Techno-philes, to arms! Professional opinions wanted!

[Silver Dragon]

So if you were in the market for an LCD television, would you buy this tv? ---> http://www.sylvaniaconsumerelectronics.com/products/lcd_limited/LC370SS8_spec.php
I almost bought one the other day, but wasn't too sure about the brand even though it was a pretty good sale price (700$, regularly 1000$ in store, and lower than any price I found online), and after some research on the handy dandy internet I found nothing really negative about this specific model, though I'm still a bit unsure of the brand.

Hence, I come forth to the great and almighty, all-powerful and all-knowing Unwashed Village for your learned opinions.  So, lay it on me kids:  is this a good buy, a good brand, a steal of a deal?

Also, which is better nowadays, LCD TVs or Plasma TVs?  Or are they pretty much comparable now?

~SD

[Chucara]

I have never heard of the brand, and therefore I probably wouldn't buy it. However, reading reviews is a very good idea, and if they are overall on the positive and it's cheap, I might consider it. But I'd be very skeptical because I'd never heard of the brand. Do some digging, and you might discover that they use hardware from other manufacturers - this is true in many cases of cheap tvs. In that case, you might just get a Panasonic tv for a much cheaper price.. But it usually takes a bit detective work.

Oh, on a side note: There exists such a thing as the v-chip? I thought it was a joke. Live and learn, I guess..

[Hoopy Frood]

The reason you haven't heard of Funai is that they are usually a company that makes electronics sold as other brands. Hitachi, Magnavox, Phillips, and Sharp have all put their brand names on Funai equipment. Sylvania is primarily a light bulb company that's part of the Siemens group and occasionally gets its name on electronics. I'm guessing a decent amount of the tech in the TV was made by them.

So basically, you've probably seen this TV before, but under a different name. A little research online could probably find you the various models under other brands that are the exact same TV.

[Solwyn]

The reason you haven't heard of Funai is that they are usually a company that makes electronics sold as other brands. Hitachi, Magnavox, Phillips, and Sharp have all put their brand names on Funai equipment. Sylvania is primarily a light bulb company that's part of the Siemens group and occasionally gets its name on electronics. I'm guessing a decent amount of the tech in the TV was made by them.

So basically, you've probably seen this TV before, but under a different name. A little research online could probably find you the various models under other brands that are the exact same TV.

I have bought three Sylvania products, and all of them came from Wal-mart.
All of them still work, but two of them never worked at full capacity (LED went out on the power button of one after about two days, and the dvd player still will not play some DVDs).

I don't trust the brand in all honesty.

As for LCDs and plasmas, it's coming close to even ground. The only factor I've heard that keeps coming up is not to buy a plasma if you live in high altitude because the air pressure is different from the sea-level area of calibration, so it affects picture and the "grace" at which the display ages.

My buddy pointed me to this http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,137429/article.html when I asked for advice on a new TV.

I still haven't bought one yet, but the article is handy. Best of luck!

[JC]

You can get a better 37-inch for a comparable price at Costca!  And hot dogs for the kids!

[Night Owl]

LCD and Plasma are pretty even in almost every aspect (for us normal people, anyway.) I went LCD for one reason: heat. The Plasma runs MUCH hotter, and can affect the room temperature quite a bit.

Just my .02, but I'm not a big fan of buying on price for a purchase like a TV (an item you'll have and enjoy for years.) Just something I've learned over the years. I bought the best TV I could realistically afford for my room/space situation - got a 42" Samsung for about $1,700. I could have gotten cheaper by about $500 (at the time - they are cheaper now) by buying an "off" brand and saying "well, I only NEED 720p and one HDMI input", but in the big scheme of things, I'm happier to own the "better" TV than I would be with the extra 500 bucks.

[Solwyn]

LCD and Plasma are pretty even in almost every aspect (for us normal people, anyway.) I went LCD for one reason: heat. The Plasma runs MUCH hotter, and can affect the room temperature quite a bit.

Just my .02, but I'm not a big fan of buying on price for a purchase like a TV (an item you'll have and enjoy for years.) Just something I've learned over the years. I bought the best TV I could realistically afford for my room/space situation - got a 42" Samsung for about $1,700. I could have gotten cheaper by about $500 (at the time - they are cheaper now) by buying an "off" brand and saying "well, I only NEED 720p and one HDMI input", but in the big scheme of things, I'm happier to own the "better" TV than I would be with the extra 500 bucks.

Yeah I think electronics are the only thing where I'll quibble about brand.

Well that and liquor.

[BlueCross]

LCD and Plasma are pretty even in almost every aspect (for us normal people, anyway.) I went LCD for one reason: heat. The Plasma runs MUCH hotter, and can affect the room temperature quite a bit.

Just my .02, but I'm not a big fan of buying on price for a purchase like a TV (an item you'll have and enjoy for years.) Just something I've learned over the years. I bought the best TV I could realistically afford for my room/space situation - got a 42" Samsung for about $1,700. I could have gotten cheaper by about $500 (at the time - they are cheaper now) by buying an "off" brand and saying "well, I only NEED 720p and one HDMI input", but in the big scheme of things, I'm happier to own the "better" TV than I would be with the extra 500 bucks.

We just got a pretty good deal from Costco: $749 for a 37" LCD.  It looks great.  We needed a smaller screen because of the way our (smallish) living room is laid out.

Brand is VIZIO.  Story I got from a buddy is that there was a lower-tier production manager who worked for Toshiba.  He got $50,000 together (a relatively small amount of money in this industry), started a company in Taiwan, and builds his HDTVs by just assembling components from from other manufacturers.  Then he got a deal with Costco where he sells exclusively through Costco, and is able to undercut everyone else by $200-$500.  Well, that's the story I got, anyway.

And the TV is good.

[Night Owl]

Yeah I think electronics are the only thing where I'll quibble about brand.

Well that and liquor.

I'm somewhat the opposite - I've definitely become a bit of a brand snob as I get older. I just notice the cheaper "no names" are just a little bit "off" in almost every case. Nothing big, mind you, but just enough so you know it's not quite the best. Generic "store brand" asprin are a little harder to swallow. Generic antacid tablets are just a little bit chalkier than TUMS. Generic cookies are not quite as good as Keebler (etc). Generic soda (pop - whatever you call it) isn't as good as Coke / Pepsi. Generic paper towels are not as good as Bounty (or whatnot)... the list goes on and on.

I'm sure there are some that escape me, but at the moment, I can't come up with one thing where the generic "cheap" brand is actually better (or completely equal to) the brand name. 

[BlueCross]

at the moment, I can't come up with one thing where the generic "cheap" brand is actually better (or completely equal to) the brand name. 

Vizio.

I just don't know what it is equal to.   

[Night Owl]

Vizio.

I just don't know what it is equal to.   

had I just read the damn thread...

[Starseeker]

Yeah I think electronics are the only thing where I'll quibble about brand.

Well that and liquor.

I'm somewhat the opposite - I've definitely become a bit of a brand snob as I get older. I just notice the cheaper "no names" are just a little bit "off" in almost every case. Nothing big, mind you, but just enough so you know it's not quite the best. Generic "store brand" asprin are a little harder to swallow. Generic antacid tablets are just a little bit chalkier than TUMS. Generic cookies are not quite as good as Keebler (etc). Generic soda (pop - whatever you call it) isn't as good as Coke / Pepsi. Generic paper towels are not as good as Bounty (or whatnot)... the list goes on and on.

I'm sure there are some that escape me, but at the moment, I can't come up with one thing where the generic "cheap" brand is actually better (or completely equal to) the brand name. 

What makes that interesting?  Some of these are deliberate on the part of the manufacturer/store.  If I recall the term correctly, it's something like "differential marketing/or more accurately product differentiation".  All the things that you have listed as wrong with generic/store brands are done to segment the market for the big brands.  The idea is that if the savings incurred from the generics doesn't persuade you to purchase the uglier product, then you are either/or/all of the above - 1. in a higher income bracket, 2. identify with the projected brand/product image, 3. has a desire to project a certain social profile/ranking/image, 4. fit the right target segment in the market they love(higher profit margins) which leads to.., 5. maybe you'll be interested another product that is befitting your social status/profile?