In the market for a TV

[Tragic]

So, I'm graduating high school next week. I have a good amount of money to spend and my initial idea was to get a new PC. Well, my dad completely shot that down so I'm now looking for my next sorely needed item: a new TV.

Currently I've been playing my games/watching DVDs on a good ol' GXTV. Hey, I was young and the marketing worked perfectly on my 7th grade self (this was 5 years ago after all).

So, I want to get a new TV. I don't want to spend that large of an amount though. I'm looking to spend between $300 and $400. Of course If it's more than $400 after the tax that's fine or if I can get a great deal for $425 or something that's fine as well. I won't be using it for anything but games and DVDs for the time being, I may get cable TV installed in my room in the future though.

[Green]

I just replaced my old GX with a new tv as well. I went down to Circuit City and got a 20inch Phillips flat-screen tv with s-video and component inputs (plus the regular composite and rf). Only cost 200 bucks. You can't get much better than that, unless you're going for HD.

[Tommy Tallarico]

Get yourself something like this. You'll love it.

http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=...cat=24&scat=27

[Tragic]

Originally posted by AFX
Get yourself something like this. You'll love it.

http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=...cat=24&scat=27

I don't know much about TVs at all, are there any reasons specifically why this is a good TV or is it just a great deal? I just wanna make sure I get the most outta me cash.

[Dyne]

its got component input and its flat. thats all you need.

[Tragic]

Originally posted by Dragonmaster Dyne
its got component input and its flat. thats all you need.

And component is better than standard A/V jacks? I really don't know anyhting about home audio/visual stuff at all. If it is indeed better would I have to buy a new set of cables for one of my systems? If so, from where, how much, and which system (I have the three current generation consoles) should I hook up that way?

[Schlep]

I have a friend with the 20" Toshiba and his connection looks great even with regular composite cables. Of course, the component cables will look alot better, but I don't think they're necessary.

Btw, I think it's really strange that your parents shot down getting a new computer in favor of getting a TV. Most people I know used their computer they bought after graduating HS for 4-5 years. Going to school with an antique would suck.

[EightBit]

Originally posted by Dragonmaster Dyne
its got component input and its flat. thats all you need.

Unless its made by Apex. Two friends of mine got a flat screen Apex around the same time. Same model. A few months into having it the screen started to shift so that there was a black bar on the left about an inch thick. Very sucky. Plus sometimes the screen would do this weird jumpy skippy thing. Hard to explain.

There is a very nice JVC and a Toshiba going for about the price you want. The Toshiba opne is being cleared out to make way for a new model that is similer. I would goto some stores and see if they have any like that left. The JVC isnt flat screen, but its big, has a clear picture and has all the right hook ups.

[Tommy Tallarico]

It's got a component video, and an S-Video, as well as a couple of composite (red, yellow, white) jacks. It also has an audio output, should you ever want to run it into a stereo of some sort. Toshiba is one of if not the best brands available right now, which also makes it a good purchase.

To simplify the hookups thing-

component > s-video > composite

So, with your 3 consoles, I would put the one you play the most on component, the one you play the second most on s-video, and the last one on composite. Yes, you probably will have to buy a few cables, so just get them while you're there at Best Buy. Even if you go cheap, you can get component cables for the PS2 or Xbox for only 25 bucks or so, and S-Video cables for a little less. I would probably buy the High Def AV kit for the Xbox for 25, which will give you component off of that, then I'd buy a Pelican S-Video for Cube for like 10 bucks, and then just use your composite on your PS2, since the other two systems will benefit more from the better connections.

Hope that helps.

[Tragic]

Originally posted by Schlep


Btw, I think it's really strange that your parents shot down getting a new computer in favor of getting a TV. Most people I know used their computer they bought after graduating HS for 4-5 years. Going to school with an antique would suck.

Well, the main thing is that they don't want me to spend $1,000 to $1,300 building a PC. I'm going to community college for the first two years and as such, still living at home. I have a crappy PC at home (P3, 533 mhz, 64 megs of RAM, shitty intigrated video card, etc) that can suffice for typing up papers and such.$350 on a TV is a helluva lot less than even $1,000.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. AFX, your tips on hooking things up is great too. The TV money is coming straight outta whever I get from relatives and the like. For graduation my parents are getting me some new furnature for my room like a new TV stand and these sliding glass cases that hang on a wall to keep games and movies in. I'll be sure to clean up my room, set this all up and take a picture to post here in a few weeks.