School me on TV's

[impulseX]

So, haven't shopped for a TV in general as I rarely watch tv and haven't played console games in a long time and don't know what to look out for.

Girlfriend's parents need a new tv since theirs crapped out. Budget is $500.

Any recommendations?

Thanks in advance!

[asian_XL]

TVs: Top TV Brands, Television Deals - Best Buy Canada

[winson604]

http://www.openbox.ca/tvs.html

Got my last TV here, no regrets.

[GLOW]

https://www.costco.ca/Haier-49UF2500...100316053.html
https://www.costco.ca/Haier-55E5500U...100300265.html

friend just got the 49" seems pretty good

[Hondaracer]

Go to Costco pick any $500 TV that looks half decent in store.

$500 doesn't go very far but at least you've got the return policy

[Traum]

Originally Posted by Hondaracer

Go to Costco pick any $500 TV that looks half decent in store.

$500 doesn't go very far but at least you've got the return policy

That was exactly my mentality when I was TV shopping for the Old Man earlier in the year. Funny how I was considering the exact same 3 vendors (+ Visions) as well.

We ruled out BB and Visions quite quickly since their regular deals didn't seem particularly attractive, and we wasn't really shooting for anything particularly new or high end. OpenBox was cheaper (even though you have to pay cash or maybe Interact instead of credit card), and if the TV were for myself, I would have gone that route. But for the Old Man, I didn't want him to deal with any trouble should something go wrong, and OpenBox's warranty period was quite short (6 months only, I believe?). Whereas with Costco, you pay a little extra ($50 or something for the sizes we were considering?) and you get a trouble-free, no hassle 5 year warranty plan.

[impulseX]

Originally Posted by winson604

http://www.openbox.ca/tvs.html

Got my last TV here, no regrets.

if the warranty is only 6 months as stated below, then would probably have to try a different alternative. but thanks!

Originally Posted by GLOW

https://www.costco.ca/Haier-49UF2500...100316053.html
https://www.costco.ca/Haier-55E5500U...100300265.html

friend just got the 49" seems pretty good

will look into those. thanks!

Originally Posted by Hondaracer

Go to Costco pick any $500 TV that looks half decent in store.

$500 doesn't go very far but at least you've got the return policy

Originally Posted by Traum

That was exactly my mentality when I was TV shopping for the Old Man earlier in the year. Funny how I was considering the exact same 3 vendors (+ Visions) as well.

We ruled out BB and Visions quite quickly since their regular deals didn't seem particularly attractive, and we wasn't really shooting for anything particularly new or high end. OpenBox was cheaper (even though you have to pay cash or maybe Interact instead of credit card), and if the TV were for myself, I would have gone that route. But for the Old Man, I didn't want him to deal with any trouble should something go wrong, and OpenBox's warranty period was quite short (6 months only, I believe?). Whereas with Costco, you pay a little extra ($50 or something for the sizes we were considering?) and you get a trouble-free, no hassle 5 year warranty plan.

I totally understand that $500 doesn't get too much but with there being such a wide range in terms of pricing, was hoping to get recommendations on certain tv's or what sort of specifications to look out for in order to maximise on the value of the lower end tv's.


All in all, thank you for your comments and suggestions so far! Appreciate it!

[Hondaracer]

The problem now is what used to be "low end" in vizio etc. are actually making decent/good TV's. The hi-sense and other stuff I've seen look pretty bad but who knows, could be fine once you get it home.

If you don't care about a smart tv etc id get the best model possible from any of the major manufacturers without any "smart" features. If a TV like that even exists anymore

[Mr.Money]

I noticed some walmart stores have un-announced sales on tv's on decent sizes once and a while for 700

[Bonka]

Don't bother with major brands unless it's a big sale, previous year model, refurb. At the entry level price point they are going to be in line with third tier brands (Westinghouse, Seiki). With that in mind second tiers are quite good now: TCL, Haier, Hisense, Insignia, Vizio will be fine with the right model.

Avoid trying to cram in as many features into your buy - you're going to have to sacrifice something. Consider its use, do you need additional inputs (hdmi), size, wifi? Smart features are great but updates go EOL fast if they're non-Roku. 4K is great for futureproofing but at this price point it mind as well be an oversight. Opt for better 1080 picture quality instead. Same with size. I think most people would prefer a larger tv but ultimately I would go with a smaller screen if it has better picture quality especially if the difference is downsizing from a 55" to a 50".

I was in a similar price range for the guest room tv although my thinking was to buy as cheap as possible.

Ultimately I considered into the following:

Haier 49"/55" @ Costco (the 49" is 4K though I preferred the 55" slightly, the extended warranty for $30 was a big selling point; for the 55" it's suggested to buy post Oct 16 manufacturer date due to yellow hues being completely off)
Insignia 48" @ BestBuy (good reviews but completely barebones, apparently these are made by Hisense/TCL)
TCL (hard to find in Canada, a few refurb models floating around which I would rather avoid)
Hisense H4 48" @ The Source (Roku, Wifi)
RCA 49"/55" @ Superstore/Walmart (supposedly same as the Haier but a little cheaper, especially during no tax event, 55" has same issue as Haier)

Ended up with the Hisense as they recently had a sale - cost was <$350 taxes in. It was cheap enough that I could live with the middling warranty but your CC coverage will give an extra year. Picture quality is pretty good and having wifi avoided me having to run a new line into the room. The smart features are pretty slow and virtually a waste of time but that wasn't high on the list anyway.

[whitev70r]

If you want to try an entry level 4K TV for fun, go on CL, look for people who are selling their promo one from Telus promo, Toshiba 49". Unfortunately, not a lot of 4K content right now though. But man, is it sharp and clear!

[Hondaracer]

I'm at Costco willingdon right now and there actually quite a few TV's in thay price range

[GLOW]

forget "smart" TV's that spy on you
just get a chromecast stick for $35-40 and it'll be a lot smarter and better integrated with your tech.

edit: my friend got the 55" not the 49" ... went in thinking 49 but paid $100 extra for 55"
pretty impressed with it too for $500. reviews say audio sucks but i'm not audio snob and we thought the audio was pretty decent.

you want TV's that have at least 4 HDMI ports IMO...after plugging in TV box, game system, chromecast, etc...ports dry up fast...

[impulseX]

Originally Posted by Hondaracer

The problem now is what used to be "low end" in vizio etc. are actually making decent/good TV's. The hi-sense and other stuff I've seen look pretty bad but who knows, could be fine once you get it home.

If you don't care about a smart tv etc id get the best model possible from any of the major manufacturers without any "smart" features. If a TV like that even exists anymore

Honestly they wouldn't even know how to use the features of a smart tv. But just from a glance over there's so many option with tvs that I figured i'd at least ask for opinions/recommendations or just what to look out for when shopping for one to try and maximise the value of it.

Originally Posted by Bonka

Don't bother with major brands unless it's a big sale, previous year model, refurb. At the entry level price point they are going to be in line with third tier brands (Westinghouse, Seiki). With that in mind second tiers are quite good now: TCL, Haier, Hisense, Insignia, Vizio will be fine with the right model.

Avoid trying to cram in as many features into your buy - you're going to have to sacrifice something. Consider its use, do you need additional inputs (hdmi), size, wifi? Smart features are great but updates go EOL fast if they're non-Roku. 4K is great for futureproofing but at this price point it mind as well be an oversight. Opt for better 1080 picture quality instead. Same with size. I think most people would prefer a larger tv but ultimately I would go with a smaller screen if it has better picture quality especially if the difference is downsizing from a 55" to a 50".

I was in a similar price range for the guest room tv although my thinking was to buy as cheap as possible.

Ultimately I considered into the following:

Haier 49"/55" @ Costco (the 49" is 4K though I preferred the 55" slightly, the extended warranty for $30 was a big selling point; for the 55" it's suggested to buy post Oct 16 manufacturer date due to yellow hues being completely off)
Insignia 48" @ BestBuy (good reviews but completely barebones, apparently these are made by Hisense/TCL)
TCL (hard to find in Canada, a few refurb models floating around which I would rather avoid)
Hisense H4 48" @ The Source (Roku, Wifi)
RCA 49"/55" @ Superstore/Walmart (supposedly same as the Haier but a little cheaper, especially during no tax event, 55" has same issue as Haier)

Ended up with the Hisense as they recently had a sale - cost was <$350 taxes in. It was cheap enough that I could live with the middling warranty but your CC coverage will give an extra year. Picture quality is pretty good and having wifi avoided me having to run a new line into the room. The smart features are pretty slow and virtually a waste of time but that wasn't high on the list anyway.

Originally Posted by GLOW

forget "smart" TV's that spy on you
just get a chromecast stick for $35-40 and it'll be a lot smarter and better integrated with your tech.

edit: my friend got the 55" not the 49" ... went in thinking 49 but paid $100 extra for 55"
pretty impressed with it too for $500. reviews say audio sucks but i'm not audio snob and we thought the audio was pretty decent.

you want TV's that have at least 4 HDMI ports IMO...after plugging in TV box, game system, chromecast, etc...ports dry up fast...

Thank you both, especially for the long write up Bonka. With what you've both said and recommended, I'll definitely put that a the top of the list for choices since it does sound pretty good spec wise, and you've both mentioned it.

Originally Posted by whitev70r

If you want to try an entry level 4K TV for fun, go on CL, look for people who are selling their promo one from Telus promo, Toshiba 49". Unfortunately, not a lot of 4K content right now though. But man, is it sharp and clear!

Don't necessarily need 4k for what they use it for but noticed that most tv's ive seen are stating its 4k

[twitchyzero]

I would not bother with 1080p sets even on a tight budget or sizes under 50"

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...&bu=1238355REG
~$600 all in

[Razor Ramon HG]

Hi there,

Been searching for a TV around 40 to 43".

I've narrowed it down to the following three.

1. Samsung 40" 4K Ultra HD LED Tizen Smart TV (UN40KU6290FXZC) - $650
2. LG 43" 4K UHD HDR LED webOS 3.0 Smart TV (43UH6100) - $699
3. Toshiba 43" 4K Ultra HD LED Chromecast Built-in TV (43L621U) - $599
4. Insignia 43" 4K UHD LED Roku Smart TV (NS-43DR710CA17) - $499

Does anyone have any experience with the following TVs?

For brand new, I am leaning towards the LG or the Insignia if I want the budget option. If buying refurbished, I can get the Samsung model for $449 from Vancouver Electronic Depot (although I'm not sure how reliable they are).

I know there are many 1080p alternatives for cheaper in the same size category, but I would like this TV to last at least 3 to 5 years.

Main use will be to play some PS4 games and Netflix. Distance from TV will be about 2 meters.

[6o4__boi]

i'd get the the LG, out of all of those has an edge with hdr and size over the samsung, i've had LG's and Toshiba's the last few years and I've never had an issue yet.

unless you're willing to wait til black friday/boxing day when insignia's and toshiba's are usually door crashers

wouldn't be surprised if those two go to $350 come BF or BD this year.

[Mr.Money]

LG brand is highly rated now a days compared to the early days of plasma with Pioneer & samsung.

you get what you pay for for hdtv's imo..long as its name brand.

[Razor Ramon HG]

Samsung KU6300 Review (UN40KU6300, UN43KU6300, UN50KU6300, UN55KU6300, UN60KU6300, UN65KU6300, UN70KU6300)

I ended up getting a refurbished version of the Samsung in 50 inches instead. The model number is 630D, which on research is exclusive to Costco.

It costed me $650 + taxes (no EHF) from Vancouver Electronic Depot. Wasn't sure what to expect, but the TV was basically brand new with no damage or dead pixels (the protective plastic was still on the bezel). They said that if I have an issues with the TV within the first year to bring it back to them.

Did a lot of research and the Samsung panel seemed to be the best of the bunch.

Pretty happy so far, but I do wish the system was Android-based so I could install my own apps (there's no Twitch) and the panel seems to auto-dim itself unless I put it on Movie mode (although it seems to be a "feature" on most TVs these days according to Google).

[bcrdukes]

I live by the saying, "You get what you pay for."

We bought an LG TV a number of years ago on Dell.ca (on sale.) It served its purpose, but the fucking thing dies literally a day AFTER the two year warranty. I was so pissed off.

It took a lot of convincing and negotiation with LG to fix the damn thing and they did it out of good will. Turns out, my coworker and his parents bought the same TV and it too, also died a day after the warranty expired.

Now, I'm not saying not to buy LG, but just keep in mind, you get what you pay for if you want a reliable TV. I'm sure there are some out there that are super reliable but can be bought with rock bottom prices. Do you homework and save yourself a headache! On the flipside, I have my beef with LG and Samsung, so I personally would never buy their garbage ever again.

[Hondaracer]

I as well would never buy LG or Samsung based on brand preference.

I completely agree though that the more you spend the longer you will potentially get out of the Tv.

Know 3 people including myself who've bought into sonys XBR line, two of these TV's are 7-10 years old and still look great to this day. My own 55XBR850B is two years old and still the best looking TV I've seen (outside of $5000 OLED's)

[Mr.Money]

interesting...i wonder if any of you hook your tv up to a surge protector...i've lost one TV to power surge and have everything hooked up to it,knock on wood my TV lasts..i'm not one to upgrade unless its broken.