Sprenzy Shopping Blog

Reader Craig wrote: I’m in the process of buying an HDTV between 32” - 37”. My price range is between $1,200 - $2,000. I’m looking for the best value. I don’t need the latest and greatest technology. I plan on using it to watch HD sports programming. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Craig, I’m going to assume you are looking at flat panel TVs based on your screen size and price range. Let’s start out by highlighting some HDTV buying guides.

• Ultimate HDTV Buying Guide [CNET] - a comprehensive guide that discusses TVs by budget, screen size, resolution, aspect ratio, connectivity and more.

• Picking the Right HDTV for You [Home Theater Magazine] - a quick guide that covers the basics, such as correct screen size and HDTV type.

• LCD & Plasma TVs [Consumer Reports] - discusses HDTV price drops during this holiday season, screen size, performance, 1080p resolution and reliability.

• Big-Screen TVs Videos [Consumer Reports] - a series of videos, which covers HDTV types, 1080p, audio quality, connections and reliability. The videos are little dry but informative.

Skip the guides if you are familiar with HDTV technology, otherwise the buying guides will give you a crash course on HDTV basics. These days you have a lot of choices for under $2,000. I narrowed down the HDTVs by searching/researching across blogs, user forums and review web sites. I’m not sure what your preference is between plasma versus LCD so I’ll provide recommendations on both TV types.

Let’s start out with plasma HDTVs. Note: Prices shown below are the lowest price available not including tax and shipping.

• Panasonic TH-37PHD8UK [$1,133]  - CNET loves these no frills plasma monitors. It doesn’t come with a stand or  speakers and has minimal inputs, but you can purchase these accessories for the TV. The picture quality is supposed to be excellent if you want a minimal, HDTV monitor. The major con is its 1024x720 resolution that can’t fully resolve a 720p signal.

• Panasonic TH-37PX60U [$1,245] - the folks over at the AVS Forum rave about the picture quality of this plasma set. This set does come with speakers, SD memory card slot and built-in ATSC/QAM/NTSC tuners, which allows you to view over-the-air and unscrambled digital cable signals. The set can display 480p/720p/1080i HD signals.

Now, let’s take a look at some LCD HDTVs.

• Sharp Aquos LC-37D90U [$1,599] - “For outstanding detail and sharp images, it’s hard to beat the Sharp LC-37D90U. With the right image and the optimal viewing position, the picture quality is beautiful, even viewed up close. It’s less impressive than some other LCD TVs with dark scenes and off-angle viewing. The resolution is a major plus if you want to use the set as both a computer display and a TV.” The 37D90U is Consumer Reports’ (CR) and CNET’s highest rated 37” LCD monitor and is also a 1080p set.

• Sony Bravia KDL-40S2000 [$1,544] - per Consumer Report, “The new Bravia S series models displayed fine picture quality in our initial tests–almost as good as that of Sony’s $3,300 KDL-V40XBR1, one of the best LCDs we’ve seen so far. They did especially well with fast motion–an Achilles heel for LCD TVs in general–and the viewing angle was comparable to that of most better LCD sets. Still, we haven’t yet seen a TV that matches the wide viewing angle of the best LCD computer displays.” The KDL-40S2000 has a 40” screen but is also available as a 32” model, Bravia KDL-32S2000 [$999].

• Hewlett Packard LC3760N [$1,099] - received good reviews from both CR and CNET - “While the HP LC3760N’s color isn’t the most accurate we’ve seen, its solid black levels and connectivity combine to outclass most budget LCDs.” The lack of color management is a negative on this set.

Before conducting this research, I was leaning towards recommending an LCD HDTV. However based on the reviews, I’m torn between the Sharp Aquos LC-37D90U and the Panasonic TH-37PX6OU. Since you are looking for the best value and not the latest technology, mainly 1080p resolution, the 37PX60U is probably the way to go. At 37”, you probably won’t be able to tell the difference between 720p/1080i and 1080p anyway. Besides the resolution difference, both TVs have comparable features.

I would recommend going to a store and viewing both the Sharp and the Panasonic to determine which set is best for you. Make sure you check out the viewing angles, watch the TVs with HD sports programming and bring your favorite DVD movie to compare the picture quality of the sets. Also, keep in mind the inherent weaknesses of plasma and LCD HDTVs and choose the TV type that best suits your viewing location and habits.

Good luck with your HDTV purchase and let me know if you have additional questions.

Update 12.06.2006: I just noticed the lowest merchant price on a new Sharp Aquos LC-37D90U is now $1,599. As the price drops closer to the Panasonic TH-37PX60U, I’m changing my recommendation to the Sharp LCD HDTV. But you should still go to a store and check out the picture quality and viewing angle.

Other Resources:

Sony BRAVIA KDL-40S2000 LCD Review [Home Theater Magazine]

Sharp AQUOS LC-37D40U LCD Review [Home Theater Magazine]