The Best Cheap LCD HDTVs with 1080p Resolution

When you shop for an LCD HDTV at a cheap price, you have to shop smart. You have to think not only of the upfront price of the HDTV, but also of the energy saving and multimedia streaming features that will save you money over time. You also have to think about planned obsolescence. Eventually, much of our media, such as movies, TV and Internet videos, will be in full 1080p HD resolution. So it makes sense to invest your money in an HDTV that supports full 1080p resolution. Although these HDTVs have a retail price between $400 and $600, you can often get a full 1080p LCD HDTV for an even cheaper price by shopping online for discounts.

Samsung

The Samsung 40" Class 500 Series LCD HDTV supports full 1080p resolution and a 70,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. Typically, this Samsung HDTV sells for around $499, which is cheap for all the features it includes. The Samsung 40" Class 500 Series includes a feature called ConnectShare JPEG, which allows you to view your photos on the HDTV using a USB flash drive or a digital camera. It also has ConnectShare Movie, which lets you access music and view videos from a video camera on the HDTV. Another feature is Samsung's Wide Color Enhancer, which increases color depth, accuracy and saturation on the HDTV screen. This Samsung HDTV is very thin at only 3.1 inches. It comes with a swivel stand to adjust the HDTV to the best viewing angle. Also included are 2 stereo speakers, a built-in digital HDTV tuner, 1 HDMI input, 1 PC video and 1 PC audio input, 1 component and 1 coaxial RF input. The Samsung 40" Class 500 Series LCD HDTV exceeds Energy Star guidelines.

Panasonic

The Panasonic 32" Class Viera U22 Series LCD HDTV supports resolutions up to 1080p and has an In-Plane Switching (IPS) panel with a wide viewing angle. It also has a Viera Image Viewer which you can use to view your personal photos on as SD memory card. Another feature of this HDTV is Viera Link, which lets you control other devices with the Viera remote simply by connecting them to the HDTV by HDMI. The Panasonic 32" Class Viera U22 Series LCD HDTV has a 20,000:1 contrast ratio, 2 stereo speakers, a built-in digital tuner, 3 HDMI inputs, an analog audio input, 2 composite inputs, 1 PC input, 1 component input and 1 digital audio input. It is also Energy Star qualified and retails for about $445.

VIZIO

You can typically get more features for a cheaper price by buying a VIZIO HDTV. The VIZIO E321VA 32" Class 1080p LCD HDTV sells for approximately $420. This HDTV has a dynamic contrast ratio of 50,000:1, 2 stereo speakers with SRS TruVolume and SRS TruSurround HD sound for superior sound quality. This HDTV includes an ambient light sensor which automatically adjusts the brightness of the screen, saving your energy and money. It's also part of VIZIO's EcoHD line, which exceeds Energy Star 4.1 guidelines. Other features include a digital tuner, 4 HDMI inputs, 1 coaxial RF input, 1 component input, 1 composite input, 1 PC input and a USB port.

If you want to stream videos, TV episodes and movies from the Internet using services like Netflix, VUDU and Amazon Video On Demand, you can get the VIZIO 32" Class E322VL LCD HDTV with Wireless N networking and Vizio Internet Apps, which include Yahoo! Widgets. Although this HDTV has a list price of $599.99, I bought this exact model for the cheap price of about $453 on Amazon.com, including the shipping costs. Apart from the Internet apps, this 32" 1080p HDTV has all the same features as the VIZIO E321VA. Although Samsung and Panasonic also have full 1080p HDTVs with built-in Wi-Fi and Internet apps, you'll typically pay so much more that it won't be worth the price. If you want to stream instant media and decide to go with a cheap Samsung, Panasonic or VIZIO HDTV without the wireless adapter and streaming apps, your best bet is to invest in a cheap HD media set top box such as a Roku digital video player.

Before investing in an HDTV, read reviews on a site like CNET.com or PCMag.com to ensure you're buying the right HDTV for yourself and your family. For more information on this topic, read Best VIZIO Internet Apps for VIZIO HDTVs and Best Ways to Watch Internet TV and Movies on an HDTV.

Sources:

"40" Class (40.0" Diag.) 500 Series 1080p LCD HDTV" Samsung.com
"TC-L32U22" Panasonic.com
"VIZIO 32" Class 1080p LCD HDTV" VIZIO.com
"32" Class LCD HDTV" VIZIO.com