OT-Advice on buying a new TV

[minidarren]

Go Samsung. Ive got their 55" LED TV. Thing is sick.

 

[Husky25]

Have 2 LG's. Bought the 47 incher at Christmas 2007 for $1,900 and the 42 incher at Christmas 2011 for about $500. The 2007 variety is still going strong. My brother bought a Vizio from Sam's Club a few years back and it has become his primary set. I'm hoping the 2007 set lasts a few more years so I can put it downstairs when we finish the basement.

All I can add is buy bigger than you think you need

Agreed. But I will advise that size is dependent on how far away you will typically sit. A good rule of thumb is you want to buy no less than 1/2 the viewing distance. For instance, the most common viewing spot in one room is about 7 feet from the television, which is 47 inches on the diagonal. In the other room (42"), the primary viewing spot is about 60" away and it's decent for the chair, but might be a bit is too small for the couch across the room.

Most warrantees are typically limited (i.e. they may not cover a blown pixel, which sends a green/blue line across the screen and cannot be fixed in your home workshop) and have a deductible. TV's are so cheap these days that purchasing a new one may be less of a hassle than having it fixed and paying the extra $100 anyway.

Refresh rate is important, especially if you want to watch sports or anything with a lot of motion (action movies). It's less important for sitcom and drama viewing. It may be hard to come by in a larger model on a budget, but I haven't bough a tv in 4 years so prices might be even better than they were. On the other hand some people can't tell the difference between 60Hz and 120.

I'd check out the reviews on Amazon and Best Buy.com to be honest and then see if a Brick and Mortar store offer the same model and honor online coupons or deals. I'd also probably not rely on e-Bay for a purchase of this size, but that is my own preference. If you do, I suggest sticking to US Only or North America origin. I've been burned on items coming from overseas, particularly China.

 

[dogfan96]

The best picture I've ever seen on a non-tube TV was a Vizio.. their quality has increased steadily since they were first introduced. I don't say that to say it's the best TV you can get, but price vs quality, Vizio makes a very good product

 

[nomar]

All I can add is buy bigger than you think you need

Kitaman is not a big TV guy.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

Go to Best Buy or somewhere and look at the pictures without looking at their brand names and identify the ones that look the best across different sizes. When I did this a couple of years ago, the "best" ones for me were all Samsung. My point is to look for yourself. Then buy it any way you like.

I also later got a great deal on a Samsung refurb that has been flawless, but I'm one wild and crazy guy who lives on the edge.

 

[Husky25]

Go to Best Buy or somewhere and look at the pictures without looking at their brand names and identify the ones that look the best across different sizes. When I did this a couple of years ago, the "best" ones for me were all Samsung. My point is to look for yourself. Then buy it any way you like.

I also later got a great deal on a Samsung refurb that has been flawless, but I'm one wild and crazy guy who lives on the edge.

You'd just be comparing the TV's direct-from-factory settings unless you manually adjust the tuners. If you're going to do this, make sure you can get your hands on the remote and adjust the picture. Panasonic typically burns bright and the factory default is not very sharp, but when you adjust the color, contract, and brightness, you can get a softer picture.

 

[White Dwarf]

You will have to pry my Panasonic plasma from my cold dead hands.

 

[gampelcrazies]

Samsung is the way to go

 

[CTMike]

You will have to pry my Panasonic plasma from my cold dead hands.

Amen, White Dwarf... Amen.

To Kitaman- don't stress it too much. Pick the biggest one from a reputable brand that fits your budget. Vizio, Samsung, LG are all generally fine. Picture will look great almost no matter what. Only brand I would caution against is insignia, which is best buys house brand. Not to offend any insignia owners out there, it's nothing personal.

 

[Tommyboy]

I have a 60" Samsung 240 Hz and it is amazing. I tried the lower end model that was 120 Hz but after having a 48" 240Hz Samsung I had to return it. Though I think this is more with the larger TVs (I am no expert) as we have a cheapo walmart 32" that has a great picture.

 

[ktuck911]

I'm a happy LG 55" 120Hz 3D owner (pre-Smart TV)... Love the blacks in the picture... However, I have to admit Samsung has the most realistic picture I've seen out there... the people look absolutely real. as if you are using your own camcorder in your home recording a moment in time. When I'm ready to make another move I'll give Samsung a shot....

 

[elduderino]

24oHz, like 4K, is unnecessary because no content is produced in that format and it just relies on hardware to either duplicate frames or pixels without actually adding any content (this is already occurring at 120Hz as well). I would advise making sure whatever you pick has an adequate number of HDMI and USB connections for your ongoing display needs. Personally Id stick with Samsung or LG because Ive bought many products, including home appliances, from each of them in the past and they will each honor their warrantees at their cost, within acceptable reason.

 

[Tommyboy]

24oHz, like 4K, is unnecessary because no content is produced in that format and it just relies on hardware to either duplicate frames or pixels without actually adding any content (this is already occurring at 120Hz as well). I would advise making sure whatever you pick has an adequate number of HDMI and USB connections for your ongoing display needs. Personally Id stick with Samsung or LG because Ive bought many products, including home appliances, from each of them in the past and they will each honor their warrantees at their cost, within acceptable reason.

I just found the juddering or motion blur on the cheaper 60" 120hz samsungs annoying. While it might be the higher motion rate or whatever but the higher end (which seems to be 240hz) blows it away. But then again, I am no expert.

 

[elduderino]

I just found the juddering or motion blur on the cheaper 60" 120hz samsungs annoying. While it might be the higher motion rate or whatever but the higher end (which seems to be 240hz) blows it away. But then again, I am no expert.

Im really no expert either, but most modern displays are highly adjustable, for both the better or worse depending upon if youre a retailer or a consumer. Ive personally never come across a display I thought 240Hz would really be necessary or helpful on, but it sounds like youre happy with your panel and that's really all that matters in the end. Although I don't know if its in the $500 range at this point, I also really like wifi enabled displays.

 

[NJHusky]

I've got a Sony LED and Panasonic Plasma...both great...The Sony replaced my samsung 42 that I wasn't happy with...lasted only 3 years before it died...and it started acting up at 2.5 years

 

[mcs333]

Have a Samsung 46" and it's great!

 

[sledog]

Get an Ultra - you'll be ahead of the curve, and the pix is amazing. Saw the first ones at trade show last year. BlueRay ultra is not far behind. Ultra, along with good video processor, provides superior averaging between adjacent pixels. No jagged edges = better image. Look closely at a complex screen image (moving bushes / trees, colors, etc), and you'll see.

Get highest refresh available (currently 240Hz). It smooths frame transition (30 frames / sec) in rapid motion sequences (think UConn hoooops). Less blur. It has nothing to do with available content.

Sam and LG have huge LCD screen market share, so can't go wrong with the screen. The key is in the video processing chip (not Intel, but Sigma, MStar, etc), but it is difficult to find what is in any given model. But usually, higher price = better processor. Note, they only cost $5 - 20, so the mark-up is large.

 

[sawxfan23]

Go to Best Buy or somewhere and look at the pictures without looking at their brand names and identify the ones that look the best across different sizes. When I did this a couple of years ago, the "best" ones for me were all Samsung. My point is to look for yourself. Then buy it any way you like.

I also later got a great deal on a Samsung refurb that has been flawless, but I'm one wild and crazy guy who lives on the edge.

I don't recommend doing this to get an accurate representation of picture quality because there are simply too many variables involved. Each TV could be using different input cables whether in be HDMI, composite video, S video, digital, coaxial, component video, etc. Each one of these inputs has a different level of quality and price and doing just a little research at a local Best Buy when I bought my TV I found that they often use whatever they have laying around when setting up demo tvs. Also modern TVs have a lot of tuning ability and built in programs that alter the picture to fit the surrounding and very rarely are these set correctly on demo tvs.

 

[Hoophound]

Vizios are good for the money, but their remotes are junk. Samsung has been very good to me overall.

 

[huskypantz]

Buy new, they're in your price range. I have a 52" 1080p 60 hz samsung LCD (2008) and a 46" 1080p 120 hz samsung LCD (2009). I have a 50" 120hz slim LED Toshiba that I won at a trade show last month still sitting in its box. I can't bear to part with either of my Samsungs. Listen to the folks above concerning screen size. Get 120 hz. If I bought now it would be LED for the slim/lighter design. My only caution would be that most manufacturers have many models in the same sizes, so a 50" Samsung is generally not the same between Costco and Walmart. Check the model number and read the reviews.

 

[Tommyboy]

Im really no expert either, but most modern displays are highly adjustable, for both the better or worse depending upon if youre a retailer or a consumer. Ive personally never come across a display I thought 240Hz would really be necessary or helpful on, but it sounds like youre happy with your panel and that's really all that matters in the end. Although I don't know if its in the $500 range at this point, I also really like wifi enabled displays.

totally. as long as the end user is happy thats all that matters. Those tv's are definitely not in the 500 range.

 

[uconnfan68]

For some reason I trust you guys more than the bloggers.

Just my 2 cents, but tvs are just commodities now. Can't go wrong with almost any brand names.

 

[superjohn]

I've had a 50 inch plasma for something like 9 years, never had a problem with it and I still think it has a better picture than pretty much all the lcd's and led's I've seen. It's a bummer plasma is a dead technology, the picture is outstanding.

 

[jleves]

Costco extends the warranty on the TV to 2 years and gives you a 90 day no questions asked return policy. Go there and get the biggest set your budget affords (leaving room for something you think looks better that may be a bit smaller than the biggest in your budget).