walmart vizio tv 32
I need help with buying a new TV?

I am looking to buy a new HDTV for a reasonable cost(preferably $300-500). I am currently looking at this one:

Most HDTV buying guides will tell you that you don’t really need 1080p at 32″. It certainly won’t hurt your viewing experience, but its not likely to add that much to it for the extra you’re paying for it (poor bang for the dollar). For a gamer I’d be more concerned with 120Hz than 1080p, if you wanted any advanced feature at 32″ (but even that’s overkill and not really that necessary).

I agree with the other comment. Vizio is an iffy brand. They have rated as a decent choice by a few review sources, but if you read customer reviews, reliability seems to be an issue, at least with some models. So if you are really content on the Vizio, then I would really dig deep into customer reviews on a variety of sites. Look and see what people are saying and if any red flags show up.

Alternatives in your price range that I would recommend,

PANASONIC TCL32C12 720p 60Hz – $379 ABC Warehouse
Panasonic TC-L32G1 720p 120Hz – $530 Amazon
Sony KDL-32L5000 720p 60Hz – $400 Amazon
LG 32LH20 720p 60Hz – $427 Amazon
LG 32LH30 1080p 60Hz – $467 Amazon

Double check the TV specs, but as long as you get a TV with Component input, then yes you can just buy the TV, plug it in, plug in the Xbox and go. The bundle of cables that comes with the 360 has component outputs (Green, Blue, Red). Those are HD capable. So as long as the TV has those inputs then you can be off and running.

HDMI can give superior audio quality though. And it can carry both audio and video over the same cable (so less mess). So HDMI wouldn’t be a bad idea, but its not 100% necessary right off the bat (you can always get it later).

And don’t get suckered in by expensive HDMI cables. They provide no extra benefit than cheap ones. There are a variety of consumer reports proving such. Use sites like Amazon.com, monoprice.com, or bluejeanscable.com to get cheap cables.