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Best TV

J

jfoley89

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 1, 2013
122
1
i don't care to much for smart TVs, I just want to know the best TV.

It seems the selling point for most tvs now days is it can connect to the Internet blah blah blah

I don't really care about all that stuff, all I want is a good tv that is big, has a awesome screen, and has a few HDMI ports.

Recommendations?

Ok, go.
 
http://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/LG-s-OLED-9600-UHD-King-of-TV.shtml

There is an AV store in NY that holds a "shootout" each year to pick the best TV. They are rated by both lay persons in the audience and professional calibrators. It is pretty widely regarded as the best event of its kind. Give the article a look.

The LG OLED won the shootout for 2015, but they are not cheap. The next shootout for June 2016 has been announced and lists the TV sets that will likely be judged.

If OLED is out of your budget, there are some very nice LCD sets out now. Tell us your budget?

As fas as "smart TV" features, any decent set now will come along with those features, but you can just ignore those features and never visit those setup screens if you don't want to.
 
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I am personally looking for a HDTV to hook my AppleTV up to.
Don't want a smartTV because I feel I am wasting money on a feature I wont be using.
Second requirement is that the TV has a refresh rate of 120Hz. A real 120Hz no BS.

Anyone have a suggestion?
 
HDR is the big thing now and it's said it makes a pretty huge difference. It was recently tested in OTA broadcast at 1080i and people said forget 4k, HDR is where it's at. There are two types of HDR. Dolby vision and HDR-10. HDR-10 is not compatible with dolby vision but dolby vision is compatible with HDR-10. Early reviews say the difference between the two is much greater with dolby vision.

Right now to get dolby vision there are 3 manufacturers to go with. The no name TCL. Then you have the 2016 LG OLED and the 2016 Vizio M and P series.
I have a 60" vizio M series from a few years ago and it's an amazing TV. Once calibrated properly the picture is outstanding, excellent black levels. You'd have to spend much more to get a better looking TV.

Another thing to keep in mind when shopping for TV is you can't judge them by how they look in the store. They are not calibrated and are in harsh lighting conditions that would differ from your home viewing. I shopped at several stores for the same model of tvs and they all looked different from store to store. The samsungs looked better than the Vizios side by side. But once I got the TV's home(I returned several) and calibrated them correctly the Vizios looked much better.

So if you have the money the 2016 LG OLED is the way to go. If you want cheaper i'd get a 2016 Vizio M or P series from Costco. Best prices, easy returns and they give you an extra year of warranty.
 
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jfoley89 said:
i don't care to much for smart TVs, I just want to know the best TV.

It seems the selling point for most tvs now days is it can connect to the Internet blah blah blah

I don't really care about all that stuff, all I want is a good tv that is big, has a awesome screen, and has a few HDMI ports.

Recommendations?

Ok, go.
Click to expand...

Easy the 2016 LG 65G6P Oled TV.
 
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You can't get the best tv without it being a smart tv. The better quality sets include extra features to further differentiate themselves from lower tiers. At any rate, it seems all TVs starting at a moderate quality level are smart TVs nowadays.
 
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Hookemfins said:
Go to your favorite retail outlet and look at the TVs. Your eyes and ears will be a better judge than any opinion on a forum.
Click to expand...

What you say sounds logical but alas, many stores have TVs set to "display" or "store" setting which is brighter, contrastier etc. to make the screen "pop." Only way to really compare initially is to have different TVs next to each other and set the in a more common or default mode. Ideally the best way is to have calibrated screens next to each other and certainly any statistics related available.
[doublepost=1462337942][/doublepost]To the OP, you need to state your needs a bit more clearly beyond the bells and whistles not being as important as the image quality (though a good start). Do you want 1080p or "4K" etc. and your budget.

I highly suggest you take a look at the AVS Forum site. They cover quite a few TVs there, specs and also have user forums related to several TVs. Sony, LG, Visio, Samsung and Panasonic are all well represented there (along with others) and perhaps you may find that LG and Sony might fit the bill for you (just an example) and then go to a store front and see if you can set them in a real user mode and if you are lucky, the store will let you compare exactly the same media file/disc etc. to contrast and compare output.

As for me, I find 1080p sufficient and more so since I have a plasma TV (sorry they don't make them anymore but it is what it is). My needs are for blue ray playback, occasional TV shows and no gaming. If I were to choose today, I would get a 4K TV perhaps 60-75" and be concerned like you about output. Of consequence would be native 4K and ability to upscale from lesser formats and how it handles different "fps" given that 29.x, 23.x etc. will require most likely being played back at 60 or a multiple that matches 30 and 24 (previous numbers rounded) etc.
 
archer75 said:
HDR is the big thing now and it's said it makes a pretty huge difference. It was recently tested in OTA broadcast at 1080i and people said forget 4k, HDR is where it's at. There are two types of HDR. Dolby vision and HDR-10. HDR-10 is not compatible with dolby vision but dolby vision is compatible with HDR-10. Early reviews say the difference between the two is much greater with dolby vision.

Right now to get dolby vision there are 3 manufacturers to go with. The no name TCL. Then you have the 2016 LG OLED and the 2016 Vizio M and P series.
I have a 60" vizio M series from a few years ago and it's an amazing TV. Once calibrated properly the picture is outstanding, excellent black levels. You'd have to spend much more to get a better looking TV.

Another thing to keep in mind when shopping for TV is you can't judge them by how they look in the store. They are not calibrated and are in harsh lighting conditions that would differ from your home viewing. I shopped at several stores for the same model of tvs and they all looked different from store to store. The samsungs looked better than the Vizios side by side. But once I got the TV's home(I returned several) and calibrated them correctly the Vizios looked much better.

So if you have the money the 2016 LG OLED is the way to go. If you want cheaper i'd get a 2016 Vizio M or P series from Costco. Best prices, easy returns and they give you an extra year of warranty.
Click to expand...

This is really all you need to know.

off_piste said:
OLED? Check.
HDR? Check.
4K? Check.
broke? Check.

Damn good set. Still too rich for many but the prices are so much cheaper than they used to be.
Click to expand...

I fixed that for you :)
 
jfoley89 said:
i don't care to much for smart TVs, I just want to know the best TV.

It seems the selling point for most tvs now days is it can connect to the Internet blah blah blah

I don't really care about all that stuff, all I want is a good tv that is big, has a awesome screen, and has a few HDMI ports.

Recommendations?

Ok, go.
Click to expand...

You might've gotten a new TV by now, but in case not I thought I'd suggest having a look at CNET's TV section. I've found some very good info there over the years. When I got my Panasonic P60ST60 the info there was invaluable to me.

http://www.cnet.com/topics/tvs/best-tvs/
 
I have an LG 1080p 60" plasma that I picked up a few years ago for $1200, it's a good TV, I don't feel as though I need 4K because it still hasn't become mainstream and few services actually offer 4K video. I think it will be a good 5 years before it starts getting big enough to justify.

Word of advice from me
Don't get a plasma, you'll never see your meter run faster.
If you plan on getting a 4K tv and there is nothing wrong with your current TV, you might wait, prices will drop between now and when it goes mainstream.
If you don't have a sound system, get a soundbar that is the same brand as your TV unless you are going for surround sound.
Ensure you have enough HDMI, DVI, VGA, A/V, whatever ports to cover the devices you will be hooking up.
Look at LED TVs, they are typically the lowest cost on your electric and have great picture quality.
Get as big as you can afford (or fit in your room)
Samsung typically has the best display, and the best looking TVs.
Sharp typically is right behind Samsung.
Be wary of Vizio and other Walmart-brand names, they may be cheap, but not your best bet.

I plan to buy another TV in a couple of years, I plan to get a Samsung 70" 4K, I'll make sure I can hook up an Xbox One, a Wii U, and an Apple TV (3 hdmi) I'll probably look at 4 hdmi ports just as redundancy or if I get another device to hook up to it. I'll also make sure it has no less than 120hz refresh rate.This is me, if you want to base a decision off of it, go ahead.

Nothing will help you decide better than actually looking at and listening to the TVs, except maybe the dent on your wallet.
 
Hookemfins said:
Go to your favorite retail outlet and look at the TVs. Your eyes and ears will be a better judge than any opinion on a forum.
Click to expand...

Do some research. Torch-o-vision coupled with all the digital manipulation doesn't do a set justice.
 
mildocjr said:
I have an LG 1080p 60" plasma that I picked up a few years ago for $1200, it's a good TV, I don't feel as though I need 4K because it still hasn't become mainstream and few services actually offer 4K video. I think it will be a good 5 years before it starts getting big enough to justify.

Word of advice from me
Don't get a plasma, you'll never see your meter run faster.
If you plan on getting a 4K tv and there is nothing wrong with your current TV, you might wait, prices will drop between now and when it goes mainstream.
If you don't have a sound system, get a soundbar that is the same brand as your TV unless you are going for surround sound.
Ensure you have enough HDMI, DVI, VGA, A/V, whatever ports to cover the devices you will be hooking up.
Look at LED TVs, they are typically the lowest cost on your electric and have great picture quality.
Get as big as you can afford (or fit in your room)
Samsung typically has the best display, and the best looking TVs.
Sharp typically is right behind Samsung.
Be wary of Vizio and other Walmart-brand names, they may be cheap, but not your best bet.

I plan to buy another TV in a couple of years, I plan to get a Samsung 70" 4K, I'll make sure I can hook up an Xbox One, a Wii U, and an Apple TV (3 hdmi) I'll probably look at 4 hdmi ports just as redundancy or if I get another device to hook up to it. I'll also make sure it has no less than 120hz refresh rate.This is me, if you want to base a decision off of it, go ahead.

Nothing will help you decide better than actually looking at and listening to the TVs, except maybe the dent on your wallet.
Click to expand...
Out of curiosity, when was the last time you researched/looked at TVs? Bagging on Vizio? No mention of LG? Pre selecting a TV several years in advance?
 
off_piste said:
Out of curiosity, when was the last time you researched/looked at TVs? Bagging on Vizio? No mention of LG? Pre selecting a TV several years in advance?
Click to expand...

It's been a while but that's just my plan at this time, I have an LG now if that says anything, my only wish for it was for it not to be a plasma TV, Vizio has had bad quality every time I saw one of the screens, the contrast was off, either too exposed or underexposed for my tastes. If the picture was right, the refresh rate was too low and I saw ghosting. Samsung had good TVs when I was looking before but I opted for a lower priced TV. Moving forward from what I've seen at the stores currently, Samsung and Sharp have had the best picture from what I've seen which is why I've come to that conclusion for myself, as it gets closer for me to update my TV, yes I'll be going through each with a fine-tooth comb based on what I said previously to find the TV that best suits what I'm looking for. It's not like I can get a TV with a picture as good as my iMac but I'm going to try to get as close as possible.
 
mildocjr said:
It's been a while but that's just my plan at this time, I have an LG now if that says anything, my only wish for it was for it not to be a plasma TV, Vizio has had bad quality every time I saw one of the screens, the contrast was off, either too exposed or underexposed for my tastes. If the picture was right, the refresh rate was too low and I saw ghosting. Samsung had good TVs when I was looking before but I opted for a lower priced TV. Moving forward from what I've seen at the stores currently, Samsung and Sharp have had the best picture from what I've seen which is why I've come to that conclusion for myself, as it gets closer for me to update my TV, yes I'll be going through each with a fine-tooth comb based on what I said previously to find the TV that best suits what I'm looking for. It's not like I can get a TV with a picture as good as my iMac but I'm going to try to get as close as possible.
Click to expand...
I'm waiting for the LG OLEDs (or comparable) to come down in price. I'm not willing to spend $7k. Get the 65" down to $4k in a couple years with increased 4K content and I'll gladly fork over the cash.
 
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mildocjr said:
It's been a while but that's just my plan at this time, I have an LG now if that says anything, my only wish for it was for it not to be a plasma TV, Vizio has had bad quality every time I saw one of the screens, the contrast was off, either too exposed or underexposed for my tastes. If the picture was right, the refresh rate was too low and I saw ghosting. Samsung had good TVs when I was looking before but I opted for a lower priced TV. Moving forward from what I've seen at the stores currently, Samsung and Sharp have had the best picture from what I've seen which is why I've come to that conclusion for myself, as it gets closer for me to update my TV, yes I'll be going through each with a fine-tooth comb based on what I said previously to find the TV that best suits what I'm looking for. It's not like I can get a TV with a picture as good as my iMac but I'm going to try to get as close as possible.
Click to expand...
My buddy has a $2500 samsung and it's picture is crap. Seriously poor black levels. I got a vizio for half the price and it's wonderful. You can't go by what you see in stores as they are not calibrated and are in harsh lighting conditions. If that's what you're doing then you're doing it wrong. Side by side, in the store, not calibrated, samsungs will look better. Get them home and calibrate them and it's a VERY different story.
For the money Vizios have the best pictures hands down. I have had a few and once calibrated the picture is amazing. I've never seen ghosting on them. And I do watch sports and game. Vizios also regularly make cnets best tv's of the year list.

[doublepost=1462539773][/doublepost]
off_piste said:
I'm waiting for the LG OLEDs (or comparable) to come down in price. I'm not willing to spend $7k. Get the 65" down to $4k in a couple years with increased 4K content and I'll gladly fork over the cash.
Click to expand...
Netflix and amazon are both streaming 4k. There will be hundreds of bluray 4k releases this year. Though for most they can't tell a difference in 4k. It's really all about the HDR. That's where the biggest difference is coming from right now. Not just a little better. Massive difference.
 
Last edited:
archer75 said:
My buddy has a $2500 samsung and it's picture is crap. Seriously poor black levels. I got a vizio for half the price and it's wonderful. You can't go by what you see in stores as they are not calibrated and are in harsh lighting conditions. If that's what you're doing then you're doing it wrong. Side by side, in the store, not calibrated, samsungs will look better. Get them home and calibrate them and it's a VERY different story.
For the money Vizios have the best pictures hands down. I have had a few and once calibrated the picture is amazing. I've never seen ghosting on them. And I do watch sports and game. Vizios also regularly make cnets best tv's of the year list.
Click to expand...

Also understand that my post was completely subjective.
 
off_piste said:
I'm waiting for the LG OLEDs (or comparable) to come down in price. I'm not willing to spend $7k. Get the 65" down to $4k in a couple years with increased 4K content and I'll gladly fork over the cash.
Click to expand...

The LG 65 EF9500 is bellow 4,000 and its a flat 4k Oled.
 
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