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Bonka · 04-13-2017, 01:46 PM

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.

04-13-2017, 01:46 PM	#10
Bonka I contribute to threads in the offtopic forum Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Vancouver Posts: 2,830 Thanked 755 Times in 318 Posts Failed 20 Times in 7 Posts Member's Picture Albums	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. __________________ SHIFT_ "Harvey Belafonte ain't black. He's just a good looking white guy dipped in caramel. " - Archie Bunker Last edited by Bonka; 04-13-2017 at 01:52 PM.