I need a new TV. Options

[kuhla]

------------- Reasons:

(1) My old TV has been "bad" for a long time now. I know many have you have experienced the wonderful whine it emits.

(2) After re-doing my room, I now have a TV stand with a lot of junk and a shitty looking TV on top of it. Getting a new TV was always part of the plan.

(3) Because of how things are at my house, TV availability for Friday night or Saturday night activities is usually limited to late, after 8:30pm type stuff. While the larger TV in the family room still serves a great purpose, having another screen to start with would be very nice.

------------- Search criteria:

(1) Budget: Very strict limit of under $1000 with tax and shipping (if applicable, local purchase is an option). $800 is the goal number for the actual MSRP alone.

(2) Size: The TV stand, media station thing is 47" wide. Looking up some TV dimensions this means it would comfortably hold a 47" size max (because 47" diagonal screen + bezel seems to bring it close to it's diagonal length). Convenient with the numbers right? So in terms of screen sizes I'm looking at 40" to 47" with a lean to quality over quantity (hopefully) on price-to-size.

(3) Technical: 240Hz tech seems like mostly a gimmick (more on that later) but 120Hz does have it's advantages so trying to get that. 1080p for sure. HDMI inputs or HDMI + DVI, whatever combination but would like to have at least 3 or so digital inputs (tv reciever, XYZ device, computer). No plasma. LCD is highly preferred. Mildly curious about DLPs.

------------- Initial research:

(1) 240Hz vs 120Hz vs 60Hz
source - http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-18438_7-10243372-82.html

Ok so to get a 60 fps signal (30 fps TV signal shown twice=60 or 60 fps source like a computer) to 120 fps, TV companies have technology in their products that takes two frames, examines both and then adds one in between showing what they assume would be there. The problem is then when they decided to push the 240Hz gimmick they didn't all do it the same way. The MEMC method is just doubling the 120Hz process, adding a frame inbetween the added frames (mind is full of fuck). Some other companies still show 120 fps of video and then show 120 fps of darkness (backlight off), a method referred to as scanning backlight. That second method quite obviously seems a bit "cheaper".

MEMC: Sony, Samsung
Scanning backlight: LG, Toshiba, Vizio

According to the cnet article linked earlier, the MEMC implementation of 240Hz is a tiny bit superior. Like I said earlier, 240Hz overall seems like a gimmick to me (interpolating the interpolation, really?) and thus I don't really care if the TV is 240Hz or not. However 120Hz does seem at least a bit worthwhile even though at the end of the day it's always a 30 or 60 fps source.

(2) I still need to look into panel types and the like since I am wholly ignorant of that aspect.

More to come!

[Jedi2155]

I'll read the rest of the post later but Black Friday is your b est bet. Although usually only 1-3 TVs are an exceptionally good deal, but there are a bunch good deals besides those couple.