sony TV XBR49X900F $1K vs a cheaper alternative Samsung $330

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Coco nuts
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sony TV XBR49X900F $1K vs a cheaper alternative Samsung $330

Post by Coco nuts »

Hello,

I have not had a TV for 20 years but my 70-year-old mom needs a new replacement at her place. Sadly watching TV is her main entertainment...

Looking for some advice as she requested this Sony TV XBR49X900F (costs $1,000 plus tax)

How is this Sony TV better than any good deal I can find at costco or other major resellers next week. For example I see that the linked samsung TV below is selling for $329 + tax.

Obviously, I can afford the 1K TV and given her preference I would probably go with it, but want to make sure it's a good purchase. Thanks in advance for any tips you may have.

sony
https://www.sony.com/electronics/televi ... =123cm49in

costco - samsung
https://www.costco.com/Samsung-50%22-Cl ... 55440.html
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Alexa9
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Re: sony TV XBR49X900F $1K vs a cheaper alternative Samsung $330

Post by Alexa9 »

Samsung and LG are great alternatives to Sony. That Sony has HDR so it will have surreal colors. Is it worth it? I would say no. You'd have to see them side by side to decide for yourself. LG OLED is another one that may be worth the premium to you. I'd go to Costco or Best Buy and look at them next to eachother.
BobTexas
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Re: sony TV XBR49X900F $1K vs a cheaper alternative Samsung $330

Post by BobTexas »

Samsung from Costco is the place to go. Especially for a 70 year old mother. Just work out ahead of time what size you need
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BL
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Re: sony TV XBR49X900F $1K vs a cheaper alternative Samsung $330

Post by BL »

Is Mom paying for it? If so, consider her wishes, but maybe give her some alternatives.

If you are paying, then it is a different story. Try to find out what she is looking for, and how she came up with this model. Do what you can afford, as well as your best judgement.

I am older than she is, but would never pay for a 1k model for myself.
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heartwood
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Re: sony TV XBR49X900F $1K vs a cheaper alternative Samsung $330

Post by heartwood »

Coco nuts wrote: Wed Nov 14, 2018 12:47 pm Hello,

I have not had a TV for 20 years but my 70-year-old mom needs a new replacement at her place. Sadly watching TV is her main entertainment...

Looking for some advice as she requested this Sony TV XBR49X900F (costs $1,000 plus tax)

How is this Sony TV better than any good deal I can find at costco or other major resellers next week. For example I see that the linked samsung TV below is selling for $329 + tax.

Obviously, I can afford the 1K TV and given her preference I would probably go with it, but want to make sure it's a good purchase. Thanks in advance for any tips you may have.

sony
https://www.sony.com/electronics/televi ... =123cm49in

costco - samsung
https://www.costco.com/Samsung-50%22-Cl ... 55440.html
The Sony is an android TV.

We have two several yr old Samsung sets. It came time to get another for our condo and were about to get another Samsung. At a installers suggestion we went to Best Buy and looked at sets: Samsung, LG, etc. The guy there pointed out the Sony. We liked the picture, it was a better price than the comparable Samsung or LG.

Turns out we love the android setup. We always had glitches getting our Samsungs to stream stuff. The Sony is much easier.

For comparable pricing I'd go Sony android. For the price difference you list, I might have a different answer. Also its a consideration as to whether your Mom streams her shows.
Topic Author
Coco nuts
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Re: sony TV XBR49X900F $1K vs a cheaper alternative Samsung $330

Post by Coco nuts »

this will be a gift from the kids

I believe she looked at Sony exclusively - her current 20-plus-year-old TV is a sony that has served her well. the one before that was also sony.

Trying to tell her that LG and Samsung are as good as sony these days but... also trying to balance a few extra bucks vs family relationship as she is very attached to her TV :P

Thanks for all of the advice.

edited to add: no she just does cable TV, no streaming from the internet. thanks
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heartwood
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Re: sony TV XBR49X900F $1K vs a cheaper alternative Samsung $330

Post by heartwood »

Coco nuts wrote: Wed Nov 14, 2018 2:25 pm this will be a gift from the kids

I believe she looked at Sony exclusively - her current 20-plus-year-old TV is a sony that has served her well. the one before that was also sony.

Trying to tell her that LG and Samsung are as good as sony these days but... also trying to balance a few extra bucks vs family relationship as she is very attached to her TV :P

Thanks for all of the advice.

edited to add: no she just does cable TV, no streaming from the internet. thanks
No streaming or use of apps? Save the money and go with the Samsung at Costco. Use the Costco Visa and get years added to the warranty, plus their concierge service to talk you through setup, use, etc.
alfaspider
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Re: sony TV XBR49X900F $1K vs a cheaper alternative Samsung $330

Post by alfaspider »

If she's set on a Sony, there are much cheaper alternatives within the Sony line at the same size. For example:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... _BwE&smp=Y


Unless she has excellent eyesight for her age, I doubt she's really going to notice the HDR features and other signal processing features the more expensive set. I also think that smart TV features are kind of a waste. You can get a Roku or other streaming box for a "dumb" TV, with the advantage that it can be upgraded over time as technology improves. The "smart" TV probably won't seem so "smart" in 10 years. I have a Blu-ray player from 8 years ago that was state of the art at the time with streaming features. It can still connect to Netflix, but it's borderline unusable compared to a modern Roku, and the picture is quite poor. A 2018 "smart TV" interface may be similarly poor in 2028.
inbox788
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Re: sony TV XBR49X900F $1K vs a cheaper alternative Samsung $330

Post by inbox788 »

IMO, Sony is a has been brand and is now inferior. There are far better choices.

Also, where are you placing a 49" TV?

When 32" TVs were considered big, 49" is huge, but today, they're tiny for family/living rooms these. The 50-60" TV are being moved into the bedrooms and replaced with 70-80" sets. On the other end, some millennials and younger set are forgoing big screen tvs and love their small screens.

https://www.thequint.com/tech-and-auto/ ... er-content

I'd try to chase down a 65-inch Sharp or TCL Roku TV for $400 Black Friday deal.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/TCL-65-Class ... /489346962

But it's not a Sony.

This $700 49" QLED is pretty good, but it's not OLED.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/SAMSUNG-49-C ... /773190143
02nz
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Re: sony TV XBR49X900F $1K vs a cheaper alternative Samsung $330

Post by 02nz »

The 900F series is among the best LCD TVs for picture quality, but you're paying a lot for a small improvement in picture quality over a $300 Samsung or even a $200 TCL, or a cheaper Sony, any of which will be a HUGE improvement over a 20-year-old TV, particularly if the programming is HD or better. $1K for a 49-incher is pretty poor value; if she really cares about picture quality, it would be better to step up to a 55-inch OLED for around $1500-$2000, but the benefits are unlikely to be noticed by a 70-year-old, TBH.
Topic Author
Coco nuts
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Re: sony TV XBR49X900F $1K vs a cheaper alternative Samsung $330

Post by Coco nuts »

she does have her cataract surgery done so she has excellent eyesight :). And I agree any current models will have crisper image than her 20 year old TV.

I will check out all other links... thanks for the feedback so far. Looks like you are validating what we think which is this TV is not the best deal out there. She went to best buy a few times, but I am not sure how extensive their sony collection is. Or how she got upsold...

Regarding size, The max size she can have is a 49IN tv (which measures ~43IN horizontally)

thanks again
onourway
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Re: sony TV XBR49X900F $1K vs a cheaper alternative Samsung $330

Post by onourway »

Does she have HD cable? Many of my older relatives have fancy new tv’s with SD cable feeds. I think it looks worse on the big new HD tv than it did on their old CRT.

Many of the cheap LCD models will look really bright and saturated which looks great when competing against every other tv on a giant wall in a bright showroom. That, paired with their image processing tends to make the content look really artificial. There are good inexpensive models out there, but if you just buy something by chance under $500, chances are it won’t be all that great.
bob60014
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Re: sony TV XBR49X900F $1K vs a cheaper alternative Samsung $330

Post by bob60014 »

The Costco model is great. We have one similar to it and love the picture and ease to set it up. No matter which TV you decide on be sure to adjust the picture levels, brightness, contrast, saturation etc..to levels SHE will enjoy watching. It may take awhile to get it right as everyone's idea of what looks good is different. @$330 for the intended use is a no brainer.
Topic Author
Coco nuts
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Re: sony TV XBR49X900F $1K vs a cheaper alternative Samsung $330

Post by Coco nuts »

here is what I can find regarding HD at her provider. it looks like she does have some HD channels when available

HD Channels will now be automatically delivered over their equivalent standard definition channel when available, and the higher channel number will disappear. These channels will be indicated with a small HD icons to make searching for HD channels a more simplified process.
Horsefly
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Re: sony TV XBR49X900F $1K vs a cheaper alternative Samsung $330

Post by Horsefly »

I know this is not what you asked, but...

We had a Sony XBR for many years, and I assumed I would want to get another one. When I started doing research, I came to the conclusion that Sony had not kept its top spot, and Samsung had higher prices and not kept pace with their quality and features.

In the past year, we bought a 75" TCL at Costco for way under the next Samsung, and it's great. I've also convinced my brother to get at 55" TCL, and my daughter to get a 45" TCL. Everyone is thrilled with them.

Clark Howard always says get the biggest TV you can afford without regard for brand, because the quality across the board is high enough that it isn't worth it to pay extra for the Samsung / Sony / LG name.
inbox788
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Re: sony TV XBR49X900F $1K vs a cheaper alternative Samsung $330

Post by inbox788 »

Coco nuts wrote: Wed Nov 14, 2018 3:29 pmRegarding size, The max size she can have is a 49IN tv (which measures ~43IN horizontally)
That's one way to limit your choices, but if it's a cabinet, you can spend $1000 on a new cabinet or TV stand and new TV, or wall mount it. If it's going between 2 windows or shelves or over a fireplace, you might truly be width limited. [Or maybe it's a small room and she's sitting less than 5 feet from the TV and has to move her head to view different parts].

Anyway, sometimes you need to think out of the box and other times you need an excuse to stay inside the box. Good luck with your hunt. Black Friday season is good timing and you should see lots of good deals.
adamthesmythe
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Re: sony TV XBR49X900F $1K vs a cheaper alternative Samsung $330

Post by adamthesmythe »

It's hard for me to believe that these are roughly similar models. Most likely the Samsung doesn't have HDR. I'm too lazy to check, but you should.

I disagree with an earlier comment. I think HDR will be noticed even if visual acuity is somewhat degraded. I would say that the current TVs (which are now only available as 4k) are overkill for resolution.
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: sony TV XBR49X900F $1K vs a cheaper alternative Samsung $330

Post by TomatoTomahto »

it would be better to step up to a 55-inch OLED for around $1500-$2000, but the benefits are unlikely to be noticed by a 70-year-old, TBH.
I love my 65” OLED, but there wasn’t a 85” OLED for the media room, so I went with Sony. I’m nearly 70 years old.

Ageist much?
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
FamilyMan
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Re: sony TV XBR49X900F $1K vs a cheaper alternative Samsung $330

Post by FamilyMan »

I bought a Sony TV 3 years ago and it broke 2 years later. Long story short, the certified Sony repair center that I had to take it to for warranty told me that Sony has significantly gone downhill with their televisions. He strongly suggested Samsung, then Lg followed by Sony for reliability.
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