LCD TV recommendations?

[washabear]

My 22-year-old TV has died, and I’m looking at getting one of the LCD TVs but don’t know much about them. I’ve been looking at various brands and models, and they all look pretty much the same to me. I don’t want one of the very large ones; something in the 22-inch range would probably be fine. Reliability would be the most important quality; other than that, I don’t really need any special features that might distinguish one from another. The TV would be hooked into cable via a VCR and would be used as is—no home theater or anything like that.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

 

[maytagbear]

March '09s

Consumer Reports (look at it at the library) has tests and reliability records.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[panthera]

Bruce,

There is something you need to take into consideration regarding the size.

I use my 22" monitor as a TV when I do watch TV at all (German TV is sort of like PBS 24/7 on a bad Sunday afternoon back in the 1960's.)

And that 22" monitor is fine for 16:9. But for the old fashioned stuff - older movies and TV programs, they are tiny. Much smaller than they would be on a 22" traditional 4:3 set.

The 32" screens work out to be really about the same as the old 25" or 27" screens were and don't really "look" all that big once the are up and running.

Just a thought.

 

[cleanteamofny]

Don't cheat yourself when buying a LCD.
Size does matter where you set it in your room. 22 inches is way too small to really enjoy the true beauty of an LCD.
Step it up to a 32-40" range. Vizio or any low end brand will do the trick since you not looking for a full feature LCD Like Sony's Bravia or
the Samsung "Touch of Color"......

Even though the link is dated, the information is valuable!

http://dl.tv/2006/09/episode_95_help_buying_an_lcd.php

 

[DADoES]

Heed the advice regarding size. There are recommendations for size based on what is the distance to the screen from one's normal viewing position. I have a 42" plasma (6.5 years) and occasionally wish it was a tad larger. A 4:3 picture on it is about 34" square. 4:3 can be run in stretch-mode to fill the screen, but the effect is not pleasing (to me).

 

[washabear]

Thanks very much for the advice. I never thought about it in terms of how a conventional program would fit on the screen, but it does make sense that a larger set would be better in that regard. I’m glad I asked. I’ll check out the CR reliability ratings too.

Thanks again.

 

[charbee]

I was at Sam's Club earlier today getting one of our tires replaced, and took a stroll through their TV aisle...it's pretty overwhelming, all the choices. But I'd echo what others have said...the 32-40 inch size would be the minimum I'd consider to replace a 25 inch "regular" TV.

Comparing the picture quality on all of them, I'd have to say that the Samsungs really caught my eye more than any of the others, which I thought was surprising (always considered Sony to be the best TV maker). The Samsungs of all sizes had consistently deeper and richer color and a much sharper picture. It's got a "glossy" screen not a "matte" finish screen, which I think has something to do with it. I'd definitely suggest going to a store with a "wall of TVs" all on the same program, and seeing which one looks best to your eyes.

 

[toggleswitch2]

With the new screen ratio formats you'll need a size or two larger than traditional sizes for the same effect/ viewing area, regardless of the broadcast format.

 

[jasonl]

I have a 46" Sony bought from Wally World about $1300. It's 1080p and I think just as good as the more expensive Sony's.

Standard def DVD's and tv looks good.
Hi-def (720p and 1080i) looks wonderful.
Xbox 360 at 1080p is perfect.
Real 1080p and 24fps (film frame rate) will make you shit (or jizz) your pants.

 

[a440]

Don't hate me!!!!

Don't by Vizio!
Terrible. I have tested them. They don't last very long and you are stuck when they fail... in more ways that one.
Pay a few extra bucks for the upper brands.
Sony, Panasonic, even the Magnavox / Phillips brands. Sharp is also very good.
Brent

 

[lebron]

Sharp Aquos units are pretty reliable; if you can find one in your size and budget. That's one thing you can't take for granted these days

 

[sudsmaster]

I've been very happy with my Vizio

I got a 42" Vizio 1080p LCD two years ago - $1000 from Costco. It's had no problems. Reliable with a very good picture. Good remote, too. The only problem is that the price has since dropped, with similar units going for as little as $700 recently. But that's no fault of the model, just part of the recession.

I have heard that the Costco Vizios are better quality/reliability than those sold elsewhere. But that is just word of mouth, not any formal review.

I would buy another Vizio, no problem. In fact I'm thinking of getting larger one (50") for the living room, and moving the 42" one there into the family room, which I've turned into my "office". But I'm in no hurry.

 

[whirlcool]

And remember that if you want to see the HDTV aspect of your new set, you'll need to upgrade your cable/satellite incoming feed. This will cost more. If you just grab the signal off the air, make sure it has a ATSC tuner built in.

Also check the wattage used by your new potential set. Some of these sets can use the same amount of power as a heavy duty steam iron can and they also can put out a lot of heat!

 

[sudsmaster]

I believe it's illegal these days to sell a new TV or recorder that lacks an ATSC tuner - although some DVD recorders get by that by offering no tuner whatsoever. In any case flat panel TVs without ATSC tuners seem pretty rare these days.

I get wonderful HDTV (1080i) reception with a roof antenna that is over 30 years old. All I did was replace the flat twin lead wiring with top quality coax from the antenna to the TV. Works great. It helps to live in a large urban area with a clear line of sight to the main transmitter atop Mt Sutro in SF.

Good point about the power consumption. Although the LCD technology uses less power than the plasma type, it's still a significant amount - mostly for the cold fluorescent tube backlights. New technology involves LED backlighting which will be more energy efficient and is said to provide better color and contrast. But those sets are very pricey right now. Wait a few years and they will surely come down in price.

 

[mattl]

LCD Issue...

What is your viewing area like? The nasty little secret with ALL LCD TVs is that off angle they look like crap. There is a sweet spot and when you move away the colors fade and the picture gets "Milky" looking. Try it for yourself when shopping -walk off to the side and see how the quality changes.

In the last couple of months I've acquired 3 HD sets. 2 Plasma and one LCD. I had only interned on 2. My main TV a 7 year old 38" HD Tv died and I had a service contract on it. It was tied up for close to 2 months in repair and I broke down and got a great 50" Samsung Plasma, great price, love the set. Anyway the 38" could not be repaired so I got $$$ to replace it. I oped for an LCD to put in the Library where my dad watches TV. I got a VERY good Samsung unit but due to the placement it looked like crap, so it ended up in my bedroom where the viewing angle is pretty much fixed.

I picked up a cheap Panasonic 42" Plasma for $699 for him and it's great in that situation.

At this point as a resource for my family for all things electronic I ONLY recommend Plasma for areas with family viewing. It's cheaper and better for general purpose use. I'd stick with either Panny or Sammy,the rest are also ran's from my experience.

 

[whirlcool]

I like the plasma sets too. I saw a Pioneer Plasma set that had the best picture I had ever seen on a TV. Clear, sharp and bright.
I know what you mean about the sweet spot. You have to have your seating area DIRECTLY in a straight line from the front of the screen.

 

[mattl]

Good point, Pioneer was king of plasma, but they are no more. they exited the business at the top though. If you are willing to spend the money they are still out there, some at reduced prices that are still way above what other quality sets are selling for.

As a true geek, I had my 50" Samsung plasma professionally calibrated and the picture is truly stunning. when the Gamma is set correctly the picture takes on a 3 dimensional quality, it's amazing. The Samsungs are well known for their color accuracy, they can be dialed in to the 709 standard, few other brands can.

 

[mistereric]

I've had very good luck with Sharp LCD units. I have a 42, my parents have a 32. When I was shopping for one, the picture seemed nearly as good as the much more expensive Sony units.

 

[rp2813]

We just got a big Sharp Aquos HD model. It's OK but we've yet to watch anything in HD on it. A friend told me that there are only two manufacturers of HD screen assemblies and Sharp is one of them.

I don't know what CR has to say about them, but at Target I see Westinghouse brand sets that have very good picture quality.

Ralph

 

[djmjlcst]

Sonys are great!

I purchased four LCD TV's last December for the house. Since I was ready to go all digital I purchased one 32", two 40", and one 52" XBR6 - love them all and they all look great at any angle. Two were purchased at Wal-Mart, one at Meijers, and the other mail order from B&H Photo Video (free shipping too)! I couldn't be happier with all of them!

Mike L.

 

[washabear]

Thanks for the additional responses. I decided to split the difference on size and ended up with a Samsung 26-inch set. I’m pleased with it. In 4:3 mode, the image is about 21 inches diagonal, which is a bit larger than the 19-inch set it replaced, so it’s fine for my needs. My room is about 15 by 15-feet square, and I’m viewing it pretty much perpendicular. So far it seems to be working well. Any larger and I think I would get a headache.

Thanks again.

 

[vacuumfreeeke]

I had a 21 inch Curtis Mathes TV that was working just fine when friend said he was looking to sell is 27 inch RCA CRT TV for 50 bucks. I decided to buy it. It worked for a month and then started flickering on and off and clicking while on... apparently the power supply. I was so mad... when I threw it away, I had to drag it through the grass and parking lot to the dumpster by the cord, it was too heavy to lift! Remind me never to buy from friends... And, I had already given the old TV away!

I went to Wal-mart to look at new TVs. I had to stay with a 32 inch max because the shelf I have it on will not hold anything larger. First, I wanted a Samsaung, then a Phillips, but they were out of both. The only 32 inch they had was a Vizio (which I didn't want... seems like the "Great Value" or "Durabrand" of TVs) and the Sony Bravia. I got the Sony Bravia and some cables to hook my laptop up to it... grand total of 666 dollars! The silly thing will probably explode in a few months, but for now it's fine. Very sharp pictures and the sound is AWESOME. The remote isn't very user friendly. The buttons don't glow or light up and they are not configured very well. Now I can watch movies online on my TV and I don't need a coverter box anymore (no cable) because it has a digital tuner built in. I'm not into electronics, so it was a big deal for me to spend so much money on one, but I'm very glad I did.