Best TV ~$750

[smastroyin]

The old TV thread seems to be about 9 months old.
 
I am in the market for a television.  I can easily do research if I were looking nearer the top of the line.  However, that is not what I am looking for.   What I am looking for is a "budget" TV.  Since I don't care about 4K that much (not enough content), I think I can do pretty well for around $750, which is kind of my de facto limit.  In the lower ranges there are a million and a half reviews from different places, etc., so why not crowdsource SoSH? 
 
- Looking for a 55-60" screen
- Picture quality most important
- Will be connected to other devices, so Smart TV is not a necessity but I have also heard it can be a burden when it sucks
 
The price and sizes are limits but are blurry.  So if there is some great great thing for $800, or if there is a 50" that is so damn good that it's worth giving up the real estate, all advice is valid.  
 
Would vastly prefer new in box with televisions.

 

[smastroyin]

OK, another point of confusion, I completely forgot that I have some Sony points left from when I had a Sony card.  I thought I had used all of them, but I went and checked, and I actually have a decent amount.  Enough that I can use the points to get this KDL55W800B for about $550 shipped.  Honestly not sure I will do better than that, which might make this an even dumber thread than it was when I started.

 

[Hambone]

If people still want to be helpful, I'll be replacing my TV in the next few weeks so suggest away. I'm also cool going a bit larger and more expensive. I don't know that I really notice the difference between the $1,000 TV and the $4,000 TV when I'm in store. This would be wired to mac mini for streaming, so Smart TV not necessary.
 
Also looking for a decent bedroom TV that would be preferable for Smart TV as unsure if I'm going to put a cable box there or not.

 

[Orange Julia]

We have a Sony (from a few years ago-maybe 42 inches) that we got in an open box deal at Best Buy (it is the one in the living room if you remember it) and i think the picture is great but the sound is AWFUL. I keep thinking of getting some external speakers but that all seems so complicated that I instead just watch tv in the bedroom.

 

[Dollar]

We have a Sony (from a few years ago-maybe 42 inches) that we got in an open box deal at Best Buy (it is the one in the living room if you remember it) and i think the picture is great but the sound is AWFUL. I keep thinking of getting some external speakers but that all seems so complicated that I instead just watch tv in the bedroom.

 
If you're looking for a pretty simple solution, I love my Yamaha soundbar and everyone who has heard it has been impressed by it.  A million times better than the TV's built-in speakers, and less complicated than a typical surround sound setup.
 
edit:  but I'll defer to Sumner below, as he knows a lot more about it than I do.  I was happy with my purchase, but I'm sure I could have done better had I not been extremely lazy.

 

[SumnerH]

Avoid sound bars at all costs unless you know why you want them and are willing to trade worse sound for those reasons. That Yamaha, for instance, is twice as expensive as some monoprice monitors that sound far better for music and somewhat better for movies. They're a scam in general.

 

[Nick Kaufman]

We have a Sony (from a few years ago-maybe 42 inches) that we got in an open box deal at Best Buy (it is the one in the living room if you remember it) and i think the picture is great but the sound is AWFUL. I keep thinking of getting some external speakers but that all seems so complicated that I instead just watch tv in the bedroom.

Have you tried toying with the sound settings? It can make a big difference.

 

[Byrdbrain]

I'm also in the market for a TV that is pretty much exactly what Smas mentioned in his post, any thoughts on that would be great.
 
I've been very happy with the soundbar I have, it hangs from my tv and the wireless subwoofer is tucked away. Can anyone give any specific recommendations on sound solutions, not too high end just something that sounds decent.

 

[smastroyin]

I have heard that ears work better when you have an appreciation for limes.  And cilantro.

 

[Orange Julia]

Cilantro? How are we even friends?
 
(Woot sell out has some of them refurb sony tvs on the site today)

 

[EP Sox Fan]

We bought a 50 inch Vizio M-series TV from Best Buy on sale last November and we've really liked it. Picture quality is very good, it's a smart TV and affordable.  The 55 inch version is on sale for $699.  CNET had positive reviews on the M-series and that's ultimately what made me pull the trigger.  (Our 40 inch Samsung LCD was getting very long in the tooth and the sales price helped me convince my wife. Of course that then turned in to two grand worth of furniture a few weeks later so there's that.)
 
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/vizio-50-class-49-1-2-diag--led-1080p-240hz-smart-hdtv-black/7501014.p?id=1219275166158
 
Here's the 55 inch version:
 
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/vizio-55-class-54-5-8-diag--led-1080p-smart-hdtv-black/3507023.p?id=1219583824537&skuId=3507023

 

[Harry Hooper]

Dell is selling the 55" Vizio M552I-B2 for $599.99

 

 

[smastroyin]

Got the Sony yesterday, so far so good using only the settings out of the box.  Watched an episode of The Fall on Netflix and Guardians of the Galaxy on Blu-Ray through my PS4.  The Blu Ray was definitely better but I think part of that is just bandwidth with streaming the HD content.   No problems with blur or anything playing a bit of Strider, a side scrolling action game that moves quickly.  Pretty impressed on first blush.
 
The Smart TV stuff is fine but not as convenient as the PS4 so I doubt I'll be using it much.

 

[cutman1000]

I'm looking for a TV to go on the wall in my living room. The flatter and thinner the better...I want it to look as much like a framed picture/painting as possible. The room is bright so it's gonna have to be LED (unless something has changed).

My preliminary research has lead me to the Vizio m series. It's 4k, which is unnecessary, but everything else looks good and the price is doable. My preferred screen size is 37-42".

Are there any other brands/particular TVma I should check out? LG looked like it had some thin screens, but they were too big. Thanks.

 

[derekson]

My friend got an LG and I was really impressed with the image quality, the thinness, and the built-in "Smart TV" features actually seem usable, unlike the Vizios and Samsungs I've used (including the one I own). I got an Apple TV to use instead of the Smart TV stuff on my Samsung because it was so awful, but the LG interface and apps actually seem pretty good (I believe they're using WebOS that they bought when Palm went under). 

 

[SumnerH]

The Vizios are pretty awesome if you want a good looking image. The built in smart TV stuff is only okay. IMO that's the right way to go since an external roku or wdtv is going to crush any built in stuff anyway and lets you upgrade the media source independently of the screen (the same reason TVs with built in vcrs or DVD players were never really ideal); I'd gladly trade worse built-in bells and whistles for a tv with a better picture. But if you're dead set on using the built in stuff then the LG and some others are worth a look for sure.