Looking for opinions on these TVs/Surround Systems

[JoshMKB24]

I would wait on the tv until you see a good deal on slickdeals. Especially coming up in the next few months when the new models are released, you can get a pretty good deal on last year's model.

I have a Samsung 55D8000 as my main tv in the living room. I love it, picture is great and it can play movies including 3D right off a USB external HD.

As far as surround I have a nice Yamaha receiver and then all my surround sound is Polk. It isn't the best stuff, but without the cost of tv the receiver, speakers, and sub was around maybe 2500ish? Its decent and I'm happy with it.

[MN7119]

Have a Samsung 60"LED connected to an Onkyo receiver and Definitive Technology speakers. TV is connected to the receiver (nothing else is connected to the TV) and the receiver also handles a Dish satellite box, Apple TV, XBox, Bluray DVD and a PS3 all connected using HDMI cables. All controlled by a Logitech One remote control. Very happy with the set.

[warvanov]

Originally Posted by sdilley14

I have a decent (Yamaha) surround sound receiver now, though it is 6 years old and lacking in the features/settings that newer systems have. I also have two pretty nice floor standing Sony speakers. Ideally, I would like to get a new receiver (whether it be an individual receiver or a receiver from a HTIB), keep those Sony speakers, and integrate them into my new system.

Ok, so you're already off to a good start. There's absolutely no point in throwing out your current gear for a HTIB.

New receivers are overrated, though. A decent receiver will last for decades. (I also have a Yamaha receiver that's almost 9 years old and it's still serving me well.) If you'd like to get a new receiver though, I definitely suggest getting a standalone one. You won't be happy with something out of a HTIB.

For $250, your best bet might be to pick up a couple of rear surround speakers and a subwoofer to complete a 4.1 surround set up, and then later on when you can afford to, pick up a decent center channel speaker.

[Avatar74]

Originally Posted by marc11

I am not a big fan of Sony only because I think they pack a bunch of often useless bells and whistles and jack up the price; I do like Onkyo quality. I went with a Yamaha HT in a box, and am very impressed, especially the sub, only 100 watts but it booms loud and clean.

A little off topic since the OP has already purchased, but that's interesting to know about Sony.... I think that the "bells and whistles" remark is true of a lot of their equipment there are a few places where one can find an exception. Some years back I'd purchased an entry level ES-series receiver that was being discontinued, so it got marked down to $499. It doesn't have a lot of extraneous bells and whistles... just the basic stuff but their best hardware.

I've seen Sony do a lot more mediocre marketing type stuff lately, though, with the proliferation of lower range kits that are sold through outlets like Best Buy and Amazon.... but I've only seen it at a glance since I made the investment in my surround system years ago. So like I said, I don't know but I suspect that their lower end systems have taken a dive in quality and a rise in more superfluous features to wow the average consumer. I suspect a lot of manufacturers have gone that route more and more.

OTOH, Yamaha has always carried a more stripped down approach, very much like NAD. One of the reasons they didn't have any THX certified gear is because they didn't want to have to double the price to pass on the cost of licensing the "THX".... their gear still passes all the criteria but they want to remain competitive pricewise.

[alotlikehomer]

Originally Posted by sdilley14

Well, I pulled the trigger and went with the LG TV. It came down to a few things...

1. The LG has 3 HDMI outputs (for my ATV, XBox, and PS3), as opposed to the Samsung which only had 2 outputs.

2. The LG has 2d to 3d capability, which wasn't a feature I was looking for, but it is an added feature the LG has nonetheless, and I have read numerous positive reviews on it.

3. The LG has a thinner profile.

4. I was able to get the LG for about $80 less after shipping. I was able to get an $800 Amazon credit card with 12 months no interest, and the LG was $800 right on the button, so it worked out perfectly in that regard. I'll have it paid off in 3-4 months at most.

They both look like great TVs, but the LG was more in line with exactly what I was looking for. AT $800 I feel it is a great deal. There weren't many reviews for it on Amazon, but looking on other websites (walmart.com, tigerdirect.com, bestbuy.com) I was able to find hundreds of positive reviews for the LG. That pretty much sealed the deal for me. Regardless, this is going to be a major step up from my 6 year old, 42", 720p, Sanyo LCD that is starting to show some dark discoloration/burn-in.

My next move is going to be pruchasing that Onkyo surround sound system when the time is right.

Once you purchase the sound system, it doesn't matter how many HDMI inputs the TV has. Everything gets connected to the sound system and one HDMI cable goes to the TV.

[Avatar74]

Originally Posted by warvanov

Ok, so you're already off to a good start. There's absolutely no point in throwing out your current gear for a HTIB.

New receivers are overrated, though. A decent receiver will last for decades. (I also have a Yamaha receiver that's almost 9 years old and it's still serving me well.) If you'd like to get a new receiver though, I definitely suggest getting a standalone one. You won't be happy with something out of a HTIB.

For $250, your best bet might be to pick up a couple of rear surround speakers and a subwoofer to complete a 4.1 surround set up, and then later on when you can afford to, pick up a decent center channel speaker.

Ebay is a good place to find older high quality gear that's been taken care of well but can save you a few bucks.... It may take a little more research to find a best case scenario between price and an honest seller giving you a bona-fide good deal (and not just handing you a piece of junk) but it can be worth it, especially if the seller has a good reputation.

[sdilley14]

Originally Posted by warvanov

Ok, so you're already off to a good start. There's absolutely no point in throwing out your current gear for a HTIB.

New receivers are overrated, though. A decent receiver will last for decades. (I also have a Yamaha receiver that's almost 9 years old and it's still serving me well.) If you'd like to get a new receiver though, I definitely suggest getting a standalone one. You won't be happy with something out of a HTIB.

For $250, your best bet might be to pick up a couple of rear surround speakers and a subwoofer to complete a 4.1 surround set up, and then later on when you can afford to, pick up a decent center channel speaker.

I've been considering going this route, too. My current receiver isn't useless by any means. Quite the contrary, it is still very capable. I guess my biggest beef with it is that I don't have a better iPod/iPhone solution for it. I just have the RCA cable plugged into the back and I have to plug it into the headphone jack on my iPhone. Though lately I have just been running my Apple TV and using AirPlay to beam my songs to the ATV.

I've been toying with the idea of getting some matching bookshelf speakers to go with my floor standing speakers, then get a center channel speaker to round it out. I would love to get a sub but I'll probably hold off on that (I live in an apartment complex).

[sdilley14]

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SS-B1000-...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

OR

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Either of these pairs would match my current floor standing speakers. Is the 2nd pair really worth the extra $50? Again, I'm not an audiophile and I don't need the best of the best, but I do want a quality product that is going to fulfill my simple needs and last a long time.

[warvanov]

You'd have to listen to them to tell if they made a difference for you. As you can see from the picture, the first pair has just a woofer and a tweeter, and the second pair also has a midrange speaker, meaning it may produce more clearly defined sound. For rear surround speakers, the first pair would probably do just fine. Spend the money you money you save on a nice center channel speaker or a subwoofer. (For my money I'd buy a subwoofer first, but the choice is yours.)

[sdilley14]

Originally Posted by warvanov

You'd have to listen to them to tell if they made a difference for you. As you can see from the picture, the first pair has just a woofer and a tweeter, and the second pair also has a midrange speaker, meaning it may produce more clearly defined sound. For rear surround speakers, the first pair would probably do just fine. Spend the money you money you save on a nice center channel speaker or a subwoofer. (For my money I'd buy a subwoofer first, but the choice is yours.)

Good call. I'll probably just go with the cheaper pair as I have a good pair of 3 way floor standing speakers that are used for the front stage.

I'm having a hard time finding any decent Sony center channel speakers. I would like to keep the speakers uniform (brand wise) if at all possible...

[warvanov]

Originally Posted by sdilley14

I'm having a hard time finding any decent Sony center channel speakers. I would like to keep the speakers uniform (brand wise) if at all possible...

I think that's a good idea. I've bought Polk speakers for all of my components (except the sub). Supposedly you want to have the same brand so that all of the speakers will have the same sounding "voice", but I don't know if that really comes into play unless you have a really discerning ear.

I found this, but it doesn't look like very high quality components. http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SS-CR3000...center+speaker

I googled Soney Center Channel Speaker and found lots of other speakers, I just don't know if they're on amazon.

[sdilley14]

Originally Posted by warvanov

I think that's a good idea. I've bought Polk speakers for all of my components (except the sub). Supposedly you want to have the same brand so that all of the speakers will have the same sounding "voice", but I don't know if that really comes into play unless you have a really discerning ear.

I found this, but it doesn't look like very high quality components. http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SS-CR3000...center+speaker

I googled Soney Center Channel Speaker and found lots of other speakers, I just don't know if they're on amazon.

I saw that one you have linked on Amazon, too. Looks a little cheap. I know I have seen some bigger, better quality Sony center channel speakers on Amazon in the past. I'll just have to keep an eye on Amazon and check around on other sites to see what I can find.

[sdilley14]

Well, the 55" LG TV arrived yesterday. Here is a link to the exact set on LG's website...

http://www.lg.com/us/tvs/lg-55LM4600-led-tv

I have to say, it is a fantastic looking television! I haven't gotten a new TV in 6 years and it's pretty amazing how they can make such a huge TV so thin now. At 1.4" thick with a thin, shiny bezel, it looks really great either on or off. The number of video outputs worked out perfectly for me (3 HDMI for XBox, PS3, and Apple TV, 1 component for my cable box, and 1 USB for whatever). And I can finally replace the old red and white RCA cable going from the TV to the surround sound receiver with a digital optical audio cable. As far as the picture goes...I'm not a videophile by any means, but I think it looks great. It definitely took some tweaking, but the built in calibration tool is useful, and I was also able to find some people online that shared their calibration settings. After a while I was able to find the sweet spot for my viewing preferences. All in all it is a great TV and for $799 it was a steal IMO.

And I just ordered these speakers to help round out my sound system...

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SS-B1000-...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[taylord22]

For future reference, this is the site I would use as a basis for research:

http://thewirecutter.com/

Contrary to popular belief, even most of the OLEDs we have seen have yet to catch up with most of Panasonic's plasmas currently being offered for 1/10th of the price. Although, if you're putting the TV in a bright room, or are planning to use it as a monitor, then you definitely selected a strong TV.

As for speakers, the Energy Take speakers sets can be had for absurd prices right now. No other speaker in a box solution compares. Source: every audio review site and publication. If you can afford it, you won't be disappointed. And you won't have to worry about updating your system again until you're truly ready to venture into "enthusiast" territory. The Sonys, the Samsungs, The Boses, etc, etc...really don't manufacture quality speakers

[LorenK]

I haven't seen the most important part of what the purchase is for, what are you going to be watching? I happen to work for a major retailer and support our CE department, so while I claim no particular expertise, I do understand enough to give you a bit better direction.

There are three types of TVs, LCD, LED and Plasma, and each has its weaknesses and strong points. I happen to own a 60" Pioneer Plasma, and I would want nothing else than Plasma, but that's because I watch a lot of movies and I find that in a controlled viewing environment, e.g. can be made dark, the blacks are so much better than on either an LCD or LED. While the Plasma is quite fine for sports, sports really pop on an LCD or LED. With broadcast, LED has an uncanny clarity that's neither LCD or Plasma can match, but for me it is at the point of unreality, so I am not a fan. The downside for LED for me is viewing angle, it is not as good as either LED or Plasma. So they all have their pluses and minuses.

As to manufacturer, Samsung is the top manufacturer, that's why Apple has used them for so long. I note that the tech in the Pioneer, which shut down its television production, is now owned by Panasonic, so the Plasma quality provided by Pioneer and clearly the best of all manufacturers, is now owned by Panasonic. LG is not as good as Samsung.

One other thing to note. The industry suffered a big oversupply problem and prices dropped dramatically, but supply tightened up. Supply is edging back up, so prices will be soft, but Samsung is making a storng effort to control its pricing so you may not be able to find as good bargains as you would have before.

[taylord22]

Originally Posted by LorenK

I haven't seen the most important part of what the purchase is for, what are you going to be watching? I happen to work for a major retailer and support our CE department, so while I claim no particular expertise, I do understand enough to give you a bit better direction.

There are three types of TVs, LCD, LED and Plasma, and each has its weaknesses and strong points. I happen to own a 60" Pioneer Plasma, and I would want nothing else than Plasma, but that's because I watch a lot of movies and I find that in a controlled viewing environment, e.g. can be made dark, the blacks are so much better than on either an LCD or LED. While the Plasma is quite fine for sports, sports really pop on an LCD or LED. With broadcast, LED has an uncanny clarity that's neither LCD or Plasma can match, but for me it is at the point of unreality, so I am not a fan. The downside for LED for me is viewing angle, it is not as good as either LED or Plasma. So they all have their pluses and minuses.

As to manufacturer, Samsung is the top manufacturer, that's why Apple has used them for so long. I note that the tech in the Pioneer, which shut down its television production, is now owned by Panasonic, so the Plasma quality provided by Pioneer and clearly the best of all manufacturers, is now owned by Panasonic. LG is not as good as Samsung.

One other thing to note. The industry suffered a big oversupply problem and prices dropped dramatically, but supply tightened up. Supply is edging back up, so prices will be soft, but Samsung is making a storng effort to control its pricing so you may not be able to find as good bargains as you would have before.

I would also cite 'banding' and color inaccuracy (NEON) as a big minus for LED. The HUGE plus, aside from overall brightness (which only the panasonic ST/GT/VT50 negates), is that LEDs are super conducive to poor signals/SD content. Plasmas are ruthless. But, boy are they worth it on HD content...including games.

[sdilley14]

Originally Posted by LorenK

I haven't seen the most important part of what the purchase is for, what are you going to be watching? I happen to work for a major retailer and support our CE department, so while I claim no particular expertise, I do understand enough to give you a bit better direction.

There are three types of TVs, LCD, LED and Plasma, and each has its weaknesses and strong points. I happen to own a 60" Pioneer Plasma, and I would want nothing else than Plasma, but that's because I watch a lot of movies and I find that in a controlled viewing environment, e.g. can be made dark, the blacks are so much better than on either an LCD or LED. While the Plasma is quite fine for sports, sports really pop on an LCD or LED. With broadcast, LED has an uncanny clarity that's neither LCD or Plasma can match, but for me it is at the point of unreality, so I am not a fan. The downside for LED for me is viewing angle, it is not as good as either LED or Plasma. So they all have their pluses and minuses.

As to manufacturer, Samsung is the top manufacturer, that's why Apple has used them for so long. I note that the tech in the Pioneer, which shut down its television production, is now owned by Panasonic, so the Plasma quality provided by Pioneer and clearly the best of all manufacturers, is now owned by Panasonic. LG is not as good as Samsung.

One other thing to note. The industry suffered a big oversupply problem and prices dropped dramatically, but supply tightened up. Supply is edging back up, so prices will be soft, but Samsung is making a storng effort to control its pricing so you may not be able to find as good bargains as you would have before.

Well, I already bought the TV so it's a done deal.

I plan on watching mostly sports, and just some general channel surfing sitcom stuff, movies occasionally but not too often, and gaming every couple weeks maybe.

I had considered going with a plasma, but the room I have my TV set up in has a lot of natural light coming in, so I didn't really see the plasma being an option.

I wanted to go with a same sized Samsung, but I just couldn't justify spending $100+ more on a TV with one less HDMI connection. And the fact that the LG has 3d capability put it over the top for me. And like I said, I'm not a videophile, so it is highly, highly unlikely that I would ever even notice the difference betweem the LG and the Samsung when it comes to picture quality.

For my purposes, wants, and price range, the LG has fit the bill perfectly.

[laurim]

Originally Posted by taylord22

As for speakers, the Energy Take speakers sets can be had for absurd prices right now. No other speaker in a box solution compares. Source: every audio review site and publication. If you can afford it, you won't be disappointed. And you won't have to worry about updating your system again until you're truly ready to venture into "enthusiast" territory. The Sonys, the Samsungs, The Boses, etc, etc...really don't manufacture quality speakers

I agree, I really like my Energy Take speakers. I did a lot of research before buying and they got rave reviews everywhere. I also like that they are small so they don't junk up my living room and were easy to hang on the wall.

[StinDaWg]

Originally Posted by laurim

I agree, I really like my Energy Take speakers. I did a lot of research before buying and they got rave reviews everywhere. I also like that they are small so they don't junk up my living room and were easy to hang on the wall.

Supposedly the Monoprice 5.1 system is rebranded Energy Take for less than half the price. They are only $199 right now!

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1438391/mo...-package/0_100

[laurim]

Originally Posted by StinDaWg

Supposedly the Monoprice 5.1 system is rebranded Energy Take for less than half the price. They are only $199 right now!

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1438391/mo...-package/0_100

Sure looks exactly like them. Bummer! But, for my sanity, I'll believe they didn't exist when I bought mine