I’ve reached the point of information overload on my TV purchase, so I’m hoping you all are willing to help me develop a little clarity about what I should be focusing on. Here’s what I think I know, but I’d really appreciate feedback…
1)Plasma vs. LCD. The Panny ST series seems to be “gold standard” when it comes to excellent picture quality at a good price. I’m salivating over one, and came within an inch of pulling the trigger on a VT60 yesterday when Amazon dropped the prices for the VT60’s under ST60’s. But the nagging worry in my head is that I have small kids (and a wife) who tend not to be careful with things. I had visions of one of them hitting pause on the DVR and walking away for several hours. I tend to be over-obsessive on taking care of my equipment. So, I could see there being family strife in the future about how they are treating the plasma TV, vs. how I think it should be treated. Throw in the bright room performance challenges, and I’m just really questioning whether the better picture is worth it. So at this point, I think I’m sadly resigning myself to LCD. I wish I could talk myself into a plasma, I really do.
2) Edge Lit vs. Back Lit: I don’t care about width, and what little I’ve found seems to indicate that a full back light set is going to have more consistent picture quality. I’m not sure if that’s true or not. It does seem like only the bargain basement TV’s have the full back lit now. I suspect these lower end TV’s also have lower quality panels/processors, but I don’t know that.
3) Local Dimming: Seems to be a nice add, but it’s really only on the higher tier TV’s.
4) Smart/3D: I don’t think I care either way on the Smart features. I’ve got a smart Sony Blu-ray, so I don’t see smart features on a TV doing much for me. 3D is cool, but I’m not seeing it as a must have.
5) “The Panel Lottery”: AVS forums has a lot of talk about “you need to buy this TV in this size” to get the best panel. Usually that’s focused on getting a Sony/Samsung manufactured panel. I’m looking at 60-70” TV’s and it seems like regardless of manufacturer these are third party panels anyway. I’m reluctant to change my TV size just to get a preferred panel, but if I really should I will. It does seem like 65” is an oddball size.
6) 120hz vs. the rest: My understanding is that I want to make sure I get a set that can achieve “true” 120hz, and anything above that’s not really going to do much for me.
Based on the above, I’m considering my options at Costco. I like Costco because of their warranty extension and return policy, but am not 100% committed to buying there. These are all 65” sets and at least 120hz:
Samsung UN65EH6000F (UN65EH6000): $1,100. Non smart TV, limited inputs but I have an AVR so I’m not sure I care. This is a full LED backlit TV, but CNET’s review was ho-hum at best. I’ve not found this TV up and running anywhere.
Samsung UN65F6350AF (UN65F6300): $1,470. Smart TV, edge lit. CNET recommends it, but it seems to be there because they like the TV design and smart features. Picture quality was the worst of their recommended TV’s.
Vizio M651D-A2: $1,650. Smart, 3D, edge lit with local dimming. CNET likes the picture, but the remote is universally reviewed as garbage. That’s a fairly minor deal I think. But for some reason, Vizio decided to make the 65” screen glossy, so you have to go to the 60 or 70 incher for a more matte screen. This could go in a room with windows at some point in its life, so I think I’d prefer the matte. That would take me up to $2,000. When I looked at this at Costco, it seemed to have worse viewing angles than the Samsungs even though it was supposed to be better.
Samsung UN65F7050AF (I think this is close to the UNxxF7100): $1,980. Very similar to the F6300, with the addition of 3D and some Led dimming on the sides that only seems to be useful in letterboxed movies. Not sure I’m going to pay $500 more than the F6300 for that.
I think I’d pick the Vizio, but I’m concerned about the glossy screen issue and potential glare from windows and overhead can lights. And I really don’t want to pony up for the 70 incher. Which leaves me the EH6000 and F6300 – and I really don’t know how to compare their picture quality short of buying one/both and utilizing Costco’s return policy. I’m leaning to the 6300 just because it’s this year’s technology, but I really don’t know if that’s an improvement over last year’s EH6000.
I realize this got way more lengthy than I planned, but would appreciate any input on if there are other factors I should be considering or if there is a clear winner on the list that I’m just not seeing. My head is spinning at this point.
65" TV buying considerations and a few options..
- Thread starter TWG1572
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Smart TVS aren't worth the extra money unless those "smart apps" are updatable. Even so, I have yet to see a tv or blue ray player with apps that work reliably and or have intuitive interfaces ( and I've played with a lot of them being the tech person in my family). Save the money and buy a streaming player like roku or Apple TV.
Anything over 120 hz you won't notice much improvement, usually just indicates there will be little to no blur/ pixelation during high speed videos like action movies or live sports. I've had no issues with my Visio 55 in 120 hz tv n that respect.
Plasma is a dying technology. I would go for LED personally. LCD is cheap now, but the main area IMHO where LCD lacks is black quality. Which is the only area plasma shines .
Out of your listed choices , I would choose the visio
Originally Posted By: Jeffy_D
Smart TVS aren't worth the extra money unless those "smart apps" are updatable. Even so, I have yet to see a tv or blue ray player with apps that work reliably and or have intuitive interfaces ( and I've played with a lot of them being the tech person in my family). Save the money and buy a streaming player like roku or Apple TV.
Here's a review for the cheapest Samsung.
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-UN65EH6000...howViewpoints=1
I would go for the cheapest set you can get. Is a $2000 TV twice as good as a $1000 TV, when these sets are obsolete in a year? Save the other $1000 and get two smaller sets for other rooms. That's what I would do.
I also agree about the Smart TV's they are practically useless. I never use the internet on my 3D Toshiba 55 inch LED and I've used the 3d as a demo for other people.
Save your money for your OIL HOARD!
Regards, JC.
Dying technology LOL
For those who can afford it, the Panasonic TC-PZT60 comes closer than any TV yet to picture-quality perfection.
The midlevel price and outstanding quality of the Panasonic TC-PST60 series make it our strongest TV recommendation ever.
The Panasonic VT60 has one of the best pictures of any TV we've ever reviewed, and matches the best-ever in dark rooms.
The Panasonic TC-PS60 plasma TV's low price, high-end picture quality, and bare-bones Smarts make it one of the best values we've ever seen.
Reviews
Originally Posted By: tenderloin
Dying technology LOL
What's the cheapest one I saw in the OP? I think I saw $1100. I'd go with that one.
Wish TV's were that price in the UK
Seen a nice TV in Costco
Something like 50" I think
Was over £2000 or $3000
The prices mentioned above make me wonder if I should keep such purchases till I am on holiday in the US
" Editors' Note, November 15, 2013: Panasonic has announced that it will no longer manufacture plasma televisions after 2013, making these TVs the last of their kind. That fact doesn't negatively affect our buying advice; in fact, just the opposite. We have confidence Panasonic will remain a viable company, and continue to support its plasma TVs, for years".
Top notch plasma TV's consistently out review and out score the competition... even more so in many cases when price is considered. By the time a plasma TV purchased today needs to be replaced, the current technology of TV's including LCD's will have changed as well. So what?
Pioneer's expensive TV, the Kuro is still considered the best if not one of the best TV's ever made...even though Pioneer quit making them years ago.....yet are still highly sought after. The Kuro and plasma's top rated performance was behind my comment about "dying" technology. If it is top notch and a good value....what more do you want?
Panasonic
You know, this helped. I think I am going to go with the cheapest TV, no use paying for the Smart features and I don't see a difference in picture quality between it and the next ones on the list. I still like the picture on my 2009 Sony Bravia, it's just too small for what i need.
I can definitely see the picture quality difference on the Panasonic plasma, but I read the threads on AVS forum and 1/2 of them are around image retention, running pixil flippers, etc. Since I'm not the only person using this TV I just don't want to have that worry hovering around me all the time.
Unfortunately the Costco sale passed, so I'll just need to sit tight and wait for it to come around again. Alternatively - Best Buy has the Samsung UN65EH6003 here locally for $999. I'm not sure if it's a decontented EH6000, or just has a different number so they don't have to price match. I may need to do some research on that.
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I've never seen a DVR that didn't have a screen saver. They come on shortly after you put something on hold or pause......what's the problem? I don't see how this would affect any TV Plasma or otherwise. Our Panny plasma is in a bright room with six windows and four glass doors, not a problem. I'd be more concerned about lousy audio and the viewing angle (lack of) with a non plasma. Poor audio isn't limited to one type of TV, most are very poor.
Hmm. That's something to look at. I've never seen the screen saver on our DirecTV genie come on, but that's not to say it's not disabled.
That would make a difference - my big fear is my 5 year old pushing pause on NickJr and going outside to play and forgetting all about the tv.
I've bought a few TV's on Amazon Warehouse. I also have a good friend that works for Amazon in their wearhouses. He said that they are marked as "used". Typically the boxes are damaged and they have to sell at a discount. Each item is hand inspected, especially the TV's.
Check out these options below!
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-UN65EH6000...ywords=65+in+tv
http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-TC-P65S6...ywords=65+in+tv
70 in Vizio LED
http://www.amazon.com/VIZIO-E701i-A3-70-...ywords=70+in+tv
I've looked at the Amazon Warehouse deals. My concern is that since they are marked as used on the invoice, the manufacturer may or may not honor the new warranty. I don't know if that's a real concern, and if the discount is good enough I would still go for it. Just another consideration though.
Originally Posted By: TWG1572
I've looked at the Amazon Warehouse deals. My concern is that since they are marked as used on the invoice, the manufacturer may or may not honor the new warranty. I don't know if that's a real concern, and if the discount is good enough I would still go for it. Just another consideration though.
Originally Posted By: RTexasF
I've never seen a DVR that didn't have a screen saver. They come on shortly after you put something on hold or pause......what's the problem? I don't see how this would affect any TV Plasma or otherwise. Our Panny plasma is in a bright room with six windows and four glass doors, not a problem. I'd be more concerned about lousy audio and the viewing angle (lack of) with a non plasma. Poor audio isn't limited to one type of TV, most are very poor.
Well, Costco had Sony TV's on sale and the KDL-60R520A was $300 off so I figured I'd snag one. It's decently reviewed, and with Costco's return policy I felt pretty safe.
All I can say is that I now know what flashlighting is. Wow. Put Star Wars in and I've got glowing white areas in the top and bottom right corners. I've got the backlight set to minimum. It's only visible on darker scenes, in a darker room, but it's annoying. I'm thinking I'm going to have to load this back up and make a return trip to Costco.
I ordered a Panasonic 60ST60 from Best Buy - should be here on Thursday. I'm going to give it a whirl and see if it's up to the high expectations that are set for it. I'd use Amazon, but the return option would be painful if I decided it wasn't for me. Fingers crossed.
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I've been a Sharp fan for a number of years now. They seem to reproduce colors more accurately and the better versions really work well for Sci-Fi flicks that have quite a few contrast"y" dark black space scenes.
I love the dark blacks, with distinct contrast.
Figured I'd update this since I've had the Panny 60ST60 plasma for a couple weeks now. I've got to say, I'm a bit torn. I like it, but I'm not blown away. And that may be because my expectations were artifically high given all the glowing reviews online. So I've tried to give myself a couple weeks to acclimate.
I think my biggest concern is that my perception is that I'm losing detail in the blacks. I've run the AVS HD 709 setup disk for black clipping and have set the brightness accordingly. I've left the contrast in the low 80's. All my source equipment is outputting 16-255 colors, which the TV is also expecting. I do have the Disney WOW disk coming tomorrow, so I want to go through that process this weekend and see what my results are.
I'm really up in the air and have about a week left in my return period to decide. I really love the picture when watching kids movies that are bright and colorful, but switch to something dimmer (Dark Knight, etc...) and I find myself fumbling with the remote trying different picture settings. "Home Theatre" mode seems to give me the best brightness, but the colors aren't near as vibrant.
I have tried CNET and D-Nice settings but haven't seen a huge difference. If anything, I lose detail on D-Nice's. That detail will show up if I click over to "Home Theatre" mode.
I dunno. Hopefully I get some benefit from the Disney WOW disk this weekend. Fingers crossed....
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