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We all know 3D is a huge gimmick, but the wife and I watched Finding Nemo in 3D last night on the VT60 (55"). After an entirely frustrating ordeal getting the PS3 set up (had to take the receiver out of the equation) it was, in a word, stunning. Maybe it's because we've never owned/watched a 3D HDTV but I have to say the quality and realism was fantastic. Off to pawn shops to buy a few more 3D movies!
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Dec 29, 2013 20:28
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So I bought the Sony bravia kdl-w653 yesterday- thus far, I have to say, it is amazing. Upgraded from a Samsung I bought four years ago, and was older than that then- want to say its a series five but not sure. Colours and blacks are incredible, and sharpness is way better than I had before. Smart features are really nice, at least from having nothing before as is hdmi control of the ps4- Netflix looks amazing. Only thing I've found to complain about thus far is the lack of a spotify app, and that WiFi connectivity from my phone to the TV is spotty, but I think that's a home environment issue rather than the TV. Thanks for the suggestion, whoever said about this set - spot on what I wanted. There's supposed to be a slight darkened area in the middle due to edge backlighting, but I haven't been able to spot it yet. Don't know if this is available in america, but definitely recommend to EU goons. Weirdly, even being 42" it looks smaller than my old 40" due to the thin bezel. Silky fucked around with this message at 21:50 on Dec 29, 2013 |
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Dec 29, 2013 21:48
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Silky posted:Weirdly, even being 42" it looks smaller than my old 40" due to the thin bezel. Yeah, I have a really flimsy TV stand and upgraded from a 32" to a 42" a few months ago. I did the measurements before I bought it and noticed I could fit the 42 now that they're thinner and everything, I just wasn't sure about the weight. Then I found an old datasheet for the first HDTV I had, and it turned out the 42 even weighed less.
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Dec 30, 2013 01:42
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I recently got a Vizio e550i-a1 and everything is fantastic about it, except for the fact that it randomly restarts for absolutely no reason I can discern. I've got pretty much everything set at base levels, no extra bells and whistles, and it will randomly restart, even if just sitting on a blank input screen. Anyone else with a Vizio noticed anything like this?
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Dec 30, 2013 22:39
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I may have cursed myself asking for my ST50 to last me a good long time. I noticed this weekend that on white/gray screens I can see two largish splotches of off color, one in the upper left corner and one along the right hand side. I can't really say what color they are, either yellow or green (I'm colorblind so it's hard for me to distinguish light tints like that), but the uniformity of the panel is affected. Under most viewing, I can't see it. Cartoons, with their large blocks of color, tend to show it off the most. I know the previous generation suffered from the Green Blob problem, but I've seen next to nothing about the ST/GT/VT 50 suffering from the same thing. I'm almost wondering if the recent firmware update messed with the voltages behind the scenes that might highlight panel flaws. If you turn brightness to 100%, the blobs nearly disappear. I'm out of the one year warranty, but fortunately I bought it on my American Express card. So, I have until April to do something about it since they extend warranty by a year. So, I'll keep an eye on it for now and see if it gets better or worse. I'll decide by April if I want to warranty it through Amex. They're likely to just up and refund the purchase price rather than try to repair it, so I may be searching for a new TV come spring.
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Dec 30, 2013 23:30
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larchesdanrew posted:I recently got a Vizio e550i-a1 and everything is fantastic about it, except for the fact that it randomly restarts for absolutely no reason I can discern. I've got pretty much everything set at base levels, no extra bells and whistles, and it will randomly restart, even if just sitting on a blank input screen. We picked up a Vizio E500i-A1 this week and it's not doing that to us. (So far, at least.) It's a pretty nice set for what it is; now I just wish Netflix had more good stuff streaming. SmartTV has spoiled me to ever putting a disc in the player again.
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Dec 31, 2013 00:08
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larchesdanrew posted:I recently got a Vizio e550i-a1 and everything is fantastic about it, except for the fact that it randomly restarts for absolutely no reason I can discern. I've got pretty much everything set at base levels, no extra bells and whistles, and it will randomly restart, even if just sitting on a blank input screen. Yeah that's definitely a defective unit. I'd return it.
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Dec 31, 2013 01:17
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So, I'm looking to buy my first HDTV. I've done a bit of research and I figured I'd come to this thread to validate my thinking. Size: The TV will be located in my apartment's rather shallow living room. It is approximately 88" (~7.5') from screen to eyeballs on the center of the couch against the opposing wall. The couch seats 2-3, and is flanked by armchairs, which are themselves roughly 9'-11' feet away from the TV. Based on the various guides I've seen, it seems like I have several options. I've settled on 50" as a size which is on the upper edge of optimal (as much about dominating a pretty small room as anything else to be honest). Display Strong plasma preference. Budget ~$500. Can go a little higher, if necessary, but not by much. I honestly don't use a TV more than once a week or so (usually to watch sports or play the very occasional video game), and we already have a (lovely) 32" LCD, so even getting a larger HDTV is a nice-to-have, not a need-to-have, at this point in my life (and budget). Peripherals * Chromecast * Mac mini * PS3 * maybe another console So, as many HDMI ports as possible, I guess. New [ Like Weinertron a few pages back, and based on my various constraints, I've been looking hard at the Wirecutter Best 500 TV recommendation, which is the Samsung PN51F4500. The reviewer is Geoff Morrison, and his bio seems credible. He really goes in-depth praising its contrast levels, black levels, etc. The biggest drawback is that it is 720p (actually, 1,024×768), which the OP warns hard against. However, Morrison says: quote:The PN51F4500 has a resolution of 1,024 x 768. Yes, that is HD. And yes, that is also 16×9 (the pixels are more rectangular). The question that matters: can you see individual pixels from a normal seating distance? While reviewing the Samsung, I sat roughly 8 feet away. I have 20/15 vision, and I couldn’t see pixels. I could see, along some diagonal white lettering, some jagged steps. I doubt most people would notice this unless they were looking for it. From about 6½ feet away, I started to see some noise, and I could just make out the pixel structure in bright images. If you’re sitting this close to your TV, I recommend checking out one of our step-up 1080p options mentioned at the end. I'm not really sure if there are other new (or refurbished) models in my price range. However, I leave near Costcos, Best Buys, Microcenters, et al, so I can certainly check if there are any good places. Used If I do want to stick with a 1080p, though, it seems like I'll have to go used. I've found some promising candidates in jut a few days of looking (and unfortunately, some great ones have already gone). Craiglist A Panasonic TC-50PS14 going for ~$500. Oddly, I've been unable to find many reviews for this model. Not sure what that means. A Panasonic TC-P50UT50 going for ~$650. Has somewhat mixed reviews on CNET, but 4 stars overall, with favorable comparisons to the ST50. I would imagine I might be able to talk either/both of these down, particularly the latter since it's a bit of a drive for me. Amazon A Panasonic TH-50PZ80U, also for $600 used on Amazon. This has great reviews but I know nothing else about the model. It does have a built in HD antenna, which is nice. *** Anyway, so that's where I am, and I would appreciate any feedback or (in)validation about my various considerations here. I already read the previous 39 pages of the thread, which were super helpful, so thanks for that already! Petey fucked around with this message at 23:51 on Dec 31, 2013 |
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Dec 31, 2013 22:16
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You can get a 50" S60 for just a little bit more. Awesome reviews, though apparently it's getting tough to find. e: it's a little more expensive than I though, at $700. Still not too bad though catch22 fucked around with this message at 23:28 on Dec 31, 2013 |
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Dec 31, 2013 23:26
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catch22 posted:You can get a 50" S60 for just a little bit more. Awesome reviews, though apparently it's getting tough to find. Is there that much of a difference between the S60 and any of these used models I've linked above? I thought it was the ST60 which was best in class or whatever?
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Dec 31, 2013 23:49
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Petey posted:Is there that much of a difference between the S60 and any of these used models I've linked above? I thought it was the ST60 which was best in class or whatever? ST60 is better, particularity in a brighter room, but it's also a pretty fair step up in price ($1000 for a 50"). It still has a great picture, plus it's $700 new, with warranty, as opposed to a TV you bought off craigslist for almost that price.
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Jan 1, 2014 00:08
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catch22 posted:ST60 is better, particularity in a brighter room, but it's also a pretty fair step up in price ($1000 for a 50"). It still has a great picture, plus it's $700 new, with warranty, as opposed to a TV you bought off craigslist for almost that price. Fair point. Certainly there is some draw to buying new w/ warranty, although I've also had luck with other electronics on Craigslist and I've made some great deals there. And I do really want to stay close to $500. But I've added it to my list. Another question: any suggestions for bargain shopping at the big box (or, in the case of Costco, boxless) stores? I've heard, for example, that they offer discounts for their display models, and stuff like that.
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Jan 1, 2014 01:01
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catch22 posted:ST60 is better, particularity in a brighter room, but it's also a pretty fair step up in price ($1000 for a 50"). It still has a great picture, plus it's $700 new, with warranty, as opposed to a TV you bought off craigslist for almost that price. He said gaming, and even in whatever passes for game mode the ST60 has four to five frames of input lag 
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Jan 1, 2014 05:15
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Sir Unimaginative posted:He said gaming, and even in whatever passes for game mode the ST60 has four to five frames of input lag I suggested the S60, and not the ST60 due to price, but the input lag is another good reason to pass on the ST60
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Jan 1, 2014 05:33
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My dad has a 50" 720p plasma TV, and while the colours are nice the image does not compare in terms of crispness to other 1080p TVs. Its not terrible, but its really not good either, especially if you've seen a 1080p TV of that size. I wouldn't really recommend one.
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Jan 1, 2014 09:31
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Sir Unimaginative posted:He said gaming, and even in whatever passes for game mode the ST60 has four to five frames of input lag Yikes. I'd missed that. Where is that usually listed so I can check? Petey fucked around with this message at 16:17 on Jan 1, 2014 |
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Jan 1, 2014 16:02
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Petey posted:Yikes. I'd missed that. Where is that usually listed so I can check? It's a bit tricky. Display Lag's Input Lag Database has many units, but has been a bit lacking in the 2013 Panasonic plasmas. HDTVTest.co.uk specializes in European units, which means the S60 doesn't have a rating (incidentally, its numbers aren't comparable to Display Lag unless you use the Leo Bodnar numbers, which are only present for some units). Rtings also has a small selection of input lag measurements (again apparently using Leo Bodnar measurements), and this last one has a score for the S60. It's also worth noting that, as HDTVTest mentions, Leo Bodnar scores tend to be harder on Plasmas (and that the perceived input lag is lower), so a 29.2ms lag on the S60 is very probably equivalent to a 16 to 17ms camera-observed lag, which is great for gaming as it's less than 2 frames. (Incidentally, this is also why HDTVTest continues to report camera lags). EDIT: Sorry, I was misreading the Rtings scores, which are lower than the Bodnar scores (and appear to be camera-measured lag). Still, a 29.2ms camera lag should be comparable to the VT60 and other HDTVs marked "Great" or the low end of "Okay" on Display Lag's database (the F8500 for comparison gets a Leo Bodnar score of 62ms on Display Lag instead of the 37.5ms of Rtings). It's just closer to 2-3 frames of lag than 1 frame. Still, unless you're a pro gamer playing twitchy games like Call of Duty competitively, this shouldn't be a problem for most people. ComradeCosmobot fucked around with this message at 19:15 on Jan 1, 2014 |
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Jan 1, 2014 18:42
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Thanks CC!
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Jan 1, 2014 18:59
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Finally convinced my parents to ditch their 2003 Pioneer PDP-5030HD, was wondering if you guys had any recs. Size: Needs to be ~50" to fit the setup. Probably a few inches of wiggle room there. Display This is getting used almost 100% for movies, so display quality is most important in that regard. Any smart TV features won't get used at all (other than the ones on the Apple TV,) so if a dumber TV with better quality is available that would make more sense. Budget Under $1000, can go a little higher but not by much. Peripherals *DENON receiver that unfortunately lacks HDMI ports, but will use that to handle audio to their 5.1 setup *DVD player *Apple TV 3rd gen *Comcast cable box *Logitech Harmony remote Used They never buy anything used, and they're not about to start, so this would need to be a new one. Parents. TIA guys.
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Jan 1, 2014 23:20
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Okay, I wanted to do a trip-report on a TV that I asked about and got some cool feedback from you guys. I've had Samsung's UN32EH5300 LED Smart TV since Christmas. I currently have a PS4, PS3, Xbox 360 and a HD DirecTV receiver hooked up too it. Though the TV only sports 3 HDMI slots and one set of composite so I got a cheap HDMI switch off Monoprice for the Receiver and 360. (Built my own xbox one, ha!) I have to say though that 3 HDMI slots are a sweet spot for most needs. I really expected I would be using a SD Receiver that could use composite slots but I was surprised with a free upgrade from DirecTV. The menues and their navigation are incredibly easy and by far the most pleasent time I had tweaking a TV/Monitor. Only Advanced Settings greys out with some picture modes that I don't entirely understand why. The picture quality is pretty wonderful, it makes sure any HD resolution fits its 1080p display and there's hardly anything to complain about. Games rendered and output at 1080p look stunning and 720p games vary. Vanquish in 720p looked a little washed out with all its whites but Halo 4/Halo Reach still looked really great. In certain instances, like on the PS3/PS4 home screen and a few HD movies I watched I could notice a tiny bit of noise on the screen. Turning on a few of the TVs post processing features to the absolute minimum got rid of it, but going any higher starts introducing that weird motionblur effect. The colors seem accurate but it doesn't really have the ability to crank the saturation up. (I'm really weird and like slightly oversaturated pictures) Currently using these settings and wouldn't mind some feedback on how wrong I'm watching stuff: Picture Mode - Dynamic Blacklight - 18/20 Contrast - 85/100 Brightness - 50/100 Sharpness 60 or 80/100 (I don't really notice any sharpening, improving or degrading of a picture outside of Halo Reach, which was really weird.) Color - 70/100 Color Tone - Standard Digital Noise Filter - Low MPEG Noise Filter - Low HDMI Black Level - Low LED Motion Plus - Off I'm a little torn on Black level (options are Low or Normal). It dims the picture slightly but increases the amount of viewable black and white levels. I'm probably in the minority that I enjoy playing in a dark room with a bright picture. But overall I am really happy with this TV. If you want to spend a little more and wait for a sale you can probably do better but the size and price were perfect and I can't really find any glaring issues that stare me in the face everytime I use it. Also surprisingly is that it's a little fatter than most displays. A benefit of this is that the speakers are surprisingly decent. Nowhere near the level of having your own sound setup, but acceptable enough for TV and film.
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Jan 3, 2014 08:33
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The only advice I'd offer is to put sharpness down to 0, that "noise" you are seeing is probably sweet sweet film grain. Edit: and I'd probably turn both noise filters off.
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Jan 3, 2014 15:45
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I'm looking for a 32" LED TV with picture quality as top priority. The two main competitors in the 32" space seem to be LG and Samsung, with LG having the better quality - so I'm looking at getting the LG LN5700 over the Samsung F5500/F6300. Am I on the right track here?
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Jan 3, 2014 20:11
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Sony's W650 is the highest scoring LED available in 32" on Reviewed.com, but being a Sony, it's pretty expensive.
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Jan 3, 2014 22:52
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I'm looking for a 46" LED TV. I don't game at all and don't care about the smart features. All I'm interested in is the picture quality, but Samsung especially makes so many different models it is hard to go through them all. I can push the budget to maybe $1,500. Any recommendations or models to avoid? Here is what I'm looking at right now: Samsung UN46F7500 Samsung UN46F7100 Sony W802A
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Jan 4, 2014 00:44
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The Sony 802a has a pretty narrow viewing angle, but is excellent in all other respects, especially input lag. Samsung's F6800 and F7500 got good scores (Best of Year and Editor's Choice, respectively) on Reviewed.com, which is my preferred review site. Their system is a relative scale against whatever the current highest-scoring display is; the scores lower over time as better models are released.
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Jan 4, 2014 03:03
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I'm trying to find an inexpensive stand for a 32" LCD TV. Not a wall mount, but a desk stand. Preferably under $100. I thought I found one at staples.com so I ordered it, but when it arrived I found it has to be drilled into the desk/table you're using. Any leads on a freestanding TV stand?
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Jan 4, 2014 09:36
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kareemy posted:I'm looking for a 46" LED TV. I don't game at all and don't care about the smart features. All I'm interested in is the picture quality, but Samsung especially makes so many different models it is hard to go through them all. I can push the budget to maybe $1,500. Any recommendations or models to avoid? I bought a Sony KDL42W670A which is superb. I have been trying it out with Borderlands 2 and Battlefield 4 on PC this afternoon and it has no noticable input lag or image ghosting.
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Jan 4, 2014 10:49
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Byolante posted:I bought a Sony KDL42W670A which is superb. I have been trying it out with Borderlands 2 and Battlefield 4 on PC this afternoon and it has no noticable input lag or image ghosting. How is the picture quality and such for movies? I'm trying to compare between a Samsung and Sony in that regard.
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Jan 4, 2014 16:33
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Wilford Cutlery posted:I'm trying to find an inexpensive stand for a 32" LCD TV. Not a wall mount, but a desk stand. Preferably under $100. I thought I found one at staples.com so I ordered it, but when it arrived I found it has to be drilled into the desk/table you're using. Any leads on a freestanding TV stand? Basically something like this: http://www.ergotron.com/tabid/481/Default.aspx?FID=50,45 But under $100 - or that one if it's on sale anywhere.
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Jan 4, 2014 16:44
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kareemy posted:How is the picture quality and such for movies? I'm trying to compare between a Samsung and Sony in that regard. I tried it out with fast 5 and harry potter book 7 part 2 and it seemed quite good. Not as saturated as the samsungs I saw in the shop but I haven't really played with the color options yet. The one downer with it is the remote is pretty bad and it kinda sucks as a smart tv as a result. The blacks are pretty drat good though.
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Jan 4, 2014 17:01
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Is it safe to say that if you Google a model number shown by a major brand and it isn't listed/reviewed on an independent site (CNET, Crutchfield, etc) it's probably not worth the money? I found some Samsungs at Costco which are within my price range but just are completely off the grid in terms of independent reviews. e: specifically this one: http://www.bjs.com/samsung-5134-plasma-1080p-600hz.product.236054 except $579 e3: actually, it does: http://www.samsung.com/us/video/tvs/PN51F5350AFXZA yet weirdly there are almost no details there (all the way to the right):  e4: ok, avs forums say that it's the big-box store equivalent of the F5300, which is a "dumb" version of the 5500, according to CNET. So now it seems like I at least have something to go off, but jesus, they don't make it easy. Petey fucked around with this message at 00:10 on Jan 5, 2014 |
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Jan 4, 2014 23:35
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Petey posted:Is it safe to say that if you Google a model number shown by a major brand and it isn't listed/reviewed on an independent site (CNET, Crutchfield, etc) it's probably not worth the money? Not necessarily. Just take the specs and find the equivalent. Its likely just a set with a different number of hdmi ports or some poo poo.
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Jan 4, 2014 23:44
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Petey posted:Is it safe to say that if you Google a model number shown by a major brand and it isn't listed/reviewed on an independent site (CNET, Crutchfield, etc) it's probably not worth the money? Many stores will get their own model numbers, in some cases because to make comparison shopping/price matching difficult, or because the retailer has requested some minor spec change or bundled something (like a hdmi cable with a bluray player or something).
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Jan 5, 2014 00:13
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Maneki Neko posted:Many stores will get their own model numbers, in some cases because to make comparison shopping/price matching difficult, or because the retailer has requested some minor spec change or bundled something (like a hdmi cable with a bluray player or something). Don Lapre posted:Not necessarily. Just take the specs and find the equivalent. Its likely just a set with a different number of hdmi ports or some poo poo. Gotcha, thanks. *** So I've been looking mostly at plasmas because I really like their picture quality, dark blacks, etc. But one thing that's common to all the models I've been looking at is that they seem to perform poorly in bright lighting. My living room isn't brightly lit, per se: there are no lights directly behind the people who will be watching the TV, for example. On the other hand, we don't ever really turn off all the lights and watch a movie either. It's mostly sports and news during the day or with the lights on at night. With that in mind, should I be reconsidering LCD?
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Jan 5, 2014 00:29
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No, you should get a plasma it'll be fine.
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Jan 5, 2014 06:36
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I'm reading through this thread and getting a new TV is starting to feel extremely overwhelming. If you guys could nudge/kick/push me in the right direction it would be appreciated. Currently looking for a TV that that will be used only for watching movies (source is wdtv) and over the air TV that is between 46 and 55" and has a generous viewing angle (long sectional sofa). LED preferred, smart not necessary.
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Jan 5, 2014 17:48
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Trip report: Went to Best Buy and Paul's TV. I was preparing to buy either the 43" Samsung PNF4500 (720p) or hope I found an open box ~51" 1080p model in my price range. But at Paul's, they had the PN51F4500 on display, and true to the Wirecutter review, I was shocked by how good it was in comparison to the much more expensive (and 1080p) models surrounding it. I jumped on it for $499, and if it turns out to be unbearable, I can return it, or exchange it for the 43" in the unlikely event I find it to be too loud. I also grabbed a VIZIO S3821w-C0 2.1 soundbar from Costco for $149. So overall, a pretty decent TV and a pretty decent soundbar for under $650. I'm cautiously optimistic that these will be good choices, and if they aren't, well, they're easily corrected. Thanks for all the help everyone! e: any recommended universal remotes? Petey fucked around with this message at 21:05 on Jan 5, 2014 |
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Jan 5, 2014 20:41
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FYI, anyone looking out for a Panasonic TC-P50S60 should check Best Buys nearby. A ton just popped up near me as clearance/open box. I got a ~4 month old display model marked as "excellent" quality for $550. They even have a handy location-based search tool: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=pcat17301&type=page
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Jan 5, 2014 22:09
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cbirdsong posted:FYI, anyone looking out for a Panasonic TC-P50S60 should check Best Buys nearby. A ton just popped up near me as clearance/open box. I got a ~4 month old display model marked as "excellent" quality for $550. They even have a handy location-based search tool: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=pcat17301&type=page Wow, this is a terrific tool. I just found an S60 not that far from me open box. Remotes etc missing, and "good" condition, so I may still stick with the one I just ordered, but hey.
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Jan 5, 2014 22:25
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CES begins in two days. Are there usually surprises at CES or do we already know more or less what the companies are going to present when it comes to new TVs and so on (and if so, is there a reliable/good site for that)?
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Jan 6, 2014 05:33
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