hey all, been in peril for the last few weeks shopping for a new tv. ruled out plasma because it’ll be in a bright room, although i favor the picture quality and i’m a huge hockey fan.
i’m starting to think that i should just go for size rather than specs. i’ve got a 47" vizio LCD 1080p, 120hz lined up and have two 32" older vizios at home that i haven’t had any problems with.
walmart offers said tv for around 700 brand new and just under 600 refurb – another point of interest. anyone have any advice on buying refurbished? seems like a decent idea and i’d probably opt for the three-year warranty for around 90 bucks anyway (end up being the same price as a new one without a warranty).
but too much research has me spinning into oblivion with 720p vs. 1080p, refresh rate, input lag, etc.
i mainly watch sports and netflix through xbox 360. i’d like to own a blu-ray player somewhere down the line and opt for the extra $2 a month plan to get blu-ray discs through netflix and it seems as though i’d be doing myself a disservice by going 720p in that regard. i have a decent sound system with the vizio soundbar (no sub). not looking to spend over 800. i’ve been told you can’t tell the difference between the two resolutions at a certain viewing distance unless the tv is over 40" or so, but i’m generally very particular when it comes to picture/sound quality.
i’m lucky enough (as well as cursed) to live on long island where walmart, target and best buy and whatever else you can name are within blocks of one another, so i’ve been able to shop around. still, best buy is the only store that actually puts any effort into calibrating tv’s and putting together a decent display.
so i suppose the question is: should i pull the trigger on the vizio or wait it out for a sale or the right price? i’d also like to stick to the mid/upper-tier brands, no hannspree, sanyo, insignia, etc. and would rather not go through amazon in case there’s a problem in transit.
much appreciated!! -cory