How's Olevia? Good brand? 37" for $600

[NamelessMC]

Fry's Ad for the TV 37" LCD

Olevia website product description

Now, I know it's only 720p. I also know that there are 37" TV's for $1000 that have 1080P. The thing is, I'm a college student. I don't like when people act like if you can't afford the best TV on the planet, you shouldn't have a TV at all. There was a time a few years ago when it was okay to find a budget consumer electronic and it lasted a long time.

If you're the type of person that displays the, "This TV is only $XX more and way better even if it's smaller" type of attitude, please do not post here. I want to know about this TV, or anything similarly priced with the same size.

Is Olevia a good brand?

What's the OEM LCD on it?

Anyone with personal experience?

Any other TV's in this price range that offer the same size/ connections/ quality or maybe more quality?

 

[scryer_360]

I work at a Bestbuy, I sell these for a living, if thats not good enough background do not listen to me.

Olevia, Westinghouse, Visio and the ilk are rarely worth the price. The reasons are as follows:
1. Low contrast ratio. Contrast is the difference between the darkest and brightest colors, the higher the contrast the fuller, richer colors you will have. I know the three brands mentioned typically have a 1000:1 contrast ratio. Yes, you can "adjust" contrast, but the ratio is the lengths to which the depth can be shown. In other words, you cannot adjust a 1000:1 tv to the same color depth as a 4000:1 TV. Its just not physically possible. You need a whole new color processor.

2. Low Quality. Yes, its true that some of the components in these TVs are made by larger name manufacturers, like how Sony makes some Westinghouse TVs (a fact that will no longer be true in teh coming generations of TV). Typically, I get really high return rates and staggeringly high claims of problems on these TVs compared to Samsung, Sony, Sharp, Toshiba, Panasonic, LG (one of the tvs with extremely low problems-reported), and even JVC.

3. Lack of NTSC tuners. Its true that come Febuary 17th of 2009, all American TV will be digital. Thats why ATSC tuners are loaded into current TVs, so they can receive that digital signal. The problem arises that while ATSC 'can' receive and display an analog signal (currently broadcasted by NTSC standards), analog on ATSC looks really, really shitty. ITs best to find either a TV with both an ATSC and NTSC tuner built in, or a really GOOD ATSC tuner (Sharp, Sony, Samsung and LG typically are the best).
*Note*: Even though some TVs have both tuners fitted into them, usually higher quality makes like Samsung, Sony, and Sharp and LG are going to look better when receiving digital due to the better contrast and hardware. Check the school you are going to to see if it has digital cable or not. If it has digital cable you are ok with an ATSC tuner, as that is the tuner that handles digital signals in America.

Now, for a few mind-altering adjustments:
Do not buy a TV solely for 1080p. I game in 1080i for crying out loud on my Xbox360 with a 32 inch samsung. It looks better than 720p anyday. The reason it will only say 720p on the tag at a store is because companies believe progressive scan will sell better than higher resolution, even though a higher resolution with interlacing will provide better imaging. All 720 TVs will do 1080i with the exception of a few. Unless you have a Blue-Ray player, or HDDVD player (of the XA2 kind), do not get a 1080p TV. Its a waste of money. In fact, if you scroll around CNET.com and search for "The Case Against 1080p," you'll find that in independant testing its been found that even the best 1080p movie is sparsely better than a 1080i equivalent (the testing I am talking about found 1 scene in the whole movie that looked better. One damn frame in fact).

I cannot recommend anything in that price range for any reason actually. My advice would be to hit BestBuy or the equivalent electronics store and see if you cannot find a discounted Sx3 (Samsung, Sony, or Sharp) or LG tv -OR- an open item version with a huge gift card to the store to help out with buying other things.