Curved vs. Flat TV's

[chickenpotpie]

Thinking of picking up a new TV for the living room as we get closer to Black Friday. Currently have a Samsung which has worked great for us now, going on 8 years, and I think I will stick with them as I've always had good success with their TV's and appliances. But I'm torn on the curved versus flat screen issue....is it worth the extra money to get the curved screen? Or is it just a cool factor thing? Anyone with any experience here?

[kstorm]

I bought a curved Samsung during the 2014 black Friday and I absolutely love it

[Pstar1978]

My thoughts for buying a tv on black Friday is you can get the same prices 6 months later or during the Superbowl. I also heard that most production companies are just now using 1080p cameras. The only reason why I would make the jump to a 4k tv would be for gaming. If you can't wait OP and you want that tv for the holidays, I recommend the following brands in order based on experience:

 

LG

Samsung

Sony

[chickenpotpie]

My thoughts for buying a tv on black Friday is you can get the same prices 6 months later or during the Superbowl. I also heard that most production companies are just now using 1080p cameras. The only reason why I would make the jump to a 4k tv would be for gaming. If you can't wait OP and you want that tv for the holidays, I recommend the following brands in order based on experience:

 

LG

Samsung

Sony

 

Generally speaking, I'd agree, but last year I held off on buying on Black Friday and never saw the same price again on one of the Samsung models I was looking at. It was being blown out for $679 on Black Friday, but went back up to its regular sale price of 899 and never moved afterwards. Ended up not buying anything, so in same position now.

 

 

[Pstar1978]

I always thought that the prices would be similar come Supebowl weekend or 6 months later. I also forgot to mention is when I got my LG 47 inch tv, the audio inputs we're different than my Samsung 32 inch. The Samsung had component audio out and the LG has audio in. To solve this I had two options: Buy a new stereo receiver that has optical input or buy an audio converter. I went with the audio converter from this place:

 

http://www.hdtvsupply.com

 

Just in case you need any accessories. I have an late 90's JVC receiver with 5 disc changer that goes to two 10 inch infinity speakers with 3 way voice coils. I've had the setup since 1997.

[Hammer of the Gods]

I upgraded this summer did a lot of research went with a LG E6 its a great tv well worth the money especially if you plan on keeping it as long as the last one. Sony was my 2nd choice and Samsung came in 3rd due to quality issues. Whichever one you buy just don't get a curved tv.

[chickenpotpie]

I upgraded this summer did a lot of research went with a LG E6 its a great tv well worth the money especially if you plan on keeping it as long as the last one. Sony was my 2nd choice and Samsung came in 3rd due to quality issues. Whichever one you buy just don't get a curved tv.

 

Why?

[Fellaheen51]

Now one has yet mentioned the real problem with curved panel TV's. The degradation of picture quality (bowing) once you move off axis from the "sweet spot" viewing position. If you're a solo user, this may not be an issue. But like most, the TV is often viewed from several different angles in the family room. While auditioning TV's a year ago, this was readily apparent to these eyes. So a curved panel was ruled out rather quickly, not worth the price premium. 4K has become ubiquitous, essentially a non-issue these days. Still, to the best of my knowledge without checking, there is no over-the-air content being provided. We're not content streamers, 99% what we view is from cable. Don't believe they are suppling 4k programming yet (bandwidth issues).

 

For the money spent, reviews, my eyes watching one in a showroom (with all the auditioning compromises inherent with this), ended up purchasing a Samsung UN60JS7000 60" set. It looked the best of them all. Compared to the Sony (an excellent picture, maybe a touch better than the Samsung, but several hundred $ more), LG (color seemed just a little off, may have been the settings), Vizio (cheaper, but the HD image didn't seem as crisp). Furthermore, I have some track record with Samsung TV's and have found them to be a excellent TV with no reliability issues. YMMV. TV's are sorta like buying a new computer. Evaluate on the current state of whats available and pull the trigger. It will probably be outdated as soon as you take it out of the box. Such is life in the world of electronics.

 

OLED is the next big thing in UHD picture quality along with HDR (high definition resolution). But really expensive at the moment. We aren't videophiles. Simply wanted a TV that had a great picture for a good price. The flat panel Samsung provided that.

[chickenpotpie]

Now one has yet mentioned the real problem with curved panel TV's. The degradation of picture quality (bowing) once you move off axis from the "sweet spot" viewing position. If you're a solo user, this may not be an issue. But like most, the TV is often viewed from several different angles in the family room. While auditioning TV's a year ago, this was readily apparent to these eyes. So a curved panel was ruled out rather quickly, not worth the price premium. 4K has become ubiquitous, essentially a non-issue these days. Still, to the best of my knowledge without checking, there is no over-the-air content being provided. We're not content streamers, 99% what we view is from cable. Don't believe they are suppling 4k programming yet (bandwidth issues).

 

For the money spent, reviews, my eyes watching one in a showroom (with all the auditioning compromises inherent with this), ended up purchasing a Samsung UN60JS7000 60" set. It looked the best of them all. Compared to the Sony (an excellent picture, maybe a touch better than the Samsung, but several hundred $ more), LG (color seemed just a little off, may have been the settings), Vizio (cheaper, but the HD image didn't seem as crisp). Furthermore, I have some track record with Samsung TV's and have found them to be a excellent TV with no reliability issues. YMMV. TV's are sorta like buying a new computer. Evaluate on the current state of whats available and pull the trigger. It will probably be outdated as soon as you take it out of the box. Such is life in the world of electronics.

 

OLED is the next big thing in UHD picture quality along with HDR (high definition resolution). But really expensive at the moment. We aren't videophiles. Simply wanted a TV that had a great picture for a good price. The flat panel Samsung provided that.

 

Thanks for that feedback. You sound like me...well other than the green/white thing....

[LouieLouie]

I bought a big screen about 3 year ago now and went with a Panasonic plasma. Plasmas have the best refresh rates for watching sports.

There are pros and cons to plasma vs LED but I won't go into that here, just do your homework.

When I purchased, I found the best deals were in October. I also found some great deals at Sears of all places.

Panasonic has been rock solid since the day I bought it and it is still gorgeous!

 

Black Friday is a scam. They sell junk on Black Friday for lower prices. The quality products might have a few small deals but they will never sell a high quality 65" tv for $300. When it comes to electronics you get what you pay for. If you watch a lot of sports, save your money until you can afford a high quality tv. You will have the tv for 5 to 10 years and it will still look fantastic. I still have a 55" Hitachi with 1080i that I bought 11 years ago. I put it in my bedroom once I got the 65" plasma. Most content still isn't in 1080p yet. Keep that in mind when buying a 4k.

[Hammer of the Gods]

Still, to the best of my knowledge without checking, there is no over-the-air content being provided. We're not content streamers, 99% what we view is from cable. Don't believe they are suppling 4k programming yet (bandwidth issues).

 

Direct tv has 3 channels right now that broadcast in 4k including a live event channel that broadcasts sports which includes the Masters, some MLB games and Notre Dame football :bad: As for streaming 4k you can get content from sites such as Netflix, Amazon, Vudu and Youtube.

[Argonne69]

I agree with Fellaheen51, curved screens are an unnecessary gimmick. Off axis geometry is out of whack.

 

I'm still on the fence regarding 4K, or should I say UHD. There's more to the equation than simply more pixels that won't be noticeable for the vast majority of users sitting the proper distance from the TV. HDR and expanded color space are the real drivers of UHD, and the specs are still in a bit of flux. It's possible that a TV purchased today won't be able to benefit from UHD once things have settled down.

 

That said, it's darn near impossible to find a set today that isn't 4K, so you simply have to accept that it may be outdated in the very near future.

 

Personally, I'm sticking with my aging 65" Panasonic plasma until OLED prices drop a bit more. Given that monitors last 5+ years, I'm not too price conscious if the picture quality is top notch.

[scratchswinger]

I just bought this one from Costco.... Great price....

 

http://www.costco.com/Samsung-75%22-Class-(74.5%22-Diag.)-4K-Ultra-HD-Smart-LED-LCD-TV-UN75JU641DFXZA.product.100237342.html

[theonlybfc]

My thoughts for buying a tv on black Friday is you can get the same prices 6 months later or during the Superbowl. I also heard that most production companies are just now using 1080p cameras. The only reason why I would make the jump to a 4k tv would be for gaming. If you can't wait OP and you want that tv for the holidays, I recommend the following brands in order based on experience:

 

LG

Samsung

Sony

 

I guess i'm having a hard time understanding your logic on BF shopping... If I can buy the TV now for the same price that I can get it for 6 months later why wouldn't I buy it now and enjoy it for those 6 months?

 

I have had a 60" Mitsubishi DLP for 8 years now and just recently the DLP chip in it is going out causing white dots all over the screen. Now i'm in the market for a new TV and it won't be another Mitsubishi. Sounds like this problem is quite common and Mitsubishi accepts the fact. They will even "give" you the new part if you pay $200 for it to be installed. You can but the part for $180 from a 3rd party.

 

Had a 46" Vizio LED for 4 years that suddenly the screen won't turn on. The Vizio symbol lights up like its on, but no picture. After some more research, again, sounds like a common problem with Vizio TV's

 

I have also had a 46" Samsung LED that I got from the return rack at Costco for about 4 years. It has been a great TV and has always been a better picture than the Mitsubishi. Colors are crisp on the Samsungs in my opinion. My next purchase will likely be a larger Samsung LED. I highly recommend getting a 3rd party warranty from squaretrade. They are much cheaper than buying the warranty from bestbuy or where you purchase the TV and in a couple different claims i've had with them they just sent me cash instead of dealing with trying to get it repaired. Very great customer service.

 

As others have said with the curved TV the viewing from multiple angles suffers. I imagine a curved desktop screen would be great since you are usually viewing it from the same spot all day.

[Pstar1978]

My logic for BF shopping is you can get the same prices in 6 months from now or even cheaper. Sometimes Superbowl sales are better than BF deals depending on the vendor. My first HDTV was a Samsung that I paid 2k for in 2007 which is 720 resolution. When I upgraded to the LG I have now, it became a bedroom TV which works like day 1. The only issue I had with the Samsung was a line that would move up randomly. So far and knock on wood, the LG has been awesome. The LG is 1080p and is an LED.

[LouieLouie]

I just bought this one from Costco.... Great price....

 

http://www.costco.co...ss-(74.5"-Diag.)-4K-Ultra-HD-Smart-LED-LCD-TV-UN75JU641DFXZA.product.100237342.html

 

75" TV! That's huge! I have a 65" tv and think it is enormous! Well done sir!

[scratchswinger]

I just bought this one from Costco.... Great price....

 

http://www.costco.co...ss-(74.5"-Diag.)-4K-Ultra-HD-Smart-LED-LCD-TV-UN75JU641DFXZA.product.100237342.html

 

75" TV! That's huge! I have a 65" tv and think it is enormous! Well done sir!

 

I wanted the 80" but the prices are still too high....It's a big room.

[chickenpotpie]

So coming back to the original question, it sounds like the verdict is "no" on curved TVs?

[Argonne69]

So coming back to the original question, it sounds like the verdict is "no" on curved TVs?

 

I just don't see an upside. Unless one is living the glamorous life of a bachelor, and sitting in the prime viewing position directly in front of the TV, the geometry is going to be off. The manufacturers were looking for an "oh-ah" gimmick, and they found it with curved screens. However, they simply don't make sense for a large monitor utilized by multiple people at the same time.

[braincramp52]

I love my 65" Samsung 4K curved TV. I don't find any issues with the picture from any viewing area. Worth the money as far as I'm concerned and there's not too many people more anal about TV's than I am. Just my 2 cents.

[Argonne69]

I love my 65" Samsung 4K curved TV. I don't find any issues with the picture from any viewing area. Worth the money as far as I'm concerned and there's not too many people more anal about TV's than I am. Just my 2 cents.

 

Huh? The geometry is distorted off-axis. That would bug the living sh*t out of me.

[scratchswinger]

So coming back to the original question, it sounds like the verdict is "no" on curved TVs?

 

If the 75 curved was more affordable I would have gotten one. I just think they look cool ?

[Fellaheen51]

Do your research. Their is a plethora of information available discussing the pros/cons of curved v. flat panels. If one really wants to get serious about TV evaluations, need to do your homework. Look at FAB's, quality of displays, reviews, what are the experts saying. While you may think your getting a "good deal" with a BF, super bowl sale, etc., there cheap for a reason. The low end of the line, often one or two generations old. And, the TV's sold at Costco, Sam's are often different than the regular line ones you will find at a dedicated electronics store (Best Buy if you will, but I despise the place). Check and compare model numbers very carefully. One can cull the hurd down to a manageable size with online research by size and price point. Note: IMHO, the best values reside with models two levels down from the "top of the line" model from any given manufacturer. As for plasmas, they're history. No one has made them, to the best of my knowledge, for two product years or better. Good luck finding a new one anywhere.

 

1. Unless you're going big (75"+), the benefits of going curved are marginalized.

2. The major allure of the curved screen concept is a sense of immersion. That requires your viewing position to be located in a finite "sweet spot". The further from this spot you are, the sense of immersion is lessened.

3. Better served to pay a premium for display and video processing quality, all things being equal, rather than a curved display of lesser quality of the aforementioned attributes. Look for set that has a "true" 120Hz refresh rate spec to reduce the potential for motion blur on fast action video. Down fall in to the trap of thinking curved display is indicative of picture quality in and of itself.

4. Once one goes off axis by 30*+, the distortion to the image is readily apparent. Plus strange things happen with ambient light reflections off the screen as they "bounce around" off the curved panel surface. I can see it, even in a less than ideal store audition. Would drive me nuts with regular viewing.

5. Curved panel can be PITA to wall mount if that's your intent. Also brings into play vertical considerations as well as horizontal to maximize the correct viewing position.

6. As mentioned, its a gimmick. Doubt there will be curved panels being offered 5 years from now. Once OLED and HDR drops in cost and becomes more commonplace on mid-range HDTV's. That's where the future is at. Content and delivery issues aside. I wouldn't pay the premium for this technology at this time. As Argonne mentioned, some "spec" issues are still YTBD.

 

A TV is a 8 -10 year investment for my household . So I'm not unopposed to spending more for one that will have better video processing and enhanced picture quality specs. Learn the language by reading, researching. You wouldn't go to the LGS to buy clubs without some knowledge of what you were looking for. Let alone 100% dependent upon the salesman to "educate" you on what's the best. Same goes for TV's. Last year, I narrowed the field to three that I wanted to critically view before making a decision.

 

So if your idea is to have everyone cloistered into a finite viewing area, 10' or less from the screen for watching the UM v. OSU game, get yourself a curved panel.

[braincramp52]

I love my 65" Samsung 4K curved TV. I don't find any issues with the picture from any viewing area. Worth the money as far as I'm concerned and there's not too many people more anal about TV's than I am. Just my 2 cents.

 

Huh? The geometry is distorted off-axis. That would bug the living sh*t out of me.

 

I don't know crap about geometry but I know what I like. My favorite chair is 25' from the TV. The living room is 14' wide. There's not a bad spot in the room. I've had it for 2 years and have no complaints. The picture beats the hell out of the 65" Plasma I have in my man cave. I will admit it didn't really come to life until the tech calibrated it.

[Argonne69]

I love my 65" Samsung 4K curved TV. I don't find any issues with the picture from any viewing area. Worth the money as far as I'm concerned and there's not too many people more anal about TV's than I am. Just my 2 cents.

 

Huh? The geometry is distorted off-axis. That would bug the living sh*t out of me.

 

I don't know crap about geometry but I know what I like. My favorite chair is 25' from the TV. The living room is 14' wide. There's not a bad spot in the room. I've had it for 2 years and have no complaints. The picture beats the hell out of the 65" Plasma I have in my man cave. I will admit it didn't really come to life until the tech calibrated it.

 

I don't doubt that the picture is great, especially after a calibration. I watch a lot of TV from an angle, and it simply wouldn't work for me.

 

[coreyl]

HDR (high definition resolution). But really expensive at the moment.

 

High Dynamic Range...Just saying. And the price on TVs with HDR is coming down. The BX has a 60" Samsung 4K w/ HDR on sale for Veterans day that they are blowing out for $499, and it's really pulling my arm and I have absolutely zero need for it.

[Argonne69]

HDR (high definition resolution). But really expensive at the moment.

 

High Dynamic Range...Just saying. And the price on TVs with HDR is coming down. The BX has a 60" Samsung 4K w/ HDR on sale for Veterans day that they are blowing out for $499, and it's really pulling my arm and I have absolutely zero need for it.

 

Similar to VHS vs Betamax, there are currently two different competing standards for HDR: Dolby Vision vs. HDR-10 (http://www.howtogeek...d-dolby-vision/), and there's no guarantee that a particular manufacturer will support both, e.g. Visio. Buyer beware at this point.

 

Frankly, this sh*t p*sses me off. We get an actual usable upgrade in technology, and we have to sit on the sidelines until a winner is decided.

[chickenpotpie]

Ended up getting a flat 65" Samsung 8500 model. It's amazing how much better it looks than my old TV, which wasn't bad, but still.

[Argonne69]

Ended up getting a flat 65" Samsung 8500 model. It's amazing how much better it looks than my old TV, which wasn't bad, but still.

 

If you don't already own one, I suggest picking up a calibration disc. Ideally it's best to have a set professionally calibrated, but a quick adjustment with a disc is better than nothing. It's important to get the contrast set correctly at a minimum, as most sets are simply horrible out of the box, i.e. "Torch Mode".

[bscinstnct]

Whats funny is that its all but impossible to clean these things.