Smart Tech Buy

Straight from Market Watch, here are 10 important tips to follow if you’re considering buying an HDTV for the holidays.  Make it a Smart Tech Buy!

1. Think big. “High-def” looks best on a large TV. Buy the biggest set you can afford, but make sure it fits the space. A 37-inch screen may work best in a bedroom, but a 50-inch plus screen is ideal in a large entertainment center.

2. Know your ABCs. HD sets come in a confusing variety of technologies — plasma, LCD, DLP, LCOS and SXRD (Sony’s version of LCOS). What the letters mean is unimportant. These technologies all show a high-quality picture. They just deliver it in different ways.

Yet there are important differences. Plasma generally seen as best for movies, LCDs for daytime viewing and sports. DLP and LCOS sets might provide the best value and overall picture. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses.

3. Avoid a numbers game. The latest HDTVs tout a “1080p” signal and carry a higher price, but the advantage is small. Older models with a “resolution” of 1080i, 720p or 768p (LCD and plasma) also deliver a great picture. Unless you like to sit close to a big TV, sets based on lower resolutions are perfectly fine and less expensive while supplies last.

4. Thin is beautiful. But don’t limit yourself to a pricey flat-panel plasma or LCD. Sets based on DLP, LCOS and SXRD technology are cheaper and can deliver a superior picture. Most are less than 15 inches deep or half the thickness of big tube TVs popular a decade ago.

5. Count the total cost. While sets based on DLP and LCOS technology are cheaper, they may cost more to own in the long run. Why? These sets use bulbs (average cost: $300) that need to be replaced after roughly 3,000 to 5,000 hours of viewing. To fix that problem, Samsung has introduced a line of DLP sets based on so-called LED technology that do not require extra bulbs. LCDs and plasmas generally last at least 20,000 to 30,000 hours.

6. Look outside the box. Big box stores such as Best Buy and Circuit City offer great deals and cheap financing and it’s easy to make returns. Yet the biggest savings are to be found online at e-tailers such as Amazon. Shipping is often free and there’s no tax. Just make sure the site is an authorized dealer or is rated highly by customers, especially on product returns.

7. A plug for HDMI. This new plug is the best way to hook up your high-def set to a set top box or DVD player that also includes an HDMI connection. HDMI cables carry both video and sound on one cable and eliminates the need for multiple wires. Beware of unreasonably high prices, however. Retail stores can make a big profit on surge protectors and special cables such as HDMI. The cheapest 3-foot HDMI cable at Best Buy, for instance, is $50. And longer cables cost more than most DVD players.  It is not difficult to find the same cable online for under $10 (like right here for example).

Yet a reputable online dealer such as Blue Jeans Cable sells 3-foot HDMI cables for $15 or less and also lets buyers customize their own length. Shipping is cheap and fast, usually just a few days. “Cable is fundamentally wire and plastic stuck together,” said Blue Jeans owner Kurt Denke. “There’s nothing in a $100 HDMI cable that’s not in a $5 cable.”

8. Get the picture. About 20% of consumers who own an HDTV think they are seeing high-def shows when they are not, the market researcher Leichtman Group found. To get an actual HD picture, customers have to order high-def service from their cable or satellite provider. It costs about $10 a month. Some over-the-air HD channels — ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS and Fox - can also be seen for free with an old-fashioned antenna.

9. Do some fine tuning. Most HDTVs are not picture-perfect out of the box even if they look good. To cite one problem, contrast is usually set too high, which could shorten the life of the set. A cheap and simple way to improve the picture is to use the THX Optimizer tests found on popular DVDs such as “Star Wars,” Monsters, Inc.” or “Finding Nemo.” This article at EndGadget explains how.

10.Listen up. You’ve bought an expensive TV, but save some cash for a decent sound system. Home theaters are not the byproduct of tinny speakers that rattle at higher volumes. A nice high-def picture deserves great sound to go along with it. The good news is some surprisingly good audio systems — at least five speakers and a subwoofer — can be had for as little as $500. The Ventriloquist, by online retailer Hsu Research, is one well-reviewed system.

Everywhere you go, people taut the how 1080p is so superior to 1080i, but can you really tell the difference?

First, lets describe what both 1080i and 1080p mean.  First both are 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution, but the difference is from how the TV signals are sent.  The “i” in 1080i means interlaced.  That means images sent to 1080i are displayed in alternative fields.  That means that odd fields get the image first then even fields.  This creates a jagged look to the screen.  The “p” in 1080p means progressive.  This means both odd and even fields are filled in the same time making the image look smoother.

 Now, lets see if this makes a difference.  Yes, 1080p does look better than 1080i, but can you tell.  The main reason why people cannot tell the difference is that there are not that many 1080p inputs out there!  Yes you got Digital Cable or Digital Satellite, but that only outputs in 1080i!  So there is no real difference.  Unless you purchase a high end Blu-Ray player or HD DVD Player or a receiver that upscales to 1080p, you will not really see the difference between a 1080i and a 1080p TV.

 Some people I know do spend thousand of dollars on their Home Entertainment system.  Now if you watch Blu-Ray copy of 300 on a high end Blu-Ray player using an HDMI connection to a 60″+ 1080p TV you can tell the difference, but how many people can afford that.  For the ordinary person, 1080i is as good as 1080p!  In fact, most cable and satellite companies will not be send out 1080p quality video any time soon because of the bandwidth costs.  Unless your a gamer with a PS3 and a XBox360 Pro / Elite or you are a technophiles with the latest equipment, 1080i is perfect for you!

Check out these “HDTVs and tell me if you can see the difference!

Sharp Aquos LC42D43U HDTV Read About It

Sony KDL-46XBR4 Read About It

Pioneer PRO-FHD1 Read About It

Sharp Aquos LC-65D90U LCD Read About It

#1.  Dell XPS 720:  I need a new computer and the Dell XPS 720 fits the bill.  With 2GB of RAM, 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Q6600 Quad-core chip, 256MB nVidia GeForce 8600 GTS, and 500 GBs this is the perfect machine to help me play today’s PC games, work, and watch media.

#2.  Samsung HL-S7178271″ Rear-Projection DLP TV:  I might spend a lot of time on the computer, but I also love watching TV.  Oh how I would love to watch the Lakers play on a 71″ 1080p DLP TV!

#3.  Bose Acoustimass 16 Series II 6.1 Home Theatre System:  How can you watch TV on a 71″ TV and not have a Home Theatre System?  That should be criminal.  I want to bring the theatre experience in my living room or, better yet, experience video games live I never did before.  Imagine playing Halo 3 or Call of Duty with surround sound on a 71″ TV…..

#4.  Apple 8 GB iPhone & Accessories:  iPod + Phone + Safari browser makes this a perfect combination.  You can watch YouTube videos, surf the net, play flash games, or even listen to free music with the internet capabilities of the iPhone.  Of coarse as an iPod, you can listen to your iTunes or mp3s!  Best of all, you know longer have to carry a phone and an iPod.  Of coarse, to best utilize the iPhone you need to get the accessories for it: ear phones to drown out the outside world, car adaptor to keep it charges even on the road, and a carrying case to protect it.

#5.  Garmin GPS Map:  If you have ever been in the same car as me, you would know I get lost more than Ryoga Hibiki of Ranma!  Well, I did not get GPS with my car, but now I can.  I normally leave 30 min to an 1 hr before Mapquest says I need to leave to get somewhere because I get so lost.  If I had a Garmin, I would not have too!  Of course there are alot of different Garmin’s depending on your price level. 

#6.  Shure SE310:  Do you want to use noise cancelling head phones but do not like how it catches your hair, squeeze your head, or look like huge ear muffs?  Well, now you can get noise cancelling ear phones and eliminate those problems.  The Shure SE310 not only blocks out the sound around you but also has strong base.  

#7.  Tivo HD:  Do you have a HD DVR from your cable or dish company?  Are you frustrated by the fact it does not skip commercials or does not have enough memory?  Are you annoyed by its crappy search capabilities?  Do you want to be able to program your HD DVR from the internet or move shows from your HD DVR to your computer but you can not?  Well now you can with the Tivo HD.  Tivo started the DVR industry and is still ahead of the cable companies when it comes to usability, features, and quality.  

#8.  Lingo Voyager II12 Language Pocket Translator:  During the last year, I went to China, Korea, and Japan, and I had no clue what anyone was saying.  The Lingo Voyager II and other translators would have helped me a lot.  Even if I could not understand what they were saying, I wish I could have asked for directions.  Tokyo was not much of an issue, but no one in Shanghai or Seoul (unless I was in my hotel) was able to understanding me.  Pocket translators are a must buy for foreign travels who are not familiar with the are they are traveling too.

#9.  VUDU Box:  Sometimes I want to rent a movie without having to go to a Blockbuster or putting it on my Netflix que.  The VUDU Box lets you do just that by allowing you to rent movies online.  Of coarse you can just rent it for 24 hrs, but you can just rent it the instant you are read!

#10.  Victorinox SwissMemory 2GB Flash Drive:  Most people, such as myself, love Swiss Army pocket knives, and now I have a justification to carry it around at work.  It is not a pocket knife its a pocket flash drive!  The utility of a pocket knife merged with a flash drive.   I probably would never use anything but the flash drive. but its cool….