My new tv... well, sorta...

[BTM]

So, been thinking of looking into a new TV.  My old TV is VERY old, so old that I had to use an adapter to hook up my DVD player for it.  The sound is starting to get to the point I find I sometimes need to turn on the subtitles when I'm watching DVDs to fully understand what some of the characters are saying (that or maybe my hearing is just going, I dunno.)  And plus, it's not digital signal ready.

Anyway, I haven't done too much research, so maybe I'm looking in the wrong place, but what if I want to buy a TV and DON'T want to spend a thousand dollars right now?  I mean, is that just unrealistic, or am I looking in the wrong spot?  Glancing over at Newegg, and I thought, "Damn, way too rich for my blood."

So, I turn to good ol' Wal-Mart (I'll research Best Buy as well, so don't hate on me too much...) See a lot of different types...

Emerson, hmm.. not a brand I'm too familiar with, course brand recognition doesn't always mean "the best", found that out when I paid extra for my Sony DVD player only to find out later it seems to be WAAY more sensitive to scratches on DVDs than an el cheapo Sanyo DVD player. (Oh, the irony!)

Seen some RCAs, that's my current brand of TV... hmmm "flat tube", the hell is that?  I know what flat screen is, but flat tube?  Get the feeling they're trying to confuse me...

Sansui 27" Class Tube SDTV w/ Digital Tuner, DTV2798

Sansui, another brand I haven't heard of... And it's a "class tube" nonetheless.  Hmm..

I dunno, anyone halfway familiar with electronics that could give me a tip or two?  Thanks!

[asimpson2006]

A lot of things you will need to take into consideration when getting a new TV. The first thing I look at is how big do you want to go with the TV.  The size of the room that the TV is going to be in will be helpful.  You don't want to get something that is too big and seems overpowering for the room that the TV is in.  I have a RCA TV that I have in my room that I just play video games with.  I used to watch movies on it but not anymore since I have to turn the volume up on the TV to hear what is being said sometimes.  We have a Mitsubishi TV in our living room and it's great.  I watch all my movies in there when no one else is home.  My mother in her office has a Sony flat screen which is fine but it's too close to where you can sit for it IMO.

Here is an article that I found that may give some more information http://www.crutchfield.com/S-feJFO8Wy5k4/learn/learningcenter/home/tv_flatpanel.html 

[CheezeFlixz]

Emerson is Emerson Electric they've been around over 100 years. I have a Emerson Fan I use daily from the 1930's.
Sansui - don't know them, sounds like one of those cheap Wal-Mart knock off brands.

It really depends on your budget, Big Lots had a Flat Screen LCD TV with built in DVD player for $199.




I have all flat screens Samsung's and Sony's, except one old 36" JVC tube TV.

[Menard]

Sansui - don't know them, sounds like one of those cheap Wal-Mart knock off brands.

No

Sansui has been around for quite a while and is better known for their audio and car audio equipment.

Look around at some tube models carrying the Philips or Sylvania name. You can also find these same televisions carrying the Emerson name, among others. They look very similar regardless of the brand name they are carrying. They are all made by the same company in China. They sell for a pretty cheap price, but that is because they are made in such quantity. I've had a 20" model with the Sylvania name and have been more than pleased with it for several years, and I only gave $99 for it new.

BTW, several of the Walmart electronics that Cheezy likes to call cheap, that carry the Durabrand name, have good reliability and feedback. They sell a compact DVD player under the Durabrand name (you can also find the same model, and in Walmart stores to boot, with the Magnavox, Philips, and other labels) that gets high marks, amazingly, on Amazon.

[Mr_Vindictive]

Menard is right about Emerson and Sylvania.  The TVs by these companies are actually made by Funai:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funai

My parents bought an EDTV by Funai a few years ago.  Never heard of them before then.

[Jack]

One thing you can do is to write down the model number of the TV you're looking at, then when you get home look up some product reviews of it.  If the thing is prone to breaking down after a few months, people love to get on the internet and b***h about it    Of course, you have to keep in mind that people who have a bad experience are far more likely to write a review than people who are satisfied, so the sample is skewed, but you can get a pretty good idea if the TV you're looking at is a known piece of junk or not.  You'll want to take a good look at the service plans of the places you're buying from as well.  I'd rather spend more at a place where I can drop it off and get it fixed/exchanged for free than get a super cheap one from someplace that's just going to say "Sorry, it's been 31 days, you can put it in a box and ship it back to the manufacturer in China if you'd like".

[ghouck]

Several years ago I bought a 32" Sylvania CRT TV, and I'm 100% happy with it, and it was less than $400 including the stand. That's in BF Alaska to boot.

[BTM]

Thanks for the tips everyone!  However, I'm going to have to put these plans on the back burner again...  Not sure what the hell I was thinking, guess I forgot the other debts I still need to pay off.  Plus I disparately need a new pair of shoes.  Two of them have got holes and the third the sole is starting to literally crumble off the shoe!  That's going to be a bit of pain, as it's hard to find shoes in my sizes (16 3E if you're curious), and it seems like the main brand I usually see in that size (Propet) makes shoes that tend to fall apart after just a month or two.   

Not to mention my car's past due for an oil change, some of my shirts are getting holes in them, could use another pair of pants to replace the ones that starting to rip in the crotch...

Ahhh, god, my life sucks.  :(

[Menard]

That's going to be a bit of pain, as it's hard to find shoes in my sizes (16 3E if you're curious),...

Good grief...you must have a huge... ...uh...never mind.

 



*(yeah...like none of the rest of you were thinking it )

[ghouck]

Socks??? 

[Menard]

Socks??? 

(so to speak)