# Musing on my first new TV in years... Opinions? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 12, 2014, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musing-on-my-first-new-tv-in-years-opinions/688229 "2014-05-12T02:06:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musing-on-my-first-new-tv-in-years-opinions/688229/1 "2014-05-12T02:06:27Z")
So, my current TV is one I bought in _1999_ — small as hell (I was watching from a shorter distance then), CRT with built-in _VCR_. The fact that I still have VHS tapes is a matter for another time. But browsing at my local Fry’s made me think that I might want to consider buying a new one. I don’t watch an overly large amount of TV, but a friend got me an Apple TV box for my birthday, and he has a Plex server with quite a few titles on it, so there’s always that. I’m both cheap and of unstable income right now (though I have a good savings cushion), so I don’t want to spend more than a couple hundred bucks. From what I can see, that’ll get me about 22" max. What brands are good? Fry’s has a sale on a 19" Polaroid (I didn’t know they made TVs!) model for $100. Is any extended service plan suggested or advised against? Thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musing-on-my-first-new-tv-in-years-opinions/688229/2 "2014-05-12T02:22:26Z")
I’d say pass on the Polaroid. They didn’t build it, it’s some unknown Chinese company with a Polaroid logo slapped on. For your very basic needs just go with the best price you can find on a name brand. Sony, Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Vizio, Sharp, Toshiba, Philips are all good. Avoid off brands like Polaroid, Westinghouse, Insignia, Coby, Funai, Audiovox. Make sure it has the right kind and amount of inputs you want and you really can’t go wrong. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musing-on-my-first-new-tv-in-years-opinions/688229/3 "2014-05-12T02:35:23Z")
Funai does make quality sets for some of the big brands. Insignia is a house brand at Best Buy. Dynex is another house brand at Best Buy. Polaroid, Westinghouse names have been licensed out. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musing-on-my-first-new-tv-in-years-opinions/688229/4 "2014-05-12T04:01:00Z")
So I guess you aren’t going for the Ultra-HD set? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musing-on-my-first-new-tv-in-years-opinions/688229/5 "2014-05-12T04:35:11Z")
Nnnnnnnno. Since I’ve got a 9" or so CRT TV that’s old enough for high school, anything I get is pretty sure to be a massive improvement. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musing-on-my-first-new-tv-in-years-opinions/688229/6 "2014-05-12T15:34:58Z")
**Hampshire** nailed it. Do _not_ buy a set just because it’s cheap. You are throwing your money away. There are a lot of electronics makers that are really good at making something that looks like it will do but is horrible and won’t last a year. Look up reviews at Amazon for any model you are considering. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musing-on-my-first-new-tv-in-years-opinions/688229/7 "2014-05-18T05:04:01Z")
So a friend recommended that the TV be at least 1080p and 120Hz (especially the latter). Given that most TVs I don’t cringe on seeing the price tag for are 720p and 60Hz, am I just doomed to a small screen (albeit probably still bigger than I got now) or spending more than $300? ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musing-on-my-first-new-tv-in-years-opinions/688229/8 "2014-05-18T13:46:06Z")
It really depends on what you’re watching and your screen size to determine if 1080p and 120hz is worth it. 1080p pictures need a 1080p source. Bluray discs can be 1080p while dvds and vhs are not. Cable and satellite are not 1080p. You apple TV may be 1080p if it’s a 1080p unit. But on a screen size you’re looking at (32" or smaller) you really won’t see much difference if any. You’d have to do a side-by-side comparison, freeze the picture, and stand 3 feet away to say “okay, maybe the 1080p set looks a little sharper”. 120hz also really depends on your viewing habits. Watch a lot of live sports broadcast in HD? Then maybe the 120hz can cut down on the motion blur of a fast moving puck or baseball. Watching movies and tv shows in 120hz won’t give you anything appreciable. ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musing-on-my-first-new-tv-in-years-opinions/688229/9 "2014-05-18T14:40:23Z")
I agree with **Hampshire** : on a small screen, you aren’t going to notice a huge difference in picture quality at 720p vs. 1080p, or 60hz vs. 120. And you’re upgrading from a 15-year-old 9" screen, so you’ll practically be overwhelmed by the improvement, regardless! That said, last spring, I bought a small Vizio [Vizio smart TV](http://www.amazon.com/VIZIO-E231i-B1-23-0-Inch-Smart-Black/dp/B00HZI0XNE/ref=sr_1_1?s=tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1400421987&sr=1-1&keywords=vizio+tv) for my husband - he was stuck in the bedroom, recuperating from his car wreck, and had more surgeries to “look forward” to, so I wanted something that I could easily move from one side of the bed to the other. Gotta say, we’ve been pretty darned pleased with it, and the 24-inch is still under $200. Having an HDMI port and WiFi capability has been very very handy. ---
**Author:** ![awaag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@awaag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awaag)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musing-on-my-first-new-tv-in-years-opinions/688229/10 "2014-05-18T15:33:36Z")
If you have the patience wait until October. Black Friday specifically. I know its a HORRIBLE time to shop, but last year I managed to upgrade my tv to a 44" for 190 bucks. They had a 32" or 36" for less than 100. ---
**Author:** ![awaag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@awaag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awaag)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musing-on-my-first-new-tv-in-years-opinions/688229/11 "2014-05-18T15:41:20Z")
Oops, Missed the edit window. I meant November. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musing-on-my-first-new-tv-in-years-opinions/688229/12 "2014-05-18T15:46:29Z")
Does your area have a Thrifty Nickel or some other sales paper? A used TV might not be a bad way to go. Or a pawn shop, or yard sale. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musing-on-my-first-new-tv-in-years-opinions/688229/13 "2014-05-18T16:58:24Z")
You can get a 32" TV for less than $200 and that’s the smallest screen that would be “comfortable” for most people to watch for extended periods. You can also look on CNET as they have a number of reviews for variety of electronics. With the prices so close between the sub 32" screens and the smaller units, it might make more sense for you to simply splurge and get the biggest screen that you can afford. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musing-on-my-first-new-tv-in-years-opinions/688229/14 "2014-05-18T21:37:29Z")
> [@Becky2844](#): > > Does your area have a Thrifty Nickel or some other sales paper? A used TV might not be a bad way to go. Or a pawn shop, or yard sale. Do those still exist? I thought everything was online now. Like craigslist. Some impoverished friends of mine got a humungous TV (the kind with the flat screen, but it’s not a real flat screen TV, if that makes sense - I’m not a TV person and don’t know the terminology) for free on craigslist last fall. It works great. Free because so many people are upgrading to the real flat screen TVs and are giving away or selling REALLY cheap, perfectly good televisions. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musing-on-my-first-new-tv-in-years-opinions/688229/15 "2014-05-18T22:25:57Z")
The thing to keep in mind when buying a new TV these days is that they are disposable items. Only the top tier brands have a service, parts and repair network that allow a set to be repaired. This is an old [article](http://hdguru.com/your-new-disposable-flat-panel-tv/), but sadly still [true](http://consumerist.com/2013/07/11/now-from-panasonic-the-disposable-plasma-tv-set/). ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musing-on-my-first-new-tv-in-years-opinions/688229/16 "2014-05-18T22:41:24Z")
I was thinking of used, but it seems like I’m paying for cheaper with more hassle and risk (of being cheated or there being defects I won’t notice - and I won’t, due to the fact I haven’t shopped for a television in over a decade). I’d frankly rather pay for peace of mind.