[Captain Ahab]

I was wondering which would be the best one to get.

I am getting it for my room. I want to watch TV,movies, Netflix, and play video games on it. I heard 40 inches is the perfect size. I want to make sure there are USB ports since I download a lot of movies.

I am planning on getting a PS4 so anything that syncs well with that would be great.

How much should I spend? Which company makes the best TV? What about prices? Should I wait until Black Friday or Cyber Monday to purchase?

Thanks for your input.

[monster]

I really like Sonys and Samsungs. They have a wide range of price ranges, but I'd look for something in the mid-tier range. Amazon.com has a lot of great reviewers on TVs and it's a good resource.

Price is largely determined by size as well so figure out if you want a 40in or smaller or larger.

I've never found any nice tvs to ever go on sale for Black Fri/Cyber Monday, it's always the shitty house brands that ever go on sale.

[TravelerKai]

The Vizio ones have really low prices on Amazon. I bought a 55 inch one for 500 bucks. Look around. The Samsung ones are very nice if you can catch a deal or sale.

[jimukr104]

Funny how TV'S are getting smarter and people watching tv are getting stupider lol.

I see 40 inchs for 350 these days. Newegg.com often has good deals.

[aSimpNamedBrokeback]

You don't need a "smart" TV. You just need a nice 1080p set with a Roku Box, Chromecast or your PS4. I'm not sure about newer sets but my smart TV only has 5 apps that it came with and thats it, you can't update it. The Roku, Chromecast and everything else are constantly adding new apps and channels. As soon as you plug in your PS4 you'll realize the "smart" part of your TV was a waste.

[kaotic]

Fuck a smart TV (even though most are anyways nowadays)

Sony or Samsung (preferable).

Your PS4 will have plenty of smart functions.

Like Jim mentioned check out newegg. Always filter by how many times it's been reviewed and the egg rating second.

[TravelerKai]

Chromecast is almost perfect. If it worked with Amazon Prime I think I wouldn't use the smart TV apps anymore. Hulu and crunchyroll work with it too.

I want to get a Roku, but I am not sure what stuff I could use it for since Chromecast kicks so much ass now.

[Sturmgeist]

(10-14-2014 02:53 PM)kaotic Wrote:  

Fuck a smart TV (even though most are anyways nowadays)

Sony or Samsung (preferable).

Your PS4 will have plenty of smart functions.

Like Jim mentioned check out newegg. Always filter by how many times it's been reviewed and the egg rating second.

I was going to say this.

Buy a good 40' HDTV and use Google Chromecast.

[Roosh]

Smart TV's seem to be limited by the software that tv manufacturers put on it.

http://www.howtogeek.com/176392/smart-tv...-smart-tv/
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.p...xtra-money

[MiscBrah]

I am also in the market for a TV and having just done hours of research here are my suggestions.

What do you plan on using your TV for? Me and you are almost exactly alike in that I am also getting a PS4 to sync with it. Since I will use my TV mostly for gaming input lag is of big concern for me.

I was originally planning on picking up a 65in Vizio for $1089 at Walmart. Solid price.

However, I was not pleased with the reviews and overall quality of the TV.

I decided to go with the Sony W-850b for $1400. Yes, it is slightly more expensive than other TVs but it is also of higher quality. Its input lag is solid so it will perform very well for gaming.

I strongly recommend you research Sonys before heading towards other brands.

Most importantly, whatever you do, DO NOT GET A SAMSUNG.

[samsamsam]

Chromecast is pretty awesome and for sale for 28 bucks right now on Amazon. Not sure how long it will be at that price.

http://www.amazon.com/Google-Chromecast-...chromecast

There are no affiliate links, but if you want to help out your favorite blogger go through them to get to amazon.

[TheBMan]

(10-14-2014 05:42 PM)MiscBrah Wrote:  

I am also in the market for a TV and having just done hours of research here are my suggestions.

What do you plan on using your TV for? Me and you are almost exactly alike in that I am also getting a PS4 to sync with it. Since I will use my TV mostly for gaming input lag is of big concern for me.

I was originally planning on picking up a 65in Vizio for $1089 at Walmart. Solid price.

However, I was not pleased with the reviews and overall quality of the TV.

I decided to go with the Sony W-850b for $1400. Yes, it is slightly more expensive than other TVs but it is also of higher quality. Its input lag is solid so it will perform very well for gaming.

I strongly recommend you research Sonys before heading towards other brands.

Most importantly, whatever you do, DO NOT GET A SAMSUNG.

Why do you say dont get a Samsung? I have always thought they have the best pictures from what I have seen

[aSimpNamedBrokeback]

(10-14-2014 03:01 PM)TravelerKai Wrote:  

I want to get a Roku, but I am not sure what stuff I could use it for since Chromecast kicks so much ass now.

Once Chromecast was able to stream live Youtube it set the stage to make Roku irrelevant. I'm currently watching Brazil smoke Japan in a friendly with my chromecast .

At the moment though there's still more content through Livestream ( http://new.livestream.com/watch ) which I get watch through Roku. However every time I check there's new live channels being added to youtube. It's only a matter of time I think, before everything switches to youtube.

[WalterBlack]

(10-14-2014 04:01 PM)Roosh Wrote:  

Smart TV's seem to be limited by the software that tv manufacturers put on it.

http://www.howtogeek.com/176392/smart-tv...-smart-tv/
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.p...xtra-money

I don't use a Smart TV. My laptop is attached to my 55" Sony TV and I get everything via my laptop. That way my functionality is only limited by what my laptop can do. I can watch Youtube videos with 1080p definition and on my TV.

I use this as my remote: Logitech Wireless Touch Keyboard K400

[TravelerKai]

(10-14-2014 04:01 PM)Roosh Wrote:  

Smart TV's seem to be limited by the software that tv manufacturers put on it.

http://www.howtogeek.com/176392/smart-tv...-smart-tv/
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.p...xtra-money

Yes! The Amazon app was broken for almost a year on my TV, before they finally patched it in an update. The update had to come from Vizio. Vizio kept blaming Amazon for the delay. Later the Netflix app broke and it took a week for that to get updated and fixed.

It was kinda frustrating. I kind of got around it by using my Chromecast and or a laptop connected to the TV.

[MikeS]

I never use any of the "smart" features of my LG 3D TV, I've checked out some of the countless apps but haven't seen a single interesting one where I can't accomplish the same or similar task faster and better with either a computer or an app on my phone or tablet (although built-in apps for various video streaming services could be useful - I don't use any - but as others have mentioned you can get those in a cheap media box connected to the TV).

I very frequently stream video from a media server on my laptop to my TV over the home network (wired net connection for both laptop and TV, I've had too many playback hiccups with HD videos on wifi, despite a strong signal) - or play from a USB stick or disk inserted into one of the USB ports on the TV - but even my old "non-smart" Samsung TV could do that four or five years ago.

[Yeti]

I see great deals for flat panel smart TVs every week on Slickdeals.net.

For example, a 55" Samsung 1080 for $550 recently - there will almost certainly be a similar deal sometime fairly soon. Free shipping.

I own a 55" flat panel Insignia and it's not too big. It goes nicely on the wall at the foot of a queen-size bed. (My room is small-ish.)

[Captain Ahab]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I actually have a Google Chrome cast I got for Christmas last year. It is still in the box as I don't know how to use it. How is it used? Do I plug in the chromecast to a USB port on the TV and it gives me a selection of apps I can use (youtube, twitter, etc)?

Aside from that, my main concern is being able to play downloaded movie files on my TV without having to use a laptop. I heard SMART TV's can do that. I've seen it done with a BLU Ray player connected to a non smart TV but not a direct connection to a TV before. It may be worth it to save the $100 dollars a Smart TV would cost me and get the Non-Smart version with a Blu-ray player that has a USB port and can read downloaded files.

Also, What size TV would be good for my room? I have a queen size bed. My room is 10ft 8in (128 inches) by 13ft 6 inches (162 inches). I estimated 40 inches but someone mentioned he has no issues with a 55 inch. Is that too big? I want a big screen TV but I don't want the feeling like I am sitting in the first row of the movie theater closest to the big screen.

[MikeS]

There's really no such thing as a TV too big when you're watching HD content. Be more concerned with not getting one you'll end up finding too small.
I'm sitting around 3 meters (~118 inches) from a 42" TV and it's just barely big enough for that distance. In my old place before I moved abroad I was sitting 2 meters (~79 inches) from a 55" TV and it was fantastic. But it could easily have been much larger without any issues at all. Hell, using a projector to fill the wall would probably only just starting to make me feel like I might want to move back a few steps.

[aSimpNamedBrokeback]

(10-15-2014 09:36 AM)Captain Ahab Wrote:  

I actually have a Google Chrome cast I got for Christmas last year. It is still in the box as I don't know how to use it. How is it used? Do I plug in the chromecast to a USB port on the TV and it gives me a selection of apps I can use (youtube, twitter, etc)?

You plug Chromecast into a HDMI outlet and the power end into the USB port. Then you download the chromecast app on your phone or the extension through Google chrome browser. You'll need wifi. When you open the app or the extension, it should find your chromecast and the set-up pretty simple after that. You use it by opening a youtube video for example and then hitting the cast tab and it will send it to your TV. It's good with music videos cause you can line up playlist. Basically the same for Netflix.

You can Plex to cast your content to your TV through chromecast. I've never used it. https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/categor...-Plex-Apps

[BallsDeep]

I tried a Chromecast for one day and hated it because it was constantly freezing. I was trying to play HD videos that I'd downloaded through my Chrome browser on it.

How do you guys fix the freezing?

[Engineering Bandicoot]

The best tv's that match CRT's in terms of overall quality are "OLEDs", this would be the best tv in the market you can get right now. If you can get it professionally calibrated, you'd be very surprised at how good the picture looks. Of course I recommend you to do your own research, but there are sites like the "AVS" forums which have engineers on there that vouch for this kind of tv.



Go to an electronics store and compare how the LCD, Plasma, and OLEDs look. The OLED ones should have the best picture, the most accurate colors and deep, almost perfect black/white levels that should stand out to you. I wouldn't recommend LG brands though, they have an extra pixel, a "white" pixel added to the RGB, so four in all(it doesn't have as good as a picture as the Samsungs do as a result). Samsung makes the best OLED tvs currently(They make OLED tvs with only three pixels, Green, Blue, and Red, making a very accurate color range), according to what I've read, but again, please read more on this yourself. I think LG brand OLEDs are the only ones being sold right now, so you may want to wait. Only curved sets are being sold at this time, I don't think you'd want that.

If you do not have a big $$$ budget, then a good alternative is to buy a 34' inch "Super Fine Pitch" Sony WEGA Trinitron

Models such as KV-34XBR910, KD-34XS955,(Try to get this one-->) KD-34XBR960 (They look like this)


What is Super Fine Pitch?

off of craigslist ( They are cheap, $under 150 because of the age and weight). These are the best CRTs Sony ever made(Best viewing angle, can see a nearly perfect image at any angle unlike an LCD), but you'd have to calibrate it, which most can be done by yourself. There are calibration guides on the avs forums if you look, as well as video guides on Youtube.
(You'd need to also buy a calibration disc, such as "Digital Video Essentials", it comes with a blue tinted filter, you need that to do basic calibrations correctly. )

How to calibrate your Sony Wega Trinitron through the Service Menu.

In the event your Sony ever breaks down, there is even a repair guide thread here.


How to fix corner convergence problem in a CRT (You'll need permalloy strips)

CRTs of course weigh a lot, those sets I recommended weigh about 200 pounds.

There is a very good sound system also integrated with the sets I mentioned, they come with a huge subwoofer as well, very very powerful. The sound can also be further calibrated in the "Hidden Service Menu", if the regular menu settings aren't enough.

You'll want to anchor the back of the CRT as these are front heavy.

I know 34 inches doesn't seem like much, but these CRTs are built like tanks, very hard to to break, and the picture+sound are simply amazing. When new tvs are rated, they use these sets and very few others such as the Pioneer Kuro to compare with. They are that good. I know you wanted a "SMART" tv, but a great picture at a cheap price, trumps that, no? Just throwing some info out there, I'd still do your own research, there's a lot to read on the subject.

[Moma]

(10-17-2014 01:43 PM)BallsDeep Wrote:  

I tried a Chromecast for one day and hated it because it was constantly freezing. I was trying to play HD videos that I'd downloaded through my Chrome browser on it.

How do you guys fix the freezing?

Were you streaming the vids or they were already downloaded? Do you have a Plex server already set up? I have Chromecast and it's fantastic. The only drawback is that it doesn't stream Amazon prime as some poster already mentioned. I can get an Amazon box which will enable Amazon prime streaming but I'll see about that.

Chromecast streams through your router and via bandwidth so if you don't have fast internet, you may experience freezing.

[numanist]

Honestly, you might want to look at the new 4k TVs. 4k TVs have 4 times the resolution of a normal 1080p HDTV. As far as pricing goes, 4K TVs are kind of steep now: I saw an ad in the paper showing a 50 inch 4K TV for $1699. However, if your willing to splurge it might be worth the investment.

Also, Oculus Rift is suppose to come out next year and believe me it will be a game-changer for sure. It will offer an enriching fully immersive 3D experience for games and home entertainment. If predictions are correct, the rift should run a price tag of anywhere from $200 - $400.

I checked online and apparently you can buy yourself a poor-man's version for $33. You can also build your own based off google's blueprints online.

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/2014-Newe...aQodHhMAHw

[Captain Ahab]

Thanks for all the replies guys.

I decided I'm going to roll with a Vizio 48 inch LED 1080p since it is within my budget( Vizio LED 48 inch). I'll hold off on pulling the trigger until after Black Friday/Cyber Monday to see if any deals come up that look more enticing.

My roommate has a 42 inch in our living room at my place and I am not complaining about the size at all. A even bigger tv in a smaller area (my bedroom) should be enough for me to handle. I need money for car repairs, a new laptop, savings, etc, so going all out on a 4K ultra is not feasible for the time being.

I got a blu ray player with WIFI and a USB port so I can get apps such as youtube, amazon, etc. Also, I have chromecast as well.

I am wondering if there is a bargain sound system I can hook up to the TV, something no more than 100 bucks.

I look forward to catching up on shows, bringing dates back to "watch" movies, and playing video games again! I still haven't finished the Mass Effect Series.

Sad.