Techy question.... kind of... (TVs)

[iccyman001]

I want to buy my mother and step father a new TV for christmas.
They have an old box TV that is probably 25\" and it\'s time they get something new.



I don\'t even own a TV, so I have no idea what I am doing.

Wants:
I\'m thinking like 32 or 40\" (or something in between)
It doesn\'t need to be a smart tv
I\'d prefer a better quality one
Is it possible to keep this under $500?




I will not battle black friday deals, that is a hunting day, not a shopping day.... so that\'s out of the question.


Does anyone have any input? I appreciate the help :upthumb:

 

[bowhunter]

I would go with the 40 inch or so. My local power coop gives rebates on TVs 40\" or larger that are energy star rated. I believe it is 30 dollar credit on their electric bill.

 

[colorado russ]

Dan, they\'re having pre-black friday sales at some places that are pretty good. Yes, you can get a nice 40\" HD TV for under $500. One thing to look for is 1080p resolution(I don\'t even think they make 720i anymore). Just checking Walmart real quick online and they have a 48\" RCA 1080p LED 60Hz for $299. I won\'t pretend to know the differences between models/manufacturers so go by customer reviews mostly. Best Buy will have similar deals before Thanksgiving also.

<!-- m --><a class=\"postlink\" href=\"http://www.walmart.com/ip/RCA-LED48G45RQ-48-1080p-60Hz-Class-LED-HDTV/39097422\" onclick=\"window.open(this.href);return false;\">http://www.walmart.com/ip/RCA-LED48G45R ... V/39097422</a><!-- m -->

 

[mtnmutt]

For under $500, you can purchase a Smart TV or larger TV. 40\" is considered small for a main HDTV. If it is their main TV, I would try for at least 48\". Most people regret buying a smaller screen HDTV. Smart TV builtin is not a big deal. A bluray player or Roku/FireTV device with Smart Apps can be connected later. The TV does not need builtin Smart apps since auxiliary devices may provide that feature.

A Smart TV may help them \"cut the cord\" to cable TV using an indoor HDTV antenna. The TV should at least have built-in WiFi. I hardwire Ethernet to my TV since WiFi is slower and I stream content from the internet. Keep in mind, you may display your photos and GoPro videos on a HDTV. This may be a nice thing to do with them when you visit.

I was a late comer to HDTV. 5 years ago, I started with a cheap 37\" Visio which is a great budget TV. It was only hooked up to standard definition TV receiver and not HDTV, therefore, the TV\'s picture quality did not matter. Will they use a HDTV receiver (cable), HDTV indoor antenna or Roku/FireTV type of device for supplying the content? If the TV is only supplied a standard definition signal then a better TV is not worth it.

Last December, I bought a monster 55\" Samsung Smart TV (on sale, it was $1080) and switched to a HDTV receiver. I don\'t go to the movies, therefore, my main TV needs to be good for movies...and football . Since I rely on Closed Captioning, I made sure my main TV was large enough for me to easily read the CC from 8 feet away. I admit, if I could afford it, I would buy 75\" just for watching movies and football. At the time, I thought 55\" was huge.

Now, I am eyeing a 32\" Samsung Smart TV for the treadmill and using an indoor antenna since I won\'t hook it up to \"cable\". New Samsung TVs have a new feature to mirror my cell phone or tablet\'s display to the TV\'s screen which makes it \"safer\" for me to read while using the treadmill.

I have a home theater which reduces my reliance on CC because the home theater center speaker provides better clarity of the dialogue than the flat sounding TV\'s speaker. Most HDTV TVs generally have terrible speakers which are worse than the old box standard definition TVs. If your parents have some hearing impairment, you may want to spend some of that TV money on a soundbar.

Here are guideline for viewing distances vs suggested screen size. There are charts on the net that provide screen size ranges for viewing distances.
Max 40 degree viewing angle
Viewing distance in inches x 0.84 Example: 72\" x 0.84 = 60.48\"

Max 30 degree viewing angle
Viewing distance in inches x 0.625 Example: 72\" x 0.625 = 45\"

For 6 ft away, a TV between 43-60\" screen size is a good ballpark. It is a very personal choice. No one ever says they bought too big of a HDTV. They usually say they bought too small of a HDTV.

If it is their main TV, I suggest a refresh of 120Hz and not 60 Hz to cut down on motion blur. For my treadmill TV, I will buy a 60Hz TV.

Searching online reviews will help setup the TVs settings to optimum contrast, brightness, etc. This can make a big difference on the picture quality. Factory defaults rarely are the prime settings for each person and can look crappy.

Or, go to BestBuy or Wallyworld, stare at the TVs and just choose one. If they only have a standard TV now, they will love whatever you choose.

TVs can be purchased online at reduced prices starting this weekend. My 55\" was cheapest in late December after all the other earlier sales. Even cheaper than it was on Black Friday. It was $150 more on Black Friday.

 

[Lark Bunting]

Check out Monoprice.com for all the HDMI cables as well as the wall mount (if you\'re going to put it on the wall). I doubt you\'ll find better prices and their quality s excellent!

10\' HDMI cable $5.99
<!-- m --><a class=\"postlink\" href=\"https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024008&p_id=3993&seq=1&format=2\" onclick=\"window.open(this.href);return false;\">https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id= ... 1&format=2</a><!-- m -->

Wall mount $14.99
<!-- m --><a class=\"postlink\" href=\"http://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=10472\" onclick=\"window.open(this.href);return false;\">http://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=10472</a><!-- m -->

No affiliation, just a very happy customer!

 

[iccyman001]

Thank you so much for all of tips everyone!!!!

Patricia, I\'ll look into bigger TVs, but they are silly. They would probably lose their mind if I showed up with a 40\" tv, let alone a 48!!!!
Your post was very insightful and helpful!!! Thank you so much.


The bigger screen might not be a bad idea. The older they get, the harder it\'ll be to see.

 

[Zpd307]

I would go bigger too...... im not into the super huge stuff, but anything over 50 inches. flat screens have come way down on prices....

 

[elky McElkerson]

if that\'s your budget..go smaller.

i didnt read all the post, but new TV\'s have the crappiest speakers. they ASSUME you\'re gonna pony up the $$ to buy some sort of sound system..and you know what? you\'re gonna need to buy some sort of sound system.

so you will need to budget for some speakers. good news, even modest sound systems that cost very little make the biggest difference in sound. TV speakers are more closely related to the speaker in your computer..maybe worse. hahah..