Buying a new TV, what is the BEST one to get?

In My Humble Opinion
1

So I FINALLY got that $6000 first prize from the Oscar Pool at work that I got a perfect score on last February! I was already planning on buying a new TV this month (I’ve been running my shows/blu-ray off a 24" on my desk for the last two years) but now it looks like I can splurge.

40" is ideal for my living room. Any bigger than 42" and I’m gonna be sitting too close for it to be enjoyable. I absolutely do NOT want a 3D TV, and I also don’t NEED any media center/internet features, since I already have a Bluray player and a Seagate Media Center. I also already have a 5.1-HD sound system, so it’s just a matter of running an HDMI cable from the video out on the receiver to the video in on the TV and turning off the internal speakers, so I don’t care if those are crap. Although I suppose I will need a TV with a digital audio output so that I can use the tuner (I don’t have cable so it would be a set of rabbit ears - I was told by somebody on here that a regular old coax set will work for picking up HD signals, so there’s no need to buy an expensive one?). And it should go without saying, but 1080p is a must.

With all that in mind, what is the best one to get? I keep hearing the three S’s thrown around - Sony, Samsung and Sharp. I’m also not quite sure the real life comparison between 60, 120 and 240 hz, or to LED or not. I know Plasma is a bust. I looked at some demo units at a private electronics store down the street, and some of the non-LED units looked better than the LED version, although I understand that stores purposely tweak the settings to make the units THEY want you to buy to look better.

Real life experiences/stories would help too, thanks!

2

I do not know why you would say that. If you actually want the BEST picture, you should be looking at a plasma.

3

I recently got a 42" Panasonic plasma set that fits your criteria. The picture is exquisite. Not that there aren’t some fine LCD and LED sets out there, but I agree with JKilez – no reason I know of to rule out plasma.

4

Two issues with plasma - they’re very heavy, and have a tendency to wear out prematurely. The fact that I barely even see them for sale also leads me to believe that the technology is being phased out.

Gary, which model did you get?

5

How far are you going to be sitting from the screen?

6

That’s all true.

They also produce more heat and use more electricity.

But they provide a better picture than LCDs. Deeper blacks. More vibrant colors. Wider viewing angle. If you’re buying a fancy TV to watch stuff on it, a plasma still might be the best choice.

I believe that Panasonic is currently considered to have the best plasma sets. I have a Panasonic Viera 46" (a few generations old at this point, and it wasn’t top of the line then, but mid-market). I’ve been very happy with it.

7

CNet has some terrific reviews of TVs:

I would also not rule out Plasmas. They usually are VERY well reviewed for picture quality. That said, they are surprisingly power hungry, which is why I wouldn’t get one. (I haven’t heard that modern plasmas burn out quickly. Over any reasonable TV lifespan, they last just fine).

I would get a LED LCD for miniscule power consumption, super-thinness, and improved contrast. I would also recommend getting a 120 hz version for watching sports.

8

Another drawback to plasma: they have wicked fierce reflections. If you have lots of windows or lights in your room, it could be very distracting. If that is not a problem, I agree, plasma gives you an exquisite picture.

Me, I’m very happy with my Sharp Aquos LCD.

9

Yep.

Sony and Samsung are supposed to be the best and I would agree with that based on my experience looking at TVs a few months ago.

I ended up with a Sony 55" LED/LCD at 240Hz. I got a great deal for last year’s model. The picture is amazing and is an incredible difference from the 27" CRT that I replaced. LCDs in general have come a long way. Basketball looks great on it and you can view it fine from any angle. It’s 3D ready but I don’t plan to ever use that. Streaming Netflix on it is great too.

10

I’m ruling away from Plasma. I’m sure the picture is the best under the right corcumstances but there are too many cons. Can a 46" plasma be carried by one person?

I’ll be sitting about 5 feet away from it at most times.

11

Since this is about hardware, not content, I’ll move it to IMHO for you.

12

I just bought a Sony Bravia LED LCD about two weeks ago. It’s 1080p 240 Hz 3D capable, but they have lower refresh rate non-3D versions as well (I have no intention of using 3D, but it cost the same at the time as the one without it, and had a higher refresh rate). I had also considered a roughly equivalent Samsung.

The picture on the Sony is excellent. There are lots of adjustments that can be made on a channel-by-channel basis that I’ve only begun to look at. One example is adjusting an individual channel’s volume relative to the rest, if it’s usually too loud or too quiet.

It does have the digital audio output.

One annoyance: Changing the channel by entering the number requires 2.1, rather than just 2, to get to the digital channel. Otherwise it tunes to the old VHF channel 2 (that’s true for all channels, not just 2.) You can select which channels the up and down buttons cycle through, but that doesn’t change what you get typing a channel number directly. If you still have standard def channels (We get Canadian TV), those are interlaced with the HDTV channels.

A major feature I wanted was the ability to have a twin screen view, with two side-by side smaller pictures at the same time. Sony’s works nice in that the relative sizes can be adjusted, and the side giving the sound can be toggled. They fucked it up in that one side has to be HDMI input, and the other has to be not HDMI input, which doesn’t work for what I want. Samsung also has twin view, but I don’t know how well it works. I believe Vizeo is the only other make with twin view or picture-in-picture. It’s very hard to find out much info on which models support twin view or picture-in-picture, which is why I’m describing this.

Another feature which I wanted was the ability to add over-the-air channels, without deleting the ones you already have. This can be important if you need to set your antenna differently for different channels. Samsung did not have this ability, which is why I got the Sony. Again, finding this out is very difficult, which is why I’m mentioning it here. The Sony did a great job finding channels on the first pass (much better than my old, dead TV), so this was not as important a feature as I was expecting. But I have done this to get a couple extra channels.

A major difference between Sony and Samsung is that Sony has a matte finish screen, and Samsung has about the glossiest screen of anyone. We prefer the matte finish to reduce reflections, but all the reviewers seem to be in love with glossy screens. Use your personal preference here.

Our Best Buy has a big wall of HDTVs where you can compare many of the different makes and models. Worth it even if you’re buying online.

13

I have a Bravia 40". If you are 5’ away that should be plenty. I’m about 7-8’ away and I think it’s slightly small, but I also think 46" (they only sell 40" and 46") would be too big.

I bought Bravia 100% for the matte finish. I couldn’t hardly see my CRT before 5PM, sitting in the same place as the Bravia is now. I have it across from a huge picture window. The Bravia I can see any time of day, it’s amazing.

I thought the picture looked great in the store. I did a lot of research online, especially in Consumer Reports. Bravia came out neck and neck with someone else (probably Samsung) but the matte sold me. After I did my research I made sure to buy it in the store.

I am having some issues with video color calibration but I suspect part of my problem is that I am watching mostly from AVIs on my computer instead of straight up TV. So my computer’s color profile might be off too.

14

Yeah, I keep hearing suggestions for the Sony Bravia. I’m leaning towards that…still not sure if I should pay $200 more for the LED version. Is there any reason NOT to get an LED TV?

I’m sure as hell not going to Best Buy to get one. They won’t let me walk out without buying a couple $80 HDMI cables and a $300 Geek Squad visit. I’m not sure if I should go to J&R and try to drag it home on the subway (or splurge for a taxi back to Brooklyn), or if I should order it on line and have it delivered.

I did some furniture rearrangement, and I think the TV is going to look nicer going into the corner at a 45° angle. Putting it there gives me a little more viewing room, so I might go with the next higher size above the 40" … the only question is, if I put the center speaker in the corner, where does the front right speaker go???

15

…and these Google TV versions of the Sony Bravias, what’s the story with those? Is it a gimmick, because it’s a pretty expensive one. I already have a computer and know how to use it, so I don’t need to see pop-ups about the show I just watched.

16

Why does it matter how heavy a 42 inch television is? Will you be moving it a lot or hanging it on a wall?

Anyway, I just did a lot of research on this as I bought a new TV. If you are hooked on an LED LCD shoot for a backlit one rather than a sidelit. The colour is supposed to be more effective as there is less light leakage. Of course they are more expensive.

17

That’s not true at all. I’ve never been pressured to order any kind of accessories at Best Buy, I was going to buy two HDTVs there back in January but they didn’t have them in stock at the store at the time. Once you figure out what model you want, just buy it from wherever is the cheapest, there’s nothing wrong with Best Buy. PC Richards also has a good selection. I ended up getting the TVs from them, as they matched Best Buy’s price.

18

I have a Sony Bravia as well and I have no complaints whatsoever. My Sharp Aquos on the other hand is awful in comparison in both picture and audio and I regret buying it even just for a cheaper bedroom TV.

19

As someone else said, it’s not true that they’ll force you to buy anything. They’ll offer HDMI cables and the Geek Squad service. If you want or need those things, go ahead and buy them. But Best Buy certainly knows that not everyone does. That said, when I bought my HDTV a couple of years ago, I shopped around, but Amazon.com had the same model for hundreds less than Best Buy.

Plus it’s not like UPS just dropped off the set. Amazon.com offered a “white-glove” delivery service, in which two guys from CEVA Logistics brought the set into my apartment, unboxed it and connected everything. The one advantage of Best Buy is that they’ll recycle the old set for free. In my case, I gave my old 26" CRT to the delivery guys from CEVA for a friend of theirs. In the case of my mother, the Best Buy delivery guys picked up for recycling her old 300-lb 36" Sony CRT television.

As for LED backlighting, I recommend it, but some sets using LEDs for backlights only have the LEDs along the edges (“edge-lit”). More desirable are the sets with the “full-array” LED backlights, in which the LEDs are behind the whole screen, rather than just along the edge.

20

Yeah I went in to Best Buy and said “Hey I want this TV” and they got one off the top shelf for me and I was on my way. I think I even had to ask if they sell screen cleaners instead of being offered one.

FWIW I found the 40" Bravia box to be juuuuust to big/awkward to comfortably carry from my car to my house. It was quite hard and annoying. I would not recommend lugging it around on the subway, and forget about it if you get a bigger model (other brands/models YMMV).