Í nééd a new TV, any suggestions?

[resolution]

We have finished remodeling the living room and it is finally time to bring the furniture back in. My old TV has made it 22 years but it didn't make the transition to digital signals. It lasted as long as it has because I spent a little extra back in 1990 to get AV input plugs (cutting edge at the time). If it didn't have the AV plugs I would have replaced it when DVD players and modern video game consoles came out.

I would like to buy a new TV to hang over our fireplace mantle in the living room. Are there any features that you guys think will be necessary to keep the thing working over the long term? I am planning to get several HDMI ports and have built in WiFi for the internet connection. There are several brands that have their own internet apps and mixed reviews for most of them. I am leaning toward Sony's Google TV but it is reviewed as being very primitive. We will mostly use the internet TV part for netflix but I can see it becoming more important over time as new services develop. If anyone has had experience with internet enabled TV or has suggestions on what a TV will need to last 20 years I would appreciate your feedback.

[Deleted]

Take the features you want and compare on price. They are almost all the same quality.

[Small Biz Owner]

LED

[resolution]

Jun 17, 2011 11:59:30 GMT -5 Small Biz Owner said:

LED

That is a must have for us since the plasmas can burn video game images if you leave them frozen on the screen for too long.

[chiver78]

supposedly the newer plasmas are OK with video games as far as burn-in is concerned. I can absolutely attest to it with the older ones. I bought mine back in 2005, and I would get a burn-in of the game score if one football team had the ball too long.

I also think you want an LCD, not an LED. LED's are still relatively new technology, so the prices haven't come down to the lower range that you see with LCDs.

if you have Consumer Reports (or access to it) I'd start there. I used 2005's reviews when I bought my plasma, and then again a year-ish ago when I bought an LCD. I've been pleased with both.

[illinicheme]

Once you do pick a TV, don't be afraid to order it from the internet. We had a great experience buying our Sony Bravia TV from Amazon. Free shipping too!

[Gardening Grandma]

Do you use your fireplace? If so, I'd find out if the TV will be affected by the heat.
Also, will the angle be comfortable for viewing for several hours? Depending on how high the mantle is, I wonder if it would be similar to sitting in the front row and cranking your neck up to see the screen.

[qofcc]

We picked the 42" Dynex brand LCD from Best Buy. I'm happy with the picture quality and it has a whole bunch of different types of connection ports. You can get the internet features through a Blue Ray player or Roxio device or one of the gaming systems and they will be much cheaper to replace when the technology changes and you know the technology for the add-on devices is going to become outdated before your TV wears out. (remember TVs with built-in VCRs? sounded like a good idea at the time)

[nalto]

Jun 17, 2011 12:03:14 GMT -5 resolution said:

Jun 17, 2011 11:59:30 GMT -5 Small Biz Owner said:

LED

That is a must have for us since the plasmas can burn video game images if you leave them frozen on the screen for too long.

How long would you have to leave the images frozen on the screen for? I'm actually curious, not being rude, as I don't want this to happen to me...

[resolution]

From what I read an image would have to be on the screen for well over a half hour to have problems with a modern plasma, and I don't have specific plans to leave something paused that long. But some games have a part of the screen fixed in one spot, like the score and I also sometimes get phone calls and just pause a game and wander off to chat. My wii seems to have a screen saver or something that rotates around the screen to prevent it, but I would just rather not have to worry about it at all.

[rmtvbrooks]

I got a very good deal on an LG LED (42") at HH Gregg (don't know if you have one in your area or not). I think I got it for $680. The guy explained to me that there are actually 3 "levels" of LEDs. One level has LED lights at the top and bottom only (lowest quality), one has thousands of LEDs (middle level), and one has millions of LEDs (highest quality). Mine is the middle level, and it has a gorgeous picture. I did buy the service plan on it because they'll fix anything that goes wrong with it.

Try places like Best Buy and HH Gregg...they will price-match. So if you find the same TV somewhere else for the same price, they'll match it. Buying online is fine, but at least see the model in a store before you buy. The picture quality can vary, and what looks good to one person may not to another. It is somewhat subjective, and you want to be sure the picture is one you want to look at for the next 20 years!

[resolution]

Jun 17, 2011 14:19:09 GMT -5 qofcc said:

We picked the 42" Dynex brand LCD from Best Buy. I'm happy with the picture quality and it has a whole bunch of different types of connection ports. You can get the internet features through a Blue Ray player or Roxio device or one of the gaming systems and they will be much cheaper to replace when the technology changes and you know the technology for the add-on devices is going to become outdated before your TV wears out. (remember TVs with built-in VCRs? sounded like a good idea at the time)

My mom has one of those TV/VCR's and she still uses it watch my sister's wedding video (that was the guilt trip when I wanted to do without a photographer for my wedding). The main reason I am wanting the internet integrated is I am not sure how many devices we can fit around the fireplace without running out of room. I expect in the long run we will need to do that though.

[resolution]

@gg The fireplace is not currently in use. It is original to the house and we have to have someone come out and line it with metal inside before it will be safe to use. Once it is lined we may fire it up for special occasions but it won't be for regular use. As far as the neck craning goes, I hope that doesn't become an issue. We plan to make a cardboard cutout and hang it before we buy anything to make sure we get a size that doesn't overwhelm the room. We can test for neck-craning too.

@rmt We do have an HHG and a Best Buy in a nearby city, we are planning to go and look at the pictures on the screens before we pick one. We are hoping to hit a good fourth of July sale.

[buster]

I ordered my TV through Tigerdirect, had a great experience, received 50% off list price (using a coupon code), and had free shipping with no taxes. I have read some bad reviews about TigerDirect but the price was too good to pass up so I took my chances.

I went with the Sony 52" HX909 which was their flagship full-array LED model last year. It was expensive however I am willing to spend a decent amount of money on my entertainment system as I truely enjoy watching movies.

For your typical consumer, he or she won't be able to tell the difference between an edge-lit LED TV. a full-array LED TV, or a Plasma. It's all just marketing lingo to most people. Plasma's generally have a better picture at the lower end of the market where it's not until the high end that LEDs start to come into parity. Note, plasmas will run hotter, are suseptable to burn-in, and use more power than an LED TV. LED TVs except at the high end won't have black levels that are as good.

Also for consideration, the prettiest TVs in the store are generally the glossy panel TVs. Unfortunately when you take it home it will look like a mirror in your house if you have any sort of light on. You're better off going with a screen with more of a matte finish.

To get the most bang for your buck, go with an Edge-lit LED TV made by either Sony, Samsumg, Vizio, or Panasonic. I would stay away from the no-name brands. The full array LEDs with local dimming will have the best picture of the LEDs, however they cost considerably more. You can often find a good deal on slickdeals.net.

Also, consider ordering the TV from Amazon or pick-up from Fry's Electronics when they are having a sale as Best Buy is generally overpriced compared to the competition. Every once in a while Best Buy will have a great sale, however the vast majority of the time the TV is cheaper elsewhere.

[resolution]

Also for consideration, the prettiest TVs in the store are generally the glossy panel TVs. Unfortunately when you take it home it will look like a mirror in your house if you have any sort of light on. You're better off going with a screen with more of a matte finish.

Thanks for the info, I hadn't thought about the difference between the store and home.

[resolution]

I don't need the creme de la creme but I do want one that has features that remain relevant so I don't get tempted to run out and replace it in a few years. I don't want to spend a lot of money on something and then find out that for an extra $100 I could have gotten some neat feature that would give me enjoyment for several more years. Sounds like what I am hearing is more quality issues than any big feature that I am missing though.

[2kids10horses]

kari,

It's always tough buying electronics because you know that as soon as you buy, something newer, better, cheaper will come along!

All you can do is get the most for your money at the time when you make your purchase.

I bought a Mitsubishi 35 inch TV way back when. I think I bought it in 1988. So, that's been 23 years! It was $3,500 at the time. It's been a great TV, but the new ones at WalMart for $600 blow it away!

I'll be interested in which one you get. I've had my eye on a Samsung 48 inch wide (or thereabouts). The previous owner of my home had a big projection TV. You know, the ones in the big cabinet? Well, he had a cabinetry box built for it. My Mitsubishi sits in that space, but it doesn't fit. It's way too small. I think I can get s new one to fill the space (widthwise) and get some kind of stand and it will look good.

Have fun shopping!

[gooddecisions]

Samsung makes some nice stuff. I have a 46" from 2009 and the high definition is the best I've ever seen. Their smart TVs appear to have everything you're looking for. They're not cheap though. The speed at which technology is moving and the innovations happening in telecom, I wouldn't count on anything you buy being relevant in 10 years, if that. My gut says 5, but I understand people can do without the latest and greatest. Having experienced the x-box Kinect, I can see a lot of opportunity with that remote-less technology being integrated into TVs. Good luck with your purchase and definitely review the consumer reports.

[2kids10horses]

I think the 55" diagonal will fit my cabinet box. It's interior dimension is 51" and the Samsung 55" TV is actually 55.5 inches.

As long as the connectors fit into the back or bottom, it'll work!

[gooddecisions]

Kari, let us know how you solve for keeping your electronics looking nice while having the TV over the fireplace. I have yet to figure this out and also don't like having to look up at the TV, so I refuse to put my TV over the fireplace fearing the wires would create an eye sore on the main focal point of the room. My fireplace is gas and we don't turn it on, but it would ruin the feng shui until everything is finally wireless.

[constanz22]

I have a 42" Samsung plasma. I bought it in maybe '06. I LOVE it...haven't had one problem with it. They were still a bit pricey when I got it, around $1300 I think, at Sam's Club. It's a great tv though...can't say enough good stuff about it. I definitely would not want one any smaller and my living room is not very big. I don't do any gaming, just tv/movies.

[bean29]

Our TV is a 50" Plasma. We bought it in 06 also. You don't want to know how much it was back then, but we bought it on black friday and it was a good deal at the time.

I had the consumer reports printed out at the time. Their reviews are usually a little outdated but it helped me focus on what type of TV to go after and what brands to consider.
I have decided that we are not the type of consumer to need the top of the line on anything, but I do look at the best buys/consider the features. For instance for my dishwasher and my washing machine -quiteness has move up to the top in desirable features. CR may not rate that as really important, but they do rate it so you may need to do some independent analysis.

here is a website that alerts you to deals on electronics. You can tell them what you are looking for and they will send you an alert if it is on sale somewhere:

www.techbargains.com/

[chiver78]

Jun 17, 2011 14:05:42 GMT -5 Gardening Grandma said:

Do you use your fireplace? If so, I'd find out if the TV will be affected by the heat.
Also, will the angle be comfortable for viewing for several hours? Depending on how high the mantle is, I wonder if it would be similar to sitting in the front row and cranking your neck up to see the screen.

I asked my chimney sweep that question (my complex requires inspections, whether you use the fireplace or not) and his reply was that if the heat radiated through, I had bigger problems than the damaged TV. if the chimney is constructed correctly, it shouldn't be an issue.

[reader79]

My TV doesn't do wifi, but I have a Blu-Ray player that does. It does Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, etc. I sold my 42" plasma last fall and replaced it with a 55" Sharp Aquos LED in January. I bought it from Dell.com of all places. They were having a post-Christmas sale. I wouldn't base my decision on whether or not a tv does internet well, that is what computers are for. Picture quality, and price are always my concerns. And, tv's don't last 20 years anymore, so don't let someone convince you that if you spend a little more that it will add a few years on the back end. If you have a Costco membership, check them out. They generally have low everyday prices, they offer coupons in their monthly book on a few tv's a month, and I believe that they still add an extra year onto the manufacturer's warranty.

[Clever Username]

Timewarp, I was in nearly the same position you were in one year ago.
We updated a stereo from the 80s and a TV from the 90s.
It was very nice to upgrade.

Read up a bit. To learn which pieces you want. Here's mine:
Inputs: Blu Ray, Cable, Sattelite, CD, Ipod doc
Receiver - think of this as your system's brain - it processes those inputs
Outputs: I went with Plasma TV and a 3.5 speaker setup.

I'm wall mounted over a functioning fireplace. The angle is a little steep, but this was really the place to put it.
Speakers, I didn't feel the need to go surround sound, and finding esthetic space for these was my biggest challenge. Know the tv will come with terrible sound. Your real choices are to upgrade to a sound bar or a set of speakers.

[resolution]

Just to follow up on the thread, I want to thank everyone for their advice on the TV. We ended up getting a 47" Vizio E3D470VX, which has wifi, internet, HDTV and 3D that is compatible with the movie theater 3D glasses. I had expected a lot more resistance from DH on the purchase but he became inspired at one of the electronics stores and I ended up having my hands full keeping the costs down.

We are mounting the TV above the fireplace with one of the tilt mounts that lets you angle it down slightly for better viewing. DH is designing a new mantle tower that includes cabinets on either side and will be wired for electric. He is putting in a channel for the wires into the mantle when he builds it so they will be hidden. In the mean time until the mantle is built we are just running them down to the mantle ledge and then off to the side.

[Clever Username]

Cool.
I've got a conduit sort of moulding that hides my cords.
One of these days, I'll paint it and it'll be less visable.

While you're at it, run a DSL line into your Blu Ray player, much better speed that wifi.
Then go subscribe to netflix or hulu.