Mid Range TV Options

By +longgonebn
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Grand Master

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I am about to buy a Condo, and I don't currently have a TV, as I currently only have a room, no place for TV or having people over.

Once I do, there will be more reason. So because I would have spent most money on the condo, and other things to improve the place, I need options for a TV.

 

What is the best option right now? 4K is here, kinda coming, sorta. Not sure if I should get that (60hz or lower is crap right?) or what.

 

I don't really need much, I would probably end up plugging in a Chromecast, eventually maybe some consoles. Though, I do want it thin, I hate bulky TVs.

 

So I don't really have a price point, I want a great picture, fairly new, but not $3000. Let's go for less then $1200 options?

 

The only things I have seen recently that may be a good option are those Seika TVs (I think thats how it's written).

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Grand Master

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Future proofing, get a 4K. But be wary of the price, they are pretty much the $3000 range I think.

I currently own a Samsung 3D 40 inch LED Smart TV, and it does me just fine. 

I would suggest go to like futureshop or bestbuy and browse the online store, and make a note of any TVs that jump out at you for a good price, then post them here for feedback.

:)

P.S. http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/category/tvs/tvs.aspx?path=e4faf937443b21f93b5316c77269c437en01

That LG one that loads up first looks pretty good for the price, theres a good start.

Oh as a minimum, make sure its True HD (1080p)

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Grand Master

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Well unless you want to spend $3000 on a 4K TV then as you said, you want the best bang for buck for a $1200 TV.
So things to look for are... 1080p resolution. Thats a absolute minimum requirement. 
Refresh rate, the higher, the better, so aim for 120MHz minimum here. If you can get 200MHz or higher, by all means, go for it.
Game lag - This will come into play when you buy a console, all TVs come with 'game lag'. Its basically the lag from a controller action to what you see on the screen. In most cases this is rarely notiable, but can be quite big in some TVs. The best thing here is to google this once you have found a tv that you like.
Smart TV features. While you may not want Facebook/Skype/Twitter integration, it comes pretty much standard with most tvs today.
DLNA - This is something you definitely want. This allows you to stream any media you have to your TV. 
3D - Honestly this is just a novelty today, there isnt much 3D content to warrant getting a 3D TV.

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Grand Master

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Oh and another thing youd want before I forget:
3 HDMI ports. 
One for your cable box, one for your future console, and one for any other future upgrades.

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Grand Master

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Looking around.

This one seems quite good. It's $250 off, it adds Smart features, more USB and HDMI ports. I think it may be the one.

Unless anyone has other ideas?

 

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-ca/product/lg-electronics-lg-55-1080p-120hz-led-smart-tv-55ln5700-future-shop-exclusive-55ln5700/10243607.aspx?path=a9b621cd99a0442fa6394638a202ea01en02

 

Actually, the only thing missing is an Ethernet port. WiFi is alright, but Ethernet would be nice.

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Grand Master

BoDEAN

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I'm in the market to upgrade my current TV.
I have a 7 year old Samsung 46" LCD flat screen. I am looking to go up to 65 inch. 

Budget ------ $1000-$2500
Seating distance ------ 12ft-13ft
Size/placement limitations ------ Mount on brick wall, currently have 46 inch want to go bigger (60-65")
Uses and sources ------ Xbox One, Dish TV, Netflix
Room lighting ------ Moderate light, have curtains to make room dark.

So, I've had my eyes on a Sony XBR65X850A. This is a 65", size I want, and it's 4K so it is future proof as I plan on having this new TV for at least 5 years or so.

Is this TV the best bang for the buck on the market right now for what I am looking for?
 
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Colin.B

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I wouldn;t recommend 4K. At least not any of it's current incarnations. Many still suffer from typical LED-LCD problems - Poor off axis viewing, uniformity issues, etc. Plus the lack of 4k content and discernible difference is debatable. Don't forget viewing distance is a huge factor as well. If you're sitting 13 feet away and looking at a 60 inch set, you likely won't see a difference between 4K and 1080p. And a 4k set now is not furutre proofing, especially with 4K OLED coming. If you *really* want 4K, wait until Vizio releases their 4K sets for a much more consumer friendly price later this year. If you aren't a fan, at least it should force other makers to lower their MSRP.

Especially in the 1200 dollar range. Your only option is I think like a Seiko 4K t.v that has gotten horrible reviews.

 

If you can find it, grab a Panasonic ST60 plasma. It's CNETs first ever 5 star reviewed t.v and retails for around 1399-1499 new. Out of your budget by a couple of hundred bucks but still the best bang for the buck.

 

If you want to go cheaper but don't want to skimp on quality, grab a Vizio E550i-B2 http://www.amazon.com/VIZIO-E550i-B2-55-Inch-1080p-Smart/dp/B00GKKI4JI/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1402897144&sr=8-9&keywords=vizio+m551d-a2r

 

It's been getting a ton of great feedback over at CNET, AVSforum and other a/v sites and it's only 750 bucks. It also goes up to 60 inch for 941$ http://www.amazon.com/VIZIO-E600i-B3-60-Inch-1080p-Smart/dp/B00GTE0VJ6/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1402897414&sr=8-6&keywords=vizio+2014

 

And remember, 120Hz is not true 120Hz on television sets so you won't be getting your PC to display at 120Hz. Yes, it is useful for sporting events and whatnot however. The Vizio sets are 120Hz with backlit LED, 3 HDMI ports with optical audio and has apps like Netflix, Vudu, etc. Oh and built in Wi-Fi but I think that is a given these days.

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Grand Master

BoDEAN

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Thanks for the input.  Plasma is a dying breed so I think I will stay away from them.  I appreciate the feedback on 4K.  I think you may be right that it is still premature, and for the money invested in one of those sets now, may seem silly over something that is more mature like a regular 1080p LED, 2014 model

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Grand Master

jerzdawg

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Plasma may be a dying breed but it's for all the wrong reasons. Picture quality and color from led/LCD has only recently caught up (debatable) to what has been the standard for the quality plasma manufacturers. The st60 mentioned above is a great tv for what it costs. This is coming from a vt50 plasma, a650 LCD and a sony led owner.

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Colin.B

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Thanks for the input.  Plasma is a dying breed so I think I will stay away from them.  I appreciate the feedback on 4K.  I think you may be right that it is still premature, and for the money invested in one of those sets now, may seem silly over something that is more mature like a regular 1080p LED, 2014 model

 

Another thing to consider is sitting 13 feet away, the benefits of 4K on a 65 inch set will be negligible.

 

If you really want 4K I'd wait and see how much the Vizio Reference series 65 inch 4K display costs when it ships in the 2nd half of the year.

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