCD TVs that you recommend are all 1080p.

1) Panasonic TC-32LZ800 (Why? IPS panel)
2) Samsung LN32A550 (Why? SPVA panel)
3) Sony KDL32XBR6

What’s up with that? Confusing.

I wrote about many viewers sitting too far from the screen to perceive the added detail. Panasonic makes a 720p version that uses its IPS panel and Samsung makes the 450 series that uses its SPVA panel. Both are fine performers. The article is intended to provide general information and a list of the top performing LCDs. Perhaps I should add the above TVs as “Low Price” models.

HD GURU

I used my 20-20 vision and some optics and did the math, and found that the critical visual diagonal for optimal viewing in a standard situation is actually 36″ for either 1080p or 720p.

At this size one can sit at a decent distance and will not be hindered by large pixels (my main annoyance for most displays) or lose the advantage of the 1080p quality.

This explains the 37″ ‘niche’ displays, that most people ought to select instead of a 40″+ size.

Mind you, I took into account the length of my game console controller cables and the distance to my old CRT 28″ TV as a starting point and adjusted it to fit the average IKEA size livingroom.

People who have less than 8.6 feet between the couch and the TV should not buy a 1080p TV, and if you want to keep your TV experience ‘cozy’, don’t go over 56″ – unless you can’t afford new glasses.

I know it’s brand-new and you’re not likely to have seen one, but would like your opinion on the new Vizio VA22LF, 22″ 1920×1080, if only your opinion on the make & specs.

Why on earth they introduced HD with 720(i/p) instead of 1080(i/p). They should have waited a year or 2 more. If 1080 was the only option, everyone would have won.

That’s another story, I know…

Im trying to choose a LCD TV here are what Im looking at

Toshiba 46R530U $899.00

Samsung LN46a530 $1299
Samsung LN46a550 $1399.
Samsung LN46A630 $1299.
Samsung LN46A650 $1499

LG 47G50 $1289.
LG 47G60 $1389

Vizio VO47L $849.00

what would be the best deal here
I have several windows in the room und i don’t want glare to be a problem

120hz or 60hz does not really matter to me can’t tell to much difference in the too.

please help
Thanks

Any particular reason you don’t like the KDL-52XBR6?

HD Guru

How do you compare the Samsung PN50A650 and the Panasonic TH 50PZ80U? I am leaning towards the Samsung,but would like to know if it is worth the difference in price

R.Johnson

Is there an easy site to use to compare or get specs. for all LCD Tv’s? Example: I’d like to shop for anything 120Hz, LED backlit, 1080p native.
Even on some manufacturer sites,it’s hard to narrow these criteria down.
Thx!

I just purchased samsung LN46a650 on your recommendation.How do I know that I have an updated signal processor firmware that passes the 3:2 test?

What brand of hdtv would you recommend for a gamer on a budget? Thanks.

Just received a new Panasonic TH50PZ80U 50″ Plasma and love it! I was looking really hard at the 1080p 52″ LCDs from Samsung and Sony, but decided to save big $$$ by dropping down to the 720p set which the Guru and other expert reviewers suggest will work just fine for 50″ and under. Glad I did! Also, the plasma screen is outstanding from off angle viewing, and Panasonic’s anti-glare screen has worked out very nicely in a room with windows on three sides. Shipped to my house for under $1000 – nice; used the money I saved to get a nice cabinet. Thanks for the advice HD Guru!

I’m saving up to buy the TH50PZ85 Panasonic 50″ 1080p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV.

Everything seems good on the specs and reviews; however, I’m having trouble finding a review that discusses the use of this TV as a PC Monitor using either RGB DSUB15 or DVI Converted to HDMI or direct HDMI to HDMI.

I really want to be able to use this to hook up to either of my 3 computers: iMac Core2 Duo, HP 9700 Laptop AMD 2 GHZ, Custom PC Tower Core2 Duo GeForce 7600 PCI-e Video.

I will most likely purchase a Blu-ray burner for the main PC and want to output to the 50′ Plasma.

If the Guru could email me directly and post on the board with a response, that’d be awesome. I basically want to know if I will get a sharp image or if it gets fuzzy.

Andrew

Do you think the prices of tier 1, 50″ HD TVs will drop after Christmas? In shopping the various competetive retail stores, I don’t really find any great deals and the TV prices are not close, in comparison, to the other big discounted items.
Thanks,
Dave

My working theory is that the retailers are holding the line as much as they can hoping for last minute Christmas sales. At least here in the Pacific Northwest the weather has been a HUGE factor in hurting Christmas sales so lots of inventory is going to be left hanging out.

I am suspecting prices will drop right after Christmas for inventory reduction purposes (taxes).

At least that is what I am hoping and why there isn’t a plasma “under the tree”.

thanks for sharing this very interesting post

I am lookig for a tv 46″ 1000.00.0r less.
I HAVE A ASUS P5N-E SLI ,ITS broke but i haft to jump it.I need a (new). I need another (saphre hd 3870) THANK YOU

I admire your web site I seen HD.TV mention you.
I realy enjoy your site. THANK YOU

What is your opinion on philips lcd tv’s especially on the 42TA648BX/37 model? Does philips make good tvs?

I have been using the LG 37LG30 for more than a month and would like to recommend it. It is hooked up with Sony PS3 and Pioneer DV-410 DVD player.

So far, it has performed well, especially after its calibration which can be found on my blog …. http://711am.wordpress.com/2008/12/31/lg-37lg30-display-settings-calibration/

And I have bookmarked HDGuru as it gives a wonderful insight in to the world of HDTVs

Just wanted to thank you for all the efforts you are putting into this. It greatly helps sorting out what manufacturers seem to be purposefully obscuring and satisfies all the small obsessions we all have about HDTVs.

you never mentioned Toshiba-do you recommend it.

No suggestions for Vizio? They have great reviews and have been #1 rated in N America.

I’m looking at HDTVs…
After much research and looking at consumer reviews, and now this site,
I have figured this:
I’m trying to narrow it down to
LCD vs. Plasma.

I narrowed it down to
42″ Panasonic – TH-42PX80U or TH-42PZ80U
(85U has more inputs.)

or

40″ Samsung – LN40A550

They’re both $899 at Sears
(+10% off with Sears Card).

Panasonic is #1 Recommended Plasma
Samsung is #1 Recommended LCD.

I had it narrowed down to these two before I checked out this site.
Now, they’re tied for the reccomendation!

My tie-breaker, I think is going to lean toward the Panasonic model.

Why?

I’m not a gamer. I won’t be hooking up any video game system to my TV.

I only need it for TV & Movies – Sports, DVDs, etc.

So… I think the Plasma would be best-fit?

Panasonic also has a 100% reliability rate with Consumer Reports?

So, just some thoughts…

Any help with my tie-breaker?

At a 32″ model, I also had it down to
Panasonic vs. Samsung again…
TC-32LX85 ($579) vs. LN32A450 ($699)

Insights would help…

I’m no techie. I’ve just been looking all over the internet for insight.

Thank you.

Informative post, thanks..