Best HDTV?

[Rob]

Alright folks, I badly need a new TV for several reasons:
(1) My current one is from like, 1996
(2) I want to have a huge ass TV for Phandroid LIVE
(3) It's football season

I don't really ever make big purchases like this but I was planning on getting a Google TV for XMAS - now I'll just get the Google TV Box instead.

Here are the 3 TVs I'm looking at:
- 60-inch LED-LCD Samsung
- 60-inch LCD Samsung
- 65-inch Plasma Panasonic VIERA S2

I definitely want something 50+ inches and the hardest part for me is choosing Plasma/LCD/LED-LCD and what brand. I really love the Vibrant colors of the Samsung, just like their phones, but hear it can look artificial depending on what content you're watching. Not TOO worried about that though.

I thought Plasma was kind of a dying breed and the lower prices made me think that as well, but I don't know. I'm leaning towards the LCD because its a bit cheaper and I don't see a huge additional benefit of the LED beyond depth and maybe some side-angle viewing.

Eager to hear your thoughts!

 

[smacky]

Wait for the Samsung HDTV that'll have Google TV incorporated into it. There really is no other way to go.

 

[Rob]

LOL did you not read my full thread? I was planning on getting the Samsung Google TV but decided I would just get a TV now and the Logitech Google TV box this holiday season.

Waiting until the holidays isn't an option, so the point of the thread is trying to find the best TV to buy yesterday.

 

[that guy]

I noticed the links were to best buy.... I have a warning for ya if your getting your tv at best buy and get the service extended warranty... I bought a samsung tv last year and it has been to the service center 4 times for the same problem (when you watch it the screen goes black but you can still hear the audio for a couple mins then that cuts out) every time i got it back it was like they didn't even look at it. And had to take it back by the next day The most recent time it came back and there were scratches all over the screen, I didn't notice this until I got it home and unwrapped it from the bubble wrap. Took it back immediately... the guy thought it was just dirty so it took a sandpaper like paper towel and attempted to clean the screen just scratching it more, I asked for the manager he refused to get him and just went along with trying to clean the screen. I found someone else that worked there to get he manager but he didn't do anything, so I emailed geek squad and best buy and got a generic response by a computer, called them many times to only be put on hold for an hour and then disconnected, just warning you about their amazing customer service


but back to the it depends on the room it goes in and what you'll be doing on it watching sports/movies/ just tv or playing video games... plasma is old tech and isn't the greatest the images start to burn into the screen so LCD is better but i would go with the LCD-LED tv for sure for brand i would go with sony... but what you really should do is go to the store and see which screen gives you the best picture out of all of them with your own eyes dont buy it with out seeing it in action, if you go to the store youll get a better comparison

 

[BiGMERF]

I just purchased a Panasonic Viera 50inch Plasma. After lots of research it was the best tv for my needs. Gaming, bluray, etc. By the way Sports look amazing on it. Plasmas these days are far beyond what they were , none of that burn it crap like before. I love the picture quality on it and the fact that from any angle the picture remains sharp. Dark colors are amazing as well. Rob do your research buddy, read read read. Pani has a line of 3d plasmas as well now, if that is what you are looking for (not for me just yet). I think Best buy has a buy a pani get a free blu ray player special going on right now too. Im not going to lie buddy a samsung led is not a bad choice. Neither is a bravia.. Just do your research

look at cnets top 5 hdtvs for 2010.. 2 panny pasmas in the top 5
http://reviews.cnet.com/best-hdtvs/


@that guy..... These kind of experiences can be found at any retailer. I myself had my 32 inch lcd replaced 6 months ago without any issue. My mom had her 50 inch replaced also with no issues.

 

[Rob]

Wow that sounds miserable. If I have an experience that bad I would have to share the negative info on phandroid

Two questions:
(1) What TV did you get?
(2) What brick'n'mortar would you recommend instead? BJs? Costco? Wal-Mart? You tell me...

 

[that guy]

It was a 32 inch samsung lcd... but i live in NJ where all the retailers are jerks...

I did hear that costco had the lowest prices for TVs, there's something about wal-mart that makes me not want to spend that amount of money there ya know? but this was the only bad experience i have had with geek squad, everything else they have done for me has been fine, they fixed my xbox, stereo and computer with out a problem

also if you are to get it off of a website this place is pretty cheap

http://www.newegg.com/

 

[tsanuri]

It is really a hard call. If you can find one of the Pioneer Kuros is still the best plasma tv avail. Where the Panny has added some of the tech there are still reports out there about them changing black levels as they age. I would say go over to AVS forums and read what you can there. AVS Forum

 

[BiGMERF]

It is really a hard call. If you can find one of the Pioneer Kuros is still the best plasma tv avail. Where the Panny has added some of the tech there are still reports out there about them changing black levels as they age. I would say go over to AVS forums and read what you can there. AVS Forum

i read that about the pannys also but that applied to the 06 and 7 models. 2009's were solid while 2010 cant really be judges for reliability yet , you can be sure they will be fine based off of the 2009 models performance. Just make sure you get the plasma coverage with best buy it covers everything. burn in, black levels, etc

 

[Jedii]

Rob,

Best thing. Go to Best Buy. I wouldnt be afraid to go to a particular store because of someones (or even your own) bad experience. We have all had terrible experiences at Walmart, gas stations, phone carrier store, restaurants, etc... Sure, you may pay a bit more, but for the most part, their products are solid. Heres the TV i'd pick if you took me with you and gave me your wallet.

BEST TV FOR ROB!

I just looked at this TV Thursday night. I cried because my wife made me leave Best Buy. LOL

 

[Roxors]

go with the LED-LCD i have a 47 LG and it is freaking awesome the 240 hrtz refresh rate is insane. i just watch regular tv when i am not watching Hulu and even just shows from the HDTV box are awesome. not to mention the color ratio is 8,000,000:1 that is freaking AWESOME!!! ok im done now i love my TV and happy with the size i don't think i could keep track of my game screen with a 60 inch

 

[Frisco]

Pros and Cons: LCD and Plasma Flat Panel Televisions

From that linked site:

"Generally speaking, plasma has a better picture than LCD. They process motion better. They usually cost less, though high-end plasmas usually cost more than LCD."

..and

"Plasma has a reputation for getting burn-in, which is when a static image permanently remains visible on the screen. Not sure how true that is these days but the perception is still there and needs consideration."

..and

"LCD has ghosting, which is when a moving image has a tail following it on screen when it shouldn't. To counter this issue you can buy a 120hz LCD but those are higher in price than 60hz models."

We've been over to friend's homes who have both types, we have a 48 inch LCD flat and have been surprised at the degradation in quality when viewing the plasmas, especially live events such as football games.

When we get home and turn on our set, it just seems more "lively" than the big plasma screen our friends have, which is completely contrary to what the linked reviewer states. It's possible that we're seeing the differences in age of the sets: ours is a 2010 Sony HD and our friend's is a 2008 Panasonic.

Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Thefoodman52]

I'm gonna say grab that Samsung.... they're not particularly known for their 'quality' phone stuff... but I'll be damned if they don't have the best looking TV's I've seen.

 

[Rob]

@Thefoodman52 - maybe not known for all the top of the line phones, but its hard to say their Galaxy S SUPER AMOLED screens aren't the best in the biz. I think looking at that screen compared to other phone screens is similar to looking at their TV screens vs. other TV screens.

I would define the colors and contrast as "brilliant" and even if they're a bit artificial, seems like there is never a dull moment kind of feeling. I think I'm going to go with the LED-LCD Samsung. Those of you at Phandroid LIVE will get to see how it turns out

 

[NYCHitman1]

I just purchased a Panasonic Viera 50inch Plasma. After lots of research it was the best tv for my needs. Gaming, bluray, etc. By the way Sports look amazing on it. Plasmas these days are far beyond what they were , none of that burn it crap like before. I love the picture quality on it and the fact that from any angle the picture remains sharp. Dark colors are amazing as well. Rob do your research buddy, read read read. Pani has a line of 3d plasmas as well now, if that is what you are looking for (not for me just yet). I think Best buy has a buy a pani get a free blu ray player special going on right now too. Im not going to lie buddy a samsung led is not a bad choice. Neither is a bravia.. Just do your research

look at cnets top 5 hdtvs for 2010.. 2 panny pasmas in the top 5
Best 5 HDTVs: Picture quality - CNET Reviews


@that guy..... These kind of experiences can be found at any retailer. I myself had my 32 inch lcd replaced 6 months ago without any issue. My mom had her 50 inch replaced also with no issues.

I couldn't agree more w/ Marv. I purchased the same model as him but the 42" version and I couldn't be more satisfied with my product. I would suggest Amazon/Best Buy. Around this time of the year, all the major retailers have quality deals.

"Plasma has a reputation for getting burn-in, which is when a static image permanently remains visible on the screen. Not sure how true that is these days but the perception is still there and needs consideration."

I will admit that I do have a little bit of burn-in but only because of my negligence.

 

[Papadroid]

It is really a hard call. If you can find one of the Pioneer Kuros is still the best plasma tv avail. Where the Panny has added some of the tech there are still reports out there about them changing black levels as they age. I would say go over to AVS forums and read what you can there. AVS Forum

+1 on the Pioneer Kuros, if you can find one. They are hands down the best plasma tv. Having said that Plasma to me is typically the best way to go because of motion blur and black levels. Plasma typically gives you a better movie experience. I currently have an LCD in my family rooom and I hate watching football on it because of the motion blur, I get a much better experience from my DLP in my home theater room. I'm hoping to get a plasma eventually for my home theater room.

 

[BiGMERF]

I couldn't agree more w/ Marv. I purchased the same model as him but the 42" version and I couldn't be more satisfied with my product. I would suggest Amazon/Best Buy. Around this time of the year, all the major retailers have quality deals.



I will admit that I do have a little bit of burn-in but only because of my negligence.

please tell me you have a screen saver set for all your devices? also please tell you have the tv set to shut off after a certain amount of time if there is no screen movement! i play countless hours of cod and have no burn in issues .... what are you doing wrong josh?

 

[NYCHitman1]

please tell me you have a screen saver set for all your devices? also please tell you have the tv set to shut off after a certain amount of time if there is no screen movement! i play countless hours of cod and have no burn in issues .... what are you doing wrong josh?

It's because I never set up the Screen-off option. I forgot to turn off my 360 and left it on that input so now a portion of the image is burned in but not that bad. You only see it when it's completely blacked out. I have it set up now for 5 mins if no screen movement.

 

[BiGMERF]

It's because I never set up the Screen-off option. I forgot to turn off my 360 and left it on that input so now a portion of the image is burned in but not that bad. You only see it when it's completely blacked out. I have it set up now for 5 mins if no screen movement.

what year is yours? did you get the warranty?

 

[NYCHitman1]

what year is yours? did you get the warranty?

Brand spankin new (only 3 or 4 months old?). I got the extended warranty for 2-yrs.

 

[BiGMERF]

then take it in josh.. they will fix or replace it

 

[NYCHitman1]

then take it in josh.. they will fix or replace it

It's not that big of a deal to me. It's barely noticeable. If it were much worse then I would have had it replaced/repaired already.

 

[BiGMERF]

shit, you patient.. i would have mine replaced for the slightest flaw.. i dont pay an extra yard for nothing.

 

[NYCHitman1]

shit, you patient.. i would have mine replaced for the slightest flaw.. i dont pay an extra yard for nothing.

I'm a firm believer in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"

 

[BiGMERF]

I'm a firm believer in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"

im a firm believer in getting my moneys worth...