Eric. Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 I'm finishing the basement this year and that's where my mac-daddy entertainment center will be going...I have McIntosh stereo components and some vintage JBL studio monitors that melt your brain...so I'm gonna be looking for a mac-daddy flat panel to complete the system. It's been a while since I bought a TV...things have changed in the last 7 years. I have a 52" Sony HD 1080 LCD, which was pretty much top-of-the-line when I bought it. It's been a great TV, but it pales in comparison to the pictures on the new ones. I looked around a bit yesterday. I have no need for 3D but it was pretty obvious they had better pictures than non-3D TVs. The next best seemed to be the 4K TVs without 3D...significantly cheaper. I know that there's a limited amount of 4K material available at this point, but I have to assume there will be more produced every day. The difference between the 4K and non-4K was night and day. I asked one of the sales dudes about the 3D and why they seemed so much better even without a 3D movie, and he gave me some complicated explanation about image processors...I glazed over in about five seconds. I'll just leave it at "it looks better." Wondering any of you guys have recently been in the market and could share your opinions. I'm looking for something in the 70" class, and I'd like to pay less than three grand...which means I either have to scratch the Sony off the list or wait for a sale or a new model...which I probably can. I'm a Sony sucker...I like the contemporary look of their TVs on top of the image quality. But I'm open to other top brands. Go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 I got a Sharp Aquos , but it's about 1 1/2 years old now. I quit keeping up with all the new stuff once I made the decision. I used to be a big Sony fan too but it's been years since I considered them as a major brand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 This may be a little more modernistic than you're looking for but the reviews say that the pic is exceptional. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Turner Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 I would go for a LED TV, 3D to me isnt worth it if you arent gonna watch alot of 3D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatworks Today Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 Panasonic is another brand to seriously consider. I used to be a sony fan-boy, but imo their quality has slipped over the past few years. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted February 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 I would go for a LED TV, 3D to me isnt worth it if you arent gonna watch alot of 3D. I think if you'd go to nearest electronics big box and watch a 3D and non-3D side-by-side on regular HD you'd change your opinion. The clarity on those things is amazing. I'm pretty sure the 3Ds I was looking at were LED...they're not mutually exclusive. Or am I wrong about that? Andy, I think Sony is kind of like Powermatic...they're good components but usually don't justify the huge jump in price. I'm not married to Sony...I was just more impressed with their image quality yesterday than most of the others. A couple of the comparable Samsung TVs were also nice. The Sharp Aquos units seemed to be hit or miss. Same with Vizio...which are a bit cheaper it seems. I was impressed with one LG...but it was 7 grand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 Vizio doesn't actually make TV sets. They are a marketing company, they buy old model " end of the run" sets and rebrand them. So they are usually the best price cause they are older models a mfg wanted to get rid of so they could push the newest sets. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cochese Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 I'd go for 4K instead of 3D. Every time it comes around, it's done within five years or so. 3D TVs cost more, 3D Blu-rays cost more...you get the idea. I don't know if I'll even be doing 4K this time, but there's no doubt they have some great picture. Don't trust your eyes in the store, they set them on torch mode to drive sales. Look at reviews, and check out places like AVS Forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 4K Samsung Curve screen. 65" TV. Keep in mind if you are using your receiver for HDMI input switching your receiver needs to be able to pass a 4K signal to the TV. http://www.sears.com/samsung-65inch-class-curved-smart-4k-uhd-tv/p-05772448000P?sid=IDx01192011x000001&kpid=05772448000&kispla=05772448000P&kpid=05772448000&mktRedirect=y Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted February 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 Yeah I assume there's some trickery going on in the box stores...goes without saying. But at least it gives you an idea what a screen is capable of. Most (all?) of the 3Ds I looked at were also 4K, so I don't think it's an either/or thing. Good info about Vizio Steve...did not know that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 We've got a Samsung SmartTV and it is awesome. The apps that come with it actually work and are constantly being updated. It only takes a few seconds to download updates. Wireless is built in but you can also connect it to wired ethernet. It's 3d too but you've got to wear some geeky glasses. I don't use 3D now. Best of all you can control it with an ipad or iphone using MyTiFi. Probably an app for android too so you can throw away the remote. The only thing that I can't control in our living room is the gas fire ( and that has a remote too). Everything else can be ipad'ed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 Terry's living in a modernized castle ! Wireless cameras on the gate? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted February 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 I've read a lot of reviews about the curved screens being gimmicky, and that you have to basically sit five feet away and dead center in front of it to get any real effect, and that if you're watching from a certain angle the image can look obscured. That scares me. Plus this one will be mounted on the wall and I don't know if the curved screen would look goofy up there or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 Terry's living in a modernized castle ! Wireless cameras on the gate?lol we have Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 I've read a lot of reviews about the curved screens being gimmicky, and that you have to basically sit five feet away and dead center in front of it to get any real effect, and that if you're watching from a certain angle the image can look obscured. That scares me. Plus this one will be mounted on the wall and I don't know if the curved screen would look goofy up there or not. Curved screens don't have a wide viewing angle so if you have your buddies round some won't be able to see the screen.flat is best. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raefco Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 I like LG, we have a 52" smart LED, 3D TV, it is a couple years old and I dont remember, probably dont want to, what it cost. I have not been tv shopping in a couple years so this might go with out saying but what ever you get, get a smart TV they are awesome, with the wifi and apps they are very cool add a wireless keyboard and you have any thing on the internet on your TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wouldwurker Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 I have a 65", plasma. LED's can look like crap. Your eye is accustomed to seeing 24 frames per second (film). Videotape is 30/s. This is why old porn and 80's soap operas always had a certain odd look to them - they were filmed on video tape LED/LCD tries to fill in the 'missing frames' between 24 and 30. It looks like crap and makes all movies look like 80's porn. Some call it 'soap opera' effect. Plasma doesn't have this problem. Not sure if they've fixed it on LED, but make darn sure. It'll ruin whatever you're watching. It'll really drive you nuts when other people don't notice when you complain about it. By the way, 3D TV's are awesome. I watch a 3D movie at home every weekend. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pghmyn Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 No technical babble from me. I went into a store, found one I liked, researched it via reviews, and bought. Samsung LED 55" Model: UN55H6350AFXZA • SKU: 4323009 Best TV I have watched to date. Simple as that. I don't know about the 70" or close to that in this model, but if it is anything like mine, you will like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 I'm not a fan of LED/LCD. OLED would be a better option. I've got a 50" plasma I've had about 5 years. I don't like the weird motion blur correction LCD/LED tvs have by inserting ghost frames. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wouldwurker Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 Plasma has better black as well. LED actually creates the color black, whereas with plasma, the black is actually the absence of light'. Makes a huge difference. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted February 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 I have a 65", plasma. LED's can look like crap. Your eye is accustomed to seeing 24 frames per second (film). Videotape is 30/s. This is why old porn and 80's soap operas always had a certain odd look to them - they were filmed on video tape LED/LCD tries to fill in the 'missing frames' between 24 and 30. It looks like crap and makes all movies look like 80's porn. Some call it 'soap opera' effect. Plasma doesn't have this problem. Not sure if they've fixed it on LED, but make darn sure. It'll ruin whatever you're watching. It'll really drive you nuts when other people don't notice when you complain about it. By the way, 3D TV's are awesome. I watch a 3D movie at home every weekend. I thought they solved that problem by bumping the Hz up to 120 and 240. It's no longer perceptible except in the cheaper models that are still running at 60Hz. I thought. I can't even find a plasma larger than 50something inches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wouldwurker Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 As long as it's in multiples of 24, you're ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vyrolan Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 Vinny is right IMHO that plasma is best but nobody makes them anymore. If they ever release a TV that looks better than my Pioneer Elite 60" Plasma, I would snatch it up...but I'll be waiting a while. Too bad Pioneer got out of the business. =( Cocheese is completely correct...go read threads/reviews at AVS Forums. Best of the best over there. Don't trust what they look like in the store for anything IMHO. They do everything possible to make the "better" (read: more expensive) ones actually look better...so far as to intentionally use suboptimal settings on the cheaper ones or positioning them for max interference from ambient lighting and whatnot. My wife was standing right next to a 4K TV one of the times we were in a Best Buy and I laughed and asked her how it looked from a realistic viewing distance. Only then did she realize they had positioned it down at eye level and right in a tight spot of the floor...there was literally no spot on which you could stand and see the screen from further than about 6 feet away. Complete joke. Juiced settings in contrived viewing angles/settings is not how you watch TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted February 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 If plasmas are so superior, why are they no longer being made? I'm not being argumentative, I'm just curious... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wouldwurker Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 this article is one of the more technical explanations http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/4k-plasma-201311133417.htm There might be some Panasonic 65"'ers still floating around out there for a good price... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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