[Frank_K]

Once the season starts, I watch practically every NY Rangers game plus all playoff games. I need a TV that can does a great job handling hockey with its fast motion and contrasty screen. I figure if a TV can handle hockey properly, it will do a great job with other viewing.


Since we are off-season, I cannot audition in person, nor do I trust the feeds in the big stores - I feel its best to rely on all of you in AVS land who have experience with these TVs in your homes.


So, which 60+ TV fits the bill?

(Not interested in 3D, by the way)

Thanks

 

[redwolf4k]

Hey. Huge hockey fan here too. You are half way there looking at LCDs instead of Plasmas. I used to watch hockey on a plasma, and because they all have that brightness limiter for the power supply, and they are driven by the actual pixels to create white light, I had a dull picture, and never had a true clean white to the ice.


I actually went with the 55" UN55D6050 Samsung LED 1080p 120hz WiFi Smart TV. The colors are extremely accurate, and the set gets plenty bright.


I am not recommending that set specifically (even though its good), but I would look for overall light output, and accurate grayscale and color when shopping around. These problems will show the most when watching hockey.


For example, the budget-line of the large Vizio LCDs seem to have this dirty, yellowish cast to them compared to the Samsung and Sharps. Despite my best efforts to adjust them at the stores (when I was shopping around) I just could not get the yellowish look out of the whites. Even when I set the color tone to "cool" or adjusted the blue-gain to the max. It might be the type of screen or panel they use.


I think it was the ev550 models, in the large sizes. Not for hockey.


For me, the Samsung line took the cake with overall light output, colors and how white appeared. The movie mode white is accurate to D65, and the other color temps look very pleasing as well. Perfect for hockey IMO.


D6000, D7000, and D8000 are the ones I am speaking of.

 

[dm145]

My Sony KDL-60EX700 does a great job with all sports.

 

[stitch1]

I'll second the sony EX. I have the 60EX500 pretty much the same tv except its ccfl instead of LED and its great with hockey. Or if you want to really step up in price the new Elite tv should handle just about anything with ease.

 

[Frank_K]

Thanks for the replies.

Yeah, I did see hockey on plasma several months ago, and it was hard to watch with its dimming - I have a fairly bright room as well, so that's why I'm concentrating on LCD's. (Plus the heat that a 60" plasma would emit).


I wanted to buy the 60EX500, but I waited too long (until my current set showed signs of dying, which it didn't do until recently), and now its discontinued and cannot be found any more. The closest currently available from Sony is the 60EX720 - I believe has a matte screen like the EX500 also.


Also considering the Sharps.


So, in terms of motion handling for hockey (as well as for football and all else), that is, looking natural without trails and blurring and such, the Sony seems to do fine? How about the Samsungs that were mentioned and the current crop of Sharps (633, 832, and the 70" 732, should I go larger than 60")?

 

[stitch1]

I can't speak for all of Samsungs but my dads mid line CCFL Sammy was a big disappointment when it comes to sports.


As for Sharps I don't know any model numbers but I do like some of them. They seem hit or miss. I don't get to caught up in their yellow pixel deal. They are trying to do some cool things with it. I'm just not sure they have fully implemented them yet. But do make some great panels. My Sony has a Sharp panel in it.

Good luck in your search. It looks like you might need it. We are about mid product cycle for most of the 2011 models.

 

[slapshot]

Have a couple of older Samsungs CCFL (52b750 and 40b650) that are beautiful to watch hockey on in HD. (SD is another story, throw it out the window!)


Bright white ice, colors on the uniforms pop nice. Excellent motion handling, no blurring that I can notice or that bothers me.


Picked up a Sony 55HX929 LED a few weeks ago and watched a dvr'd game from these past playoffs and though it wasn't as bright as the Sammy, it seemed more "realistic" if you understand. True colors, ice was still bright but not as, but a really really good picture overall for hockey.

Can't wait for the season to get going again!

 

[Guibs]

Huge Hockey fan here.


Too bad you are limited with a bright environement because Plasma is where it's at with Hockey games. With fast motion, you can still read the name on jersey on a plasma when playes skate on the ice while it's impossibly "blurry" on LCD/LED TV.


Today's plasma are brighter than the were in the past, still no LED/LCD level but it's getting there. Personally, I'd be getting a plasma if it wasn't that my eyes are sensible to 60hz plasma flickering.


I was watching some TV just yesterday and the had a few TV running motion DVD example on a few of them and I was really impressed by Sony's HX929. It wasn't hockey material unfortunately, but the DVD was concentrating on showing panning and other places where LCD aren't great usually and the HX929 engine was doing an amazing job. I'm curious to know if it would translate well to a hockey game. Of course, the big downer on the HX929 is the price right now. I am too waiting and hope to buy a TV for the beginning of the season, it might even be a little past the begining but 3000$ to 4000$ for a TV is a lot of money for me.