What to Look for When Buying a TV

[Doheny]

The title says it. I'm looking to buy a TV and would welcome suggestions as to what to look for. One thing I have noticed is that there is a big price jump when you go from 120 to 240 refresh rate. What is refresh rate and how important is it? What else should I keep in mind? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[jbolton]

Get the 240

[AreWeFree]

I'd buy a Samsung or Sharp 60" 1080p 120hz non-smart enabled (aka a regular tv) LCD TV with multiple HDMI ports, coax, and USB. SPDIF (optics) output or component and RCA inputs are not necessary, but depending on what you have may be useful.

If you're a movie buff you'll want to budget for a speaker bar or other external speakers, as the built in speakers will be very weak. That'll add around $300 for a decent setup, although it's easy to add later if you need it.

Look at Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Stick, or Roku 3 for your "smart tv" needs, they are all excellent streaming devices for Netflix, Amazon Prime, Youtube, and other online services.


Also, get an LED "bias lighting" kit off Amazon or direct from "Inspired LED" and a Belkin Conserve Socket with Energy Saving Outlet.
The belkin surge protector turns bias lighting on/off with the tv, and I'm using 3 strips, 48" and 2 ~18" strips, one Y splitter, one connector, and one power supply.

http://www.inspiredled.com/

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00390GFJS?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003P2UMQ2?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

Edit: Looks like just about every model has "smart" crap built in, unfortunately... I paid just over $900 for my Sharp 60" 1080p 120hz regular LCD over 2 years ago and I love it. It's close to this model: http://www.amazon.com/Sharp-LC-60LE6...0842074&sr=1-5

[AgentAK]

Definitely go for the 240hz, otherwise you'll experience motion blur. This is where fast moving objects ghost or blur.
Personally, I'd look into plasma if you don't have a glare in the room.
Also, the poster above is correct about bias lighting. If you're going to do bias lighting though, DO IT RIGHT!

http://www.cinemaquestinc.com/index.htm

[beep_gun]

Couldn't be happier.
Great adjustability. Damn nice picture.

http://www.amazon.com/LG-Electronics-65UB9800-65-Inch-Ultra/dp/B00K4NKJ5E

[smak28]

You may want to consider a SMART TV if you are into new technology and plan to stream movies, use Bluetooth, etc. Other thing you should look into are the reviews or complaints because there are brands that tend to last longer than others. For example, I've had a Panasonic LCD TV for 15 years and still runs like a champ without a single problem. Had a LG LED TV and it lasted 7 years. I remember finding lots of reviews that Vizio TV takes a dump after a year or 2. You may be able to get lucky on one that doesn't have problems but your chances will be worse with certain brands. I purchased a Panasonic LED TV five years ago without any issues.

[pitbull30]

I'll have to disagree with the 120 motion blur comments. I have a Sony Bravia 46" I have had for several years now and we have never noticed any blur. Maybe it depends on the brand.

[spyde12]

I'll have to disagree with the 120 motion blur comments. I have a Sony Bravia 46" I have had for several years now and we have never noticed any blur. Maybe it depends on the brand.

IMO, not all 120 hz are the same and vary by brand. My FIL has a Samsung and it looks like 240.

The blur is noticeable when looking at 60 hz vs 120/240 hz.

Look for as many built in apps as possible i.e. Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, etc.

Also look for as many HDMI ports as possible.

Built-in WiFi is mandatory, otherwise, you'll pay extra for a dongle.

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

[Cowboy T]

What about these new 4K TV's? Anybody try any of those out? If so, suggestions?

[AreWeFree]

What about these new 4K TV's? Anybody try any of those out? If so, suggestions?

I don't agree with the recommendation for 240hz or 4k TV. The source is the source, and if you're running blu ray or streaming it will be 60fps, 30fps, or 24fps. How many duplicate frames do you need? Your display refreshes 240x per second, but there's only 60 frames per second, so your frame is duplicated 4x... cool, that's amazing, it's almost like 60 fps....

240hz is for 3d tv, so you can have 120hz per "channel," 120hz is just fine for 60fps content (blu ray), and I don't see the premium for 240hz as being worth while.


As far as 4k, what are you driving it with? Do you have 4k content? If not, why are you paying more? If you have 4k content, does it look ok downscaled and do you want to save money? Then get a 1080p 120hz display.

Otherwise, spend whatever money you have, who cares, get whatever floats your boat.

[the86d]

IMO, not all 120 hz are the same and vary by brand. My FIL has a Samsung and it looks like 240.

The blur is noticeable when looking at 60 hz vs 120/240 hz.

Look for as many built in apps as possible i.e. Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, etc.

Also look for as many HDMI ports as possible.

Built-in WiFi is mandatory, otherwise, you'll pay extra for a dongle...

This is also assuming that you don't have 100mbps+ wired Ethernet, piped in behind the TV too... always go for a wire, if you can, for lower buffer times.

[spyde12]

This is also assuming that you don't have 100mbps+ wired Ethernet, piped in behind the TV too... always go for a wire, if you can, for lower buffer times.

Yes, you're right. Ethernet over WiFi. However, location of the tv may not have an available Ethernet port.

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

[anothergunnut]

I read a consumers report article that said nobody ever thought their tv was too large but many thought their tv was too small. Always get the bigger tv.

[nothinghere2c]

120hz minimum. 240 you probably will not notice the diff if you already had a 120hz.

go 4k. the upscaling is pretty damn good even when playing 1080p content.

this is what i'd get at a minimum (today) if i wanted to have a great looking tv for an average livingroom size, that i wouldn't have to upgrade for quite some time.

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-UN55JS7000-55-Inch-Ultra-Smart/dp/B00ZIGRVU8/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1442892500&sr=1-5&keywords=samsung+4k

[Bobby Ricigliano]

When my Panasonic 50" Plasma (about 4 years old) crapped out recently, I took it to a well reviewed local TV repair guy. He was totally honest and said not to bother fixing it. The circuit board needed would be around $200 + labor. He encouraged me to source the needed parts myself if I preferred. He also said any other parts might crap out at any time and it could need more repairs / parts.

The interesting part is that the guy said ALL newer TV's are cheaply made and they use the cheapest parts possible to keep costs down. All of the competition drives prices down and results in narrow profit margins for makers.

In a nutshell, find a TV with a good picture at a good price. If it lasts more than 2-3 years, you are ahead of the game. They are all designed to fail and be replaced after so long in order to keep up the demand. Repairs are discouraged by way of very expensive OEM parts that make repair non-cost effective.

The funny thing is that my Mom has a 27" GE Console TV that was bought new by me 20+ years ago that I handed down to her 10 years ago. It still works perfectly and has never needed any repair whatsoever.

I also have a 32" first gen HD 720p Sony TV. 10 years old, and still works perfectly with a flawless picture. It was top of the line when I bought it. I could not give it away now for free because it weights almost 200 lbs and is nearly impossible to carry, even with two people.

/rant