Help with tv's

[miraisoup]

Looking into getting a new TV, between 37-42 inches. I'm thinking a Samsung or a Sharp but I'm just not sure how they are now or if there are any better brands. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Vulcan]

A TV isn't just a TV anymore. Do you want a 3D TV? Do you want a smart TV? From the size you mention you're probably looking at a LCD with LED back lighting although there are some good inexpensive Plasma TVs in the 42" size.

I suggest you go to a big box store and have a look at the TVs in your price range and write down the model #s of the ones you like and do some research on them on the net. I also suggest you stick to well known brand names such as LG, Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, Sharp etc. Last years models should be on sale right now also. Have fun searching and good luck.

[nfotiu]

Looking at tvs in a store is not always the greatest idea. They have them all cranked up in torch mode, and you end up drawn to the brightest ones, and will probably pick one that doesn't necessarily look the best once you get it home.

Unless you are in a very sunny room, or care about it being super thing, I'd go for a plasma... better blacks, better with motion and better picture for the price. In a sunny room, some sort of lcd/led. Just try to pick a model with some good online reviews, I'd say. Probably can't go wrong with a 42 inch Panasonic plasma though in your size range.

If you aren't sitting super close, probably won't notice a difference between 1080p, and you may find a good deal on a 720/768 tv. I wouldn't put much weight into caring about refresh rate (ie 120 hz/600 hz..etc).

[sclitheroe]

Personally, I'd avoid smart tv's like the plague. There is no way any of the manufacturers are going to keep the software updated at anywhere near the rate needed to keep them working with common web services, and a potentially great panel will be obsoleted years before its time because of software.

A quality 1080p, LED backlit, high refresh rate LCD panel should look nearly as good in 7-10 years as it does today. Don't gimp it with electronics that go out of support in 4 years.

#grumpyoldguy

edit: in my opinion, of course

[Anduril]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

Personally, I'd avoid smart tv's like the plague. There is no way any of the manufacturers are going to keep the software updated at anywhere near the rate needed to keep them working with common web services, and a potentially great panel will be obsoleted years before its time because of software.

A quality 1080p, LED backlit, high refresh rate LCD panel should look nearly as good in 7-10 years as it does today. Don't gimp it with electronics that go out of support in 4 years.

#grumpyoldguy

edit: in my opinion, of course

I'm with you on that. Might be awesome to have all these neat little gimmicks but that's all they'll be at the end of the day. The laptop that you probably already own can serve most of, if not more than what a smart tv will offer.

[Rathji]

I agree. A $100-$120 box can do anything a smart TV can, in a more responsive and feature filled manner.

[Rerun]

Just bought a 2012 Hitachi LED at Costco.
Its just for the bedroom so it doesn't have to be the latest and the greatest.

I'm happy with it. ... and the $399 price tag.

P.S. It weighs an unbelievable 20 lbs.

[fundmark19]

I need to buy 3 32-40 inch TVs. Is there anyway to get a deal on buying bulk?

[Anduril]

Originally Posted by fundmark19

I need to buy 3 32-40 inch TVs. Is there anyway to get a deal on buying bulk?

Somehow even if it is 3 tv's, that doesn't count as bulk...

[fundmark19]

So then ignore the last word of the sentence and feel free to help out if you get a deal buying 3 of the same tv.

[Flames89]

Another advantage of plasma is the viewing angles. LCDs wash out once outside the main viewing angle. So it depends on your room if it matters

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

Personally, I'd avoid smart tv's like the plague. There is no way any of the manufacturers are going to keep the software updated at anywhere near the rate needed to keep them working with common web services, and a potentially great panel will be obsoleted years before its time because of software.

A quality 1080p, LED backlit, high refresh rate LCD panel should look nearly as good in 7-10 years as it does today. Don't gimp it with electronics that go out of support in 4 years.

#grumpyoldguy

edit: in my opinion, of course

I think we've disagreed before on this. But I have a couple of secondary tvs in the house that I love having Netflix and Pandora on. One is a few years old now, and stopped getting updates a year or two ago, but still works perfectly fine for Netflix and Pandora, which are all I care about. And the ironic thing is that because they aren't updating, Pandora never got updated to a version that plays ads!

The last tv I bought was for the porch, and it was a difference between $280 for the smart version vs $240 for the dumb version. An extra $40 is worth it to not have to deal with another box. There are a lot of nice things about having it built into the tv... Less wires, simpler installation if your putting the components out of sight, etc, and it is quicker to turn on vs starting up another box, and all that.

And if Netflix and Pandora ever do stop working, it is not like the tv doesn't still work.

[fundmark19]

Originally Posted by Flames89

Another advantage of plasma is the viewing angles. LCDs wash out once outside the main viewing angle. So it depends on your room if it matters

I wish plasmas came under 40" for my set up I am having 2 secondary monitors on wall mounts and plasmas would work best but 40 + is going to be overkill for the wall

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

The last tv I bought was for the porch, and it was a difference between $280 for the smart version vs $240 for the dumb version. An extra $40 is worth it to not have to deal with another box. There are a lot of nice things about having it built into the tv... Less wires, simpler installation if your putting the components out of sight, etc, and it is quicker to turn on vs starting up another box, and all that.

The problem with this line of thinking is that the smart features didn't cost you $40 - the panel itself or some other components like the image processing chipset or the power supply cost you probably $60 less to hit that price point. Now on a $280 TV, I guess its a moot point, and I can see your logic (and I might bite on a similar setup for a second TV). But on a higher end unit, I want every dollar available on the purchase price going into the panel and image processing electronics, rather than lower quality anywhere else in the design subsidizing the price of the smart features.

Margins on electronics are so tight that unless the smart version of a unit is significantly more expensive (ie. the cost of the smart components is added to the price to create a premium priced product), you are sacrificing something, somewhere, every time they add a feature that only jacks the retail price a few dollars. The BOM costs on electronics are so tightly managed that subsidizing features can mean buying lower end resistors and capacitors for the logic board, or cheaper heatsinks, lower MTBF power supplies, etc - it's managed down to that fine a level to hit the margin at retail.

[Hevishot]

Originally Posted by fundmark19

So then ignore the last word of the sentence and feel free to help out if you get a deal buying 3 of the same tv.

Try calling base electronics ask for Rick he may be able to help you out.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

The problem with this line of thinking is that the smart features didn't cost you $40 - the panel itself or some other components like the image processing chipset or the power supply cost you probably $60 less to hit that price point. Now on a $280 TV, I guess its a moot point, and I can see your logic (and I might bite on a similar setup for a second TV). But on a higher end unit, I want every dollar available on the purchase price going into the panel and image processing electronics, rather than lower quality anywhere else in the design subsidizing the price of the smart features.

Margins on electronics are so tight that unless the smart version of a unit is significantly more expensive (ie. the cost of the smart components is added to the price to create a premium priced product), you are sacrificing something, somewhere, every time they add a feature that only jacks the retail price a few dollars. The BOM costs on electronics are so tightly managed that subsidizing features can mean buying lower end resistors and capacitors for the logic board, or cheaper heatsinks, lower MTBF power supplies, etc - it's managed down to that fine a level to hit the margin at retail.

I take the opposite view, you need better quality electronics for a 3D TV and probably for a smart TV as well.

[Rathji]

No reason a Smart TV needs better electronics.

A 3D tv, quite likely you are correct

[Vulcan]

I go by the old adage, "you get what you pay for". Of course there are exceptions with some well reviewed budget TVs, but do your research.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

I go by the old adage, "you get what you pay for". Of course there are exceptions with some well reviewed budget TVs, but do your research.

I disagree. You can get coparable TVs for $800 or $3000 depending on whether or not you find the right deal/model. Some TVs are better value than others.

[OldDutch]

The reviews on the 2013 Panasonics are pretty crazy, especially the Panasonic TCP42S60 (42" S60 model).

Excellent Picture with minimal Smart TV overhead, and cheap to boot! Honestly that would be my front runner for a new TV if I was looking for budget model, as long as it is in a darker room. Otherwise the ST60 step up is even better.

I think this is the year I sell my Kuro and buy a ZT60 for my home theater. If the low end Panasonics are this good, the "Kuro killer" looks like it will finally be just that. As long as the price tag isn't Sharp Elite level/ridiculous.