Decent cheap 50" 1080p TVs? Say under $700, Best Buy

[DaveSimmons]

Mom's 10-year old 32" is dying so it's time to get her a new TV.

She has a FireTV for streaming and a blu-ray player for discs, attached to a Sony receiver then to the old TV, so a typical setup. No gaming, no sports watching.

I say Best Buy since she doesn't drive and I'm in a different state, so having someone who can deliver, unbox, and haul away her old TV is better for her than ordering from Amazon, etc. for a doorstep drop-off.

Best Buy lists 28 models in the 45 - 55" range for under $750, that's a lot to choose from

Any suggestions on models / brands to avoid would be helpful too.

Samsung 48" - UN48J5200AFXZA - $430
Samsung 50" - UN50J6200AFXZA - $500

Sony 48"- KDL48W650D - $480
Sony 49" - XBR49X700D - $650

LG 49" - 49UH6030 - $500
LG 49" - 49UH6100 - $600

Sharp - 50" - LC-50LB481U - $380
Toshiba 49" - 49L621U - $350
Toshiba 50" - 50L420U - $350
Vizio 48" - D48N-E0 - $350
Vizio 48" - E48-D0 - $380
....

 

[mdram]

i have the samsung 5200 in the bedroom (40" model)
great picture

 

[kitatech]

THIS is the site you want:
http://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews

 

[Jodiuh]

THIS is the site you want:
http://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews

This, so much this!

I tried a Samsung 60" J6200 and within 30 minutes my eyes were bleeding. Another hour and I had an epic headache. For kicks I gave it another hour and was done for the day. It took 8 hours to get rid of the pain.

Had I checked rtings, I would have seen it's a PWM panel. Which means the display flickers to dim the backlight. It's not visible flickering ala old CRT's @ 60hz and had nothing to do with refresh rate. But it IS the devil!

I ended up with a Sony XBR 55X810C. Rtings clearly stated no PWM. As a side benefit they mentioned the 55" is a VA and the 65" is an IPS, so I went with 55" for better blacks. The improvement in contrast, deeper blacks, and color pop over the Samsung was real. And no more eye strain/head pain!

I paid $830 last year in July from B&Hphoto and got back a $50 gift card a month or so later...I think it's like a rewards thing. Also, they're great to deal with if price match needs to happen or return.

All that said, I was in Best Buy yesterday and got a chance to see the new Samsung 2017 "OLED" ish TV running a built in HDR 4K demo and now I'm 400% depressed staring at my Sony that looks like a 1990's comic book. :-(

So yeah, HDR might be something you want.

Fwiw, Vizio and Samsung seem to be mostly PWM, whereas Dony and LG (the OLEDs) do not.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Thanks all!

For myself I might get one of the 2017 model OLEDs to replace my 11-year-old 1080p DLP.

 

[D007]

You can buy 4k Tv's for that from Vizio.. Not OLED 4ks though.

Thanks all!

For myself I might get one of the 2017 model OLEDs to replace my 11-year-old 1080p DLP.

Got a LG, C7, OLED on the way myself. Might check out the topic I made about 4k here.
https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/some-things-to-keep-in-mind-when-buying-4k.2503280/
Been using 4k for years, was an early adopter. Might save you some heartache.