Topic: help me decide for a flat panel

[domoooo]

lcd-savvy experts, lend me your wisdom  

guys i'm planning to buy a 32" LCD tv with HT and budget is 25-30k this december

use of the device will be limited to local channel viewing (still looking for a cable service provider in laguna, cabuyao area) and playing DVD

specs needed
- HDMI for my xtreamer
- able to hook up audio of home theater directly to the tv

the contenders
> LG 32LD460
   - priced 29k in sm. calamba - will look for price in sm sta. rosa, compared to 21k at SnS
   - no word yet from sir vic if they have the backlight bleeding resolved for this particular model

> LG 32LD330
   - no idea about this particular model
   - backlight bleeding as well?

> SAMSUNG 32" Series 5
   - saw some units but forgot model
   - "bad reputation for after sales"

thanks in advance guys...

==============================
UPDATE NOV 16.

i've narrowed down my choices to

Toshiba Regza AV700 (available at SnS as of nov 16)
- liked this one 'cuz of affordability and signal booster which is what i really needed

LG 32LD460
- still waiting for stocks at SnS

[TimSavvy]

LD460.. 37" if you can add P4k-P5k more. `

[domoooo]

LD460.. 37" if you can add P4k-P5k more. `

thanks for replying but 32" is more than enough for me and my wife and i can't stretch my budget to more than 30k 

[TimSavvy]

if your budget can't exceed P30k, then 37LD460 is just for you.  It's only P29.5k
hth.

[domoooo]

if your budget can't exceed P30k, then 37LD460 is just for you.  It's only P29.5k
hth.

LOL! that means i have P500 left to burn for HT  
kidding aside, like what i've said before, 37" way too big for the room that i have prepared for the said equipment.

[jao143]

Sir believe me, get the 37", you will not regret it. I currently have a samsung series 6 32" which I got before I knew PDVD. Had I known, Sana I took the LG 37". Samsung AfterSales really sucks.

[Reitfox]

Sir go for LG as I have read  dito sa fourms maganda ang customer service ng LG, I am planning to get LG lcd hopefully next week.

may tanong lang po ako ayos rin po ba ang standard cable viewing sa LG tvs lets say 37" or 40" or 42" kac baka naman mag sisi din ako pag bumili ako ng 37"-42" na size e d ko magamit sa normal tv viewing ayun pa man din ang habol ko second priority na gaming

[nsp]

LOL! that means i have P500 left to burn for HT  
kidding aside, like what i've said before, 37" way too big for the room that i have prepared for the said equipment.

noong nag start ako sa pdvd, hanap ko lang 32" lcd. sabi ko swak sa budget and size ng room. after doing lots of research and reading threads, yung 32" lcd naging 37" lcd. after a few more research and threads, yung 37" lcd ko naging 42" plasma. am now a very satisfied owner of a 42pj350, bought at a reasonable price of 33,600 at 12 months to pay.

overbudget = Yes.
regrets = HELL NO!!!

unsolicited advice, if you want to stick to your budget stop reading pdvd 

[abcerase]

Sir, the best way to go is to audition the TVs that you mentioned Pinoy DVD members would have their own taste and of course will tempt you..haha

But as long by the end of the day, you're satisfied, that's what it counts Beauty is usually in the eyes of the Beholder.

Good luck!

[roy128]

go for the 42' 

[domoooo]

unsolicited advice, if you want to stick to your budget stop reading pdvd

i'll take this as a constructive criticism 

thank you for all those who replied and still waiting for more suggestions..

[Verbl Kint]

If you're really stuck with 32", you can get an LED for around 25k, I believe.

But with your budget, the 37" would have to be the best bang for the buck, if you have the space to spare.

[nsp]

seriously, for your size and viewing (local channels and dvd) requirements, you're better off with an hd-ready tv. you won't notice the difference between hd ready and full hd at 32". the money saved can then go to htib.

with regards to htib, choose one with optical input and upscaling dvd. optical input so that you can still use the htib even if you decide to buy an nmt or bd player in the future. upscaling dvd so that you can delay buying a bd player while it is still very expensive.

[domoooo]

seriously, for your size and viewing (local channels and dvd) requirements, you're better off with an hd-ready tv. you won't notice the difference between hd ready and full hd at 32". the money saved can then go to htib.

best advice so far
reading from other threads, i've learned that HD ready is what i only need.
above 720p resolutions are useless in 32"

thank you sir... will look into LG 32LD330 and see other HD ready samsung products

may tanong lang po ako ayos rin po ba ang standard cable viewing sa LG tvs lets say 37" or 40" or 42" kac baka naman mag sisi din ako pag bumili ako ng 37"-42" na size e d ko magamit sa normal tv viewing ayun pa man din ang habol ko second priority na gaming

i don't think you will have a problem with this sir, most LCD TV's are equipped with upscaling feature (someone correct me on this one if i'm wrong)

[Verbl Kint]

best advice so far
reading from other threads, i've learned that HD ready is what i only need.
above 720p resolutions are useless in 32"

Not so fast.  While viewing at close distances, there are people who can actually see the difference between 720p and 1080p.

This is one reason why people in pdvd still get 1080p tv's whenever they can even at 32".

As one poster here has said, you have to audition to see what really works for you.  Reading stuff on the net is one thing, but viewing (and hearing, for audio) with your own eyes is best.

As for upscaling, most TV's actually don't have this feature, while most, if not all, can downscale to the resolution of the screen.

[Ppoooh]

Not so fast.  While viewing at close distances, there are people who can actually see the difference between 720p and 1080p.

This is one reason why people in pdvd still get 1080p tv's whenever they can even at 32".

I agree with you on this. Get a 1080p if you can afford it. Prices had gone down already. Otherwise, you may purchase a 720p model if you are very tight on budget.

The advantages are as follows:

1. You can use it as a PC monitor and you will get good 1920x1080 resolution. You can also use it for console gaming like PS3 or Xbox360. You will get the whole 1080p gaming resolution. Jpeg pictures shows up nicely at this resolution.

2. 720p replacement panels should be the first to be phased out. Having a 1080p model ensures that replacement parts will be available much longer than 720p panels.

That is why I got a 1080p model at 32" instead. Those who bought HD Ready 720p models would most likely upgrade to a FullHD 1080p model. If you are not sure that you will be upgrading in the future (tight on funds), then get the 1080p model. At least you are already on FullHD.

This is just my suggestion.

[domoooo]

Sir, the best way to go is to audition the TVs that you mentioned Pinoy DVD members would have their own taste and of course will tempt you..haha

But as long by the end of the day, you're satisfied, that's what it counts Beauty is usually in the eyes of the Beholder.

Good luck!

didn't see this one posted
noted and thank you sir...

@ Verbl Kint & Ppoooh
i have to agree with you guys on this...
now i have to take into consideration as to why i should get the full hd model instead

thank you guys for educating me about this

@Ppoooh
may i ask what model did you get?

[Prometheus75]

I agree with you on this. Get a 1080p if you can afford it. Prices had gone down already. Otherwise, you may purchase a 720p model if you are very tight on budget.

The advantages are as follows:

1. You can use it as a PC monitor and you will get good 1920x1080 resolution. You can also use it for console gaming like PS3 or Xbox360. You will get the whole 1080p gaming resolution. Jpeg pictures shows up nicely at this resolution.

2. 720p replacement panels should be the first to be phased out. Having a 1080p model ensures that replacement parts will be available much longer than 720p panels.

That is why I got a 1080p model at 32" instead. Those who bought HD Ready 720p models would most likely upgrade to a FullHD 1080p model. If you are not sure that you will be upgrading in the future (tight on funds), then get the 1080p model. At least you are already on FullHD.

This is just my suggestion.

+1 to future-proofing

-1 Until next year's drool-worthy, pockets-emptying flatscreen model, that is

[nsp]

Not so fast.  While viewing at close distances, there are people who can actually see the difference between 720p and 1080p.

the operative word here is close.
how close do you plan to watch your dvds and local channels?
i auditioned both hd ready and full hd 32" at normal viewing distances (>  6') and i can't see the difference

let's have a simple calculation to back up the claim. (the numbers won't be exact because this is just for illustration purposes).
A 50" 1080p will have a pixel density of about 2M/(50*50) = 800 pixels per square inch (just an estimate but actual value is close)
A 32" 720p will have a pixel density of about 1M/(32*32) = roughly 1,000 pixels per square inch (just an estimate but actual value is close)

does a 50" 1080p look sharp and detailed to you?
the 32" 720p, at the same proportional distance, will have greater pixel density.


but the bottom line is still audition audition audition.  

[Ppoooh]

@Ppoooh
may i ask what model did you get?

Sorry, but my unit is the older model LG Scarlet 32LH70YR. But I don't use it for cable TV viewing. Am using the WDTV Gen1 on it always. Only a very few 42LH70YR is still available. But you may check out the newer LG models.

[Ppoooh]

does a 50" 1080p look sharp and detailed to you?

That is why I got the 32" 1080p unit instead. Whether near or far, it is always the sharpest one can get with a 1080p source. 720p source still looks good still, but you have to step back a little.

But then upscaled DVD would still look much better on this 32" FullHD unit than on a 50" FullHD unit at the same viewing distance. Thou you have sit much farther away if you have a 50" unit.

[HDcouchpotato]

Thanks to the topic starter for this one. I am just about to buy a 32" as well but am future proofing to an LG 37" full hd or 32" full hd.

On a side note. I can't believe as well how affordable AVRs are now with pioneers 5.1 3d ready at 15k. It got me to evaluate upgrading to future proofing as well.

[domoooo]

Thanks to the topic starter for this one. I am just about to buy a 32" as well but am future proofing to an LG 37" full hd or 32" full hd.

On a side note. I can't believe as well how affordable AVRs are now with pioneers 5.1 3d ready at 15k. It got me to evaluate upgrading to future proofing as well.

actually sir I would like to thank those who replied and gave wonderful suggestions.
it goes to show that pdvd community are very helpful especially to newbies like me
i would also like to thank sir Vic of SnS for his undying support and excellent customer service - kudos to you sir and to all those who replied

just got a message from sir vic, LG 32LD330 with HT355SD @ P22K
will definitely visit SnS next week

[Reitfox]

Good luck sir domoo sana ako din makabili na next week i hope d ako mag sisi pag malabo ung cable XD

[nsp]

actually sir I would like to thank those who replied and gave wonderful suggestions.
it goes to show that pdvd community are very helpful especially to newbies like me
i would also like to thank sir Vic of SnS for his undying support and excellent customer service - kudos to you sir and to all those who replied

just got a message from sir vic, LG 32LD330 with HT355SD @ P22K
will definitely visit SnS next week

if i am not mistaken, the 355sd is just sd. baka di bagay sa hd tv mo. pasok pa rin sa budget mo if you go one model higher and get the 805. para hd ht paired with hd tv.

[domoooo]

@Reitfox
thanks sir, will definitely post the model that i would buy before finally closing this thread

if i am not mistaken, the 355sd is just sd. baka di bagay sa hd tv mo. pasok pa rin sa budget mo if you go one model higher and get the 805. para hd ht paired with hd tv.

sir i'm not familiar with sd, could you further explain?
btw, saw the 805 and loved it but its around 24k in SM with 50% discount if bundled with any LG HDTV
how much do 805's really cost?

[Ppoooh]

@Reitfox
thanks sir, will definitely post the model that i would buy before finally closing this thread
sir i'm not familiar with sd, could you further explain?
btw, saw the 805 and loved it but its around 24k in SM with 50% discount if bundled with any LG HDTV
how much do 805's really cost?

LG HT805PM SRP is php24,990.00. Php10k usually if  bundled with LG LCD HDTV.

[nsp]

@Reitfox
thanks sir, will definitely post the model that i would buy before finally closing this thread
sir i'm not familiar with sd, could you further explain?
btw, saw the 805 and loved it but its around 24k in SM with 50% discount if bundled with any LG HDTV
how much do 805's really cost?

sd = standard definition like your crt tv
hd = high definition like your new lcd

[lbjheat23]

Mga dude...Newbie lang po ako dito sa site...Im planning po to buy an LCD sa December... What can you suggest po? Actually, napansin ko sikat na sikat yung LG LD460... lalo na ung 37" at 42"

Tanong na din po sana ako...Kasi meron akong Speaker sa bahay kaso for PC nga lang...Tingin nyo po ba advisable pa na bumili ako ng home theater? Ang speaker ko po is Altec Lansing 5.1...Diba po simple lang naman ang pagkabit nun, I mean...video lang naman ang tatanggalin ko from the PC Monitor tapos kabit ko using DVI/HDMI cable tapos plug ko sa HDMI port ng HD TV tapos ok na po diba?

Tsaka isa pa po...Kung bibili ako lets say yung HT 805PM...paano po ang gagawin ko kung ikakabit ko po ang PC ko sa HD TV pero at the same time ang gusto ko po ay yung sound manggagaling sa HT805PM at hindi sa Altec na PC speakers? Naisip ko lang po kasi parang ang dami kong cable/converters na dapat bilhin...kasi diba po ultimately kelangan pa rin eh maikabit ko ung HT805PM sa soundcard sa likod ng PC para mareplicate niya yung sound coming from the PC (i.e., NBA 2k11 PC Game?) Advise naman po dyan mga Sirs!!!

Help naman po...first time ko po talaga magshift sa HD TV at HT...

Maraming salamat po!

[domoooo]

first page updated

can someone recommend me other good HTib's?
HT335SD should be enough and HT805 is out of the question due to budget issues