Home audio & video forum: Should I buy HDTV now or wait a year?

If your current tv is ten years old, its definitely time to upgrade. Unless your interested in a specific upcoming model, there is no reason to wait. The technology in this area is always moving foward and trying to keep up with it can drive you nuts. If you have budget concerns, you might consider picking a model from the previous year. Newer doesnt automaticly mean better and you'll be surprise how you can save.

My conclusion is such:

it will lead you to either cash out and buy a late model tv or enter the phase where you wait and wait. It can be frustrating. You'll find someone around work, or a friend, and discuss the upcoming tv's, or maybe find someone who's already completely happy with their investment.

I took that later of the two choices to wait it out. keeping up can be fun as you click around the internet, but I am finding that whenever you read about new brands and new technology, I'll become ever more hesitant to just blow 3K on a i-think-its-the-best-for-my-money-tv. So now I wait to find the time when I am ready to settle ... that my web buddy is frustrating. May it be easier for you.

Dave

Your correct, none of the new technology are perfect. The best you can hope for is to pick a model that pulls off the best job of producing a quality picture.
Hoping to find a ''future-proof purchase'' in this retail market is a pipe dream. Even the latest and most expensive tv of today will be surpassed by tomorrow's tv.
In my oponion, if you want to narrow the many choices, narrow your budget. There are excellant models in almost every price range. Cnet is an excellant place to check models and prices.
Finally, dont worry if it seems a little overwhelming because it's not that hard. Chances are you just started looking. Being an informed consumer in this market takes a little effort.

In the next couple of months almost the enitre new line of tv's will be out except for sony.

Samsung's new pedestal will be out in late june early july. It's 1080p with a 5000:1 contrast ratio and will be fully loaded. It will go for 5K and will be a 56" I think it will fit your needs nicely. If not there should be a few other models out as well that are very nice

When will the new Sony product be available & what is expected?

I was hoping the rate of cost-performance performance improvement would flatten out somewhat in a year.

Since the underlying technology is now being driven by Moore's law, I may have to bite the bullet or wait a looong time.

Sigh....
Antonio

If you can live with your existing TV, and it keeps working, I'd say wait, which is what we decided. The features you want aren't yet subject to enough competition between brands to force down prices, and better features are on the horizon.

In a year DLP3 chips should be in many different manufacturer's sets. The technology JVC uses should become better established with more reviews and user experiences available to assess. Will these technologies together with bargain plasmas force the name brand higher quality plasmas to reduce prices further, and will somebody eliminate burn-in on plasmas.

All you can do is stay informed and make your best guess

Why must you buy HDTV at all? What is so compelling in either network or cable programming that would warrant this type of exorbitant expenditure? Why would someone willing shell out this type of cash to be even more effectively brainwashed?

I suggest you reevaluate your value system, my friend. NOBODY "has to have" HDTV.

Do you just watch TV or do you have an Xbox or PS2 or do you watch DVD's or do you hook you digital camera to your RV or do you want to use your TV display as a computer monitor and/or do you Tivo or use a DVR? I'm not into high quality audio, but if you are, then you need to consider HDMI vs. DVI.

These were all considerations to me since I needed to count inputs and outputs. My cable service (Cox) offers a HD-DVR so that takes a DVI connection. Xbox works fine with a component video. Digital camera doesn't need component video, but does also need an audio input on the front of the TV for ease of connection.

I am going to 60" display -- no need for computer monitor use at that size -- and I have the room space for a RPTV so that will save me some money. I anticipate that most cable services will be cable card within a year, so I am getting a cable card slot to be prepared. As I understand the technology, the cable card will require an intergrated HDTV tuner (but I maybe wrong about this), but currently the HD cable box and/or the HD satellite electronics include the HDTV tuner so the integrated tuner is not necessary, although most of the newer sets seem to include this feature now.

I am leaning toward the SONY 60" since I have always been pleased with my previous Sony's. I realize there is a large group of Sony haters.

I encourage you to research HDTV's. I learned a lot at http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-8900_7-1016109.html

Or do a cnet search for HDTV buying guide.

Till the prices comes down substantially.

Steve Gauss

Thanks for all the advice.

Although my current set has been repaired twice and seems to be on the verge of needing a third fix, I've decided to wait.

Antonio

I had a 15 year old 31" Panasonic stereo as my main TV and brightness was starting to go. so I started looking a year ago for HDTV and being a Panasonic person checked them against others out there with most features I wanted, I did not get the one with the card slot, but got a 47" with 4 speakers surround sound for just over $1300.00. I feel I already have gotten my moneys worth. Larger were not much more but this is as big as my room will hold. Beautiful picture and sound. I never knew so many people on TV had so many pimples, bumps and wrinkles. Can't hide from HD.

The condo I live in will be switching either to DishTV or Comcast.

Antonio

I would have to say your T.V. repairman doesn't have a whole lot of knowledge on the subject.

Of course prices will drop, and a year from now he'll probably say the same thing. Newer RPTV's will be being introduced, and the prices on them are really reasonable considering what you're getting. The big drop in price will be in the LCD panel technology, and plasma will follow suit simple to remain competitive.

....at least on paper. I'd like to see what the sets look like and they won't be in showrooms until sometime next year.

The downside of SED is that a purchase next year would put me on the bleeding edge of a technology that's just beginning deployment.

Antonio