From 46 Inches Down to 13 Inches.

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My 46 inch Samsung DLP just died after 6 years of glorious service. Now I am reduced to my old 13 inch Sony CRT that I have had since 1989. Still works like a champ..It had been sitting patiently by for the last several years waiting for the day that it could act as a backup

Now I am faced with the dilemma of what kind of new LED 47 inch TV I should buy to replace my now dead Samsung. I don't want one of the new 3D's as I think that is a waste of money. I also think I am going to avail myself of the 12 months same as cash program currently available at Sams and Wallys. So far I have been to Costco, Sam's, Wally's and Best Buy. Right now Costco has Sonys and Sam's and Wally has Vizio up the cooolu and are very thin on everything else....I can wait for a coupla more weeks to get a better selection.

My choices this week are:

A Philips 47 LED..for $698 at Sams

A Vizio 47 LED for $948 at Sams..

A Sony 47 inch Bravia..at Costco for about a G

A Sony 55 LED at Costco for $1698 with instant rebate

A Samsung 55 LED for $1898 at Sams

My perception whether right or wrong is that Samsung makes the best TV, LG is close behind followed by Sony and Vizio is a bit farther back and is a price point TV.

Now I don't need nothin real fancy here..but sumthin that is quality and will last...

So what says the mighty Board?

[stogie25]

Most DLP failures are bulb related. There is a good chance that a couple of hundred dollars worth of bulb, and a few minutes to put it in will fix your old TV. This raises the eternal question of how many Porsche enthusiasts it takes to change a lightbulb.

[KFC911]

I think I'm gonna need to replace my 40" LCD soon. I assume that black 2" "Z" that appeared in the middle of the screen isn't just going to disappear. I read (a few weeks back) that April was the most opportune time to get a deal on last years models. Sub'd...

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BTW..I have been looking to buy a new 40 inch LED for the Bedroom, but have been hesitant because my Sony 20 CRT that I bought in 1985 is still working brilliantly. I just can't justify replacing it while it is still performing such good service. I would like to get something a bit bigger so I can read the crawl on CNBC in the morning. Now the Samsung in the FR has gone and died on me...

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I called Samsung service and described the problem with the TV...they didn't think it was Bulb related...and the total cost of repair was going to be between $400 and $600...I said that leaves me with one viable option and that is getting a new one..and she said, "YEP"

So what Brand should I be looking for...? Is Phillips good enough, or Vizio.. I just need to hear what the Boyz have to say...

[chocolatelab]

for what its worth we love our vizio

[tabs]

When watching a TV after awhile the picture can only be so good as your eyes will not be able to tell the minute difference...so at some point there is over kill.

With regard to lots of features I just want to turn it on and like to watch...I have PIP etc and never have used it...A PC portal might be usefull at some point..

[island911]

If you have a Sony Bluray player, go with Sony. ...If Samsung, go with Samsung. Reason being, they play nice with each other. That is, when I (or more importantly, my wife) pop a disk in the bluray player, the screen turns on, and the screen input source changes automatically to HDMI, and the home theater tuner turns on, or to the right input. There is other functionality too.

The other thing to look for is a high refresh rate. 120hz is fairly standard . . .240hz is better. Plasmas will claim even higher refresh rates, but that's always BS. (they all flicker)

. .. the higher refresh rate is what pissed off that wig-wearing "motion" guy. (made things look too real)

[126coupe]

I bought the 55 inch samsung LED from Costco for my office. Love it

[Moses]

I wouldn't buy a TV without 1080p. I like to watch Blu-Ray movies and 1080p sports broadcasts. Love it.

[red-beard]

I picked up 2 different low end 42" LCD units for under $360 delivered, both 1080P

[304065]

Tabdula, these days a 47" screen is suitable for the car

Go big and get the samsung led 55
Hell get a pair of them and kick that 20" tube (literally) to the curb

[Crowbob]

Screen size should be proportional to room size (i.e., viewing distance from the screen). 1080p; 240 hz with the color saturation and brightness toned down just a tad provides the best all around viewing experience IMO.

I'm holding out for OLED myself.

[imcarthur]

I have an ear to the crowd on this so I have been sniffing around with my dealers. The 3D Panasonic panels keep coming up as the best. Even for 2D since they have to pump the brightness for 3D. But LCDs (with or without LED) always have that 'sharper than life' look. Plasmas will be softer but they are prone to the crawlies. Always view a TV with the demo store feed & if possible, a local cable feed.

Ian

[motion]

Your prices are way high... Vizio is the worst in reliability. I've had Philips and regretted them. Sony and Samsung have always performed great. Check dealnews.com for the best prices.

[Scott Douglas]

My wife and daughter bought me a Sony 52" for Christmas two years ago. 240Hz and my wife got the Geek Squad set up. Well worth the money IMHO as the sets out of the box aren't set up for home viewing.
I bought the wife a Sony 46" when the ol' 32" tube Sony gave up the ghost. She wanted a smaller one but I haven't heard one complaint about it being too big since it came home from the store.
Try Pacific Sales if you have one nearby.

[porsche4life]

Two vizios performing flawlessly here.....

[island911]

I've given three Visios as gifts. One (must be 4+ years old) has developed a slight muddy spot in the middle of the screen.(user doesn't notice) The other two (3+ years old) seem to be doing fine. Although, one problem is with remotes.... the IR code on the sony player remote, for volume, will switch the input on the Visio. The are a few other remote conflicts as well.

..and +1 to Crowbob on screen size.

[Loomis]

Originally Posted by tabs

I also think I am going to avail myself of the 12 months same as cash program currently available at Sams and Wallys.

New credit application? Skip it. You'll have to deal with some low life credit agency. Sony and Samsung are good choices. I saw a guy walk out of Frys with a 2010 model 55" Samsung for less than a grand.

[Laneco]

Originally Posted by chocolatelab

for what its worth we love our vizio

I did too until a few weeks ago when both the Y sustain and X sustain boards failed to the tune of $700.

I now love our Toshiba (best buy, 55' 1080, $999 in the box).

angela