HDTV Market Glut..Prices to Drop Faster?

[Zanzibar]

This USAToday article (http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20060719/tc_usatoday/flatpaneltvsgetlesspriceyfaster) via Yahoo! Tech (http://tech.yahoo.com/olb) talks about how Flat-Panel HDTVs are selling less than expected:

...TV makers and others thought sales would surge in advance of the World Cup this month, especially in soccer-mad Europe. That would have provided a welcome boom during a normally slow time. But the sales jump never happened.

The industry is still growing fast. Almost 42 million flat-panel liquid crystal display (LCD) sets are expected to be sold this year, about double the 21 million sold last year, DisplaySearch says. Sales of a competing kind of flat-panel, plasma, also are rising.

"Growth isn't falling off the face of the Earth, it's just not as explosive as some people thought," Abowd says. She says companies may also have overestimated the number of people with enough disposable income for a flat-panel.

The article does mention that this may mean a solid holiday season as makers cut prices to spur demand...let's hope so!

[bapenguin]

Good I need an excuse to put one in my living room. :)

[CrashCart]

I've been looking to replace my 21" flat CRT TV that I've had for 7 or 8 years now.. It's been adequate as the viewing distance hasn't been much more than 6 feet or so, but I'm definitely looking for an upgrade. I had my eye on a Samsung 40" LCD panel (only720p) for the last month or so after doing some research, but I just haven't found a deal good enough to convince me to go through with it.

Maybe I'll hold out a bit longer.

[AntB]

So do I bap, I want an HDTV, but I don't want to spend over $1000. And I have limited real estate, so I need LCD. This is holding my 360 gaming back damn it.

[Zanzibar]

I tell ya, you know it's bad when I've been holding off on playing GRAW until I have an HDTV to play it on.

[jeffbax]

I just got a new 360 prem for $312 shipped, but I only have this shitty old 19" CRT to play it on :(

I also need an HDTV, something around 26-32 inches and LCD, but these prices just suck right now unless you want absolute shit quality.

[Lord Nerdious]

I've been holding off until next year anyways.

SEDTV anyone?
http://www.hdtvsolutions.com/sed_tvs.htm

[TrackZero]

Hrm, too bad I'm a fan of front/rear projection. I still haven't seen an LCD/Plasma look as good as the "classic" HDTVs. Maybe I'm just missing something.

[CrashCart]

I've been holding off until next year anyways.

SEDTV anyone?
http://www.hdtvsolutions.com/sed_tvs.htm
Sure, if you have money to burn. I have no idea how much first gen SED TVs are going to cost, but I would wager that it's going to be a lot. On the bright side, it will probably drive down prices of LCDs and plasmas.

[Zanzibar]

I've really been keeping my eye on this Samsung 30" (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7716769&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat31800050030&id=1138087675171), but it ain't flat-panel. It's been hovering around $730 on sale (although I noticed this just sold out again, but it'll be restocked soon I'm sure), but once it drops a bit more I'm gonna nab it.

[Lord Nerdious]

Sure, if you have money to burn. I have no idea how much first gen SED TVs are going to cost, but I would wager that it's going to be a lot. On the bright side, it will probably drive down prices of LCDs and plasmas.

Did you read the article? No? Well SED TVs are going to use cheaper manufacturing techniques then even LCD. The only thing it depends on right now is the usable product yield. 100,000:1 Contrast Ratio is enough for me to start saving my pennies now.

[Barrapa]

I have that SlimFit Samsung and it is a great HDTV for the price. 360 looks great on it.

[Zanzibar]

I have that SlimFit Samsung and it is a great HDTV for the price. 360 looks great on it.
Cool. Yeah, I heard that the earlier models (3078 and 3079 and maybe even 3080) had some issues, but this new 3082 model looks like they've more or less solved them.

[CrashCart]

Hrm, too bad I'm a fan of front/rear projection. I still haven't seen an LCD/Plasma look as good as the "classic" HDTVs. Maybe I'm just missing something.
I'm not a videophile or audiophile by any means, but some of the new panels look amazing to my eye and they don't suffer from the narrow viewing angle of a lot of rear projections. Front projection interests me, but I don't think its a viable solution in my smallish apartment. Maybe someday. I haven't really looked for a TV since before the HDTV craze, but I was pretty sure I didn't want an LCD when I finally started shopping around. Seeing them in person changed my mind on the issue, though.

Did you read the article? No? Well SED TVs are going to use cheaper manufacturing techniques then even LCD. The only thing it depends on right now is the usable product yield. 100,000:1 Contrast Ratio is enough for me to start saving my pennies now.I was previously aware of SED technology and heard about cheaper production costs, but I'll believe lower MSRPs when I see them. First generation tech also comes with the risk of dealing with the quirks and kinks before they're addressed and ironed out. Like I said above, I'm not a videophile at any rate and have been out of the game for a while but I haven't figured out what the deal is with contrast ratios. I've seen 5,000:1 sets and much higher ratio sets side by side and find it hard to tell the difference. Maybe I'm missing something.

In any event, I don't mean to bash SED TV or anything but I wouldn't bank on them hitting shelves at lower prices than current HDTVs. Maybe they will, though, and I'll gladly eat my words. But if I'm finally going to dive into the HD realm, I'll drop my cash on a 5th or 6th gen LCD set that sees a big price drop before I wait for a new technology that I haven't seen with my own eyes to make it to market. Do what you will with your own paycheck.

[gzsfrk]

About time prices started falling... I've been noticing that you can likewise get some really good deals on LCD monitors lately also (TigerDirect has been selling 17" LCDs for $99 after rebate, 19" for $129 after rebate), so maybe this is like when CRT monitors FINALLY started falling in price in the mid 90s. I remember that for the longest, a 14" CRT SVGA monitor cost $200, and it stayed at that price for like 4 years, until finally the market just dropped out and you could get a 17" for around $100. Of course, nowadays you can ger a refurb 21" CRT for $60 plus shipping (which, incidentally, is often as much as the cost of the monitor), which is great since I have the room for it and obviously prefer the quality of a high-refresh CRT over LCD any day. (non-native resolution scaling for teh loss...)

[SexualChoc]

I hope they begin to drop. What with me finally getting my own room, and HD gaming upon us, now would be the perfect time. I've had my eye on a few, but I think I'll hold off a bit.

[mos]

When I got my new plasma TV, I noticed my tv-watching time skyrocket from about an hour a week (Deadwood) to pretty much anything that looked cool.

...Because everything looks cool now.

[Metal Jesus]

I picked up a X360 and the next day wanted an 42" HDTV. Only problem is I only wanna spend about $1400...and the 42" HDTVs are not quite there yet...

Perhaps a couple more months will bring them down to my price range. :P

[Wyrm]

They're suprised that the sales haven't gone up? It's fairly obvious why. Most of the people who already bought one are the ones that either a) have disposable income, or b) are early adopters of the newest technology. The HDTV still hasn't dropped enough in price for the casual TV viewer to say "Hey, I need one of those". In addition to that fact, HD cable is another service add on, as well as the fact that a lot of people either 1) dont know there's even that much of a difference, or 2) just dont give a shit anyway.

HD is something that could have taken off much faster had it been marketed more effectively. If there were more televisions that were priced toward a lower income bracket, (which there are just now starting to be), it would have been a 'hot shit' item that everyone had to have. It still hasn't replaced the original TV in the same way that TV did to radio, and that's what these HD companies seem to think it will do.

[EternalGamer]

I'm telling you guys, when it comes to higher resolutions, bigger the better. I no longer think you get your money's worth on a 34" set. I have a 34" Sony XBR960 HDTV, which I never use anymore. This is because I got an Enchanced Definition projector (yes, Enchanced, not HD) and can now view an 86" image, which looks way way more impressive than my HDTV ever did even though it is only 480p. The kicker is I only paid $450 for both the projector AND the pull down screen.

Projectors are the way to go. Over the last month, I found my gaming consoles gradually migrating to the projector and I finally just hooked everything up to it so it is my sole gaming device now. 86" at even 480p beats 34" at 720p or 1080i anyday. Now I just want an HD projector, but I am very happy with what I currently have. I can wait a few years and just replace this one when the prices come down even further.

[thecrazyd]

Good I need an excuse to put one in my living room. :)
Right, you only have what, 7 now? How can you live like that? It is barbaric!

[Deathbane27]

It's hard to justify spending so much for an HDTV when you occasionally get a 27" standard-def CRT for $100. I wish the 360 had the ability to output to two SDTVs, I'd get that for splitscreen play in a heartbeat.

[Cubfan]

I've looked at buying an HDTV for awhile. The sticking point is that I'd have to buy a new DirectTV receiver, and one that is capable of HD Tivo, and increase my monthly bill. If it was just the TV, I'd buy one in a second.

[Serapth]

Projectors are the way to go. Over the last month, I found my gaming consoles gradually migrating to the projector and I finally just hooked everything up to it so it is my sole gaming device now. 86" at even 480p beats 34" at 720p or 1080i anyday. Now I just want an HD projector, but I am very happy with what I currently have. I can wait a few years and just replace this one when the prices come down even further.


Projectors are only feasible if 1) you have a room where you have complete control over the lighting. Even the light bleeding through standard curtains ruins the image. 2) You dont need to share the room with anyone else, as frankly it will be pitch black.

That said, I had a WXGA quality projector hooked up in my garage for a few days to play a golf sim I bought and HOLY SHIT. In pure darkness, a 10 foot high image totally kicks ass!

[cp#]

HDTV sales did not boom/are not booming because they are too expensive. Yes $2000 is too expensive for most working class families.. There are more important places to put all that money (like food, bills, education etc etc)

[Zurik]

I just want a HD set that around 27" to 30". If there's a good brand that someone can recommend under $1000, let me know.

[Plays4Pants]

HDTV sales did not boom/are not booming because they are too expensive. Yes $2000 is too expensive for most working class families.. There are more important places to put all that money (like food, bills, education etc etc)

2000 for a tv is too much for people with dignity and principles too. Ya know, the non-self centered gluttonus types.

And i tend to change "food, bills, education, wife/girlfriend, child, family, hopes, dreams, job, taking care of others rather than yourself" into one word - life.
To each their own of course, but the ever-trend of popularity of ridiculous gluttony is keeping super high prices super high. I think the video game market does a better job of changing prices after a few months to keep sales up because the "I need now" mentallity is dwindling. The gluttony is quick and short.
And i'm sure that new blue ray player REALLY HAS 1000 bucks worth of product in it! I don't mind that, for a few months...but 5 years later it would be silly to still have blue ray players anything more than half price.

For consumers take back da' power...consumers have to hesitate and get over themselves.

[EternalGamer]

Projectors are only feasible if 1) you have a room where you have complete control over the lighting. Even the light bleeding through standard curtains ruins the image. 2) You dont need to share the room with anyone else, as frankly it will be pitch black.

That said, I had a WXGA quality projector hooked up in my garage for a few days to play a golf sim I bought and HOLY SHIT. In pure darkness, a 10 foot high image totally kicks ass!


I'll agree with you on the darkness, but I think most (that work) only play games at night the majority of time anyway. And my $400 projector is still totally viewable in the room I use it on a sunny day, despite there being TWO large skylights and a huge back window in the room. It does, admitedly look a lot more washed out. But holy shit come dusk, it transforms into the most beautiful image display I've ever seen outside of a theatre.

As for the sharing the room thing, I don't see how that's really a problem. A projector with a pull down screen actually is less obtrusive than a large TV or even an entertainment centre. when you pull up the screen it's hard to even know it is there. As for the projector itself, you can mount it on the ceiling or wall or, do what I did--put it on a rolling cart so it can easily be moved to the closet when not in use.

[Serapth]

As for the sharing the room thing, I don't see how that's really a problem. A projector with a pull down screen actually is less obtrusive than a large TV or even an entertainment centre. when you pull up the screen it's hard to even know it is there. As for the projector itself, you can mount it on the ceiling or wall or, do what I did--put it on a rolling cart so it can easily be moved to the closet when not in use.


What I meant is, to use the projector you would want to make the room pitch black. That kinda precludes someone from say... reading a book in the same room, etc... Maybe its the married perspective in me speaking. The other problem is you cant break line of site from the projector to the screen, so depending on how its mounted, you run into mobility issues for other people trying to use the room to.

Granted, most people with projectors have a dedicated room for them. I actually have a 1/2 unfinished basement im kicking around the idea of turning into a theatre/games room ( hey... wifes idea, who am I to argue? ;) ). Thing is I already have a 42" dlp tv, so I dont have any really good justification... well other then the fact that its unfinished I could wire the sound like you couldnt imagine!!!!

[cklown]

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a390/fitbabits/BanHammer.jpg
cklown by name, cklown by nature. User banned for advertising.

[bKangy]

Hint: There's a limited market for enormous screens!

[Zanzibar]

I just want a HD set that around 27" to 30". If there's a good brand that someone can recommend under $1000, let me know.

Try the Samsung I linked to above. My brother has one, it really kicks ass, but then again his place is small enough where he's not that far away from the screen - maybe 6-8 feet. 30" is great for that setup. Anything farther than that you'll want a bigger screen.

[Zanzibar]

Woohoo! Banhammer Time!!!

[Serapth]

Woohoo! Banhammer Time!!!

Yeah, but the banhammer isnt as fun when its so blatant...

[critch]

Well, duh. I've been saying it for years, the average family has a tv that's about 5-10 years old, and if it's working fine, there's no reason for them to upgrade. That's why HDTV sales have been stagnant, and that's why they continously push back that "All tv's must get a digital" signal law that's never going to go into effect. The mainstream does not seem to want HDTV, and are perfectly willing to watch crts forever until the tubes burn out. HDTV is too expensive, and is seen as a 'rich man's tv'.

The thing that effects things familiar to the gaming community is that this is going to hurt the 360 and SERIOUSLY hurt the PS3. Both companies have thrown money at the HD market, touting their HD capabilites, for a high-end market that may end up being smaller than they realize.

[Zanzibar]

The thing that effects things familiar to the gaming community is that this is going to hurt the 360 and SERIOUSLY hurt the PS3. Both companies have thrown money at the HD market, touting their HD capabilites, for a high-end market that may end up being smaller than they realize.
Give the PS3 a chance to become 'the thing that drives sales', AKA the 'Killer App' for HDTV. Look how many people we have here that have X360s and now want HDTV because they've got friends who own X360/HDTV combos and they've been impressed.

But, that said, maybe MICROSOFT and SONY will get hurt if HDTV sales stay slow, but not the X360 and PS3.

[drakkarim]

i'd like to buy one, but still can't figure out a single real reason to do so, i rarely watch movies or cable tv, and don't have any consoles (other then the GC). so really, why bother?

[Siraris]

I think the BEST thing Sony could do this fall is bring out their new Bravia's for CHEAP. If people have to pay $5-$600 for the PS3, it would make the transition a lot easier if they could go out and get a HDTV for a lower price. It would also really stimulate the whole market.

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_BrowseCatalog-Start;sid=Pn_vu6wsVOnu-eiSst_lsOM83zdHUh-2pRs=?CategoryName=hid_tv_newbravia

Yummy!

[dotbomb]

All I know is the Samsung 1080p DLP I've been eyeing dropped from $3999 to $2200 within the past 6 months. The only thing that's holding up my purchase now is the fact that TiVO still doesn't have an HD version of their box.

[Siraris]

All I know is the Samsung 1080p DLP I've been eyeing dropped from $3999 to $2200 within the past 6 months. The only thing that's holding up my purchase now is the fact that TiVO still doesn't have an HD version of their box.

I know dude. DON'T buy comcast's DVR. It's so awful. I really wish someone could explain why it lags like it does. How many times am I going to be watching a show and fast forwarding and it won't stop fast forwarding when I tell it to :(

[crashedout]

All I know is the Samsung 1080p DLP I've been eyeing dropped from $3999 to $2200 within the past 6 months. The only thing that's holding up my purchase now is the fact that TiVO still doesn't have an HD version of their box.

ITs in beta now...MCE machines DVR OTA HDTV very well with a 360 and their software is almost as good. I am waiting on this years SXRD's for my second HDTV. SED is at least 3 years away from consideration given what I have read and its delays thus far.

[dotbomb]

I know dude. DON'T buy comcast's DVR. It's so awful. I really wish someone could explain why it lags like it does. How many times am I going to be watching a show and fast forwarding and it won't stop fast forwarding when I tell it to :(

Yup, that's exactly what is holding me up. I hear the cox box is horrible too. My neighbor has it and hates it with a passion.

Sorry yours is buggy. I really hope TiVO gets their act together soon.

ITs in beta now...

That's good news! I would expect it to be out by 2007 :D

[Siraris]

ITs in beta now...MCE machines DVR OTA HDTV very well with a 360 and their software is almost as good. I am waiting on this years SXRD's for my second HDTV. SED is at least 3 years away from consideration given what I have read and its delays thus far.

I thought the Tivo DVR has been in beta since early this year? I heard it was coming out this fall.

I am waiting on the SXRD's too. I'd love an SED, but HDR displays are coming out next year, and HDR and SED will both be super expensive for at LEAST 3 years. I just can't decide between LCD and Rear. Do you know why the Bravias don't do DLP or Plasma? I'm not a huge fan of LCD so I may have to go rear, but rears are so heavy and... bleh

[gzsfrk]

I'm telling you guys, when it comes to higher resolutions, bigger the better. I no longer think you get your money's worth on a 34" set. I have a 34" Sony XBR960 HDTV, which I never use anymore. This is because I got an Enchanced Definition projector (yes, Enchanced, not HD) and can now view an 86" image, which looks way way more impressive than my HDTV ever did even though it is only 480p. The kicker is I only paid $450 for both the projector AND the pull down screen.

Projectors are the way to go. Over the last month, I found my gaming consoles gradually migrating to the projector and I finally just hooked everything up to it so it is my sole gaming device now. 86" at even 480p beats 34" at 720p or 1080i anyday. Now I just want an HD projector, but I am very happy with what I currently have. I can wait a few years and just replace this one when the prices come down even further.

Couldn't possibly agree with you more. I've had a 480p LCD projector for the past 4 years projecting an 11' (132") image on the wall of my converted garage home theater, and there's no way I could ever go back. 42"? Pfftt.. 4 player splitscreen, and each of my players can have a bigger screen than that. =)

[gzsfrk]

What I meant is, to use the projector you would want to make the room pitch black. That kinda precludes someone from say... reading a book in the same room, etc... Maybe its the married perspective in me speaking.


This hasn't at all been the case with my experience, and my projector is only 1000 lumens. We keep some low-watt lamps on in the room all the time, and the picture still looks fantastic. Of course it's always better to have ALL the lights off, but its about the difference of going from a DS Phat to a DS Lite--the Phat is still perfectly playable, if not as bright and colorful as the Lite's twin suns.

And for the record, I'm married as well. (The wife used to love playing her Animal Crossing on the big big screen. :) )

Oh, and one other thing--you don't even have to purchase a screen to go with your projector. You can just paint your own screen on the wall with some high-gloss off-white paint (such as a light gray) and border it with black satin paint, and you're set--no screen to pull down, no fuss, and much cheaper. In fact, there's even a specialty paint you can buy called "ScreenGoo"; I haven't tried it, but it's supposed to be excellent for getting the highest contrast-to-brightness ratio out of your projector.

[Inverarity]

MCE machines DVR OTA HDTV very well
I'm not sure what's scarier: that this is arguably correct grammar, or that I understood it after only one rereading.

(I use a kludged-together combination of an old G4 Mac and a Roku HD1000 for HD recording and playback- the 360 does as okay job with playback, but MCE's rebuffering time for HD video seems to be really excessive and makes commercial-skipping a chore.)

[Mav]

when HDTV's (of all kind) become the same price range as CRT tv's, I'd like to get one. But other than that, I couldn't justify paying more than $100-$200 for a tv unless it was a large screen like 52'.

[Siraris]

when HDTV's (of all kind) become the same price range as CRT tv's, I'd like to get one. But other than that, I couldn't justify paying more than $100-$200 for a tv unless it was a large screen like 52'.

Get a 70" SXRD. Those are more than $200.

[Mason]

Well, duh. I've been saying it for years, the average family has a tv that's about 5-10 years old, and if it's working fine, there's no reason for them to upgrade. That's why HDTV sales have been stagnant, and that's why they continously push back that "All tv's must get a digital" signal law that's never going to go into effect. The mainstream does not seem to want HDTV, and are perfectly willing to watch crts forever until the tubes burn out. HDTV is too expensive, and is seen as a 'rich man's tv'.
It's simpler than that. Americans have a negative savings rate (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/07/business/main1293943.shtml) and in spite of electronics manufacturers attempts to shoddy them up enough to make them consumables, TVs are still durable goods.

If anyone was actually making money then things might be different, but consumer spending/confidence is already irrationally high.

[crashedout]

I am waiting on the SXRD's too. I'd love an SED, but HDR displays are coming out next year, and HDR and SED will both be super expensive for at LEAST 3 years. I just can't decide between LCD and Rear. Do you know why the Bravias don't do DLP or Plasma? I'm not a huge fan of LCD so I may have to go rear, but rears are so heavy and... bleh

Bravia is thier line of LCD's. Sony likes to make its own stuff wherever possible. This eliminates DLP (besides, at the chip level, SXRD is superior is all respects right now). Sony does make plasmas, I don't know if they make their own glass or get it from others. Rear projection micro-displays are not that heavy, 110-130 lbs, and no deeper than 24 inches. I don't call that big.

I use a Athlon XP 2500 for my MCE and my HD streaming is fine, other than the small delay as the 360 relays the input from the remote I have no issues. As soon as there is cable-card support all I will get rid of the other DVR's.

While the COX (with passport) HD-DVR is not as good as a TIVO it is far from bad. There were issues with the first versions but the newer ones are fine in my market.

[Mr.Condescension]

besides, at the chip level, SXRD is superior is all respects right now

It's interesting to hear you say that. I've heard that said before several times, and yet in every store I've been to a direct comparison of the Samsung DLP and Sony SXRD side by side shows a perceivable advantage in PQ for the Samsung DLP. Is this an issue of the technology being better, but the implementation and materials being worse, or have you noticed the opposite in terms of PQ?

[crashedout]

It's interesting to hear you say that. I've heard that said before several times, and yet in every store I've been to a direct comparison of the Samsung DLP and Sony SXRD side by side shows a perceivable advantage in PQ for the Samsung DLP. Is this an issue of the technology being better, but the implementation and materials being worse, or have you noticed the opposite in terms of PQ?


I see rainbows, so yes...big difference. Some people like the digital like look of the DLP's while other think the that the SXRD looks more like a CRT. Others think the Wobulation on the DLP prevents it from begin a true 1080p tv. You also have to consider that its rare for a TV in a store to be set up properly. I have seen a properly setup SXRD with a quality feed, but have not seen a dlp under identical circumstances yet. It really comes down to personal preference, you can get the DLP's for less money...go with your gut.

[Deadend]

All I have determined so far... is that my HDTV comes AFTER my next gen consoles, as everything about HD right now is crap. Only certain channels do HD, Comcast charges more, DVR's have trouble with it, HD movies are in a format war with consumer lockout.

The only good thing about HD so far is that it works better with Computers and 360s, otherwise every time I look at a HD screen I see how the badly Hollywood/TV did not get their act together.

[Mudvayne_Nothin]

I'm still going to wait. It seems like all this new stuff keeps being added to each HDTV...it's still new technology. I think within the next 6 months i'll possibly think about it.

[Orosco]

I know dude. DON'T buy comcast's DVR. It's so awful. I really wish someone could explain why it lags like it does. How many times am I going to be watching a show and fast forwarding and it won't stop fast forwarding when I tell it to :(

Man, Quote For Truth on this one, I have a Comcast DVR box, and I get a ton of lag. Its mostly when I switch channels, nothing will happen, then it will jump about 3-4. I get some when I fast forward, but my biggest complaint is the channel switch lag.

[benjabean]

Now that I have graduated from college I have a little more income to do away with. I have been saving up for a nice Mac, but until I get a jump on repaying my recently consolidated loans I have moved that little dream to the back burner. I wanted to treat myself for graduating and whatnot so I bought a 360 and a new LCD 32" HDTV...

So far the experience has been great. I don't have cable television (I know!), but I now have digital television over my antenna. I bought a low-end budget model that I dearly hope holds up over time. I'm kind of embarrassed to admit it, but it's an "ilo"... I kind of got nervous when I told a friend of mine that works for the retailer I bought it at. He told me that they had problems with the sets and that a few customers had brought them back for returns. (It was the cheapest 32" LCD HD model they had) But as I said I have had no problems with my set. It does seem to get a little hot over extended periods, but I am hoping this is usual with LCD's as it was with my traditional 26" TV...

I have friends that have worked for Best Buy, Wal Mart, Target, and a Rent to Own electronic store. One thing you need to keep in mind is that the TV sets are altered to make the more expesnsive sets look better. If you have oppurtunity mess with the TV's menus and see what they are set on. If it wearn't for a more expensive model being sold out I wouldn't have bought the ilo set I have now, because its settings had been dimmed, and the other brand-name sets had been brightened. When you look at a wall of TV's its difficult to chose the right one. I felt that the lower priced bargain set I purchased wouldnt have as nice of a picture, but it displays a true 1080i, and once I got it home all I or my friends could say is "Wow". My only concern now is my sets durability. I figure if the set is poorly crafted it will have its problems within the first year of owning it. In which case I am covered by the manufacturers warranty.

[Barrapa]

Cool. Yeah, I heard that the earlier models (3078 and 3079 and maybe even 3080) had some issues, but this new 3082 model looks like they've more or less solved them.

Some of the geometry problems are still there, but almost unnoticeably so. I have some slite warping at the bottom and edges of the screen, but it doesn't really bother me. Probbaly not the TV for a real audiovisualphile, but still a great deal.

On the AV forums I have seen complaints on quality, so it may just be luck. I got the store warranty just in case there were issues I couldn't cope with.