Buying TV/HD/HTIB this weekend opinions needed!

[GearsOfWar]

Ok so my friend just got married this past Saturday and he wants me to look for a setup we can go buy on Friday. He wants a TV and hes willing to spend $2000 but he would also like to evetually get a source of HD movie or and a decent HTIB. I have come up with 1 scenerios and you guys tell me what you think. He would like 50" but has a medium living room.

First one :

Olevia 47" 1080P TV ( Friend got awsome picture )

Price : $ 1249.99

Link : http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Olevi...oductDetail.do

Toshiba HD-A3 ( Picked this because he really cant afford a )

Price : $150

Link: Not needed we all know it

Onkyo ST-SR600 5.1 ( Does not want more speakers )

Price : $ 269

Link:http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Onkyo...oductDetail.do

TOTAL . 1669.00 ( Leaves him money for warrenty and taxes for his $2000 budget)

Keep in mind he does not want DLP witch would have given him better name brand options and screen size option. Blu-ray would have been nice but HD right now is just a better deal for his budget he gets two movies right out of the box and he can then got for Blu-ray after hes tasted HD movies if he wants when the price is right. And in terms of HTIB it was to have good sound not too loud and only want to wires for a 5.1
I will recomend he look at several good 42" LCD and Plasma mainly panny but I think he will want the 5 extra inches. Let me know what you think !

[crazzeto]

Unless he's going to wall mount his TV (as far as I know, most people don't) then why not look into a good RPTV? DLP's seem to be held in higher regard than LCD's, and you can get a bigger screen to fit in the same budget. Personally I love my Toshiba DLP.

For instance, you can get this 57" Toshiba DLP from Amazon for only $100 more than than the LCD you quoted

Toshiba 57" DLP

Edit:
Based on what I read in reviews and here on this forum you're also likely to get a better picture with a DLP/RPTV than most (if not any) LCD on the market.

[didactandnarpet]

As long as your friend is okay with not having HD sound then you'll be fine. With that setup you won't be able to access any of the current HD surround formats like TrueHd or DTS-HD MA. If you're friend is cool with Standard Dolby Digital then I'm sure he'll be happy. Especially if this is his first time stepping into HD.

[GearsOfWar]

As long as your friend is okay with not having HD sound then you'll be fine. With that setup you won't be able to access any of the current HD surround formats like TrueHd or DTS-HD MA. If you're friend is cool with Standard Dolby Digital then I'm sure he'll be happy. Especially if this is his first time stepping into HD.

Yeah!, I dont even have HD sound and he's a total newbie he will probably bug out with your standard Dolby Digital 5.1

[Irishman]

The one part of your system I've got a real reservation with is the HD-DVD player. Dead format! Why have him get started into HDM in such a way that will require him to either NOT buy titles he loves OR invest TWICE (once for HD-DVD and again f or Blu-ray)?

[crazzeto]

The one part of your system I've got a real reservation with is the HD-DVD player. Dead format! Why have him get started into HDM in such a way that will require him to either NOT buy titles he loves OR invest TWICE (once for HD-DVD and again f or Blu-ray)?

I think the OP said he can't affod BD right now, if you really want HDM right now then HD DVD is the way to go... The player will still work great as an upscaler in any case so I don't see the problem. Additionally he'll have access to great Universal, Paramount and for a time Warner titles.

[GearsOfWar]

I think the OP said he can't affod BD right now, if you really want HDM right now then HD DVD is the way to go... The player will still work great as an upscaler in any case so I don't see the problem. Additionally he'll have access to great Universal, Paramount and for a time Warner titles.

Yeah exactly, I mean he might now even buy HD DVD much, but he can always use it as the upscaler and it comes with 300 and Bourne in the box
you cant beat that. Plus I can lend him a tons of movies myself.

[didactandnarpet]

Yeah!, I dont even have HD sound and he's a total newbie he will probably bug out with your standard Dolby Digital 5.1

I think he'll really love the setup then.

[didactandnarpet]

Why have him get started into HDM in such a way that will require him to either NOT buy titles he loves OR invest TWICE (once for HD-DVD and again f or Blu-ray)?

You're acting like at some set date in the future his HD DVD player will just stop working because it lost the format war.

[Irishman]

If he's a US resident, wait until the tax rebates come back in May. Then have him get a Blu-ray player.

It avoids all the hassle.

Stop tempting him with a rotting carrot.