Getting a new TV...any advice on a brand?

mhend

New member
I am finally giving up on the TV that turns itself off every few minutes :doh: Anyone got any advice on a good brand to buy next? The one I have is a Toshiba and only about 2 years old, so I don't think I will be going with that one again.
 

buzzard767

golfaknifeaholic
Gold Site Supporter
I am finally giving up on the TV that turns itself off every few minutes :doh: Anyone got any advice on a good brand to buy next? The one I have is a Toshiba and only about 2 years old, so I don't think I will be going with that one again.

I'm quite up to date on this topic. I assume flat screen. How large? How far is the viewing distance? How much light during average viewing conditions? 3D - you might think about future proofing yourself? Price range?
 

buckytom

Grill Master
mhend, is your old tv an hd lcd?

i just fixed a similar problem with my samsung 40" lcd.

if so, you might want to look into a problem with capapcitors in the power supply that help to keep the infrared remote active while the tv is powered off, or a "pick and hold" voltage.

otherwise, i recommend sony and samsung as the best brands out there right now.

you might want to check avsforums.com and cnet.com to begin your research. they span from the ultra technical to layman's terminology, so they're helpful sites.
 

GotGarlic

New member
We just got a Samsung 42" flat-screen with the new technology - not LCD but something similar. Love it :smile: The HD picture is gorgeous and it can be seen easily from side angles as well as straight on.
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
In January, I got FIOS installed, and bought a 40" Samsung flat screen LCD HD. The TV lasted a week and a half before it cut out. After much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, come to find out that there is frequently a Samsung-FIOS incompatibility.

Took the TV back, got a 40" Sony Bravia (looks almost exactly like the Samsung, only a little less expensive) and it's beautiful!

Yesterday, QBro went over to a neighbor's house for a minute, and while he was waiting for her, looked at her 4 year old regular (large) TV. He told me that he couldn't get over the difference in picture quality (hers sucks).

Bottom line: you don't have FIOS, I agree with BT on either Samsung or Sony. If you have FIOS, don't gamble, and go with the latter.

Lee
 

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
Ok you are going to make me ask Osis what is FIOS? I am not up on this stuff anymore at all. HD is about the best I will ever see as 3D with one eye is not in my future.
 

buzzard767

golfaknifeaholic
Gold Site Supporter
Ok you are going to make me ask Osis what is FIOS? I am not up on this stuff anymore at all. HD is about the best I will ever see as 3D with one eye is not in my future.

It's a Verizon service, Joe.
 

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
What does it have to do with TV? Verizon is a phone company I thought.
 

Jim_S

Resident Curmudgeon
Gold Site Supporter
What does it have to do with TV? Verizon is a phone company I thought.

Joe, everything is blending together. Verizon supplies cable TV, Comcast supplies telephone service, everyone has internet service now.

Jim
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
FiOS

FiOS (Fiber Optic Service) is a fiber to the premises (FTTP) telecommunications service offered by Verizon to consumers in the United States. The word "fios" is Irish for "knowledge" and the FiOS acronym is a trademark of Verizon. FTTP, also called "fiber to the home" (FTTH), is the installation and use of optical fiber from a central point directly to individual buildings.
A typical FiOS package includes high-speed Internet access along with cable TV and basic telephone service. For consumer use, FiOS Internet access is available at downstream speeds of up to 30 megabits per second ( Mbps ) and upstream speeds of up to 5 Mbps. Verizon is building its FiOS network in most of the states where it offers landline communications services. As of early 2007 the bulk of the development activity was taking place in New York state, New Jersey and Connecticut although the pilot program began in Texas.

(Joe, I have all three - cable TV, internet access, and landline phone through Verizon FiOS. Lee)
 

SilverSage

Resident Crone
I have FIOS service for t.v., phone & internet, too.

I also have 2 Samsung screens - one 7 year old plasma, and one two year old LCD. I am so happy with both that my next set will be a Samsung.
 

mhend

New member
I'm quite up to date on this topic. I assume flat screen. How large? How far is the viewing distance? How much light during average viewing conditions? 3D - you might think about future proofing yourself? Price range?


It will be a flat screen. Probably around 55"...viewing distance would probably be 12-15 feet or so. Lighting is almost always somewhat dim - lamps usually. 3D - probably not....price range $1500 or so I'm guessing. Not over that for sure.
 

mhend

New member
mhend, is your old tv an hd lcd?

i just fixed a similar problem with my samsung 40" lcd.

if so, you might want to look into a problem with capapcitors in the power supply that help to keep the infrared remote active while the tv is powered off, or a "pick and hold" voltage.

otherwise, i recommend sony and samsung as the best brands out there right now.

you might want to check avsforums.com and cnet.com to begin your research. they span from the ultra technical to layman's terminology, so they're helpful sites.

Thank you for the info! The tv that's cutting off is a very outdated tube tv. It's time for an upgrade :) I will definately check out those sites.
 

buzzard767

golfaknifeaholic
Gold Site Supporter
It will be a flat screen. Probably around 55"...viewing distance would probably be 12-15 feet or so. Lighting is almost always somewhat dim - lamps usually. 3D - probably not....price range $1500 or so I'm guessing. Not over that for sure.

Seems to me that the Samsung LN55C630 would suit you perfectly. Amazon reduced the price from just over $1700 to $1499 on June 1st.

Read it here and here but remember that many of these posters are not all that savvy.

I have a 40" in a highly bright room in Florida and it is excellent. There is a small difference between the 40" and 55" in that the 40" has a semi matte screen.

You should be able to see them for yourself at Best Buy, Sears, and maybe Sam's and Costco. The displays will all be in the dynamic picture mode and will blind you. lol On the lower right hand corner of the bezel select menu and then change the mode to anything other than dynamic to get a better idea of what the picture should look like in your home. If anyone can beat Amazon's price so be it. Don't have any fear of ordering anything as bulky as a 55" telly off the Net. Just make sure that the set is damage free, hooked up, and running before signing for it. I've never had a problem.
 

Lefty

Yank
I have a Samsung UN46B7000 46-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV. It was my first larger hdtv for home and I couldn't be more happy with it. I also have a 32-inch LCD up stairs and I love it too. I am a huge sports fan and I love catching a games in HD. The LED set was my first home experience with BlueRay and it is a spetacular difference for DVD.

My TV was 2000 a year ago, and amazon has it for 1900 now. I would assume the standard LCD TVs will drop quite a bit this Xmas and LED set should drop but not as much with the 3d coming into play. I for one don't want to have anything to do with 3d. I get a headache just thinking about it.
 

Lefty

Yank
FiOS

FiOS (Fiber Optic Service) is a fiber to the premises (FTTP) telecommunications service offered by Verizon to consumers in the United States. The word "fios" is Irish for "knowledge" and the FiOS acronym is a trademark of Verizon. FTTP, also called "fiber to the home" (FTTH), is the installation and use of optical fiber from a central point directly to individual buildings.
A typical FiOS package includes high-speed Internet access along with cable TV and basic telephone service. For consumer use, FiOS Internet access is available at downstream speeds of up to 30 megabits per second ( Mbps ) and upstream speeds of up to 5 Mbps. Verizon is building its FiOS network in most of the states where it offers landline communications services. As of early 2007 the bulk of the development activity was taking place in New York state, New Jersey and Connecticut although the pilot program began in Texas.

(Joe, I have all three - cable TV, internet access, and landline phone through Verizon FiOS. Lee)

I would love to have FiOS here. Damn backwoods state.
 

buzzard767

golfaknifeaholic
Gold Site Supporter
I have a Samsung UN46B7000 46-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV. It was my first larger hdtv for home and I couldn't be more happy with it. I also have a 32-inch LCD up stairs and I love it too. I am a huge sports fan and I love catching a games in HD. The LED set was my first home experience with BlueRay and it is a spetacular difference for DVD.

My TV was 2000 a year ago, and amazon has it for 1900 now. I would assume the standard LCD TVs will drop quite a bit this Xmas and LED set should drop but not as much with the 3d coming into play. I for one don't want to have anything to do with 3d. I get a headache just thinking about it.

LED is great stuff but LED LCD is not that big a deal in my opinion. I have an LED rear projection Samsung HL67A750 in my apartment and that IS a big deal because the LED light engine versus bulbs results in an enormous difference in longevity.

As to pure picture quality, the plasmas, especially Panasonic and Samsung, still have a slight edge over LED LCD, but only in a light controlled environment.

Concerning 3D, get used to it because it is not going away. Some sports and some movies will benefit. ESPN 3D channel begins broadcasting tomorrow with World Cup soccer. Everyone who saw The Masters golf in 3D was astonished at how good it was. Oddly enough, ESPN will broadcast in 1080i instead of their usual 720P initially so we'll how it plays out.
 

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
FiOS

FiOS (Fiber Optic Service) is a fiber to the premises (FTTP) telecommunications service offered by Verizon to consumers in the United States. The word "fios" is Irish for "knowledge" and the FiOS acronym is a trademark of Verizon. FTTP, also called "fiber to the home" (FTTH), is the installation and use of optical fiber from a central point directly to individual buildings.
A typical FiOS package includes high-speed Internet access along with cable TV and basic telephone service. For consumer use, FiOS Internet access is available at downstream speeds of up to 30 megabits per second ( Mbps ) and upstream speeds of up to 5 Mbps. Verizon is building its FiOS network in most of the states where it offers landline communications services. As of early 2007 the bulk of the development activity was taking place in New York state, New Jersey and Connecticut although the pilot program began in Texas.

(Joe, I have all three - cable TV, internet access, and landline phone through Verizon FiOS. Lee)

Now Fiber Optics I understand the FiOS that didn't ring up. Only problem with it is it is in a very limited places at this time.
 

High Cheese

Saucier
All I can say is make sure you get a model with more than one HDMI input.

I have Fios, a 4 y/o Sony Bravia, and a couple Samsungs.
 

Lefty

Yank
LED is great stuff but LED LCD is not that big a deal in my opinion. I have an LED rear projection Samsung HL67A750 in my apartment and that IS a big deal because the LED light engine versus bulbs results in an enormous difference in longevity.

As to pure picture quality, the plasmas, especially Panasonic and Samsung, still have a slight edge over LED LCD, but only in a light controlled environment.

Concerning 3D, get used to it because it is not going away. Some sports and some movies will benefit. ESPN 3D channel begins broadcasting tomorrow with World Cup soccer. Everyone who saw The Masters golf in 3D was astonished at how good it was. Oddly enough, ESPN will broadcast in 1080i instead of their usual 720P initially so we'll how it plays out.

Buzz, what do you mean by a light controlled environment? I am assuming it means no windows or really dak blinds.

I don't have that type of environment. I will admit I did not do "full" research when I made this purchase, but compared to the LCD up stairs in the same light, it does kick butt. :)
 

smoke king

Banned
I can't speak to the "tekkie" side, but we got a Samsung 46" flat screen (1080 dpi or something to that effect because someone told me that is what I should get-I still don't know why) about 3 yrs ago and we've been very happy with it.

Also, I have a 32" Sony Bravia in the basement (also a flat screen) that is about 2 years old, and so far. no problems with that one either.

I guess I'm not overly picky about resolution and things like that, but IMO both sets have a really nice picture.
 

Doc

Administrator
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Looks like a good deal to me. That even beats TigerDirects price! :eek:
 

buzzard767

golfaknifeaholic
Gold Site Supporter
So this is the one we decided on:

http://www.hhgregg.com/ProductDetail.asp?SID=n&ProductID=24573

They are delivering it tomorrow! Thank you guys for all your advice, it is greatly appreciated! Buzz, it looks like we bought the very one you recommended! :)

You did indeed. Keep the box and everything else for at least two weeks due to their return policy if something goes wrong.

The Sammy C630 is an excellent display for the price. There are a couple of small issues that the guys at avsforum nit pick but they're overly sensitive. All TVs have some issues - no exceptions. I hope you love your new TV. It will probably be in the torch mode (dynamic) so the very first thing you want to do is go onto the user menu and select anything other than dynamic.

Try this for tomorrow night. I'm assuming you have some sort of HD source, 1080p Blu-Ray or 1080i/720p HD over the air, cable, or satellite feed.
1. Turn everything that is automatic off like dynamic contrast, etc. This includes ECO
2. Select movie mode
3. Warm 1
4. Contrast about 95
5. Brightness about 45
6. Color about 40
7. Sharpness 0-10 for HD, 10-20 for SD
8. Back light try 5-10 for night, higher for day

If skin color doesn't look good play with a combination of color and tint.

Enjoy.
 

buzzard767

golfaknifeaholic
Gold Site Supporter
Buzz, what do you mean by a light controlled environment? I am assuming it means no windows or really dak blinds.

I don't have that type of environment. I will admit I did not do "full" research when I made this purchase, but compared to the LCD up stairs in the same light, it does kick butt. :)

Yes, Lefty, the ability to darken the room as much as you want. When I get back to FL in October one of the bedrooms in the new place will be a media room (who needs guests?.....j/k). Beyond a 7.1 surround sound system the display will be a large plasma 3D. If I had little control of ambient light during the day I would definitely get one of the LCD models. The LCD shortcomings, namely the limited viewing angle, blooming, and flashlighting are not an issue for me. I love both plasma and LCD. :)
 

buckytom

Grill Master
who needs guests?...... Beyond a 7.1 surround sound system the display will be a large plasma 3D.

you do!!!! :a1:

when can we start making reservations.

holy cow, buzz. we don't even broadcast 7.1 yet. we're sending out 1080i, 59.94, with 5.1 dobly audio, although all of our internal stuff is 8 channels.
 

buzzard767

golfaknifeaholic
Gold Site Supporter
you do!!!! :a1:

when can we start making reservations.

holy cow, buzz. we don't even broadcast 7.1 yet. we're sending out 1080i, 59.94, with 5.1 dobly audio, although all of our internal stuff is 8 channels.

Well, yeah, all the broadcast stuff is 1080i or 720p with 5.1 lossy audio at best. I'm a Blu-Ray freak and there truly is nothing quite like 1080p with either DTS-HD Master or Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless audio. In Wisconsin I use a PS3 for my player and have it decode the audio and sent it to the A/V receiver as PCM. The sound is extremely clean. In FL I use a Panasonic BD player but that will be replaced by a 3D BD player in October.
 
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