Most of the better tv companies have stopped making tube tv's.

Add into that the fact that ALL tv's imported or made in USA have to have a digital tv tuner which raises the price.

But, try Wal*Mart and you might find something.

Also keep in mind total cost of operation. LCD TVs use so much less electricity than tube TVs that that really ought to be considered as part of how much it costs to buy. This probably won't have as much impact on a relatively little-used TV like this one, but every little bit helps, and I know my electric utility isn't asking the public service commission to reduce any electrical rates. :-p

Thanks, but we're not necessarily looking for a tube TV... just a small TV that sells for a low price.

After thinking about it, I think the TV will be used more than I originally thought. The treadmill shares space with the computer, so we could use it quite a bit.

So, I'll re-phrase my question:

Can anyone recommend a very good small (about 19") LCD TV? :-)

Jen

Sharp sells some very nice LCD TVs. So do Samsung and Sony. None of those companies, though, have a reputation for cheap LCD TVs. You're also somewhat below the "sweet spot" for the most competitive market. There is not as much demand for smaller screens as there is for 36"-40" screens.

If you're a bit of a gambler, you could try for a TV with a brand heavily associated with one of the big Chinese screen fabricators. These brands would include Westinghouse, Polaroid, Vizio, Chi Mei, Konka, and Funai. These brands should be less expensive because they don't have the marketing expenses or long-standing reputations of Samsung/Sony/Sharp. The downside here would be the ability/willingness of the "manufacturer" to support the product, especially a few years down the line.

Thanks Steve. Knowing us, we'll probably end up forking out the money for a non-cheap LCD. That's what we usually do after initially setting out with a budget price in mind, then discovering that the features we want/need exist way out of the original budget. We then realize that spending even $50.00 is expensive if we won't use it (or if it won't work for long).

Jenn,
Wondering what TV you ended up getting and how happy you've been with it.

Nothing so far.... we're still looking. Actually we're trying to pay off a bill first, then we will take a more serious look. Thanks for asking... I'll post about it when we find it.

Jenn: Did you ever get one? We need a small flat screen for the kitchen counter and I wondered if you found one you like.