I need some help

[Cinderelley]

DS2 and his wife have asked for a new TV for Christmas. Their TV is having problems. I don't know anything about TVs. Can you guys give me some suggestions on what would be a good TV?

[John]

DS2 and his wife have asked for a new TV for Christmas. Their TV is having problems. I don't know anything about TVs. Can you guys give me some suggestions on what would be a good TV?

I like the RokuTV’s. All that means is they have the Roku platform built into them in addition to the regular TV functions. All depends on how much you want to spend and what size you need/want.

TCL and Onn are pretty much the same TV and available for great prices at WalMart and other places

Picked up a 50’ Onn RokuTV for the garage the other day for $220.

Also so Visio has a 70” right now for $588

The sweet spot price wise is 65”

You certainly can pay a lot more for a Samsung or an LG but for most folks, any of these will be fine. After you get the tv - search online for model specific settings to adjust the picture to be more true to life.

[azcavalier]

Use the NY Times site: Wirecutter. It's like Consumer Reports, but free.

I know a lot about A/V tech. If you're not *really* into all of the technical aspects, then really it's just about getting the size you want and a brand that is pretty reliable.

Some good brands: Sony, LG, Panasonic, TCL, Samsung

Brands I'm wary of: Hisense, Westinghouse, RCA, Onn, Vizio, Phillips, Insignia

If a brand is seriously cheaper than others of similar size/specs, it's because they are using much cheaper parts and are more likely to not last as long. I mean, I guess you can make the argument that it's cheaper to repeatedly buy a $300 tv than it is to spend $1000 on a tv with the same specs. But I'd rather just have one that works well for a long time. We have six TVs in our house right now: a 70" Sony 4K (it is beautiful), a 50" Samsung 4K, a 50" Panasonic 1080p, a 50" Panasonic 720p plasma, a 42" Panasonic 720p plasma, and our daughter who just moved home brought her 50" Samsung 4K tv with her. It's in her room. The Sony and the Samsungs are "smart" TVs, but we rarely use that feature. We have Apple TV units plugged in to four of them, and we use that instead.

I'd say to head to Costco or Sam's Club, see which of those decent brands are on sale for a TV that is the size you'd like, and just go for it. If you would like to know more about specific features and the like, just ask.

[phillydan]

Brands I'm wary of: Hisense, Westinghouse, RCA, Onn, Vizio, Phillips, Insignia
.

I've never had an issue with Insignia and found them to have comparable quality to the more expensive brands for the average viewer. One thing to consider is that the cost of TV's is so low, they almost become a disposable item (cheaper to replace than repair).

As stated by others, ROKU enabled is the thing to go for. Good luck.

[John]

I have a Onn and a TCL. I’m telling you they are the same tv branded differently.

I also have owned Vizios and have had 2 fail on me.

I think the point is good - if it’s under $500 - it’s almost become disposable.

When I paid almost $1200 for a 70 inch tv about 4 years ago - I bought an extended warranty thru square trade. Ended up getting a totally new tv after it died.

Honestly, I don’t think much is well made anymore.


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[baldburke]

I have a Onn and a TCL. I’m telling you they are the same tv branded differently.

I also have owned Vizios and have had 2 fail on me.

I think the point is good - if it’s under $500 - it’s almost become disposable.

When I paid almost $1200 for a 70 inch tv about 4 years ago - I bought an extended warranty thru square trade. Ended up getting a totally new tv after it died.

Honestly, I don’t think much is well made anymore.


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I'll second what John said. Nothing is made well anymore. So no matter what you purchase, be sure to get the protection plan. We had two screens go bad on separate TVs only about 13 to 15 months after purchase and of course just after the one year warranty. I fought for months with Samsung over the one, but have gotten the protection plan ever since and it has paid off.

Aside from that, I don't think you can go wrong with one of the big boys (LG, Sony, Samsung). It's really up to you if you have a brand preference. Of course go for the smart TV option. Depended on your budget, you should consider quality vs. size, and definitely make sure it is a smart TV that has apps for all the streaming services.

For me, I'd rather decent sized, higher end quality picture than a giant screen with a terrible image. Good luck in your search!

[azcavalier]

I have a Onn and a TCL. I’m telling you they are the same tv branded differently.

After a bit of research, Onn is WalMart's in-house brand. It seems to be made by Element, which Consumer Reports says has subpar reliability.

TCL is a Chinese company, but is a pretty established and reliable brand. I mean, what isn't made in China at this point? TCL has a partnership with Roku, and so their smart TVs are basically Roku TVs.

For what it's worth, our LG had some issues with one of the HDMI ports, and BestBuy came out and replaced the motherboard on it for free. No issues since.

[Altair]

So no matter what you purchase, be sure to get the protection plan.

"You need an extended warranty"
"What do I need an extended warranty for"
"In case the TV breaks."
"If it's going to break I don't want the TV"
"It's not going to break."
"THEN WHAT DO I NEED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR?"
John Pinette

[azcavalier]

"You need an extended warranty"
"What do I need an extended warranty for"
"In case the TV breaks."
"If it's going to break I don't want the TV"
"It's not going to break."
"THEN WHAT DO I NEED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR?"
John Pinette

Yeah. Also, I never buy that extended warranty **** on anything that isn't mobile. If I can drop it in a ditch and it can get run over by a bus, then yes (That really happened to me with a flip phone about 18 years ago). But if it's stationary and I'm just going to use it for what it was made to be used for, then it's just a money grab by the store.

[1DisneyNut]

I have 13 TV's at the house. I know.....I know.....lol To explain that a little, I have 3 in the game room so we can watch the main game with sound on the surround sound (Bama) and then two other important games playing at the same time and keep up with the action. There is one on the patio where the grill is and of course one in the garage where manly things happen. lol The rest are in the bedrooms and the living room.

I have tried multiple brands during the 3 years I have put all these in place. I currently have one LG (I gave one of those to my son because I didn't care for the functionality of the operating system on it), I have two Samsung (They are high quality with excellent picture and function well but there is something about the functionality and menu setup I didn't care for) and then I have a bunch of Vizio. During all of this setup I tried various brands and returned them and tried others and the next thing I knew, I realized I had 10 Vizio TV's. I liked the way they function and the picture is great and they have an app that you can control the TV's as well through your wifi. I set each TV up with different names according to the rooms and where they are located and can control them and cast from my phone to them for things like youtube videos. I haven't had a single issue with any of them regardless of brand. My advice is to go to Sams or Costco and play around with them and look at the menu and the picture. Pick the one that feels right to you because if you drill down into it, most of the electronics inside that make these things work are all made by the same companies and the brand name you are buying are basically just putting them together. Some make their own LED screens and some buy them from one of the big manufacturers that make them in China. You really don't know who made what inside them these days.

[John]

After a bit of research, Onn is WalMart's in-house brand. It seems to be made by Element, which Consumer Reports says has subpar reliability.

TCL is a Chinese company, but is a pretty established and reliable brand. I mean, what isn't made in China at this point? TCL has a partnership with Roku, and so their smart TVs are basically Roku TVs.

For what it's worth, our LG had some issues with one of the HDMI ports, and BestBuy came out and replaced the motherboard on it for free. No issues since.

The Onn tv I got for the Garage is a RokuTV. It literally is identical to a TCL RokuTV I bought a month before for our embroidery shop - except the light at the bottom is red instead of white.

If I was a betting man, I would bet they are made in the same factory.

For my main TV I would go with a bigger name. For bedroom and other TV’s - my TCL RokuTV’s have served me well and for a reasonable price. No failures yet. Picture is good once adjusted properly.

I counted. We have 8 TV’s. [emoji15]


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[Cinderelley]

Thank you for all the help everyone. TVs have definitely come a long way since I last had one (which was before they did whatever the conversion was and the old type of TVs didn't work any more.)