television suggestions?

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SunnyOne

Recycles dryer sheets
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Jun 8, 2014
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Syracuse
I haven't purchased a television in literally 10 + years.

When I went nomadic, I gave my television away.

Now I've moved into a new place and want to have a television - mostly for catching news programs like Bloomberg Financial News and watching videos on YouTube.

I figure anything over 40 inches will work nicely.

At the risk of sounding obvious, it's just another screen like my phone or laptop, just bigger so I can catch glimpses and listen while working around the home.

My leasing company offers cable service, so I will just enter their password to see what they offer.

Does brand make a difference? How does a Fire Stick work?

I'm very ignorant of what the current situation is in the television arena, please enlighten me? I am obviously a light viewer. Thanks
 
Do you have a budget? Do you subscribe to cable TV or any streaming service?
 
I'm no expert so take what I say with the proverbial "grain of salt."

Almost all TV's today are "smart TV's." So they are connected to the internet and you can watch YouTube videos directly from the TV rather than connecting a smart phone via a cable or screencasting. Smart TV's also have a streaming service built in - free TV shows via an internet connection. It's probably like a Firestick and other add-on streaming services but it's built into the TV.

For instance, Samsung has a service that is built into the TV called Samsung Plus - I'm watching it right now - a Jamie Oliver food channel. I have an internet connection but don't have cable TV. Lots of channels are provided on Samsung TV Plus - food, drama, news, travel, automotive, crime, etc.

We use over-the-air for local channels and Samsung TV Plus for everything else.
 

Do you have a budget? Do you subscribe to cable TV or any streaming service?

I don't really have a budget because televisions now seem so relatively cheap in value compared to the past? Maybe under $300 since I am not a television-phile?

I subscribe to Netflix and HBO Max that I have been watching on my computer. As I mentioned, my leasing company - included in my lease - includes a cable package. Since I don't have a TV yet - I don't know how expansive the offering is.
 
40" smart TV's are really cheap (~$200 or less), get one. Plenty of free stuff to stream. You can always buy/pay for premium content later if you feel you want it.

Personally I like/use Visio and TCL but I think they are all pretty good these days.
 
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Most all Smart TVs will give you similar base capabilities. They'll all have the apps for Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, Amazon Prime, HBO, Showtime, etc. The first thing you need to decide which will guide and narrow down the playing field is What Platform? Fire, Roku, Android, LG, Samsung - those are the major ones.

The Smart TVs we have in our house are a LG/Roku, a TCL/Android, and an LG/webOS. They all have their strong points and I like them all. However, I am a big fan of the LG webOS and like it the best. We were very early adopters of Roku, before TVs were smart.

Besides that, you'll have to apply your personal preference as to what you like visually. So, it would be worthwhile to go to Costco, Best Buy, Walmart, or Target and see a bunch side by side so you can see what you like and don't like. It's easy for everyone to say 120 Hz is better than 60 Hz, but it's not always the case. Much depends on the manufacturers implementation. So again, best to go see a few and then decide.
 
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I have an LG and a Sony. Both are smart TVs and work great, look great.
 
SunnyOne said:
Does brand make a difference? How does a Fire Stick work?
Click to expand...

I’m not sure but I believe most of the components come from very few suppliers so I personally do not think brand makes a big difference. If you’re on a budget go to Best Buy and get the cheapest one that looks good. Having said that, I’m a Samsung fan. I think they have a good product at reasonable price point.

A Fire Stick (or others like ROKU), connect your tv to the internet and allow you to stream many different “channels” like HBO, Netflix, YouTube, etc. As said above, all TV’s today are smart and technically you shouldn’t need a Fire Stick. Though, there are some issues. For example, my cable company has an app that gives me all the cable channels. They don’t offer it on a Fire Stick or any other TV’s except Samsung. I’d get your TV and use its smart services and if you need more, you can always buy a Fire Stick, ROKU or Apple TV.
 
If I understand correctly, a Fire stick will allow me to take my paid channels with me when I travel? do I just plug it into the back of the hotel tv?
 
SunnyOne said:
I haven't purchased a television in literally 10 + years.

When I went nomadic, I gave my television away.

Now I've moved into a new place and want to have a television - mostly for catching news programs like Bloomberg Financial News and watching videos on YouTube.

I figure anything over 40 inches will work nicely.
Click to expand...

Don't skimp on the size of the TV. Once you get one you will likely want a bigger one. LOL. I would recommend a 55" TV, at a minimum, assuming the room you watch TV isn't small.

At the risk of sounding obvious, it's just another screen like my phone or laptop, just bigger so I can catch glimpses and listen while working around the home.

-and-

I subscribe to Netflix and HBO Max that I have been watching on my computer.
Click to expand...

Netflix and HBO Max have a lot of content at 4K resolution. If you've been watching these channels on your PC monitor, it's likely you are not seeing them in 4K, but in 1080p resolution. While watching Bloomberg News and YouTube videos is just fine at 1080p, but you will really like Netflix and HBO in 4K so I would advise against going cheap on the TV.

My leasing company offers cable service, so I will just enter their password to see what they offer.
Click to expand...

Almost everything on cable is in 1080p resolution, is a rerun, or has tons of commercials. But it's free with your rent, so might as well see what you get. There are streaming services like Pluto TV, Roku Channel, and FreeVee that are a lot like cable, but are free.

Does brand make a difference?
Click to expand...

Brand doesn't make that big of a difference. The real differentiator comes with the technology that goes into the panel that the TV uses. OLED is the top of the line technology and has a stunning picture. You will pay more for OLED technology, but it's the best. Next is mini-LED technology. Not as good as OLED for picture quality but it comes pretty close. At the bottom of the scale is LED panels. These are the most common and they are perfectly fine for most people.

LG, Sony, and Samsung make TV's that use all these different technologies. TCL, Visio, and HiSense make both mini-LED and regular LED TV's. If you stick to any of these brands you should be OK, though I would suggest LG, Sony, or Samsung as they have been making TV's for decades.

How does a Fire Stick work?
Click to expand...

A Firestick is a way to make a "dumb" TV into a smart TV. It's a small plug in device used for receiving streaming services, like HBO, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and (literally) hundreds more. Roku is another device like a Firestick, as is Apple TV, and Google Chromecast.

Almost all TV's nowadays come with the ability to stream channels like HBO, Netflix, etc. built into them. These built-in apps will work very well until the TV gets a bit older and the manufacturer no longer sends out software updates. When this happens it is another reason to buy a Firestick or a Roku device. You can still use your TV for viewing but now that it's old you need another way to connect to the streaming services.
 
SunnyOne said:
If I understand correctly, a Fire stick will allow me to take my paid channels with me when I travel? do I just plug it into the back of the hotel tv?
Click to expand...

I think this is true, but some hotels change settings on their TV's so you can't do this. I don't know how widespread this practice is though.
 
Qs Laptop said:
I think this is true, but some hotels change settings on their TV's so you can't do this. I don't know how widespread this practice is though.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I think most hotels have TVs that won’t allow this. They are afraid you might upload a virus to it and stuff. However, I’m increasingly seeing hotels with Netflix, Hulu, etc. apps on them where you would use it by signing in with your username and password. Don’t forget to sign out!
 
I would buy a Smart TV (most of them are Smart now days) of the size that best fits your space. I like Samsung or Sony models myself. Put it on your own Wi-Fi. Explore the cable channels you get from the apartment complex. Explore the apps on the Smart TV. Research and download additional free streaming apps to your TV (FreeVee, Tubi, Sling, etc.). Then decide if you need more. You can generally load pay apps on the tv too if desired.
 
I have totally lost track of TV tech. I have two 48" TVs from years ago and they both look fine. The rooms they are in are not large so I worry that bigger TVs would be too much. That said, I am amazed ate how cheap current TVs have become and how much better the "smart" components are. I keep an old 19" diagonal TV on the kitchen desk next to my PC to watch news while I am browsing or working. You can't even find something this small anymore. At Costco I saw nice TVs way bigger than this for $200. Unfortunately, they would be to big for the space.

I occasionally think I should upgrade my larger TVs but it hardly seems worth the effort. And I am not sure how I could get the existing TVs into the hands of people who could use them.
 
I would say if you plan to watch a lot of news shows, avoid OLED and go LED, as burn-in can be a problem with OLED. Also if the room is overly bright, LED might also be a better choice.
 
SunnyOne said:
mostly for catching news programs like Bloomberg Financial News and watching videos on YouTube.
Click to expand...

SunnyOne said:
I subscribe to Netflix and HBO Max that I have been watching on my computer.

SunnyOne said:
If I understand correctly, a Fire stick will allow me to take my paid channels with me when I travel? do I just plug it into the back of the hotel tv?
Click to expand...

Most anywhere I've been in the last few years has HBO, and allows you to log in to Netflix, no need for any sticks. I don't have any sticks or add on devices. You can get plenty of TV for your price, especially under 50". Don't overthink it for your price range, there are less options than a 70" unit these days!
Click to expand...
 
1 - make the “smart” tv via either Roku or Fire stick . (I prefer the fire cube due it’s processor and speed). They are upgraded more often than branded TV smarts (including Samsung), have more compatible apps (including free streaming )options, etc. it’s about longer term.

2 - TVs are not that different enough below 65/70 inches with typical streaming/watching. Unless you plan to “go big” and want/pay for 4k, etc…
For 99.9% of shows not much difference during viewing.

3-there are niches of TVs that are differentiators. For example the Samsung Art/Frame TVs. Super slim, hide cable in wall, then it looks like “Art” or painting when off. Lots of other niche TVs. But they are not $300 for 48”


As far as watching TV with fire stick (or Roku stick) - it’s YMMV. We are able to do that about 75% of time, (including disconnecting hotel hdmi, to put in stick, then put hotel hdmi back in before we go). I would be careful about logging in via hotel smart tv - as your credentials are no longer safe. If you neglect to clear your password - next customer in your hotel room could charge things (especially on Amazon video), upgrade/change your service and possibly someone is “stealing” your credentials.

This is the same reason you should never use public (like hotel) wifi for banking, etc.
 
Not a fan of smart TV’s. A (Roku) or Fire stick seems to work better, are far more easily upgraded or replaced if needs be. All our flat screens are 10+ years old. This week was in the Samsung store and they have an 85” that blew us away. Not like we are going to spend $6k for a new TV! Too cheap by far!
 
The gist of the previous posts is that all modern tv are a commodity. And that is true. There is no real difference between any of them.

Having said that, about ten years ago, I went through this journey and ended up with Vizio tv's as my choice. We currently have four of them -- all top-of-line versions. This is our second 65" one... our grandson and wife were visiting and liked the first one. I told them to take it home with them and purchased the second one.

Again, I have nothing to say about comparing to others but we have no issues in ten years.

https://www.vizio.com/en/home
 
We love the Samsung smart TVs. The built in Samsung TV app has Bloomberg plus clones of many major networks as well as movies and some older sitcoms. We put one in our guest bedroom with the idea of adding a cable box. Company stayed there but we forgot to hook up cable. They could still watch the morning shows, game shows, and other programming to keep them entertained.
 
retire48in2018 said:
3-there are niches of TVs that are differentiators. For example the Samsung Art/Frame TVs. Super slim, hide cable in wall, then it looks like “Art” or painting when off. Lots of other niche TVs. But they are not $300 for 48”
Click to expand...

We have the Samsung "Frame" since 2020 and it's a really nice look in our home. Cable hidden in wall and the TV now looks better than having a huge black rectangle in the room when not being used. Costs a little more but for DW and I it's worth it for the aesthetic improvement.

Newer versions (2022) have a better "matte" screen surface that improves the "art" look even more.
 
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