So, my current TV has a big, fat, annoying-as-fuck burn-in blob on the right side because it's a piece of shit, and I am looking to buy a new one. Does anybody have any recommendations on flat screen TV's that are about 46"? I don't particularly care about Smart-TV functionality or 3D, but I do care about sound and picture quality. Main purpose is watching movies and tv-shows, secondary purpose is gaming on PS4/WiiU, in case that makes a difference. Thanks!
Do you use the built in TV speakers then for your sound? and I am guessing your old model is an old plasma? And how much are you willing to spend? Some people are looking for TV's under $1k, others have a 2K or whatever budget. The price makes a big difference on what would be recommended. And if possible you should get a 4K TV, since we are in the middle of the transition right now and it would be a shame to buy a new TV and have it not be 4K since you will be keeping it quite a few years. if I was buying right now I would get this one: http://www.amazon.com/LG-Electronic...ref=sr_1_1?s=tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1411476199&sr=1-1
I do use the built-in speakers. I don't have too much room to set up external speakers, and I am not THAT much of an audiophile in the first place. And no, it's not plasma, but a LED-TV. (Samsung UE40EH5000) The problem with 4K is that it'll be quite a bit more than that 1 year before it becomes reasonably priced here in Denmark, so for now I'll have to settle with a "normal" HD one. Besides, the big, burn-in blob is pretty distracting and generally ruins my viewing experience. I could always go for a cheaper replacement for now, and then get a 4K later when they become more readily available here.
IMO TVs are in a transition period where you DO NOT want to reach for fancy new technology (4k or OLED ect.). You're paying a bigass premium and right now and we know prices are going to come crashing down yet again once TV manufacturers see 4k isn't driving sales like they want (just like 3d and high refresh rates and on and on). And if you're not going very big or sitting very close 4k isn't going to matter anyway. If you're going to reach, reach for that newish "cheap" LG 55" 1080p OLED which is basically the best picture quality you can get. (Queue argument on resolving power ect.) I'd get a set with good value. And try to get in on a plasma, which have better picture quality than the LCDs unless you're in a very bright room. Something like: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BCPGNF8?tag=thewire06-20&linkCode=as2 Though if you want to spend more and get the best (maybe last!) plasma out there you could get http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BCPGOD4?tag=thewire06-20&linkCode=as2
Hmm, plasma is extremely hard to find around here, for some reason. I think it's generally being out-phased completely in favour of LED TVs. But after looking around a little, I found that 4K TVs aren't even that insanely expensive, at least compared to HD TVs, around here. The Samsung UE48HU7500 is just a little more expensive (where I am) than most HD TVs, and it seems to have gotten some decent reviews. I might look into getting that.
I use this exact TV and love it. 46" Sony Bravia LCD 120Hz http://www.amazon.com/Sony-BRAVIA-KDL-46EX500-1080P-46-Inch/dp/B0035ER1IM The Motionflow 120Hz option really smoothes out the picture in movies and games, which I love (but some aren't a big fan of...)
yes you are correct, EU laws are much more strict on power consumption for TVs than in America. Certain places though (like California) has state laws regarding power consumption, which makes it hard to sell TVs in some places in the US too. Due to these laws, Plasma is incredibly hard to sell in the EU anymore because each plasma cell requires voltage to drive (and each pixel has 3 cells, and millions of pixels. you get the idea). Because of this, soon (or maybe it already took effect...) plasma will be unable to be produced in the next year or so because the new energy consumption laws will drop below the minimum it is possible to make a plasma use unless there is some radical leap in it's technology. This is also the reason you will never see a 4K plasma display, 4x as many pixels means somewhere around 4x as much power draw as the 1080p plasmas. But speaking of a radical development in plasma tech, OLED is pretty much just that. The perfection of what plasma display tech is. Unfortunately OLED has all the same problems as the first plasma TVs did: burn in, shorter life, and color shift with age due to color cells wearing out at different rates.
A little bit more expensive, perhaps, but at the 42" screen size you really don't see a benefit to the 4k over 1080p unless you're sitting closer than about 1.5 meters. Unless you want to go very big/close I'd stick to using the extra money on getting a better 1080p set. Budget LCD TVs are much worse than the higher end ones. And just to make sure things are clear LED TVs as we currently know them are LCD TVs. The only real difference between an old LCD and an "LED" is that the backlighting is done with LEDs instead of cold-cathode tubes. OLED TVs actually use tiny little LEDs as pixels and thus have no backlight. Plasma is somewhat similar. That's why these TVs have better picture quality.
Okay, so if plasma is out of the picture (teehee), and I'm looking for something around 46-48 inches, 1080p, what are some good picks? Because those specs seem to be pretty much the center of everything, meaning there are a gazillion TVs to choose from.
I still think you should get this one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00K2TFQ...de=df0&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B00K2TFQLW