32" LCD Options

Hey all,

I've noticed that a number of 32" LCD TVs have recently entered my
price bracket, and I'm looking for some feedback on brands, as well as
some technical advice.

Bestbuy now has 32" LCD TVs that I can afford from Westinghouse,
Hewlett Packard, Magnavox, Philips, and Toshiba. All are 768x1366, and
all feature at least one HDMI input. I'd be using the set for movies
mostly, but also some gaming and television (likely SD broadcast for
the forseeable future). My concerns are the following:

1. Any winners or loser in these brands, in terms of LCDs? I knew who
to trust with CRTs, but it seems that now all bets are off. Sony,
Samsung, Sharp, and LG seem to make the very best LCDs, based on price.
Should I avoid all of these less-expensive brands, or are there any
gems?

2. Do these sets have anything approaching a good black level? I'm
happy enough with the black level on my Apple Cinema Display, though a
bit better would be nice. Are these $1000 32" panels just going to
frustrate and disappoint?

3. Most (if not all) of these displays have an 8ms refresh rate. I have
no idea if this is good or bad, and no idea if it will adversely affect
gaming.

4. The set (32" again) would be almost exactly 6 feet away from my
seating. Is 768x1366 good enough for this screen size and distance? I'd
love to hold out for a set with true 1080 resolution, but this seems to
be a thing of the semi-distant future. Will I not miss the added
resolution, or will I end up frustrated with the compromise?

Finally, there's the wildcard of the Sony 34" XBR970, weakened as it is
by the lack of an SFP tube. Would this still be the very best option
moving forward? I know the black level will be vastly better, refresh
rate won't be a problem, and the screen will even be a bit bigger, but
the set itself is a beast that will barely fit into the space I've got
for it, so unless the others are too much of a compromise, I'd like to
avoid it. Given that this set is also something of a compromise, I'm
curious about how you all weigh in.

Thanks in advance for any and all replies. I frequently pop on here to
read, but I'm not a regular lurker nor have I ever posted.

Will

On 8 Nov 2006 03:20:59 -0800, wrote:

Hey all,

I've noticed that a number of 32" LCD TVs have recently entered my
price bracket, and I'm looking for some feedback on brands, as well as
some technical advice.

Bestbuy now has 32" LCD TVs that I can afford from Westinghouse,
Hewlett Packard, Magnavox, Philips, and Toshiba. All are 768x1366, and
all feature at least one HDMI input. I'd be using the set for movies
mostly, but also some gaming and television (likely SD broadcast for
the forseeable future). My concerns are the following:

It will be $479 on Black Friday. Decent enough for the money.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hey all,

I've noticed that a number of 32" LCD TVs have recently entered my
price bracket, and I'm looking for some feedback on brands, as well as
some technical advice.

Bestbuy now has 32" LCD TVs that I can afford from Westinghouse,
Hewlett Packard, Magnavox, Philips, and Toshiba. All are 768x1366, and
all feature at least one HDMI input. I'd be using the set for movies
mostly, but also some gaming and television (likely SD broadcast for
the forseeable future). My concerns are the following:

1. Any winners or loser in these brands, in terms of LCDs? I knew who
to trust with CRTs, but it seems that now all bets are off. Sony,
Samsung, Sharp, and LG seem to make the very best LCDs, based on price.
Should I avoid all of these less-expensive brands, or are there any
gems?

2. Do these sets have anything approaching a good black level? I'm
happy enough with the black level on my Apple Cinema Display, though a
bit better would be nice. Are these $1000 32" panels just going to
frustrate and disappoint?

3. Most (if not all) of these displays have an 8ms refresh rate. I have
no idea if this is good or bad, and no idea if it will adversely affect
gaming.

4. The set (32" again) would be almost exactly 6 feet away from my
seating. Is 768x1366 good enough for this screen size and distance? I'd
love to hold out for a set with true 1080 resolution, but this seems to
be a thing of the semi-distant future. Will I not miss the added
resolution, or will I end up frustrated with the compromise?

Finally, there's the wildcard of the Sony 34" XBR970, weakened as it is
by the lack of an SFP tube. Would this still be the very best option
moving forward? I know the black level will be vastly better, refresh
rate won't be a problem, and the screen will even be a bit bigger, but
the set itself is a beast that will barely fit into the space I've got
for it, so unless the others are too much of a compromise, I'd like to
avoid it. Given that this set is also something of a compromise, I'm
curious about how you all weigh in.

Thanks in advance for any and all replies. I frequently pop on here to
read, but I'm not a regular lurker nor have I ever posted.

Will

The HP has gotten good reviews. They use, or at least used to use, the Sharp
LCD panel.

Tam