Looking for advice on buying a TV

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I’m planning to buy a big screen TV for my new apartment. I’m thinking 50 inch. I don’t really know that much about the TV market, as I haven’t owned a TV for a while. As far as I know, there’s HDTV, plasma, LED, etc. I’m not looking for top-of-the-line stuff. But I do want an enjoyable experience watching movies and sports. I may also have people over, i.e. friends and colleagues, so I don’t want it to look too shabby. So far, I’ve looked at Best Buy, Sears, and Walmart. I’m not adverse to buying it online, either. Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
 
AllSeasons said:
I’m planning to buy a big screen TV for my new apartment. I’m thinking 50 inch. I don’t really know that much about the TV market, as I haven’t owned a TV for a while. As far as I know, there’s HDTV, plasma, LED, etc. I’m not looking for top-of-the-line stuff. But I do want an enjoyable experience watching movies and sports. I may also have people over, i.e. friends and colleagues, so I don’t want it to look too shabby. So far, I’ve looked at Best Buy, Sears, and Walmart. I’m not adverse to buying it online, either. Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
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I’m a big electronics guy. Things to consider. If you don’t like the glare you got on your old tube tv on a sunny day when the light shined though the blinds, don’t get a plama. There is a thin layer of glass on the front that can cause this problem. LCD is pretty good these days because they have incresed the black levels that caused a charcoal black instead of inky black. Also no thin layer of glass. Get a Samsung or Panasonic. Both have 'entry level" models. Get a LED (light emiting diod) LCD if you can. Make sure the tv has enough (name removed by moderator)uts for all your stuff like dvd player, PC etc. PC Richards is a good place to shop because the sales people are a bit more knowledgable.

Find a guy (or girl) you like. Buying from someone you seem to trust or just like makes the experience much better. Get at the minimum a 2 year warranty on the tv, believe me. Enjoy.
 
I have considered getting a video projector instead of a TV whenever our current TV eventually gives out, but I haven’t done enough research to know all the plusses and minuses. It does seem to me that a projector would be much more portable, and that you would have the ability to vary the picture size by adjusting where you place the projector. It’s something you might consider as an alternative to a traditional TV – though there may be reasons why a TV would be better.
 
I would avoid buying online unless you are ordering it from a reputable company. One the other hand, lots of companies allow free shipping if you spend over a certain amount while a store might charge you for delivery. On the other hand a store might install it for you if you don’t feel comfortable doing that yourself. (kind of important if you buy one that has to be wall-mounted.)
 
Johnnyjones gave you some excellent advice. I advise printing it out and take it with you when you go shopping and refer to it whilst you shop.
I strongly recommend that if you live in a fairly large city, you go to one of the larger electronics/TV store or one of the “big box” stores. These stores have clerks who actually know about what they are selling. Not only will you get the best price, but in many cases a store guarentee for the TV set.
If you are not near a city or do not have such a store near you, I recommend that if you are in the US or Canada, that you locate the nearest Sears Roebuck or Sears Simpson store to you. Not only will you find their prices more than competive, they will stand behind what they sell.
In any case, unless you have someone close to you who is an expert in consumer electronics to advise you, I would avoid trying to buy a TV set on line. There is just too many fraudsters on the internet waiting to steal your money…even on e-bay.
 
AllSeasons said:
I’m planning to buy a big screen TV for my new apartment. I’m thinking 50 inch. I don’t really know that much about the TV market, as I haven’t owned a TV for a while. As far as I know, there’s HDTV, plasma, LED, etc. I’m not looking for top-of-the-line stuff. But I do want an enjoyable experience watching movies and sports. I may also have people over, i.e. friends and colleagues, so I don’t want it to look too shabby. So far, I’ve looked at Best Buy, Sears, and Walmart. I’m not adverse to buying it online, either. Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
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Yes. Don’t have a TV in your home. That will add about 10 years of meaningful living to your life. TV creates zombies.

Instead of TV, talk to people.

Instead of TV, study the Catholic Faith.

I’ve had no TV in my household since 2009. We do watch DVD movies once in a while, on a laptop computer we sit on the coffee table.

George Washington and Jesus Christ had no TV in their homes.

I don’t think we’re better than others because we’ve gone TV-less. I do know that we are happier, though.

Best wishes.
 
Bartolome_Casas said:
Yes. Don’t have a TV in your home. That will add about 10 years of meaningful living to your life. TV creates zombies.

Instead of TV, talk to people.

Instead of TV, study the Catholic Faith.

I’ve had no TV in my household since 2009. We do watch DVD movies once in a while, on a laptop computer we sit on the coffee table.

George Washington and Jesus Christ had no TV in their homes.

I don’t think we’re better than others because we’ve gone TV-less. I do know that we are happier, though.

Best wishes.
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George and Jesus also had no phone, computer, or indoor plumbing for that matter. 🤷

I’m glad giving up TV has been a blessing to your family. That doesn’t make it the right choice for every family, and I think it is clear the OP is not going in that direction and instead is looking for practical advice on shopping for this item.
 
AllSeasons said:
I’m planning to buy a big screen TV for my new apartment. I’m thinking 50 inch. I don’t really know that much about the TV market, as I haven’t owned a TV for a while. As far as I know, there’s HDTV, plasma, LED, etc. I’m not looking for top-of-the-line stuff. But I do want an enjoyable experience watching movies and sports. I may also have people over, i.e. friends and colleagues, so I don’t want it to look too shabby. So far, I’ve looked at Best Buy, Sears, and Walmart. I’m not adverse to buying it online, either. Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Click to expand...
Sorry that I cann’t be more help, but I’ve heard good things about Vivizo. I’ve yet to take the full plunge into HD, I have two analog TV’s hooked up to DirecTV (yes, the picture quality sucks and there is no comparison between standard def and HD) and have a little 15 inch HDTV hooked up to rabbit ears that sits on my computer desk that I primarily use for weekend sporting events or whenever there is a weeknight sporting event like tomorrow’s MLB All Star Game.
 
I love electronics, but I’ll admit to not being too much of a TV expert. However, I recently bought a Sony Bravia, and I’ve been really pleased with it so far. Sony has a good reputation. Before I bought it, I checked some online reviews, and it was always rated high for customer satisfaction. I would recommend the product. I’m not a big TV watcher, but the shows I watch look pretty crisp.
 
I’d stay away from the plasmas. I used to work at a furniture and electronics store in the customer service department and the most common return was plasma tv’s.
 
johnnyjones said:
I’m a big electronics guy. Things to consider. If you don’t like the glare you got on your old tube tv on a sunny day when the light shined though the blinds, don’t get a plama. There is a thin layer of glass on the front that can cause this problem. LCD is pretty good these days because they have incresed the black levels that caused a charcoal black instead of inky black. Also no thin layer of glass. Get a Samsung or Panasonic. Both have 'entry level" models. Get a LED (light emiting diod) LCD if you can. Make sure the tv has enough (name removed by moderator)uts for all your stuff like dvd player, PC etc. PC Richards is a good place to shop because the sales people are a bit more knowledgable.

Find a guy (or girl) you like. Buying from someone you seem to trust or just like makes the experience much better. Get at the minimum a 2 year warranty on the tv, believe me. Enjoy.
Click to expand...
This is great advice. My husband is also a big electronics guy and would give this advice, as well.

We got a 50" or so Samsung and have been thrilled. It was well priced, and the picture is terrific. We priced wall mounting and nearly fainted from the cost, so have a nice low entertainment center on which it sits.

BTW… those of you who feel compelled to constantly bash TV… lay off. My husband is a well-respected local TV journalist and the business has provided well for our family. Watch or not, but don’t try to take away our livelihood.
 
Admittably I haven’t been in the TV market for a while, but I did do a fair bit of research some time back so I can offer a bit of insight.

First, if you’re willing to deal with a big heavy thing, and you can find one, you can probably get a great deal on Sony or JVC rear projection TVs which have amazing picture quality.

More likely though you’re looking at the newer technology, in which case I will just echo what has been said before. Plasmas have glare issues because of the glass, LCDs have gotten better at displaying dark black in recent years, and you’re better off getting an LED LCD.

I will add that plasmas are known to give off more heat than LCDs. You can experience this yourself by walking past a wall of Plasma TVs at a store. It’s something to keep in mind if you have a small room, or live in a hot area.

Once you have narrowed your choices a bit, I would recommend against basing your final decision on a comparison of how the TVs look at a store. Often times the TVs won’t even be connected to HD sources at stores, or have horrible picture settings. Sites like CNET.com have some pretty in depth reviews that can help you once you’ve settled on a few options to consider.

Finally, I’ll buck the trend and recommend online ordering. If you go with reputable sites like Amazon, Buy.com, Newegg.com etc, you will have nothing to worry about, usually get free shiping, and almost certainly get a better deal than at a store.

Hope this helps.
 
Thank you for all the replies so far. I hope to make a purchase soon. Life is too boring without TV. Yea, I know.
 
I finally bought a TV this weekend! It’s a 42’’ LG LCD HDTV. I’m happy with it so far. Thanks again for all the advice.
 
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