New television apparatus!!!

[Novdid]

I'm looking to buy a new TV. What I want is the following specs:

- 32" wide (16/9)
- Flat
- 100Hz

The field is free for suggestions. What I'm basicly looking for is the best TV under SEK13000 ($€1400). I'm currently looking at the Sony KV-32FX66, and the Philips 32PW8717.

Thanks for reading this.

[Dogbert]

I heard Panasonic aren't bad either.

[bsdgeek]

Samsung makes nice ones.

[dZeus]

I've got the KV-32FX66's smaller cousin, the KV-28FX65. I like it a lot, but in case you go for the Sony, be sure to watch for these points:

- the screen is horizontally stretched at the sides, even in true 16:9 mode. Which means that if you have a scrollbar with text going across the screen at fixed speed, it will look as if the text is travelling faster at the sides of the tele. I've heard this also happens with other brand teles, and personally I don't really mind the effect too much.

- make sure you can watch the Sony model in operation prior to buying it, since many units suffer from colour impurity problems ('sand-coloured spots') when the screen is bright white. Mine also has some spots, but if I set the contrast/brightness correctly and not too high, they disappear. If you make sure the unit you get doesn't have this problem it all, it will save you a lot of troubles of adjusting the screen just to get rid of these spots.

[TdB]

another must have feature to your list:
I see that, you are sweedish, so you might want a tv, that can zoom in/out smooth and freely, and not just 2 different hardcoded screen sizes, If you want subtitles when you wacht widescreen that is.

not that I have any suggestions though.

[WyWyWyWy]

Actually I think Sony ones look pretty cool! apperance wise.

[Novdid]

Thanks for the info guys.

dZeus, Thanks for filling me in. I'm going to ask the people at the store to hook the screen up with a DVD player to see if it has any annoying defects.

Any other suggestions?

[Greebe]

Just one request... how much it sets you back $$$... like to compare it to what is being offered here in the US (rediculously high prices for lesser products)

[dZeus]

if you want to use the TV for viewing video output of your PC or standalone player in various formats (both NTSC and PAL), then I can assure you that the Sony has perfect NTSC capabilities. It correctly scales the picture to full-screen (vs. 480/576 part of the screen as on a lot of other sets), and image quality is very close to native PAL on the set.

[Novdid]

Sounds good dZues as that is the primary reason why I need a wide tv set.

Greebe, I can get the Sony KV-32FX66 for ~$1350, and that is the lowest price I can find, other vendors sets me back ~$1800(sony screens generally cost a bit more). Interesting to see how much a screen like that costs over there.

[fleabus2]

Hi:

My more recent experience with higher end TV has been with Panasonic and Sony.
My present TV is a 36" Sony Wega XBR KV-36XBR400 NTSC. Before that I had a 32" Panasonic GAOO NTSC. I was happy with the GAOO and would have bought a newer model but their offering in the type of TV I wanted (digital/progressive scan ready) was something called a Tau at about twice the price of the Sony at that time.
I found that auditioning similarily priced models from these two companies is much like comparing the difference between aperture grille (Sonys as an ex) and shadow mask (Panasonic) computer CRTs.
Sony TVs and CRTs seem to have richer/purer colours but the images (and text on CRTs) is not as sharp as on Panasonic TVs (and shadow mask monitors). There is also the matter of those AG lines.
I personally prefer shadow mask CRTs. I use a 21" ViewSonic P817 sm as my main main monitor with an ATI Radeon 9700 Pro and Matrox Parhelia and a 21" ViewSonic P225f AG with the same cards.
I also prefer the look of Panasonic TVs. Sharper image but slightly grainier and not quite as good with colours. An Image on a Sony looks as if someone used a fine sandpaper on it when compared to same on a Panasonic beside it.
I am happy with the Sony I have. I use a JVC HM-HDS1U HDD/S-VHS Hybrid VCR (S-video) and a Denon DVD-2800 progressive scan DVD Player (Component) and analog Cable TV. A Denon AVR3802 also serves as a video switchbox (S-video and Component)
Try to audition these two types side by side if you can, play close attention to the features each offers and buy as future-proof as possible.

Happy trails,

[Greebe]

There are very few 32" 16:9 widescreens available (like maybe 3 or 4) in the US. Even at that they are very expensive and are only NTSC compatable.

The TV industry here is supremely pimping HDTV or Projection or seriously highend plasma's Prices generally start at $1500 drastically go up

Tho I did find a decient Samsung 30" wide screen HDTV for like $1k (think it's the only one of it's kind)

There are no 28" widescreens (crt) TV's on the market here

Sony has no offerings in this catagory you are looking at

[Novdid]

Holy Shite!!! 1500 for a Plasma(or did you mean the projection screens?)!!! That's dirt cheap!!!

Here even the smallest 32" plasma costs in excess of $5500!

Anyways, HDTV hasn't really lifted over here yet, that's pretty strange actually if you ask me as we here in Sweden get to try out all kinds of new technical gizmo's rather early on.

Back to topic, how about the Philips screens that sport the "Pixel Plus" feature, are they really worth the extra pricetag???

[Greebe]

the current lowst priced Plasma is Gateway's new 32" selling for $3k

I was refering to wide screen crt TV's for $1500 and up (then to projections, then to plasma's)

[dZeus]

I've seen Samsung 42" Plasma screens for under 4000 euros over here.

Oh, and no HDTV sets either... I guess the lack of HDTV content is the main reason for that.