thats it, my SDTV finally dies

of all the day, it have to choose today... why cant it dies on wednesday, so i can get a new tv on thursday (my day off) T_Tanyway i promise myself that i'm going to get HDTV when it dies (to go with my PS3, and to comfirm or kill the myth of HDTV fixes the small texts problem that i keep hearing)... so before getting one within my budget (RM 2000 \ around USD 570)i just found out that my local tesco have a 40" LCD TV by toshiba in thier promotion (RM 1300), but i'm, not sure if that is a HDTV or not...so my question are1. what do i need to know about HDTV?
2. do they come with a build in sound system like SDTV?
3. do they come with a HDMI cable? (PS3 dont come with HDMI cable, so much for being HD system)
4. which brand is more reliable?, i dont want to spend 1k+ only for it to die after 2-3 years (my SDTV is 10-11 years old)
5. can a HDTV use the usual yellow-white-red cable?thanks...

Replying to #1

1) its higher resolution when displaying a HD signal. Also the 720 or 1080 refers to the vertical resolution, NOT horizontal, (with PCs the first number is horizontal)
2) yes
3) No. PS3 doesnt come with a HDMI cable because it cant be used on an SD TV, which are still more common.
4) try to go for the bigger brands. Samsung, sony, panasonic, JVC etc
5) generally yes, most HDTVs have composite inputs.

Replying to #2

alot of people on the net seems to recommend samsung, i guess i'll try to find a samsung HDTV by my budget range... but after some research on the net tonight (well i got nothing to do anyway), that toshiba TV (apparently all LCD TV are HD) on tesco promotion look pretty promising...i hope i can find a cheap HDMI cable in my areaone more question, they all come with the TV stand, right?thanks for the rest of the answer.

There are 2 x types of composite inputs....rgb or yppbr(or something like that).then you need to read reviews/specs to see what other inputs you get.This is where I bought 2 x cables recently to go with my LG 42" tv.http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wired--up-v1-3A-Plated-Connectors-Cable/dp/B0017RW94A/ref=sr_1_8?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1326747120&sr=1-8

Replying to #4

composite is rbg video on one yellow (video) RCA plug and has audio on red and white RCA plugswhat you refer to as yppbr is actually component video, which has the colour and sync channels separated out into 4 or 5 RCA or BNC connectors, and does not have accompanying audio.

You know what I meant.I had problems trying to connect my Laptop to my tv-as the tv didnt have a VGA socket.Laptop didnt have a HDMI slot and it would only work VGA to RGB if the slots were marked RGB on the tv-which they werent.He needs to pay attention to the slots,depending what hes planning to hook up to his tv.

calvin_0 · #3alot of people on the net seems to recommend samsung, i guess i'll try to find a samsung HDTV by my budget range... but after some research on the net tonight (well i got nothing to do anyway), that toshiba TV (apparently all LCD TV are HD) on tesco promotion look pretty promising...i hope i can find a cheap HDMI cable in my areaone more question, they all come with the TV stand, right?thanks for the rest of the answer.

They all do. Like, a little standee thing, not an actually large wood stand or whatever.You seem to be asking strange questions about HDTVs, no questions about the differences from LED, LCD/LED, LCD or Plasma? Either you don't know too much about them or you already know about them. Depending on what you're going to use them for is usually going to be a deciding factor on which type of TV to get.I'm weary of Toshiba mostly because they're the lower end and cheap ones. While I'd say Samsung do have some nice ones, I find that they're prices are inflated, but not on the level of the Sony television sets. When my husband and I were looking for a TV we went for a Panasonic Plasma because they made the better made plasma displays at the time, and because it was cheaper.Some brands also make better type of televisions, so from what I've gathered, Samsung makes the better LED, LG makes the better LCD, Panasonic makes the better Plasma. The most redeeming factor of the Sony televisions is that their built in engine is the better one but if you're going to do something like gaming, that built-in engine is a crutch due to input lag.

Replying to #6

Typically all HDTVs have composite and component, along with a VGA OR DVI port (plus coax and HDMI and fiber optic etc); if your TV doesn't have a VGA or DVI you can get a VGA/DVI to HDMI cord and it'll work out fine.

If you really want to be luxurious, get a smart TV. They can do pretty much anything. They are bit costly, but I find it worth it. Not sure if they have, but you could even try to get a smart TV with 3D to improve your luxury :P

help me pick a HDTV

Natewlie · #7They all do. Like, a little standee thing, not an actually large wood stand or whatever.You seem to be asking strange questions about HDTVs, no questions about the differences from LED, LCD/LED, LCD or Plasma? Either you don't know too much about them or you already know about them. Depending on what you're going to use them for is usually going to be a deciding factor on which type of TV to get.

thanks for the answer, and for the LED, LCD, plasma, ect, it already included in question one... but i got the answer from various website on the net.anyway after a 10 minutes walking on my local area i already narrow down base on my spec i want..this is the spec i want-LED or LCD (i been told that they are basically the something, LED just more energy efficient)
-40"+
-1080p
-within my budget
-ability to play video via usb, mp4, avi, ect (optional)and this is the following model that i found...1. Samsung: LA40D503/550 (RM 1700)
2. Sony: 40BX420 (RM 1600)
3. Sony: 40CX520 (RM 1800)
4. Toshiba: 40AV10E, cant play video via USB (RM 1300)i have 3 voice in my head right now...one of them scream "get Samsung, its the most recommended"
one of them scream "get Sony, get Sony, get Sony! PS3 is by Sony"
one of them scream "get Toshiba, its the cheapest"i really need a rational opinion in this, so which of the HDTV above should i get? or should i keep looking?edit: alot of people recommend samsung, i guess samsung it is....

Sony are a very good brand for TVs and have a considerable pedigree.Samsung are one of the few companies that actually makes their own LCD panels, and samsung panels are very highly regarded.I only really know much about toshiba laptops, and what I know about them isn't good, so I would tend to side with natewlie when it comes to toshiba. Plus, there's the saying you get what you pay for, which in my experience generally holds true for electronics.

i already make up my mind on samsung, i'm planing to get it right now so i can have the whole night to play around with it later when i got off from work...haha XDi can almost hear my fanboy side screaming "NOOOOO.. get sony!"edit: I got my HDTV (it took me 2 hours T_T), but its not a samsung, for some reason they all are out of stock and i have to wait for 3 weeks.. which i'm not going to.. so i get sony instead (yeah you won, fanboy me)

You cant turn analogue(vga from laptop) into digital(hdmi on tv) without a £40 odd converter box.May be irrelevant but I bought a 42" tv and it was a hassle getting it connected to my laptop......

Replying to #12

HDTVs often have PC inputs

All Im saying is that different tv's have different "inputs" options.Depending on what you want to connect up,you can run in to trouble.The average person just looks at screen size and price.Then when he wants to connect say advd
wii
xbox360
sky box
ps2it can be a bit fiddly and more expense follows.

Replying to #14

I've found Hannspree to be the best, especially if you're on a budget. I picked up a 28" tv for ~$300 a few years ago and it has 2 HDMI ports, a headphone jack, a line in, 2 SCART ports, a yppbr set of ports and an old ariel port (great for Sega/SNES!).