I need TV info/recommendations

[hwycycle]

My Sony 50" XBR Grand Wega now requires a new rear projection lamp at a cost of over $200. It's around 10 years old.. and has no HDMI inputs which renders it pretty much useless for current technology...

What are you guys currently watching?
What type of specs should I be looking for?
From what I understand, 1080p and 120 Hz are required.
What is the difference between LED and LCD and LED/LCD?

Thanks in advance
Tom

[haar]

50 inch Samsung 7 series LED 120 hz. LED are supposed to use less power and last longer. We've had it 3 years now and really like it other than the fact that they are selling for less than half of what we paid for it then. If your getting a new TV i recommend a LED 1080 120, I also recommend Samsung but look around and whats in your price range. Also check local shops. We got ours from a local guy and he was $200 cheaper than Best Buy and came and set it up as well.

[hwycycle]

Thanks for the info... Actually, I was looking at this Samsung at Costco. It's $1850 - $700. = $1150 with free shipping.

http://www.costco.com/Samsung-55%22-....11757600.html

What do you guys think?

[Elkhunter]

I went Samsung too. It's all personal preference, but to me, Samsung has the brightest and crispest picture.

[cdepuydt]

Originally Posted by hwycycle

Thanks for the info... Actually, I was looking at this Samsung at Costco. It's $1850 - $700. = $1150 with free shipping.

http://www.costco.com/Samsung-55%22-....11757600.html

What do you guys think?

Looks like a nice unit. We've had a "42 Samsung LCD, for about 6 years now, and it has been a great TV. I looked at the Consumer Reports website and they recommend about 30 different Samsung TV's and at least a dozen of them are rated as "Best Buys". So, IMHO, you can't go wrong with the Samsung.

I wanted to go bigger, wanted a 60" and, after doing some research and from some input I got from members here off the ROC, I ended up going with a Samsung plasma 60" Smart/3D TV. It was rated #3 in CR for TV's 60" and above.

[Rickman]

I was bitching that my LED TV doesn't even come close to my Plasma TV for true black/color, but I have since grown to enjoy my LED.

Although Plasma does offer a better picture, they are less efficient, heavier and still have that burn in issue if you pause a picture long enough, although it does go away.

[rollinhonda]

Originally Posted by Rickman

I was bitching that my LED TV doesn't even come close to my Plasma TV for true black/color, but I have since grown to enjoy my LED.

Although Plasma does offer a better picture, they are less efficient, heavier and still have that burn in issue if you pause a picture long enough, although it does go away.

Check out the reviews of the latest Sony LEDs. especially the 850 and 950.
Not cheap but very hot picture! If they had no issue with viewing angle, as all LCD/LED do, it would be no contest.

I still get some IR (image retention) on my Samsung plasma, not as bad as when new, and it disappears much faster.
Plasma is going away in the not too distant future IMO. LED keeps getting better plus OLED and other technologies are right around the corner.

[csimo]

I'll throw my opinion in the mix just for fun. There is no sense buying a high end HDTV unless you have an excellent signal source. If you watch a lot of Blu-Ray then it matters. The next best signal would be OTA HDTV but much of that is now compressed. DirecTV would be next in line and they do offer a fairly high quality signal, but all of it has been MPEG4 encoded and much is compressed, but not as much as most cable TV. DISH is about the worst... they don't offer any true HDTV... only what is known in the industry as HDTV Lite.

TV's are now throwaway items like microwave ovens. Once out of warranty it's not easy to find anyone interested in working on them and parts are scarce. I've got 11 HDTV's in my house and I'm not sure any are the same brand. I'm not an expert on picture quality, but all of them are very good. I find screen size matters the most to me (I'm watching my 73" now).

The last 3 I bought were Samsung, Vizio, and the last one is something like TCL (two 47" and one 55") and if you de-badged them I doubt I could tell you which is which or that any one is the best.

[Ian Brantford]

If this is to be used in an environment that is less than full daylight, you might want to consider a projector. You'll get more size for your dollar, and there is no massive landfill queen to dispose when the inevitable happens. They'll also save floor space and you don't have to worry about anyone throwing video game controllers at the screen.

If you want something that is good for gaming as well as movies, the Optoma GameTime series (current model is GT750E) is the main item of interest. It's not as good as top projectors for contrast and the resolution is only 720p (actually, 1280x800 for compatibility with PC/laptops), but it's very good overall and is even portable with its own speakers so you can take it to the cottage, parties, or whatever. It's under $1000.

For high quality home theater, there is a big selection. Most years, Panasonic's "PT-AE" model is the best overall buy, with the current one being the PT-AE8000U.

If you want to go with a projector, the best single source of information for buyers is http://www.projectorcentral.com .

[rollinhonda]

Actually, Dish is offering more true HD than every before. As a long time user I've seen a steady improvement in that respect. But it's far from perfect.
Plus, the Hopper (or Hoppah..) is an amazing piece of gear. So far they have been able to keep the built-in automatic commercial skipper for prime time. It does not take effect until the next day on a prime time recording. That's how they got around some legal hassles.

I have OTA with an external antenna as well as Dish delivered locals giving me more recording flexibility.

I've compared the satellite locals with same OTA channel, and as expected the signal from the external antenna is superior. But while noticeable, it is not a huge leap by any standard.

If the difference between the signal integrity of Direct fits in the middle of that comparison, I think one would be further ahead using programming and the price structure when deciding which provider is best for your needs, rather than picture quality.

Quality of installation can be a factor also when it comes to overall performance. And I will not even get into customer service which all providers have failed miserably from time to time.