TV's

[cSPEED]

Looking at buying a TV. The thing is I have no clue what to look for and what 'good deals' are now days. I haven't ever purchased a TV if I'm going to be honest, heh.

What I know I need:
Minimum 40".
USB connectivity
Wifi capability is a plus but not completely neccessary
Some of the samsung smart features would be nice (but that comes with wifi capability)


Do I want LED or Plasma? LCD?
Can I get a decent 40"+ within my budget of $800 and where should I be looking.

I'm kind of hoping someone on here has recently been in the TV market and has some research to share!

[peterm15]

What do you want your USB to do? Play vids? If so that limits the market.
LED vs LCD vs Plasma depends on the room you want to put it in.

120 hrz is always a good plan.

Also make sure they have enough connections. Recently bought a tv and realized after it doesn't have AV connections. Only a few hdmis coax, and comp.

[trulankan]

you should have no problem finding a 42-inch for around $800 but it will be hard to find out that has all the features you are looking for. Plasmas are usually cheaper and have a super high refresh rate but the main issue with them is image burn-in and the fact that the glass used is highly reflective. the newer Plasmas have fixed the burn-in issue for the most part but you still wouldnt want to put one in a room with windows and lots of light. it would be perfect for a low lit room like a basement though.

LEDs are starting to come down in price so you may find one on sale at the price if you look. I would stick with 120Hz or higher, especially if you watch sports alot. The higher the refresh rate the better the picture.

LCDs would be the cheapest option. My cousin bought a 47" Samsung for that price last year around Christmas time at Futureshop.

In terms of Wi-Fi, some brands give you the option of a WiFi USB adapter which you can use if the TV doesnt have it built in but most of the newer ones will all have it built in. The small LCD I have at home has USB but it will only let you play pictures.

If you wanna save money and get a bigger TV without WiFi you can always just get a WD TV Live media centre which will let you stream videos off your PC or connect a hard drive directly to it. It works quite well and with ANY TV that has HDMI :)

[cSPEED]

you should have no problem finding a 42-inch for around $800 but it will be hard to find out that has all the features you are looking for. Plasmas are usually cheaper and have a super high refresh rate but the main issue with them is image burn-in and the fact that the glass used is highly reflective. the newer Plasmas have fixed the burn-in issue for the most part but you still wouldnt want to put one in a room with windows and lots of light. it would be perfect for a low lit room like a basement though.

LEDs are starting to come down in price so you may find one on sale at the price if you look. I would stick with 120Hz or higher, especially if you watch sports alot. The higher the refresh rate the better the picture.

LCDs would be the cheapest option. My cousin bought a 47" Samsung for that price last year around Christmas time at Futureshop.

In terms of Wi-Fi, some brands give you the option of a WiFi USB adapter which you can use if the TV doesnt have it built in but most of the newer ones will all have it built in. The small LCD I have at home has USB but it will only let you play pictures.

If you wanna save money and get a bigger TV without WiFi you can always just get a WD TV Live media centre which will let you stream videos off your PC or connect a hard drive directly to it. It works quite well and with ANY TV that has HDMI :)

Honestly, the WAY the tv plays videos doesn't make a difference to me. Wifi streaming would be ideal obviously but USB would suit me just fine. I doubt I'd get a media center, I'm thinking I'm gonna buy a PS3 with it as I can get one for $100 from a friend who manages a major retailer. Also, sunlight is not an issue. I'm not ever home between 7AM-9PM so the only time the TV would get use would be after 9PM. Plasmas seem to be the cheaper option and I'm honestly not gonna bit pick quality as I think most newer TV's would satisfy me quite nicely. What would be the best bang for my buck for $800? Should I stick to samsung/panasonic (plasma)/ sony? Or should I venture into LG, Sharp, etc?

[XTOTHEL]

I got a samsung smart tv last christmas, never found the streaming and video playback options useful. The types of videos it played was limited and navigating through the menus was slow.

Right now for streaming local media or anything else, I use my iPad/iPhone + the Air Video app: http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=air%20video&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CCAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inmethod.com%2F&ei=4B9zUPKPKqmP0QG064HAAw&usg=AFQjCNFW_bTjFa1TSuwCqinKg8w_7Igtmw works great for me :)

TV was bought a costco, it came bundled with the wifi adapter.

[peterm15]

Don't get a sharp.
My 47" insignia ( cheap best buy brand. ) looks 100 times better then my parents 52" sharp.

[The Wolf]

My girlfriend's parents got an LG with Wi-Fi/USB/Ethernet. Tbh, Wi-Fi was useless since it's a TV an needs to be plugged in at all times anyway and was much slower than a wired connection.

[trulankan]

Honestly, the WAY the tv plays videos doesn't make a difference to me. Wifi streaming would be ideal obviously but USB would suit me just fine. I doubt I'd get a media center, I'm thinking I'm gonna buy a PS3 with it as I can get one for $100 from a friend who manages a major retailer. Also, sunlight is not an issue. I'm not ever home between 7AM-9PM so the only time the TV would get use would be after 9PM. Plasmas seem to be the cheaper option and I'm honestly not gonna bit pick quality as I think most newer TV's would satisfy me quite nicely. What would be the best bang for my buck for $800? Should I stick to samsung/panasonic (plasma)/ sony? Or should I venture into LG, Sharp, etc?


its gonna be really tough to find a 40+ inch Sony TV for $800. You may be able to find other brands like Panasonic and Sharp on sale occasionally. Your best bet would be Samsung and LG although I'm not a fan of anything LG makes tho lol

[XTOTHEL]

its gonna be really tough to find a 40+ inch Sony TV for $800. You may be able to find other brands like Panasonic and Sharp on sale occasionally. Your best bet would be Samsung and LG although I'm not a fan of anything LG makes tho lol

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/sony-sony-42-1080p-60hz-led-hdtv-kdl42ex440-kdl42ex440/10211423.aspx?path=0800c21a54ad0d1a844509435a90d63 aen02

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/sony-sony-bravia-40-1080p-120hz-led-smart-tv-kdl40ex621-kdl40ex621/10164583.aspx?path=271591115bf2b4909a92ab0e7b3bf46 6en02

[cSPEED]

Damn those are nice. I really like the first ones. Sony is also super nice because it's GUI matches the PS3 GUI.

[trulankan]

Don't get a sharp.
My 47" insignia ( cheap best buy brand. ) looks 100 times better then my parents 52" sharp.

LOL

[trulankan]

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/sony-sony-42-1080p-60hz-led-hdtv-kdl42ex440-kdl42ex440/10211423.aspx?path=0800c21a54ad0d1a844509435a90d63 aen02

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/sony-sony-bravia-40-1080p-120hz-led-smart-tv-kdl40ex621-kdl40ex621/10164583.aspx?path=271591115bf2b4909a92ab0e7b3bf46 6en02

i stand corrected lol

[XTOTHEL]

Damn those are nice. I really like the first ones. Sony is also super nice because it's GUI matches the PS3 GUI.

If you can wait until boxing day, you'll probably get more bang for your buck then.

[cSPEED]

If you can wait until boxing day, you'll probably get more bang for your buck then.

I have never once shopped on boxing day. I can't handle malls as it is, heh.

Anyway, I'd be willing to wait for boxing day but would I really save that much? I mean if it's for $100 I think I'd rather get it now but if were talking 30%+ off I would definitely wait.

[trulankan]

I have never once shopped on boxing day. I can't handle malls as it is, heh.

Anyway, I'd be willing to wait for boxing day but would I really save that much? I mean if it's for $100 I think I'd rather get it now but if were talking 30%+ off I would definitely wait.

they have some really nice deals on Boxing Day. I would wait and try and buy it online to avoid the hassle and crowds. I believe Futureshop and Best Buy offer free shipping.

[peterm15]

Boxing day deals are not that great. IMO. Never found a deal you wouldn't find any other day of the year. The only difference its all at once.

[XTOTHEL]

I have never once shopped on boxing day. I can't handle malls as it is, heh.

Anyway, I'd be willing to wait for boxing day but would I really save that much? I mean if it's for $100 I think I'd rather get it now but if were talking 30%+ off I would definitely wait.

I'm not too into TVs, but from what I know. CES happens in January, so new models come out after. So around xmas time is the perfect time for stores to slash prices to make room for new ones to come. I'd keep an eye on RFD and check out FS/BB flyers.

You could also decide on a TV now and keep an eye on it. Get a feel of what the "normal" price is and then you'd know when it goes on sale and can just make the purchase.

[SomeGuy]

I just got a Samsung 6100 series LED LCD tv...like said above, the smart features are pretty useless, but overall it's a nice tv and should fall close to within budget while on sale.

[Booostin]

Get a Samsung. I have two and they are awesome.

[zzz3]

i wouldn't touch samsung panels; mostly cheap chi mei garbage unless you know what to look for.

[Default User]

By choice - I would look for LED - 120hz - 1080p - SMART tv

Come Boxing Day - you could easily save $300+ (not including Home theatre packages that can save you another $2-500 easily)


i wouldn't touch samsung panels; mostly cheap chi mei garbage unless you know what to look for.

The 6-series Samsungs are decent.

Personally not happy with my 5-series plasma

[mazdathree3]

Here's a link with some useful information on LCD/LED TVs: http://hometheater.about.com/od/televisions/qt/ledlcdtvfacts.htm

You can easily get a 40"+ LCD TV with your budget. An LED TV will be thinner than a LCD if you are intending on mounting it on a wall. The USB feature you can find on most/all LCD/LED TV's these days. It all boils down to which company (Sony, Samsung, LG, Sharp, Panasonic) you prefer. Also, don't try comparing TV's in the store because the specs each one is set at may be different. In terms of pricing, Futureshop, Best Buy and The Source should be very similar if not the same but I know for a fact that there's a store at Pacific Mall in the basement level that sells TV's for significantly cheaper which I have personally bought a TV at and had/have zero problems with. Unless you plan on getting Futureshop/Bestbuy/The Source's extended warrantys, most/all TV's will come with a 1 year manufacture warranty. Lastly, are you going to be using a HDTV package with the TV or just basic coxial cable? And are you going to be doing any movie watching/gaming on the TV?

[MarkWB]

Looking at buying a TV. The thing is I have no clue what to look for and what 'good deals' are now days. I haven't ever purchased a TV if I'm going to be honest, heh.

What I know I need:
Minimum 40".
USB connectivity
Wifi capability is a plus but not completely neccessary
Some of the samsung smart features would be nice (but that comes with wifi capability)


Do I want LED or Plasma? LCD?
Can I get a decent 40"+ within my budget of $800 and where should I be looking.

I'm kind of hoping someone on here has recently been in the TV market and has some research to share!

I'd recommend a Sony Bravia or similar, LED being the best quality of the bunch. If your budget isd 800 I'd wait forboxing day sales tbh. I don't think you'll find something you'll be satisfied with for 800 in the pre xmas market.

[Lockdown]

Had a buddy who worked at Toshiba and have always purchased TVs through him. Wish he still worked there but if you know someone who does, you can often get better than or same as Boxing Day/Super Bowl pricing through their discount or via the few times a year that they offer Friends and Family discounts.

Zero issues with them. I'm not sure how they rank but most everyone now has a Plasma/LCD/LED and it seems based on opinions of others, seems Toshiba has some good TVs.

I didn't look into Smart TVs, usually when I'm watching TV, I don't need to post on FB, or Twitter about my program of choice or do anything else that you have a dozen other devices that do, just better than a TV can.
Great in theory but I haven't seen the need for a Smart TV

[dave2010GT]

Knowing everything I know about TV's working for a TV manufacturer and working at BB during school here is what I've always broken it out to.

Sports - Plasma

Non-HD programming (Yes some people don't get HD) - Plasma

If your TV is going to into an extremely bright room - LED (still would go with plasma but LED would be better). The funny thing people have always said is well Plasma is glass so it reflects the light, anyone take notice of how every LED now has a glossy screen. This is because it helps with contrast!!!!!!!

Overall I'm a Plasma guy, better colour, faster response time, and all around great picture. I would go LED if forced but that's only if it had Full Local Dimming, regular local dimming LED;s are not too much better than LCD's imo.

[zzz3]

Knowing everything I know about TV's working for a TV manufacturer and working at BB during school here is what I've always broken it out to.

Sports - Plasma

Non-HD programming (Yes some people don't get HD) - Plasma

If your TV is going to into an extremely bright room - LED (still would go with plasma but LED would be better). The funny thing people have always said is well Plasma is glass so it reflects the light, anyone take notice of how every LED now has a glossy screen. This is because it helps with contrast!!!!!!!

Overall I'm a Plasma guy, better colour, faster response time, and all around great picture. I would go LED if forced but that's only if it had Full Local Dimming, regular local dimming LED;s are not too much better than LCD's imo.

Did you manage to get a elite? I have/had 2 kuros!

[Sonic31]

I've owned a Pioneer Elite Plasma 50" for almost 7 years now and my opinion are the following, and they may be a little biased.

1. I have yet to see I TV on the market had a better picture. However I like the look and thinness of the current crop of LED's. Still give the edge to plasma though.

2. I purchased the Pioneer TV when I lived in a loft with 900sq ft of window and never had a problem with light, unless it was shinning directly on the TV.

3. If I was going to buy a TV right now first choice would be a Panasonic plasma. When Pioneer quit the TV market a while ago apparently (and I have no proof to back this up) all the Pioneer guys went over to Panasonic and started improving their plasmas.

4. I have a samsung blu ray right now that has all kinds of "smart" features that to me are kinda useless. Like someone said already, when I turn on the TV all I plan on doing is watching TV. I don't need internet access, photo libraries, apps galore, etc. I just think you'd be paying for features you'd maybe use for the first week or two then stop using.

/opinions

In conclusion go to the stores, see what picture you like best on the TV's you can afford. Research the one you liked the best to confirm quality or find out any issues. If it's all good pull the trigger.

[dave2010GT]

I have 2 PRO-950's the last gen Kuro Elite's and I've done a shoot out with them compared to the 15K Sharp Elite LED and the PRO-950 is still better.

Sonic's comment is 99% right Pioneer licensed some of their kuro tech to Panasonic for their plasma's so there is a great improvement in their picture quality.



I've owned a Pioneer Elite Plasma 50" for almost 7 years now and my opinion are the following, and they may be a little biased.

1. I have yet to see I TV on the market had a better picture. However I like the look and thinness of the current crop of LED's. Still give the edge to plasma though.

2. I purchased the Pioneer TV when I lived in a loft with 900sq ft of window and never had a problem with light, unless it was shinning directly on the TV.

3. If I was going to buy a TV right now first choice would be a Panasonic plasma. When Pioneer quit the TV market a while ago apparently (and I have no proof to back this up) all the Pioneer guys went over to Panasonic and started improving their plasmas.

4. I have a samsung blu ray right now that has all kinds of "smart" features that to me are kinda useless. Like someone said already, when I turn on the TV all I plan on doing is watching TV. I don't need internet access, photo libraries, apps galore, etc. I just think you'd be paying for features you'd maybe use for the first week or two then stop using.

/opinions

In conclusion go to the stores, see what picture you like best on the TV's you can afford. Research the one you liked the best to confirm quality or find out any issues. If it's all good pull the trigger.

[bhrm]

I've owned a Pioneer Elite Plasma 50" for almost 7 years now and my opinion are the following, and they may be a little biased.

1. I have yet to see I TV on the market had a better picture. However I like the look and thinness of the current crop of LED's. Still give the edge to plasma though.

2. I purchased the Pioneer TV when I lived in a loft with 900sq ft of window and never had a problem with light, unless it was shinning directly on the TV.

3. If I was going to buy a TV right now first choice would be a Panasonic plasma. When Pioneer quit the TV market a while ago apparently (and I have no proof to back this up) all the Pioneer guys went over to Panasonic and started improving their plasmas.

4. I have a samsung blu ray right now that has all kinds of "smart" features that to me are kinda useless. Like someone said already, when I turn on the TV all I plan on doing is watching TV. I don't need internet access, photo libraries, apps galore, etc. I just think you'd be paying for features you'd maybe use for the first week or two then stop using.

/opinions

In conclusion go to the stores, see what picture you like best on the TV's you can afford. Research the one you liked the best to confirm quality or find out any issues. If it's all good pull the trigger.

Another Pioneer rumour I heard was Pioneer was a bit too cozy with Sony and a lot of people weren't cool with that.

[113GT]

Don't get a sharp.
My 47" insignia ( cheap best buy brand. ) looks 100 times better then my parents 52" sharp.

probably in your eyes but to the rest of the worls, insignia is balls compared to samsung sharp sonyetc....

[bhrm]

I have a Samsung LED 6300 series 46" from last year's boxing week. Got it from HDTV at Bamburgh Circle.

LOVE IT.

Price wise I bought at for $799, and got the WiFi dongle for $30 (below cost! regular customer for 15 years!) but i sold the dongle for $90 :) Wired network was tons better.

Picture quality per dollar I feel like it works out for my budget. It's not perfect, the corners have the typical light leak but doesn't bug me, not that bad. I don't like how HD component video input is through some cheesy adapter, but then I don't use it...

I don't like how the Digital Output is 2.1 downmixed and not a passthrough or outputs 5.1...so I avoid it.

SmartTV works pretty well, I watch YouTube and Vimeo quite a lot.

Another plus is LED uses way less power, about 50-60 watts. LCD uses more and plasma is a power hog.

[Aitch]

I've had a Panasonic plasma for about 3 years now, no complaints on it at all. At the time it was by far the most cost-effective way for us to get a 42" screen, but I also was aware of the benefit the naturally higher refresh rate would have for sports (no ghosting here). I do wish we could have it in a darker room but oh well. I did notice that if I set the side bars to black for non-HD broadcasts, after switching to HD I could see a difference in the right and left sections of the screen. So I set that to a medium gray for non-HD and have no issues now.

One thing to keep in mind with a lot of the newer LEDs/LCDs is their hyper-realistic look (I forget the technical term, but basically they interpolate the footage and insert frames for a very high artificial frame rate, much higher than the normal 24 frames/second that a film has). It gives everything a "soap-opera" look especially when combined with 1080p resolution. I HATE that. If you don't like that look make sure the TV you buy allows it to be turned off (I believe this is possible on some of them).

[bhrm]

One thing to keep in mind with a lot of the newer LEDs/LCDs is their hyper-realistic look (I forget the technical term, but basically they interpolate the footage and insert frames for a very high artificial frame rate, much higher than the normal 24 frames/second that a film has). It gives everything a "soap-opera" look especially when combined with 1080p resolution. I HATE that. If you don't like that look make sure the TV you buy allows it to be turned off (I believe this is possible on some of them).

I have mine off! Drives me nuts.

[zzz3]

Another Pioneer rumour I heard was Pioneer was a bit too cozy with Sony and a lot of people weren't cool with that.

never heard that. all the information on avsforum indicated the television unit was losing money for a long time.

[LezOLee]

thought i'd throw in my 2 cents, it should be clear that LED still functions on the same tech as an LCD, LED just refers to the backlight, which allows the TV to be thinner, consume less power, and have better contrast ratios. so really, LED backlit LCD's are just improved LCD tv's.

[Aitch]

thought i'd throw in my 2 cents, it should be clear that LED still functions on the same tech as an LCD, LED just refers to the backlight, which allows the TV to be thinner, consume less power, and have better contrast ratios. so really, LED backlit LCD's are just improved LCD tv's.

Yeah I love that. "Yo, mine is LED bro! Millions of LEDs!!! Your LCD sucks!"

[rajin929]

We have a 51' Samsung 6500 plasma, and I have been happy with it. I'm not a techie kinda guy to make sense of all the terms, but we watch a lot of movies and non-HD content, and love the picture quality.
Was going to go with LED, but after looking at them for a long time they started to hurt my eyes - plus that 'soap opera' effect mentioned earlier is really annoying.

was going back and forth between Samsung and Panasonic Plasma - but ended up going with the Samsung as we got a decent deal on it and the thin panel worked better for our family room install on the wall.

I'd love to get a projector for the basement, but if we need a TV for another room in the house I might try the Panasonic

[MattL]

My 2 cents is that LG is a good brand. I've owned mine for 2 and a bit years now, not a single problem. My dad has been a loyal Sony customer his entire life. Never problems with his either, although Sony is pricey. Don't do what I typically do though and jump into a purchase. Do a ton of research. A t.v. is something you will be using regularly so you don't want to cheap out on something that is going to let you down. If it means waiting another few months for the one you want to go on sale, maybe it's best to wait.


I've had a Panasonic plasma for about 3 years now, no complaints on it at all. At the time it was by far the most cost-effective way for us to get a 42" screen, but I also was aware of the benefit the naturally higher refresh rate would have for sports (no ghosting here). I do wish we could have it in a darker room but oh well. I did notice that if I set the side bars to black for non-HD broadcasts, after switching to HD I could see a difference in the right and left sections of the screen. So I set that to a medium gray for non-HD and have no issues now.

One thing to keep in mind with a lot of the newer LEDs/LCDs is their hyper-realistic look (I forget the technical term, but basically they interpolate the footage and insert frames for a very high artificial frame rate, much higher than the normal 24 frames/second that a film has). It gives everything a "soap-opera" look especially when combined with 1080p resolution. I HATE that. If you don't like that look make sure the TV you buy allows it to be turned off (I believe this is possible on some of them).

I have an LG LED and if I recall correctly, it's called Tru-Motion. Yeah, I turn it on or off depending on my mood. It wigged me out for the first while I owned my tv, then I turned it off and having it off was weird. Just got to get used to it. Thankfully mine is 120Hz so sports etc is nice.


thought i'd throw in my 2 cents, it should be clear that LED still functions on the same tech as an LCD, LED just refers to the backlight, which allows the TV to be thinner, consume less power, and have better contrast ratios. so really, LED backlit LCD's are just improved LCD tv's.

This. So much of this. I have so many friends who brag about having LED computer monitors. I explain to them that if it was true LED it would have probably cost them several thousands of dollars. They tend to try and regularly prove me wrong and link me to the one they bought on the companies website (best buy, future shop etc) and I point out, right in the title of the product mind you, where it says LED Backlit.

But then again, these are the same people who buy HDMI cables from best buy/futureshop and are sucked into spending a crap ton of money on "gold plated connectors" lol. www.infinitecables.com ftw

[113GT]

some samsung panels are made by samsung and are much better than the cheapy pannels used. Depends on the model and date of manufacturing.

i have a 6 series LCD and the panel was made by samsung and to me the picture blows other lcd's out the water.