Has anybody here shopped for new LCD TVs?

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In summary: I have a basic cable package.https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=432077In summary, the experts guessed wrong about prices falling.
  • #1
turbo
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I don't get out to stores due to health issues, but my wife has asked me to do on-line research on LCD TVs. We have a big honkin' piece of furniture holding our stereo and our CRT TV, and she would very much like to free up that space. I can down-size the stereo with no problem, and if I can wall-mount the LCD, that would free up a lot of space in this small living room.

Has anybody here made the plunge recently, and if so, why did you choose the set you ended up with? I have read some good things about Samsung and LG sets, and now that we have Dish TV, there are plenty of HD channels available, so splurging a bit before the long, hard winter descends seems like a good idea. Whose sets had the best picture and the best sound in your price range? Notes on ease of setup would be nice, as would info on whether the set came with hardware for wall-mounting. Thanks in advance if you can shed some light on this.
 
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  • #3
We have Sharp Aquos. We went to the shop, walked through and decided the design will look best on the wall. Turns out it looks good when plugged and when unplugged.
 
  • #4
I somewhat recently got a Samsung. My research was very simple. That's the brand my boyfriend has, and I liked the picture quality. Plus, he's had it for a few years without any problems. I went to some stores and stared at a lot of TVs and still liked the Samsungs best, then found one on sale and bought it. I also got a Samsung DVD player, because they talk nicely to each other. I had been contemplating it for a while, so just waited for a good sale price. I think the one I got was last year's model, because they had very similar ones with a few different decorative details that weren't on sale at the time, but that was just fine with me since I was happy with the one my boyfriend has that's about 5 or 6 years old.

I got a cheapo LCD TV for my bedroom too (I figured it was time to replace some TVs when the newest one I had was about 20 years old...the university had a free electronics recycling day, so I took advantage and ditched the ancient TVs). That's just 720p. My only criteria for that TV was that it needed to fit inside the TV cabinet I already had...and be cheap, because it's just a TV I fall asleep watching.
 
  • #5
  • #6
rootX said:
Hasn't your new TV died already?
I have been reviving my beloved old one, but it's running out of lives. :frown:
 
  • #7
I looked at a 46" Samsung that's available at Best Buy, Wally-World, Amazon etc for the SAME price (within a buck). The problem is that I really want to wall-mount it to save some space, and mounts can be upward of $200. I'd have to find a general, generic mount at a much lower price before I'd jump on that. I want to get rid of furniture, not simply buy different furniture to hold a new TV.

I keep running into the same propaganda that Evo did, saying that manufacturers bought too many panels, etc last year, and prices will plummet. Ain't happening, so far.
 
  • #8
The sales are pretty good when they're clearing out old inventory for the new models. I spent a while comparing the "sale" model with the "non-sale" model when I bought mine, and the only difference I could find is the one that wasn't on sale came with different color choices for the edges of the frame around it. I preferred the clear border anyway.

I kept thinking prices would come down more once the planet switched to digital formats, but when they showed no sign of budging, I finally caved in. My old TV had more channels that didn't work than did, and it seemed every time I turned it on, another channel was dying, so I really had to replace it if I wanted a TV. It was to the point where I couldn't even watch DVDs on it, because both channels 3 and 4 would flake out and make horrid noises even if I was just playing a DVD through them.

The swivel mounting bracket was worth the added splurge. I can tilt the TV from side to side to watch from either living room or kitchen (I have a pretty open floor plan), and it also tilts downward, so when I'm lying on the couch, I can tilt it to a comfortable viewing angle. Keeping the TV on a stand wasn't an option. These flat TVs can be easily toppled, and I have a brat cat who likes to climb on TVs. And, don't laugh...when I bought the mounting bracket, I added the weight of the cat to the weight of the TV to make sure I chose one that would not only hold the TV, but the TV with a cat climbing on it.

Edit: You can find much cheaper mounting brackets than that. I can't remember how much mine was, but it was nowhere close to $200. It doesn't glide as nicely as my boyfriend's which was closer to $300 when he bought it, but it's sturdy enough. Sorry, I don't remember the brand, but ordered it from Amazon. You need to match the size of the TV and the weight of the TV to the bracket. My TV is 40 or 42" (now I can't remember). It's more than big enough for the room I have.
 
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  • #9
Moonbear said:
And, don't laugh...when I bought the mounting bracket, I added the weight of the cat to the weight of the TV to make sure I chose one that would not only hold the TV, but the TV with a cat climbing on it.
Ahahaha, that's brilliant!
 
  • #10
evo said:
ahahaha, that's brilliant!
+1!
 
  • #11
I have a 42" Samsung Plasma screen in our bedroom, I can just about watch TV without my glasses!

You can get a good wall mount for less then $200. I have a cheap one (no swivel, <$100) in the bedroom it works great, we really do not need the swivle here. The biggest advantage to a good swivel is access to the rear connections. If you are not going to be adding or changing rear connections then a swivle is less important.

I have repaired my Samsung twice by replacing bubbled caps in the power supply. We have it mounted high and I may not have enough space above it for air circulation.

It seems the new LEDs are pretty good, thinner and lighter then my 4yr old set.
 
  • #12
For those who have the TV mounted on the wall, what do you do about cables? Do you have them visible on the wall, or do you run them through the wall? If you have just a cable or satellite box, or an antenna cable, that's not too bad, but if you have more than one video source, you either have to deal with more cables, or hook them all up by way of an A/V receiver that does the switching, and has only one HDMI cable running to the TV.

We have our 32" LCD on a floor stand that has shelves for the other components. There are several video sources plus the stereo in there, so there are a lot of cables, but they're pretty much hidden behind the stand. It's out of the way of the traffic flow through the room, so we've never had a strong urge to reclaim the floor space. Besides, all our wall space is currently occupied with something. We'd have to take something down to make room for a wall-mounted TV.
 
  • #13
Integral said:
The biggest advantage to a good swivel is access to the rear connections. If you are not going to be adding or changing rear connections then a swivle is less important.

Our Aquos has several separate connections on the side, so that whenever I want to attach my laptop to show pictures I don't have to move everything, I just plug HDMI cable.

It is also built in such a way that all cables plugged on the back are easily grouped in the bottom center of the set, so they don't look like a hanging spaghetti.

Evo, one important thing to check is number and types of connections. We use three HDMI inputs - sat, dvd, and occasionally laptop. If there is not enough sockets, you will have to juggle plugs/cables each time you want to do something extraordinary.
 
  • #14
I bought a Sony Bravia, it has great picture quality, and sounds even better.
 
  • #15
Thanks. Sound is pretty important for movies and shows with good soundtracks. I want a good HD picture with flexible video controls, but decent audio is a must.
 
  • #16
We have audio from home cinema, so I can't say anything about quality of loudspeakers, in fact we use our TV just as a monitor,
 
  • #17
Borek said:
We have audio from home cinema, so I can't say anything about quality of loudspeakers, in fact we use our TV just as a monitor,
Thanks. I'm trying to avoid buying a home-theater system if I can get decent sound. All the little surround-sound speakers and wires, and the subwoofer, would add a level of complexity (and use available space) that I'd love to dodge.
 
  • #18
I was able to put all wires in walls/under the floor, so we have just loudspeakers sticking from the walls.
 
  • #19
turbo-1 said:
Thanks. Sound is pretty important for movies and shows with good soundtracks. I want a good HD picture with flexible video controls, but decent audio is a must.

Sound is mainly a function of the speakers, unless you're a serious "golden-ear" audiophile. If you already have at least a halfway-decent stereo, you'll probably get better sound from any TV by feeding its audio outputs into your stereo receiver or amplifier, and leaving the TV's speakers turned off. That's what I do in my setup, which has plain old stereo audio, with a good (but not high-end) integrated amplifier and speakers.
 

1. What is the difference between LCD and LED TVs?

The main difference between LCD and LED TVs is the technology used to create the images on the screen. LCD TVs use a liquid crystal display to create images, while LED TVs use light-emitting diodes. This results in LED TVs having a brighter and more vibrant display, while LCD TVs may have a slightly dimmer display but are more energy-efficient.

2. How do I determine the size of LCD TV I need?

The size of your LCD TV should be determined based on the size of the room it will be placed in and your viewing distance. Generally, the size of the TV should be about one-third the distance of your viewing area. For example, if you sit 6 feet away from the TV, the ideal size would be 24 inches.

3. What features should I look for when shopping for a new LCD TV?

Some important features to consider are the resolution, refresh rate, and smart capabilities. The higher the resolution, the better the image quality will be. The refresh rate, measured in Hertz, determines how many times the image on the screen is refreshed per second, resulting in smoother motion. Smart capabilities allow you to access streaming services and the internet directly from your TV.

4. How long do LCD TVs typically last?

The average lifespan of an LCD TV is around 60,000 hours, which is equivalent to about 7 years of continuous use. However, this can vary depending on usage and maintenance. Properly caring for your TV, such as dusting it regularly and avoiding extreme temperatures, can help prolong its lifespan.

5. Are there any potential health risks associated with using LCD TVs?

There are no known health risks associated with using LCD TVs. Unlike older TVs that emitted harmful radiation, LCD TVs use a backlight to produce images, which does not pose any health risks. However, it is recommended to take breaks from watching TV and to sit at a safe distance to protect your eyes from strain.

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