Recommendations for a 50-55" TV

[J M O N]

My parents are in need of a new TV as their old Sony tube behemoth has finally given up the ghost (FINALLY!).  I'm certainly not the expert when it comes to TVs that I know many of you are so I'm looking for some good recommendations.  Standard HD is probably the preference as I don't see them taking advantage of Ultra HD in terms of programming (heck, standard HD will be a big jump for them).  A smart TV and 3D would also not be needed as they wouldn't use either.  My Dad said he wanted a Sony as that is what they had and it lasted forever, but I don't think that is a necessity.  However, reliability would be a key requirement as they want this next TV to last at least ten years (if that is possible with these newer TVs that don't seem to last as long as the old tube versions).

 

55" is about the largest they will be able to accommodate, so anywhere between 50 and 55" should be good.  If you have any recommendations on where to buy that would also be helpful.  Thanks in advance.

[Bryant0086]

My parents are in need of a new TV as their old Sony tube behemoth has finally given up the ghost (FINALLY!).  I'm certainly not the expert when it comes to TVs that I know many of you are so I'm looking for some good recommendations.  Standard HD is probably the preference as I don't see them taking advantage of Ultra HD in terms of programming (heck, standard HD will be a big jump for them).  A smart TV and 3D would also not be needed as they wouldn't use either.  My Dad said he wanted a Sony as that is what they had and it lasted forever, but I don't think that is a necessity.  However, reliability would be a key requirement as they want this next TV to last at least ten years (if that is possible with these newer TVs that don't seem to last as long as the old tube versions).

 

55" is about the largest they will be able to accommodate, so anywhere between 50 and 55" should be good.  If you have any recommendations on where to buy that would also be helpful.  Thanks in advance.

    I would recommend whatever is on sale given your parent'sneeds. If I had to choose a brand based on reliability, I would go with the bigger brands like Panasonic, Samsung, Vizio, Sony.... I don't pretend to be an expert myself, though. If your parents can accommodate a 65" tv, as it is around the "magic" size right now before the price starts taking a sharp incline. Walmart has a 65" Vizio for $900. That is a lot of TV. If they absolutely can't find a place to put something like that, Walmart also has a Sony 55" as well. The TV I own, I bought at HHGregg. If there is one near you, they have nice TVs and good prices.

 

   Bryant

[billybob]

Hoping to be watching a Panasonic plasma 50 inch soon as can setup.

It will be like watching a large screen going from 40 inch Sony flat.

Yes, big is the way now. Deals around.

Good reccs post above.

[boomer9911]

Hey Jmon, that all depends on the viewing preference. Do they do most viewing in the daytime or night? How is it for natural light entering and how lit up is the room(is it in the basement or upstairs living room)? If the room is darker with little light from outside or inside affecting it, then go plasma, which is a better picture quality, however, be advised light will reflect off the screen. In a brighter room with natural light or fixed lighting then LCD or LED is the way to go as the screen will absorb that light and not reflect it like a plasma will. 

 

As for life of the set, no worries as the plasma's, lcd, led are designed to last longer than a tube tv with 10,000 + viewing hours, which is alot. 

 

The main thing, what is their budget?  Quality and pricing can vary.

 

Check out Amazon, but always Inspect it before the Courier takes off! I know here here in Canada Sears just cleared out a 50" LG plasma, new in box, for $348 CDN, from their outlet\clearance section a very sweet price! Shop around and work stores against each other for the best price...I love shopping for electronics...lol....

[Budman]

Sony 1st / Samsung 2nd in my house

Edited March 30, 2015 by Budman

[J M O N]

Some good advice -- Thanks!  Unfortunately 55" is about the larges they can accommodate as the room is small and they will be flanked by Forte IIs (picked out by me of course many years ago).

 

As far as the viewing conditions go, my parents are retired so they probably split 50/50 day-night viewing. The room faces south and the TV does occasionally get hit with direct sunlight when the sun is low.  Even during the brightest time of the day though the room isn't very bright as there are not outside windows but there is a small sun room next to it.  On top of that, the walls are fairly dark.  The biggest viewing difficulty is at certain times of the day when the sun is directly hitting the screen as mentioned.

 

As far as reliability goes, it seems that the electronics are what seem to fail first with these newer TVs as opposed to the light sources.  They don't seem to last as long as the old tube TVs but I'm mostly just basing this on others who have had to replace/repair these newer TVs.  I would think LED would be the way to go for reliability but that is just my impression.

[wvu80]

I agree with others, go for Sony because it is a name your parents are comfortable with.  It goes into the category of "expensive but worth it."  My dad used to say "you never regret buying the best."

 

I also agree with you, if you could do the research and purchase decisions, you could get them a better bang for the buck with another brand, but what are you gonna do? 

 

You say the sound will be piped out to the Forte II's?  I guess you won't be looking for a sound bar. 

[dtel]

Been reading a lot and looking at prices, from the way it looks HHGregg and sometimes Sams seem to have the best prices. From what I have read I will probably go with a led, try to get a high refresh rate like 240, usually it's 120 or 240, and you can find just as good a deal on the higher rate from time to time.

 

I'm new to this and it probably also depends on brand but don't rely on how they look in the store, it really means nothing as they aren't set the way you would at home anyway.

 

Good luck

[J M O N]

Forgot to mention the question about budget.  I'd say that is not a factor with 55" being the maximum size and not interested in Smart or 3D.

[Gnote]

I am a huge fan of Samsung and I see on average a half dozen TV's a day. But for the money TCL a brand that can be purchased at Sam's is hard to beat. I have purchased 4 of them over the last 3 years , one this weekend at Sams ,it was a 40" with Roku for $328 my oldest one is 3 years old and going strong. I researched the brand as I had never heard of them and they come from China, are the 3rd largest manufacturer of TV's, and produce some brands you would recognize. I have had several compliments on how good a picture they have but if you put one next to say a Samsung which cost's several times more ........Well they lose 

[BigStewMan]

55" is about the largest they will be able to accommodate, so anywhere between 50 and 55" should be good.  If you have any recommendations on where to buy that would also be helpful.

do you have a 55” tv store close by?  Okay, i kicked myself for saying that. 

On a serious note: stay away from marked down floor displays.  Read an article saying that those televisions have been turned on for about 14 hours a day for months on end before they’re sold. In some cases 20% - 30% of its life is used up as a floor demo… then the lucky buyer takes it home.  

[T2K]

Buy an M-Series Vizio in your preferred screen size.

 

Keith

[pite]

I understand the size is fixed to 55", however, see if you can convince your folks and there's a possibility to have a bit bigger size. I guess, this is going to be their main TV for a while...

 

Depending upon the preference both Samsung and Sony are pretty good - bit pricey but there're quite a few reasons from technical aspects. If "Smart" and "3D" are not needed then don't use it, but make sure that you like the picture, color, tone, sharpness, etc. e.g. Samsung LED 7150 or something in 7xxx series might be a good fit.

[grimmreapersound]

Recently got a 55in Samsung curved HU9000, awesome tv that is great for everyday viewing and movies. You need to tweek the settings a bit since out-of-the-box they are a bit too contrasty and saturated. Highly recommended.

[pite]

few things to add, while considering;

 

1. Refresh rate specially in case of LED technology

2. Micro dimming control or similar technology to provide better control over brightness, contrast, deep blacks etc.

    - Back-Lit LED panel versus Edge-Lit LED panel

3. Thin/narrow bazel of new-age HDTV might allow you to place/install bit bigger screen TV in place of original Tube TV.

 

All the best !!

Edited April 4, 2015 by pite

[hydro_pyro]

My edge-lit Samsung smart TV is nice, but had to get the main board replaced when it was 8 months old, LAN port quit working. Apps like Netflix are still slow and buggy, sometimes it crashes and restarts. Edge-lit LED's show light hotspots around the screen when the picture is dark. I picked this TV because the picture looked the best, but sometimes I regret it. I wonder what else they will let go to market in the future with obvious problems like this. I'm scared to buy another.

[boxerjake]

Backlit over edge lit any day ... do the research

 

 

What is the the only LED manufactured on American soil ?      Well for you klipsch patriots and flag waivers , the Vizio would be the home grown choice .

 

Refresh rates between 120 and 240 hz ... The 60 Hz is crap  

 

Siganl quality is " Everything "  with an LED , standard signal is going to suck , anything broadcast in HD will be awsome as well as Blu-Rays

 

Samsung , sony , panasonic , LG  , etc etc etc etc your just paying for Brand recognition and their advertising budget .

 

4G and Ultra HD are a waste of money right now ( no broadcast signal )

 

As for Plasma ... it will be a thing of the past by this time next year  ( once again , do your reasearch  )

 

60" Vizio LED smart tv  120HZ referesh rate can be found in the mid $700 range with 55" and 50 " even lower , shop around and look for sales or buy from Amazon .

 

Dale

 

PS : BTW , Tv's of todays age are throw away , don't expext to get any more then 3-5 years out of a set  ( biggest reason  Plasma is going Bye Bye )

[J M O N]

Thanks for all of the suggestions everyone!  It looks like my dad ended up buying a TV on his own after telling me last week he was in no hurry.  He did shop around and ended up buying a 60" Sony at Wal-Mart.  Based on what he told me, I believe it was the Sony KDL60R510A and he got it for $750.  He seems to be happy.

[teaman]

I am a huge fan of Panasonic plasmas but since they are no longer available....if you can find a nice Samsung plasma I would aim in that direction. You can't beat a plasma for clarity and detail, plus the darks are the darkest you will find anywhere. Happy hunting!

[Islander]

Plasma TVs definitely produce the best picture.  The reason they're going out of production is because they're costly to produce.  The Japanese companies, first Sony and now Panasonic, found that the selling price to break even was too high.

 

When they have to charge $3000-4000 for a plasma TV and an LED TV of the same size can be priced well under $1000, you have a situation that can't last.  The South Korean companies like LG and Samsung have somehow found a way to lower the production costs so the retail price can be quite a bit lower, but it's still on the high side for many buyers.

 

The AV magazines are mourning the loss of plasma TVs, and are hoping that OLED displays (whenever they hit the market) will meet or exceed the picture quality of the plasma sets.