I've got no where else to turn......

So here is the situation: In my living room sits an old tv. It's 36" square, it's low def, it weighs 212 pounds, it's from 1999, and it's by far the best tv I have ever owned. But it is finally time to move up.

I've been looking at specs, deals, and reviews for months now and my head hurts. It was my birthday a couple of days ago so (since we were looking anyway) my wife went to costco and bought a tv for me. She want's too spend as little as possible, but in the end she compromised a bit and got a nicer one--with the idea that higher quality would make up for keeping it a reasonable size.

So I have this sitting in a box in my bedroom:



Is it good? Is is crap? I have no idea. It's so new nobody has reviewed it.

It's 42", side lit-led, 1.2" thin, 120hz, 1080p. So far so good. But the contrast is only 100,000:1, and the response time is 6.8ms That seems bad. I hooked it up, thought I saw too much motion blur, and put it back in the box. In fairness I don't have an HD source, but I was just looking for motion.

I'm sure any HDTV will look much better than my old tv when properly set up, but for 1000$ I want the best I can get.

So here are the constraints: No more than about 1025$, no bigger than 42", best possible picture.

I'm looking at this one, which is on sale for 1025$

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0039JBXSM/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Help me, oh wise ones.....


[This message has been edited by amercer (edited 6/17/2010 12:12a).]

http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?sduid=0&t=2080764

Interesting. I check slickdeals pretty constantly. Wonder why that didn't make the front page? Great price. On the small side though--although maybe I'm just splitting hairs between the 40 and the 42.

Thanks for the input!

This is why we don't let womenfolk purchase electronics.

Vizio is about as bottom barrel as you can get. A lot of people get defensive when you say that, but that's because a lot of people are cheap and feel like they have to justify their bad investment. TVs are definitely an investment. They aren't durable goods, so you want to get the best thing you can for your money.

That previously linked Samsung is miles ahead of your Vizio. Any Samsung will be. I'd stick to getting the best Sammy or Sony you can with your budget, kiss your wife on the forehead, tell her thanks, and have her make you a sandwich as you order HD TV service.

My current square tv is a sony, so I do have a lot of love for that brand. When it comes down to it all the wife really cares about is the price--and that I don't come home with a 65" DLP

I got a 46" Samsung LN46C650 for $980 off Amazon a few weeks ago. Great tv for the price. It's not SUPER thin but thin nonetheless. For $1000, I'd definitely go Samsung over Vizio. Obviously buying online is going to be cheaper.

Edit: Ha, didn't see the slickdeals link above. I was originally looking at the 40" version but at the time I purchased, the 46" was only about $100 more.

[This message has been edited by shoc08 (edited 6/17/2010 3:25p).]

stick with the vizio

^^^ worst advice yet ^^^