edtv vs money and quality?

Question

what is the best way to go for money, i need a good tv (flat tv to hang) but not the best, i need it to just watch tv on everyday. some one told me that edtv was the way to go... what is the down fall and what is the next step up?

Answer 1

EDTV is absolutely not the way to go. There are currently 24 stations or so designated for high definition and that number is only going to increase exponentially. Yes, most EDTV's will accept at least up to a 1080I signal, but they only reproduce them in 480P. EDTV's might be worth it now but will be far outdated in a year or two. The best bet for you would be to save up your money until you can afford something that you'd actually like. Furthermore, you really don't have HDTV as it's defined until you have at least Dolby Digital surround sound.

It might be beneficial for you to check out your major consumer electronics retailers. Most of them have certain financing promotions for a few months on end. Until tomorrow, Best Buy has no interest financing until 2010. Circuit City has no interest financing until 2009. Look at those two places and see what you like the best. Don't rush into anything until you have exactly what you need. Don't forget that you'll need cables (find them cheap somewhere or use them as part of the no interest deal), the proper source equipment (an HD satellite or cable box or antenna, at least an upconversion DVD player) and if you can a decent home theater in a box by Yamaha or Onkyo or anything with fiber-optic input. In addition to that, you'll need a mount. So for example:

LG 42" Plasma - $1399.99
LG DVD Player - $89.99
Yamaha Home Theater - $299.99
Acoustic Research 12' Component Cable - $41.99
Acoustic Research 12' HDMI Cable - $109.99
Acoustic Research 3' Fiber-Optic Cable x 2 - $41.98
Sanus Tilting Wall Mount - $199.99

Comes out to $61 a month ($2183.92). All of those cables can go in wall. You'll also need an electrician to move the outlet up (power cord cannot go in wall).

Answer 2

EDTV is marginally better than a standard tube TV. Is it worth the extra money? 3 years ago, I would say it would be a good intermediate step while you are waiting for HDTV's to drop in price. With the drop in costs in HDTV's, I would say you are better off saving up for an HDTV.

EDTV Pros
1) It can accept HDTV signals.
2) Vibrant colors and slightly sharper picture
3) Larger screen sizes than tube TV's.
4) Smaller footprint

EDTV Cons
1) Does not display in HDTV resolution
2) Expensive for marginal better quality.
3) Watching HDTV sources will not look as sharp as an HDTV, due to downscaling.

First, you need to tell us how much are you willing to spend. $500, $1000?

For a entry-level 26" EDTV, you are going to spend around $500.
For a entry-level 32" HDTV, you are going to spend around $700.
For a good 32" HDTV, you are going to spend around $1000.
For a good 42" HDTV, you are going to spend over $1000.
For a good 50" HDTV, you are going to spend $1500 or more.

The above prices were taken from this week's Circuit City ad. For the best, expect to spend 50-100% more.