<p>I do watch a lot of tv and need one next year! But I don't what kind or what out really anything! All I know is that I want a high quality picture like 1080p, thats the only thing I am picky about! Any sizes or brands or price doesn't matter. Any answer is greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>Three words: no you don’t.</p>
<p>I assume you’re a senior who enjoys a nice, big HDTV at home right now. When you get to college, you’ll be too focused on all that’s available that you won’t have time to even bother with TV. Give it a try, and if you really think you still need a nice, big HDTV at that point, then come back.</p>
<p>Television is one of the reasons the world is becoming such an awful place to dwell.</p>
<p>TV’s are only good for group movies and video games anyways.</p>
<p>
Uh for the most part, this is BS. My school’s an academic pressure-cooker and I live with some very involved kids yet we still have time for a little TV. Hate to break it to you but college isn’t super jam packed 8-3 class, 4-7 practice, 8-12 homework like high school was. There is a LOT of unstructured time and unless you’re like a D1 athlete, you’re gonna want a little TV to occasionally fill some of that downtime. </p>
<p>E.g. after class it’s nice to catch a little PTI or Sportscenter before heading out to the library or whatever. And Movies. You’re going to want a TV to watch movies on those quiet weekends when you don’t feel like hitting the bars. Or when you’ve got a girl over. And football on Sundays, etc. etc.</p>
<p>As for recommendations: [url=<a href=“http://reviews.cnet.com/televisions/]TV”>TVs - CNET]TV</a> Reviews: LCD TVs, flat-screen TVs, plasma TVs, 3D TVs - CNET Reviews<a href=“you%20can%20read%20reviews%20and%20filter%20by%20price,%20type,%20size,%20whatever”>/url</a></p>
<p>I think you’ll want a TV, but you don’t need a 1080p TV.</p>
<p>The difference between 720p/1080i and 1080p only begins to show up around 46in and bigger TVs. If your TV is smaller than that, you won’t notice a difference. And I assume your TV will be smaller than that.</p>
<p>That’s a huge item to add as furniture. For big events, why not go where there is a big screen and when you want to watch a film, just use your computer? </p>
<p>A lot of people I know take pride in not owning a TV. If you’re in high school now, I’d wait to see if you really have time to watch all that TV you do now.</p>
<p>Why the hell would you take pride in not owning a TV?</p>
<p>Is that like being stuck up cuz you drive a hybrid?</p>
<p>Ya Those who don’t own a tv are just a little ahead of the curve.</p>
<p>You actually need a tv to watch sports, play videogames, and watch tv shows on your off time (which you’ll have a lot of). When we rage at night, after the party we all come back to this guys room and play drunk driving with mario kart. You need to also keep up to date with the essentials like (Archer, GREEK, Tosh.0, the comedy central roasts, and also with a netflix account you’ll never be bored).</p>
<p>MLDWoody, TV isn’t evil, but not owning one just means that watching the tube isn’t a priority. I’d rather see a film in a theater anyway; breaking news can be found on the web.</p>
<p>There will be plenty of time for TV in college (and I am one of those really involved types- I join three clubs, am on eboards, have a job, etc.). I tend to watch Law and Order marathons :D</p>
<p>And I would recommend something smaller than 30 inches, 20 to 25 being somewhat nice. A built in DVD player saves space as well. I have a 23 inch (I think?) TV. Nothing built in (I got a really good deal on my TV, so it was worth it), so I took the old VCR/DVD combo player from my house and brought it to college. Doesn’t really save space, but movie nights are really fun and random (people have brought their parents old movie collections, which for me is on tape, and we’ve had some awesome movie nights). </p>
<p>As some one already posted, CNET is good for finding technology.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>:::sigh::: It pains me to see these myths perpetuated. I know people mean well, but so many myths and misunderstandings of specs have plagued home theater immensely ever since HDTV became mainstream.</p>
<p>Let’s get one thing about of the way right now: 1080i has TWICE the detail of a 720p picture. It just does. The thing is, unless you are watching on a CRT set, you will never, ever see a 1080i image, you will just see 1080i down-graded to 720p. I know a lot of you think you’ve seen 1080i and say “there’s no difference between this and 720p!” but you’re wrong, because 99% of you have seen “1080i” on a set that is actually 720p, and incapable of showing the 100% extra detail the 1080i image affords. A 1080i image has the same resolution as a 1080p image, IOW it has the same level of detail. I have a Mitsubishi 1080i RP CRT and the difference between a 720p image and a 1080i image (different networks have different preferences, so you can directly compare) is stark. 720p is like “baby HD,” it’s the Porsche Boxter, and 1080i/p is the 911. There is clearly more fine detail in a 1080i image than in a 720p image.</p>
<p>The misunderstanding arises from a few facts:</p>
<p>1) When HDTV became mainstream, most sets were 720p as the 1080i RPTVs were being phased out, so most people could not truly compare as the highest their sets could go was 720 so they just assumed that the downgraded “1080i” they were seeing was as good as 1080i could look.</p>
<p>2) Back when 1080i CRT sets were the norm (when HDTV was starting to take off) most stores did not actually display an HD feed, they just showed a standard-def picture.</p>
<p>3) It is true that because it is interlace, during rapid camera movement there is more of a jitter and momentary loss of detail in the 1080i image as compared to the smoother, 60fps 720p. 1080p fixes this.</p>
<p>4) Just not bothering to research what they are talking about.</p>
<p>Now, for the OP, here are my recommendations with pros and cons for each:</p>
<p>1) Unless you can honestly afford it, don’t buy a new tv, buy used off of craigslist or even ebay if you can find decent shipping. Pros: You’re paying way less. Cons: you may buy an older set without much life left in it.</p>
<p>2) Depending on your living space, consider getting a CRT rear-projection set. I got a 1080i (like 1080p but interlaced instead of progressive) Mitsubishi 55" for 400 bucks. People are GIVING away their older CRT rear-projection sets. Pros: Stunning HD big screen entertainment for a song, CRT is <em>still</em> the best display for color fidelity and black blacks, it is the ideal that plasma, LCD, DLP, etc. aspire to in the film-look department, it’s no wonder many professional film/video people still use CRT monitors. Cons: These older CRT rear-projection sets aren’t as bright overall or as uniformly bright as a flat-panel set due to the way they work. You really ought to have the lights dimmed or off whenever watching one. They require regular calibration (which you can do yourself if you learn and there are oodles of resources on the net to help you) and lens-cleaning at least once a year or so (this requires actually taking the screen off, again there are home theater forums where people will help you with this). You also have to be careful that you get a 16:9, HD set. Make sure it’s widescreen AND HD before you buy. These tvs are a bit like having a hot rod or diesel car that needs regular upkeep but the reward is a dirt-cheap tv that has stunning detail and film fidelity.</p>
<p>3) A cheaper, used 720p flat panel display of some kind. Pros: Cheap. Cons: It’s only 720p.</p>
<p>4) DLP rear-projection. Another very affordable kind of tv, you find these on craigslist for not that much money. Pros: Even better detail than the 1080i CRTs, affordable, big picture. Cons: Bulb needs replacing every 4,000 hours or so (unless you have one of the newer laser ones I believe), and some say these are not good for gaming because the picture processing delays the conversion of the incoming signal to the screen by just enough milliseconds to make a noticeable lag between controller and action on the screen. Again, depends on the model. Same goes for rainbow artifacts, which have been know to make people sick. Again, depends on the model.</p>
<p>^ Cool. I never knew this much about TV’s and displays. Could you mind explaining the technical jargon like CRT, HDTV vs RPTV, and 1080p vs 1080i. Thanks.</p>
<p>Wouldn’t you need HD stations anyways? Get a nice 720p TV, hook it up to your computer. Most videogames aren’t designed for 1080p/i so that isn’t an issue. Resolution aside, you have to watch out for some of those TV’s with awful motion blur.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Well 1080 is a bigger number than 720, duh. Put it’s the i and the p that matter, as I am sure you know. 720p is better for fast moving **** because the lines update faster. For normal stuff 1080i is better because it doesn’t need to refresh so fast. Progressive vs Interlaced, different shiz…</p>
<p>would you agree though that 1080p doesn’t make a difference on small TVs?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I hope you typed that with your eye closed</p>
<p>1080p won’t noticeable on anything less than 30 inches</p>
<p>watch streams
download your tv shows</p>