OT: TV purchase suggestions

[newell138]

My 10 year old plasma is on its last leg so time to start looking for a new one. Any suggestions or advice? I'm looking to move up from 49 inches to 65. Since we are in the BIG now, need to think BIG.

Wall mount and smart TV are must haves. I found this one that looks good, LGUH6150-Series 65, but oddly enough I can only find 1 review online which scares me.

 

[Tango Two]

My 10 year old plasma is on its last leg so time to start looking for a new one. Any suggestions or advice? I'm looking to move up from 49 inches to 65. Since we are in the BIG now, need to think BIG.

Wall mount and smart TV are must haves. I found this one that looks good, LGUH6150-Series 65, but oddly enough I can only find 1 review online which scares me.

Here is the place to be asking / looking:

http://www.avsforum.com/forum/index.php#/forumsite/3207

 

[PSU_Nut]

My 10 year old plasma is on its last leg so time to start looking for a new one. Any suggestions or advice? I'm looking to move up from 49 inches to 65. Since we are in the BIG now, need to think BIG.

Wall mount and smart TV are must haves. I found this one that looks good, LGUH6150-Series 65, but oddly enough I can only find 1 review online which scares me.

Go cheap right now. You don't want to be putting a ton of money into a TV right now. If you can't wait get a cheap model that will hold you over for 2 years or so. In a few year you will see the HDR 4K tv mature and price drop. In addition except for streaming movies there is no content out there so your wasting your money.

 

[rutgersal]

Buy a 4K Samsung from PC Richard in Carteret. 3.5% sales tax.

 

[daneman100]

Pass on the smart TV and buy a Roku instead. Extremely easy to use and the channels are updated frequently.

And as PSU Nut said go cheap. I bought a vizio e60-c3 60" display model for half the price. Turns out it is a solid set with a lot of great features at the price point. Amazon just had a great deal on a Samsung curved TV. Keep your eyes open and you can get a good deal.

 

[Leonard23]

My 10 year old plasma is on its last leg so time to start looking for a new one. Any suggestions or advice? I'm looking to move up from 49 inches to 65. Since we are in the BIG now, need to think BIG.

Wall mount and smart TV are must haves. I found this one that looks good, LGUH6150-Series 65, but oddly enough I can only find 1 review online which scares me.

I'd buy a used Panasonic plasma TC-P65ZT60 or VT60 for $2,000 or less, heck even look at some older models for $1,000 like the VT30 or VT50.

 

[RBS05]

Definitely go Samsung. Agree with others not to worry about "smart". Can't stand that I still have a 5 year old Netflix app on there that can't be updated. Fire stick/Roku/Apple TV is the way to go.

 

[FanuSanu52]

Here is the place to be asking / looking:

http://www.avsforum.com/forum/index.php#/forumsite/3207

People do realize there are more forums on the Internet than just this one, no?

 

[FanuSanu52]

Pass on the smart TV and buy a Roku instead. Extremely easy to use and the channels are updated frequently.

And as PSU Nut said go cheap. I bought a vizio e60-c3 60" display model for half the price. Turns out it is a solid set with a lot of great features at the price point. Amazon just had a great deal on a Samsung curved TV. Keep your eyes open and you can get a good deal.

100 percent. Plus, if your Roku has performance issues or becomes outdated, you can replace it for $50 to $100 instead of the price of a new TV. I guess you could buy a Roku and hook it up to the TV anyway, but why pay more for a smart TV when you can keep it cheap and flexible out of the gate?

 

[Crazed_RU]

Buy any TV from Costco that fits your budget. Agree with other posters here - think of the TV like you do a computer monitor. Its main function is to display the picture, not be the brains of your entertainment system.

 

[Tango Two]

People do realize there are more forums on the Internet than just this one, no?

I'm not sure they do

 

[HeyHuey]

BestBuy Open Box unit. You can pretty much find what you want for a lot less. TVs are a ridiculous investment.

 

[saran]

My 10 year old plasma is on its last leg so time to start looking for a new one. Any suggestions or advice? I'm looking to move up from 49 inches to 65. Since we are in the BIG now, need to think BIG.

Wall mount and smart TV are must haves. I found this one that looks good, LGUH6150-Series 65, but oddly enough I can only find 1 review online which scares me.

You can find more reviews if you rearrange the letter/number concatenation. Lots of places don't join the "LG" to the model number (or use "Series 65" instead of just 65).

The TV you're looking at is 3840 x 2160 - called "4K" in TV marketing land but its really UHD (Ultra High Definition) and is a bit different. Most "4K" TVs are really UHD.

The TV is also a LG and uses IPS panel tech which I like the best. LG makes IPS panels so they use IPS the most. IPS has best (realistic) color reproduction and many photographers have insisted on using it the past decade. I use my TV and computer displays for photography, games etc. and have been using only IPS since 2007. A quality photo on an IPS panel can look very natural - like you could put your hand into the image.

Now some people like goosed images with exaggerated colors, contrast etc. Its like the old Kodachrome (more natural) vs Fuji Velvia (goosed colors) conflict. Non IPS displays can have more intense blacks. Some people think thats "more natural" when in fact they are watching ebonized TV with exaggerated blacks.

The thing to be careful of is that TV makers will use IPS panel when a TV Is new, and then switch to a TN or VA latter (after they get reviews using IPS). With LG they tend to replace the IPS panel after 6 months or a year. You'll see a big price markdown on a sale and you'll think you got a good deal when you just bought a buggered TV in the charade known as the "panel lottery" (some specific model TVs will have IPS and some won't. Some buyers will make 3-4 buys until they get the IPS ).

Personally I don't like goosed refresh rates. I get headaches from the 120, 240 artificial/digitized refresh rates. In tests, nobody really picks the goosed refresh rates over the basic rates. The goosed refresh rates will also slow games down (lag) since it takes more resources to to goose the image with a layer of digital junk.

I haven't look into your model a lot but offhand it seems like a good start. I don't know how much of a "smart TV" it is but a lot of that "smart" stuff is another way for networks and marketers to share your TV with you since its easier to monitor what "smart" TVs are doing. Its kind of like an Amazon phone which is a marketing tool for Amazon as much as a phone for a user. I don't like that stuff.


The BEST HDTV LCD Screen Technology - IPS (In-Plane Switching)
http://plug-in.bestbuy.ca/t5/Visit-...-Technology-IPS-In-Plane-Switching/ba-p/86228

 

[Saint Puppy]

Not so up on the tech, but I pay for a one month subscription to consumer reports sometimes.....but asking here is not bad either.

 

[newell138]

People do realize there are more forums on the Internet than just this one, no?

I'm not sure they do

I actually post OT topics on here just to annoy you. I think its funny how any topic other than RU football you find it necessary to comment on where the person should be posting. You do realize that w/o the non football related topics this forum would be pretty boring outside of football season. What I like to do if I see a topic that doesn't interest me is to just ignore it and not bother opening it up or read it. Give it a try.

 

[newell138]

Good advice from everyone, thanks. I do have a fire stick on my bedroom TV and love it, so I guess thats a good idea for the downstairs TV as well and forget the smart TV.

 

[ruready4somefootball]

Right now Costco has a 55" LED 1080p, 120 HZ HD made by TCL for $399.00. Looked up TCL and they are the #3 TV maker in the world.

 

[Beancounter88]

I replaced 2 Samsungs in my house with Vizios and they have been great. For the money, you cannot beat the quality, so I'm a big fan. BUT, whatever you get, you must get a sound bar/system. The audio on all TVs suck nowadays - like a tin box in a hamper. You can get deals on TV/audio combo's.

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

My 10 year old plasma is on its last leg so time to start looking for a new one. Any suggestions or advice? I'm looking to move up from 49 inches to 65. Since we are in the BIG now, need to think BIG.

Wall mount and smart TV are must haves. I found this one that looks good, LGUH6150-Series 65, but oddly enough I can only find 1 review online which scares me.

Nothing will look as good as that Plasma without spending thousands of dollars. The best that they have out now are OLED TV sets.

I have a Plasma, I really hope it can hang on for as long as possible.

 

[RU4Real]

Nothing will look as good as that Plasma without spending thousands of dollars. The best that they have out now are OLED TV sets.

I have a Plasma, I really hope it can hang on for as long as possible.

Yep.

When this thread popped up last night I made the wife look up how old my Panasonic 55 plasma really is. Turns out it's only about 6 years. I would love a bigger screen, but the picture on this thing is excellent.

 

[Leonard23]

Nothing will look as good as that Plasma without spending thousands of dollars. The best that they have out now are OLED TV sets.

I have a Plasma, I really hope it can hang on for as long as possible.

This is why I mentioned looking to get a used Panasonic plasma. Nothing beats a plasma picture. There are still some unopened ones available online but they're crazy expensive.

 

[newell138]

it seems like if you want an LED picture you dont have many Non Smart TV's to choose from.

 

[ScarletNut]

I have 2 eleven year old Pioneer 50' plasma sets, getting a bit long in the tooth but was a great picture. I have since purchased a Samsung 55" curved, 4k HD for another room at Costco, for $1100. Can't beat the price and the HD looks almost like 3D, absolutely the best purchase for the money I have ever made. Oh, and its a Smart TV also (which I never bother with).

 

[Bagarocks]

Consumer reports says over 55" Samsung #1 LG#2

 

[Upstream]

it seems like if you want an LED picture you dont have many Non Smart TV's to choose from.

That is because the cost difference between a Smart TV and a 'non-Smart" TV is negligible. All it is is a software change (and there is no cost to that, since the manufacturer already has the software for the Smart versions of their TVs) and a $3 wireless adapter. In fact, it would probably cost more to manufacture a non-Smart TV, since so few of them are sold. If I were a TV manufacturer, and had some demand for non-Smart TV's, I'd just sell my Smart TV, relabeled, with the smart features turned off.

 

[daneman100]

Right now Costco has a 55" LED 1080p, 120 HZ HD made by TCL for $399.00. Looked up TCL and they are the #3 TV maker in the world.

JVC and TCL have TV that come with a Roku streaming stick. I have a JVC with the Roku streaming stick and it works great.

Check the Roku site as well, they have TV deals from time to time.

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

Yep.

When this thread popped up last night I made the wife look up how old my Panasonic 55 plasma really is. Turns out it's only about 6 years. I would love a bigger screen, but the picture on this thing is excellent.

I have a 50 inch Panasonic Plasma which I got at the end of 2011.

 

[Tango Two]

I actually post OT topics on here just to annoy you. I think its funny how any topic other than RU football you find it necessary to comment on where the person should be posting. You do realize that w/o the non football related topics this forum would be pretty boring outside of football season. What I like to do if I see a topic that doesn't interest me is to just ignore it and not bother opening it up or read it. Give it a try.

Not telling you where to post but rather showing you a site that has great Infirmation on electronic equipment and reviews on almost all kinds of television equipment from people that live for it. So lighten up. I was trying to help you.

 

[newell138]

Not telling you where to post but rather showing you a site that has great Infirmation on electronic equipment and reviews on almost all kinds of television equipment from people that live for it. So lighten up. I was trying to help you.

and I get that but you can't deny you are usually the first person to redirect someone should they post something about any Olympic sport or current event

 

[RU85inFla]

I got an 80 inch vizeo 4K from Costco for my new place. Luv it.

 

[alphapapa]

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-tv/

Samsung or Vizio IMO

 

[touchyfeely]

I agree with most of the posters - you don't need a "smart" TV, a Roku, Apple TV, Amazon fire, Playstation, etc. are better than any sort of built-in features on a TV. However, larger TV, especially higher-end ones, almost always have that built-in.

My suggestion is to get a cheap 4K TV with a good refresh rate, buy a soundbar and then determine what kind of entertainment box you need, if the smart TV options aren't to your liking. Samsung generally has a better reputation, but Vizio is good on price/value while being decent on quality, however most TV are mostly commoditized. Hazard of a low-margin business.

 

[RUDutch]

Is it just me or does anyone else like Newell's old avatar better than the current one?

 

[PeteGiam07]

TV's are going to keep up with technology. Even if you don't want a "smart" TV it will become standard that a TV has WIFI and App abilities whether consumers want it or not.

 

[FanuSanu52]

I actually post OT topics on here just to annoy you. I think its funny how any topic other than RU football you find it necessary to comment on where the person should be posting. You do realize that w/o the non football related topics this forum would be pretty boring outside of football season. What I like to do if I see a topic that doesn't interest me is to just ignore it and not bother opening it up or read it. Give it a try.

No need to get all uppity. My point, and TTs point, is not about OT threads, which I like, it's that there are better places to get this info, sites with guys that care more about TVs than about any human being. This forum is pretty good all around, but it falls short on some topics. This would be one of them.

Oh yeah, and we both offered advice, too. Forest through the trees, man.

 

[FanuSanu52]

TV's are going to keep up with technology. Even if you don't want a "smart" TV it will become standard that a TV has WIFI and App abilities whether consumers want it or not.

Maybe, but so far there is no evidence of this.

A couple years ago, you might have said the same thing about 3d.

 

[ScarletNut]

Maybe, but so far there is no evidence of this.

A couple years ago, you might have said the same thing about 3d.

Funny you should mention that. I had a patient walk in a couple years ago who worked for Hitachi. He advised against buying a 3D TV because it would soon be obsolete and that they were working on holographic TV's. How cool would that be?

 

[Nosoj]

TV's are going to keep up with technology. Even if you don't want a "smart" TV it will become standard that a TV has WIFI and App abilities whether consumers want it or not.

Vizio is actually going the other way and eliminating the in-set features (including the tuners so they're not even technically TVs anymore). They're a smaller player worldwide, but they sell about a quarter of the "Smart" TVs in the US.

Vizio is completely resetting expectations for how a TV should function in 2016. There are no built-in apps for Netflix, Hulu, and other services.

http://www.theverge.com/2016/3/22/11282538/vizio-p-series-google-cast-4k-hdr-tv-announced-pricing

 

[newell138]

Is it just me or does anyone else like Newell's old avatar better than the current one?

sorry!

 

[PeteGiam07]

Maybe, but so far there is no evidence of this.

A couple years ago, you might have said the same thing about 3d.

3D was different IMO. You could tell right away not everyone was going to want to put on a pair of glasses everytime they wanted to watch something. That market was never going to be as big as they hoped.

You will see cameras in TV's like laptop monitors have now. Imagine Skyping through your TV.

For people who have Xbox One this feature is already a reality. Calls come in during TV watching or gameplay as the Xbox One is the Hub of the media center. There will be separate aftermarket hubs out there, but like TV's with DVD players in them there will be ones to have an option to make it the hub of your media center.