Flat Screen TVs

[B R Shooter]

Looks like need to get another TV. So, what's the opinions on what's available? Samsung is rated well, so is Vizio. Vizio is a bit cheaper, with most things compared equal. I did read where Samsung has had problems with the power supplies going bad.

Don't need anything huge, looking at 40" range. Don't need the "smart" feature, gonna hook it up to Dish. So any opinions?

[Freightman]

got a samsung good had it for four years it is flat screen 42" also have smaller flat screen Vizio it is also good.

[sparky45]

There's some other things to consider as well. Especially the "refresh rate". I think first generation was @ 60hz, then they went to 120hz and now 240hz. Not to mention the dpi's; most anymore are high res @ 1080i. Good luck on your final selection.

[Duckiller]

We have three Visios hooked up to Dish. All have worked fine.

[David2011]

If you want surround sound you might look at Sony's Bravia line. A single remote that comes with the Sony Bravia DVD/surround sound unit will run almost all functions. With that remote and the Dish remote you probably won't need any additional controls. They're also extremely easy to hook together with just a single HDMI cable and a fiber optic TosLink cable which is readily available. It eliminates the handful of RCA cables we used to use.

David

[Duckiller]

Per geeky sons 780p is all that is needed if screen is less than 50 inches. A refresh rate of 120 is fine for sports. May have a little problem with big action films. Also are you someone who looks at TV in great detail like an Audiophobe for music? If not don't get too carried away with the very latest in technology. The very latest is expensive. Old eyes just want a picture that is not blurred.

[theperfessor]

All ours are LGs. Don't know how they compare to other brands but they work fine and the prices have always been competitive around here.

[jcwit]

We bought an INSIGNIA from Best Buy little over a year ago and have been very satisfied. Added a Polk sound system about 6 weeks ago as we like to listen to music, big band era, Sinatra, and such. The Polk's volume works off the Insignia's remote.

[DeadWoodDan]

picked up a 60" Vizio on black Friday wall mart. Can't complain for the price, new a year ago we needed a new one so my wife and I decided it was the best time.

[gandydancer]

I'm still using my dads old kerosene TV set mfg in 1949 17" round face with a set of Texas jack rabbit ears for local channels. been a little snowy lately. thinking about a new set. I understand they have colour now? But then I don't know. maybe it just needs a new filter.Been burning diesel fuel in it.stole some from the wife's rabbit a bit dirty and stinks a lot when you first turn it on,Heats the room up good i must say.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

We have had a Sony Bravia and a Vizio for three years and no problems with either.

[waynem34]

allways heard the S's.Not sure what that meant maybe sony ,samsung. smith aand wesson?

[bangerjim]

Sony all the way! We have 3 of them and the oldest is going on 6 years with NO problems!

Know other that have Visio & LG and other lower more "cost-effective" units and are not happy.

Another thing to watch for is the number of HDMI inputs. EVERYTHING now is HDMI. Ours all have 5 with 4 other RGB standards. ALL are in use with one of the blu rays feeding thru the Pioneer 7.1 surround stereo because I ran out of HDMI!

Plan ahead...you cannot add HDMI's later!!!!!

banger

[jmort]

I'm liking Samsung. Get one with a 120 refresh rate. Compare the pictures side by side.

[MTtimberline]

Have a Sharp and a LG. The Sharp is pretty good except for the sound but not a problem if you plan using surround or a sound bar. We have a sound bar with subwoofer which does well. It is self contained and blends in with the TV with out having to mount speakers and run wire all over the room. It performs well for the size of the room. The LG is good all around and the sound works well as is for a bedroom TV.

[MtGun44]

Been a fan of Panasonic electronics for decades, extremely high quality and durable equipment in
the VCR and stereo equipment field. Decided to try their TVs.

I got rid of the old coal-fired RCA a couple of years ago and have a 55 Pano LED now, like it a lot.

Bill

[oldfart1956]

I have the Vizio....47 inch I think (too lazy to go measure) and would advise...get the 120 or 240hz. Mine is the 60hz. and colors are muddled in the background. Also, don't let the advertised screen width fool you! Unless you go with the widescreen view, which makes everyone look as big as Rosie O'Donnel, you actually get a lot less screen than you think. I replaced an old 37in. crt with this and the viewing area is about the same size. Weighs about 1/4 of what the old crt weighed though! Reliability seems puddy fair on most makes so check Consumer Report magazine if you have some time. JMO of course. Audie...the Oldfart...who doesn't watch much tv.

[Floydster]

We have 4 Vizio's and all have been very good.

[felix]

Agree 100 percent, Bill. Panasonic makes durable stuff. I had TV's and other electronics/electrics made by them. I still use a pencil sharpener I bought in 1964. It has never dulled enough after thousand or more uses to get another. Only time I get new electronics is when something goes nuts in the device or I just need a different capability. Costs more to have a bad one serviced than to get a much upgraded sample of same. ... felix

[dbosman]

The Case For Buying A ****ty TV
http://www.buzzfeed.com/jwherrman/the-case-for-buying-a-****ty-tv

Several of the "name" brand companies don't manufacture, anymore.
Unless it's a huge screen, most human eyes can't see the difference between brand X and brand Z. Stores count on this when they turn up brightness and contrast.

[mwest]

Looks like need to get another TV. So, what's the opinions on what's available? Samsung is rated well, so is Vizio. Vizio is a bit cheaper, with most things compared equal. I did read where Samsung has had problems with the power supplies going bad.

Don't need anything huge, looking at 40" range. Don't need the "smart" feature, gonna hook it up to Dish. So any opinions?


I have Samsung tv, blue ray, dish washer, washer and drier, surround sound, all have been great. Get at least 4 HDMI ports

[snowwolfe]

We have a Sony, Samsung, and a JVC. My advice is to visit one of the big box stores like Costco or Best Buy and do a face to face look.
When we buy a bigger one for our down stairs TV room it will be a Samsung.

[762 shooter]

My LG works.

762

[Huskerguy]

Do you want LED or Plasma. I have a Panasonic Plasma for several years, love it. Did a ton of research years ago and if it was a plasma then Panasonic was the brand and I agree. LED is pretty much all over the place. A friend had a Sharp and it was OK. One thing I ran in to when looking to compare is the number of different models, there are dozens for each size and company which makes comparison hard. I am pretty much a Samsung fan, have a tablet and phone, like their stuff. Son is a LG fan and has a TV of theirs. Pretty much most of these TV's, as I understand it, are made with the same internal parts for the most part. Vizio was made in the US, bought one for our daughter and it works great two years later.

[KYCaster]

I'm still using my dads old kerosene TV set mfg in 1949 17" round face with a set of Texas jack rabbit ears for local channels. been a little snowy lately. thinking about a new set. I understand they have colour now? But then I don't know. maybe it just needs a new filter.Been burning diesel fuel in it.stole some from the wife's rabbit a bit dirty and stinks a lot when you first turn it on,Heats the room up good i must say.



GOOD NEWS Gandydancer!!

There is a thin plastic film that you can you can put on your screen (static makes it cling kinda like Saran Wrap) that will change your TV picture to color. Yes! Really! It's true.....just stick it on the screen and it changes to color.

Here's something about it..... http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/2700443

Don't confuse it with the hoax described here...... http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/archive/permalink/instant_color_tv

It made quite a difference in Howdy Doodie, but I didn't see much change in Amos and Andy.

Try it if you can find one....maybe you can get a few more useful years out of your dad's TV.

Always happy to help.
Jerry

[opos]

I'm still using my dads old kerosene TV set mfg in 1949 17" round face with a set of Texas jack rabbit ears for local channels. been a little snowy lately. thinking about a new set. I understand they have colour now? But then I don't know. maybe it just needs a new filter.Been burning diesel fuel in it.stole some from the wife's rabbit a bit dirty and stinks a lot when you first turn it on,Heats the room up good i must say.

I have one of the plastic sheets you can tape over the front of the picture tube...it's blue on top for sky, clear in the middle for the picture content and green at the bottom for grass...works great with scenes..is a little confusing for people interviews with the folks having blue hair and green shirts...but what the heck .... no moving parts, no remote and perfect for the 3 channels you can get with the rabbit ears...don't forget the wad of tin foil on the rabbit ears.

[Ickisrulz]

We have 4 Samsung TVs ranging from 20-some inches to 60 inches. We have the 720P and 1080P sets. We have both LCD and Plasma. I like plasma best. I like all the TVs and none have given us any problems. I can see the difference between Samsungs/Sonys and Vizzio, LG, etc.

To look at them in person go to Best Buy or Sears, etc. Buy from Crutchfield or Amazon.

[popper]

Got a friend with a DLP TV works great but he'll never get another - no parts. Panasonic is dumping plasma I think. Most of the LCD screens are made by a few companies, assembly and frame by the name brand. Watch for off-brand LCDs - there is a bad pixel test that culls the good/bad screens. Effectively seconds that are sold to off brand makers. Those show up mare on the larger screens. I also don't like Rohm parts (china national). Yes, I have a Philips that has the turn on problem - an improperly designed electronic 'button' - you can't fix it without replacing a PCB.

[6bg6ga]

One thing to remember about any flat screen TV is that the power supplies do have problems. These problems can be fixed however and are usually a simple capacitor replacement which amounts to 1/2 hr time and $5 worth of parts. The problem usually shows itself as a failure to turn on possibly followed by some type of rainbow pattern. The TV shops will charge you $200 to repair this simple little problem.

The reason I mention this is the $200 in my opinion can be used more efficiently for securing reloading equipment and or supplies. Also, this problem is evident in the LCD and LED flat screens. All brands do have this problem and from what I have noticed no one brand is better than another.

I have a LG and a Samsung at home. At work I generally use Sharp or LG and have had good luck with them. I will go out of my way to steer clear of a Plasma.

[Jailer]

Find the brand and model you like and search on line for that specific model to see if there are any glaring faults with it. Pick the size you want and go one size larger. 120Hz (minimum) for the refresh rate and as others have mentioned get a model with plenty of hdmi inputs.

[bangerjim]

GOOD NEWS Gandydancer!!

There is a thin plastic film that you can you can put on your screen (static makes it cling kinda like Saran Wrap) that will change your TV picture to color. Yes! Really! It's true.....just stick it on the screen and it changes to color.

Here's something about it..... http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/2700443

Don't confuse it with the hoax described here...... http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/archive/permalink/instant_color_tv

It made quite a difference in Howdy Doodie, but I didn't see much change in Amos and Andy.

Try it if you can find one....maybe you can get a few more useful years out of your dad's TV.

Always happy to help.
Jerry

Well, now that us old farts are remembering..........I had one of those BIG water-filled magnifying glasses they sold to go in front of those little round 4 or 5" TV's in the early days. Made it look REALLY big.....almost 12"........OMG!

My, how things have changed.

banger.....feeling older by the minute!

[KCSO]

If you don't get a TV you can almost buy another gun! We got one at Wal mart for the folks and it works ok as far as I can see, a Viseo???

[Cactus Farmer]

We bought an INSIGNIA from Best Buy little over a year ago and have been very satisfied. Added a Polk sound system about 6 weeks ago as we like to listen to music, big band era, Sinatra, and such. The Polk's volume works off the Insignia's remote.

We did the same thing right down to the Polk add on. Sound is as good as it gets! Our old one was stolen and the insurance paid off like a slot machine. This one is 4 inches bigger and all the new features are a plus too. Ain't HD great!

[375supermag]

Hi...

I bought a Panasonic 50" 1080HD plasma screen a few years ago.
It has the 600Hz refresh rate which is excellent for watching action movies and sports.

It has been trouble free and my wife has it on all day every day it seems.

I would like to replace it with a larger screen (70-80") but they don't make a plasma screen that large with a 600Hz refresh rate yet.

[Lloyd Smale]

I had a vizio in the house. Thought it was a great tv. Bought a samsung for the loading room and both the wife and i thought it had a better picture then the vizio. So we ended up putting the samsung in the house and the vizio out in the barn.

[KAF]

When buying the new TV's do a bunch of research on the terms. Best to have some knowledge of what you are going to hear and read. Plasma is gone, not made anymore, phased out.
The adjustment of the picture is a very valuable thing to know, makes a huge difference on picture quality, especially at home. All pictures you see at the store are piped in not normal cable or satellite it always looks good. You can see a difference on clarity on store models. OFF brands have OFF parts, that is how they can undersell others.
Visio, good TV's good price, good parts. Sams club, Wal mart carries them. LED screens is the new thing looks good works well.
Refresh rates are something you might want, higher the better, do you research online. Lots of settings on the new TV's all done via remote, not hard, just strange to most of us OLD crt guys. ALL brands can have problems with parts, etc. Electronics are the ONLY product I buy the extended warranty. BTW Hard to find local repair shops, You HAVE to save the box the TV came in to send it in for work, if needed.
Do lots of research before buying!

[B R Shooter]

I've been reading till I'm blue in the face.....time to go SEE! Just want to make the best decision I can, the first time!

[smokeywolf]

I like Sony TVs but don't like the premium you have to pay for the name. Samsung is a pretty good compromise. Samsung actually makes Sony's LCD panels. I've heard good and bad about Visio; not that impressed with their picture quality. Also, if I were going to buy a Visio, I'd buy it from Costco as they have a good return policy.

I worked for Sony for 12 years and in addition to doing a lot of electro-opto-mechanical engineering for them, part of my job was evaluating picture quality; in particular for the Sony Pictures High Definition Center.
Contrary to what used to be, progressive refresh of each frame of video has been the default for about 10 years now. 1080i, which stands for 1,080 pixels vertical, refreshed by "interlacing" odd then even rows of pixels is long gone. What you will see now is 1080p; the "p" stands for progressive. The lines of pixels are refreshed horizontally in chronological order.

To complicate your research even more, Ultra High Definition TVs are already available in some parts of the world and of course to the very well heeled. Ultra High Def will eliminate pixelation and serve up a picture that is comparable to looking through a window. I saw one of the first demonstrations of Ultra High Def at the Panasonic transfer facility when I was working for Universal Studios in 2002. At that time there were no cameras capable of producing video at that resolution and only 2 companies had produced monitors that were capable of displaying 2160 x 3840.

The new TVs are truly wonderful. Especially for watching old westerns like "The Searchers" and "How the West Was Won", that have been remastered to Blu Ray.

smokeywolf

[ffries61]

I'm on my third Vizio, all work great, 1 TV, other 2 are used as PC monitors

Fred

[ole 5 hole group]

I use to like Sony, but no more. Purchased their top of the line Sony Bravia - I think 52 or 55 inch and 12 months and 3 weeks later the bottom half of the screen became real dark for 20/25 minutes upon turning on the TV before coming back to life. Called Sony and they advised tough luck and would replace with a refurbished unit for an additional $800 or something like that.

I called two more times in an attempt to get a rep who would cover it under warranty - same story, so I'll never purchase another Sony TV. I do realize that I got a lemon and most Sony's are excellent but 3 weeks over the warranty period on a $2K unit - that is something I'll never forget or forgive.