here is an example of the unnecessary complexity of modern life. recently i've started looking for a new tv. since flat-screens are everywhere my choices were limited, so i thought. LCD or Plasma? lcd used to be better in bright rooms and plasmas used to have glare but produce better darker colors. both have made steps to correct that. LCD's blur motion in sports. Plasma's have a burn-in problem and use alot more energy. both have made steps to correct that. wait.
what size screen should i get? how far away from the screen? 6.5 feet or less and it's 42" or less. more than that and it's 46" and up. i am in the 46"-50" range. any bigger and i'd have to sit 12 or more feet away.
what resolution? 720p or 1080p. this was easy. 1080p is the best they make and true Hi-Def if using a blu-ray, which I plan to get one day.
back to LCD or plasma. plasma offers better dynamic contrast by a long shot and truer colors. both aid in producing a better picture. i will mostly be watching tv in the dark so glare is not an issue, so plasma seems the way to go. except a 46" plasma is hard to find because of how manufacturers cut the glass to make the tv's! a little research online tells me that Panasonic and Samsung basically make the best tv's out there for the price. Samsung doesn't make a 46" plasma, but they do a 50". Panasonic makes both.
Here is how I watch TV: I rent last season's DVD's of TV shows I like from Netflix. Entourage, Rescue Me,Californication, Dexter, The Wire, Arrested Development, The Office, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Nip/Tuck. etc. I then convert them to a DivX movie file which I can store on my little flash thumb drive. I have a special DVD player that lets me watch those files on my TV. Why do I go through this trouble? I can watch different shows anytime, because they are stored on my drive. if i keep the DVD itself i can't watch anything else until i'm finished with it. each DVD usually contains 4 or so episodes. this way i can mix and match and create my own show lineup. it also only costs me $18 a month and i have way more tv than i have time to watch. i don't get cable.
so here is the twist. Samsung has a model tv where i can plug my little USB flash drive directly into it and play my movies. i'd love that! panasonic does not. BUT panosonics model is cheaper by $200. and they make a 46" plasma. as of this writing i am still torn between the 50" Samsung and the 46" Panasonic. both plasma.
let's say I choose one. now how do I pay for it? cash, credit card? you'd think it would be simple, but it's not. cash is easiest. it's paid for and done. but most credit cards give you an extra YEAR of the manufacturers warranty. which is significant on a tv like these. Best Buy will give me 36 months no interest. my credit card will give me 4 times my frequent flyer miles for anything at Best Buy. If the tv costs $1000 that is 4000 F.F. miles. which is worth about $80-$120 dollars depending on flight prices at the time. not bad. but if i take that $1000 and earn only 5% on it during those 3 years of interest free living, that is about $150. no extended warranty with the Best Buy card though. see what I mean?
i've decided to forgo the extra year warranty and put it on the best buy card. rolling the dice in two ways. 1. that the tv won't break. and 2. that i can earn better than 5% during those three years netting me even more off the bottomline price of the tv.
it is exhausting to me to have to make these kinds of decisions. now you may ask why don't i just pick one and be happy with it? i could try but i don't think i would be satisfied unless i try to make the best decision i can.
and it doesn't end there. next i have to find a blu-ray player!
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