<p>So, my old, big TV in the family room is dying a slow death over here. I went into Best Buy to look for something new the other day and promptly walked out because I was overwhelmed by all of the choices. :)</p>
<p>Any suggestions or tips from anyone here who is more up on these things than I am? Am looking to get something of a decent size that is reliable and has a good quality picture. I don’t think I need the bells and whistles of a smart TV, as we will be using it almost entirely for the purpose of just watching TV.</p>
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<li><p>Consider an Edge LED lit LCD TV (an LCD display with LEDs providing the light for it arranged along the edge of the screen). The plasmas are fine as well (I have one) but are heavier and use more power. If I was to buy a new TV I’d strongly consider a LCD one but wouldn’t discount another plasma.</p></li>
<li><p>Bigger is usually better depending on the space. Consider no less than 42" but possibly 50" or larger. You’ll get used to the larger size within about 5 minutes. The flat screen TVs, even though they have a larger viewing surface, actually seem smaller in the room than an old tube type or the old giant project box TVs since they’re so thin and don’t intrude into the room. This is especially true if you mount it to the wall.</p></li>
<li><p>If you mount it to the wall make sure you mount it to the studs in the wall - not just the drywall. </p></li>
<li><p>Samsung and LG are popular brands. Personally I’d stay away from the bargain or no-name brands since they often use older technology and previous generation displays, etc. but some people buy them and like them.</p></li>
<li><p>The ‘Smart TV’ function allows you to connect the TV to your network (either wired or wireless) and stream content like Netflix, HULU, Youtube, etc. It can be nice to have but would depend on what you actually end up doing (which might well be different than what you do now).</p></li>
<li><p>Try to view some different brands of the size you’re looking for side by side. Also view it off-angle since some LCDs do poorly at an off angle (but plasmas don’t have that issue). Some pictures are definitely better when seen side by side. A friend did this with an LG 42" next to a couple of other brands and the LG was the clear winner in that comparison and that’s the one that ended up getting purchased.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>We’ve been buying Vizios lately. I’ve had experience with both Sony and Vizio in recent years, and while I liked the Sony we decided the Vizio was just as good for a lot less. Our living room tv is a 40in Sony bravia and we have a 36in or similar Vizio in our bedroom. We’re very happy with those. We’re getting two more vizio tvs for the spare bedroom and the workout room.</p>
<p>I love my LG with all the bells and whistles–although it has functions I seldom use such as an Internet browser and (passive) 3D. I can also hook it up to my home network or play media off USB drives. There is also an iPhone app, so I can use my phone as a remote control.</p>
<p>You might want to also look at the number and types of inputs it has, in case you need to attach multiple game consoles, DVD players, etc. </p>
<p>That said, I have another TV, which has a good picture but is not smart. I’ve hooked up a Roku, which gives me netflix, hulu, pandora, and so on. </p>
<p>If money is an object, it’s probably cheaper to spend on picture quality, and then make it smart with a Roku for $100 or less. Apple TV will enable you to “mirror” on the TV screen anything on the iPhone or ipad. </p>
<p>What size do you want? Do you subscribe to and receive HDTV? If you’re like us and don’t, then you may only find HDTVs available anyway. Do you want it able to connect with the internet? Plasma TVs (if any still exist) are VERY heavy compared to the LCD ones. Try reading a Consumer Reports or similar report reviewing TVs to see what models are recommended and what criteria they looked at, as well as to get some idea of what is available. Be aware that often the model numbers on the report are NOT available at many stores–many stores seem to have models specific to their stores, which make comparisons more difficult. Consider reports of reliability if you don’t want to be spending time and money getting the TV repaired as well. Our TVs are old and have big heavy TV tubes–believe they are no longer sold at stores, only Craigslist. :)</p>
<p>How come people who buy their TVs at Walmart always pick out one that won’t fit in their car out in the parking lot no matter what, yet they still keep trying to squeeze it in when it is too big and they think fighting and yelling at their spouse will help get the too big TV in the car?</p>
<p>If you are not that picky, buy the cheapest for the size you want. Technology evolves so fast that as soon you buy it is out of style. I always buy some thing like plasma when the technology is at edge lit.</p>
<p>In 2000, I was dumb enough to pay $3500 to buy a large rear projection TV, sooner than later, it became a paper weight.</p>
I will continue to buy plasma until it gets replaced by something better and not just thinner. The disadvantages (thickness, efficiency, heat) are just not big enough to me to make the lower picture quality of LCD and LED worthwhile.</p>
<p>
Eh. Can’t second guess yourself too much. The technology shift was pretty fast, and rear projection was the only real game in town for several years afterwards. Hard to predict what technology is going to do 5 years out…</p>
<p>Consumer Reports says that the biggest regret people have is that they didn’t get a bigger screen. So I suggest you go as big as your budget and room allow. CR is also good for looking at what brands have better and worse repair records.</p>
<p>Use an online deals site (I like slickdeals.net) to find good pricing. If you live near any dedicated big screen dealers, do check them out: their prices can be competitive, and their delivery service often includes setup. </p>
<p>Final, best advice: after you buy, do NOT go back and look at prices. Accept that they’ll continue to drop. :)</p>
<p>I have an LG 55 in smart TV. I barely use my computer to search CC since I got this TV (I don’t need eye glasses for web search). This TV allows to connect USB disks, cellphones, tablets. LG gave 1 year free Netflix.
If you consider a smart tv then get a highend model so that the browser can work faster.</p>
You might break it up into specific criteria that is important to you for example:</p>
<p>Cost
Size
Technology Type (LED, LCD, Plasma, …)
Important Features to You (3D, Internet, …)
Audio Setup (TV speakers, External speakers, Full surround setup, …)</p>
<p>Once you have a general idea of what you are looking for, you can search reviews online of specific models that meet that criteria. </p>
<p>
I agree with the earlier comments that bigger is better. I built a theater in my home that supports watching TV on a 120" screen. Even with this large a screen size, I can watch HD quality shows while sitting relatively close to the screen. I favor an ~10 foot viewing distance. For other locations, I’ve always picked the largest screen size that will fit in the nooks or other constraints of the viewing location.</p>
<p>I just bought a new TV about a month ago, and here are my recommendations:</p>
<p>-- Rule #1 = buy your TV at Costco. Period. Don’t even bother looking anywhere else. There are many many reasons for this; primary among them is Costco’s superior customer service and return policy, as well as the fact that they extend the manufacturers warranty on your TV from the standard 1 year to a full 2 years, which is amazing. They also have a great selection of TVs - admittedly not as big as some places, but unless you need a particular model that they don’t have for some reason, Costco is the place to go. Prices are good as well because of Costco’s policy of not marking any item up more than 15%. There’s also the benefit of patronizing a company that consistently lands among the top companies in worker satisfaction, paying their workers fairly, etc. </p>
<p>-- Buy an LCD TV (you’ll see them called “LED TV” in the store, but this just refers to the way in which the TV is backlit, and they all use LEDs these days so it’s sort of useless to point out that fact now) - the other option is plasma, which is older, heavier, uses way more electricity, and does not produce as bright of an image. The benefit is that they are (very) cheap and there is the idea that they produce deeper blacks compared to LCD panels. This is not really true anymore with new LCD technology and (for me) does not even come close to overcoming all of the other downsides of plasma.</p>
<p>-- As others have said, 47" should probably be your minimum screen size, so start there and try to get the biggest screen you can afford. It will be worth it :)</p>
<p>-- On the issue of brands, Costco doesn’t sell any brands of questionable quality, so buy from Costco and you really can’t go wrong. They mostly sell LG, Samsung, and Vizio, which are all excellent brands. Vizio will be the cheapest amongst those brands, but don’t let the price fool you - it is still a very good brand. It is a newer company, but has quickly gained a reputation for good quality at great prices. Costco has been their partner since the company’s inception. You also can’t go wrong with Samsung or LG, though you will be paying more per inch.</p>
<p>-- Don’t bother paying extra for 3D. Its not worth it for a dying technology. If the screen you want has it already (many of them do) then great, but don’t pay extra for the feature.</p>
<p>Costco is the way to go.
They extend the warranty…and they’ve already prescreened quality for you.
I LIKE the smaller selection…that way I just focus on size and price.</p>
<p>Our DD has a smallish Vizio from Costco about 5 years old. She is really tough on electronics, likes to push buttons and reset stuff she doesnt understand.
The thing is like a tank, hasn’t quit yet.</p>
<p>Thanks, all! This is all very helpful info. I’m looking at the 55 inch Samsung, as well as the LG. Didn’t think to check out Vizio, but will do so based on your recommendations. I don’t have a Costco membership, but I will look into it and also check Consumer Reports, slickdeals.net, etc.</p>
<p>The most important to me is picture quality. Still not sure about the smart TV feature. DD watches You Tube etc. through the Wii, so I guess I can still do those types of things without it. Usually, when I watch TV, I am multitasking on my laptop or iPad, like I am doing right now. </p>
<p>I am a “buy and hold” kind of person, so whatever I get I will probably keep for a long time. The old TV I have now is an old, big screen tube TV. (artloversplus, I also paid around what you did for mine back in 1995, so I know how you feel. I got 18 years out of it, so I guess I can’t be too bothered by it. )</p>
<p>Costco is a great place to buy, but there are some other useful alternatives as well. For example, I bought a TV online through a special holiday promotion that made it substantially lower price than it would have been at Costco. The company I purchased from provided free shipping, which worked better than trying to fit a 73" into my car would have, and the delivery person helped me move it into my house. The best deals of all are probably on Craigslist. This is obviously riskier than buying a new model through a store and is not for everyone. After seeing the bedroom TV model I wanted on CL at 15-20% of the price it would cost new, I decided to take the risk and check it out. The person selling it was an older woman who hardly used the TV and appeared to keep it in mint condition. The TV has been running flawlessly at my home since then.</p>
I don’t have a ‘smart TV’ but I do have a ‘smart DVD player’ (LG) and have used one of the functions/(apps) on it to stream free movies from one of the movie providers. It was kind of cool to have a whole bunch of free movies to stream on-demand. It also has Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc. but I haven’t signed up for any of them but if I ever want to, then the app is there to permit me to do so without getting another box (although technically it is another box since it’s on my DVD player but for you it’d be in the TV) and I don’t really want to watch movies on my laptop or especially my little tablet device when I have a nice big HD TV hanging over there on the wall and it has a nice surround sound system hooked up to it (don’t forget to get one of those too ).</p>
So I suggest you go as big as your budget and room allow. 
CR is also good for looking at what brands have better and worse repair records.</p>
).</p>