OT-Advice on buying a new TV

[Fishy]

Honestly, I would not go into the stores to look at televisions.

The problems with stores is that they are filled with people and when you stand still looking at televisions, those people are breathing near you. I absolutely hate that.

I would just call Best Buy and ask them to have them drive a Samsung in the appropriate size over to your house. If they say they can't do it, then ask them to just have it near the door so you can just sign for it outdoors and avoid breathing pre-breathed air.

We have a Samsung 3D television. I wanted to buy a 4D, but they tell me they're still trying to think up another D. I didn't do any research past telling Best Buy to bring it to my house, but it seems very nice. We have used the 3D part of things and it's better than I expected but it is purely a gimmick. Starting a 3D movie in our house involves about 17 minutes of activating and then reactivating and then reactivating again the active shutter glasses.

 

[Edward Sargent]

I know this gets asked every now and again here; I tried to search for threads on it and can't seem to find them. In any event, I'd appreciate thoughts on this from those who have purchased/compared recently, because my head is swimming.

This will be the main TV in the house, to be mounted on the wall in the new 14x24 family room addition we had built recently. The room is configured such that it will be watched from the short side of the room; i.e., from about 12' - 13' away when you take couch/chairs into account and compensate for the walls, etc. It will be wired into a home theater system in the room.

We have a smaller Sony Bravia XBR HDTV in what will soon be the secondary family room; we've had it for a few years with no complaints, but we're not gamers, TV connoisseurs or tech geeks. Unless I'm convinced otherwise, I'll be leaning toward a Samsung or another Sony. But I'm all ears if I shouldn't.

Most important qualities to me are reliability and picture quality. Looking for thoughts on:

Size
Type (i.e., LED, LCD, SmartTV (whatever that is???), plasma, anything else I don't know but should)
Brand

Thanks in advance for any insights.

I would go to the store (I read what Fishy said) and look at the LEDs in terms of size then have the sales person actually do something useful and line two or three up side by side and decide which one you like best. When I have done that I always seem to walk away with a Samsung product. My daughter just did the same thing and walked away with an LG LED. Like Fishy I am of the opinion that you have Best Buy deliver a Samsung LED and be done with it. Also I don't have any interest in 3D.

 

[imno1]

Just have to give shout out to Sony customer service. In 2003 I bought a 42" lcd projection TV for my parents. Last year we had a problem with it and parts were no longer available. Even though we didn't have an extended warranty Sony offered us a free 55" lcd shipped free.

 

[-McD-]

Our 2001 55" Mitsubishi rear-projection HDTV started acting up in August 2010. So I started to shop for a replacement. I wanted to make sure that I bought a TV with all of the features I wanted and I have a tendency to over-shop big purchases. By June 2011 I still hadn't replaced the Mitsubishi, which was pretty much unwatchable 75% of the time which was driving my wife crazy. She asked what I was looking for. I said I was looking for a plasma TV between 50"-55" (since she thought the 55" Mitsubishi was "too big" when we first got it) with built-in Netflix and Amazon Streaming access and perhaps 3D if the TV that I selected happened to have it but that's wasn't critical. She said she did not want plasma, that it had to be LED because that's what her brother had and it looked good. She also said no 3D, she didn't want to waste money on that. And she thought 55" might be too small (her brother's TV was 60"). So I told her she could pick out the TV since she watched TV a lot more than I do and since her birthday was coming up. We drove to a local store and the first TV that caught her eye is what she ended up buying. 60" LG 60PZ550 Plasma 3D. Go figure. We're extremely happy with the TV. The picture looks fantastic. I found out later that there was another LG 60" plasma with more smart TV features that I probably would have preferred but that hasn't turned out to be an issue.

 

[UConnLen]

Samsung 55" LED 3D is what I have after research. Absolutely a great TV!

 

[sledog]

Get the fastest refresh rate possible. 120 Hz or even 240 Hz if you can. Faster screen images smooth out motion - less blur - very important for watching hoops, hockey, etc.

 

[B1GEast]

I would highly recomend a Vizeo. I purchased a 42' lcd with 60Hz and the picture quality is fantastic. Don't fall into the "buy a 120hz" if you are not a gamer or techy. I almost fell into that trap, no need to overbuy on a tv, unless you're not worried about a budget.

If you want to watch movies in 3d, then yes, get a 240 hz and a 3d blu ray player.

I have not experienced a bad reception on my 60hz Vizeo and my kids play on their wii and the picture is great. You won't go wrong with a Vizeo or Samsung, IMO, good luck.

 

[CTMike]

Of all the Panasonic plasmas I've recommended to family and friends through the years, they've been nothing but thrilled. But I'll also agree with the folks mentioning Samsung and Vizio. Find a tv in your price range from one of those 3 brands and I think you'll be quite happy. Very nice bang for your buck represented by all three.

 

[imno1]

I don't think you will notice any difference between 120 and 240 hz but there will be a price difference. Whatever you buy will soon be outdated anyway. So make your decision based on picture quality. Maybe google some reviews on how a model you like works with the net and apps because some may do a better job than others. Most Husky Fans here seem to recommend the Samsung or Vizio. I would go with one of those. Now start a thread on where you can get the best deal

 

[8893]

Thanks again everyone. I like what I hear about the plasmas, but from what I understand they would not be a good choice given the amount of sunlight/glare to which the TV will be exposed in that room.

I also like everything I hear about Vizio; and we recently bought a smaller one of those for the new kitchen area and we are happy with it. They appear to deliver the best value overall, coming close to Samsung at a much lower price at every level.

But since this is going to be the main TV in the house, I'm still leaning toward the Samsung. I haven't been back to the stores to check them out since Christmas time, but I think I'm ready to go back again now, armed with some better insight and some questions to see how the salesperson responds.

I am probably going to Best Buy, especially since, last I knew, they had a no-interest for a year deal if you use a Best Buy credit card. I don't have one, but I'll get one if that's the case. I could use the float to help furnish the room in the meantime.

 

[Danzz]

I bought a 46 inch Sony Bravia smart TV at Mitch's in New Britain.
From what i understand they sell Costco merchandise that they have to move out for new merchandise
It is a bit hit or miss when you go,we had to go 3 times before we decided on the Sony.
We initially wanted a smaller TV but we could not pass up on the price

It cost $800. I looked up the model # on the internet and the prices were from$1400-$1600
I wil ltell you that you can't tell if the boxes have been opened or not but the owner assured me that they are new and he plugs in the tv before you leave. He also will take back the tv within 30 days and after the 30 you can get a warrenty from the manufacturer.He is nice guy from my experience.

It is worth a look, we love the tv. It is 240 hz with 3D and all of the wifi hookups
In fact i just watched a movie on Netflix thru the tv tonight.

Good luck






plugs inthe

Mitch's does sell Costco merhandise. I only know this because I was in Costco electronics department when he came in and overheard a conversation with a Costco manager. He buys all their blemish and outdated merchandise.Never been to Mitch's but I'm guessing they have some pretty good vlaues.

 

[Catsailor]

Late $0.02

I did my research about 18 months ago. Panasonic and Samsung were the best available products.
I purchased 2 Sammys based on picture quality, features, reviews, price and aesthetics.

I went for a 50" plasma and a 32" LED for bedroom. By far the Plasma is the best picture. The LED is all PC, low energy consumption yada yada but if picture quality is important to you go plasma, unless LED technology has drastically improved since my purchase.

Also, after purchasing the 32" from the local BB, I learned Best Buy is far from the best buy.

I bought the 50" from an outfit out of state (Brooklyn or Jersey). Arrived, by truck, at my door...saved a ton of money over Not really the BB store....couldn't be happier with purchase and 50" Sammy. It's a high end 3-D but we don't use the 3rd D. Agree 3D currently is a gimmick. 50" Sammy 2D/3D picture is nothing short of spectacular.

Set up/calibration (pushed by BB) proved unnecessary...I think it's a BS moneymaker for BB
like extended warranty and unnecessary (exception computers).

 

[60'sfan]

I bought the 55" LG 3D TV and have no regrets. I also hooked it up with a Bose sound system. I have Avatar and have watched it several times. The 3D glasses are passive and inexpensive. I have 8 sets. Almost every sports event today is broadcast in 3D. Not only do you have the depth perception but the picture is much clearer in 3D. If you don't like to wear the glasses (my wife doesn't) it is easy to switch to 2D. The additional cost for 3D over 2D was much less than I expected. You should view a sports event in 3D before you make your decision.

 

[NJHusky]

Didn't read the replies but here is my .02

I will never buy another Samsung again. I bought a Samsung because it was top o the line a few years ago. after 24 months I had a single horizontal line across the entire screen and then I a few months later started having vertical lines across the entire screen at turn on, along with a clicking that went on for 20-60 seconds. After doing some research, i realized the capacitor was bad and probably also the video board..in less than 4 years. One day, all i had were the horizontal lines

I retired that and bought a Sony 46 LED for under 1k at tiger direct and absolutely loveit. great pic, better sound than the samsung.

In the basement, I have a Panasonic Plasma that is about 2 years old....great tv and the plasma's were much more size/dollar when I bought it.

 

[OkaForPrez]

The player was $200 and the cable $99 at Best Buy.

My only advice, never buy an HDMI cable from a big box retailer.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20056502-1/why-all-hdmi-cables-are-the-same/

I'm not sure the type of cable mentioned in the quoted blurb, but if Best Buy will gouge you on HDMI, they are probably gouging you on the other cables you are purchasing. Do your homework on perpipherals too, and then go to newegg.com

 

[ZenConn]

I bought a 50" Panasonic plasma close to 3 years ago. The picture is amazing.

Plasma still has the deepest blacks and still has the best contrast ratios (Ratio between the whites and the blacks). LEDs will have a brighter colors. Plasma will have the wider viewing angle. LED/LCDs will have a lower power consumption and will be less in price as well.

I tracked my purchase for a few months on http://camelbuy.com/. And when I came to buy the TV, I used a price match at Best Buy and also packaged a home theater system for free (Pansonic BluRay + speakers). I ended up selling the entertainment system on Ebay later though. Sometimes, it helps waiting for those package deals. Used a Best Buy reward zone card as well to use the points for DVD's, paper, printer cartridges, cables etc ...

Just don't buy the overprice cables at Best Buy though ...

HTH.

 

[ZenConn]

My only advice, never buy an HDMI cable from a big box retailer.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20056502-1/why-all-hdmi-cables-are-the-same/

I'm not sure the type of cable mentioned in the quoted blurb, but if Best Buy will gouge you on HDMI, they are probably gouging you on the other cables you are purchasing. Do your homework on perpipherals too, and then go to newegg.com

Agree. I ended up buying a cable from Amazon as a filler for another product I purchased there to get free shipping.

 

[Excalibur]

Didn't read the replies but here is my .02

I will never buy another Samsung again. I bought a Samsung because it was top o the line a few years ago. after 24 months I had a single horizontal line across the entire screen and then I a few months later started having vertical lines across the entire screen at turn on, along with a clicking that went on for 20-60 seconds. After doing some research, i realized the capacitor was bad and probably also the video board..in less than 4 years. One day, all i had were the horizontal lines

I retired that and bought a Sony 46 LED for under 1k at tiger direct and absolutely loveit. great pic, better sound than the samsung.

In the basement, I have a Panasonic Plasma that is about 2 years old....great tv and the plasma's were much more size/dollar when I bought it.

This is the exception. There is a reason why Samsung is beating Sony to a pulp, though Sony and Samsung have similarly low defective rates. I have a Samsung PN58c8000 in my basement and replaced my defective 42" LG upstairs with an older 43" Samsung plasma. Love them both and have no problems.

 

[zls44]

I work for a company that has developed a pair of Samsung Smart Apps. Theyre constantly evolving and I think Smart TV is great stuff.

That said, I'd still buy a Sony. Still make the best. Worth the extra cash for the picture quality. I have yet to see another company produce better colors on an HD signal.

 

[FairView]

Plasma is still the way to go .... Panasonic is currently the best. Formerly, Pioneer Kuro technology was the best plasma on the market, but they decided to get out of the business.

 

[gibhunter]

If you're getting the tv for a man-cave and are sitting at least 10 feet away, get yourself a 720p $600 51" plasma tv and don't look back. You'll save money, have great image quality and won't be too sorry when you upgrade to OLED in 3-5 years.

Cheap 120hz LEDs will still have ghosting especially in football or hockey. You want at least 240hz, but that is still less than half of what typical plasma has (600hz). Then you have light leakage with lcd. Watching movie in a dark room on an lcd results in black being grey. To fix that you need a local dimming led lcd. Those are expensive, typically starting at $3500 compared to $2000 for edge-lit led which only offer energy and weight savings with still crappy image quality.

So, to have nice image quality on a budget but have a bright room and expect to watch Saturday noon football, get yourself some cheap curtains and a plasma. You should come in under $1000.
Otherwise go for $3500 local dimming LED LCD or if you've got money to burn,wait till fall and get yourself a $10,000 OLED tv (think Samsung Galaxy S2 screen but 50" instead of 4.3".)

 

[IMind]

I'll vouch for the Panasonic plasma. I own two: a 4-5 year old (can't remember off the top of my head) 42" plasma and a 2 year old 50" plasma, both are 1080p. The newer TV has internet access.. which I'm a fan off.. I mean you're Blu-ray player will most likely have it too and almost everything has Amazon and Netflix... I use Amazon on a regular basis and am very pleased with the picture quality over my crappy internet connction. Not much beats the convenience of an internet connected TV. I mean I have Amazon and Netflix on 3 or 4 different devices but the TV is the easiest to deal with. It's funny how little things like not waiting for the PS3 or Blu-ray player to boot up make a difference. The picture quality on the newer Panasonic is astounding. It wasn't the top end Panasonic either...

 

[Fishy]

We had a Panasonic plasma but the electromagnetic radiation it gave off actually killed our dog!

I would avoid those for sure!

 

[Dogbreath2U]

We had a Panasonic plasma but the electromagnetic radiation it gave off actually killed our dog!

I would avoid those for sure!

I heard it was suicide.

 

[8893]

So, I went to a few stores and have continued the research...

I've confirmed that my room is too bright with too much glare potential for plasma, so I am definitely getting an LED.

I'm basically down to deciding whether to push for full array backlit with local dimming, which, in the stores, looks like it makes a difference. Problem is, Samsung's version of local dimming is only available on their models that come with 3D (which I don't need) and voice control, gesture control and facial recognition (no, I'm not kidding), and there appears to be a lot of reliability problems with sets in these two series (ES7000 (lower quality local dimming) and ES8000), so much so that they are offering them at some pretty steep discounts. A great deal on an unreliable TV is not what I'm looking for, so I may be ruling out Samsung if I am convinced that local dimming makes enough of a difference. I know jleves believes very strongly that it does; any others with thoughts here?

And, if I do go with local dimming, it looks like I've got to choose between Vizio, LG, Sony and Sharp. Assuming it all comes down to what I can get the best deal on at the time for the features that matter to me (and now willing to spend a few bucks more for 60" (or larger)), any strong reasons to eliminate or favor any of these? It looks like there are some serious deals on some of them.

Continued thanks for any more insights.