TV Options

EndersShadow
EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
edited March 2016 in Electronics
Getting a TV for my office loft. Looking at a couple models and could use some advice.

Here is what I'm looking for:

40 - 48" TV
1080p min resolution, 4k nice not required
HDMI in
Component in
Digital Audio Out
Smart TV OR USB port for Roku Stick OR 3 or more HDMI for a Roku + other stuff
Decent brand

Prefer it to be something I can pickup at Bestbuy, Walmart, etc but am open to having it shipped as well.

Budget is 400 OR UNDER... Stress the OR UNDER.... this is for the kids room so it doesn't need to be super fancy but wont want a crappy Westinghouse that will go out in a year...

Right now I'm looking mainly at these two contenders but I'm open to other options:

350 - 43" Visio
Picture quality is supposed to be decent on it. Would need to buy a Roku 2 so I can use PLEX with it. Has 3 HDMI inputs but its smaller in size than the Insignia. I'd hope that a Sharp is better brand wise, but who knows nowadays...

319 - 48" Insignia

We have the 40" version of this one and its decent for our bedroom. Only has 2 HDMI (and a USB) so I'd be limited to what I can hook up to it without a AVR....
"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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Comments

  • JT01
    JT01 Posts: 11
    Samsung UN40J6200 is the smallest screen you'd accept, but it has all the features you are looking for.
    http://www.samsung.com/us/video/tvs/UN40J6200AFXZA
    http://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=N82E16889354955
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  • JT01
    JT01 Posts: 11
    And the price at Newegg just went up the following day... Was $383 with shipping. Happy Easter, I guess.
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    edited March 2016
    Ok.... I think I have everything covered. This is what I'm thinking I'm going to need to buy

    TV - Insignia 48"
    Netflix/Plex Streamer - Roku 2
    Stand - Insigna Stand
    Misc - 100 foot Cat 5e Cable - needed to hardwire everything to increase speed....
    Misc - Netgear 5 port switch - connect the HTPC/PC/Roku to the web

    All in cost is around 600 - 650. If I decide to drop down to the 43" model of this TV, my all in drops to ~460 due to the price difference in the TV, and the ability to get a cheaper stand, saving me about 175 bucks total... The 43" also has 3 HDMI + component v the 48" only having 2 HDMI + USB & Component

    Wife may actually want to spend MORE this time around so I may just let her provided it will all fit decent in our room.......

    We are planning to corner the TV so the width of the stand plus its depth could be a problem, so I will measure it later tonight...

    I may lean toward the 43 just to keep the cost a bit lower... this is for the kids lol... well and my vintage video gaming systems which will connect to a composite switch then to the TV
    Post edited by EndersShadow on
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • deronb1
    deronb1 Posts: 5,021
    I bought a Vizio. Very happy with it.
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  • cnh
    cnh Posts: 13,284
    The Vizios have a decent color engine with lots and lots of tweaking options-surprisingly so for a cheap set. Not sure about the Insignias?

    Have fun!
    Currently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!

    Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
    [sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash]
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  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,086
    Vizio over Insignia all day long.
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    edited March 2016
    xcapri79 wrote: »
    I've seen good prices at Sam's. Check out the TV's there.

    Thanks, just took a look... I think I've got it all hammered down now to this:

    TV: Insignia 43" - 246.1
    Streamer: Roku 2 - 69.55
    Stand: Whalen up to 47" stand- 111.28
    Cat 5e - 100 foot - 21
    Switch - Netgear 5 port x 2 - 64.2

    All in total best I can calculate with tax is: ~515 bucks which is NOT bad at all for what I'm getting.

    The TV has 3 HDMI inputs, USB, Component AND composite with digital audio output. Thats all I could ever need as I plan to connect the Roku for Netflix/Plex/Amazon and my computer to use as a physical computer. The 48" only has 2 HDMI's and requires a bigger more expensive rack and may overwhelm the room.

    The Roku 2 is being used as I dont think the wireless signal in the loft is enough to stream PLEX, so the Roku stick is out as well as the Roku TV"s since you cant hardwire those.

    The stand is about the cheapest stand you can find and its got a built in mount so you cant beat that. Each shelf can only handle 50 lbs so I will have to watch that potentially but I plan on eventually putting the APC & Cambridge Audio integrated on the bottom shelf. The middle shelf will house the HTPC & computer and the top shelf will house the Roku 2 by itself.

    The Cat 5e is the longest one I can find thats pre-terminated. The plan is to run it from the master into the master bath, up above the doorframe into the attic, across the house and then down into my loft closet on the inside and connect it to the switch to power everything.

    The Switch is a 5 port switch in both the loft and master. The 5 port in the master will allow me to hardwire my: Uverse, Roku, TV, ADT and of course the switch input. The Router's 4 ports will then be used for: ATT Wireless dongle, Loft, Output to Switch, and leaves the last port empty for when I hardwire my HT later this spring/summer.
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,086
    That is a bad @ss setup for kids, awesome dad. I remember we weren't allowed to have a TV in our room for the longest time then when we did it was a 19". We would get excited when we could play our games on the big 27" in the living room. :D
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    Nightfall wrote: »
    That is a bad @ss setup for kids, awesome dad. I remember we weren't allowed to have a TV in our room for the longest time then when we did it was a 19". We would get excited when we could play our games on the big 27" in the living room. :D

    Yeah it's also where I plan to banish the wives and kids come football season hehehe....

    Guys watch the game, wives gossip and watch lifetime upstairs heheheh...

    It also will be where I challenge them to Mario Cart, NBA JAM 95 and some other good oldies!

    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,086
    Love the SNES, so many good games.
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
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  • mrbiron
    mrbiron Posts: 5,711
    EndersShadow wrote: »
    It also will be where I challenge them to Mario Cart, NBA JAM 95 and some other good oldies!

    Poser!....Mario Kart
    Where’s the KABOOM?!?! There’s supposed to be an Earth shattering KABOOM!!!
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    mrbiron wrote: »
    EndersShadow wrote: »
    It also will be where I challenge them to Mario Cart, NBA JAM 95 and some other good oldies!

    Poser!....Mario Kart

    Good call lol... Damn phone autocorrect lol
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    edited April 2016
    Whelp I ordered and picked up everything.

    Already Bought:
    43" Insignia TV - Best Buy
    Roku 2 - Best Buy

    On Order:
    Whalen stand w Mount - Walmart
    Netgear Prosafe switch 5 & 8 port - newegg
    100 foot CAT 5e cable - mono price
    Velcro cable wraps 100 count, 6 & 9 inch - mono price

    I'm pretty happy with it. Already set up the TV and have it running Netflix wireless w no problems. PLEX is the reason I have to hardwire it. And that's fine by me anyway I prefer hardwired connections.

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    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    nbrowser wrote: »
    Dan, Insignia TVs aren't all that bad actually, I own two of them, one a 55 inch and the other a 40 inch, can't complain about either one for the prices and features. Both are 1080P and the bigger one is 120Hz and seems to work great...even when fed a video signal by a higher end BD player.

    For my needs in THAT location it will work fine. I also have a 39" Insignia in my bedroom that I don't mind....

    However when my Pioneer Plasma goes out I will cry and spend MONTHS looking for a replacement.

    I despise 120hz for gaming. But again for the kids to watch stuff it works fine.

    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 33,030
    Now that's a computer screen for the visually impaired. lol
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    edited April 2016
    Couple comments.

    1. Posted pics of the setup completed in this thread

    2. As a computer monitor it honestly kinda sucks. The text isnt super clear at all. I'm not sure if my Asus 5450 graphics card cant keep up (doubt its this given my old 24" LCD was also 1080p), or simply the cheapness of the panel showing when used as a computer screen.

    Sitting farther back helps a "little" but I'm still exploring using my 24" REAL monitor as a cloned display and putting it on a swivel mount to swing up infront of the couch so its easier to use.

    3. Overall NOT a bad TV, when used as a TV. Multiple HDMI ports, a USB port for your older Roku sticks, or to play pictures off a flash drive

    4. I have yet to use its Composite (Red Yellow White) inputs yet, but plan to challenge my wife to some rousing rounds of Mario Kart on my N64 tonight so we will see how that goes!
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • Jimbo18
    Jimbo18 Posts: 2,337
    nbrowser wrote: »

    Does it happen to have a VGA input? I know those are becoming rare these days but if it does, do try a VGA cable from the 5450 to the TV. I have noticed using HDMI produces a somewhat crappy picture and using a VGA cable provided you have the input, provides a nicer picture. Don't ask me why but it just does.

    Isn't VGA analog? So the TV would handle the digital conversion? If you use the HDMI cable, it's digital so the component you connect to the TV would handle the conversion. Is that right? Maybe the quality of the DAC is the difference.

    I have an older desktop with HDMI out and a fairly new monitor. I tried hooking it up with the HDMI and then the VGA and I also get a much better picture with the VGA. Maybe not better detail, but much better colors.
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    No VGA on this one.

    HDMI, USB, Component, Composite.

    I think it's absolutely the panel but I'm looking at a small upgrade to my graphics card to see if that helps.

    Nothing nuts but I'm due for an upgrade on it.
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    Im a ATI guy, not nvidia...

    Looking at the 6450 or something under 100
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • Polkie2009
    Polkie2009 Posts: 3,834
    Has anyone had any eyes on the new HDR TV's coming out? Hopefully , the price of them is coming down next year.
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  • cvc
    cvc Posts: 65
    No matter what you purchase be sure it's set up right.. Go here to know exactly how your settings should be.. Scroll down and choose your brand then choose your tv's model number.. All the adjustments will come up and your tv picture will be looking sweet..

    http://www.tweaktv.com/tweak-my-tv/
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    cvc wrote: »
    No matter what you purchase be sure it's set up right.. Go here to know exactly how your settings should be.. Scroll down and choose your brand then choose your tv's model number.. All the adjustments will come up and your tv picture will be looking sweet..

    http://www.tweaktv.com/tweak-my-tv/

    Yeah, not something I can use as they dont have but 4 model numbers for insignia.... lol..
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • Polkie2009
    Polkie2009 Posts: 3,834
    Anybody at all have any input on the new HDR tv's ?
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  • Jimbo18
    Jimbo18 Posts: 2,337
    edited April 2016
    Polkie2009 wrote: »
    Anybody at all have any input on the new HDR tv's ?

    Only what I have read so far. Sounds like the colors will blow you away. But there's even less content available than there is with 4K. I think the consensus so far is to wait till the price comes down and there's more access to content.
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 33,030
    Jimbo18 wrote: »
    Polkie2009 wrote: »
    Anybody at all have any input on the new HDR tv's ?

    Only what I have read so far. Sounds like the colors will blow you away. But there's even less content available than there is with 4K. I think the consensus so far is to wait till the price comes down and there's more access to content.

    Don't know if that's the general consensus, but I bought one for the improved quality of 1080.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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