Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: a, quality, hdtv, for, less | Themes: Home Theater, Display Panels and Monitors
3. The Perfect Medium
The only debate left is LCD versus plasma. Advancements have come to both formats over the past several years to the point that previous criticisms of each have become really minimized.
Plasma, however, is mostly suited for really huge TVs, measuring 50" and up. At that level, you’re pretty much just looking at the $1,500+ range. LCD is the way to go for an entry-level HDTV.
Westinghouse is a great brand for low-cost HDTVs. It only manufactures LCD models, and doesn’t add a lot of frills. One example is Westinghouse’s SK-32H240S 32" flat-panel LCD HDTV. It has a built-in HD tuner for free over-the-air high-def programming, two HDMI and two component video inputs, and a 1366 x 768 pixel resolution (720p), which is the standard for low-cost HDTVs. That’s a little less than the 1080 lines required for full HD, but the picture is still going to look really nice, and with built-in progressive scanning, the picture will be extremely crisp. This model can be found at most brick-and-mortar stores for around $700, and even less than that at online outlets.
Westinghouse’s SK-32H240S HDTV
Toshiba is also a name to consider. Take for example the company’s 32HL67U 32" flat-panel LCD HDTV. Part of Toshiba’s Regza line, this model has a 1366 x 768 resolution, three HDMI/two component video inputs and 12-bit digital video processing. It also has a built-in HD tuner. This set can be found from retail stores for around $800, and online for around $700.
Toshiba’s Regza 32HL67U HDTV
Another good brand for those on a budget is HP. The computer company has delved lightly into the HDTV market, and its LC3272N 32" flat-panel LCD HDTV is priced at around a cool $800. It sports a full HD tuner, three HDMI inputs and two component video inputs. It also has a 1366 x 768 resolution and comes with two built-in 10 Watt speakers.
HP’s LC3272N HDTV
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Ya know, I agreed with alot of what you had to say right up until I saw "A cable is a cable."
Do me a favor. Don't publish something until you're damn sure what you have to say is the truth. I'm really sick of this rumor.
Did you even once put a cheap HDMI cable against a more expensive on in an eye-pattern test? Even once? No. No you didn't. You just jumped on the band wagon of "EXPENSIVE CABLES ARE RIP-OFFS! I KNOW CUZ' I READ ABOUT 1'S AND 0'S ON THE INTERNET!"
Tell me, did you do all your testing on a 3 foot cable? Probably. I doubt you tested cable against cable on 10 foot runs and above. In fact, I know you didn't. I didn't see a single eye-test pattern following your claim. Where's your source of this information anyways?
Am I telling everyone to go buy a Monster cable? Heavens no! You'd be a fool. But I am going to tell you to at least buy an HDMI 1.3 -CERTIFIED- (that's the key word there) cable and probably spend a little more than a few bucks on it. Honestly, you probably spent 800+ on this HDTV. Would it kill you to drop 20 bucks in a cable?
So, before the flames turn on, I realize you said 20 bucks from Cables Unlimitted... and I agree, why pay more? But don't go making claims that a cable is a cable. Many of your readers are going to think they got this great deal on a 5 dollar cable, when that couldn't be any farther from the truth. They'd only be ripping themselves off a great home theater set-up.
Go do some research on HDMI and eye-pattern tests. See what holds up. Then think about this: What about outside interference? Is that cheap cable going to resist interference and how will it effect my picture? How long am running this cable? Among other things, these are factors that WILL influence your picture quality when choosing a cable.
A recommendation: Monoprice. GREAT cables for about $15 - $20