New TV questions (home theater systems)

[RobDeer 45]

Might dive in on a new TV here soon and I'm feeling overwhelmed with what to buy. I think I've narrowed down to Sony or Samsung, but that is about it. I'd be open to another brand, maybe a cheaper company, if the picture and reliability is similar, but it worries me a bit. My main questions are on LCD or plasma and do I invest in 4k def? This will be our biggest tv so I don't want to have to buy anything again for awhile. Anyone have any insight on what to look for and if 4k will be relevant sooner than later? Thanks!

[logan82]

What will you be using your TV for and how far away will you sit?

[RobDeer 45]

Movies and sports. 10-15 feet away.

[logan82]

This is probably the best place to start.

[docduany]

When did it become so hard to buy a TV? We bought our "big TV" about four years ago. I literally went to the store 4 different times knowing I was going to be coming home with a new TV only to run into another question I didn't know what I wanted. When I bought our first big TV about 15 years ago the only thing you needed to know was how much money you had to spend because that would determine how large of a set you got.

 

I'm sure all of the research I did 4 years ago is now crazy obsolete, so I won't waste your time with worthless advice. Good luck and I hope you find a screaming deal.

[Invader3K]

Might dive in on a new TV here soon and I'm feeling overwhelmed with what to buy. I think I've narrowed down to Sony or Samsung, but that is about it. I'd be open to another brand, maybe a cheaper company, if the picture and reliability is similar, but it worries me a bit. My main questions are on LCD or plasma and do I invest in 4k def? This will be our biggest tv so I don't want to have to buy anything again for awhile. Anyone have any insight on what to look for and if 4k will be relevant sooner than later? Thanks!

 

I love plasma, but it's not good in a brighter room or if you're going to do a lot of daytime viewing, etc. LEDs are actually a great option and have come down in price quite a bit.

 

4K is probably not worth investing in at this point...there simply isn't much 4K content out there right now. Also, skip the curve TVs, if you're even considering them.

 

As far as other brands, Panasonic is good and some people like Vizio. Samsung is really well regarded and a very safe option.

[DHonks]

Pretty sure that Samsung and Panasonic have the best rated ones last time I checked on Cnet. I don't hear many people praising Sony like I did in the 90s

[Invader3K]

Pretty sure that Samsung and Panasonic have the best rated ones last time I checked on Cnet. I don't hear many people praising Sony like I did in the 90s

Probably. Those two brands get recommended a lot on AVS Forum (sort of like a Brewerfan.net for home theater talk).

[logan82]

I think Sony makes really good TV's. The problem, I believe, is that you can get a TV almost as good for 2/3 the price in another brand.

 

I would avoid Smart TV's since you can pick up a add on device like Roku for less than the difference between a smart TV and a "dumb" TV. The most expensive Roku is only about $100.

 

Personally I would rather put money towards a bigger TV than a name brand(within reason) or add ons like a smart TV.

[1992casey]

It's pretty easy to choose a smaller TV because the price isn't of much consequence if you end up seeing flaws. I would think it'd be beneficial to put some thought into something larger, though.

 

I definitely agree with logan82 about smart features. I'd love to skip them entirely. I have a Samsung TV with apps that are annoying in addition to simply being crummy. But it appears that "smart" is included in pretty much everything except for the smallest and least expensive sets.

 

After reading reviews, I'm definitely seeing that there's a significant cost savings for "almost as good." While professional reviewers and commenters are able to discern differences in pictures, I wonder how much my eyes might care. I don't want to overpay, however, I also don't want to try to save money and end up being disappointed.

[Patrick425]

Pretty sure that Samsung and Panasonic have the best rated ones last time I checked on Cnet. I don't hear many people praising Sony like I did in the 90s

 

Same thing on Consumer Reports. In the 46-52 inch range, Samsung holds 9 of the top 10 spots. Panasonic Viera is ranked 5th and shown as a best buy based on it's lower cost vs. Samsung. In the 40-43 inch range Samsung holds 3 of the top 4 spots with LG being 3rd.

[RobDeer 45]

I definitely agree with logan82 about smart features. I'd love to skip them entirely. I have a Samsung TV with apps that are annoying in addition to simply being crummy. But it appears that "smart" is included in pretty much everything except for the smallest and least expensive sets.

 

After reading reviews, I'm definitely seeing that there's a significant cost savings for "almost as good." While professional reviewers and commenters are able to discern differences in pictures, I wonder how much my eyes might care. I don't want to overpay, however, I also don't want to try to save money and end up being disappointed.

 

Pretty much in the same boat here. I rarely ever use any smart features. I usually use my apple tv and iPad to do everything I can do on my tv.

 

I always wonder about cheaper tvs that are really close. The problem I find is that they are usually quirky and do tend to have more small issues pop up. My buddy bought a Vizzio 6 months ago and is already having issues with it. I would be really upset if that happened to me. I can't say one bad thing about my Sony Bravia so It's making me lean that way. I do think Samsung and Panasonic would be in the same boat.

[Invader3K]

Yeah, I have heard the same thing about Vizios. Seems like you either get a great one, or one that is kind of a dud out of the box.

[logan82]

I have a 42" Samsung I bought a couple years back that is a dumb TV. I know they had larger n the same model. I have not really looked to closely at TV's for a year or so I am not sure how readily available dumb TV's are.

[Invader3K]

Most of the major TVs, especially in larger sizes, are "smart" now. It's more of a throw in feature than anything. I doubt you'll pay much of a price difference for a "smart" TV versus a "dumb" one in 2014.

[1992casey]

My 46" Samsung has a nice screen and nice sound. But the settings interface is horribly confusing, the remote is poorly laid out, and the apps are poor. Adding insult to injury, if I want to use an app, the TV insists on updating all apps first, so I have to wait. My impression is that Samsung can build nice hardware but doesn't know how to make using it an easy experience.

 

I have a 42" dumb Hitachi that I bought to pinch hit for the TV that I'll eventually choose. It cost a little over $300. I'm totally pleased with this set.

 

I also have a 32" JVC that I picked up for about $200. The picture leaves something to be desired, but operability is fine. This one will eventually end up in the basement.

 

My priorities would be picture, reliability, and an adequate number of inputs. You'd think that reliability would take care of itself, but apparently it doesn't. Sound isn't a biggie unless it's incredibly deficient. Sound can be addressed by adding speakers. I'd likely do that at some point, but I'd rather not feel forced to address it.

[Invader3K]

Personally I'd rather buy a TV that didn't even have speakers, since any decent sized TV I have will be part of a surround sound setup, but that's just me. I actually have a 50" Pioneer (sadly, they no longer make TVs) in our living room that came with a detachable speaker. I've never even used the speaker.

[logan82]

This is the TV I have. My only complaint is it only has 2 HDMI inputs. I think something a little bigger would have been nice also.

[1992casey]

Numerous people have given me have advised me to get the largest TV that I can, with the limitations being price and the amount of space where the set will be placed. They also tell me not to be concerned about sitting close. I started out thinking in terms of 55 inches or so; now I'm thinking 70 or 75. I could go with 80, but there appears to be a significant price jump to get into that size.

 

I've seen a couple of reviewers echo Invader's point about speakers being unnecessary (for some people at least). I'd submit that it'd be nice for the TV to have the amp to drive speakers, though.

 

It was mentioned that room brightness was one thing to think about when considering plasma vs. LCD. Another thing to keep in mind is that plasma sets are very heavy. Pretty much any two able adults can move an LCD set; that wouldn't necessarily be the case with plasma.

[Invader3K]

I've seen a couple of reviewers echo Invader's point about speakers being unnecessary (for some people at least). I'd submit that it'd be nice for the TV to have the amp to drive speakers, though.

 

That would be interesting. The problem would be that a traditional solid state amp would be too big and add too much weight to a standard flat panel set.

[1992casey]

Maybe I'm using the wrong terminology. What drives the internal speakers in current sets?

[RobDeer 45]

Ok guys, sorry to go two topics in this one, but we are kind of talking about it and thought it would maybe be better to keep it all in one.

 

Need advice on speakers/receiver/ wireless systems.

 

I have four speakers built in upstairs. I want to add a receiver so those become live, along with a front speaker. This is in the living room, so probably won't do a sub. I want to buy a wireless Sonos adapter (I believe I was told this would work) so that I can play music from my phone.

 

I then want to do a sonos wireless system in the basement with the new TV I'm looking for. I believe that I can then play the same music both upstairs and down over one device. Is this correct?

 

Any feedback on Sonos?

[TooLiveBrew]

Ok guys, sorry to go two topics in this one, but we are kind of talking about it and thought it would maybe be better to keep it all in one.

 

Need advice on speakers/receiver/ wireless systems.

 

I have four speakers built in upstairs. I want to add a receiver so those become live, along with a front speaker. This is in the living room, so probably won't do a sub. I want to buy a wireless Sonos adapter (I believe I was told this would work) so that I can play music from my phone.

 

I then want to do a sonos wireless system in the basement with the new TV I'm looking for. I believe that I can then play the same music both upstairs and down over one device. Is this correct?

 

Any feedback on Sonos?

My dad bought Sonos last year, & loves it. I get the impression it was pretty easy to install/set up, too. Fwiw he runs music from his desktop Mac.

[pete]

Does anyone still make a plasma? They also generate a fair amount of heat and use more power if that matters.

 

Video and tvs is one of those topics where the more I learn the less I know. There are a lot of considerations relating to color, motion, contrast and what not that aren't obvious or available at all from their spec sheets or most reviews.

 

Tooling through forums and listening to podcasts, the tv that sounds like an excellent performer at a great price is the Vizio P series. Sony is supposed to be excellent quality but costs more to get it. Personally, I wouldn't buy a Samsung because of the kind of company they are but that's about my views not performance.

 

Things I want in my next tv;

 

local dimming - actually I'm watching edge lit and its still a nice picture for most things, but it struggles with dark scenes where contrast is lost and movie directors feel compelled to have a few in most movies, plus people go on about it

 

good motion performance - It starts with a 120 or 240 hertz refresh rate but the hardware and software affect it. I think some tvs have a higher horsepower chip.

 

good upscaling - DVDs of which there are many that are only available at that resolution will look different on a 1080P depending on how well it upscales. Same story with bluray up to 4K or I guess DVD up to 4K.

 

While there isn't a lot of 4K content, getting the best performance may come from buying a few of the new 4K tvs. Barring a steal of a deal, I think I might go for a Vizio P series in Spring.

[RobDeer 45]

Well I dove in and increased my limit on my Best Buy card! It was stressful! Bought a 4k Sony Bravia and a Sonos Sound Bar. I hope to someday add the sub and surround speakers. I'm super happy with it so far!!! The picture on a Blu Ray is out of this world. Really really love it.

 

I then bought a receiver for up stairs, a front speaker to go with the built ins. Seems pretty good so far. Nothing crazy, just basic, but I'm really happy to finally have my turntable hooked up to real speakers.

 

Thank you Best Buy for 24 months of free money!!