AKB: Anyone here well versed in televisions?

psuro

Well-known member
Oct 12, 2021
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I may be in the market for a 55 or 65 inch TV. But I know nothing about what brands are good or not. The prices have dropped quite a bit since the last time i looked (about 3 years ago)

1. i don't play video games (and no kids in the house who do play)
2. I dont have Netflix. or any other streaming service but may consider getting one so it should capable for that.
3. Mostly just need it to watch CFB.

Anyone have recommendations on brand(s)?
 
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Grant Green

Well-known member
Oct 12, 2021
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I may be in the market for a 55 or 65 inch TV. But I know nothing about what brands are good or not. The prices have dropped quite a bit since the last time i looked (about 3 years ago)

1. i don't play video games (and no kids in the house who do play)
2. I dont have Netflix. or any other streaming service but may consider getting one so it should capable for that.
3. Mostly just need it to watch CFB.

Anyone have recommendations on brand(s)?
I think almost any tv now is a smart tv, built for streaming. I have 2 TCL tvs. When I bought them a few years ago, they were kind of new and the best bang for your buck per reviews (inexpensive, but reliable). I'm sure you can get way higher quality, but I'm not picky and they have both performed well for me.

Curious if anyone else has a TCL and what they think.
 
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Tom McAndrew

BWI Staff
Staff member
Oct 27, 2021
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I may be in the market for a 55 or 65 inch TV. But I know nothing about what brands are good or not. The prices have dropped quite a bit since the last time i looked (about 3 years ago)

1. i don't play video games (and no kids in the house who do play)
2. I dont have Netflix. or any other streaming service but may consider getting one so it should capable for that.
3. Mostly just need it to watch CFB.

Anyone have recommendations on brand(s)?

What's best for any individual is based on a number of factors.

@Grant Green mentioned TCL, and they really have been gaining traction of late. Samsung and LG are also excellent.

Based on picture quality and energy usage (or lack thereof), for the parameters you listed, I'd go with a LG OLED. You pay more for OLED TVs, but I think the extra cost is worth it. And if you go OLED, the discussion pretty much starts and stops with LG.

This article from the past month from CNET should give you some information on some of the better options you have from which to choose:

 

Still in State Colllege

Active member
Oct 12, 2021
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I think the most important things are refresh rate of at least 120MHz and resolution of at least 4K. Response time is a consideration as well (10ms).

Brightness levels would be the next consideration.

there are a lot of other bells and whistles that really just depends on what you want to spend. Things like reflectivity, color gamut and viewing angle.
 

laKavosiey-st lion

Well-known member
Oct 30, 2021
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LG s don’t have the ESPN app so buying MMA fights is a pia
I’ll also find a how big a tv do you need based on where you sit thing. It’s diff than you may think
 
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Sep 17, 2024
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Costco and Sam's Club are both having some nice pre-Holiday deals on large TV's from Samsung and LG. I was looking at them the other day and was surprised at the negligible price difference between a 55"/65" and 75"/85". The OLED's are really crisp but they are more expensive.
 

bdgan

Well-known member
Oct 12, 2021
1,992
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I may be in the market for a 55 or 65 inch TV. But I know nothing about what brands are good or not. The prices have dropped quite a bit since the last time i looked (about 3 years ago)

1. i don't play video games (and no kids in the house who do play)
2. I dont have Netflix. or any other streaming service but may consider getting one so it should capable for that.
3. Mostly just need it to watch CFB.

Anyone have recommendations on brand(s)?
All new TVs are going to be "smart" and connect to the internet for streaming.

TCL is a good brand for the money.
 
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FTLPSU

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Oct 6, 2021
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Here ya go, most don’t know of this but really the best rating analysis for
many items out there IMHO.

 
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lionlover

Well-known member
Oct 6, 2021
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What's best for any individual is based on a number of factors.

@Grant Green mentioned TCL, and they really have been gaining traction of late. Samsung and LG are also excellent.

Based on picture quality and energy usage (or lack thereof), for the parameters you listed, I'd go with a LG OLED. You pay more for OLED TVs, but I think the extra cost is worth it. And if you go OLED, the discussion pretty much starts and stops with LG.

This article from the past month from CNET should give you some information on some of the better options you have from which to choose:

The Achilles heel of OLED TVs is "picture brightness." If you are going to be watching TV in a bright sunny room, then you may not want an OLED. But, if you are watching TV mainly at night or in a dark room, the LG OLED is benchmark.

Now, at my age, my ability to clearly see the advantages of an OLED dark background is not as profound as it used to be. I am into "simplicity and reliability" more than elite picture quality. So, if I were buying a TV now, it would probably be a ROKU TV or a TV brand with ROKU already built in.
 

psujejr

Member
Oct 26, 2021
54
54
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I may be in the market for a 55 or 65 inch TV. But I know nothing about what brands are good or not. The prices have dropped quite a bit since the last time i looked (about 3 years ago)

1. i don't play video games (and no kids in the house who do play)
2. I dont have Netflix. or any other streaming service but may consider getting one so it should capable for that.
3. Mostly just need it to watch CFB.

Anyone have recommendations on brand(s)?
TCL Roku 55 inch @ Walmart for $228. I just purchased 2 of these.
 
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razpsu

Well-known member
Oct 19, 2021
7,194
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I may be in the market for a 55 or 65 inch TV. But I know nothing about what brands are good or not. The prices have dropped quite a bit since the last time i looked (about 3 years ago)

1. i don't play video games (and no kids in the house who do play)
2. I dont have Netflix. or any other streaming service but may consider getting one so it should capable for that.
3. Mostly just need it to watch CFB.

Anyone have recommendations on brand(s)?
Visio. Has been good to us. Doesn’t matter anymore. Drop 500-800 on a big one, get 3 year warranty from Walmart etc. if it is bad return it,
 

razpsu

Well-known member
Oct 19, 2021
7,194
9,122
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Oh, another thing to everyone reading this. Turn the picture setting to “vivid” if you haven’t already. You will be amazed how much the picture quality will be better. Used to do this at all my restaurants and the mgrs were shocked.
 

Moogy

Well-known member
Nov 23, 2021
1,790
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I may be in the market for a 55 or 65 inch TV. But I know nothing about what brands are good or not. The prices have dropped quite a bit since the last time i looked (about 3 years ago)

1. i don't play video games (and no kids in the house who do play)
2. I dont have Netflix. or any other streaming service but may consider getting one so it should capable for that.
3. Mostly just need it to watch CFB.

Anyone have recommendations on brand(s)?

Two factors should drive you: 1. Go bigger than you think you need/want; and 2. Go cheaper than you think you need/can afford.

It's not like the old days when top of the line TVs cost an arm and a leg, but were noticeably better than the cheaper versions. Today's budget models have tremendous pictures. And you won't be missing out on "necessary" features, unlike the old days.

Right now there's a 75" LG on sale for $550 at Best Buy. You're much better off buying that dirt-*** cheap big TV than the 55" Sony OLED that's on sale for $1,400.

I mean, yeah ... there are $20K TVs out there, or even $5K TVs ... but the typical consumer isn't going to be interested in what they can provide, considering the price point.

We have a range of price points of TVs throughout our house, including a couple ridiculously priced models (not the $20K, but a couple steps below that) ... but the best picture out of all of them is a 55" Vizio that's in a kid's bedroom, that was like $500 when we bought it (it may be 10+ years ago now), that would probably retail for like $200 now).
 
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UncleRoyBiggins

Well-known member
Oct 12, 2021
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I think almost any tv now is a smart tv, built for streaming. I have 2 TCL tvs. When I bought them a few years ago, they were kind of new and the best bang for your buck per reviews (inexpensive, but reliable). I'm sure you can get way higher quality, but I'm not picky and they have both performed well for me.

Curious if anyone else has a TCL and what they think.
I bought a TCL 75" QLED back in August. I'm extremely happy with it so far. It was discounted from about $1,500 down to $999. It was a deal too good to pass up, even though I was originally going to buy a Samsung.
 
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UncleRoyBiggins

Well-known member
Oct 12, 2021
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568
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Oh, another thing to everyone reading this. Turn the picture setting to “vivid” if you haven’t already. You will be amazed how much the picture quality will be better. Used to do this at all my restaurants and the mgrs were shocked.
Thanks for the great advice! I didn't know about this setting, and it made a HUGE difference!
 
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FHSPSU67

Member
Oct 19, 2021
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Oh, another thing to everyone reading this. Turn the picture setting to “vivid” if you haven’t already. You will be amazed how much the picture quality will be better. Used to do this at all my restaurants and the mgrs were shocked.
Sorry to contradict this, but besides overpowering your eyes ( you will tire of watching before long), but Vivid is the least accurate in displaying the content creator's intent. Please use your TV in isf expert bright or dark, or any cinema setting. Regardless, enjoy your TV the way you want to!
I currently own an LG 65" G4, my 3rd OLED over the years, and like you, in the beginning I thought the very brightest was the best, but after buying my first OLED I would never go back.
 

Moogy

Well-known member
Nov 23, 2021
1,790
1,310
113
Oh, another thing to everyone reading this. Turn the picture setting to “vivid” if you haven’t already. You will be amazed how much the picture quality will be better. Used to do this at all my restaurants and the mgrs were shocked.

This is terrible advice for a typical television at home. It's one of the precautions that buying guides will provide - don't judge a TV at a store based on their default picture, because they set them all to vivid, not giving you an accurate rendering of what a quality picture looks like.

It works in public places ... like a store or a restaurant ... because of the bright lights/sunlight. A typical home setup benefits from a more subdued color saturation level.
 

WanderingSpectator

Well-known member
Oct 12, 2021
419
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I have a 65” LG OLED and love it. Watching games in 4K is awesome. Next TV will be the same but bigger.

Refresh rate is key for fast motion (like sports). Viewing angle is also important. If you are looking at the TV straight on, most TVs will be fine. If your room requires viewing at an angle, you can’t beat OLED.

Virtually every TV has 4K now but the problem is, not all broadcasts are in 4K. And you’ll have to make sure your service offers 4K. I pay extra for it on YTTV.

I use TMobile internet and my LG has a ton of apps built in (Spotify, Netflix, Amazon, YouTube and YouTube TV, Hulu, Disney). But we pay for most of those services.

Good luck in the decision.
 

razpsu

Well-known member
Oct 19, 2021
7,194
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This is terrible advice for a typical television at home. It's one of the precautions that buying guides will provide - don't judge a TV at a store based on their default picture, because they set them all to vivid, not giving you an accurate rendering of what a quality picture looks like.

It works in public places ... like a store or a restaurant ... because of the bright lights/sunlight. A typical home setup benefits from a more subdued color saturation level.
🤣
 
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