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#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
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So you've decided that you want an LCD HDTV. Maybe you just got this year's bonus, or that big tax return, or you need a new TV because that 20 year old tube just died this week. But, you aren't sure where to begin. Well, you've come to the right place.

Resources for research

Information at CNET

Here are some helpful CNET links to reviews and buying guides for HDTVs:

CNET's television reviews:

http://reviews.cnet.com/televisions/...ftColumnArea.0

CNET's HDTV buying guide:

http://reviews.cnet.com/tv-buying-gu...tColumnArea1.0

CNET's HDTV finder, a step-by-step guide for chosing a TV:

http://reviews.cnet.com/4247-6475_7-...rColumnArea1.3

-----

Before diving into makes and models, there are some things you should consider that will help your decision making process.

If you plan on posting in this thread asking for assistance, please include the following information in your post:

1. Budget
2. Seating distance
3. Size/placement limitations
4. Uses and sources
5. Room lighting

1. Budget

Buying a new HDTV can be an expensive endeavor. To make things even more complicated, there is a whole price range of LCDs available, costing from just hundreds to several thousands of dollars. You should understand from the beginning how much you want to spend for a new TV. By having a budget, you whittle down your search to a price range and just look at makes and models within your budget. It will reduce the number of LCDs you are looking at, making the task of choosing less daunting.

2. Seating distance

High definition televion brings greater detail to the picture. However, in order to be able to see the increased detail in HDTV we need to sit within an optimal distance from the TV. Also, the room you plan on putting your new LCD in may limit you on how close or how far you will be sitting from it. Now, not everyone is going to (or be able to) sit 7 feet from a 55" LCD. Knowing how far you plan on sitting from your new LCD will help you determine how large of an LCD you are interested in.

3. Size/placement limitations

Where you plan on placing (or mounting) your new LCD may also impact the size of the LCD you choose. So, in terms of getting the most out of your new high definition experience, you will need to find a balance between size, distance, resolution (720p, 1080p), and practicality.

Some resources that can assist you in making the size/distance choice can be found here:

Viewing distance calculator:

http://myhometheater.homestead.com/v...alculator.html

Seating distance chart:



If you find yourself sitting farther than ideal for 1080p viewing from your chosen size, you may want to consider saving some money and buying a 720p LCD, instead.

4. Uses and sources

The number and types of source devices you have and plan on getting will determine the types of connections you will need available on your new LCD. Or, you might find after tallying up your sources that a new audio/video receiver would be a good addition to your new purchase.

You should also consider what you are planning on using your new LCD for. For watching primarily movies on Blu-ray, you might want to consider seating arrangements that put you closer to the optimal seating distance for the size you purchase. Perhaps you will be watching alot of broadcast over cable, or you haven't upgraded to Blu-ray or you still have a large collection of standard DVDs. What you plan on watching on your LCD HDTV can influence what quality level, features, or even resolution (720p? 1080p?) you choose in a model.

If you plan on gaming on your LCD, you might want to find out about input lag of the different makes/models you are considering. Here's a good thread we have going here on input lag:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1131464

5. Room lighting

Well lit room? Or do you like watching movies in the dark? Some LCDs come with matte finish screens, and others can be as reflective as plasmas. You should consider the lighting of your room and look for models that would be appropriate.

What about bias lighting? What exactly is bias lighting? Here's a good post on theory from the Calibration forum:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1162578

Here's a thread of bias lighting examples with pictures in the LCD forum:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...=bias+lighting

2010 LCDs from some of the top brands

Samsung:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...t=samsung+2010

Sony:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...ight=sony+2010

LG:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hlight=lg+2010

Toshiba:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...t=toshiba+2010

Sharp:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...ght=sharp+2010

Panasonic (not much going on in this thread, but it's the best I could dig up):

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...ight=panasonic

Vizio:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...ighlight=vizio

Cables!

For all your buying needs:

http://www.monoprice.com
http://www.bluejeanscable.com
http://www.tartancable.com


I'm hoping that this thread will be a help to people, and a place for knowledgeable folks to stop by and help out others looking for information. If there's anything you think should be in this first post, either information or links, just let me know and I will put it up.
 
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#4,581 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by AndrewPT  /t/1230050/the-help-me-choose-an-lcd-thread/4560#post_23670026


Write your impressions. How is performance? Picture Quality, Glare, Viewing Angle, etc.

will do. it was so late by the time I got it set up that I didn't get a chance to even watch more than just a quick channel check. for the few seconds I saw, looked good right out of box...hoping to watch later, get into settings menu tonight and start tweaking those....I already know it's a keeper, especially at $1099
 
#4,582 ·
Hello AVS! I'm looking to purchase my first semi-expensive TV, so need some help. I'm coming off of a 5-year old 37" Olevia, so I'm not really sure what's the best for me to be looking at.


1. Budget - Approximately $600, no more than $650


2. Seating distance - I'd estimate 8-9 feet


3. Size/placement limitations - It will be placed on a large , open-sided TV stand, not mounted. So no limitations, but sturdiness in the base is needed.


4. Uses and sources - Main source will be HDMI to HTPC running Plex. as both the client and server. As such, a Smart TV isn't necessary, since HTPC can handle any of it; however, for power reasons and ease-of-use the Smart TV features would be used if available

Secondary use will be as a wireless display for my laptop via Miracast. It appears certain LG and Samsung models have Miracast built in, or else I can use an external receiver like a Push2TV or ScreenBeam. Not sure if there's less lag or other benefits to the integrated solution?


5. Room lighting - Living Room next to sliding glass doors. The blinds are generally left open to allow for natural lighting, but even closed doesn't fully block it.



My main concern is getting one which works presentably as a computer display. I do a lot of my work out in the living room and working off of a 10" screen is maddening over time (although the 1920x1080 resolution make the screen a bit better). I also plan to leave it on for my dog during the day, as it has a calming effect on him, so power consumption is somewhat important. This is where the Smart TV features would be useful, as I could leave the HTPC off.


A sound system isn't in the cards for this gadget go-round, so at least acceptable audio from the built-in speakers.


The LG 47LN5750 is what I came up with; it appears to fit what I'm looking for, and comes in at $598 (starting tomorrow). It's also an all-in-one unit for my needs (could be good or bad): natively supports Miracast/WiDi, MediaLink allows it to connect to remote Plex server (not dependent on HTPC as client), Smart TV apps, and decent-looking speakers.


Am I missing anything with this unit, or is there a better unit for what I'm looking for?
 
#4,583 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by musicmafia  /t/1230050/the-help-me-choose-an-lcd-thread/4560#post_23670054


will do. it was so late by the time I got it set up that I didn't get a chance to even watch more than just a quick channel check. for the few seconds I saw, looked good right out of box...hoping to watch later, get into settings menu tonight and start tweaking those....I already know it's a keeper, especially at $1099

Any more impressions of the W802A? That set, although in the 55" version, is high on my list for the PQ alone. It doesn't get stellar reviews around the 'net mainly saying it is overpriced but what do "they" know. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. I'm seeking one for the living room as my main set.
 
#4,584 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cla55clown  /t/1230050/the-help-me-choose-an-lcd-thread/4560#post_23675861


Any more impressions of the W802A? That set, although in the 55" version, is high on my list for the PQ alone. It doesn't get stellar reviews around the 'net mainly saying it is overpriced but what do "they" know. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. I'm seeking one for the living room as my main set.

I've been holding off on more comment until I can spend more time with it and tweak my settings BUT I am already blown away by the PQ, especially for the cost. It's now down to $1099 for the 47" and I haven't seen one set in that price range that came close to the PQ I'm getting. "They" also said the 55HX929 was too expensive and indeed it was pricey but out of the box I was glad I returned my 55VT30. The 929 is absolutely epic. My friend who owned an Elite said my 929 is the only set he has seen to rival it.


Back to the 802, I used my Fifth Element BD (I know its old but ive always used it so it works well for me as a starting point) to tweak the BD input settings and I must say the PQ on this 802 is damn near the 929 on BD. I watch 2D only. The ONLY place it falls short of the 929 is in black levels but to get 90% of the PQ of the 929 for 33% of the price is fine by me. I am blown away how Ive got it looking on BD so far. Still working on HD TV settings but so far this set is exceeding my high expectations. I have seen nothing for this price that compares to it.
 
#4,586 ·
PS another minor shortcoming out of the box is the built in speakers, no highs, which makes dialog sound muddy and muffled. fortunately there are some good audio settings, including a 7 band eq so I just tweaked upper mids and highs (a lot) and bumped up a "voice" setting and it's much better...Since yours is for your LR i'm guessing you have it hooked up to real speakers anyway....my 802 is in the BR and I didn't want the clutter of ext speakers....
 
#4,588 ·
Hello,


First I would like to say my apologies if this is a duplicate post. I saw similar post, however they were not quite what I was looking for. I currently have a Sony 40XBR9 and I am looking to upgrade. At this time I can only fit at the most a 47in in this room. I started researching various models and have became overwhelmed with all of the suggestions and review. I have received good advice from AVS members in the past so I thought I would put this out there and see what happens. I was originally looking at the Samsung 46in F8000 series however I will be moving in the next year or so and will probably want a bigger tv. So I think $1000 is reasonable. After looking at all of the models this week I now feel like my head is going to explode. Below are the list of models that I have researched so far.
  • Vizio M471i-A2
  • LG 47GA7900
  • Samsung UN46F8000BFXZA
  • LG 47GA7900
  • Samsung UN46F7500AFXZA
  • LG 47LA7400
  • Samsung UN46F7100AFXZA
  • LG 47LA6900
  • LG 47GA6400


I care most about picture quality. I would also like the model to have a thin bezel. I am not really sold on the smart feature or 3D, however they are a plus. I know there isnt a perfect TV, however if any can provide some help I greatly appreciate. Thanks in advance.
 
#4,589 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by rcmjr  /t/1230050/the-help-me-choose-an-lcd-thread/4560#post_23676159


Hello,


First I would like to say my apologies if this is a duplicate post. I saw similar post, however they were not quite what I was looking for. I currently have a Sony 40XBR9 and I am looking to upgrade. At this time I can only fit at the most a 47in in this room. I started researching various models and have became overwhelmed with all of the suggestions and review. I have received good advice from AVS members in the past so I thought I would put this out there and see what happens. I was originally looking at the Samsung 46in F8000 series however I will be moving in the next year or so and will probably want a bigger tv. So I think $1000 is reasonable. After looking at all of the models this week I now feel like my head is going to explode. Below are the list of models that I have researched so far.
  • Vizio M471i-A2
  • LG 47GA7900
  • Samsung UN46F8000BFXZA
  • LG 47GA7900
  • Samsung UN46F7500AFXZA
  • LG 47LA7400
  • Samsung UN46F7100AFXZA
  • LG 47LA6900
  • LG 47GA6400


I care most about picture quality. I would also like the model to have a thin bezel. I am not really sold on the smart feature or 3D, however they are a plus. I know there isnt a perfect TV, however if any can provide some help I greatly appreciate. Thanks in advance.

The Samsung 46" 8000 series is $1700 so seems to be way above your budget of $1000. In my opinion, you need to see the Sony 47W802A. Currently on sale for $1099 (BB, Amazon, etc). Read my posts on the last couple pages but the best thing you can do is go and see it for yourself side by side with your other choices.
 
#4,590 ·
1. Budget - 600 or less

2. Seating distance - laying in bed, wall about 5.5 ft from end of bed

3. Size/placement limitations- can wall mount

4. Uses and sources - DTV genie client box, Roku box 99% of the time

5. Room lighting - usually dim in evenings


Hi, looking for a budget set for the bedroom. I've been looking at 2 TVs haven't found much about, one is on sale at target now so it below my price mark, the other is even less at Sam's club. I would plan on eventually mounting them on the wall (they are on a dresser against wall now). I currently have a terrible old 720p vizio set that is 32". I have to wear glasses to see it well enough as I am near sighted.


Not looking for a living room set, I have a panny plasma ST60 for that, just decent night time viewing.

what I've been looking at today:



Sammy UN46F5500A - 46" smart tv, thin bezel

JVC bc50r - no frills, no smart, but a little bigger and 29$ cheaper

TCL LE50FHDE3010 - 50" cheaper than JVC, ok review on cnet

VIZIO E500i-A1 - 50" 18$ over budget but has smart stuff, and local dimming


I'd rather have better PQ than smart stuff, I think the roku and dtv have that stuff pretty well covered, and both and use RF remotes to hide behind the tv.


Anything else I should consider in this lineup? I am hesitant to buy something like a westy, tcl, or seiki. I'll probably keep this set for a long time, or upgrade my ST60 in the living room and move that to replace this one if it lasts that long.
 
#4,591 ·
I'm looking to upgrade to a 70" - here's my current setup (with a 55"):




My budget is $2000-$2500. Viewing distance is 8' in a bright room (lots of natural light during the day). 3D would be nice to have, but not a must have. Built-in apps/streaming/wi-fi are all unimportant. The TV will be wall-mounted. I'll be getting rid my current TV stand as well, and replacing it with a new media shelf/stand with a flat top that can accommodate my center speaker


My current tentative options are the Sharp LC70LE550u for 2D only, or the Sony 70R550A for 3D. Are there any other sets I should be considering? I haven't seen the Sony, but have seen the Sharp, and thought the PQ looked pretty good for an entry-level 70". Note that in Canada, we don't quite have the same wide selection of TVs, nor the low sale prices you guys south of the border enjoy, so please keep that in mind when making recommendations. I briefly considered adding the 75" Samsungs to my list to maximize screen size - the distance between my speakers is currently around 65", so a Samsung with its ultra-thin bezel would just fit that wall space (and I do have a bit of wiggle room to work with), but the price is just too much. Now, if there was a 75" set that costs less than $3k, I might consider it... but I haven't seen any locally. Also, I'm not in a hurry - looking to buy a set in the next couple of months i.e. before the end of the year. I might even wait until Boxing Day for a good deal.
 
#4,592 ·
Ugh, I need some help! I've looked at so many friggin' threads about TVs and I keep going in a circle. I want a good picture so that led me to plasma. But some plasmas have bad input lag so I narrowed it to a Panny S60 but then all the reviews say it can't hold a candle to the ST60 in terms of picture quality and glare reduction. But the ST60 has terrible lag so comments said to just try LED. In the LED forums, I read that if you watch sports, you will be way happier with plasma, so then I go back to looking at plasmas. I've only ever had LCD/LED TVs and I like them so maybe I'll just stick with them and not worry about input lag and burn-in.


Anyway...


I currently have a 46" Sharp from 2008 and looking to upgrade to 60"


Budget: $1500 (could justify $1800-ish if there was a big jump in quality)

Viewing distance: 12 feet

Size: 60" wall mounted

Uses: 25% gaming, 25% sports, 25% movies, 25% general TV shows - the TV will be in a basement family room, not a dedicated home theater room

Lighting: Overhead lighting that can be turned off or dimmed, windows with shades drawn usually 100% of the time


I'd say I spend about 5-8 hours a week gaming on COD multiplayer so low input lag is important to me. I have no idea what my current input lag is. I couldn't find any discussion about my current model.

3D is not essential but if it's there, great

Smart TV is not essential either. I have other devices to stream content.

I would prefer a model with as little glare as possible.

I have a Costco membership so that is an option.


So far, the Samsung 60" F6300 seems to have caught my eye but I don't know if I'm missing anything else out there.


Thanks in advance for any help.
 
#4,593 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by rvanderwerf  /t/1230050/the-help-me-choose-an-lcd-thread/4590#post_23678213


1. Budget - 600 or less

2. Seating distance - laying in bed, wall about 5.5 ft from end of bed

3. Size/placement limitations- can wall mount

4. Uses and sources - DTV genie client box, Roku box 99% of the time

5. Room lighting - usually dim in evenings


Hi, looking for a budget set for the bedroom. I've been looking at 2 TVs haven't found much about, one is on sale at target now so it below my price mark, the other is even less at Sam's club. I would plan on eventually mounting them on the wall (they are on a dresser against wall now). I currently have a terrible old 720p vizio set that is 32". I have to wear glasses to see it well enough as I am near sighted.


Not looking for a living room set, I have a panny plasma ST60 for that, just decent night time viewing.

what I've been looking at today:



Sammy UN46F5500A - 46" smart tv, thin bezel

JVC bc50r - no frills, no smart, but a little bigger and 29$ cheaper

TCL LE50FHDE3010 - 50" cheaper than JVC, ok review on cnet

VIZIO E500i-A1 - 50" 18$ over budget but has smart stuff, and local dimming


I'd rather have better PQ than smart stuff, I think the roku and dtv have that stuff pretty well covered, and both and use RF remotes to hide behind the tv.


Anything else I should consider in this lineup? I am hesitant to buy something like a westy, tcl, or seiki. I'll probably keep this set for a long time, or upgrade my ST60 in the living room and move that to replace this one if it lasts that long.

Nitetime viewing works well with plasma. Always dark and regardless of head orientation vertical off angle is excellent (relative to LCDs).
 
#4,594 ·
So I'm looking at a new LCD to replace my original-model Sharp LCD, but I'm concerned about glare/reflections since it seems like just about all models have a glossy finish now. It'll be in a bright room (facing 3 windows with more 3 windows to its immediate right). Not particularly concerned about black level since we never turn the lights all the way off in the room. Seems like I want to go LED-LCD just for brightness.


Budget is probably $3k-ish for 55-inch-or-so. I could be talked into something like $5k if it's really amazing and future-proof (4k, etc).


Are there any bright sets that handle reflections/glare particularly well? I'm having a hard time searching around for that specific quality in sets.
 
#4,597 ·
I am looking on this thread but am still confused.


I'll be about 8' away from the TV.


I was thinking of a 40"+ TV but I could also consider something in the 30 inch range or 50 inch range.


I was thinking of shying away from plasma because I figured it would be wasteful of electricity... but it seems like they have nice pictures.


I'd most care about the picture quality for showing digital pictures and videos that I took with my camera (not sure if some TV's show DTV signal better than digital pictures or vice versa).


I was thinking / hoping of spending around $600 but then my budget isn't set in stone.


Any general recommendations?


It look like from the resolution chart that 1440pixel would be recommended for the sitting distance.
 
#4,598 ·
Hello,

I'm looking to purchase two LCD televisions, one for a bedroom and one for a living room. I'll start with the questions posed in the OP:


1) Budget: this is more about meeting the need than the cost but in an ideal world I'd spend $500-$900 for the bedroom unit and $700-$1200 for the living room. Over $1100 in the bedroom and I have to think more about what's on the horizon (e.g. is this the correct time to make this purchase or do I wait for various technologies to further stabilize before dropping cash I'm not willing to just walk away from in a year). Same for the living room unit at about $1500 although in both cases I'd still consider the unit if over those figures. Over $2500 and I'm just flat out not interested no matter how cool.


2) seating distance: roughly 12 feet for the bedroom unit and roughly 13 feet for the living room unit (there's another seating area in the living room at about 24 feet but I don't expect anyone sitting there is watching so intently as to care about image quality).


3) size placement limitation: The bedroom unit will be placed on a stand or some sort of furniture (either a dedicated television unit or a dresser). The living room unit will be wall mounted. I had originally expected to want both units to be 1080p but looking at the referenced chart and calculator from the OP it appears I'd just be wasting pixel density unless I were purchasing something in the 85 to 100 inch range (certainly not what I'm looking for in terms of cash outlay). Should I be looking at 720p units instead? Are people really sitting 5 feet from their television? Way off topic but how on earth is 4K bringing anything to the party with those figures, people standing a foot from their television? In terms of dimensions I had been thinking 47" for bedroom and 55" for living room based off of nothing other than gut feel but again given those resources perhaps I should be considering larger for both? I don't have space limitations in either environment, rooms are large and ceilings are high.


4) uses and sources: I cut the cord several years ago and haven't looked back. I use Netflix primarily and iTunes right behind it. I have the current gen appleTV for both. I'd like to use OTA for local stations and on the living room unit would have Wii U and PS3 (likely soon to be PS4). Despite the presence of two gaming consoles I am not a heavy gamer, if there are consideration that only add a couple percent incremental improvement for gaming situations I don't care. Lastly, a blueray player of some sort (I don't like waiting for game consoles to boot up just to watch a disc). native DLNA support would be nice but isn't critical (I can airplay from an iOS app). I'd say 90% of my viewing is streamed content (Netflix) and 8% digital movies (iTunes) with the last 2% being divided between physical discs and games (and that's probably being generous). I don't currently watch OTA but I plan to and expect that eats into the streaming time making it about 20% OTA (sports, some news) and 70% streaming.


5) lighting: the bedroom can be made nearly completely dark and at most times would be at least dim while watching tv. The living room has many windows and the window treatments are not room darkening. There would NEVER be direct sunlight on the unit (orientation of the home does not allow for direct sunlight to enter through the windows in that room) but the room would be as bright as having normal interior lighting on during most daylight hours. In the evening in the living room I watch with the lights off or greatly dimmed. I have no plans to use any sort of bias lighting.


Other considerations:


I'm a large user of Apple products and for better or worse like working with them. I would use AppleTV for "smart" TV functions. Ideally I'd want a monitor with speakers and tuner (what TVs used to be) but I realize most of these units are now coming with built in software; I may just have to accept that and try my best to ignore it but unobtrusive smart features would be nice (quickly jump to AppleTV and move from there) or better yet, the ability to kill off the internal apps.


I hate losing the remote. I always have an iOS device on me. Given both of those I want the TV to have an iOS app to use instead of a traditional remote control. Ideally it would allow easy movement back and forth between it (tv specific iOS app) and the appleTV remote app as well. Better yet, provide lock screen access (that may not be possible due to iOS restrictions though).


I like standardization of systems, if one brand/line can be used in both locations that would be nice.


I respect Samsung products in general, all other things being equal Samsung units would be nice but if another player (LG, Sony, etc...) has a better product or better iOS support I would move that direction. I don't have any huge attraction to Samsung, I just respect their quality.


I'm on the fence about 3D. I enjoy movies in theaters in 3D but the vast majority of my television watching doesn't have any 3D source. If it seems the technology has legs (e.g. we're moving to a time in which the majority or most new content will be 3D) I'd like to have it. If this is a flash in the pan or seems to be a niche product long term then its meaningless to me. Opinions on that or where we are heading along the continuum between those two points are welcome.


I don't want to deal with audio (I guess AV now as most provide switching for video inputs) receivers or satellite speakers unless I have to. I would like decent audio out of the stock speakers but I don't have golden ears. I don't want tinny crap speakers but incremental differences meant for audiophiles will be lost on me.


I don't have golden eyes either. I like the idea of dimming LEDs, I don't want jitter in fast sequences or noticeable artifacts but massive filtering that provides only minor improvement will be lost on me. You may be noticing a trend here, I like quality but I'm not an anything-phile, once we get to a decent user experience the climb for another half a percent improvement will tack on more cost than the benefit I'll enjoy out of it. Hope that makes sense.


Has "pause live tv" functionality made it into any of these units natively yet? I don't need DVR functionality in other senses (scheduled recording of broadcast), it would just be nice to pause the game while I go get a snack. If that still requires an external device (remember I've cut the cord so this would be for OTA only) then perhaps we need to add one more input to that list of components.


Thanks in advance for all the advise you have. I'm picky and have some odd specifics that I care about but I appreciate your time in reading and responding.
 
#4,599 ·
Looking for recommendations on an 80in + television.


Currently I have a 58" Samsung plasma that is great. Viewing distance is 10-12ft, so I would like to go bigger. Projection isn't really an option. The basement has 8' ceilings so I don't want to mess with it.


I would really like to keep it under 5k. Saw a 240hz Vizio 80in at Nebraska Furniture Mart for 3600k+. Looks pretty good, I really like the price. Other recommendations?
 
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