Buying a HDTV for gaming and movies. Need advice...

[ahmadka]

Hi guys! Well I am thinking of buying a new HDTV, primarily for gaming, and watching HD movies..The size range I'm considering is around 37" ~ 42", .. I cant afford anything bigger :P...

So basically I have a few questions for you guys...if you could just help me out here.... :)

1) Considering the fact that I will be using this HDTV for gaming, are there any 'special features' I should look out for in a HDTV ?? Features that can enhance my gaming experience ?

2) For the indicated size range (37" ~ 42") I am not sure if a Full HD 1080p is really recommendable or not...because many people claim that in this size range, it is hard to notice any difference between 1366x768 and 1920x1080 (although I personally think I probably will be able to notice the difference :P )..

3) In addition to the above question...If I get a Full HD 1080p LCD, it will most probably be a Philips one, because thats all I can afford...So is it better to go for a Philips 42" Full HD 1080p LCD, or a non-Full HD LCD, from a more respectable company such as Sony or Samsung ?

4) Is it better to get a slightly bigger LCD, with 'average' specifications, or a slightly smaller LCD, with somewhat 'better' specifications (contast ratio, etc..)?

5) I have seen some HDTV's being listed as 'Analogue' .. (specifically some Sony HDTVs) ?!? Why is this ? Aren't all HDTV's digital ?

I am very confused about all this, since this is my first shot at HDTVs.... If someone can help me out with the above issues, I will be very grateful ! ...Thanks people :) ..

[skylolow]

What is your price range?

Then I'm sure many of us can point you in the right direction and give you a few Tv's to key in on.

[matwhitt61]

1) Possibly a "Game Mode." You can go plasma or LCD, but make sure plasma is one that can avoid burn-in relatively well. I plan on buying a Panasonic 42" or 50" plasma next week. Most new plasmas do not have many issues with burn-in from what I hear. I heard some Panasonics have a wipe feature or something like that that will erase image retention with a white line moving across the screen.

2) Whether you will notice 1080p at that size depends on your distance from the screen. I have heard that if you are 5-10 feet from the screen, 1080p will matter on that size, but if you are further away you won't notice any difference over 720p. If you watch Blu-ray or HD-DVD it also may be beneficial to get 1080p.

3) It really depends on you trying the TVs out. I would recommend Panasonic, Samsung or Sony over Philips from what I have seen from the screens. I wold also recommend Toshiba and they are a little cheaper than some of the other top brands. Check this one out for 720p: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8740801&type=product&id=1202648528342
Check this one out for 1080p:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8753743&type=product&id=1202649765592

4) I would go smaller with better specs and a better brand. Ex.: Go with 40" Samsung over a 50" Vizio.

5)Not sure about this, but you will probably want to get a digital tuner or even QAM tuner, unless you have a box feeding all TV signals into the TV. Those tuners are mainly for an antenna or direct input from cable via coax. If you will hook up to a box via component or HDMI anyway, no biggie.

[kevinw]

Did anyone notice the OP listed his location as Pakistan? Not likely to have BestBuy or Vizio there. :usa1:

[matwhitt61]

Good point...

I did not see that.

[Knicks4973]

But since he has Internet, he could buy from Vizio and Best Buy online...

[kevinw]

But since he has Internet, he could buy from Vizio and Best Buy online...
I would be suprised if they ship to the Afghani border :D
This would be his choices

http://www.beliscity.com/electronics_tvs_hdtvs/c5_82/index.html?osCsid=3264aaae67b44e50f8f94e4d7ce0fd53