I'm sure that most of you may already know what I learned from my visit at Sights and Sounds. For those who are curious like me, (an "apprentice
"), read on and you might just be informed...
My main objective was to be able to see which is the best 32' LCD out in the market. Out of all the players, I have narrowed it down to the top three units, (as recommended by Sir Atlantiz): Samsung LA32R81B, Panasonic TX-32LX70 and the Sony KLV32U300A.
These three are on top due to the following:
>Price
>Picture Quality
>Popularity/Number of Units Sold
>Lifespan
>After sales service/Customer support
However, I had to see which would fit well for my needs, namely:
>TV/Cable viewing
>DVD movie viewing (ordinary dvd with component cable connection)
>PS2 gaming
Out of the three, I ranked Samsung numero uno on my list due to the following:
>For my viewing needs, it showed the best picture quality.
>The menu interface of Samsung is nice and very easy to navigate through.
>The movie mode option of the Samsung shows the best picture quality/resolution when viewing an ordinary dvd with a component cable connection.
>The movie mode option of the Samsung also emits just the right brightness needed when viewing in a dark room, making it easy to view and won't strain your eyes.
>The rest are just icing on the cake: slick design (R81), price (fits my budget), guaranty (in-house by S&S); etc...etc...etc...
One tip I learned (which you may already know)
:
>It is advisable to place a soft dimmed night light, prefferably at the back of your LCD, (creating a backlight), when viewing. They say that it improves picture quality. The "backlight" must be at the most, 10% of what your LCD emits.
Just a thought...ever wondered why the Samsung R81 has a small dimmed light below the unit?
Again, I just want to point out that this is my personal opinion on the matter.
I also realized that when you compare LCD's of different brands side by side, you will really see the difference between each one. But at the end of the day, when you've decided to bring home your choice of LCD, it will give you the best picture quality you expect of it, as you have basically nothing to compare it with. The choice greatly depends on the eye of the beholder.
As I've mentioned, I have yet to purchase my Sammy this November. I'm sure, that when I do get my unit, I will share more things about it as I begin to use it.
To Sir Jayps11_c and Sir IceTea, I hope you picked up something here and thanks for posting and for your interest on the matter.
Cheers!
Stickfighter