TV purchase..?

[Bilis]

OK, I need some recommendations here. This summer/fall, I'm saving up to between $600 - $900 to get a new TV. Thing is, I'm upgrading from a 21 in. SD TV.

So, my question is: Should I get an LCD TV or an Plasma TV (between 24-30 in.), and which one is the best for both video games and movies?

Thanks in advance.

[AdamSchenker]

To my knowledge, there are no plasma TVs smaller than about 37". So that leaves you with either a traditional CRT (tube) TV or an LCD TV. The general consensus seems to be that CRTs still provide excellent image quality (especially contrast and brightness) at a low price. However, they're big, bulky and heavy. LCDs are much more manageable to move and place, but they do have some picture quality drawbacks. First, they have relatively poor black levels (blacks aren't dark enough), which results in reduced contrast. Second, panels with high response times are prone to "ghosting" on fast moving images (such as video games). Third, off-axis viewing (viewing the screen at an angle) can reduce the picture quality. All of these areas have gotten much better recently, so you want to try and get an LCD with the newest and best technology.

AVS Forum (http://www.avsforum.com) is a great place to learn about display technologies as well as specific models. At your price range, you are probably looking at a Sharp or Samsung 26", though other lesser known brands (such as Syntax) are also worth looking at.

[Chris Beveridge]

Another thing is to look for last years models at a lower price; you can score the previous generation of Toshiba CRT HDTV's for like $600 in the 30" range. My parents got a 34" Toshiba last fall when the new models came out and after the first month it dropped from 1K to like 899.

Check out places like craigslist.com in your area as well if you aren't wedded to new sets. Some really good deals to be found there too.

[Bilis]

Thanks, guys. I think I'm just going to go with a CRT tube HDTV. In fact, I've found one I already like at Best Buy the other day.

So thanks for the advice so I know what the differences are.