The TV Thread: More for Less

Cultural Geek Girl

thatassemblyguy wrote: »

If you really want a TV now. Then that's a pretty awesome one. However, if you can hold-out to years end, that model will probably be on-sale for 30-50% off. More importantly, the 50-55" model will be within your budget. Otherwise, I really dig Samsung TV's. I have one, and have no complaint. I have a something-something 5500. Whatever, I can't remember.

Edit: I like it.

Heh, my problem is that I'm in an apartment and the only TVs we have are my roomate's 32" monitor and my 28" tube TV from college, so we end up having to haul out her monitor any time we want to watch anything that requires a decent picture. I know I could probably save about three hundred dollars by waiting, but I want to invite people over to our apartment more often and do movies and Game of Thrones, so now-ish it has to be.

Burtletoy

cardboard delusions wrote: »

Do plasma tvs still have burn in issues with the screens compared to LCD/LED LCD tvs? Plasma seems to be cheaper across the board, but I will have a few consoles connected and don't want to ruin the tv.

Long answer: Check the OP.

Short answer: No.


Edit: Also if you are just looking for cheaper TV's, check out the Mitsu DLPs. On a good day you can swing a 60" set for under $1000

GnomeTank

e: Vanilla fuck-muppetry. Double post.

GnomeTank

Ehh, you can get a 55" Plasma for under a g...well under a g....why get a huge DLP? I guess if you absolutely must have the 60" it may be a good price point...but damn they are huge and heavy.

Burtletoy

I'll admit 16" is quite huge compared to todays LCDs and Plsamsa, but I guess it doesn't really sound that big, to me. My TV is at least 16" away from the wall as it is, and it's still only like half a deep as say an old Sony Triniton (my neighbor left his in the apartment complex when he moved, and it just sat in the hallway for like, two months. Man those things are monsters)

But, the 65" WD-65638 comes in at 69.3lbs whereas the Panasonic TCP55GT30, 10 inches smaller set, weights 69.5 without the stand and 82.7 with the stand.

So, not really?

chrishallett83

Burtletoy wrote: »

I'll admit 16" is quite huge compared to todays LCDs and Plsamsa, but I guess it doesn't really sound that big, to me. My TV is at least 16" away from the wall as it is, and it's still only like half a deep as say an old Sony Triniton (my neighbor left his in the apartment complex when he moved, and it just sat in the hallway for like, two months. Man those things are monsters)

But, the 65" WD-65638 comes in at 69.3lbs whereas the Panasonic TCP55GT30, 10 inches smaller set, weights 69.5 without the stand and 82.7 with the stand.

So, not really?

Wut.

Trinitrons have awesome picture.

Burtletoy

It was actually left by whoever lived in that apartment before him and he offered it to Me.

I mean, it would've been pretty great for my old SD consols.

But I'm not moving a 300lbs monster every year while I'm still renting apartments.

Pretty sure that's the same reason the previous two tenants left it as well. I even offered to give it to, like, 10 different people and no one wanted it. For free.

Edit: 220lbs. I looked it up.

minor incident

Burtletoy wrote: »

It was actually left by whoever lived in that apartment before him and he offered it to Me.

I mean, it would've been pretty great for my old SD consols.

But I'm not moving a 300lbs monster every year while I'm still renting apartments.

Pretty sure that's the same reason the previous two tenants left it as well. I even offered to give it to, like, 10 different people and no one wanted it. For free.

Edit: 220lbs. I looked it up.

I had a Trinitron when I lived in my first condo. When my wife and I moved out and rented the place out to a tenant we asked if he wanted to keep it. He did, and we're on our third tenant in like 5 or 6 years. Each one has left the TV for the next tenant. I like to think it's become a perk of the apartment. It may not have walk-in closets, but it's got a bigass 36" Trinitron.

Burtletoy

And, just because - http://slickdeals.net/f/4627696-Mitsubishi-WD-73640-73-Inch-1080p-DLP-TV-979-96-FS

73" DLP for $979 with free shipping. Deal is, unfortunately, dead now, but its just showing how ridiculously cheap huge DLP screens can be.

Burtletoy

Curious if anyone has any good links for reviews/criticisms of these new panny IPS LED-LCD sets I am seeing?

I recently got an eIPS monitor for my computer and it is fucking gorgeous. Are these TV's better/worse than their plasmas?

Cormac

How do current DLP's compare to a good plasma or LED LCD now of similar price? That Mitsubishi at it's normal price is roughly in my price range, and I move the TV to the basement it would be a good size for the viewing distance.

Bucketman

Hmm, shopping around this weekend, since there should be some good deals on Monday. I've read the OP and read some articles, but on the topic of LED vs LCD, is LED really worth the extra in price?

Bucketman

Heres a good question: Best Buy Insignia TVs, this is a great deal http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Insignia™+-+40"+Class+-+LCD+-+1080p+-+60Hz+-+HDTV/4550458.p?id=1218483794943&skuId=4550458 and I have a friend who owns one who has sworn by it, but theres mixed reviews in there. Any thoughts?

Djeet

Great $/inch. If you're upgrading from SD there will be a noticeable difference as you'll be able to display native HD sources. Can't really speak to reliability, but if you elect to pick a tv from a sub-2nd-tier group do look into the policy w/r/to to warranty fixes as they tend to be more onerous than buying a top tier brand.

Most tv reviewing sites don't bother reviewing certain brands (magnavox, insignia, westinghouse, AOC, syntax/olevia, polaroid, philips); I'll leave it up to you to decide why. If you just need a tv on the cheap it'll do the job. Not sure how it's going to hold up over time. These marques are optimizing towards cost reduction which is why they can undercut nicer brands at any size.

Not sure if you're near a Fry's or how you feel about buying online, but if you wait and check deals you can usually score a Vizio or LG for near that $/inch, both of which I'd buy before an Insignia.

Bucketman

I wound up buying a Coby (HHGregg brand) 40 inch LCD for $300. Not the best, but I'm upgrading from having no TV at all and it was in my price range. On the plus side, I can now testify to its life and function in case anyone ever considers buying one.

Sharp10r

OK, not a major technical guy, but recently- I noticed a weird experience. My dad's TV is 55 inches, and my father-in-law has an 80 inch. Both are LCD I believe. Now- I don't konw what is going on- I can only describe what I see on the TV as resembling a soap opera. It's as if you can see the backdrop behind the shows- it's almost too realistic. Does anyone know what causes this experience? Am I crazy? the only one?

Djeet

The TVs have frame/motion interpolation turned on. The actual setting name varies by manufacturer (motion smoothing, trumotion, etc), but they all are doing the same thing. The TVs can display many more fps than the source material is being transmitted (usually 24-30 fps). When this setting is enabled the tv creates intermediate frames and inserts them between the real frames which results in increased perceived smoothness. You can turn it off if it bothers you, or if you leave it on you'll eventually get used to it.

Bucketman

Ok weirdness. I had a small grouping of dead pixels on my TV. I was going to return it, but as of tonight when I flipped it on, they seem to be gone. Is...is that possible?

Burtletoy

Yup. You can even burn a DVD that will attempt to unfreeze dead pixels.

Mr. Buttons

Edge-led vs. direct-led back lighting... I'm under the believe that direct is better, but I'm comparing two models that are virtually identical with the exception of back lighting and getting kinda conflicting results (the edge lighting is more expensive, it's a higher model number...) Am I mixed up in thinking that the LG 32LS3400 is better than the LG 32LS3500?

Djeet

Edge lit means the LED's are all along the sides (think just under the bezel) and shoot towards the center of the screen. There are light guides which reflect/diffuse the light out through the LCD panel into your eyeballs. This allows them to make the whole TV significantly thinner.

Direct LED backlighting means there is an array of LEDs behind the LCD panel that shoot through the panel into your eyeballs.

Direct LED (or full array) backlighting with local dimming will likely give you the best performance at the expense of the TV being thicker than an edge-lit equivalent. Link.

Iceman.USAF

So I'm not really sure where to post this, so here goes.

I recently got a bose cinemate gsII speaker setup, which I'm loving. I know people have mixed opinions on them, that's not my issue.

My issue is that I've got a Roku and a PS3 set up. Now, my TV accepts enough HDMI in ports to support both no problem. The problem is getting the sound to the speakers.

When I had my Mac Mini hooked up to the TV, both the PS3 and Mac Mini passed it along the optical just fine. Now that I've connected the Roku and taken the Mini out, neither pass through the optical.

Any thoughts on what the issue is?

To clarify, I have a Sharp TV, Bose Cinemate GSII speakers, a PS3 and a Roku XDS.

Right now, the PS3 and Roku connect to the TV via HDMI. Then, an optical cable should be taking sound from the TV to the Bose. However this isn't working. Any thoughts?

I'm all for getting a receiver if need be, but I just want to know it'll work first. Most I've seen have option IN's but not optical OUT.

Joe K

Iceman.USAF wrote: »

So I'm not really sure where to post this, so here goes.

I recently got a bose cinemate gsII speaker setup, which I'm loving. I know people have mixed opinions on them, that's not my issue.

My issue is that I've got a Roku and a PS3 set up. Now, my TV accepts enough HDMI in ports to support both no problem. The problem is getting the sound to the speakers.

When I had my Mac Mini hooked up to the TV, both the PS3 and Mac Mini passed it along the optical just fine. Now that I've connected the Roku and taken the Mini out, neither pass through the optical.

Any thoughts on what the issue is?

To clarify, I have a Sharp TV, Bose Cinemate GSII speakers, a PS3 and a Roku XDS.

Right now, the PS3 and Roku connect to the TV via HDMI. Then, an optical cable should be taking sound from the TV to the Bose. However this isn't working. Any thoughts?

I'm all for getting a receiver if need be, but I just want to know it'll work first. Most I've seen have option IN's but not optical OUT.

well, there's a couple things. my solution was to go out an buy a new receiver that took 5HDMI in, 1 out...

i think that audio is not encrypted, and that you can get a splitter for it...

BrocksMullet

32 inch LCD TV as monitor: Good idea? Bad? would the pixel size be too much?

minor incident

BrocksMullet wrote: »

32 inch LCD TV as monitor: Good idea? Bad? would the pixel size be too much?

Not awful, but not as great as you imagine it to be.

Big pixels, for one, since it'll max out at 1080p. Most TVs have quite a bit of post-processing that cannot be disabled. Also, they tend to be heavy on the input lag. Under/overscanning is often a problem with TVs as opposed to monitors, as well.

The pros would be a lot of screen inches for your dollar, and generally decent quality panels. Also, lots of extra inputs, and a built-in TV tuner.

If you're using it at a desk at a normal distance, I'd go with a large monitor. If you're using it in more of a couch/living room setting, then a TV may be the way to go.

BrocksMullet

minor incident wrote: »

BrocksMullet wrote: »

32 inch LCD TV as monitor: Good idea? Bad? would the pixel size be too much?

Not awful, but not as great as you imagine it to be.

Big pixels, for one, since it'll max out at 1080p. Most TVs have quite a bit of post-processing that cannot be disabled. Also, they tend to be heavy on the input lag. Under/overscanning is often a problem with TVs as opposed to monitors, as well.

The pros would be a lot of screen inches for your dollar, and generally decent quality panels. Also, lots of extra inputs, and a built-in TV tuner.

If you're using it at a desk at a normal distance, I'd go with a large monitor. If you're using it in more of a couch/living room setting, then a TV may be the way to go.

Thanks, would a 27 inch monitor at 1980 x 1080 be workable? I've got a 22 inch 1980 x 1080 I'm very happy with, but when I play any game with a controller, I tend to sit back more, and wish it was a bit bigger.

minor incident

BrocksMullet wrote: »

minor incident wrote: »

BrocksMullet wrote: »

32 inch LCD TV as monitor: Good idea? Bad? would the pixel size be too much?

Not awful, but not as great as you imagine it to be.

Big pixels, for one, since it'll max out at 1080p. Most TVs have quite a bit of post-processing that cannot be disabled. Also, they tend to be heavy on the input lag. Under/overscanning is often a problem with TVs as opposed to monitors, as well.

The pros would be a lot of screen inches for your dollar, and generally decent quality panels. Also, lots of extra inputs, and a built-in TV tuner.

If you're using it at a desk at a normal distance, I'd go with a large monitor. If you're using it in more of a couch/living room setting, then a TV may be the way to go.

Thanks, would a 27 inch monitor at 1980 x 1080 be workable? I've got a 22 inch 1980 x 1080 I'm very happy with, but when I play any game with a controller, I tend to sit back more, and wish it was a bit bigger.

It would definitely be workable. My 27" monitor is 1080p, and it looks fine. Especially if you're sitting back a bit to play.

Try to look for a TV that has a "game mode." This typically turns off all/most of the post-processing that the other modes use, which cuts down on the input lag in gaming.

BrocksMullet

Thank you kindly.

cardboard delusions

I'm having a hard time deciding between a Samsung LED-LCD or a Plasma. Basically these two:
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-PN51E6500-51-Inch-1080p-Plasma/dp/B0077ST68U/ref=sr_1_7?s=tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1340129276&sr=1-7
and
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-UN50ES6100-50-Inch-1080p-Black/dp/B007BG4U70/ref=sr_1_2?s=tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1340129458&sr=1-2
If I went with LED, should I get the 3D?
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-UN50ES6500-50-Inch-1080p-Black/dp/B0077SBPPM/ref=sr_1_3?s=tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1340129541&sr=1-3

Burtletoy

Unless it's changed, which is very possible since my last TV shopping was, like, 3 years ago, Samsung is known for their LCD displays much more than their Plasma.

If you want a Plasma you probably want the Panasonic Viera

This
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00752VKU0/
or this
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00752VKW8/

Same price-ish as the Samsungs you listed, too.


As for which one you want more, LCD or Plasma, the op of this thread is still pretty good, if outdated.

cardboard delusions

I read the OP can't decide I like the Samsung's better than Panasonic, which I know are better, CNET says they're pretty much the same. http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/samsung-pn60e6500/4505-6482_7-35159642.html?tag=rb_content;contentBody

cardboard delusions

So I ended up buying this Samsung 50'' since the price was too good and I don't really care about 3D or those smart apps.

Inquisitor77

Hey guys, hoping you can help me out:

I have a ~17' x ~15' living room. On one of the 15' sides are three south-facing windows arrayed similar to a Bay pattern, and my apartment is on top of a hill, so I get plenty of indirect sunlight all day. My couch is situated on one of the 17' walls perpendicular to the windows. I would like to be able to watch the TV from a pretty wide angle, as I have some revolving lounge chairs next to the Bay windows from which I would still like to be able to see the screen if possible.

If you had $2,000 to spend on a television and wanted to get the most bang for your buck, given the context I have described, what should be on the list? Based on my research, there doesn't seem to be a size limit due to the viewing distances, so I can't use that as a handy cut-off. Plasma seems better for viewing angles, but is the image quality noticeably worse for a plasma screen in a room with lots of sunlight?

chrishallett83

You probably have too much ambient light for a plasma, get a nice 120Hz LED-LCD (Samsung). You should be able to get a nice big screen with that kind of budget. I mean, look at this fucker. Nice, right?

Inquisitor77

Oh, I forgot to mention that a buddy of mine gave me a Roku XS, so I plan on using that instead of cable/dish. Does that affect anything? I assume not, since the wireless internet goes into the Roku, which then connects to the TV via HDMI, right? And I assume the image quality should be just as good as any other source?

Thanks Chris - I wasn't sure if ambient light was going to be an issue, and it's pretty much impossible for me to get a real-world test because TVs are always shown inside showrooms. If that weren't such a big question mark, I would be leaning towards plasma because of the viewing angles and motion blur (I play vidja games). If I just closed all the blinds would that be sufficient? I guess I'd be vaguely OK with that approach, given watching TV with tons of sunlight is never a fantastic experience anyway...

Or am I just making a mountain out of a molehill, given the quality of HDTV's I'm looking at is close enough that I really can't go wrong?

chrishallett83

Modern LED LCDs like the one I posted have comparable viewing angles and black level to plasmas, and the motion blur thing was why I specified 120Hz panels. Samsungs (like many manufacturers) also have a 'game' mode which switches off the processing to minimise frame lag.

cardboard delusions

I just got that Samsung chris posted above in 50'' for a steal $830 delivered no tax. It's a beauty. I don't need the fancy web stuff since I have Xbox and PS3 and a PC. Most people's gripe with this TV is the two HDMI ports, but I go through a receiver so that's not an issue. I don't have personal experience with Roku, but the picture I'd imagine you'd have the similar experience as I do with the game consoles - which is the TV is great. I was going to pull the trigger on Plasma since the picture is usually more crisp and the burn in stuff is an issue but then I saw the deal for my TV and with the money I saved we bought some new furniture to put the TV on.

TLDR, it's a great TV and if you have natural light permeating the room, LCD is the way to go.

Cormac

The plasma TV's that have an anti-reflective screen like the Panasonic ST50 and GT50, the Samsung 6000, 7000, 8000, and the LG PM9700 are all fine to use in a room that has a lot of natural light. They aren't going to be quite as good as a LCD with a similar screen coating, but I'd still rather have a plasma for the richer color, better black levels, and lower input lag (depends on the TV). Keep in mind that a lot of LCD's have reflecting/shiny screens, so even if they're brighter than a plasma depending on where your windows and TV are you may be dealing with reflections on the screen.

Also, burn in on plasma tv's hasn't been an issue for years.

Inquisitor77

Thanks guys, this really helps. If I'm hearing you all correctly, there's probably not much of a performance difference if I go with a good Samsung or Panasonic. It sounds like the big thing I'm going to have to watch for are the reflections/glare from the windows... Ugh the really frustrating part is that it's pretty much impossible to get an objective handle on this by going to a store and looking at the TVs because they're always placed in the best possible settings.

What I probably want is something with a good matte screen or anti-reflective coating. If anyone has any specific recommendations, I'm all ears. Otherwise, I think I'll go with either a Samsung PN60E6500 or a Panasonic TC-P60ST50. I was trying to find a good LED LCD at around 60 inches, but for whatever reason they're priced much higher than the plasmas. Probably has something to do with "LED" being the next big thing..

Cormac

If you're deciding between the Samsung or the Panasonic go with whichever is cheaper. They are very close in terms of performance with a slight edge to the Panasonic in terms of black levels, but the Samsung comes with two pairs of 3D glasses where as the Panasonic doesn't come with any.