TV Buying Advice...

[*Fox2Monk*]

The only thing I don’t like about the Samsung is Samsungs own channel called Samsung live tv would appear when u turned on the tv. Very annoying because it’s a worthless channel as far as i can see. Somehow I managed to get that channel to stop appearing. Do you know anything about that?

Yeah I watch Samsung live TV all the time. It’s actually a collection of channels but I think you can get into the general setting to stop that from coming up automatically. Mine is setup to go through main menu where I can choose which streaming app I want to use or Samsung TV is there further down too. As you scroll down it shows all the different shows you watch and you can return to them if you stopped on a certain episode or place in a movie. Then the options on the left to go to the video outputs and connections to cable/playstation etc..

if you go into settings —— advanced features —— start screen options you can toggle Samsung TV startup off.

 

[pauled#1]

Walmart in Corbin had 85” Samsung for around $550, 75”Vizio for $428! Either is a good tv! I like the picture on the Vizio, I have a 75”!

 

[Eagles_Ball_69]

I can help - O L E D.
You are not going to see much a difference in a TV these days other than Oleds, and it all has to do with black levels (oleds turns blacks off while led/lcd they turn to grey giving a washed out effect). Oleds blow everything else out of the water Except for Mini- LED which are very close but Oled is still better.
Early on LG was the only one that did OLED but now Samsung and Sony does them also - they are all good just get the brand you like. for 2500 you should be able to get a c series from LG and get 75 inches or a Samsung brand around the same.

If you want to go a little larger and oled goes outside your budget, look at TCL QM8K, it is a mini-led and has the same type of black levels.

Feel free to DM me, I have done tons of research on this subject. RTINGS is your friend.

Accurate here. If you’ve got $2500 and have a Sam’s or even COSTCO, you can get an OLED in the 75” class easily. If your current TV is a 9 yr old Bravia, you’ll be blown away. Sports on an OLED are just crazy. Clarity and lack of pixelated movements are second to none. I’d recommend going to a COSTCO and taking 30 mins or so just to check out all the displays. That’s how I landed on mine. It’s truly eye opening how much better the OLEDs are when you put them next to an LED or similar.

 

[Ghornsback]

Samsung from Costco.

Just gotba new one a few months ago and couldn't be happier.

 

[Laparkafan]

Im 3 years in on our living room Samsung. No complaints. I'd recommend Samsung for a main tv.

Prior to that we went cheap and got an Onn. Lasted 1 year. If your just watching tv it may be fine but the inputs for our PS5 and Xbox quit so I gave it my brother.

In my bedroom I got a cheap Hisense Roku tv and its not been bad, so if you looking for a cheap tv Id recommend Hisense.

In our gameroom we have a TCL. We mostly play retro game systems on it but I hate the Google UI , its super slow.

His budget is 2500

 

[LineSkiCat14]

Yeah 2nd Rtings. You'll learn more about a TV than youd ever care to.

I also didnt know Vizios even existed anymore haha.

 

[MonsterMash79]

CRTs are tried, true, and time-tested technology. Some real bargains to be had at Goodwill or other secondhand places. Hell, you could probably get one for free!

My home setup is hard to beat:

View attachment 1327620

That games hard to beat lol

 

[MonsterMash79]

OLED’s the way to go. They’re pricey but hella quality.And refresh rate is what you really wanna look for in a tv, especially sports wise. Sony for Movies and Lg for sports

 

[Kantucke_rivals]

TCL QM6K/QM7K, best budget picks according to rtings I think. You definitely cannot go wrong with Sony. The QLEDs are more my price range but if you can afford it go OLED.

Also would highly recommend Google TV OS over any other OS for TVs.

 

[OliverSimmonsTwinBrother]

His budget is 2500

Could probably get a 300 inch 24k tv for that

 

[senonesy]

LG OLED is the way to go. I’ve owned all brands. Best TV I’ve ever had.

 

[Agent Redbone]

Hey guys, haven't bought a tv in over a decade, but mine crapped out yesterday.

Is Sony still a strong brand? I had really good luck with a Bravia last time. Anyone bought one recently?

Or does anyone else have any advice on other brands they like? I'm looking for something 75 to 85" and have a budget of about 2500 to play with.

I like LG best but also Samsung as a close second. I will say I bought a 65” Vizio several years ago and it died within two years. The screen got darker and darker a little at a time, and then went totally out.

 

[senonesy]

I have one of those with the “wand”. I absolutely hate it !

You don’t have to use it

 

[cdbearde_rivals384606]

You could always just get one of the external Roku setup things and hook it up to whatever TV? That’s the only way I can think of to do what you are wanting.

Yes, it's called a Roku streaming stick. Bought them over the years for gifts for family.

 

[cdbearde_rivals384606]

I’ve never needed Roku so have no idea how it would perform but on my Samsung smart tv I can find any app I need then click that app and works fine. The apps I use are YouTube, YouTube TV, Netflix, Disney, Hulu, Amazon video, Twitch and in the past ESPN app. I’m not sure what Roku would do beyond what I allready get.

We have gotten so use to Roku over the years because they have so many free things to watch, anything from old westerns, which is what my wife loves, to crime, comedy, history, news, and old stuff that I could keep naming until my one finger typing wore out.
Just wondering if just a smart TV would give us the same free options for my wife. You know, happy wife, happy life.

 

[CoffeeCat]

We have gotten so use to Roku over the years because they have so many free things to watch, anything from old westerns, which is what my wife loves, to crime, comedy, history, news, and old stuff that I could keep naming until my one finger typing wore out.
Just wondering if just a smart TV would give us the same free options for my wife. You know, happy wife, happy life.

I just watched all the Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns free with a western channel on YouTube and it’s all on demand. YouTube , not to be confused with YouTube tv, has several old movie channels. It doesn’t have everything but a pretty good selection of movies. I do pay extra for YouTube premium so I don’t get advertisements but I watch more YouTube stuff than regular YouTube tv channels. I use YouTube tv mostly for sports.

 

[LowerLevel]

You don’t have to use it

I don’t think you can disable it permanently. It will pop up on screen all the time, then basically you have to point remote away from tv to make it stop.

 

[JAC71]

I would go for quality of picture and audio over size… especially now with TV’s prices being so cheap

 

[rljohnson5769]

Sony is still great, for that you could get an amazing Samsung Mini Q-led with a super high refresh rate. Get native 120hz plus. I bought one for around $1000, 55 inch. Wanted a 65, but the wife was like “It’s too big.” Of course now she loves this one, the 65 would easily fit in the basement as well. Great TV.

I got an 85" Sony Bravia 7. My GF said the TV was too big for the space (it isn't) but I eventually wore her down and got the TV I wanted.

 

[seccats04]

My Sony’s backlight went out after three years and I hated the Google tv UI. So I bought a 65 inch Roku Pro Series tv, that is a mini-LED QLED. I love the simplicity of the Roku interface, where I can find all my apps, including my antenna and PlayStation in one area. Plus I only have one remote to keep up with versus having a tv remote and a streaming stick remote.

 

[Battle_Cat]

Sony and Samsung have been the best for a long time. Both allow you to get color slider settings from calibration pros and get them as close to color accurate as possible without actually paying hundreds for a proper calibration. Sony has always been decently accurate to start, Samsung has better software but that was 10 years ago. Every picture is always setup in a store to "pop" in a retail environment which will look like crap in your house. Just get the recommended settings and you wont believe the difference.

 

[TheKentuckyKid]

Skip the smart tv, mine has became laggy even when trying to adjust the volume. Instead buy a Google TV box or fire device to pair it with. That will be cheaper to replace when it gets outdated.

 

[Bluegrasskingreboot]

I’ve never needed Roku so have no idea how it would perform but on my Samsung smart tv I can find any app I need then click that app and works fine. The apps I use are YouTube, YouTube TV, Netflix, Disney, Hulu, Amazon video, Twitch and in the past ESPN app. I’m not sure what Roku would do beyond what I allready get.

With time the internal apps slow down and start failing to update. My Samsung's Smart Hub has been hot garbage for about five years.

I got a cheap Insignia for the bedroom (actually has a pretty nice picture especially for a hundred bucks!) and the built in FireTV was slow out of the box.

The much nicer Samsung was solid for five or six years and then slowly but surely became worthless. It will still do YouTube but little else.

A Roku, Fire stick, or a Google box are much snappier and cry far less about space than even a brand new SmartTV.

I'm fine with any of them, maybe a slight preference for the Firestick but really they are about all the same with a little different menus.

Personally, I'd prefer they just skip."Smart".
They can keep.the weak spakers too but I guess they are good for a backup/trouble shooting.

All I really want is a giant 4K monitor.

 

[Hitman206]

Fox just bought Roku but Roku will still be around with its offerings

 

[DudahUK]

Yes, it's called a Roku streaming stick. Bought them over the years for gifts for family.

That’s the wordage I was looking for. Lol mind went a little blank at that moment. Good piece of cheap tech imo.

Love the Roku TVs. Had many of them over the years. Got 2 Samsungs now. LG is probably my favorite of the brands I’ve owned over the years. Pretty sure that was pre smart tv. Would love to check out a new one of those.

 

[DudahUK]

I would go for quality of picture and audio over size… especially now with TV’s prices being so cheap

It’s crazy how cheap they are now. I remember around like 06 my roommate at the time spent like $4K on a 60 inch. We had the badddst TV on the block. What a waste that was looking back at it. Glad I didn’t buy it lol.

 

[DudahUK]

My Sony’s backlight went out after three years and I hated the Google tv UI. So I bought a 65 inch Roku Pro Series tv, that is a mini-LED QLED. I love the simplicity of the Roku interface, where I can find all my apps, including my antenna and PlayStation in one area. Plus I only have one remote to keep up with versus having a tv remote and a streaming stick remote.

How much the Roku set you back?

 

[DudahUK]

With time the internal apps slow down and start failing to update. My Samsung's Smart Hub has been hot garbage for about five years.

I got a cheap Insignia for the bedroom (actually has a pretty nice picture especially for a hundred bucks!) and the built in FireTV was slow out of the box.

The much nicer Samsung was solid for five or six years and then slowly but surely became worthless. It will still do YouTube but little else.

A Roku, Fire stick, or a Google box are much snappier and cry far less about space than even a brand new SmartTV.

I'm fine with any of them, maybe a slight preference for the Firestick but really they are about all the same with a little different menus.

Personally, I'd prefer they just skip."Smart".
They can keep.the weak spakers too but I guess they are good for a backup/trouble shooting.

All I really want is a giant 4K monitor.

Is it bad I use an AppleTV on my Samsung? Not sure what series it is but it’s a smart TV. I’m so used to the Apple interface plus it has the app to access my server so it’s much more convenient for me.

 

[seccats04]

How much the Roku set you back?

$800. Very happy with it.

One other thing I meant to mention for the OP is are you planning on watching most of your tv in a bright or dark room? If it’s a bright room, go for a mini LED QLED, as they have much better peak brightness over an OLED. If you’re mostly watching in a dark room, go for an OLED for the deep blacks.

 

[DudahUK]

$800. Very happy with it.

One other thing I meant to mention for the OP is are you planning on watching most of your tv in a bright or dark room? If it’s a bright room, go for a mini LED QLED, as they have much better peak brightness over an OLED. If you’re mostly watching in a dark room, go for an OLED for the deep blacks.

Sounds nice. Crazy how the prices have gone so far down over the years. That will forever amaze me lol. I wouldn’t mind getting a new one for the upstairs.

 

[seccats04]

Sounds nice. Crazy how the prices have gone so far down over the years. That will forever amaze me lol. I wouldn’t mind getting a new one for the upstairs.

Also has a backlit, rechargeable remote.

 

[CatsMash92]

Hey guys, haven't bought a tv in over a decade, but mine crapped out yesterday.

Is Sony still a strong brand? I had really good luck with a Bravia last time. Anyone bought one recently?

Or does anyone else have any advice on other brands they like? I'm looking for something 75 to 85" and have a budget of about 2500 to play with.

If you have the space I'd recommend the 98" TCL from Costco. Costco will warranty it for 5 years free of charge so no worries about failure. The bang for your buck is through the roof. Fantastic picture, great immersion and can be had for way less than $2000. I got mine for $1399 and I feel like I stole it. I have a 77" Sony OLED that I like but, I'd choose the TCL if I had to choose only one.

 

[DudahUK]

If you have the space I'd recommend the 98" TCL from Costco. Costco will warranty it for 5 years free of charge so no worries about failure. The bang for your buck is through the roof. Fantastic picture, great immersion and can be had for way less than $2000. I got mine for $1399 and I feel like I stole it. I have a 77" Sony OLED that I like but, I'd choose the TCL if I had to choose only one.

98 inch. Jesus. That would be awesome.

 

[CatsMash92]

98 inch. Jesus. That would be awesome.

It totally is. Best TV I've ever had. I'll never do less than 98" again as my main TV.

 

[CoffeeCat]

I’m more interested in what kind of sound systems people recommend with their tv that also sounds great for music. I have 3 sound bars and none of them are very good for music. Rather than start a new thread I think this one is good.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

We have had a 65” Philips for over a decade and haven’t had any issues. We’re not real big on the pre installed apps, but we have Roku players for that. LOVE our Roku players! Inexpensive, yet reliable and effective. Hell, one could get great entertainment just from the Roku Channel alone. Tons of good programming on there IMHO.

 

[mdluk1]

We have had a 65” Philips for over a decade and haven’t had any issues. We’re not real big on the pre installed apps, but we have Roku players for that. LOVE our Roku players! Inexpensive, yet reliable and effective. Hell, one could get great entertainment just from the Roku Channel alone. Tons of good programming on there IMHO.

My favorite thing about the Roku box is the remote is rechargeable.

 

[bnewt5]

Have several samsung tv's, different sizes. Have 2 75 " and they have very good pictures. Samsung seems to have a brighter, more vibrant picture. OLED looks great in stores but most of my rooms are bright so I was always afraid the light would be too much for them. No gaming, just tv watching

 

[ukchamps_98]

Recommend doing your homework on the spyware, built in cameras, and data collection with the Chinese made TCL and Hisense brands.

 

[Uncle B.S.]

Just listen to your wife.
“Bigger is Better.”