Thanks to the government, my wife and I decided we could afford a new snazzy HDTV. The old 20" dorm-tv just wasn't cutting it any more for games (unless we enjoyed headaches from attempting to read text).

We looked to spend $1100 or so on a tv, getting a 40-some inch LCD in the process (likely a Vizio for affordable value). I have been researching these tvs for some time now, knowing that I would soon have one.

So we drove on out to the local TigerDirect store (I love the Chicago area) to see what they had in stock. I had visited the store earlier in the week to find they had some tvs on clearance, none of which were really all that good, but my hopes were up.

On the way, I was serenaded by my wife's nonstop rehashing of the commercial airing nearly every commercial break for getting tvs ("I want it all/I want it all/and I want it now"). Naturally, I let her do it for a little while; roughly 10 runthroughs before it started to grate on my nerves, so I turned on the radio.

Channel #1: Weezer - "Say It Ain't So", followed by a commercial break, so I change it.
Channel #2: KISS - "Detroit Rock City", followed by commercials.
Channel #3: Metallica - "Enter Sandman"

Midway through Metallica, I arrived at the store, feeling like a tv of quality would soon be playing these same amazing songs within a few precious hours.

First thing I did was wander around the store to see all clearance available. Some were marked down for physical defects, others for dead pixels and other such problems. I was a bit dismayed.

But I found some good ones in the front of the store, notably a 50" Sony WEGA (rear-projection) for ~$750 [can't remember]. Poking around the info, I found it was only a 720p, which wouldn't do for me considering the size of the tv. I kept looking.

A salesmen pointed me and tried to force me into a 42" Plasma purchase, which would be terrible for me. Yes I know it was a good price on an excellent tv, but I'm a gamer, not a ... something goes here.

We wandered a bit, over by the aforementioned WEGA (I love using that word), and saw a couple of Samsung DLP tvs sitting there. No information was on the box other than the size and that it was a DLP, so I had the guy look up the info. Short details: 1080p, 2 HDMI, VGA input. I felt like I found something good. The defect on this particular model? Damaged box. I looked, and saw the plastic strap securing the box ripped into the box a smidge. Then I heard the price. I felt like I was nearly stealing the damn thing. $880.

I pretended to not want it and asked about a stand as well; got some discounts.

All said and done, I am now the amazed, proud owner of a 56" Samsung DLP behemoth that does not look like it dwarfs my living room space. Huzzah!

That makes one less SD gamer in this HD world. Hello, my fellow HD gamers, I can't blame my tv for my screwups anymore! (sigh)

Here's some gloriously huge pics in case you case about my new setup:


Bigger version if you so care

Feel free to mock my ps3 sitting alongside a ne'er used XBAWKX with quite amazing games there.

*cheer*