Buying an LCD tv, I would appreciate input!

[RedFish]

Usually I love to do research, read and read about whatever product it is we need and then make an informed decision.
But for whatever reason, I have been reading about large screen LCD tvs for over a year and cannot make a decision or even narrow down a choice to just a few to choose from.

One of the major reasons I want to go LCD and not Plasma is the potential burn-in with Plasma.   ALthough I have read it has vastly improved, we have friends who bought a huge plasma tv last Christmas and the kids left it on one weekend this spring and it now has faint lettering across it.   The dad was horrified.

I tried going to both Bleekers and Signature Audio (where we bought our last tvs) and managed to find salespeople who wanted me to spend well over $1200, go plasma, and at Bleekers he pushed a $2000 plasma screen, even though I gave them my budget!     He also suggested LED tvs, which are great, but really pricey.

I have asked my friends and everyone has a different brand and most like their tv.   I did see a 50" LG at one friends house that had a great picture, but the model is outdated now.

If anyone has some good advice I would really appreciate it.

This Christmas I would like to buy an LCD tv for the family, a 50" one.

This is what I want:
50" lcd tv
Good brand, Panasonic, Sony, LG, Samsung (other suggestions?)
It will be used for tv, DVD movies (blueray down the road), Wii and Playstation.
I want to spend around $600 (I know that's low) but if I have a model/brand(s) to look for, I can watch for sales.

Anyone want to throw some advice and/or suggestions my way?


Thanks!

[tophoo]

I would go for a LED tv.  The quality is so much better

[rockgarden]

Look at the Costo LCD options (they also carry plasma but this link is to LCD):

http://www.costco.ca/Common/Category.aspx?whse=BCCA&Ne=4000000&eCat=BCCA|79|2341&N=4008767&Nr=P_CatalogName:BCCA&cat=3316&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-CA&topnav=

I like the idea of Costco extending the warranty on electronic items.  Also like their selection, etc, etc. Not the only place to look but give you a benchmark price and quality when discussing with other retail outlets. If not a member, then membership is small amount relative to the savings on many big budget items.

Have fun.

Ron

[brotherluv]

I would re commed a Sony Bravia 42 inch on that budget...you should almost have enough left over for a blu ray.  I got a Phillips 1000 watt surround sound bluray combo with that tv for my bedroom last Christmas...tv from Sears $580 taxes in and $226 surround kit from Walmart.  Check for deals but I wouldn't recommend any TV  but a Sony, Samsung, or LG. You won't notice much difference between LED and LCD unless you watch hockey.  I'd too, stay away from plasma especially if your kids will be using it for video games.  Oh yeah,  I'd highly recommend getting a surround kit if you're trying to stay within a strict budget!  The sound off any flatscreen is pretty terrible and even though building your own stereo is my first choice...the surround kit pumps a lot of sound into my bedroom which is pretty big!!  

[RedFish]

Wow thanks for the quick replies.

tophoo:  lol - I just can't afford the extra for LED right now, I want a decent quality bigger screen.

Ron: yeah, I was looking at Costco.  They have a few in the 46-47", 700-750 range, and if I go a little smaller I can pay a little less.   I know they have more in store than on-line, and will get even more in before Christmas.  I will definitely keep an eye on them.  I did not know they extended the mfg warranty, that is good to know!

brotherluv:   I will also consider a smaller screen in order to go Sony quality - not in a rush to get blu ray right now, but a sound system would be great.

Now we do watch hockey, so I will have to go read about how much better LED is than LCD - maybe tophoo is right and we have to go smaller in order to get LED

[yellowtang]

LCD tvs have come a long way since the beginning,
but as technology improves so have TVs.
I bought a 42'' LCD  about a year ago...and now looking to get
an Led tv....one that really comes to mind is a Sharp Aquous Quattro.
price is a bit higher than other LED tvs but the image is so much better
than others.....since it has yellow color pixels included in it.
in short.....LED are the way to go, not to mention how thin they are
compared to LCD.
IM0.

[brotherluv]

When you get the surround system it will either come with a dvd player or blu ray...u can pick one up pretty cheap at Walmart...you can see the puck with LED much more clearly than LCD. How big is your living room (family room).  If there is a lot of natural light I'd recommend Samsung as they offer amazing low glare...I have 4, 5 foot Windows and a 6 foot window on my door in my living room with absolutely no glare at any point during the day on my 52" Samsung.  I'm sure many would disagree but, Sony and Samsung are the only way I'd go for a TV unless you find a crazy deal on an LG.

[beertech]

I just bought a bunch of 26" lcd t.v.s for the bedrooms and a 55 inch LG LED for the living room.  My last big tv was a 50 inch LCD.
If you are looking for a 50 or 55 inch, I would go to best buy or future shop where you can see the different brands side by side to compare picture quality. Then shop around. I ended up getting the small LCD ones from walmart and the big LED one from future shop. It was the floor model out of box, and I got it for around $900.
The biggest advantage to LED is the lower power consumption, heat, and even brighter pic. I also got the blue ray/surround package with it, and I have to say the sound is amazing!
The only negative thing I have noticed is that the picture is actually a little too crisp and high def for my liking. When watching Transformers, it was really a little harsh...That could just be personal preference though..I think if I had to buy another big tv, I would just go back to LCD, to save a few hundred dollars. I didnt bother with the 3D option, I just dont think I would use it enough to Justify the even higher pricetag.
My personal preference would be LG or Samsung or Sony, in that order.

Happy shopping!

[Greatwhite]

I have a 60" plasma that shows signs of burn in every time I use it...  BUT within a few minutes, it clears up.  I also have a 42" LCD, and I find the picture is much cleared on the LCD...

Both are LG.  I love both these TVs and would recommend LG to anyone in the market.  I see 47" LG at Costco for $689..  That's a pretty sweet deal, I think.  Futureshop has similar prices. 

What you should do if you are serious about buying, is wait until just before Christmas - and buy one.  There is a very good chance that whatever you buy will be on sale (or more on sale) during Boxing day sales.  Then, wander back into Futureshop with a receipt, and they'll give you the $$ difference back.

[Hookup]

Watch for sales on the sharp LED's IMO.  They are currently 1200, but I'd expect to see them n sale for xmass.   

FutureShop Barrhaven had the 70" on sale for $1999 from $3299 as their door crasher.

You had to camp out all night to get one (I did not) but the deal was pretty awesome.  I could see the 52" going on sale for 799 maybe?  Boxing day sales?

[bitterman]

Burn-in with plasma is not really an issue any more.

If you want a cheap and big tv look at the lg 60pv450 been watching TV prices and these were around $1000....

The thing you have to ask yourself is do you need all the new "Smart TV" features? They drive up price but may not be what you want or even perform that well.

Remember CCFL type LCD TV's are very prone to back-light failure, I know I talk to numerous repair shops to try to get our 46" Toshiba fixed..... They estimate about $600 to fix and not warren tee. They all mentioned this is a common problem with CCFL back-lights, either a bulb goes bad or the ballast in most the TV's

LED is much nicer you can get edge lit or a full array. Full array is a better picture, but a lot more $.

One thing to remember about plasma, most are much more shinny surface than LCD/LED. I got a plasma this time as it was cheaper then going LED but I'm veyr happy with it and no burn in issues yet either and it is hooked to a computer running Microsoft media center for both TV watching and movies etc.

[Severum]

What a great time for you to be buying a TV. Black Friday is kicking into high gear in the US and with Watertown just over an hour away there are some great deals to be had (if you don't mind waiting in line...). I'm considering heading down for some non-TV related electronics.

Check out some of the TVs on sale at Best Buy:
Dynex 24" Class 1080p LCD HDTV - $79.99
Dynex 24" LCD 1080p HDTV (Model: DX-24L200A12) - $79.99
Dynex 55" Class 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV - $599.99 
Insignia 46" Class 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV w/2 Year Limited Warranty - $499.99 
LG 42" Class 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV - $549.99 
Panasonic 46" Class 720p 600Hz Plasma Smart HDTV - $399.99 
Panasonic 50" Class 1080p 600Hz Plasma Smart HDTV - $599.99 
Samsung 32" Class 720p LCD HDTV - $277.99 
Samsung 32" Class 720p LED HDTV - $347.99 
Samsung 40" Class 1080p LCD HDTV - $427.99 
Samsung 55" 1080p 120Hz Smart LED HDTV - $999.99 
Sharp 42" Class 1080p LCD HDTV - $199.99
Sharp 60" Class 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV - $799.99 
Sony 46" Class 1080p 120Hz LED Smart 3D HDTV w/1000-Watt Home Theater System - $1,398.99 
Sony 55" Class 1080p 120Hz LED Smart 3D HDTV w/1000-Watt Home Theater System - $1,698.99 
Toshiba 19" Class 720p LED HDTV - $129.99 

Full listing here:
http://www.blackfriday.info/sales/best-buy-black-friday-ad.html?utm_source=infolist&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=new_black_Friday_ads_nov_11_2011_a

[RickGervs]

First of all, you have to know what kind of TV you want (LED, plasma, LCD)

If you are looking into LED go for Samsung, all the way if you can't LG are getting better and better so I would look into them.

As for Plasma, Panasonic, nothing else.

LCD, Samsung, again all the way and then LG, Sony.

Other tips: if you want of 40" or higher get 120Hz and 1080p under that the human eye can't see the difference

As for the Black Friday sale

Dynex, Insignia, and Toshiba are horrible

I would go for


Panasonic 46" Class 720p 600Hz Plasma Smart HDTV - $399.99
Panasonic 50" Class 1080p 600Hz Plasma Smart HDTV - $599.99 
Samsung 40" Class 1080p LCD HDTV - $427.99 
Samsung 55" 1080p 120Hz Smart LED HDTV - $999.99 



And... don't get 3D unless it's LG

Hope this helps

Let me know if you have any questions

Sources : BestBuy seller for 3 years

[bt]

I will also consider a smaller screen in order to go Sony quality

Don't.  Sony quality is over-hyped.  They're good, but not typically any better than the other brands you listed.  I'd add Sharp to that list as well - they were top of the pile a few years ago, then fell behind, then kinda caught up, so the current line is worth looking into.  Panasonic is the way to go for plasma, but they don't make LCD/LED.

On plasma vs. LCD vs. LED , it can also depend on where you put it.  You don't put a plasma TV in a main floor living room with a picture window.  Burn-in is mostly a thing of the past, but washed-out colours in a well lit room isn't.  If the LED is a $100 (or less) premium, go with it over the standard LCD.

[Cheebs]

I wouldn't discount Sharp, they have some of the best TVs on the market IMO. I've got 2 46" LED LCD Sharps and couldn't be more satisfied, and I purchased these after days of research. Hell they invented LCD! that's got to count for something!

[JetJumper]

I just bought the Samsung 6000 46" LED TV.. Love it.  Great colour and everything.  Once you fix the default settings that come on it to turn off some of the features that I hate its awesome.

I got it for $999 with Wireless adapter.  I did research for 1 month prior to the purchase.  Haven't looked back since.

[Hookup]

Sony XBR's where the hot-stuff 3 years ago... Sharp Aquos was #2  that said, it was 3 years ago and not sure what's changed.

Oh, and the XBR was almost 2x the cost of the Aquos.

This was pre-quatron info.

Bottom line, for $600 budget you're not getting high quality at 52" IMO anyhow unless you find one of the a fore mentioned super-sales.

from a quick search on bestbuy.ca, there are no TV's under $599 bigger than 42"....  

[bt]

On features:

Figure out what extra features you want, and don't pay a single cent for the ones you don't want.  Don't even factor in those features unless you're comparing 2 TVs at the same price that are otherwise the same.

Be wary of things like Netflix integration.  These embedded extras often never get updated, as will be obsolete (and possibly non-functional) the next time the service they access gets a major update.

[JetJumper]

Oh, and first time I plugging in my TV everything updated on it.  It was a 100mb upgrade  haha!  For a TV I find that funny but then again its essentially a computer.

[Severum]

Though no specific link or model number I have a feeling that this TV: Samsung 55" 1080p 120Hz Smart LED HDTV - $999.99  is the one I bought last year for $1700+. Its a phenomenal TV and makes Plasma look like SD.

If its possible to increase your budget you won't be sorry.