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JVC EM55FTR 55"

29K views 55 replies 24 participants last post by  jorgeo0304 
#1 ·
#2 ·

I'm in the same boat, but have decided to go for it.  I don't want 3D, or a conventional "smart TV" - had decided already to try to find a basic model that I could add Roku to, because I've read reviews that sound like the Smart TV's aren't all good, and how do you tell?  So this one at this price seems great.  I know we haven't heard much from JVC lately, but the recent reviews I've read all sound positive.  I'll try to remember to drop back in after we've been up and running for awhile, on my thoughts...
 
#3 ·
I haven't been able to find a review on this TV, so was hoping to find something here. After posting this I realized that the "built in" Roku isn't actually built in but on a stick. Not sure if that's good or bad in the long run. Does the TV have built in wireless or is it all through the Roku stick?
 
#4 ·

Steve, my understanding is that it's all through the Roku stick.  Which means that it's a very basic HD tv.  It's what I was looking for, but might not be what you want.  Of course, with your tv, the roku and a blu-ray player all having built-in wifi, that seems like overkill to me....
 
#5 ·

Me again, Steve - I bought this TV on Monday, set it up Tuesday, and so have only a few days' worth of evaluation on it, but I couldn't be happier at this point.  The Roku works seamlessly - it took a Blu-Ray player easily.  Set up was easy, and the picture is fantastic.  It looked great right out of the box - no adjustments needed, but there are lots of adjustments you could make if you wanted to.  I love it.  On many of these, the sound is not great, and this is certainly not GREAT, but it's fine.  The speakers are on the underside of the edge of the TV, and so, because we have it on a piece of furniture, they are playing directly into the top of a table - not ideal, but fine for us - we are not audiophiles!  Another person might buy a sound bar to use or a speaker system.

 

One word of advice - plug in all your hdmi cables, etc. before you put the tv in place - it would be best if you can have it almost upside down, as they all are hidden away under the case on the back - except the only one the Roku can use.  We had to use a mirror and a flashlight to put everything in, because we couldn't just hold the tv upside down long enough.  We're both seniors and not very strong.  We're also neither one of us more than moderately adept at techie things, and we found the TV and the Roku extremely easy and fast to set up.

 

The picture is absolutely amazing, and as I said - for this kind of money - what a deal!  
 
#6 ·
My local Walmart had the E Series 55" Vizio on a grand opening sale for a price better than this, so I bought it. Thanks for all of your info and good luck with your TV.
 
#7 ·
Hello,

to anyone that owns or has seen the JVC EM55FTR. Does the screen have a lot of reflection or glare? I have a plasma right now whose screen reflects everything in the room. Unfortunately, the television is in an open area with lots of natural light. Just wondering if this one has a kind of matte finish on the screen as it is otherwise very attractive. Also, if you are familiar with ROKU, does the included stick have the new interface i.e. ROKU 3?


thanks,

Bill
 
#10 ·
Hi - I don't think the glare is any worse than my old analog tv, but there's so much more of it, that it does seem like more glare. We had to move one lamp out of range for nighttime watching, and we'll close the blinds in the daytime if we're doing anything more than a casual half-hour or so. I think finding a non-glare set is hard these days, and lots of people sit in a darkened room to watch, which I don't like.
 
#11 ·
Well I'm back to this thread. I bought the Vizio I mentioned above and after setting it up, I noticed a dead pixel in a really bad spot on the screen. I'm an avid hockey watcher and it just looked like another puck on the screen. The remote felt chincy but I could live with it since I use a Harmony most of the time anyway. Also had a lockup problem once or twice. So needless to say it went back. I was just going to exchange it, but Walmart didn't have anymore of the 2014 version of the TV that I had purchased and wanted to sell me the 2013 version which didn't have the same specs. I might still go somewhere else and buy the Vizio again, but I'm thinking about this one again. The specs are slightly less than the Vizio in design, but it might not matter to me in the long run. It's not in a fancy home theater and I probably couldn't tell the difference in picture anyway. The smart apps while nice on the Vizio, didn't impress me, and I have a Roku which I'm used to already. So if it's integrated into the remote, for the JVC, it might be pretty good. I'll just take my existing Roku and move it to another TV in the house.


For those who have this TV, are you still satisfied?
 
#12 ·

Yep - I'm even more so.  I had said the audio was "okay", but after a few tweaks, it's better than okay.  I'm still not an audiophile, and I still expect some people might prefer to add speakers or an audio bar, but I am in love with this tv.  Of course, I'm coming off an old analog tv that lasted 30 years, and the last year maybe not giving as good a picture as I'd thought, so the difference between a starting-to-fade picture tube and HD is dazzling...  I think the remote on this is great, and the tv works quite intuitively (when I started the blu-ray, it switched to that HDMI port automatically), same with the Roku - it happens very automatically.  The streaming was lovely - very easy to set up, and a great picture and no buffering or anything like that - just a great movie experience.  I think I mentioned that we did have to move one lamp in our living room so we didn't get glare on the screen, and in the daytime, if we watch much, we draw the blinds.  I really don't think this screen is more reflective than our old tv - just so much larger.  I would definitely recommend this tv based on our experience.  I will say that I read reviews of tv's for hours and hours online, and didn't think there was a single brand out there that didn't have it's share of lemons...  we got the extended warranty - something we normally never do, but if we're covered for 5 years, we feel better all around as we're so unfamiliar with what to expect.  I know that the 30-year experience is not something to expect from the new technology, but I do expect this to last 10 years.

 

So far, I am thrilled with this tv.
 
#14 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Julie Buck  /t/1524992/jvc-em55ftr-55#post_24605902


I forgot to tell you that the Roku stick IS the same as the Roku 3 box - at least, that's what it says.  I have no experience with Roku except from this stick, so don't know what to compare it to.

That's actually pretty awesome. I keep going back and forth on this. Best Buy said they would match the $598 price on the Vizio which is cheaper than this set, but I'm not sure I want to risk another bad TV (although it was probably a fluke I had a bad one). It's supposed to be a better TV quality wise than this one, but I like some of the features on this one better.
 
#15 ·

I researched back and forth a long time, and from what I can tell, good tv's and bad tv's are across the board - there are lemons of every brand and every price point, and there are mostly good tv's across all brands.  The experts pretty much say that HD TV is a technology that has been mastered by all.  I picked this one because they also said that Smart TV technology is not something that has been mastered, but that Roku has been...  I like that they're separate, and I think it accounts for the low price tag, though it sounds amazing that you got the Vizio at $50 cheaper yet...
 
#16 ·

Quote:
  Best Buy said they would match the $598 price on the Vizio
I have heard horror stories about Best Buy not taking returns or giving your money back.  I stay away from them on principle and one reason I bought at Costco is their no-questions-asked return policy.  I know it's only 90 days on electronics - after that, you've got to go through a repair cycle - but they also said that after two times trying to repair, if it still isn't perfect, they'll give you your money back or another set...  Costco is a much better bet if there ARE problems....
 
#17 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Julie Buck  /t/1524992/jvc-em55ftr-55#post_24606008


I have heard horror stories about Best Buy not taking returns or giving your money back.  I stay away from them on principle and one reason I bought at Costco is their no-questions-asked return policy.  I know it's only 90 days on electronics - after that, you've got to go through a repair cycle - but they also said that after two times trying to repair, if it still isn't perfect, they'll give you your money back or another set...  Costco is a much better bet if there ARE problems....

I haven't had trouble with Best Buy (actually returned a small TV a few weeks ago with no issues), but I do like Costco's policy and they also add an extra year to your warranty which is nice.
 
#18 ·

I'm looking into buying the JVC EM48FTR, the 48' version at Costco, or the Vizio E480i-B2.  It seems all the reviews of the JVC on Costo.com have been 100% positive whereas the Vizio is definitely getting mixed reviews, so I am on the fence, even though my first instinct was to be going with a Vizio.  Only way to find out is to try it I guess.  It seems the JVC is made by Amtran using a panel made by Raken/LG.  Some of the Vizios (specifically the -B0 models) are made by Amtran (with B1 bt TPV and B2 by Wistron).  So I am sure it is very much on par with the Vizio, but maybe without the cheap remote and wobbly stand I keep hearing about!  I wish there were some more professional reviews out there to give some scientific feedback on the JVC.  Ultimately just looking for a a TV that will do what it is supposed to do for watching movies with the kids in the basement, and have a clear picuture without any blur.  I have a 7 year old 37" sharp in our family room that still looks like I am looking out the window. If the JVC and Vizio can pull that off with nothing obvious happening to the screen that would annoy me, that is all I am asking for.
 
#19 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by AWED  /t/1524992/jvc-em55ftr-55#post_24607334


I'm looking into buying the JVC EM48FTR, the 48' version at Costco, or the Vizio E480i-B2.  It seems all the reviews of the JVC on Costo.com have been 100% positive whereas the Vizio is definitely getting mixed reviews, so I am on the fence, even though my first instinct was to be going with a Vizio.  Only way to find out is to try it I guess.  It seems the JVC is made by Amtran using a panel made by Raken/LG.  Some of the Vizios (specifically the -B0 models) are made by Amtran (with B1 bt TPV and B2 by Wistron).  So I am sure it is very much on par with the Vizio, but maybe without the cheap remote and wobbly stand I keep hearing about!  I wish there were some more professional reviews out there to give some scientific feedback on the JVC.  Ultimately just looking for a a TV that will do what it is supposed to do for watching movies with the kids in the basement, and have a clear picuture without any blur.  I have a 7 year old 37" sharp in our family room that still looks like I am looking out the window. If the JVC and Vizio can pull that off with nothing obvious happening to the screen that would annoy me, that is all I am asking for.

I think I'm ready to pull the trigger on the 55", but I'm feeling it's a bit of a crapshoot. I kind of agree that these days there's not a whole lot that set these (relatively) inexpensive TVs apart. If you tweak the picture to your liking, I'm sure we would be satisfied. I'm sure I couldn't really tell the difference. All I want is it to be reliable.


For those that have the TV, the specs mention "built in WiFi" Is that true or, is the built in "WiFi" on the Roku stick?


Having had the Vizio 55", I really wasn't all that impressed with the implementation of their Smart apps. I already have Roku, and my BD player (a Sony) has a wide array of apps as well. Plus I have a Chromcast which means my phone/tablets become a source of apps as well. I would like the TV to have WiFi though in case firmware down the road adds functionality to this TV. Also, I realize that one HDMI port is going to be taken up by the Roku, but with everything being fed through my receiver, I don't need the extra ports really (the Vizio had 4). And one port will open up on my receiver since Roku will now be fed through the TV.
 
#20 ·

Steve - it is completely through the Roku.  This is what sold me, because I have heard (and think I just heard from you, if I was listening correctly) that the Smart tv's aren't quite "there yet".  So it's all Roku.  The port it uses is a double-duty port - the only MHL port (for the Roku) is also an HDMI port and counts in the three, so that leaves only 2 other ports.  I'm sure they were thinking of someone like me - one for my cable box, one for my blu-ray player and one for the Roku.  If I wanted to do anything else, I'd have to unplug something (which would have to be the Roku, because the other ports are so hidden it would be a pain to have do undo and redo those).
 
#21 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Julie Buck  /t/1524992/jvc-em55ftr-55#post_24609853


Steve - it is completely through the Roku.  This is what sold me, because I have heard (and think I just heard from you, if I was listening correctly) that the Smart tv's aren't quite "there yet".  So it's all Roku.  The port it uses is a double-duty port - the only MHL port (for the Roku) is also an HDMI port and counts in the three, so that leaves only 2 other ports.  I'm sure they were thinking of someone like me - one for my cable box, one for my blu-ray player and one for the Roku.  If I wanted to do anything else, I'd have to unplug something (which would have to be the Roku, because the other ports are so hidden it would be a pain to have do undo and redo those).

Julie,


Thanks so much for all of your input. It's really appreciated. I've only had one experience with a Smart TV, and that was the Vizio I bought and returned. It had an "ok" interface, but I think, from what I've ascertained, there's nothing on a Smart TV that I can't access through a Roku or my BluRay player, so I'm thinking the need for one is not important. I like the idea that the Roku stick is controlled by the same remote as the TV.
 
#22 ·
Just bought the JVC EM55FTR from Costco one month ago. I had to make my decision based on the price. I wanted to get the most out of my $650 budget.

I still pulled the trigger even after googling the hell out of it and finding no reviews out there or even puff pieces. It's almost as if this series doesn't exist. But like a mantra I kept reassuring myself that I had 90 days to return it so stop worrying.


The Roku setup flawlessly and is a nice plus. The remote is basic as you can get, I had a friend who bought a JVC from a different series a few months prior from Costco and his remote had a qwerty keyboard on the flip side which is pretty awesome if you are using the Roku.


As for the picture, I believe it is very solid if not excellent. It is very challenging to discern the quality of the picture based on cable tv. I have time warner cable and the NCAA basketball looked just ok. I noticed a lot blockiness during action shots. But that could very well be the fault of the compression of the broadcast because on the other channel Game of Thrones looked absolutely sharp and top notch.


There are only 2 hdmi ports. I use one for the cable box and bought a 4 port hdmi switcher to hook up my PC, xbox360 & ps3 to. The gaming systems look excellent on the few games tested. (Bio shock and nba2k14)


I apologize for not being more technically encompassing as I am but a simple layperson, but I have to say so far so good. I must say that I am still keeping an eye on my 90 day window only because I was at a friends house and he has the Samsung 8series? And we were watching the anchorman 2 and It looked so sharp. It was like watching a daytime soap opera it had that weird video tape quality to it that was amazingly sharp....

I will be getting that bluray soon To see how that reproduces on my screen. He says the reason it is so clear and vibrant on the Samsung is because he has 240hz as opposed to this set's 120hz.


So for me it's a balance of tempering my expectations when I try to compare the JVC to the samsung set that is priced more than 2x more If I achieve 80% of what he gets on the quality I should be satisfied.
 
#23 ·
My sister is looking for a 55" and I'm her tech guy. She/We are considering either this JVC or the Vizio from Costco. I think I've decided to recommend the JVC. I do have one question, though. Could the Roku stick be moved to another TV, or would the JVC/Roku integrated remote not work with the second TV? I was thinking when she goes on vacation for a week, she could take the stick with her and have access to the Roku.


Just wondering if being able to move the Roku stick around as desired is possible? If so, it would definitely be considered an added benefit.
 
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