Samsung TX-R3265

hi all. i'm relatively new here so i apologize if the information i'm looking for has already been discussed in another thread. i tried searching the forums first but no luck so here goes:

i'm looking to upgrade from a 27" standard tv to a similar size HDTV. my budget is about $1100 but i know $300 of that will go to pay for my directv HD tuner. so that leaves me with about about $800. i saw the 32" samsung TX-R3265 at circuit city for $699. it has a 4:3 ratio which i don't mind even though i watch lots of DVD's (letterbars don't bother me). native resolution is 1080i/480p. as far as connections go in the back it has 2 HD/DVD component video inputs. anyways i'd like to hear some opinions on this tv or suggestions on other routes i could go considering my limited budget. thanks :hithere:

p.s. here is the link to samsung's info page on this tv in case i left out some important details:
http://product.samsung.com/SamsungUSA/PRODUCT/20050427/txr3265.pdf

I really DISrecommend any 4:3 narrowscreen set that's only semi-compatible with HDTV. The ATSC digital TV standard spec's WIDESCREEN. These do a bad job of presenting any HD, in several ways... and are a PITA to use.

When moving up from a 4:3 to a 16:9, you'll probably be happiest when the inset 4:3 image is as large, or larger, than your old set. HD will then appear larger & wider. You can calc the size of an inset 4:3 by multiplying the diagonal of the 16:9 by 0.82. This calc indicates you should be shopping for a widescreen 34" or larger...

You can get a 34" widescreen direct view CRT, or a CRT based RPTV of about 40", for about $1100 and up... 32" flat panel LCD starts at about $1300...

It would be wise to make sure any display you buy has at least one HDMI or DVI input.

I stretch a lot of programming, so sometimes I wonder if I should have gone 4:3? Then I watch a DVD & I know I made the right choice with a 16:9 HDTV (Samsung TX-P2675WH). I wish my 27" Sony was still working, perhaps I would watch SD on that TV & HD/DVD's on the Samsung 26".
I would suggest a widescreen HDTV, especially for DVD's. The Samsung TX-P2675WH I use is only $599.99 @ Circuit City Link (http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Samsung-26-HDTV-TX-P2675WHD-/sem/rpsm/oid/91175/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do)

Good Luck with your choices & remember HDTV is highly addictive.

Samsung 30" HDTV (http://product.samsung.com/cgi-bin/nabc/product/b2c_product_detail.jsp?eUser=&prod_id=TXR3075WHX%2fXAA)

Best Buy Link (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7023446&type=product&id=1099394446947)

Samsung TX-P2675WHD is $539.99 w/free shipping ($39 rebate). TX-P2675WHD (http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Samsung-26-HDTV-TX-P2675WHD-/sem/rpsm/oid/91175/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do)
Has a built-in ATSC/QAM Tuner (DTV) & NTSC/Analog (SD) tuner.

The Samsung 27" HDTV Monitor (TX-R2765) is looking very reasonable @ $449.99 w/free shipping ($39 rebate). No ATSC/QAM Tuner (DTV Tuner), NTSC Tuner/Analog (SD) Tuner only.
TX-PR2765 (http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Samsung-27-HDTV-Monitor-TX-R2765-/sem/rpsm/oid/120396/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do)

An ATSC spec compatible widescreen with digital tuner for only $90 more than a narrowscreen without digital tuner that will go black in 598 days... seems an obvious choice to me...

He still should be looking at larger sets, though...

True, a larger screen HDTV is always ideal. However, their budget is limited to $800 or lower, so choices in that price range are not as vast. I know I will eventually upgrade to a larger HDTV, but for now, I have a good starter set.

okay after some more shopping and research i have decided to go with the 4:3 sony KV-27HS420. smaller than the samsung i mentioned earlier but that line of sonys has gotten such good reviews i think my money will get me more quality with a smaller sony than the larger samsung. the screen size is a bit smaller than what i was initially looking for (same as my current tv) but with my budget of $800 i couldn't really find a better rated tv that had an HDMI input.

Then you should wait until you have enough money to buy a decent widescreen. You can look for floor models, closeouts, and refurbs... which can have significan discounts. I bought my floor model for 50% of MSRP.

HDTV has 5 times the detail (pixels) to view, so you need a larger & wider display.

i spent the weekend watching HDTV on a wide screen tv and i think i will hold off until i save up enough for a wide screen sony. the sony KV-30HS420 is close enough to my price range.

Hallelujah, he's seen the light! And it was HD... :yippee: