I'm gonna need a bigger TV...

[catdude]

Hi Bogleheads -

I've decided I need a bigger TV; my current one is 50", I want to get a 65" model. I don't watch a great deal of TV... mostly sports, via an OTA antenna, or Roku/YouTubeTV...

My budget is roughly $550 - $600. I've got my eye on this one from Best Buy --

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-65-clas ... Id=6290164

Is this is a good buy? Or would it be worth it to spend a bit more $$$ to get a significantly better TV? What do you guys think?

[mhalley]

Sports is the one reason you might want to get a more expensive tv. The refresh rate is key for catching the action. Not sure if the one you picked is on this list.
Check out these models
https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/best/by-usage/sports

[02nz]

LG makes great OLED TVs (well actually they're the only ones, even the Sony OLEDs have panels from LG). Regular LCDs, not so much. Check rtings.com and CNET for recommendations. TCL is a great choice in this price range, comes with Roku built-in.

[BanquetBeer]

My last TV was 10 years ago and I don’t plan to upgrade for another 5 (required new computer, receiver, cables, etc for 4K)

If I was buying today I would opt for a 75” because 1) the cost delta over ~10-13 years is minimal 2) the cost delta (absolute) is not material and 3) the space we have the TV is a large room where 100” wouldn’t be oversized (large living room with open kitchen, couch is 15’ from tv but could go back more.

Depends what you want - do you want something more disposable (plan on moving?) do you like watching TV, how does this impact your budget? Etc.

I’d probably buy from Costco for return policy/warranty.

Would never get a “smart” tv - just connect to a computer as I think the limited systems are worthless.

[jello_nailer]

Sports is the one reason you might want to get a more expensive tv. The refresh rate is key for catching the action. Not sure if the one you picked is on this list.
Check out these models
https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/best/by-usage/sports

High refresh rate and almost more important - Calibrate your new TV after burn in. I spent 2 weeks calibrating my 65" Samsung 6 years ago. What a difference after calibration! Everybody that see mine asks what the heck is it. It' only a 120hz LED HD. I think I read about calibration in Wired or something like that and I'm a believer. Good luck.

[rich126]

My last TV was 10 years ago and I don’t plan to upgrade for another 5 (required new computer, receiver, cables, etc for 4K)

If I was buying today I would opt for a 75” because 1) the cost delta over ~10-13 years is minimal 2) the cost delta (absolute) is not material and 3) the space we have the TV is a large room where 100” wouldn’t be oversized (large living room with open kitchen, couch is 15’ from tv but could go back more.

Depends what you want - do you want something more disposable (plan on moving?) do you like watching TV, how does this impact your budget? Etc.

I’d probably buy from Costco for return policy/warranty.

Would never get a “smart” tv - just connect to a computer as I think the limited systems are worthless.

I'm curious. How far away do you sit from a 75" tv? My tv location is on the short side of a rectangle so I couldn't imagine a 75" or maybe even a 60" tv when I'm only about 7 feet away from it.

[mhalley]

Supposedly the ideal viewing distance for a 75” 4K tv is 6.5 to 9.5 ft . 60” it’s 5 to 7.5 ft.
https://www.avu.ca/video/perfecting-pro ... -distance/

[Watty]

It would take a hard look at buying one from Costco because when you buy it from them you get a 2 year warranty and if you buy it with a Costco Credit card you get an additional 2 years for a total of four years.

If you do not already have one then I would also budget for a soundbar or speakers for the TV. The speakers that come with TV are pretty worthless.

...via an OTA antenna....

Be sure that the TV you are looking at actually has an OTA tuner. Some of them don't and may be called something like a Video Monitor but it might not be obvious that it does not have a TV tuner.

want to get a 65" model.

I don't have a link handy but there are websites that will explain what the best size TV is for the viewing distance. It is possible to get a TV that is too large for your viewing distance so don't assume that bigger is always better.

[RobLyons]

I would say that's a good deal. And Costco has one of the best return policies.

Crazy how prices have dropped every year. I always bought at the $800-$1200 price point at 42-55" for best/optimal price

I would go bigger if you have the room (on the wall plus sitting at least 7-8 feet away)

[GuyInFL]

Supposedly the ideal viewing distance for a 75” 4K tv is 6.5 to 9.5 ft . 60” it’s 5 to 7.5 ft.
https://www.avu.ca/video/perfecting-pro ... -distance/

My 75" 4K looks good at about 10 feet. Signal quality varies on different channels.

[midareff]

Hi Bogleheads -

I've decided I need a bigger TV; my current one is 50", I want to get a 65" model. I don't watch a great deal of TV... mostly sports, via an OTA antenna, or Roku/YouTubeTV...

My budget is roughly $550 - $600. I've got my eye on this one from Best Buy --

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-65-clas ... Id=6290164

Is this is a good buy? Or would it be worth it to spend a bit more $$$ to get a significantly better TV? What do you guys think?

FWIW, I think the biggest TV you can fit in the spot is what you want. After that go for all the quality you can afford.

[sd323232]

Hi Bogleheads -

I've decided I need a bigger TV; my current one is 50", I want to get a 65" model. I don't watch a great deal of TV... mostly sports, via an OTA antenna, or Roku/YouTubeTV...

My budget is roughly $550 - $600. I've got my eye on this one from Best Buy --

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-65-clas ... Id=6290164

Is this is a good buy? Or would it be worth it to spend a bit more $$$ to get a significantly better TV? What do you guys think?

Can you wait and buy TV on black Friday for 50% off? Or you need TV asap? Black Friday you can get really good TV at nice discount.

[catdude]

If I was buying today I would opt for a 75” because 1) the cost delta over ~10-13 years is minimal 2) the cost delta (absolute) is not material and 3) the space we have the TV is a large room where 100” wouldn’t be oversized (large living room with open kitchen, couch is 15’ from tv but could go back more.

Depends what you want - do you want something more disposable (plan on moving?) do you like watching TV, how does this impact your budget? Etc.

I just moved, and you're describing precisely my new living room. Looks like I need get at least a 75-inch TV.

[GatorFL]

Not to introduce scope creep, but the sound on most new 4K TVs is terrible. Additionally, the latest sound bars can use an HDMI out directly into the "ARC" HDMI input on the TV. This is important because it lets you completely integrate the sound bar volume controls into the single cable/TV remote that you use. My advice would be to get a decent sound bar with HDMI out capability, and for the TV you select to have the dedicated HDMI ARC input.

I have the Yamaha YAS-108 sound bar and I use a single remote to turn on/off the TV as well as adjusting the volume. I have it connected via a single HDMI cable to my 70" 4K TV. It improves the TX experience greatly for me as the TV speakers were difficult for me to make out dialog.

Gator

[LilyFleur]

I love my 65" TCL from Costco. Also bought the wall mount from Costco--it's so great to be able to pull it out from the wall and tilt it so I can watch easily from the sofa. And also bought the Bose soundbar from Costco.
I don't watch sports, though.

[123]

I'd say go for it. You're lucky to be able to use an OTA antenna, it's like the digital bits are coming into your TV through a fire hose. Those of us that are limited to subscription options (cable/satellite/streaming) envy you. There aren't any additional data compressors/de-compressors between the transmitter and your antenna causing delays and other issues that sometimes plague subscription services. Congratulations on being able to watch TV the way it was meant to be seen, for free (without a charge for reception).

[Bacchus01]

For your needs I’d get a decent 65”. Usually a 75” in the same class is nearly 2X a decent 65”. The sweet spot on pricing right now is definitely 65”.

I’d get a Samsung. I’ve had great success with them. I have 4 in my house. OLED Fromm LG/Sony is most definitely a better picture, but not worth the price upcharge in my opinion.

And buy from Costco.

[pennywise]

I've got a 65" LG smart tv, and it's a very nice set. With the caveat I'm not tv geek, the picture is clear and crisp, and the only downside I've encountered is that after 2 years, the 'smart' portion is defunct as evidently there is a software glitch that results in the set no longer connecting to my wireless service. However a $40 Roku stick solved that problem so it's negligible in terms of affecting usage.

And yes it is amazing how the price curve hurtles downward; the link you provided for the same or very similar tv I bought a couple of years ago is 25% cheaper than what I paid-on a big sale deal!

[carolinaman]

Our main TV is a high end Sony we paid $2k for on sale last year. It is not working at moment and waiting on part for repair (TV repair guy said this was very unusual to have problem so soon). In interim I bought a Samsung 49" D60 at cost of $750. I am surprised but the picture quality is almost the same which may cause me to rethink buying high end TVs. Anyway, I think a $500 to $700 TV will probably be good enough for most of us. I agree with the need for a soundbar as even expensive TVs have poor sound quality. Check rtings.com and consumer reports for reviews but Samsung TVs are generally pretty good. I also agree with whoever said to skip the "smart tvs". We do not use their features and they tend to make use of TV more complicated.

[MotoTrojan]

I’ve been thrilled with my 55” Hisense. $550 got me a tv with specs comparable to a $1500-2000 LG. Pro model. They have a 65” too, only downside I believe is the sound system (mine is H & K).

[catdude]

For your needs I’d get a decent 65”. Usually a 75” in the same class is nearly 2X a decent 65”. The sweet spot on pricing right now is definitely 65”.

I’d get a Samsung. I’ve had great success with them. I have 4 in my house. OLED Fromm LG/Sony is most definitely a better picture, but not worth the price upcharge in my opinion.

And buy from Costco.

Does Costco deliver? I doubt that I have room in my vehicle for a 65" TV.

[lazydavid]

Does Costco deliver? I doubt that I have room in my vehicle for a 65" TV.

Costco does not deliver, but you can rent a truck from Home Depot/Lowes/Menards for less than twenty bucks.

[Bacchus01]

For your needs I’d get a decent 65”. Usually a 75” in the same class is nearly 2X a decent 65”. The sweet spot on pricing right now is definitely 65”.

I’d get a Samsung. I’ve had great success with them. I have 4 in my house. OLED Fromm LG/Sony is most definitely a better picture, but not worth the price upcharge in my opinion.

And buy from Costco.

Does Costco deliver? I doubt that I have room in my vehicle for a 65" TV.

I borrowed a friends minivan.

[Quickfoot]

Don't worry about an extended warranty on a TV, electronics that are going to fail typically fail within the first 90 days. The repair rate on electronics past a year is almost zero so 2 and 4 year warranties really don't matter.

You do not need a $2,500 tv to watch sports, any modern 4K TV from any major brand will have a perfectly fine refresh rate, there just isn't a huge difference on panels anymore. Samsung makes good panels, Best Buy's store brand TVs are also really good.

Samsung smart TV are exceptional, responsive with good features and the new ones have an Apple TV app.

[carolinaman]

Don't worry about an extended warranty on a TV, electronics that are going to fail typically fail within the first 90 days. The repair rate on electronics past a year is almost zero so 2 and 4 year warranties really don't matter.

You do not need a $2,500 tv to watch sports, any modern 4K TV from any major brand will have a perfectly fine refresh rate, there just isn't a huge difference on panels anymore. Samsung makes good panels, Best Buy's store brand TVs are also really good.

Samsung smart TV are exceptional, responsive with good features and the new ones have an Apple TV app.

I have always heard that modern TVs are highly reliable and problems in the first few years are rare. Our last 2 TVs were highly reliable with no problems in 14 and 11 years respectively. However, we bought a top rated Sony 930E 65 inch on sale for $2k in April 2018. The Tcon board which controls lighting of pixels failed 2 weeks ago after 16 months. BestBuy has part on order to be installed Thursday. All in repair cost is $300. I bought the TV at Best Buy. Sony provided a one year warranty and I used Citi Costco card which provides 2 additional years of warranty, so they will cover the cost. The Geek Squad said this was somewhat unusual but that it is not unheard of to have TVs fail early in their lives.

In diagnosing my TV problem, I read many sob stories from people whose TVs had major problems early in their life cycle.

This may cause me to rethink my TV buying strategy. I have always bought expensive and highly rated TVs expecting them to last a long time. I bought a mid range Samsung D60 (49 inch) for $750 since our TV was going to be out of service for several weeks. I am impressed with the picture quality of this TV. It appears one can get a pretty good TV that is almost as good as the top of the line for $500 to $1000. Why pay more? Also, if major problems occur, it is much less expensive to replace.

[stoptothink]

Don't worry about an extended warranty on a TV, electronics that are going to fail typically fail within the first 90 days. The repair rate on electronics past a year is almost zero so 2 and 4 year warranties really don't matter.

You do not need a $2,500 tv to watch sports, any modern 4K TV from any major brand will have a perfectly fine refresh rate, there just isn't a huge difference on panels anymore. Samsung makes good panels, Best Buy's store brand TVs are also really good.

Samsung smart TV are exceptional, responsive with good features and the new ones have an Apple TV app.

I have always heard that modern TVs are highly reliable and problems in the first few years are rare. Our last 2 TVs were highly reliable with no problems in 14 and 11 years respectively. However, we bought a top rated Sony 930E 65 inch on sale for $2k in April 2018. The Tcon board which controls lighting of pixels failed 2 weeks ago after 16 months. BestBuy has part on order to be installed Thursday. All in repair cost is $300. I bought the TV at Best Buy. Sony provided a one year warranty and I used Citi Costco card which provides 2 additional years of warranty, so they will cover the cost. The Geek Squad said this was somewhat unusual but that it is not unheard of to have TVs fail early in their lives.

In diagnosing my TV problem, I read many sob stories from people whose TVs had major problems early in their life cycle.

This may cause me to rethink my TV buying strategy. I have always bought expensive and highly rated TVs expecting them to last a long time. I bought a mid range Samsung D60 (49 inch) for $750 since our TV was going to be out of service for several weeks. I am impressed with the picture quality of this TV. It appears one can get a pretty good TV that is almost as good as the top of the line for $500 to $1000. Why pay more? Also, if major problems occur, it is much less expensive to replace.

New "budget" TVs are incredible. Our 55" TCL that was purchased for <$400 looks every bit as good as my parent's $2k Samsung. Unless you are going to shell out for OLED, I really don't see the point in spending more than you have to on a TV.

[mmmodem]

New "budget" TVs are incredible. Our 55" TCL that was purchased for <$400 looks every bit as good as my parent's $2k Samsung. Unless you are going to shell out for OLED, I really don't see the point in spending more than you have to on a TV.

Agree completely. Our near top of the line 55" 3D smart HDTV (remember 3D?) died recently. The smart functions had stopped working years ago one app after another as providers deemed it too old to access their networks. The screen looked great in a dark room but in the living room with sunlit windows, you could hardly tell it was anything specialne. Needless to say, I regretted that purchase.

We replaced with a cheapo Sceptre 65" for $380. It completely blows away that old TV in terms of contrast, color, and brightness. The only problem is the sound which is horrible so we bought a sound bar. No smart functions were included so we pair with a Fire TV.

Sure, at night with all glare sources removed, an expensive OLED TV will make the Sceptre look like junk. But in normal daytime use, I doubt anyone will notice the difference. I might splurge for a nice TV if I ever get my man cave constructed.

[finite_difference]

Hi Bogleheads -

I've decided I need a bigger TV; my current one is 50", I want to get a 65" model. I don't watch a great deal of TV... mostly sports, via an OTA antenna, or Roku/YouTubeTV...

My budget is roughly $550 - $600. I've got my eye on this one from Best Buy --

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-65-clas ... Id=6290164

Is this is a good buy? Or would it be worth it to spend a bit more $$$ to get a significantly better TV? What do you guys think?

I would prefer OLED over size.

[miles monroe]

i'd get the biggest samsung that's in your budget from costco.

and check costco online -- it's a lot easier to have it delivered than bringing it home yourself.

and if you want to splurge go for white glove delivery -- not only do they deliver but they set it up while they are there.

[dziuniek]

We bought a budget LG TV last year - the 70inch model for $700.

So far - so good, no issues.

Has the built in apps + app store.

[sport]

Does Costco deliver? I doubt that I have room in my vehicle for a 65" TV.

Costco does not deliver, but you can rent a truck from Home Depot/Lowes/Menards for less than twenty bucks.

You can get delivery from Costco.com https://www.costco.com/televisions.html

[lazydavid]

Does Costco deliver? I doubt that I have room in my vehicle for a 65" TV.

Costco does not deliver, but you can rent a truck from Home Depot/Lowes/Menards for less than twenty bucks.

You can get delivery from Costco.com https://www.costco.com/televisions.html

That's true, you can order from Costco.com and get it drop shipped to your house. You can not, however, get delivery from your local store, and the selection may be different. Costco.com and the B&M stores are actually separate businesses, though obviously they're linked.

[almostretired1965]

My experience is that failures happen early. They might be more reliable now, but my personal batting average on flat screens is 0.333.

My first big screen was a 50" Panasonic Plasma that we still have. It died about 6 month into the first year. No one makes Plasmas anymore, but back then, I preferred its picture quality to comparable LED/LCDs. Once it was repaired, it has been fine ever since. My second was a 65" Samsung Plasma that developed a permanent line on the left side of the screen about 3 month or so into it. I was too lazy to follow up with Samsung until a couple months before the orignal warranty expired. By then the model was no longer available and they offered to replace it with a newer model or a refund. I took the refund and spend about half the money for a 55" JVC LED which has been a champ except for the fact that I could not get the subtitle options to work for OTA. I could probably use a bigger one, but I'm still pretty happy with what I have and I'll just wait until one of them die to buy a new one. They seem to get bigger, better, and cheaper every year!

A

Don't worry about an extended warranty on a TV, electronics that are going to fail typically fail within the first 90 days. The repair rate on electronics past a year is almost zero so 2 and 4 year warranties really don't matter.

You do not need a $2,500 tv to watch sports, any modern 4K TV from any major brand will have a perfectly fine refresh rate, there just isn't a huge difference on panels anymore. Samsung makes good panels, Best Buy's store brand TVs are also really good.

Samsung smart TV are exceptional, responsive with good features and the new ones have an Apple TV app.

I have always heard that modern TVs are highly reliable and problems in the first few years are rare. Our last 2 TVs were highly reliable with no problems in 14 and 11 years respectively. However, we bought a top rated Sony 930E 65 inch on sale for $2k in April 2018. The Tcon board which controls lighting of pixels failed 2 weeks ago after 16 months. BestBuy has part on order to be installed Thursday. All in repair cost is $300. I bought the TV at Best Buy. Sony provided a one year warranty and I used Citi Costco card which provides 2 additional years of warranty, so they will cover the cost. The Geek Squad said this was somewhat unusual but that it is not unheard of to have TVs fail early in their lives.

In diagnosing my TV problem, I read many sob stories from people whose TVs had major problems early in their life cycle.

This may cause me to rethink my TV buying strategy. I have always bought expensive and highly rated TVs expecting them to last a long time. I bought a mid range Samsung D60 (49 inch) for $750 since our TV was going to be out of service for several weeks. I am impressed with the picture quality of this TV. It appears one can get a pretty good TV that is almost as good as the top of the line for $500 to $1000. Why pay more? Also, if major problems occur, it is much less expensive to replace.

[randomguy]

My experience is that failures happen early. They might be more reliable now, but my personal batting average on flat screens is 0.333.

My first big screen was a 50" Panasonic Plasma that we still have. It died about 6 month into the first year. No one makes Plasmas anymore, but back then, I preferred its picture quality to comparable LED/LCDs. Once it was repaired, it has been fine ever since. My second was a 65" Samsung Plasma that developed a permanent line on the left side of the screen about 3 month or so into it. I was too lazy to follow up with Samsung until a couple months before the orignal warranty expired. By then the model was no longer available and they offered to replace it with a newer model or a refund. I took the refund and spend about half the money for a 55" JVC LED which has been a champ except for the fact that I could not get the subtitle options to work for OTA. I could probably use a bigger one, but I'm still pretty happy with what I have and I'll just wait until one of th

You could also say your average on LCDs is 1.00. Plasma reliability or lack of it really doesn't apply to LED given they have no tech in common.

[catdude]

Can you wait and buy TV on black Friday for 50% off? Or you need TV asap? Black Friday you can get really good TV at nice discount.

That's a good idea, thanks. I just may do that....

[augryphon]

I love my 65" TCL from Costco. Also bought the wall mount from Costco--it's so great to be able to pull it out from the wall and tilt it so I can watch easily from the sofa. And also bought the Bose soundbar from Costco.
I don't watch sports, though.

We have 2 TCL TVs and stream and we couldn’t be happier. We bought from Amazon.

[audioaxes]

id lurk on slickdeals for a great deal to come up. And then black friday is not too far away. I wouldnt be surprised to see a 65" go on sale for $350ish before the end of the year.