Kinda OT: New TV for Football season?

Submitted by Go Blue 1984 on
I am more pumped for this years edition of UM Football compared to most others in the last 7-8 years so I have decided to get a new TV soon. How many of you have the same idea? What type of suggestions can you offer for others such as myself who want to enhance their home viewing of UM Football. I like Sony and I am thinking in the 50" inch range. Not a fan of smart tvs, other than that I'm pretty open. What do you experts recommend?

BlueMan80

July 8th, 2015 at 4:01 PM ^

65" JS8500 which is a flat screen.  It's a smart TV, too, so Netflix, Amazon, and other apps are built-in to the TV.  The JS9000 above in this thread is the next step up and is curved.  I'm not a fan of the curve.  Decided to go 4K given 4K content is available via Netflix now and 4K Blu-ray will come to market the end of this year.  This TV should be compatible with the future of 4K (HDR).  I'm not a bleeding edge adopter, but I do tend to be an early adopter.  Prices will come down, but I don't have a problem paying more to enjoy the benefits now vs. later.

OLED may be the future, but LG is the only one building OLED sets, they are going through teething pains with 4K, and prices really haven't come down enough to get me interested yet.  So, I'll watch this TV for the next 5 years while OLED gets sorted out.  Of course, I think I said that about 3 or 4 years ago when OLED first appeared.

I went from a 2007 40" Sony to this beast.  What a difference.  Michigan football games will be awesome on this TV.  Also, 4K Netflix (such as House of Cards) looks awesome on this TV.  I popped in and out of Breaking Bad over the years.  Now all the seasons are in 4K on Netflix, so I'll watch them from start to finish once I catch up on House of Cards.

My wife, who tends to humor me on my technology buying, has made no snarky comments about this TV.  That's a ringing endorsement.  She's all happy she can watch Orange is the New Black on Netflix.

CJRockford

July 8th, 2015 at 4:06 PM ^

I was a Sony only guy too. Then I bought a 55" Samsung 3D LCD smart TV. Then I bought another one for the basement. I will only buy Samsung from now on



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copacetic

July 8th, 2015 at 4:10 PM ^

I have a 50" Sony Bravia smart tv now and it just broke last week after only two years. Luckily I paid for a 3 year service plan. 

If you are going to get a Sony, you really really should investigate to see if they've fixed what appears to be a VERY common problem.
Google "Sony Vertical Lines of Death"
There are a ton of results and that's what happened to mine. If they've fixed that and it's not a problem with new models, go for it. Otherwise go Samsung 

DMill2782

July 8th, 2015 at 4:20 PM ^

until 4K starts making its way to becoming the standard. 4K is awesome, but there is a very scarce amount of 4K content out there right now.

OP, I'm in the same boat of wanting a new, bigger TV for the season because I'm so excited. My TV I have now is nice, but I want 4K and an upgrade to 60". I am just exercising discipline until it makes sense to buy 4K. You should do the same grasshoppa. Plus, the price is just going to keep dropping on 4K TVs.

I Like Burgers

July 8th, 2015 at 4:40 PM ^

I don't see 4k becoming a standard any time in the next 5-10 years -- if ever.  Sports networks are paying so much for rights fees, they don't have the money to reinvest in upgraded infastructure, cameras, and broadcast trucks to do 4k broadcasts.  And live events is where the money is at these days.  Gonna be an even longer wait for broadcast or cable content.

For the foreseeable future, 4k is going to be a marketing gimmick.

Average Father

July 8th, 2015 at 5:59 PM ^

I'd argue subscription video on demand is where content is going and the 4K TVs will not only be able to handle the streaming of 4K content but be able to accurately up-convert anything not originally filmed in 4K. House of Cards is already filming in 6K, and Netflix as well as YouTube already have quite a bit of 4K content available. HVEC and HDMI 2.0 will give you a TV that will be as "future proof" as you can get in a 4K TV.

I Like Burgers

July 8th, 2015 at 6:34 PM ^

4K TV is just like 3D TV.  There will be some content for it, but its largely a gimmick to get you to spend the extra couple hundred for the 3D/4K features on a TV.  Neither is going to have the widespread support that the HDTV movement had.  So just like 3D, 4K will fade away into a tiny niche market.

So, while its nice to be future proof, you're proofing for a future that's not really going to exist.

lilpenny1316

July 8th, 2015 at 4:24 PM ^

I have seen them available from the $800-$1500 range.  Picture quality is awesome.  Honestly, location in the room and basement vs room with a lot of natural light also come into play.  My TV is in a basement and I have seating directly in front and off to the sides, so the curved TV works better than a regular flat panel.  Also, there's no glare.  I would go to a Best Buy or similar place to have them tell you what's best for your setup, then get the best deal you can find.

lilpenny1316

July 8th, 2015 at 5:33 PM ^

I have stood 10 feet off to the side of the television at my bar and can see both sides of the television without issue.  The curve, at least on the 55, is not too steep, but the closer you are to being parallel to the TV, the harder it is to see the full screen.  That's at least been my experience.

Mittelstadt

July 8th, 2015 at 4:26 PM ^

awesome for sports events of all kinds.  Get the sound system set up and you can select the sound mix you like the best.

Kiddos love it for movies too.  :)

jonesie022

July 8th, 2015 at 4:26 PM ^

Pulled the trigger last month.

56 inch Vizio smart tv. Been really happy with it this far.

Bought it for the EXACT same reason.

Need some sound advice on surround sound options that won't break the bank.

Anyone?



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MaizeMN

July 8th, 2015 at 4:29 PM ^

a SCEPTRE 50" LED HDTV that I got from Walmart.com for $349.00, delivery included. So far it is an excellent TV: great picture and sound (I added a sound bar for $60) The price was incredible. I suppose they are trying to break into the market a la Vizio, Samsung and other brands upon first product release.

jblaze

July 8th, 2015 at 4:32 PM ^

1) Smart TVs are nice, but get a chromecast or roku. They do the same thing and you aren't limited by the manufacturer's firmware

2) Decide if you want a receiver. If so, then you only need 1 HDMI input on your TV. Basically, it's a dumb monitor at that point.

3) Even without a receiver, you should have external speakers (soundbar will be a vast improvement)

4) All of the clear motion (and other artificial processing) that I have seen is garbage. Turn it off/ don't buy a TV because of this.

5) Check out the look of the TV in the store, regardless of where you buy. Specifically, if you have a bright room or your TV will be line-of-sight into a glary area, make sure the TV glass is not clear. You want the plasticy look of office computer monitors.

6) Look at Cnet and other sights for reviews. They are usually pretty good.

7) I'd be skeptical of curved TVs, unless your seating is mostly directly in front of the TV. 

8) It's unlikely that 4K will be brodcast for a long time. We don't even get 1080P broadcasts yet.

I Like Burgers

July 8th, 2015 at 4:34 PM ^

Really no reason to go with Sony.  Especially if you want to avoid Smart TVs.  Haven't checked TV ratings in the last year or so, but if I remember right, Vizio, Panasonic, Sharp, and Samsung have all closed the gap or surpassed Sony in terms of quality.  Sony is basically living off reputation at this point.

No reason to get a curved TV -- that's just marketing hype.  Also no reason to get a 4k TV.  There's no content for it and there won't be for quiet a long time (rights fees are too goddamn much for networks to reinvest in 4k broadcast gear for sports).

So if you don't want to shell out for a top of the line TV that is going to have Smart TV features built in, picture quality is all relatively equal below that threshold.  Just pick up a nice 65" Vizio or something with good refresh rate for $1k or so from Costco and you'll be plenty happy.

ILMichFan70

July 8th, 2015 at 4:35 PM ^

I'm building a house at the moment and as part of that house I have a media room being put together. As a result I will be adding a 120" projector screen with an Epson 5030 projector as well as a 7.1.2 Atmos surround sound system. This room will be my Michigan/media room so I can't wait. Should make for watching games this fall quite awesome.

Y0ST

July 8th, 2015 at 4:35 PM ^

I have an HD projector paired with a 106" screen. It's pretty impressive. Of course this setup depends on viewing area. Mine is in the basement where I can control the amount of light that in the room.

kb

July 8th, 2015 at 4:38 PM ^

Just got a 60" Panasonic smart TV and love it. Also, not sure if you can buy a non-smart TV anymore and they are not really more expensive. I had trouble finding a TV without smart features in the size I wanted and have heard you will not be able to get them new any longer.

Michigan Eaglet

July 8th, 2015 at 4:40 PM ^

Unfortunately I don't think Best Buy sells them any more but I bought a 50ish inch plasma from them for around $450 around 3 years ago and I've had no problems so far. It was perfect becaues I didn't need a smart TV (Chromcast and Xbox) and it goes up to 1080p. The best I could find at Best Buy was this, which is a 50" from LG, but it's around $660. Still not bad compared to some other and doesn't give you the smart tv features you don't want/need. They have a few in the 46" to 48"range that seem pretty good from Samsung for under $500. If you're looking in that price range this one might be your best bet. I prefer plasmas, but LED's are still good.

Gr1mlock

July 8th, 2015 at 4:45 PM ^

While I agree plasmas have better picture and QPR, one warning: if you move a lot, they're a pain in the ass. Need to be stored vertically at all times or they will basically brick. Not a problem if you're going to install and be there for a decade, but if you're in an apartment and have to move every couple years, it's something to consider.



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Michigan Eaglet

July 8th, 2015 at 5:30 PM ^

I still have the original box it came in with the styrofoam to keep it in place. I just use that for when I'm moving it and storage when I'm between apartments, which makes it relatively easy. I've only had to move it a couple times so far, but it wasn't too bad, especially if you have a big SUV or something to move it in.

BlueMan80

July 8th, 2015 at 5:18 PM ^

4K killed it.  Can't get all those pixels into a plasma TV, evidently.  I have a 58" Panasonic plasma in my man cave and it is just a great picture.  I'll hang on to that one until they do get OLED sorted out.

I Like Burgers

July 8th, 2015 at 6:44 PM ^

Has nothing to do with pixels, but everything to do with cheap LED TVs.  It was simply too expensive to make a plasma TV let alone a 4K plasma, and since LED technology and manufacturing costs improved drastically over the last 5 years or so, there was just no reason to make plasma anymore.  Plus the majority of consumers didn't want plasma anymore -- LED was the new hot shit (even though plasma were still better quality).  

I bought my Panasonic plasma around 4 years or so ago and plasmas were all but gone back then.  3D TV was the hot feature back then -- 4k was only on the horizon.  Panasonic made them for another year or so, but stopped and they along with every other manufacturer sold off their remaining inventory at rock bottom prices.

South TX MFan

July 8th, 2015 at 11:44 PM ^

Actually he's correct. Panasonic could not afford the investment it would take to create a 4K plasma, and they didn't even know if it was possible. That along with stricter energy consumption regulations killed it. It's unfortunate as plasmas are still better, but OLED will surpass it soon.



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UofM626

July 8th, 2015 at 4:44 PM ^

Go with the LED Samsung!
Or
Panasonic Plasma!

Both do different things, but for quick twitch that sports uses, plasma is the way to go. Not as much glitching

GoBlue_55

July 8th, 2015 at 4:52 PM ^

I hate that I can't buy tv without it being a smart tv. Most people have gaming systems, Apple TV, Roku etc. that have these apps already.

Michigan Eaglet

July 8th, 2015 at 5:34 PM ^

You still can, they aren't as marketed because the profit margins are higher with the smart tvs since they can (and usually do) charge a premium for that. If you look online or go to a Best Buy, you can still find a pretty decent handful of them for not too expensive. Just know what your looking for and you can still find plenty of options. I linked 2 from Best Buy in my post a little up with two pretty nice ones around 50' for under $700 (one was under $500).

Gary_B

July 8th, 2015 at 4:55 PM ^

Samsung 55" or 65" SUHD 4K. Get the 8500 Series or better for the best processor. Skip the curved screen as there is absolutely zero benefit at such a small format. 3D is brilliant on these as well, if you're into that...

white_pony_rocks

July 8th, 2015 at 5:05 PM ^

I have an 8000 series Samsung from almost 6 years ago that was open box at best buy, still going strong. just bought a 40 inch Samsung 4k, a 6950, really happy with it for video games. that was an open box unit. the LG oleds, those will be under 2k when they go open box

MGoKalamazoo

July 8th, 2015 at 5:14 PM ^

Panasonic Vierra. I have two 50" plasmas and they are the best for sports and gaming. Refresh rate is through the roof. I don't think they are manufactured anymore.



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Crash

July 8th, 2015 at 5:16 PM ^

To the OP.....what kind of room are you putting this in?  Lots of ambient light?  Any attic access above?  Viewing distance from desired location?  Will you be using the tv's speakers?  Soundbar?  AVR with separate speakers?

Will you also be using this display to watch blu-ray movies?

For the money, projectors can't be beat.  If you have a place to mount it, I would highly recommend it.  You can get some 1080p projectors that shoot a TON of light for under $700.  The only problem is you have no speakers, but with the money saved I would recommend a 5.1 AVR and some separates.

skurnie

July 8th, 2015 at 5:29 PM ^

I've had a 47 inch LG for a few years now and it's been great. It doesn't have Smart technology (which is fine by me w/Roku and PS3) but it's the first LG product I've owned and it's been excellent. 

taistreetsmyhero

July 8th, 2015 at 5:32 PM ^

since I moved to a smaller apartment, BUT.

If your room is big and is dark, go with a projector! Can get a pretty decent quality picture with a 150-200inch screen for around $500. I went super cheap, since I didn't have much money, and bought a low end speaker unit for $100, but if you have more to spend you can get a real quality theatre system for a good price.

Average Father

July 8th, 2015 at 6:06 PM ^

In this thread, there's quite a few people that have no idea what they are talking about and have seriously bought in to the Samsung hype-machine. Get yourself a 4K TV with HVEC and HDMI 2.0 so you can adjust to the changing standards of 4K and I'd recommend an IPS panel. If you can afford it, the LG 4K OLED is by far the best looking TV available on the market ($7K). You might be able to find an LG OLED 55" for $2K. Reviewed as the best TV ever made. Most panels are made by LG, so getting an off-brand IPS panel TV is still going to be a good looking TV.

JNQ_GOBLUE_79

July 8th, 2015 at 6:41 PM ^

are superior for wide angle viewing, VA panels provide superior contrast ratio. Most Samsungs and Sony's use VA panels, while LG uses IPS. Because of that, LG sets are great for off center viewing, but often struggle to produce deep blacks that are so important for a great picture. Unless your setup will include viewing from the side of the TV, a set with a VA panel is the way to go.

bronxblue

July 8th, 2015 at 6:13 PM ^

If you want 4k on a bit of a budget, check out Seiki. They are "dumb" tv's in that they don't have any of the built in apps, but are at a good price point and I believe go up to 60". Also, have pretty good image quality for an offbrand TV that is manufactured with basically the same parts as more name brand ones.

VikingDiet

July 8th, 2015 at 6:27 PM ^

Best buy has good deals if you pair with a movers coupon. Just go into a post office and ask for a pack. Inside you'll find a 10% off coupon. Order online and pickup in store because they are less picky about using it on sales items online. I got a 65" LG (not a fantastic picture, but very good with calibration and absolutely huuuuge) for $720 + tax.

aratman

July 8th, 2015 at 6:37 PM ^

It is a smart TV but like has been said I don't use it, the LG Firmware is for poor making it hard to use and slow to type on a wireless keyboard.  That being said, the TV part of the deal is fine.  Not 4K awesome but fine.  Skip the smartTV function, it reminds me of using Webtv, I think the dongle are much more functional. I think a Andriod based system would be good so you could download games and things from the market place.