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Howard

What big screen TV should I buy??

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The only thing with plasma is they draw a lot of juice and they're on the way out. The power supplies don't last as long as non-plasmas. I've seen more plasma displays thrown out because of the power supplies going or the caps on the boards and with the cost to replace people figure they'll just get a new tv. OLED is the next big thing but it's $$$ now, as with any new thing. LED-lit LCD is really now the only viable option unless you want to spend $$$$ for OLED or you can wait for OLED prices to come down, but that won't be that quick.

 

PS, I had typed this reply up and didn't hit send/save until just now.  I see now that the OP selected a tv. Good luck with it! It looks like a winner!

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Starting to get ready for the TV which will be delivered tomorrow.  Decided to rearrange the room while at it too.  I cannot believe the miles of tangled wires behind the old TV.  Between cable, ethernet, power, UPS units ...arg!  Not to mention all the wires for the Surround system and speakers, Cable Box, old TiVo, old VHS, old tuner cards for a removed PC-DVR, Blueray, and other abandoned in place wires.  Not to mention the dust, did I say anything about the dust :(  This is going to turn into a full day project.

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I only have three wires heading to the TV:

 

Power

Ethernet 

HDMI

 

The AV receiver is the hub and all audio is over HDMI with HDMI return for smart tv apps and RVU

Do you think you get as good (or maybe its better?) quality using just HDMI?  I have used the HDMI for the picture but the optical audio cable from my cable box to the surround receiver.  Also I have some stuff that uses PbYR cables as well.

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Do you think you get as good (or maybe its better?) quality using just HDMI?  I have used the HDMI for the picture but the optical audio cable from my cable box to the surround receiver.  Also I have some stuff that uses PbYR cables as well.

 

This is what I do. I used to have both setup when I was on Netflix for streaming due to "Dolby Digital +"  (which required HDMI), but I dumped Netflix and went back to TOS cable. 

 

The problem I'm finding isn't so much the TV.... it's the "content."  Nobody puts out content worthy of the gear I have to play it. It's why I'd be holding off of 4K HiDef, or 7.1 surround sound... Not until there's a decent amount of content for it available, and/or the MSM starts to broadcast in those formats.

 

FTR, I have a Vizio 55" 1080p LED-LCD.  It serves me well, and will continue to, hopefully.  :) I also have the Onkyo 5.1 AV receiver and surround sound speaker kit.

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This is what I do. I used to have both setup when I was on Netflix for streaming due to "Dolby Digital +"  (which required HDMI), but I dumped Netflix and went back to TOS cable. 

 

The problem I'm finding isn't so much the TV.... it's the "content."  Nobody puts out content worthy of the gear I have to play it. It's why I'd be holding off of 4K HiDef, or 7.1 surround sound... Not until there's a decent amount of content for it available, and/or the MSM starts to broadcast in those formats.

 

FTR, I have a Vizio 55" 1080p LED-LCD.  It serves me well, and will continue to, hopefully.  :) I also have the Onkyo 5.1 AV receiver and surround sound speaker kit.

I agree on your comments about 4K to a point.  Originally I was not going to go that route, but the sets with those features offer other things.  Also I found out that this (and many) set will up convert just about everything to 4k, obviously not true 4K but it still should be better than 1080.  Also this set has a faster processor than the 1080 sets, my dad recently got a 75" 1080 set and set the smart stuff is so slow it is almost not usable.  Guess I will find out in about 24 hours.

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I agree on your comments about 4K to a point.  Originally I was not going to go that route, but the sets with those features offer other things.  Also I found out that this (and many) set will up convert just about everything to 4k, obviously not true 4K but it still should be better than 1080.  Also this set has a faster processor than the 1080 sets, my dad recently got a 75" 1080 set and set the smart stuff is so slow it is almost not usable.  Guess I will find out in about 24 hours.

 

If it benefits you more now, then great. I can live without the extra expense right now. At the point when my current TV wears out (which I hope isn't for a good long while), I will re-evaluate the need. I like those "curvy" TV's I'm seeing now. If there's a 4K version of those and the content published is right, that might be the "next" move for me. As for "surrround sound," I need  a bigger living area to make it worth while. My living room is only L20'xW15'.  I'd like something on the order of a 25'x25' great room to really make it worthwhile.

We'll see... maybe someday.

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Late to the party, but here's my $0.02.  I was looking to upgrade from my 42" Toshiba LCD earlier this year.  All the experts told me to get a Panasonic plasma, as they were consistently rated highest.  I waited too long, and Panasonic got out of the plasma business.  Samsung was the only other company offering what I wanted.  So I bought the Samsung pn51f8500af.  Simply awesome, I couldn't be happier with it.  I think you'll be happy with yours too.  Good luck with it.

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FYI I purchased a 4k tv and returned it. There wont be a great deal of 4k content out there for quite some time. Also streaming such high resolution is going to require high speed data if you want clarity. 

 

I would at-least wait until hdmi 2.0 is supported on the 4k tvs which only one model does currently. Cable will not be 4k anytime soon,  Im not a huge movie junkie, I watch more pre-recorded shows then anything ( cable). I am much happier with a 65" samsung then a 4k 55" lg for the same price. Dont get me wrong if you can splurge on the sony 4k tv that's the way to go. 

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FYI I purchased a 4k tv and returned it. There wont be a great deal of 4k content out there for quite some time. Also streaming such high resolution is going to require high speed data if you want clarity. 

 

I would at-least wait until hdmi 2.0 is supported on the 4k tvs which only one model does currently. Cable will not be 4k anytime soon,  Im not a huge movie junkie, I watch more pre-recorded shows then anything ( cable). I am much happier with a 65" samsung then a 4k 55" lg for the same price. Dont get me wrong if you can splurge on the sony 4k tv that's the way to go. 

I think there is going to be 4k content faster than you think.  I don't know how they did this on youtube, as youtube always compresses the crap out of my HD stuff - but here is a 4k stream on youtube 

  .  If you can put 4k on youtube it won't be long till it is available on other streaming sources.  But I do agree it will be a long time for lame stream cable to offer it. Obivously you have to click on the little gear to get the 4k version and have to play it on a 4k monitor.

 

These sets seem to offer more features as well, not just in terms of resolution.  I know my dad bought a 1080p 75" Samsung about six months ago and the smart stuff on his set is slow as crap while on the 65" curved 4k one I just got it is much much faster.

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I see hundreds maybe thousands of TVs in peoples homes at my job, stick with Samsung, Panasonic, Sony or LG.  Sharp and Vizio are steps down from there, and anything else isn't worth buying in my opinion for a main viewing site.

Come check out my Sharp Elite, you'll change your mind lol.

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The only thing with plasma is they draw a lot of juice and they're on the way out. The power supplies don't last as long as non-plasmas. I've seen more plasma displays thrown out because of the power supplies going or the caps on the boards and with the cost to replace people figure they'll just get a new tv. OLED is the next big thing but it's $$$ now, as with any new thing. LED-lit LCD is really now the only viable option unless you want to spend $$$$ for OLED or you can wait for OLED prices to come down, but that won't be that quick.

 

PS, I had typed this reply up and didn't hit send/save until just now.  I see now that the OP selected a tv. Good luck with it! It looks like a winner!

I'm not sure i agree with this. My Panasonic 42" plasma was purchased in 2007 and is still working today... we bought a Panasonic LCD 50" for the family room and it shit the bed within 2 years the PS went dead. Actually this Plasma has out lasted all the LCD's my family has purchased thus far.

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Do you think you get as good (or maybe its better?) quality using just HDMI?  I have used the HDMI for the picture but the optical audio cable from my cable box to the surround receiver.  Also I have some stuff that uses PbYR cables as well.

Optical audio is always better, but the difference in quality is usually a factor of the receiver and it's processor for decoding audio.

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Optical audio is always better, but the difference in quality is usually a factor of the receiver and it's processor for decoding audio.

The audio pushed over HDMI is actually better than optical audio. Not only is it more convenient with less cables it can pass newer formats.

 

http://www.cnet.com/news/hdmi-vs-optical-which-digital-audio-connection-to-use/

 

Both are far superior to analog audio.

 

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The audio pushed over HDMI is actually better than optical audio. Not only is it more convenient with less cables it can pass newer formats.

 

http://www.cnet.com/news/hdmi-vs-optical-which-digital-audio-connection-to-use/

 

Both are far superior to analog audio.

Less cables? optical uses 1 digital cable. Either way your stuck with 2 cables. HDMI to tv + Optical to reciever, or 2 hdmi's to receiver then to tv..  I've been out of the game a while, looks like hdmi can pass higher res audio.. but Unless your spending a couple grand on your audio system you would never tell the difference between the 2 unless your an audio engineer of some sort.. But hell why not use it anyway.

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Less cables? optical uses 1 digital cable. Either way your stuck with 2 cables. HDMI to tv + Optical to reciever, or 2 hdmi's to receiver then to tv.. I've been out of the game a while, looks like hdmi can pass higher res audio.. but Unless your spending a couple grand on your audio system you would never tell the difference between the 2 unless your an audio engineer of some sort.. But hell why not use it anyway.

I agree on your one point: most people won't tell the difference.

 

Hdmi audio is more convenient when using a receiver that switches hdmi as most do now. One cable per source to receiver then one cable from receiver to TV. No need to configure the receiver or remote to make sure optical and video sources are both switched.

 

I've had both setups and hdmi was much easier to manage.

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I'm not sure i agree with this. My Panasonic 42" plasma was purchased in 2007 and is still working today... we bought a Panasonic LCD 50" for the family room and it shit the bed within 2 years the PS went dead. Actually this Plasma has out lasted all the LCD's my family has purchased thus far.

 

Good for you then, Jack! You've beaten the odds. Seriously, plasmas usually crap out faster because of their current draw. Don't forget too, even when you shut the tv off it's really only going into standby mode so it's still drawing current, diminished, but still drawing. Those hi-speed switching supplies ....wish I thought of that!

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Good for you then, Jack! You've beaten the odds. Seriously, plasmas usually crap out faster because of their current draw. Don't forget too, even when you shut the tv off it's really only going into standby mode so it's still drawing current, diminished, but still drawing. Those hi-speed switching supplies ....wish I thought of that!

Do you have anything worth reading that supports your statement? We had 3 LCD tvs of various makes blow there PS within a short few years of owning them... so i find it hard to make such cut and past statements. I'm fully capable of having intellectual conversations and admitting when im wrong... But when i own a Panasonic 42" plasma for 7 years that still works and had to throw out a 2 year old Panasonic 50" lcd which had a PS blow(which Panasonic admitted to happening frequently when we checked warranty) That's not beating the odd's... It's my opinion that manufactures purposely use crap in these TV's so people have to replace them, that's goes for both plasma and LCD. Samsung had to recall their lcd's for caps on their boards. The current draw shouldn't make an ounce of difference if the components are quality.

 

I will agree that Plasma's are being faded out of the market for reasons unknown. Panasonic dropped their line of plasma's. I don't find one better then the other, although they have different features.

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The longest lasting one I have is my big old Mitsubishi 65" rear projection TV which we bought when HD first was out around 1999 or 2000 and it is still working well and has never had anything go wrong with it.

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Do you have anything worth reading that supports your statement? We had 3 LCD tvs of various makes blow there PS within a short few years of owning them... so i find it hard to make such cut and past statements. I'm fully capable of having intellectual conversations and admitting when im wrong... But when i own a Panasonic 42" plasma for 7 years that still works and had to throw out a 2 year old Panasonic 50" lcd which had a PS blow(which Panasonic admitted to happening frequently when we checked warranty) That's not beating the odd's... It's my opinion that manufactures purposely use crap in these TV's so people have to replace them, that's goes for both plasma and LCD. Samsung had to recall their lcd's for caps on their boards. The current draw shouldn't make an ounce of difference if the components are quality.  I will agree that Plasma's are being faded out of the market for reasons unknown. Panasonic dropped their line of plasma's. I don't find one better then the other, although they have different features.

 

My statements are derived from repairingr tv's over the past 20 years. I've seen more dead plasmas than anything else. Mind you, I'm mainly talking about their power supply sections, but still it obviously does depend upon the quality and build the manufacturer puts into the product. Also, it's not just the overall current draw on the hispeed switching transformers, it's the fact that they're always on, even when you "shut off" the tv. It's still on, just at that point not drawing the same current. So that on/off on the hispeed PSU takes its toll. BTW, it wasn't just Samsung boards that had capacitor problems, but other brands too. But that could be either from bad circuit design to using crap components. I don't have a horse in the race. You buy what you want and if you're happy with it, good for you. Your experience is with using your plasma tv. My experience is with repairing various tvs and components. I'm giving my opinion just like you and everyone else here.

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The longest lasting one I have is my big old Mitsubishi 65" rear projection TV which we bought when HD first was out around 1999 or 2000 and it is still working well and has never had anything go wrong with it.

 

I hear ya!  I've got a 2000 Sony Vaio 36" flat tube tv that it just kills me to think of throwing it away. It's not HD and doesn't have any digital i/o ports (HDMI, DVI, etc) but the picture is great (for low def haha!) and the sound is great. It has never given us a problem. It's not our main tv but it works fine. It sucks going from a HD to lo-def tv but it is what it is.... actually, another reason for not throwing it out is the thing weighs a TON. It took myself and 3 friends to move it. LOL!

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I have a Sony Bravia and like it.  Not sure why nobody mentions Sony.  But this one has got to be 6 years old, so I don't know how they stack up these days.  At any rate, I'll focus on the Samsungs when my time comes.

 

Did anyone notice a 110" model advertised in the Christmas-time PC Richards ads?  Regular price was $45,000, on sale for $15,000.  I laughed because I don't think I could even fit that through my front door.

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I hear ya!  I've got a 2000 Sony Vaio 36" flat tube tv that it just kills me to think of throwing it away. It's not HD and doesn't have any digital i/o ports (HDMI, DVI, etc) but the picture is great (for low def haha!) and the sound is great. It has never given us a problem. It's not our main tv but it works fine. It sucks going from a HD to lo-def tv but it is what it is.... actually, another reason for not throwing it out is the thing weighs a TON. It took myself and 3 friends to move it. LOL!

  I remember those.  Back in the day, if you had the 32" model, you were styling, but the 36" model was pinnacle!

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Samsung, LG, Sony are all great TVs, Samsung is probably the best.  One thing you should keep in mind if buying a smart TV, just about all smart TVs give you access to streaming video apps such as Netflix, hulu, etc..., I think only Samsung supports HBO GO.  But they don't all have a fully functioning web browser.  When I bought my TV the only one with a full web browser in my price range was an LG.  So if a full web browser is important to you make sure to read the fine print.  

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