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Josh the Superfluous Inner circle The man of 1881 Posts |
My friend wants a TV for watching movies with her boyfriend. Thickness doesn't matter. Diagonally in the 30" range. For around $500. Any ideas?
What do you want in a site? "Honesty, integrity and decency." -Mike Doogan
"I hate it, I hate my ironic lovechild. I didn't even have anything to do with it" Josh #2 |
Doug Higley 1942 - 2022 7152 Posts |
She said thickness doesn't matter?
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Josh the Superfluous Inner circle The man of 1881 Posts |
I guess that's why they watch so many movies. Bad-um-bum! Thank you, I'll be here all this week.
I meant it didn't have to be a flat screen, gutter head.
What do you want in a site? "Honesty, integrity and decency." -Mike Doogan
"I hate it, I hate my ironic lovechild. I didn't even have anything to do with it" Josh #2 |
Doug Higley 1942 - 2022 7152 Posts |
Well oh smart one of the world...flat screen can mean numerous things in TV set-dom. A bulbous glas tube can be advertised as a flat screen.
Now if you mean wide screen LCD or Plasma...you might look to Walmart that has decent 32 inch sets hanging around that figure you mention. No need to be concerned with themake any more because most of the screens come from the same place....and all companys go by the 3 tear replacement rule...something WILL go in 3 years...just in time for the new configurations. Our new set is a sweet one...cost $699 and has a picture to die for (only you need to though) is an LCD thin as a rail model than I can move with one paw.
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Josh the Superfluous Inner circle The man of 1881 Posts |
In general, are LCDs better than CRTs?
What do you want in a site? "Honesty, integrity and decency." -Mike Doogan
"I hate it, I hate my ironic lovechild. I didn't even have anything to do with it" Josh #2 |
MagiClyde Special user Columbus, Ohio 871 Posts |
There are plusses and minuses to both technologies. CRTs, for example, weigh a lot more than an lcd. They are, I would assume, more prone to breakage and produce a lot of heat. But they are also less expensive and can have larger screens (to a point) for that lower cost.
LCDs, on the other hand, has the advantages of lighter weight, less heat, and larger sizes. But the larger sizes mean you really pay for it and these prices won't come down until the technology becomes more wide spread. Also, LCD would be somewhat angle dependent. If you have a laptop, more than likely it has an LCD display. Just angling the lid while looking at images on it should make my point. Overall, LCD has many advantages to recommend it over CRT. After all, when was the last time you saw an ad where a CRT was hung on a wall with just a couple hooks? If I could afford it, I would get one, but I already have a standard tv and monitor and can't see laying out the cash for new toys.
Magic! The quicker picker-upper!
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Josh the Superfluous Inner circle The man of 1881 Posts |
Thanks for the info guys!
Doug, is it true that when you were growing up, your cave was the first one on your hill with shadow puppets?
What do you want in a site? "Honesty, integrity and decency." -Mike Doogan
"I hate it, I hate my ironic lovechild. I didn't even have anything to do with it" Josh #2 |
Doug Higley 1942 - 2022 7152 Posts |
CRT's are basically outmoded and being built to fail these days. Stay away unless you want a tv that just lasts 3 years. Then maybe you can get a nice 32 inch for under $300. VERY heavy though. Again brand name doesn't come into play except for quality of picture. Many brands again using the same picture tube.
There are SMALL parts in these buggers that probably WILL go out at about 3 yrs or so and as we found are NOT replaceable making the entire TV useless and in the dumper. 3 yrs.
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Josh the Superfluous Inner circle The man of 1881 Posts |
3 years seems to be the magic number. I guess they have it timed out against the 2 year extended warranty they're always pushing. I wonder if an appliance manufacturer could stay in business if they built things to last?
My brother is a scientist with a focus on digital imaging. He once went to a conference on setting the HDTV standard. His idea was to start out with the resolution of human sight as a goal, and work from there. After saying his part, the Sony executives stated that the consumer market testing showed that people wanted double the current resolution. Guess who's concept they went with.
What do you want in a site? "Honesty, integrity and decency." -Mike Doogan
"I hate it, I hate my ironic lovechild. I didn't even have anything to do with it" Josh #2 |
Cliffg37 Inner circle Long Beach, CA 2491 Posts |
It has been several years since I bought a TV, but I got very angry at the salesman who told me that his store would back anything we purchased with a 90 day money back guarentee. If I wanted to feel more secure than that, I had to buy a long term warente. I asked him how much faith he had in his own prodeuct if that was as long as he would guarentee it for. He had no answer.
Basically the technology market has decided that people should now watch flat screen TV... and since many people are addicted to TV, they can charge what they like.
Magic is like Science,
Both are fun if you do it right! |
RobertBloor Inner circle The Socialist Republic of the USA. 1051 Posts |
Cliff,
Don't get mad at the salesman. It's not "his" product to sell. It's Toshiba, or Panasonic, Sony etc. I used to sell electronics and I had customers ask me this. I wanted to smack everyone of them silly. It's such an arrogant question to ask of someone who gets paid $8 or $10 an hour and has no power over the quality of what the company sells. Robert
"That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government,"
-The Declaration of Independence |
nucinud Inner circle New York, New York 1298 Posts |
I must be lucky, I own three large CRT TVs and two small ones. The large are 31", 32" and 36", the smalls are both 19". Their average age is over ten years old. And they are all working fine.
"We are what we pretend to be" Kurt Vonnegut, jr.
Now U C It Now U Don't Harry Mandel www.mandelmagic.com |
Doug Higley 1942 - 2022 7152 Posts |
Nucinud...your about ten year old TVs are nearing their edge. The thing is the demise factor was change a few years ago from average of ten years to 3 years. So TVs bought more recently (CRT) have an iffy future. When a minor part went out on my 3 yr old 32 inch CRT I could not get it fixed. I called nearly a double dozen repair and parts houses across the country and was told the same thing. The part (a transformer) was no longer available as RCA has only bought a certain amount which were long gone and the factories were NOT making nor were going to make the part. Forced death. Other than that it was still a great set but of no value when can't be fixed.
Buy a 5 year fix plan by all means and cover your butt. I recentty bought a no name ProTron lCD from Sears for under $700. Half what the Samsung or other name brands were costing. Did some checking and it has the SAME screen. Just fantastic quality picture. I covered it for 5 years and if it dumps, I get a new tv from Sears. If it dumps after 5 years I drop kick it out the door. No biggie. Price is right and results are spectacular. Another $100 for a Home Theater DVD Surround and we're in biz. Paying big bucks for a TV today is not necessary. You'll most likely get the same thing with out the name as China is providing most all the same screens. Of course Sony has a different set but the price is outrageous...put a Sony next to a Korean Samsung and match the difference in picture. Doubt if you'll see one. D
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magicleland Regular user 197 Posts |
I just picked up a Dell flat screen and I'm loving it.
zig zag illusion - $3,000
theater rental - $500 geting advice from othe magicians on the cafe - priceless |
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