I've been thinking about upgrading my TV, finally getting to the point where in the near future I can spend a good chunk of change for something like this.
However, it's been so long since I've looked into, much less researched the subject, that I feel a bit overwhelmed and behind...well, just about everything.
First of all, let me say that I only really would like to use my TV for the following things:
I don't watch any regular tv or anything like that, haven't used my tv for anything but those listed above in the longest time. As an additional note, I only plan to get between a 35" to 40" tv/monitor (thereabouts), obviously the larger the better, but don't really plan to go any larger than that for the living space I have and probably will have for quite some time.
That being said, there's a ton of things I don't completely feel comfortable with and understand (differences between plasma vs. lcd, etc. etc.) I have read a lot online to try and answer my questions, but was hoping to get a more interactive suggestions and experiences here, just for clarification and also for some fresh perspectives, and hell just some clearer answers. If my questions are incredibly silly or not worth answering, eh, my apologies, just ignore me.
Price isn't as much of an issue (though of course, it's nice to get the most bang for your buck). I'm not in a rush to upgrade immediately, and will probably hold off for a long while before I purchase. However, I do want it to last, and would rather wait and spend $1000 instead of $700, or $1500 instead of $1000 (and so on, you get the picture) as long as the difference was worthwhile. I'm mostly figuring out what exactly I should be looking for in a tv/monitor and then I can keep my eyes out on prices and put a little money aside in the coming months until I find something that fits my budget and works well with what I want to use it for.
Sorry if it's a rather longwinded post. In the meantime, I'm going to do my best to continue to read up more on the subject and see if I can't answer my own questions a little bit better.
However, it's been so long since I've looked into, much less researched the subject, that I feel a bit overwhelmed and behind...well, just about everything.
First of all, let me say that I only really would like to use my TV for the following things:
- Gaming (PS2/Gamecube only at the moment, eventually plan to get a PS3)
- Watching movies from DVD (and blu-ray I guess when I finally end up buying a PS3)
- Would like to be able to hook up my computer to it, just for general use sometimes, to watch things on my computer (ie. unlicensed anime I have downloaded, or playing a game on my computer on a larger screen, things of that nature).
I don't watch any regular tv or anything like that, haven't used my tv for anything but those listed above in the longest time. As an additional note, I only plan to get between a 35" to 40" tv/monitor (thereabouts), obviously the larger the better, but don't really plan to go any larger than that for the living space I have and probably will have for quite some time.
That being said, there's a ton of things I don't completely feel comfortable with and understand (differences between plasma vs. lcd, etc. etc.) I have read a lot online to try and answer my questions, but was hoping to get a more interactive suggestions and experiences here, just for clarification and also for some fresh perspectives, and hell just some clearer answers. If my questions are incredibly silly or not worth answering, eh, my apologies, just ignore me.
- Okay, so I guess for starters, for my listed uses of a new TV/Monitor? I read online a bit, and it seems LCD TVs are more catered to TV, LCD Monitors are more catered for computers (I know, a big DUH!) Do you think that from my main uses for it, that I'd be happier with a monitor over a tv? or vice versa? I couldn't find any reliable answers, and maybe there isn't a direct one. Still, any thoughts would be nice. As long as all of those things can be done with either, I guess I'd just like to know if I'll notice any drastic differences when choosing between the two.
- HMDI vs. Component vs. Composite vs. S-video...honestly, I read about all these different inputs and outputs, and I lose track of what is best for what, is there any in particular that I should definitely make sure for it to have for specific things? Ideally I guess I'd look for a tv/monitor with most if not all just to be sure that I'd be okay in most situations, but any clarification on the differences and desirability of each would be appreciated.
- 1080i? 1080p? 720p? etc.? I'll be honest when I say that I haven't really read into these things. The fact of the matter is that up until this point, I haven't really kept up to date with the terminology because I haven't had the money to upgrade my TV for the longest time. Didn't really want to take the time reading about things that I couldn't afford, just ended up depressing me when I'd look at my own piece of junk TV. Any advice on what I should shoot for to get the most of my movie watching/gaming/etc. experience.
- Which brands/company is more reliable/dependable? It's been a while, and I'd like to avoid ending up buying from a company known to have varying levels of reliability due to ignorance and lack of keeping up to date with that sort of thing for so long. Any companies that stand out? Any to avoid? That sort of thing.
Price isn't as much of an issue (though of course, it's nice to get the most bang for your buck). I'm not in a rush to upgrade immediately, and will probably hold off for a long while before I purchase. However, I do want it to last, and would rather wait and spend $1000 instead of $700, or $1500 instead of $1000 (and so on, you get the picture) as long as the difference was worthwhile. I'm mostly figuring out what exactly I should be looking for in a tv/monitor and then I can keep my eyes out on prices and put a little money aside in the coming months until I find something that fits my budget and works well with what I want to use it for.
Sorry if it's a rather longwinded post. In the meantime, I'm going to do my best to continue to read up more on the subject and see if I can't answer my own questions a little bit better.
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