Good TV for $500 or less?
August 25, 2006 9:17 AM Subscribe
Would you help me find the best TV I can get for $500 or less?
Mrs. DakotaPaul and I are ready to ditch our 20" set. We haven't shopped for a TV for about 10 years, so we don't really know what's out there.
Some info:
• We don't want anything huge; probably no more than 30".
• We don't have cable or satellite service, so we don't care if it's going to be HD-ready or whatever. The only thing we'll be plugging into it is our DVD player.
• Obviously picture quality is important. Right now we have a cheapo Apex AD 1500, but we might upgrade to a progressive scan or HD player (or whatever the latest excellent-picture-quality technology is in DVD players), so I suppose the TV should have the right video inputs (component?).
Some questions:
• Is it possible to get something for $500 that has a 16:9 screen? All we watch is movies, so it would be nice to have a wider aspect ratio.
• Is CRT our only option at this price level? Are $500 LCDs going to be tiny?
As you can see we don't really know much about TVs these days, and we're hesitant to walk into Best Buy clueless and prey to the salespeople. Please educate us and make some recommendations on what and where to buy. Thank you!
Mrs. DakotaPaul and I are ready to ditch our 20" set. We haven't shopped for a TV for about 10 years, so we don't really know what's out there.
Some info:
• We don't want anything huge; probably no more than 30".
• We don't have cable or satellite service, so we don't care if it's going to be HD-ready or whatever. The only thing we'll be plugging into it is our DVD player.
• Obviously picture quality is important. Right now we have a cheapo Apex AD 1500, but we might upgrade to a progressive scan or HD player (or whatever the latest excellent-picture-quality technology is in DVD players), so I suppose the TV should have the right video inputs (component?).
Some questions:
• Is it possible to get something for $500 that has a 16:9 screen? All we watch is movies, so it would be nice to have a wider aspect ratio.
• Is CRT our only option at this price level? Are $500 LCDs going to be tiny?
As you can see we don't really know much about TVs these days, and we're hesitant to walk into Best Buy clueless and prey to the salespeople. Please educate us and make some recommendations on what and where to buy. Thank you!
You can get a tv tuner thing for your computer. That is the totality of my technical knowledge on the subject, but there it is. Might be good if you already have a nice, big monitor.
posted by leapingsheep at 9:23 AM on August 25, 2006
posted by leapingsheep at 9:23 AM on August 25, 2006
Similar to fatwallet, keep an eye on www.bensbargains.net.
posted by k8t at 9:56 AM on August 25, 2006
posted by k8t at 9:56 AM on August 25, 2006
If picture quality if important, especially for movies, get a CRT. Even the cheap ones are better than any Plasma or LCD.
posted by cillit bang at 11:42 AM on August 25, 2006
posted by cillit bang at 11:42 AM on August 25, 2006
We bought a Factory-Renewed Philips 30" 16:9 HDTV at their online outlet for our bedroom awhile back. It looks like they're still offering it for $387.99 + free shipping, too, which is IMO a great deal online for such a heavy object.
And please enjoy some pepsi blue. Kidding. I have no affiliation with Philips, we've just been pleased with the TV. It's hard to beat that price for those features. After research, we definitely would not have paid retail for that particular TV but the discount is hefty and we approve.
Your mileage may vary, do research on the implications of Factory-Renewed electronics, I am not your professional-electronics-recommending-person. And good luck!
posted by empyrean at 4:56 PM on August 25, 2006
And please enjoy some pepsi blue. Kidding. I have no affiliation with Philips, we've just been pleased with the TV. It's hard to beat that price for those features. After research, we definitely would not have paid retail for that particular TV but the discount is hefty and we approve.
Your mileage may vary, do research on the implications of Factory-Renewed electronics, I am not your professional-electronics-recommending-person. And good luck!
posted by empyrean at 4:56 PM on August 25, 2006
Actually, my parents bought their last CRT at Best Buy, and the salespeople were very nice (I went along as help). They aren't on commission so there's no high-pressure sales.
posted by IndigoRain at 5:03 PM on August 25, 2006
posted by IndigoRain at 5:03 PM on August 25, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Kwantsar at 9:23 AM on August 25, 2006