TV recommendations?

[bonglehead]

Folks- my 2 plasma TVs are 12 years old and I am planning to replace them, however the choices seem to be daunting (LED,LCD, OLED, QLED etc) and I am woefully un-informed about the new tech in TVs.
I am dreading having to do all the research so I am leaning on the collective wisdom of the Bogleheads for some recommendations.
I am looking for 65” TVs that will be used for regular TV watching, mostly news, some sports and of course some streaming (maybe1 hr/day on average on each screen).
I hope the new TVs will last 10-12 years.
I am also thinking of buying a sound bar system and ditching my old home theater and get rid of all the wires.
Any recommendations on what and where to buy? Total budget about $3,500 max (but lower will be nice!) for the 2 TVs and sound bar.

Thanks

[gtd98765]

Here is a wirecutter article: https://thewirecutter.com/lists/recommended-tvs/

That and consumer reports are fine places to research.

But I would not sweat the research much. These days, every TV's picture is probably good enough. Most of the extras are gimmicks most people don't need. I would focus on a major brand with a decent repair record (see consumer reports for that). If you have a Roku or Apple TV you probably don't need a "smart TV," which might save you some money.

[Trader Joe]

Folks- my 2 plasma TVs are 12 years old and I am planning to replace them, however the choices seem to be daunting (LED,LCD, OLED, QLED etc) and I am woefully un-informed about the new tech in TVs.
I am dreading having to do all the research so I am leaning on the collective wisdom of the Bogleheads for some recommendations.
I am looking for 65” TVs that will be used for regular TV watching, mostly news, some sports and of course some streaming (maybe1 hr/day on average on each screen).
I hope the new TVs will last 10-12 years.
I am also thinking of buying a sound bar system and ditching my old home theater and get rid of all the wires.
Any recommendations on what and where to buy? Total budget about $3,500 max (but lower will be nice!) for the 2 TVs and sound bar.

Thanks

Yes, Best Buy. Select the cheapest version of the size that you are looking for. TV's today are disposable.

[apex84]

For just about the best picture quality available, look at the LG C9 sets which you can buy at Costco. To make the most of a 4K TV, you need 4K content. We stream a lot from Disney & Netflix.

https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/lg-c9-oled

https://www.cnet.com/reviews/lg-oled65c9pua-review/

[adamthesmythe]

These days you will have a hard time spending that much on two 55" TVs unless you want to go to the top of the line.

Go to the store and see if you can tell the difference between the bottom and the top of the line. If you can then it might be worth doing some research. Otherwise just buy the cheap one.

[bubbadog]

LG and Sony OLED TVs are the current best TVs money can buy.

I have the LG OLED and I love it.

If you liked the picture quality of your plasmas, you'll love OLED.

[Nekrotok]

$3500 is more than enough for one oled, but not enough for two. So to stay in your budget, get something like this:
https://slickdeals.net/f/13889144-65-lg ... =frontpage

Don't get a sound bar! Just downsize your home theater to a 2 speaker stereo setup, so the only wiring is behind the TV and shouldn't be bothering anyone. Here's some speakers you could connect to your current receiver:
https://slickdeals.net/f/13873289-klips ... rchV2Algo1

Or if you need a new receiver too:
https://slickdeals.net/f/13884809-klips ... rchV2Algo1

[fogalog]

Since you bought plasma 12 years ago, I'm going to go out on a limb and infer that the picture quality matters to you.

The TL;DR is therefore:

• +1 on wirecutter (for almost every electronics purchase these days - it's just really good)

• +1 on the LG OLED.

I bought a 65" C8 (last years version of what is recommended above, as recommended by wirecutter) and I couldn't be happier with it. The picture is truly stunning and there is zero "lag" with fast moving sports, movies, etc.

Good luck!

[Watty]

Any recommendations on what and where to buy?

If you buy one at Costco with a Costco credit card you get a four year warranty so that is my go to place for things like TVs.

[sfinvestornoob]

I too am a huge fan of the LG OLEDs, but if you’re mostly watching the news and sports, buy a cheaper TV.

[GeoffD]

I too am a huge fan of the LG OLEDs, but if you’re mostly watching the news and sports, buy a cheaper TV.

I disagree on sports. I want the best picture quality possible.

I still haven’t given up my two 50” plasma panels. I’m starting to get power supply buzz out of one of them. It looks like you can buy a 65” LG C9 OLED panel for $1,500 on Amazon.

[lazydavid]

I still haven’t given up my two 50” plasma panels. I’m starting to get power supply buzz out of one of them. It looks like you can buy a 65” LG C9 OLED panel for $1,500 on Amazon.

Agreed. My 51" Samsung plasma (the last model they ever made) is starting to have increased image retention issues. But I'm not giving it up until that becomes unbearable or the set completely dies. Then it will be replaced with a OLED.

[anonsdca]

Any recommendations on what and where to buy?

If you buy one at Costco with a Costco credit card you get a four year warranty so that is my go to place for things like TVs.

I got my soundbar at Costco and am very satisfied. HDMI, and sounds great. You will not regret the soundbar. I dont think I spent more than $200 for mine but it was a few years ago now and I really cant recall.

[dukeblue219]

Yes, Best Buy. Select the cheapest version of the size that you are looking for. TV's today are disposable.

I could not disagree more. Avoid the off-brand $299 65" TVs. They have terrible interfaces, poor displays, and low reliability. Those TVs truly are disposable but who wants to deal with that hassle? Get a good one and it'll be fine for another 12 years. It's not like picture quality is going to get any better for the average viewer from this point forward, so there's no reason to want to replace TVs regularly.

Get something that's at least $500 and preferably closer to $800, made by LG or Samsung (or Vizio) and you will be satisfied. Get the LG or Sony OLED if you want to be blown away.

Spend a little time getting to know your TV too. Google about your model in case there are quirks. You may want to disable some of the fake motion smoothing that gives you that Soap Opera effect. Also, since most TV content is 1080i or 720p (rarely even 1080p) it will all be up scaled to fit your new 4k TV. It won't look much better and certain things may look worse. If it looks substantially worse, your settings may not be configured right.

[WestUniversity]

Folks- my 2 plasma TVs are 12 years old and I am planning to replace them, however the choices seem to be daunting (LED,LCD, OLED, QLED etc) and I am woefully un-informed about the new tech in TVs.
I am dreading having to do all the research so I am leaning on the collective wisdom of the Bogleheads for some recommendations.
I am looking for 65” TVs that will be used for regular TV watching, mostly news, some sports and of course some streaming (maybe1 hr/day on average on each screen).
I hope the new TVs will last 10-12 years.
I am also thinking of buying a sound bar system and ditching my old home theater and get rid of all the wires.
Any recommendations on what and where to buy? Total budget about $3,500 max (but lower will be nice!) for the 2 TVs and sound bar.

Thanks

Another vote for Costco. Also stay away from the curved TV's. While they look cool, wherever you sit in front of the TV there will likely be glare on the screen from some window somewhere...

[tennisplyr]

Recently bought 2 Samsung TVs at Costco.

[Sandtrap]

Bee sure the TV has the ability to play a wide range, or recognize and play a wide range, of formats on a USB memory stick plugged into the back.
IE: AVI, MP4, MKV, etc, etc, (movie files)

j

[dollarbillz]

Consider what type/source of content you'll be feeding your new TVs. Content quality/compression will almost certainly be the limiting factor in terms of viewing experience. You'll realize best quality from UHD BluRay. Next would be streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon, and Disney+ that offer 4K, though bitrates will be significantly lower than UHD BluRay. Finally, if majority of viewing is cable TV or similar, feeds are usually highly compressed 720p or 1080p.

My thoughts:

Sony 950G is an all around great TV and provides best balance of quality, featureset, and price.

Step up: LG OLED C9 or Sony MASTER Series A9G, both incredible, but be mindful of ambient light (if you're putting them where 12 year old plasmas were, you'll be more than fine).

Budget friendly option, probably enough for general TV viewing: TCL 6 series.

[carolinaman]

I bought a 65 inch Samsung Q80 last November and really like it. I seriously considered OLED but get not past the risk of burnin. I have a friend who does TV repairs for a major electronics retailer and he said they see lots of burnin issues with OLED.

Since you already have plasma, that may not be as big a deal for you if you do not have burnin on those sets.

RTINGS.com is the best source for TV ratings, info and prices.

[bubbadog]

Any recommendations on what and where to buy?

Check out Greentoe.

I purchased my LG C8 77 inch OLED from them at a substantial discount from my local Best Buy.

[tm3]

I like the analysis at RTings. I bought a 75" Sony X900f, which I considered the best bang for the buck. Well, actually the TCL Series 6 is probably the best bang for the buck but I thought the Sony was worth a slight premium because I preferred the operating system and the reliability of Sony is better.

My research indicated that screen size is the single most important factor re how much one enjoys the final choice, ie a "lesser" 75" is going to provide a more enjoyable viewing experience than a "better" 65". Also, the picture source is going to be a determinant of how much difference in quality you may, or may not, be able to see. For example, a regular CATV source is going to look pretty similar comparing a same size OLED to an LCD. If you are always watching high quality sources, such as blue ray, it may be worth it to spring for the OLED over the LCD.

But, I'd always take a 75" LCD over a 65" OLED.

[JLJL]

The Americans
Broadchurch
Ozark
The West Wing
Sopranos

Not in that order

[cashboy]

Folks- my 2 plasma TVs are 12 years old and I am planning to replace them, however the choices seem to be daunting (LED,LCD, OLED, QLED etc) and I am woefully un-informed about the new tech in TVs.

i am in the same situation with my single main viewing plasma. i love my 65" panasonic plasma and wish they still made them.

after hours and hours of research i decided i am going to go OLED when i finally purchase (closest to plasma from what i read and seen in person). i will buy at costo or crutchfield when on sale.

if a person is coming from LED or LCD then any of the new models of tv 'type' will be fine. but if a person is coming from plasma then OLED is the way to go (in my opinion) because of its ability to produce deep blacks.

regarding 'burn in', when i was buying my plasma back in 2009 that was always raised as a reason to consider not buying a plasma. i calibrated the tv down from 'eye-burning store demo bright' to normal viewing and never had an issue. perhaps the OLED, if it is at risk for burin-in like plasma, will be the same.

good luck with your purchases. perhaps consider reporting back once you buy.

[dollarbillz]

Best price I’ve seen on Lg C9 ($1729; $468 discount is applied in cart). Doubt it will last long.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LG-OLED65C9PUA ... SwW4hckVeA

[tiburblium]

Just wanted to echo a few others here, the LG C9 OLED is fantastic, 4K HDR content looks phenomenal on it. I have the 65", It replaced an 11 year old Panasonic Plasma, I've been really happy with the upgrade. I don't watch TV/movies very often, but when I do I want the best experience possible. All the content I watch is through Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, and Disney+, most of which is 4k

[bonglehead]

Thanks all for your comments - it looks like the LG C9 OLED is the top choice here but it is little expensive so I am leaning towards buy one of the LG OLED and for the other one I may get the Samsung QLED (both from Costco). I will skip the soundbar for now.
Thank you.

[DrGoguma]

I prefer the LGs picture, but I bought a Samsung. There is alot of sun in that room and the anti-glare coating is way better on the Samsung.

[GeoffD]

I bought a 65 inch Samsung Q80 last November and really like it. I seriously considered OLED but get not past the risk of burnin. I have a friend who does TV repairs for a major electronics retailer and he said they see lots of burnin issues with OLED.

Since you already have plasma, that may not be as big a deal for you if you do not have burnin on those sets.

RTINGS.com is the best source for TV ratings, info and prices.

My plasma panels are 10 years old. I set the timer to turn them off after 3 hours. Problem solved. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy OLED over a burn-in issue. If you’re a 24x7 Fox News junkie, maybe not.

I’m still waiting for the price to drop more on 65” OLED. You can buy a leftover LG C8 for $1,850 on Amazon or an open box C9 for $1,700. I’ll stick with my plasmas until prices cross the $1,500 mark for a leftover.

[Stef]

Replaced my Panasonic plasma TV with a Sony XE9005 3 years ago and wasn't 100% happy. I guess the LG Oled C9 would be a decent upgrade?

Anything you should know before owning an Oled TV?

[pahkcah]

As tm3 suggested, check out the reviews at Rtings.com, especially the video reviews by Daniel. If you go to the following page and scroll down, you can find a chart that provides a comparison of the best TVs: https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/best/by-size/65-inch. The chart provides a list of the best TVs that can be purchased in 65" versions, and also lists the other sizes available in each model.

After viewing the Sony, Samsung, and LG sets, I thought the blacks were better on the OLED sets (Sony and LG), but the color contrast was higher on the Samsung QLEDs. To me, the QLEDs are better in rooms with a lot of light, and the OLEDs are better, picture-wise, in darker rooms.

We have two LG OLED TVs. Very happy with both.

pahkcah

[harrington]

LG and Sony OLED TVs are the current best TVs money can buy.

I have the LG OLED and I love it.

If you liked the picture quality of your plasmas, you'll love OLED.

Without a doubt the 65” LG OLED I just purchased is absolutely amazing. I was a little hesitant about spending $2,000 on a TV but I would do it in a second and probably will shortly for my basement

[gpburdell]

I bought a 65 inch Samsung Q80 last November and really like it. I seriously considered OLED but get not past the risk of burnin. I have a friend who does TV repairs for a major electronics retailer and he said they see lots of burnin issues with OLED.

Since you already have plasma, that may not be as big a deal for you if you do not have burnin on those sets.

RTINGS.com is the best source for TV ratings, info and prices.

I bought the same TV just before the Super Bowl and love it. I considered an OLED but the risk of burn-in give how I use it (games, many hours per day etc) and didn't want to risk it. Also, this tv is a black hole when it comes to light reflections.

People dismiss burn-in, but check the OLED subreddit for people with issues and who have had to get panels replaced. Fyi, LG offers a 1 time panel replacement because of it.

This tv should hold me over until MicoLED units are affoardable.

[fourwheelcycle]

.... my 2 plasma TVs are 12 years old and I am planning to replace them, however the choices seem to be daunting (LED,LCD, OLED, QLED etc) and I am woefully un-informed about the new tech in TVs.

Same boat as you except only one 12 year old 42" Pioneer plasma TV. Visiting adult children said we were way behind the times. Just bought a new 55" LG B9 OLED, delivered free by Amazon. Looks great after adjustments per rtings.com and a YouTube video I found. Turned down brightness to level that works fine in our relatively dark family room. Learned to adjust picture zoom and vertical up/down adjustment feature to move cable channel logos out of viewing area. Very happy with our new TV.

Briefly considered paying for three year extra warranty coverage to avoid risk of having to ship TV in for warranty work. Called LG - they said they would never require us to ship such a large TV for warranty repairs, they would send a technician to our house and ship us a new TV if necessary.

[TN_Boy]

Here is a wirecutter article: https://thewirecutter.com/lists/recommended-tvs/

That and consumer reports are fine places to research.

But I would not sweat the research much. These days, every TV's picture is probably good enough. Most of the extras are gimmicks most people don't need. I would focus on a major brand with a decent repair record (see consumer reports for that). If you have a Roku or Apple TV you probably don't need a "smart TV," which might save you some money.

I'm in the camp that "smart TVs" are a dumb idea. If you want "smart TV" functionality, you should buy something like a Roku or Apple TV. You can then upgrade that (rather cheap) piece of electronics on a different (usually faster) cycle than the TV.

OP, if you can get the picture quality and size you want without buying "smarts" I urge you to do so.

My smart TV was always telling me it needed to upgrade its software. I unplugged the ethernet cable so it would stop bothering me. (last time I bought,it was difficult to buy the size and quality I wanted without "smarts").

[misterjohnny]

LG and Sony OLED TVs are the current best TVs money can buy.

I have the LG OLED and I love it.

If you liked the picture quality of your plasmas, you'll love OLED.

+1 for LG OLED and for buying it at Costco.

[stoptothink]

Here is a wirecutter article: https://thewirecutter.com/lists/recommended-tvs/

That and consumer reports are fine places to research.

But I would not sweat the research much. These days, every TV's picture is probably good enough. Most of the extras are gimmicks most people don't need. I would focus on a major brand with a decent repair record (see consumer reports for that). If you have a Roku or Apple TV you probably don't need a "smart TV," which might save you some money.

I'm in the camp that "smart TVs" are a dumb idea. If you want "smart TV" functionality, you should buy something like a Roku or Apple TV. You can then upgrade that (rather cheap) piece of electronics on a different (usually faster) cycle than the TV.

OP, if you can get the picture quality and size you want without buying "smarts" I urge you to do so.

My smart TV was always telling me it needed to upgrade its software. I unplugged the ethernet cable so it would stop bothering me. (last time I bought,it was difficult to buy the size and quality I wanted without "smarts").

There are very few non-smart TVs available nowadays. I don't recall our TV ever upgrading software in 7yrs. TVs are a commodity nowadays; my brother has an LG OLED, I honestly can't tell any difference between it and our TCL Roku TV which costs 1/4 as much. Maybe if I viewed them side-by-side.

[alfaspider]

Here is a wirecutter article: https://thewirecutter.com/lists/recommended-tvs/

That and consumer reports are fine places to research.

But I would not sweat the research much. These days, every TV's picture is probably good enough. Most of the extras are gimmicks most people don't need. I would focus on a major brand with a decent repair record (see consumer reports for that). If you have a Roku or Apple TV you probably don't need a "smart TV," which might save you some money.

I'm in the camp that "smart TVs" are a dumb idea. If you want "smart TV" functionality, you should buy something like a Roku or Apple TV. You can then upgrade that (rather cheap) piece of electronics on a different (usually faster) cycle than the TV.

OP, if you can get the picture quality and size you want without buying "smarts" I urge you to do so.

My smart TV was always telling me it needed to upgrade its software. I unplugged the ethernet cable so it would stop bothering me. (last time I bought,it was difficult to buy the size and quality I wanted without "smarts").

I kind of felt like that at one point, but I have enjoyed the TCL Roku TV that I bought. I still have a Roku 4, but prefer the integrated Roku setup. You can control the TV through the same interface, and the single remote is nice. If it is ever painfully obsolete, I could always hook it up to a new device and stop using the onboard Roku feature.

[TN_Boy]

Here is a wirecutter article: https://thewirecutter.com/lists/recommended-tvs/

That and consumer reports are fine places to research.

But I would not sweat the research much. These days, every TV's picture is probably good enough. Most of the extras are gimmicks most people don't need. I would focus on a major brand with a decent repair record (see consumer reports for that). If you have a Roku or Apple TV you probably don't need a "smart TV," which might save you some money.

I'm in the camp that "smart TVs" are a dumb idea. If you want "smart TV" functionality, you should buy something like a Roku or Apple TV. You can then upgrade that (rather cheap) piece of electronics on a different (usually faster) cycle than the TV.

OP, if you can get the picture quality and size you want without buying "smarts" I urge you to do so.

My smart TV was always telling me it needed to upgrade its software. I unplugged the ethernet cable so it would stop bothering me. (last time I bought,it was difficult to buy the size and quality I wanted without "smarts").

I kind of felt like that at one point, but I have enjoyed the TCL Roku TV that I bought. I still have a Roku 4, but prefer the integrated Roku setup. You can control the TV through the same interface, and the single remote is nice. If it is ever painfully obsolete, I could always hook it up to a new device and stop using the onboard Roku feature.

That's a good point.

The overall good news, as I think stoptothink is pointing out, it that really good TVs are amazingly cheap and its hard to get this buying decision wrong.