Time for a new TV.

[Flyinfool]

Well that time has come. My 30 year old entertainment system is showing its age.

 

I currently have a 52" Sony rear projection TV, Yamaha receiver, Toshiba DVD, and Panasonic VCR.

 

Everything is 30+ years old.

 

I have been running into a lot of DVDs that will not play on my old player so that needs to be upgraded, The Receiver does not handle switching HDMI so I might be looking for new there, and of course replacing the TV.

 

I have not followed TV technology at all for the last 30 years, I guess there have been a few changes since last I looked. I am now overwhelmed by the onslaught of acronyms for all of the various technologies.

 

I will be looking at 55-60 inch class TVs, Might go to 65 IF I can find the right combination of TV and stand to fit it.

 

I am looking for suggestions on what features really matter and are worth adding to my feature list. The only feature that I know I want is 4K. Most of the rest I don't even know what they are.

 

HELP, my poor little brain is spinning.........................

[Venturous Randy]

I picked up a 55" LG LED from wallyworld for $538+ tax and it has a wonderful picture and uses very little power. If it lasts a long time, I will be doing good.

Randy

[Du-Rron]

High Refresh Rate: You want something with at least 120HZ native refresh. Beware that they will try to overadvertise with words like "Aquomotion", "Smooth Motion" and stuff like that which will be double the actual refresh rate . Native refresh @ 120HZ is the absolute minimum you should consider.

 

HDMI with ARC: High definition multimedia interface with AUDIO RETURN CHANNEL. This lets you output from your TV to a: Soundbar, Audio System, Multimedia Reciever, with just one HDMI cable in Dolby, DTS, 7.1 channel resolution in digital. Optical "SPDIF" outputs are no longer good enough.

 

The legs on these TV nowadays are set at the corners to save the manufacturer some money versus the stand that used to be in the middle of the TV. With the stand in the middle, you could get a big TV and not have to have furniture as wide as the TV that the TV could sit on. No more. Now your furniture has to be as wide as the TV or you must wall mount. This is just something to think about.

 

High Speed HDMI high speed 60HZ input with HDMI version 2.0 and HDCP version 2.2:

HDMI version 2.0 is faster and will accommodate the next generation blu-ray 4k players. HDCP, High Definition Content Protection version 2.2 will enable you to watch the content. These two items "future proof" your TV.

 

Back Light Full Array dimming versus Edge Lit.

Full Array puts the LEDs directly behind the picture and can dim out in individual blocks (up to 72 so far) for higher contract and no splotchy screen during complete black.

Edge Lit = thinner TV with some capability for block dimming.

 

my current favorite is the VIZIO "M" series TV available at Wal-mart, Best Buy, and Sams.

[videoarizona]

Du-Ron has it nailed, above.

 

I add:

1: whether you want a standard 4K or a "Smart" 4K. Smart simply means it has built in WIFI...so if you have WIFI in house, you can get youtube, Netflix, Vudu and a gazillion other channels if that appeals to you. As well as be able to access your own home WIFI network and one of your computers and watch movies and family pics on TV (some really do that!). I like being able to watch my bike GoPro videos through my wireless home network.

 

2: Some TV's also have the ability to work with unified remotes much easier than the old days. Read reviews on those you like to check it out.

 

3: some TV's, like the Sony Bravia series...allow you to work with the Sony tuner, Blue-Ray players, etc., and add features to the showing of movies directly through the TV. Like a real "system" should do.

 

So it depends how you plan on upgrading your entire hifi system.

 

Good luck...lots of choices!

P.S. I'm keeping my 1967 Dynaco stereo stuff running. But that is another story...

[Flyinfool]

I have narrowed it down to that it will be a 55 inch.

 

I do have WiFi in the house, but I have a pretty slow internet connection, So will a smart TV still work with streaming video? My computer does video very poorly.

[bongobobny]

If the computer is slow, so will the TV be slow...

[ragtop69gs]

When you have decided on a TV, Go to Monoprice.com for all your cables and TV mount. They have great prices and high quality items. Just be sure to read the reviews for items that interest you. They carry a wide array of electronics items. I have bought from them many times and am very happy with everything I have bought.

Edited February 23, 2016 by ragtop69gs

[ragtop69gs]

If the computer is slow, so will the TV be slow...

 

It could be that the computer isn't up to the task of video playback but the wifi does not depend on your computer, so your wifi may be plenty fast to feed the TV. Where you may run into problems is if you try to stream movies that are stored ON YOUR PC.

 

Check with your ISP, they can tell you if your connection will support streaming services.

[Trader]

I read a review where the author said that you don't have to pay for big buck "quality" cables....cheapies will do the same job. He(she?) said unless you are running long distances it is a waste to pay big$$$ for cables.

Its not like the old analog days. With digital it either works or it doesn't.

Those fancy cables are a HUGE income generator for places like Best Buy.

[MiCarl]

When you have decided on a TV, Go to Monoprice.com for all your cables and TV mount. They have great prices and high quality items. Just be sure to read the reviews for items that interest you. They carry a wide array of electronics items. I have bought from them many times and am very happy with everything I have bought.

 

Good advice. When I set up the man cave I got the ceiling mount, long HDMI cable, long optical cable, 200' speaker wire, speaker mounts and and 30' audio cable for the subwoofer from monoprice.com. I spent about what I'd have spent on a wall mount from Best Buy.

 

And I agree with Trader: for digital connections premium cables are a waste of money.

[MiCarl]

I have narrowed it down to that it will be a 55 inch.

 

I do have WiFi in the house, but I have a pretty slow internet connection, So will a smart TV still work with streaming video? My computer does video very poorly.

 

What is your internet speed? I ran Netflix fine with a 1.5mb connection so long as my wife didn't also download 10,000 scrapbook ideas.

[wrenchrob]

What is your internet speed? I ran Netflix fine with a 1.5mb connection so long as my wife didn't also download 10,000 scrapbook ideas.

:Laugh:

[camos]

I have narrowed it down to that it will be a 55 inch.

 

I do have WiFi in the house, but I have a pretty slow internet connection, So will a smart TV still work with streaming video? My computer does video very poorly.

The speed of your internet connection is only part of the requirement, there is also the speed of your WiFi to consider and additionally, the speed of the TV's WiFi. I've read that many TV's have rather poor WiFi bandwidth. It might be better to get a smart TV without built in WiFi and instead get a USB WiFi adapter. I believe a minimum of 6 mbs is needed to stream an HD video but that speed would probably result in quite a lot of buffering and at least some stuttering.

[MiCarl]

For my money I wouldn't pay much extra for a "smart" TV. Ours is a smart TV and it's fine for Netflix, Hulu, Amazon etc. but it won't do the newer services that have come up since it was manufactured. So the smart part is becoming obsolete.

 

There are all sorts of add on devices to make a dumb TV smart and they're inexpensive enough you can toss them every couple years to stay up to date.

[ragtop69gs]

My tv has wifi but I opted to run cat 5 cable to it from our router. I found it to be a more reliable connection than wifi. My home theater receiver, blu ray and tv are fed by cat5 from a switch out of the router. The tv & blu ray have smart functions. I can source feed from my PC if wanted.

[Flyinfool]

My internet download speed is 1.78M.

My router is located behind the TV anyhow so running a cat5 to the TV is just a 6' cable.

I have no idea how fast my WiFi is, it is more than 10 years old but works fine with my 15 year old laptop.

 

I will have to do some research into the addons to make a TV less dumb, (I don't believe in smart TV) I HATE when I have to replace expensive things that work fine but have been made obsolete. I am replacing my 30 year old TV because it has stopped working, not because it is obsolete.

 

Ya I know, I am and all my toys are also .

[MiCarl]

I have no idea how fast my WiFi is, it is more than 10 years old but works fine with my 15 year old laptop.

 

 

I think the slowest wifi router they ever sold retail was 10M.

[camos]

My internet download speed is 1.78M.

Is that 1.78 mbs? Probably not that's like dial-up speed. So last night I checked my Internet account to see what my D/L speed is. I thought from the choices that are available it was 15 mbs but after inquiring, it turned out to be 7.5 mbs. Somewhat disappointed with that but for an extra $2/mo I can double it to the 15 mbs level. I occasionally get some juddering and occasionally a lot of buffering, probably during peak usage times. I'm thinking of upgrading to the higher rate.

My router is located behind the TV anyhow so running a cat5 to the TV is just a 6' cable.

I have no idea how fast my WiFi is, it is more than 10 years old but works fine with my 15 year old laptop.

When it comes to streaming HD video, a wired connection is far more dependable than WiFi.

I will have to do some research into the addons to make a TV less dumb, (I don't believe in smart TV) I HATE when I have to replace expensive things that work fine but have been made obsolete. I am replacing my 30 year old TV because it has stopped working, not because it is obsolete.

I recently bought one of the many Android tv boxes that are very inexpensively available on AliExpress. It works OK but there is next to zero support for them. From my belated research, I'm thinking I should have went with a tv box that will run Kodi on OpenEXEC which has excellent support forums. Such as the Pi2, or the Odroid-C1 both of which are ready made for a tinkerer... because they have to be put together. Check out the Kodi Hardware Discussion forum for more options.

[eagleeye]

To etcswjoe: Awe comeon it can't be that bad, and it's probably politically incorrect, so it's got to be good.

 

I was thinking about getting one of those big screen tv's. Can't you just get one that you can watch a tv show or put in a dvd and watch a movie?

[Flyinfool]

Right now my top pick is the Sony XBR-55X850D (IF someone local gets one in stock real soon), and of course I will need a 4K blue ray player to go with it to be able to play one of the dozen or so titles that are available........

Half the DVDs that I rent have newer codecs than what my 30 year old DVD player understands.

 

Joe; After all of my effort to set you up and you are going to delete it???? Shame on you.

[rjg1985]

Hi Jeff,

I have a 55" 4k Samsung smart TV. The picture is fantastic. Sony makes good products also but seem to be over priced. This Tv streams video just fine but my DL speed is 30mb. Good luck with your choices there are alot to choose from.

[Flyinfool]

Well I went and pulled the trigger.

 

I have a Samsung un55js8500fxza on the way. It should be delivered March 5, and they will haul away my old TV.

 

Next item will be a Blu-ray player. Looking at the Samsung that can play native 4K discs with no upscaling. BUT it is not set to be released until next month, AND it ain't cheap.

[videoarizona]

I like the full web browser....that is fun.

Be a while before you get to use the UHD...but you will have it ...when the time comes.

Good choice, Jeff...

[AGrengs]

Well that time has come. My 30 year old entertainment system is showing its age.

 

The Receiver does not handle switching HDMI so I might be looking for new there...

 

It took me a long time to find a good receiver that had both HDMI in/out for home theater AND a phono input for my old turntable. Most only do one or the other.

[NewbeeMC9]

Well I went and pulled the trigger.

 

I have a Samsung un55js8500fxza on the way. It should be delivered March 5, and they will haul away my old TV.

 

Next item will be a Blu-ray player. Looking at the Samsung that can play native 4K discs with no upscaling. BUT it is not set to be released until next month, AND it ain't cheap.

 

 

Was gonna say to get the biggest one you can afford and will fit the space. A 60 or 65 may not have been 20 or 50 bucks more but the little bit makes a huge difference. ;-) I've also had Visio( ex took it) and got it from Sams club and was happy with the picture and price at the time. Seen deals at the tarshay and wally world too( helped friend get one at tarshay but it 's not 3d and stuff. great picture and was around $600 a year and a half ago. So I guess you can move that one to the bed room and get a bigger one for the other space. :-) Also easier if you can see them first.

 

anyhoo, FWIW, I don't have a TV at the moment. :-)

 

Congrats, will be right over to watch yours...