So this year with my Tax Refund I am thinking of buying a big screen television, anyone have any recommendations?
So this year with my Tax Refund I am thinking of buying a big screen television, anyone have any recommendations?
I recommend you don't let Obama know your getting a tax refund!
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sukie (01-17-2013),The last buffalo fan (01-18-2013)
You will LOVE a big screen HD TV when you get it. Once you own one, it will be impossible to ever go back to 480p low def CRTs! Just make sure you get the HD cable/satellite package. Also, invest in a Blu-Ray player too! You'll want HD broadcasts and HD blu-rays to watch vs standard low def TV and standard def DVDS.
I have had excellent luck with Samsung flat screen TVs. My 63" plasma is 3 years+ old, which replaced my 4 year old Samsung 42" plasma - which is still going strong in another home. A good friend has 2 - 40" Samsung LCD TVs, and they have great picture and he loves them.
Given the improvements in LED/LCD technology, and the picture in the last 3 years, I would probably buy an LCD. The biggest issue with plasma is image retention/screen burn. Not to mention that LCD/LED is much more energy efficient.
Last edited by Cleve; 01-17-2013 at 08:38 AM.
The last buffalo fan (01-18-2013)
samsung smart led 240htz... biggest one you can afford
on a side note: no one will likely be recieving their refund checks before Feb 20th at the earliest (assuming the IRS doesnt delay things longer)
RIP Tommy D!
12/25/1978-9/9/2008
If you make something "Idiot-proof", they'll only make better idiots!
The last buffalo fan (01-18-2013)
I haven't experienced screen burn in the 4 3 years I have owned my LG plasma 50. I have had issues with my Samsung 42 but fortunately I had extended warranty and happened to discover that 1 day prior to that coverage running out.
I think the thinness of the new LED is crazy cool but the sound quality diminishes with thinness IMO. I would still go LCD or Plasma for cost. New SuperHD sets are on the way but it will be 5 years before they become cost comparative.
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I haven't experienced screen burn in the 4 3 years I have owned my LG plasma 50. I have had issues with my Samsung 42 but fortunately I had extended warranty and happened to discover that 1 day prior to that coverage running out.
I think the thinness of the new LED is crazy cool but the sound quality diminishes with thinness IMO. I would still go LCD or Plasma for cost. New SuperHD sets are on the way but it will be 5 years before they become cost comparative.
Are we really calling these things big screen TVs still?
sukie (01-17-2013)
I've had my 46" Panasonic Viera for about 2 years now and it still looks great. It's a plasma, which was the type suggested for me since I watch a lot of sports.
I did about 6 months research before buying one, because there are many things to consider. There are charts out there to determine what size you should get, based on how far you plan to sit from the TV. As I said above, what type of programming you watch can also help determine what type of display you should get (LCD, Plasma, etc).
As for the "burn-in" on plasmas, the newer the TV, the better they have gotten at not having that effect. Also, it's not really "burn-in." It's actually called "image persistence" and nowadays, after about 100 hours of use, this isn't even an issue any longer.
Here's a good article on it: http://asia.cnet.com/is-plasma-hdtv-...m-62213412.htm
-BillImage persistence is caused by the phosphors that make the image in a plasma TV continuing to glow after being overly excited.
Think of the phosphors in a plasma like kids. Once you get them riled up, it takes a bit for them to calm back down. Also like kids, as they age, they calm down much faster. As a plasma TV ages (after 100 hours or so), it becomes far more difficult to burn in.
Curious .. you are a single male .. how much are you expecting as a refund??Originally Posted by Suetonius
Well, perhaps I was too quick to write off plasma?
http://hdguru.com/the-case-for-plasm...lcd-hdtv/9373/
Even as recently as Nov 2012, it appears that plasma still has the edge in picture quality, particularly in contrast ratio and motion blur, even over the most recent LED/LCD tvs. You just can't get a super-jumbo (greater than 65") tv in plasma.
That was pretty much what I found out when I was researching mine a couple years back... LED/LCD just wasn't on par with the plasmas, but if you wanted a super-big TV, plasmas don't usually go much bigger than 65"... I only wanted the 46" since I have a fairly small living room and again, since I watch a lot of sports, the motion blur edge over LED/LCD was one of the factors that pushed me to plasma.
The one negative on plasma is the fact that the have to be covered in glass which is very reflective. I have a window on the opposite wall of the room, so when the sun shines, the reflection is pretty bad. To solve that, I simply replaced that window's curtain with one of those thick curtains that 3rd shifters use... They're designed to prevent light from coming in, so that people can sleep during the day. Works like a charm.
-Bill
I have a 51" Samsung Plasma...
"Whoever did this obviously did not know about the people of Boston. Because nothing these terrorists do is gonna shake them. ... A city that withstood an 86-year-losing streak. A city that made it through the Big Dig - a construction project that backed up traffic for 16 years. I mean, there are commuters just getting home now."
-Stephen Colbert
We have the Panasonic in living room and in bedrooms we all have 42" Samsung.
Burn in isn't really an issue anymore.
I don't really see a need for plasma with the 240 hz LED and LCD's but its personal preference. Some people don't like the 240 hz LED's because they say the motion doesn't look real (but keep in mind that most allow you to change to 120 hz in the settings).
The important thing is to look at it in the store (even if you end up buying online) and make sure you like the way it looks watching the SAME type of programming that you watch most - sports, blu ray, Netflix, whatever.
Also, look at it from all angles. The old DLP's looked great straight on but terrible from even a sligh angle. The newer technologies tend not to bad this problem but it doesn't hurt to check. Also make sure you have at least 2 HDMI ins and preferably 3.
lets put it this way. The biggest expert users when it comes to picture quality out there are gamers. They still prefer the plasma over the LED's. I have a samsung plasma and til this day I am still awed the by colors compared to LED's.
If you're going with a plasma just make sure you don't have a well lit room or you'll see glare on your tv.
Last edited by justasportsfan; 01-18-2013 at 08:58 AM.
Samsung 55 in.
Would love to upgrade to 70"
LED's dont seem to show the same depth as plasma either.
There used to be a few 70" plasmas sold - this is 2, 3 years ago- but for whatever reason they have been discontinued. I'm glad Suetonius posted this topic - I've had my 63" plasma for 3 years, and hadn't really studied them much. I would definitely stick with plasma if I was buying again.
And I have a fairly bright room - and I will be honest, I don't see the plasma as any worse than an old CRT TV in those conditions. The picture seems plenty bright even on a sunny day like today with snow on the ground outside.
I agree and disagree with this...
It depends on where the light is coming from... If it's sunlight, like I mentioned before, shining towards the screen, yeah, you're gonna get glare.
But, a room can be "well lit" and still not have any glare on the TV. The lighting for my living room is attached to the ceiling, has three 60 watt bulbs in it and there is no issue with glare on the TV.
In short, you can have a well lit room and not get glare on a plasma... It just depends where the light is coming from more than how much light there is.
-Bill
justasportsfan (01-18-2013)
I have a 50" Sony LCD rear projection that's probably 6 years old. It's not as thick as the old CRT's but its much thicker than the more recent ones. It's also only 1080i and only has one HDMI port. However, there is almost no broadcast TV in 1080p now so that really only affects blu-rays, and I mitigated the port issue by hooking it to a stereo with 4 HDMI ins.
I wouldn't mind replacing it with something more modern, but I can't justify the expense. I haven't had any problems with it. It still looks great.
i have a 60in 240hz samsung 3d led tv, and i love it, yes the sound from just the tv is terrible, but its in my living room not a bedroom, so the stereo is always on anyway. the tv weaighs about 40 lbs, is about 1/2 in think and looks beautiful on the wall. because of how thin and light it is, i didnt have to worry about having special support in the wall or having to use large anchors into the studding, a similar plasma tv weighs about 3 times as much. just something else to consider.
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