Best LED/LCD TV?

Prefer 70". Family room with lots of ambient light. Not a video-phile but want a "good" picture at a reasonable price.

At that size. Sharp. Done

[quote name='PixlPutterman ' timestamp='1380422443' post='7925939']
At that size. Sharp. Done
[/quote]

Would have to agree with this my parents just got a 70 inch sharp for their living room and its a fantastic tv even in the the huge amounts of ambient light in their living room in AZ

[quote name='Jim Clark' timestamp='1380397458' post='7924549']
Prefer 70". Family room with lots of ambient light. Not a video-phile but want a "good" picture at a reasonable price.
[/quote]
With a lot of ambient light you will get a better picture with plasma, it has better color saturation and a deeper black scale that will minimize those annoying glares in daylight. I have the Panasonic 65GT30 on the recommendation of the rep from the home theater store that came out to assess the room for my home theater area. The entire back of our home is glass and very open plan, I was torn between LED and LCD at first and a little skeptical when he recommended Plasma but he said if I didn't like it I could change it within 30 days and that was 18 months ago the picture is very sharp and rich. I am no video-phile myself but I am extremely OCD when it comes to the sound and picture when I watch TV or movies and I am really happy with this.

[quote name='ping rat' timestamp='1380427317' post='7926283']
[quote name='Jim Clark' timestamp='1380397458' post='7924549']
Prefer 70". Family room with lots of ambient light. Not a video-phile but want a "good" picture at a reasonable price.
[/quote]
With a lot of ambient light you will get a better picture with plasma, it has better color saturation and a deeper black scale that will minimize those annoying glares in daylight. I have the Panasonic 65GT30 on the recommendation of the rep from the home theater store that came out to assess the room for my home theater area. The entire back of our home is glass and very open plan, I was torn between LED and LCD at first and a little skeptical when he recommended Plasma but he said if I didn't like it I could change it within 30 days and that was 18 months ago the picture is very sharp and rich. I am no video-phile myself but I am extremely OCD when it comes to the sound and picture when I watch TV or movies and I am really happy with this.
[/quote]

Plasmas are generally considered to have the best picture. Panny's are very highly thought of. But my understanding is that with lots of ambient light LCD/LED will perform better and plasmas can get washed out. Your experience is different than most people I've talked to.

[quote name='One_Putt_Blunder' timestamp='1380426027' post='7926181']
[quote name='PixlPutterman ' timestamp='1380422443' post='7925939']
At that size. Sharp. Done
[/quote]

Would have to agree with this my parents just got a 70 inch sharp for their living room and its a fantastic tv even in the the huge amounts of ambient light in their living room in AZ
[/quote]

I'm leaning toward the Sharps. I'd like to have smart TV and the Quattron color technology. I don't need 3D but I think it comes on all Quattron sets. 240Hz refresh sounds like a good idea but it's expensive.

[quote name='Jim Clark' timestamp='1380454737' post='7926833']
[quote name='ping rat' timestamp='1380427317' post='7926283']
[quote name='Jim Clark' timestamp='1380397458' post='7924549']
Prefer 70". Family room with lots of ambient light. Not a video-phile but want a "good" picture at a reasonable price.
[/quote]
With a lot of ambient light you will get a better picture with plasma, it has better color saturation and a deeper black scale that will minimize those annoying glares in daylight. I have the Panasonic 65GT30 on the recommendation of the rep from the home theater store that came out to assess the room for my home theater area. The entire back of our home is glass and very open plan, I was torn between LED and LCD at first and a little skeptical when he recommended Plasma but he said if I didn't like it I could change it within 30 days and that was 18 months ago the picture is very sharp and rich. I am no video-phile myself but I am extremely OCD when it comes to the sound and picture when I watch TV or movies and I am really happy with this.
[/quote]

Plasmas are generally considered to have the best picture. Panny's are very highly thought of. But my understanding is that with lots of ambient light LCD/LED will perform better and plasmas can get washed out. Your experience is different than most people I've talked to.
[/quote]

I also have a Panasonic plasma in a room with quite a bit of light. I haven't had any issues. I have a LCD in another room with equal amount of light and the glare is pretty equal. I was told by a reputable electronics store that glare reducing screens on televisions also reduce the picture quality. The glare reducing screen doesn't allow all of the picture out. This is why a lot of high quality LED and LCD televisions have screens closer to plasma screens.

[quote name='itw419' timestamp='1380459839' post='7926981']
[quote name='Jim Clark' timestamp='1380454737' post='7926833']
[quote name='ping rat' timestamp='1380427317' post='7926283']
[quote name='Jim Clark' timestamp='1380397458' post='7924549']
Prefer 70". Family room with lots of ambient light. Not a video-phile but want a "good" picture at a reasonable price.
[/quote]
With a lot of ambient light you will get a better picture with plasma, it has better color saturation and a deeper black scale that will minimize those annoying glares in daylight. I have the Panasonic 65GT30 on the recommendation of the rep from the home theater store that came out to assess the room for my home theater area. The entire back of our home is glass and very open plan, I was torn between LED and LCD at first and a little skeptical when he recommended Plasma but he said if I didn't like it I could change it within 30 days and that was 18 months ago the picture is very sharp and rich. I am no video-phile myself but I am extremely OCD when it comes to the sound and picture when I watch TV or movies and I am really happy with this.
[/quote]

Plasmas are generally considered to have the best picture. Panny's are very highly thought of. But my understanding is that with lots of ambient light LCD/LED will perform better and plasmas can get washed out. Your experience is different than most people I've talked to.
[/quote]

I also have a Panasonic plasma in a room with quite a bit of light. I haven't had any issues. I have a LCD in another room with equal amount of light and the glare is pretty equal. I was told by a reputable electronics store that glare reducing screens on televisions also reduce the picture quality. The glare reducing screen doesn't allow all of the picture out. This is why a lot of high quality LED and LCD televisions have screens closer to plasma screens.
[/quote]
What the tech that I had come to the house said is that if the monitor is too low you can get a little glare or washout, his recommendation was to wall mount slightly above the eye line with a very slight (almost unnoticeable) forward tilt and as I said I have never had an issue.

I cant tell you whats best for you. I had to replace my old Samsung 40" 1080P LCD it it was a pita tying to match its picture quality.

Heres what I found:

- Plasmas are excellent for movies. You cant compare their refresh rate to a LED TV. Plasmas refresh infinitely better than LEDs. However if youre looking for definition so clear that it is freakishly off putting. Go with an LED (see below). This is why I say Plasma is better for movies. Too much clarity and it looks like youre watching a home movie.

- LED/LCD have better control of black levels than Plasmas. If you can find a backlit LED that has "local dimming" you will get the best contrast of any TV period. As in the difference between the whitest white, and blackest black. Plasmas can not control black in localized area. Avoid the super slim LED TV's as they are lit differently. They use a LED bar on the side of the TV (rather than an array of LEDs used in the back-lit version). These side lit LEDs will perform similar to a plasma, but only with less refresh capabilities.

- Dont fall for Samsungs "Clear Motion Rate". So when you see a 120 CMR, divide by 2. Thats the true refresh rate.

- Dont judge a TV by what you see at the store. The settings suck. And I cant prove this but I believe they set some TVs up properly in hopes to sell more of that model while leaving the other models to die a slow death. My TV really looked horrible at Costco. However I knew what features I was looking for. I trusted the data on the box, rather than what my eyes were seeing on the floor model. I do not regret it one bit.

I narrowed down what I was looking for to:

- The off putting contrast, Im a big fan, especially for sports. So I went with the backlit LED. You can always dumb down the contrast for movies.
- Im was looking for a 240 CMR Samsung (i.e.. 120 hz refresh). Ive never had motion blur with this so 240hz didnt matter to me.
- Sound. I dont always use my surround sound and my prior Samsung TV speakers were garbage. So these 15 watt speakers in the new TV are perfect!

Hope some of this helps. Good luck!

With lots of ambient light I'd opt for LCD/LED over plasma; that is the easy choice. For a basement or room with less light I still prefer plasma over led as I find myself buying televisions to watch sports more so than programs or movies and plasma is the king IMO for football, basketball, etc and Panasonic is the king of Plas.

With the led televisions go to a local store and mess around with a whole bunch to see which you like best. Play around with the settings and navigate through the settings menu to see which you'd be more comfortable with. I was set on a Samsung D9000 about two years ago and I went to buy it and thought the LG 8600 model had a better picture and less glossy screen which is key as the room the television was going has a nearly all glass wall to the outside kitchen/deck area. The deal is all the major brands put out a great product with comparable specs at a comparable price. You just need to see which you like best personally or if one of the manufacturers is running a great deal at the time choose it over the competitors.

[quote name='Jim Clark' timestamp='1380458564' post='7926925']
240Hz refresh sounds like a good idea but it's expensive.
[/quote]

I haven't been TV shopping in a while, but isn't the high refresh rate stuff becoming standard equip? My #1 rule if buying one today would be to make sure it has the ability to turn [i]off[/i] the high refresh rate/frame interpolation. I can't stand how this "feature" makes amazingly cinematic footage look like it was filmed on a handicam. In fact, it's been dubbed the "soap opera effect" for it's ability to gorgeous film and make it look like budget video, all in the name of "clarity".

Agreed it's great for sports. But to my eye, it ruins everything else.

Just to throw something else in the mix, for those wanting to go big with the 65+ inches, does anyone ever consider a projection screen.

obviously you need a room such as basement with low ambient light, but anyone strongly for or against going with a projector for your movie room.

woot.com has a 70" LED for $1299 refurbished. Or a 55" for $659. Has all the apps you could want, and wifi built in.

Do you have a store in mind for the purchase?? Or are you a Costco member?? They have the selection and the quality. Add the fact that you buy the TV from them you have the OEM warranty of a year, since this is an Aquos product(Sharp) you would have 90 more days if registering the set with them, then Costco steps in for the remaining time up to a 2nd year. For $99 you can buy a Square Trade warranty for 3 more years of coverage. Warranty is important with any large size TV. Predominant issue are issues with the LCD/LED screen. You get a IC going bad on the screen and the warranty is worth is weight in gold.

I have a 70in sharp LED... its great.

However, watching golf when the camera is tracking the golfball there are times you get double image from the refresh rate. This is the only sport when i notice such a thing.

I have been pleased with it other than that.

[quote name='HoosierMizuno' timestamp='1380564086' post='7932667']
Just to throw something else in the mix, for those wanting to go big with the 65+ inches, does anyone ever consider a projection screen.

obviously you need a room such as basement with low ambient light, but anyone strongly for or against going with a projector for your movie room.
[/quote]

We did this every year for the super bowl when I was in FL. 720P projector on the roof of the house and 4 sheets of white painted plywood. Then add a bunch of cheap speakers throughout the yard. Even at 30 feet it was a decent picture. Theres a good chance Ill do a 1080P projector one day if I have a basement/game room. As long as you prep the wall or buy a screen it should look excellent.

[quote name='JasonFL' timestamp='1380470351' post='7927579']
I cant tell you whats best for you. I had to replace my old Samsung 40" 1080P LCD it it was a pita tying to match its picture quality.

Heres what I found:

- Plasmas are excellent for movies. You cant compare their refresh rate to a LED TV. Plasmas refresh infinitely better than LEDs. However if youre looking for definition so clear that it is freakishly off putting. Go with an LED (see below). This is why I say Plasma is better for movies. Too much clarity and it looks like youre watching a home movie.

- LED/LCD have better control of black levels than Plasmas. If you can find a backlit LED that has "local dimming" you will get the best contrast of any TV period. As in the difference between the whitest white, and blackest black. Plasmas can not control black in localized area. Avoid the super slim LED TV's as they are lit differently. They use a LED bar on the side of the TV (rather than an array of LEDs used in the back-lit version). These side lit LEDs will perform similar to a plasma, but only with less refresh capabilities.

- Dont fall for Samsungs "Clear Motion Rate". So when you see a 120 CMR, divide by 2. Thats the true refresh rate.

- Dont judge a TV by what you see at the store. The settings suck. And I cant prove this but I believe they set some TVs up properly in hopes to sell more of that model while leaving the other models to die a slow death. My TV really looked horrible at Costco. However I knew what features I was looking for. I trusted the data on the box, rather than what my eyes were seeing on the floor model. I do not regret it one bit.

I narrowed down what I was looking for to:

- The off putting contrast, Im a big fan, especially for sports. So I went with the backlit LED. You can always dumb down the contrast for movies.
- Im was looking for a 240 CMR Samsung (i.e.. 120 hz refresh). Ive never had motion blur with this so 240hz didnt matter to me.
- Sound. I dont always use my surround sound and my prior Samsung TV speakers were garbage. So these 15 watt speakers in the new TV are perfect!

Hope some of this helps. Good luck!
[/quote]

Very helpful analysis, thank you. So I assume you went with another Samsung? Are you sure it's full array back-lit? That typically only comes on larger, expensive sets.

You're right about the store display TVs, they're awful in the big box stores, smaller specialty video/stereo stores do a better job of setting them up. Oddly enough, the best 70" I saw at Best Buy yesterday was a Vizio, it was also the least expensive. It must have been set up better at the factory, the Sharps were torched and skin tones looked orange (big red push). The Sharps have many setting adjustment possibilities to get the picture "right", they would definitely take a lot of tweaking, probably would not have to go into the service menus.

[quote name='Jim Clark' timestamp='1380716987' post='7941605']
[quote name='JasonFL' timestamp='1380470351' post='7927579']
I cant tell you whats best for you. I had to replace my old Samsung 40" 1080P LCD it it was a pita tying to match its picture quality.

Heres what I found:

- Plasmas are excellent for movies. You cant compare their refresh rate to a LED TV. Plasmas refresh infinitely better than LEDs. However if youre looking for definition so clear that it is freakishly off putting. Go with an LED (see below). This is why I say Plasma is better for movies. Too much clarity and it looks like youre watching a home movie.

- LED/LCD have better control of black levels than Plasmas. If you can find a backlit LED that has "local dimming" you will get the best contrast of any TV period. As in the difference between the whitest white, and blackest black. Plasmas can not control black in localized area. Avoid the super slim LED TV's as they are lit differently. They use a LED bar on the side of the TV (rather than an array of LEDs used in the back-lit version). These side lit LEDs will perform similar to a plasma, but only with less refresh capabilities.

- Dont fall for Samsungs "Clear Motion Rate". So when you see a 120 CMR, divide by 2. Thats the true refresh rate.

- Dont judge a TV by what you see at the store. The settings suck. And I cant prove this but I believe they set some TVs up properly in hopes to sell more of that model while leaving the other models to die a slow death. My TV really looked horrible at Costco. However I knew what features I was looking for. I trusted the data on the box, rather than what my eyes were seeing on the floor model. I do not regret it one bit.

I narrowed down what I was looking for to:

- The off putting contrast, Im a big fan, especially for sports. So I went with the backlit LED. You can always dumb down the contrast for movies.
- Im was looking for a 240 CMR Samsung (i.e.. 120 hz refresh). Ive never had motion blur with this so 240hz didnt matter to me.
- Sound. I dont always use my surround sound and my prior Samsung TV speakers were garbage. So these 15 watt speakers in the new TV are perfect!

Hope some of this helps. Good luck!
[/quote]

Very helpful analysis, thank you. So I assume you went with another Samsung? Are you sure it's full array back-lit? That typically only comes on larger, expensive sets.

You're right about the store display TVs, they're awful in the big box stores, smaller specialty video/stereo stores do a better job of setting them up. Oddly enough, the best 70" I saw at Best Buy yesterday was a Vizio, it was also the least expensive. It must have been set up better at the factory, the Sharps were torched and skin tones looked orange (big red push). The Sharps have many setting adjustment possibilities to get the picture "right", they would definitely take a lot of tweaking, probably would not have to go into the service menus.
[/quote]

I did go with a 60" Samsung 1080P 120hz (240CMR)

The entired panel is LEDs vs a side bar of LEDs ran through fiberoptics that you see on the ultra slim LEDs.

I don't believe it has "local dimming"...that's a uber expensive set. But the fact that the light is directly behind the LCD and that LEDs can be completely turned off makes all the difference in white/black quality. The fiberoptic LEDs have little control over targeted sections of the screen in reference to black levels.

Its exactly what I was hoping it would be. Researched for a solid 2 months. Multiple visits to several stores. Just couldn't do the Plasma thing.

This new Samsung vs my old 40" Samsung has a more refined movie mode. Does an excellent job of dumbing down the contrast/definition. It takes away that "home movie" look as mentioned a few posts up.

[quote name='Jim Clark' timestamp='1380716987' post='7941605']
Oddly enough, the best 70" I saw at Best Buy yesterday was a Vizio, it was also the least expensive. It must have been set up better at the factory
[/quote]

I saw one of their new 55" LED M-Series models on display and I thought it was a really really nice unit. The only thing I would ever hesitate on is that they still outsource their CS and repairs but buying a BestBuy protection plan on it would be smart. I'll be honest I'm no videophile but I have corrected vision to 20/15 and to me the sports playing on it compared with the Sony/Samsung next to it were identical; as were the connectivity, apps, refresh rate, and everything all down to the price where the Viz was $1050; less than half the other two. They run their business 12-18 months behind the others letting them innovate and bring to market the new tech only to buy from the same Chinese purveyors a year to 18 months later at discounts they pass on. For those numbers I'll likely buy one soon.

The more research I do, the more confused I get. Just go the Audio Video Sciences (AVS) forum and you'll see what I mean. I think I've narrowed it down to:

Sharp 70" - there are a few models (wide price range, only the lower priced models are in my range)
Vizio 70" - the newer M-Series
Sony 70" - their entry level R550

Samsung has 65" and 75", I want a 70" (upgrading from 60" rear projector Sony SXRD), 75" might be just a little bit big for my room. 75" sets are also more than I want to spend. I've read the off center viewing on the Sony is really bad beyond 30* (all LED/LCD sets suffer from this to some extent, some are worse than others). The Vizio has some form of local dimming, I don't know how good it works. The Vizio does have passive 3D but I don't care about 3D.

Still suffering from information overload. But I think the Vizio is in the lead.

You might want to do some more research. Plasma blacks are better than LED ones (even with local dimming) when looking at the same quality units (i.e. 3k plasma versus 3k led not 800 dollar plasma versus 3k led)

The reality is that for most of us the picture quality of these sets is more than adequate and while you can see differences side by side, at home they all look pretty decent if you adjust them. Plasmas tend to have better pictures in ideal conditions (they suffer more glare than most LEDs) but they are more size limited (65" is as big as they come outside of a few speciality models), tend to weight more, use more electricity, and are pretty much a dead technology for home use (Panasonic has announced they are ending production at the end of the year). Personally I hope to pick up a cheap 60-65" panasonic this year if the stores are liquidating them to last me ~3 years until 4k makes sense to think about.


[quote name='JasonFL' timestamp='1380470351' post='7927579']
I cant tell you whats best for you. I had to replace my old Samsung 40" 1080P LCD it it was a pita tying to match its picture quality.

Heres what I found:

- Plasmas are excellent for movies. You cant compare their refresh rate to a LED TV. Plasmas refresh infinitely better than LEDs. However if youre looking for definition so clear that it is freakishly off putting. Go with an LED (see below). This is why I say Plasma is better for movies. Too much clarity and it looks like youre watching a home movie.

- LED/LCD have better control of black levels than Plasmas. If you can find a backlit LED that has "local dimming" you will get the best contrast of any TV period. As in the difference between the whitest white, and blackest black. Plasmas can not control black in localized area. Avoid the super slim LED TV's as they are lit differently. They use a LED bar on the side of the TV (rather than an array of LEDs used in the back-lit version). These side lit LEDs will perform similar to a plasma, but only with less refresh capabilities.

- Dont fall for Samsungs "Clear Motion Rate". So when you see a 120 CMR, divide by 2. Thats the true refresh rate.

- Dont judge a TV by what you see at the store. The settings suck. And I cant prove this but I believe they set some TVs up properly in hopes to sell more of that model while leaving the other models to die a slow death. My TV really looked horrible at Costco. However I knew what features I was looking for. I trusted the data on the box, rather than what my eyes were seeing on the floor model. I do not regret it one bit.

I narrowed down what I was looking for to:

- The off putting contrast, Im a big fan, especially for sports. So I went with the backlit LED. You can always dumb down the contrast for movies.
- Im was looking for a 240 CMR Samsung (i.e.. 120 hz refresh). Ive never had motion blur with this so 240hz didnt matter to me.
- Sound. I dont always use my surround sound and my prior Samsung TV speakers were garbage. So these 15 watt speakers in the new TV are perfect!

Hope some of this helps. Good luck!
[/quote]

[quote name='JustTheTips' timestamp='1383665653' post='8104596']
You might want to do some more research. Plasma blacks are better than LED ones (even with local dimming) when looking at the same quality units (i.e. 3k plasma versus 3k led not 800 dollar plasma versus 3k led)

The reality is that for most of us the picture quality of these sets is more than adequate and while you can see differences side by side, at home they all look pretty decent if you adjust them. Plasmas tend to have better pictures in ideal conditions (they suffer more glare than most LEDs) but they are more size limited (65" is as big as they come outside of a few speciality models), tend to weight more, use more electricity, and are pretty much a dead technology for home use (Panasonic has announced they are ending production at the end of the year). Personally I hope to pick up a cheap 60-65" panasonic this year if the stores are liquidating them to last me ~3 years until 4k makes sense to think about.


[quote name='JasonFL' timestamp='1380470351' post='7927579']
I cant tell you whats best for you. I had to replace my old Samsung 40" 1080P LCD it it was a pita tying to match its picture quality.

Heres what I found:

- Plasmas are excellent for movies. You cant compare their refresh rate to a LED TV. Plasmas refresh infinitely better than LEDs. However if youre looking for definition so clear that it is freakishly off putting. Go with an LED (see below). This is why I say Plasma is better for movies. Too much clarity and it looks like youre watching a home movie.

- LED/LCD have better control of black levels than Plasmas. If you can find a backlit LED that has "local dimming" you will get the best contrast of any TV period. As in the difference between the whitest white, and blackest black. Plasmas can not control black in localized area. Avoid the super slim LED TV's as they are lit differently. They use a LED bar on the side of the TV (rather than an array of LEDs used in the back-lit version). These side lit LEDs will perform similar to a plasma, but only with less refresh capabilities.

- Dont fall for Samsungs "Clear Motion Rate". So when you see a 120 CMR, divide by 2. Thats the true refresh rate.

- Dont judge a TV by what you see at the store. The settings suck. And I cant prove this but I believe they set some TVs up properly in hopes to sell more of that model while leaving the other models to die a slow death. My TV really looked horrible at Costco. However I knew what features I was looking for. I trusted the data on the box, rather than what my eyes were seeing on the floor model. I do not regret it one bit.

I narrowed down what I was looking for to:

- The off putting contrast, Im a big fan, especially for sports. So I went with the backlit LED. You can always dumb down the contrast for movies.
- Im was looking for a 240 CMR Samsung (i.e.. 120 hz refresh). Ive never had motion blur with this so 240hz didnt matter to me.
- Sound. I dont always use my surround sound and my prior Samsung TV speakers were garbage. So these 15 watt speakers in the new TV are perfect!

Hope some of this helps. Good luck!
[/quote]
[/quote]

Good comments, thank you.

I was at Costco yesterday and was ready to buy the Visio. They had a feed running to all the big screens that included a lot of 3D material. Without the glasses, you were looking at a double image. I asked an assistant manager to find an employee who could help me so I could see 2D images, 10 minutes later with no help I got frustrated and walked out, they lost a sale. I WAS ready to buy. Idiots.

I have 65" Sharp, and 55, 55, and 58" Panasonic LEDs. As for picture quality, the reality is that most TVs today have great picture. Its usually only when compared side by side that you'll actually see any benefit to one over the other. Also, if your looking into the 2000 and under range, they are all even more similar. Don't be afraid to pick a model based heavily on aesthetics, because at the end of the day that will probably be the most glaring differentiator of all. (I actually read a great article about this years ago...will post if I can find it).

Ive had plasmas before, and even with the "anti reflective" coatings, they still had a lot of glare in my house (lots of windows). They are also much bigger and heavier than the LEDs.

Also, I personally hate motion blur, so I don't feel that there is any reason to get sucked into paying extra of for this supposed feature. Its turned off on all of my TVs.

Someone again mentioned plasmas. Plasmas do have the best rated pictures but I don't think they'd be best for my bright family room. I like to watch golf a lot (daylight issues, lots of windows).

Regarding the picture "enhancement" features that nearly all sets have, most of what I've read says to turn them off.

Over at AVS forum, there are lots of suggestions for picture settings. In the end, you adjust it to what looks best to YOU. These newer sets have MANY possible adjustments without having to go into the service menus. On my current Sony rear projector, I use two picture "modes", custom for night viewing and vivid for daytime viewing. The primary differences are brightness and contrast. Cinema mode has too much red push, I never use it.

Regarding the new 70", I'm still leaning toward the Vizio from Costco. It seems to be the best bang for your buck. I believe Costco offers a 90 day return policy, they extend the manufacturers warranty an additional year, and they sell a Square Trade extended warranty for $99 that takes it out to 5 years. I'll probably take the plunge.

As an add-on, I agree that the majority of these sets will have a really good picture when you get them home and adjust them properly.

All of the manufacturers seem to have QC problems and some people get "bad" sets, it's a real PITA to return these things. A lot of the entry level Sonys apparently have a "white blob" problem in the middle of the screen. Sony customer service says that's normal and not a warranty issue, that's BS.

Decisions. I'll go with whoever has the best return policies and best warranties.

FYI: Panasonic, arguably one of the best Plasma set makers, is going to call it quits on making plasmas.

http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/8/4818468/panasonic-to-exit-plasma-business-this-financial-year-report


--kC

The Panny plasmas have been at the top regarding picture quality. But plasmas seem to be going the way of rear projectors. It's OLED and 4K in the future, but I think it will be a few years before those are ready for prime time. Not ready to invest now. It'll be a reasonably priced LED/LCD for now.

if you have the space and aren't worried about lighting, do you go with a 65"+ lcd/led or do you go with a 100" projection.

just wondering as thinking about future big screen options. with todays projectors which can do HD, i'm leaning towards projection for the basement. any opinions or suggestions

If you are into netflix/hulu/YouTube. The Samsung Smart TV is the hottest on the market. Comes with wifi and those programs with it. Awesome awesome tv. Durable and Samsung has a good warranty even if something did happen

Just got this Samsung 65" Smart TV: http://www.samsung.com/us/video/tvs/UN65F8000BFXZA

I have been blown away with the 3D and the picture quality. Some of the Smart features are actually quite useful, I thought they would be more gimmicky than useful but I actually use them

I would also highly recommend looking into the Sonos Soundbar and surround setup, that has been my favorite part of our new entertainment area.