Looking to Buy a TV

[Lanlan]

I need a TV. I've never bought one before. I have some requirements. They are as follows:

• At least 20"
• Composite video
• Built-in speakers
• Around $130 (give or take, if it's a good deal I'll likely spend more)
• HDMI input
• 1080p resolution

This is going to temporarily be for my brother's PC, but I wanna hook consoles up to it as well. I've been looking at the Samsung Syncmaster TVs for a few months now, but I plan on buying this within the next week. Any online store is fine. Here's one that looks okay, but I wanna know if I can do better. Thanks for your help!

 

[xist]

Aren't the Syncmaster's Monitors and not Televisions?

 

[FAST6191]

Does it have to have traditional TV functionality? I ask for although it changes from month to month and shop to shop it can still be worth losing the TV decoder (be it digital or old style) and get a monitor instead (many of which will feature all you wanted and more). By way of example the first link on Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/ViewSonic-VX2250WM-LED-21-5-Inch-Widescreen-Integrated/dp/B003HFCDLY/ . Granted it is not quite what you wanted (appears to lack component* and HDMI although it does have DVI) but if you can find a better actual TV you will probably be doing well.

*VGA boxes are pretty good these days.

Also I know it is something of a myth but aren't you staring down the barrel of Thanksgiving and that whole affair?

 

[TheRedfox]

Aren't the Syncmaster's Monitors and not Televisions?

Syncmaster 2333HD is a TV and monitor in one package
But for $130... can it be secondhand?, i dont think youll find a cheap tv like that with full hd res

 

[Lanlan]

I don't need a tuner. I said "TV" because I don't see many monitors with composite video and built-in speakers. Basically I need a device with a screen that has the above specifications.

 

[xist]

Well you'll also want Game Mode too if you're intending to hook it up to consoles. Most TV's have it, but the odd few don't and the last thing you want is Input Lag making it useless...

 

[Lanlan]

What exactly is game mode? I've seen it on TVs but I figured it was for dumb people who didn't understand that consoles could be hooked up to any input.

 

[xist]

It stops all the added processing the TV does to the picture to make it look better - if you're playing games it can add extra lag to your inputs. Not much but it can totally throw off timings.

 

[Lanlan]

Is it only on more recent TVs? And would this be on a monitor? I figured i just need a monitor with composite and speakers

 

[xist]

I'm nowhere near being a TV/Monitor expert...i just know that i've fiddled with two LCDs (one a Samsung and one a Sony) and only one had Game mode, which caused me to look it up.....The TV which had it was about 4 years old.

I wouldn't expect a monitor would have required it since it's just displaying a signal with the important stuff done elsewhere.

 

[Lanlan]

Thought so. Thanks for that little nugget of info though

 

[TheRedfox]

Maybe you can find a Asus 24T1E for $200 on ebay...
But i think a B2230HD you found is the best

 

[Ericthegreat]

Maybe you can find a Asus 24T1E for $200 on ebay...
But i think a B2230HD you found is the best

No if he needs component and hdmi, he needs component and hdmi, not everything has a vga output....

 

[nukeboy95]

id just wait for oled tvs