Can You Help Me Choose My 3D TV?

recDNA

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Jun 2, 2009
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Folks I've spoken to here know far more about electronics than the average bear so I thought I'd look for help here. Salesman I spoke to know virtually nothing about the products they sell. They tell me this or that I check it out and find out they're full of it.



Anyway - like our list of flashlight specs to help choose - I have a list of TV specs I'm looking for.



50 - 55 inch (prefer 55)



LED or Plasma



3D (absolute must)



240 HZ (absolute must)



Picture in picture (absolute must)



At least one composite video input (hard to find but absolute must)



****Now this one takes an expert to know...I want to be able to use ANY combo of 2 inputs in picture in picture mode. I might want to split screen with 2 HDMI sources, or one RF and one HDMI, or composite video with HDMI, or RF with composite video. I know I cannot use 3D with split screen and that is fine. I won't use 3D much



Prefer app present to watch HULU through ethernet connection. I don't care about WIFI to TV



Price within reason so less than $4000



Lots of TV's meet all specs BUT composite video input. As bad as VCR looks on HD TV I want the capability. I also have other gizmos I want to use that only have composite (not component) video (one RCA jack for video).



I don't care at all about component video (the one with R, G, B wires)



Can you find me one?



Samsung lists an AV composite input in their 7000 series but BestBuy site says no composite input so unless someone actually HAS the Samsung and has tried composite video I don't know what to believe.
 

PhotonWrangler

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Have you considered purchasing an outboard composite-->HDMI converter? NTSC composite is going to be harder to find as time goes by. And regarding 3D, I've seen a small scale version of the new glasses-free 3D sets and I wasn't too impressed. They use microscopic lenticular lenses, similar to the type that come in those little plastic "moving" pictures that you sometimes see on cereal boxes, DVD boxes and crackerjack toys. And yes, they flicker when you move your head.
 

JimmyM

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Every review I've read says that Plasma is the 3D king over LCD. Read the reviews on the Panasonic TC-P54VT25. Do NOT short change your 3D TV by looking for one with a composite input. Some AV receivers will upconvert a composite input to either component or HDMI (It'll still look like hell, but it will be format compatible). PhotonWrangler's suggestion is what I would suggest too.
Try www.monoprice.com They have a good assortment of equipment/converters and great prices.
 

recDNA

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I understand all that but the TV is expensive enough without buying a bunch of converters. I don't like the limited choices in PIP either. I use PIP constantly. You'd think it would be possible to view two HDMI inputs with PIP
 

itzlinky

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Apr 14, 2011
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How about the Sony XBR60LX900 60" 3D 240Hz LED HDTV?

Should be just at $4k mark.

Although I LOVE the Panny plasmas, you can't go wrong with Sony LED (IMO). They had the best LED set-up from the ones I looked at.

Samsungs tend to look kind of fake/cartoony in color. But if you want plasma, Panny is the way to go. I went with LED for longevity and 2D viewing (IMO, 2D on LED looked better on Sony than on Panny plasma).
 
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