New LED for cord cutting?

[TSDible]

I'm in need of new tv to replace my aging Sony 50" SXRD which will be relegated to the basement for game playing.

I've recently moved and decided not to renew my subscription to the monster that is Time Warner in this area. My wife and I have been living on Hulu and Netflix, and I'm also going to get a decent antenna for OTA broadcasts.

That being said, I want a TV with good to excellent smart features. Netflix, Hulu Plus, and DLNA are a must. We really want a nice clean setup. Nothing on the wall but the TV. Right now, we are using a combination of TV, PS3, Computer, and Logitech Revue to view TV. I would really like to bring that all in to one device.


The area has a lot of natural light, so I'm thinking that LED is my best bet. I'm wanting to go with 55" or so, but I'm thinking anything in the 50-60" range will work for me. We do watch some sports, so a good refresh will be key. I would like some decent sound as I don't want to add a whole entertainment system in this room. 3D is a cool feature, but not very high on the list of things we will actually use.

Absolute top budget will be $3K, but less is always better...

I'm thinking that for the price, I should look at the Samsung 55ES8000 and the LG 55LM9600 as my high end...

The LG 55LM8600 seems very tempting as well. Good price point (around $1500), and a dual core processor which should help make the cord cutting a bit snappier. I'm not sure what Samsung would be in the same range with a dual core processor? Something in the 7 series?

Which of the two has a better "Smart" experience?

Are there other brands/models I should be considering?

 

[jaha2000]

I have a year old LG with the apps. I will tell you this, netflix looks better on the PS3 for some reason. My LG does have the sweet remote you can point at the TV and work like a mouse though. Makes rolling though the menus pretty sweet.

 

[TSDible]

I have a year old LG with the apps. I will tell you this, netflix looks better on the PS3 for some reason. My LG does have the sweet remote you can point at the TV and work like a mouse though. Makes rolling though the menus pretty sweet.

I really dislike netflix on the PS3. I use my Revue for that.

Does anybody know if the more recent sets do better? I'm really trying to avoid other devices on my main living room tv.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

[TSDible]

Interesting...

I really thought there would be a bigger demand for something like this... minimalistic TV viewing without the cable company anchor dragging you down...

 

[Edge1]

Interesting...

I really thought there would be a bigger demand for something like this... minimalistic TV viewing without the cable company anchor dragging you down...

What exactly are you getting at? Plenty of cord-cutters out here, me being one. I have a Panny Plasma ST30 which has all the built in streaming services, but I use the hockey-puck size Roku for all those. Combined with Plex and hundreds of other internet-based channels its been a life changer. And big money saver.

 

[TSDible]

What exactly are you getting at? Plenty of cord-cutters out here, me being one. I have a Panny Plasma ST30 which has all the built in streaming services, but I use the hockey-puck size Roku for all those. Combined with Plex and hundreds of other internet-based channels its been a life changer. And big money saver.

Not getting at anything except that I wanted to try and do it with one device.

I was hoping to have just the TV on the wall, and one remote.

Looks like I may need to re-evaluate though.... Doesn't look like the technology is really ready for that. I guess I will have to go with something that has decent PQ and forget about the apps.

How well could I hide a Roku or similar behind the TV? How would that affect remote performance if I didn't want to use the Roku remote? Is there anything that will work with it without LoS?

 

[TSDible]

Ok... so now I'm leaning towards the LG LM558600.

What sets should I consider that would be comparable in PQ and sound quality? If I go this route, I may look in to an IR repeater and put my components in another area...

 

[Edge1]

I see. The Roku is tiny and unobtrusive, however it can also be mounted on the back of the TV with this: http://www.amazon.com/TotalMount-ROK...rds=roku+mount

You will want the Roku 2 XS: http://www.amazon.com/Roku-XS-1080p-...reaming+player

(also available at your local Sam's or BJ's as well, complete with HDMI cord and 3 free months of Hulu Plus)

Don't know about remotes, the Roku one is very simple and small. You'll want the Roku 2 XS because it uses the RF remote which doesn't require line of sight. You can change channels from another room if you want.

It streams your local PC content wirelessly via multiple different channels/options, my favorite of which is Plex.

Your TV may be smart and get most of the services you're looking for, but the Roku adds that local streaming in a tiny package, as well as hundreds of internet-based channels which might surprise you: http://streamfree.tv/apps/

I strongly recommend the NowhereTV channel, along with Plex. You'll also have lots of free movie channels and plenty of retro TV shows/movies if you're into that.

 

[TSDible]

I can get the LG 55LM8600 for $1499 + $75 shipping right now from AAFES.

That seems like a good deal.

Thoughts?

 

[TSDible]

Ok...

I'm still in the search... In the meantime, I got a Roku2 XS and I'm running Plex on it. It really is a game changer as far as cord cutting goes. So the "smart" features are no longer a primary concern.

I'm reading pros of cons of LED vs. Plasma...

I can definitely get something the Panasonic ST50 line... but I'm concerned about ambient light as far as viewing condition. I have a bank of 3 windows.... in all it basically makes a 4x10' window...

these are on the east side of my hose, so they let in a LOT of direct light in the AM and quite a bit in the PM.

It doesn't affect my current SXRD that much... how bad can I expect it to be with the Panny plasma?