New HDTV - info

[IsaacNewton]

Greetings, I'm in the market for a new HD TV. I will be getting a smart TV so can stream movies from Netflix or other online services. I'm wondering what other features would be recommended. HDMI connections I would guess, but one or two? Or more? USB connections? I'm looking at a 46" plus model, up to say 55". $500 or less.

Which tvs or brands would you avoid regarding reliability or picture quality? The range of choices is humungous, and actually ridiculous if you ask me. I know plasma is dead and LED LCD with full array backlighting is best rather than edge LED lighting.

What else?

 

[Harry Dresden]

my sister bought a Samsung 55" Smart TV about 6 months ago and the picture already went out.....but they replaced it.....

 

[HenryBHough]

More money buys more features but, these days, not necessarily better pictures.

Many features can be off-loaded to inexpensive little boxes at the cost of minimal inconvenience.

Minimum is one "TV" (Antenna or cable) radio-frequency input; one A/V (audio-video) input and one HDMI input. The cost of a manufacturer adding, for example, a second HDMI input is about a buck but the price of the TV may jump $100. You can buy HDMI push-button selector boxes for a few bucks plus the cost of the necessary cables and even those have come down in price.

Hint: Identify 2-3 models you think you'd like then go online and download the user manuals for them and look through them. These days it's hard to buy a bad TV - even "off brands" that, five years ago, I wouldn't have touched seem to be adequate and expendable. Repair costs have become such that when a TV fails it's economically nuts to even try to have it repaired. Even manufacturers don't try to repair - only replace. On that account, ask the stores you're shopping about in-store replacement in event of failure. You might be able to get that for free with a little negotiating and, if it's not too costly, for a reasonable price. What you don't want to do is to have to ship a broken TV to China for replacement.

 

[IsaacNewton]

my sister bought a Samsung 55" Smart TV about 6 months ago and the picture already went out.....but they replaced it.....

Yeah not good news. Samsung one of the top brands as well. You know you almost get the notion they build them flimsy so they can sell the 2-3 year extended warranty and make more money. So far I've come up with 1-2 HDMI connections. 2+ USB connections. Component connection for older DVD and VCR hookups. I'm not sold on WiFi and I think you can get an addon box for that. I also read a screen that provides deep black is preferred. And every review I read says buy the biggest tv you can afford. (of course)

Maybe there isn't really a huge difference in the quality between the top ten major brands. Thanks for the info.

"What you don't want to do is to have to ship a broken TV to China for replacement." They do that? Holly hell how can that be cheaper than repairing it here.

 

[Harry Dresden]

my sister bought a Samsung 55" Smart TV about 6 months ago and the picture already went out.....but they replaced it.....

Yeah not good news. Samsung one of the top brands as well. You know you almost get the notion they build them flimsy so they can sell the 2-3 year extended warranty and make more money. So far I've come up with 1-2 HDMI connections. 2+ USB connections. Component connection for older DVD and VCR hookups. I'm not sold on WiFi and I think you can get an addon box for that. I also read a screen that provides deep black is preferred. And every review I read says buy the biggest tv you can afford. (of course)

Maybe there isn't really a huge difference in the quality between the top ten major brands. Thanks for the info.

"What you don't want to do is to have to ship a broken TV to China for replacement." They do that? Holly hell how can that be cheaper than repairing it here.

the repair guy came out on Wed. and pronounced it dead and they brought out a new one and made the exchange on that Fri.....

 

[IsaacNewton]

my sister bought a Samsung 55" Smart TV about 6 months ago and the picture already went out.....but they replaced it.....

Yeah not good news. Samsung one of the top brands as well. You know you almost get the notion they build them flimsy so they can sell the 2-3 year extended warranty and make more money. So far I've come up with 1-2 HDMI connections. 2+ USB connections. Component connection for older DVD and VCR hookups. I'm not sold on WiFi and I think you can get an addon box for that. I also read a screen that provides deep black is preferred. And every review I read says buy the biggest tv you can afford. (of course)

Maybe there isn't really a huge difference in the quality between the top ten major brands. Thanks for the info.

"What you don't want to do is to have to ship a broken TV to China for replacement." They do that? Holly hell how can that be cheaper than repairing it here.

the repair guy came out on Wed. and pronounced it dead and they brought out a new one and made the exchange on that Fri.....

Two days? Can't be unhappy about that.

 

[Harry Dresden]

my sister bought a Samsung 55" Smart TV about 6 months ago and the picture already went out.....but they replaced it.....

Yeah not good news. Samsung one of the top brands as well. You know you almost get the notion they build them flimsy so they can sell the 2-3 year extended warranty and make more money. So far I've come up with 1-2 HDMI connections. 2+ USB connections. Component connection for older DVD and VCR hookups. I'm not sold on WiFi and I think you can get an addon box for that. I also read a screen that provides deep black is preferred. And every review I read says buy the biggest tv you can afford. (of course)

Maybe there isn't really a huge difference in the quality between the top ten major brands. Thanks for the info.

"What you don't want to do is to have to ship a broken TV to China for replacement." They do that? Holly hell how can that be cheaper than repairing it here.

the repair guy came out on Wed. and pronounced it dead and they brought out a new one and made the exchange on that Fri.....

Two days? Can't be unhappy about that.

yea it worked out well,the repair guy said it would all be contingent on them having that TV in stock,otherwise they would have to either locate one at another store or order one...but they had one....

 

[Weatherman2020]

Greetings, I'm in the market for a new HD TV. I will be getting a smart TV so can stream movies from Netflix or other online services. I'm wondering what other features would be recommended. HDMI connections I would guess, but one or two? Or more? USB connections? I'm looking at a 46" plus model, up to say 55". $500 or less.

Which tvs or brands would you avoid regarding reliability or picture quality? The range of choices is humungous, and actually ridiculous if you ask me. I know plasma is dead and LED LCD with full array backlighting is best rather than edge LED lighting.

What else?

All flat screens have been HDMI for years. Get 4K if you can afford it. If you watch DVD's, get a Blu Ray player. If you want surround sound you need a sound system that supports HDMI.

 

[Uncensored2008]

$500 is a very low budget. In the 55 inch class you will be talking low end brands. Obviously this will be 1080I/P as 1440P and 4K cost more. Look for several HDMI inputs and at least one display port, and one USB.

 

[HenryBHough]

(portions omitted for brevity only)

"What you don't want to do is to have to ship a broken TV to China for replacement." They do that? Holly hell how can that be cheaper than repairing it here.

The thing is that the cost of repairing today's flat-screen sets is almost always far greater than the cost of manufacture. It's pretty universal that TVs returned are never repaired, only replaced. The "Ship to China" thing is not universal but is not uncommon with some manufacturers who want the cost and inconvenience of doing that to be such that the buyer won't do it. Hence my thoughts on the prudence of buying from a store with an in-store replacement warranty. I have run into situations where the model being returned is not in stock but, when pressed, the store will replace it with one step newer/better at no or very little additional cost. Remember, they are not necessarily trying to recoup the price difference between what you bring in and what they give - only to cover the cost difference between the two from their perspective and that can be very, very small.

 

[IsaacNewton]

Smart TVs - Best Buy

You can find deals on smart tvs under $500 including the top tier brands. I just don't know if a Sharp is as reliable and has good picture as the Samsung in the BestBuy link. Wth happened to the world, there are 200 choices for everything. You look at the toothbrush aisle and you have 50 choices. It's a damn toothbrush. And yes I know about market dispersion etc, but the time now to evaluate even a simple thing like buying a tv is balderdash Olly! LOL

I also notice most stores now carry a lot of 'refurbished' items, so that goes along with the repair thing you guys are talking about. I bought a new 24" BenQ pc monitor a couple months ago and I have to say money well spent. Flat screen takes up no room and no issues at all. Now just need to find a tv that does the same. As noted above there are many addon boxes or USB sticks to accomodate connecting to a pc but I'm spending the money so I'll just get the HDMI and connect to my pc.

I was surprised to find out plasma has gone away about 2 years ago. And the 4k tvs at the moment aren't really worth it because few movies and tv shows are presented in that advanced pixel config and quality. That is what I read anyway. It will probably be the norm in 5 years but I don't think worth the money right now. One thing about electronics that is great, the price drops like a rock at a certain point.

 

[HenryBHough]

Consider your own visual acuity. Measure the distance from where you'll put your home TV to where your eyes will be when you're watching it. Take your measuring tape into the stores and stand that measured distance back from each of the TVs you're considering - each with the same program running (usually they're running built-in "store" videos). The best specification is meaningless when YOUR eyes can't see the difference.

 

[IsaacNewton]

Consider your own visual acuity. Measure the distance from where you'll put your home TV to where your eyes will be when you're watching it. Take your measuring tape into the stores and stand that measured distance back from each of the TVs you're considering - each with the same program running (usually they're running built-in "store" videos). The best specification is meaningless when YOUR eyes can't see the difference.

The formula noted everywhere is the 1.6 formula. Take the screen measurement, say 48" or 4 ft x 1.6 = 6.4 ft, and best viewing of this size screen would be 6.4 ft or six and a half feet from the screen. So I go with 6-8 ft as the optimal distance for a 46" - 55" tv. Easy to adjust a couch or chairs in.

Something odd I'm finding is some tv's come with a tv tuner and some don't! WTH? Some you have to buy the tuner separately. I'm wondering if this is a trend to phase out free digital broadcast tv, or at least phase out pre-installed digitial tv tuners in all tv's. Why can't these dweebs leave well enough alone. It's always something.


So far I've narrowed the search down to an HDTV with these specs:

- Smart TV (internet ready, with wi-fi and/or an ethernet input on the tv)
- 120hz refresh rate (research reveals a 240hz refresh rate doesn't reduce blurring much more and the proprietary 'anti-blur' offered by manuf. is deceptive) (60hz not enough)
- 2-3 HDMI inputs
- Component/composite inputs (allows connection of VCRs and DVD players with those round red/yellow/white or red/green/blue connectors
- 1 USB input (at least)
- Full array LED backlighting, as opposed to side LED lighting
- Speakers on new HDTV's are bad because the TV's are made so narrow now, so you need some type of sound bar or external speakers for good sound
- Most research I've read says the extended warranties, 2-3 years aren't worth it. But they are like $30 for an extra year or $2.50 per month which is nothing

Anything else?

TV's in the 48"-55" range with these features go $450 up on sale. Even some 4k versions in this price range.

 

[NYcarbineer]

Greetings, I'm in the market for a new HD TV. I will be getting a smart TV so can stream movies from Netflix or other online services. I'm wondering what other features would be recommended. HDMI connections I would guess, but one or two? Or more? USB connections? I'm looking at a 46" plus model, up to say 55". $500 or less.

Which tvs or brands would you avoid regarding reliability or picture quality? The range of choices is humungous, and actually ridiculous if you ask me. I know plasma is dead and LED LCD with full array backlighting is best rather than edge LED lighting.

What else?

I have a 49" LG that I will jinx by saying so but it is grrrrrrreat. Don't skimp on size. Mine was $399 at Walmart in December. LG 49LF5400 49quot 1080p 60Hz Class LED HDTV

 

[depotoo]

Ours did too, and they didn't want to replace it but finally did. Our Samsung was at 1 yr.

my sister bought a Samsung 55" Smart TV about 6 months ago and the picture already went out.....but they replaced it.....

 

[depotoo]

I've read great things about LG.

Greetings, I'm in the market for a new HD TV. I will be getting a smart TV so can stream movies from Netflix or other online services. I'm wondering what other features would be recommended. HDMI connections I would guess, but one or two? Or more? USB connections? I'm looking at a 46" plus model, up to say 55". $500 or less.

Which tvs or brands would you avoid regarding reliability or picture quality? The range of choices is humungous, and actually ridiculous if you ask me. I know plasma is dead and LED LCD with full array backlighting is best rather than edge LED lighting.

What else?

I have a 49" LG that I will jinx by saying so but it is grrrrrrreat. Don't skimp on size. Mine was $399 at Walmart in December. LG 49LF5400 49quot 1080p 60Hz Class LED HDTV

 

[depotoo]

I prefer wifi, if you have alot of components it is much better.

 

[MikeK]

It used to be you put a tv set on a stand, or a bedroom dresser, plugged it into AC, hooked up the cable connector, and that was it. Now it seems a special evening course is required to buy a tv set and get it working.

 

[CremeBrulee]

Ours did too, and they didn't want to replace it but finally did. Our Samsung was at 1 yr.

my sister bought a Samsung 55" Smart TV about 6 months ago and the picture already went out.....but they replaced it.....

My brother's Samsung 55" Smart TV was on the fritz too. When I was diagnosing it for them I came across a whole bunch of people that reported the colored blocks in the corners. It seems to happen about the same time the warranty expires. The part to fix it (and labor) cost almost as much, if not more, than a new TV.
I wouldn't recommend a Samsung.

Honestly, the best TV for the price are Vizios in my opinion. You can get them at WalMart. They aren't top of the line but they are cheaper and extremely durable; a good television. You can get a 55" for $500. Never had any problems with them. Drove my car over the one I connect my Playstation to. Small cracks in the corner but it still works.

 

[NYcarbineer]

Smart TVs - Best Buy

You can find deals on smart tvs under $500 including the top tier brands. I just don't know if a Sharp is as reliable and has good picture as the Samsung in the BestBuy link. Wth happened to the world, there are 200 choices for everything. You look at the toothbrush aisle and you have 50 choices. It's a damn toothbrush. And yes I know about market dispersion etc, but the time now to evaluate even a simple thing like buying a tv is balderdash Olly! LOL

I also notice most stores now carry a lot of 'refurbished' items, so that goes along with the repair thing you guys are talking about. I bought a new 24" BenQ pc monitor a couple months ago and I have to say money well spent. Flat screen takes up no room and no issues at all. Now just need to find a tv that does the same. As noted above there are many addon boxes or USB sticks to accomodate connecting to a pc but I'm spending the money so I'll just get the HDMI and connect to my pc.

I was surprised to find out plasma has gone away about 2 years ago. And the 4k tvs at the moment aren't really worth it because few movies and tv shows are presented in that advanced pixel config and quality. That is what I read anyway. It will probably be the norm in 5 years but I don't think worth the money right now. One thing about electronics that is great, the price drops like a rock at a certain point.

I have a Seiki 24 inch monitor, and the funny thing is, if you're watching something on a 24" monitor 2 or 3 feet away, the picture size is actually the equivalent or larger than watching a 50 inch tv 8 or 10 feet away.