Have You Upsized Your TV Recently?

[RobbieB]

This is a 43 inch and I sit 2 feet away. With high def the rules have changed.

Yes, I do watch movies here, just pop a disc in the blu-ray drive.

 

[eytonxav]

I purchased a 65" LG OLED C2 for my man cave which will replace a 12 year old 55" Samsung LCD set. I debated about getting 77", but that was almost $1000 more, and since the sofa is only 8' away, the viewing should be good. Additionally the cave is not subject to any brightly light conditions, so OLED will be perfect. I bought it from Best Buy that provided free delivery, haul away for $39, and there is price match if there is a price drop between now and December. TV is to be delivered today. Now, just need to decide on a sound system or sound bar and whether to use wireless or convert a cable outlet to ethernet via MOCA. I still have an older 65" Samsung LED set in our living room which I decided to leave in place until it dies.

 

[Qs Laptop]

I purchased a 65" LG OLED C2 for my man cave which will replace a 12 year old 55" Samsung LCD set. I debated about getting 77", but that was almost $1000 more, and since the sofa is only 8' away, the viewing should be good. Additionally the cave is not subject to any brightly light conditions, so OLED will be perfect. I bought it from Best Buy that provided free delivery, haul away for $39, and there is price match if there is a price drop between now and December. TV is to be delivered today. Now, just need to decide on a sound system or sound bar and whether to use wireless or convert a cable outlet to ethernet via MOCA. I still have an older 65" Samsung LED set in our living room which I decided to leave in place until it dies.

Congratulations on the new TV. I guess you win the prize for "Have you upsized your TV recently". LOL. I think you are correct in going for 65" over the 77" given your viewing distance.

I would suggest whatever sound system you decide on that a subwoofer be part of the package. Even a soundbar with a small 8" subwoofer has an impact, though bigger would be preferred if it fits into the room decor. (It is your man cave, so I'm assuming it does.) Consider that you can listen to music with high quality sound on your TV through apps like YouTube, Vevo, Spotify, Pandora, etc. This might impact your sound bar vs. stereo system debate. Maybe deploy that $1,000 you saved by going with the 65" instead of the 77".

You could always try connecting to the internet via wireless and if it isn't ideal then go to ethernet/MOCA.

That price match at Best Buy until December is very interesting. When does that price match expire? Is it through November 30th?

Keep checking your TV's price at Best Buy. I'm certain you will be going back for a price adjustment.

I'm back to debating getting a low-mid tier TV (TCL 555) vs. one of the very best TV's (LG C2). My heart want the LG OLED but my brain keeps balking at the price. I've got bookmarks on the 77" LG C2 at Costco, Amazon, and Best Buy. The MSRP is $3,499, but when this thread was started two weeks ago it was $2,999. Right now the lowest price is $2,696, at Amazon, by $3. I'm figuring this will be $2,299 by November/December. The TCL 75S555 is $799 right now and I figure it will get to $599 by Black Friday.

Please revisit this thread with your impressions of your new LG C2. I'm extremely interested in your opinion.

 

[Midpack]

For TV's there is no such thing as too big. With 4K you can sit as close as you want (especially OLED) (QLED LED with full array backlight for brightness) 82" to 85" and sit close enough to fill your peripheral vision you won't regret it

AFAIK there are no networks broadcasting much content in 4K, some sports here and there and that's about it for live broadcasts. Please advise if I'm mistaken.

There is more on-demand 4K content, via Netflix and others.

 

[cyber888]

Last Christmas, DW and I gifted ourselves with an 85 inch direct LED Array Sony TV. The colors are great and good contrast for 4K videos. Fast moving action and objects are also pretty clear and smooth. We transferred the 65 inch in our living room to our bedroom, which we got 5 years ago. We're watching it from around 10 - 11 feet away. but looks very clear from 20 feet away. We ditch the movies, so this 85 inch is great.

 

[eytonxav]

Congratulations on the new TV. I guess you win the prize for "Have you upsized your TV recently". LOL. I think you are correct in going for 65" over the 77" given your viewing distance.

I would suggest whatever sound system you decide on that a subwoofer be part of the package. Even a soundbar with a small 8" subwoofer has an impact, though bigger would be preferred if it fits into the room decor. (It is your man cave, so I'm assuming it does.) Consider that you can listen to music with high quality sound on your TV through apps like YouTube, Vevo, Spotify, Pandora, etc. This might impact your sound bar vs. stereo system debate. Maybe deploy that $1,000 you saved by going with the 65" instead of the 77".

You could always try connecting to the internet via wireless and if it isn't ideal then go to ethernet/MOCA.

That price match at Best Buy until December is very interesting. When does that price match expire? Is it through November 30th?

Keep checking your TV's price at Best Buy. I'm certain you will be going back for a price adjustment.

I'm back to debating getting a low-mid tier TV (TCL 555) vs. one of the very best TV's (LG C2). My heart want the LG OLED but my brain keeps balking at the price. I've got bookmarks on the 77" LG C2 at Costco, Amazon, and Best Buy. The MSRP is $3,499, but when this thread was started two weeks ago it was $2,999. Right now the lowest price is $2,696, at Amazon, by $3. I'm figuring this will be $2,299 by November/December. The TCL 75S555 is $799 right now and I figure it will get to $599 by Black Friday.

Please revisit this thread with your impressions of your new LG C2. I'm extremely interested in your opinion.

I misstated BB's price match policy which I confused with Crutchfield. BB gives you 15 days to return the TV and will price match during that timeframe. I paid $1799 at BB for the set which was delivered today but then saw it at $1747 on Amazon. I was on BB's price match online chat and got disconnected and then spent almost an hour on their price match phone line and the rep said he could not resolve the price difference and referred me to their customer care group. I am totally disgusted and right now its not worth the high blood pressure this is causing to get them to honor their price match policy. Not sure I will do business with them again. That said, when I get the TV up and running I let you know what I think about the set. I am not sure if other companies price match guarantees are as bad as this one.

 

[Qs Laptop]

I misstated BB's price match policy which I confused with Crutchfield. BB gives you 15 days to return the TV and will price match during that timeframe. I paid $1799 at BB for the set which was delivered today but then saw it at $1747 on Amazon. I was on BB's price match online chat and got disconnected and then spent almost an hour on their price match phone line and the rep said he could not resolve the price difference and referred me to their customer care group. I am totally disgusted and right now its not worth the high blood pressure this is causing to get them to honor their price match policy. Not sure I will do business with them again. That said, when I get the TV up and running I let you know what I think about the set. I am not sure if other companies price match guarantees are as bad as this one.

Thanks for the info.

I will say that getting a 65" OLED for under $1,800 is pretty darn good.

 

[ncbill]

I missed the 77" Sony OLED for $1999...anyone here get one?

 

[eytonxav]

Thanks for the info.

I will say that getting a 65" OLED for under $1,800 is pretty darn good.

If you purchase BB tech support for $199, they will install and setup the TV, extend warranty for another year, and also price match for 60 days (although as I said earlier, the price match is like pulling teeth).

 

[Music Lover]

Watch mostly on the iPad while doing other things. On the rare occasion we sit in the living room to watch we have a 55” which is fine! Could go bigger but why? During the pandemic when we watched more movies I thought about going bigger but I still prefer the immersive nature of a movie theatre. No TV gets you that even at 85”

How can you enjoy a movie theatre and at the same time think a 55" TV is good enough? An 85" TV isn't a movie theatre but it's far better than 55" and if you sit close and have decent speakers it's good enough for most people.

We currently sit 9' away from a 65" TV but will be upgrading to 85" at some point.

 

[kcowan]

We stopped at 65" in both places. Thought more would dominate, especially when we have guests. 55" in our MBR. 40" in guest room. QLED because our ambient light is so high.

 

[Luvtoride]

If you purchase BB tech support for $199, they will install and setup the TV, extend warranty for another year, and also price match for 60 days (although as I said earlier, the price match is like pulling teeth).

I joined BB Tech support this year and it’s been well worth it even before the extended warranty. I’ve had two wall installed TVs this year and not only did they do a great job but they saved me money on a wall power cord assembly that wasn’t needed. You can call them for tech support on anything you own regardless of purchased at BB.
One TV was an upgrade/ larger TV for our bedroom 50” from 43”. The other was an outside wall mounted 43” for our small patio at our condo. We got a ton of use from it sitting outside on beautiful summer nights, just a few feet away from our 65” OLED TV in our living room. Lol [emoji23]

 

[BarbWire]

Oh, dear. I am truly a (cheap) Luddite. But I'm fighting my "cheap gene" and thinking about upgrading my 2007 32" LED Toshiba, which is quite satisfactory but my 2010 Roku stick is being obsoleted (is that a verb?) -- hence my "excuse" to upgrade to a smart TV. My OTA antenna is circa 2010.

I watch OTC networks, and occasionally stream Netflix and Amazon Prime. Thinking about getting Sling so that I can have CNN.

In an ideal world I'd get a 43" or 50" Series 4 4K LED for my bright living room. But the 50" stand feet won't fit on my TV table so that's a speedbump. I would like an operating system that requires ONLY ONE REMOTE and no manually switching between signal sources (antenna vs streaming) in the TV's software. I like the idea of a Roku TV but Costco doesn't sell those, so it would be BB or Target or WMart.

I was mulling the TCL 43" and 50" 4K TVs but now y'all tell me I need a ASTC 3.0 tuner for future-proofing. More research needed. Sigh.

 

[swakyaby]

In an ideal world I'd get a 43" or 50" Series 4 4K LED for my bright living room. But the 50" stand feet won't fit on my TV table so that's a speedbump.

Some brands such as LG are on center pedestal stands instead of widely spaced 4 legs.

 

[Qs Laptop]

In an ideal world I'd get a 43" or 50" Series 4 4K LED for my bright living room. But the 50" stand feet won't fit on my TV table so that's a speedbump.

The TCL 50" 4 series has a stand separation distance of 39.6"; however if you move up to the TCL 50" 5 series (50S555) it has a stand separation distance of 36.1". Also, HiSense makes TV's with the Roku OS built into them. Might want to check out their stand sizes.

I would like an operating system that requires ONLY ONE REMOTE and no manually switching between signal sources (antenna vs streaming) in the TV's software. I like the idea of a Roku TV but Costco doesn't sell those, so it would be BB or Target or WMart.

If you don't have cable, then, yes, a Roku TV would be able to switch between over the air antenna and streaming services without another remote.

I was mulling the TCL 43" and 50" 4K TVs but now y'all tell me I need a ASTC 3.0 tuner for future-proofing. More research needed. Sigh.

You won't need an ASTC 3.0 tuner for perhaps 2 or 3 years. It will take that long for over-the-air TV stations to adopt the format, unless you happen to live in one of the few areas that have it already. Another factor is the ASTC 3.0 tuner will take a while to make it down from the flagship TV models to more economic models. Finally, there will be ASTC 3.0 tuners that you will be able to plug into your TV or your router and be able to receive the Nextgen TV signal without having the tuner built into your TV.

 

[TrvlBug]

Some brands such as LG are on center pedestal stands instead of widely spaced 4 legs.

You can also buy such a stand. We have the same problem with the master TV as it's located on a corner dresser. These stands also swivel.

 

[TrvlBug]

Our family room TC bit the dust last week and we replaced it with another 55" and while at it, upgraded the den aka man cave from an old 45" to a 65". DH loves it. Both OLEDs. Have decided a 65" can fit in the family room after all...the cats will have to get used to a larger TV . Best Buy will be out next week to take back the 55" and replace with a 65" .

 

[Retired Expat]

While we are purely streaming not a believer in Smart TV’s. Much better to use a streaming stick which is easily replaced if it goes bad or you want to try something else

https://www.makeuseof.com/reasons-to-not-buy-smart-tv/

 

[Qs Laptop]

Our family room TC bit the dust last week and we replaced it with another 55" and while at it, upgraded the den aka man cave from an old 45" to a 65". DH loves it. Both OLEDs. Have decided a 65" can fit in the family room after all...the cats will have to get used to a larger TV [emoji23]. Best Buy will be out next week to take back the 55" and replace with a 65" .

Nice. You have won the thread!

 

[street]

I can't believe the great prices on the large screen TV now. I looked at some the other day and incredible great prices. I haven't upgraded but if one goes out, I will go bigger. We still have 42-inch screens and way behind times the way it looks. Lol

 

[BarbWire]

You can also buy such a stand. We have the same problem with the master TV as it's located on a corner dresser. These stands also swivel.

So this an aftermarket stand that will fit / is designed for specific brand/models? ie, an aftermarket pedestal stand for a TCL Series4 50"?

Amazon, I assume ....

Thanks!

 

[BarbWire]

The TCL 50" 4 series has a stand separation distance of 39.6"; however if you move up to the TCL 50" 5 series (50S555) it has a stand separation distance of 36.1". Also, HiSense makes TV's with the Roku OS built into them. Might want to check out their stand sizes.

If you don't have cable, then, yes, a Roku TV would be able to switch between over the air antenna and streaming services without another remote.

I'm aware of TCL as a low-end but decent brand. But I'm unfamiliar with HiSense. Are they decent? (keep in mind my track record for holding a TV for 15 years ....)

 

[BarbWire]

While we are purely streaming not a believer in Smart TV’s. Much better to use a streaming stick which is easily replaced if it goes bad or you want to try something else

https://www.makeuseof.com/reasons-to-not-buy-smart-tv/

Yes, I saw this article. The problem is finding a "dumb" TV....

 

[Qs Laptop]

I'm aware of TCL as a low-end but decent brand. But I'm unfamiliar with HiSense. Are they decent? (keep in mind my track record for holding a TV for 15 years ....)

TCL's 4 series is considered low end. TCL 5 series is a step up and TCL 6 series is their best TV.

I've had a 55" HiSense series R for almost three years now. This is their low end model (very similar to the TCL 4 series.) My wife won it at a Christmas work party. In these three years, on one occasion I've had to unplug the TV and replug it in again to to a soft reset, otherwise nothing else has gone wrong.

HiSense is trying to gain market share with lots of advertising and introducing a flagship model to compete with the TCL 6 series. They are also running a 100 day "no questions asked" return policy on select models.

Generally speaking HiSense TV's get slightly brighter than the equivalent TCL series, though it's not easily apparent and is mostly a number on a spec sheet. If I had to choose, I'd go with the TCL brand as they've been in the USA marketplace for a lot longer time than HiSense. But based on my experience I would not be concerned with a HiSense TV being more reliable than a TCL TV.

I think the days of having a TV for 15 might be over. There's just too much technological advancements these days. You might be able to get through 10 years.

 

[Qs Laptop]

While we are purely streaming not a believer in Smart TV’s. Much better to use a streaming stick which is easily replaced if it goes bad or you want to try something else

https://www.makeuseof.com/reasons-to-not-buy-smart-tv/

From the article:

1. Smart TV Security and Privacy Risks Are Real
Nearly all smart TVs use automatic content recognition (ACR) to track what you're watching. They use this information to show you more relevant ads.

Another major security problem with smart TVs is a lack of updates. Every platform is dependent on its provider for app and OS updates.

Comment: Same with streaming sticks.


2. Other Streaming Devices Are Superior
Options like Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Chromecast are far better platforms. They offer less convoluted interfaces that are easier to navigate than your smart TV's OS.

Comment: No problem. Buy a TV with Roku OS or Google OS built-in.

3. Smart TVs Have Inefficient Interfaces

Comment: Buy a TV with Roku OS or Google OS built-in. Most have a microphone to do voice searches.

4. Smart TV Performance Is Often Unreliable

Comment: No problem. Buy a TV with Roku OS or Google OS built-in.

Sony has Google OS, TCL has Roku or Google. HiSense has Roku or Google.

Samsung has their Tizen operating system, which I loathe. LG has their webOS which is OK. I think most of the comments in the article are directed at these two manufacturers.