help me find a new TV

[nageov3t]

and bonus, maybe a soundbar if AT tells me it's worth the price.

I've been needing a new tv for awhile... my current tv is a 40" Samsung LCD that's about 6 years old. I've wanted a new tv for awhile, since I lived in a pretty small apartment when I bought that one (then, my couch was about 6' away from my tv; now it's about 12' away in my bigger living room). the fact that it's now got what I assume to be a broken capacitor (still working, but takes 1-2 minutes to turn on) it's probably the last straw.

I'm about to get a pretty decent bonus from work, and I've decided I'd spend $1000 - $1500 of it on getting a new tv, but I'm feeling a little overwhelmed at all my options. thought I'd go to AT for some guidance :thumbsup:

so far, my thoughts are:

-55 or 60" seems ideal for my room size (I'm probably eventually going to buy from Amazon unless there's a great deal elsewhere, but I may pop into a Best Buy to try and get an appreciation for the size difference)

-no 3D (I've got an eye condition that hampers my distance perception, so 3D is largely lost on me)

-no smart TV's (cool, but seems like a waste when I've already got xbox, tivo, and a laptop hooked up to my tv)

-maybe a soundbar? I don't think I'd benefit much from surround sound (my tv/movie watching preferences usually lean more towards dramas, sitcoms, etc... not so much big budget action movies with lots of explosions), but I'd appreciate quality speakers if they're a noticeable step up from the built-in speakers. can't decide if it's worth the extra expense for my needs.

any suggestions or tips?

 

[shortylickens]

No, but take pics of whatever you get.


Wait, do you have a preference for LCD or LED or Plasma?

 

[Anubis]

its pretty hard to find a TV without 3D or Smart features today. you can simply not use then

my suggestion 55 inch Panasonic ST50 Plasma

 

[richardycc]

yes, Panasonic plasma...I got a 50GT50 last month from Bestbuy for $999, it's awesome. you might wanna wait for the ST60 or VT60 (might be out of your price range.) that are coming out soon.

 

[nageov3t]

its pretty hard to find a TV without 3D or Smart features today. you can simply not use then

my suggestion 55 inch Panasonic ST50 Plasma

definitely not the end of the world if the features are there, but if I can pay less to not get them, that'd be my preference.

 

[Atty]

I am about to buy a Panasonic ST60. Like, in 20 minutes. Right now only the 50'' is on the market. I considered 55'' but since it won't be available until next month and I need a TV yesterday (old one died) I am not waiting. Its replacing a 40'' anyway so I don't need it.

All my research shows that for picture quality there is no better deal.

 

[Wingznut]

I absolutely love my Panny 65GT30, so I'm sure you will be thrilled with the ST.

 

[soulcougher73]

I believe there is a 70" Vizio LCD for like $1300-1500 floating around. Think Costco was one of the places selling it. Im sure others. To me you can never go too large

 

[NutBucket]

12'? Go big or don't bother. I'm at about 9' with a 65" and wouldn't want to go 3' further back without increasing screen size.

 

[nageov3t]

just to clarify, 12' is the far end... 70" might be too big for me

I'd say probably 90% of the time, it's me and my roommate in the recliners or eating dinner at the coffee table.

 

[NutBucket]

70" would be perfect. Seriously. Anything bigger is significantly more expensive.

 

[purbeast0]

just to clarify, 12' is the far end... 70" might be too big for me

I'd say probably 90% of the time, it's me and my roommate in the recliners or eating dinner at the coffee table.

70" is definitely not too big from 12' away. i sit like 14' away from my 120" screen and that isn't even too big.

 

[boomhower]

70" would fit his space but it's way out of his budget. I love my Panny ST30 and if I was buying today I'd get an ST50. Just get the biggest you can afford.

 

[shortylickens]

Amazon has deals this week on Samsung.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.htm...0AHBFBE1MTBAPN

The most basic model I see is the 55 incher with 120hz refresh for 897 dollars. You can just use it normally if the high refresh bugs you, and aside from that its a completely normal TV.

 

[nageov3t]

think I've currently got it narrowed down to..

Samsung UN60EH6000 -- $1200 // 60", 120Hz, no features, only 2 hdmi ports
Panasonic TC-P60ST50 -- $1700 // 60", 600Hz, 3D/SmartTV

given that I probably won't be taking advantage of 3D (and 2 hdmi ports, while annoying, only means I have to buy a $10 switch), I'm wondering if the difference between 120Hz and 600Hz for watching tv/gaming is enough to justify the extra $500

 

[JackBurton]

think I've currently got it narrowed down to..

Samsung UN60EH6000 -- $1200 // 60", 120Hz, no features, only 2 hdmi ports
Panasonic TC-P60ST50 -- $1700 // 60", 600Hz, 3D/SmartTV

given that I probably won't be taking advantage of 3D (and 2 hdmi ports, while annoying, only means I have to buy a $10 switch), I'm wondering if the difference between 120Hz and 600Hz for watching tv/gaming is enough to justify the extra $500

600Hz is the subfield drive frequency, not the refresh rate. Plasma refresh rates are 60, 72 and 96Hz. That Panasonic you listed is 60Hz.

LCD's also do not refresh at 120, 240 or 480Hz either. They are 60Hz normally with 120Hz interpolation (something you won't use for gaming). The LCD you listed refreshes at 60Hz.

So in reality, you're comparing 60Hz plasma vs 60Hz LCD. And even that doesn't paint the entire picture. At 60Hz, a plasma will handle motion much better than even some of the best LCD's available.

 

[purbeast0]

think I've currently got it narrowed down to..

Samsung UN60EH6000 -- $1200 // 60", 120Hz, no features, only 2 hdmi ports
Panasonic TC-P60ST50 -- $1700 // 60", 600Hz, 3D/SmartTV

given that I probably won't be taking advantage of 3D (and 2 hdmi ports, while annoying, only means I have to buy a $10 switch), I'm wondering if the difference between 120Hz and 600Hz for watching tv/gaming is enough to justify the extra $500

i paid $1600 for my 60" st50 last october. that's crazy that the price has gone UP.

 

[nageov3t]

i paid $1600 for my 60" st50 last october. that's crazy that the price has gone UP.

yeah, that's really keeping me from pulling the trigger. the current price is the highest price --

http://camelcamelcamel.com/Panasonic-VIERA-TC-P55ST50-55-Inch-Plasma/product/B00752VKSC

lowest was $1,100 in October, and the average is $1,300... I may drop it into my shopping cart for the hell of it and keep an eye on it for a week or so.

still waiting on my bonus anyways (waiting on a company deal to get finalized and it could still blow up in smoke, though it's a pretty sure thing)

 

[purbeast0]

that is the 55" you have the link to.

i can 100% guarantee you that it did not hit $1100 for the 60" because i was eyeing that tv for a while

 

[nageov3t]

that is the 55" you have the link to.

i can 100% guarantee you that it did not hit $1100 for the 60" because i was eyeing that tv for a while

hrm. weird, I can't seem to track the 60"

either way, proceeding with manually tracking it in my cart for the next couple weeks unless someone wants to convince me I should just go with an LED instead.