What brand new Smart TV would you buy today?

Discussion in 'Computers & Tech' started by Pollycy, Mar 26, 2020.

  1. Pollycy

    Pollycy Well-Known Member

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    Uncle Sugar is gonna send us all $1,200 pretty soon, and I'm going to blow it on a new smart TV, since it's pointless to add it to a savings account which doesn't get paid sh!t in interest rates.

    I've gotten very interested in the relatively newer OLED (organic light-emitting diode screen) TV's, but, some of the more advanced LED screens are quite good also (those that have IPS especially), and these cost much less than the OLED's.

    Question: please, which smart TV would you buy today (modest 55-inch)?

    My front-running choice for an OLED TV is the LG Model OLED55C9AUA. (~$1,500, plus sales tax).
    My front-running choice for an advanced LED TV is the LG Model 55SM9000PUA (~$900, plus sales tax).

    I'm abandoning Samsung now, which is the brand set I currently have. Several backlights in the screen crapped-out, and 'Sammy' TV's don't have the great ratings that they used to have anymore.

    Thank you!
     
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  2. Mushroom

    Mushroom Well-Known Member

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    I have a 55" TCL that I bought 3 years ago, and am very happy with it. And my son just bought a similar 55".

    Today, I see no reason to ever pay more than $500 unless you are trying to impress others. The technology is not designed for long term use, and they are not worth fixing. Today, a TV is a disposable item, like a microwave or computer. When it dies after 3-5 years, just throw it away and buy a new one.

    And yes, out last major TV was expensive. A huge 52" plasma, cost an arm and a leg. And the $300 TCL we got a few years later (when the plasma bit the dust) had a better picture, and was a fraction of the price.

    Backlights, dead pixels, they just do not have the lifespan of the older tube TVs. I advise get the best you can for the $500 range, and save the money expecting to replace it in 5 years or so. No electronics made today are "built to last". They are almost all disposable units, and priced that way.
     
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  3. Pollycy

    Pollycy Well-Known Member

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    Thank you very much for you considerate, thoughtful recommendation, @Mushroom . I loved my old Panasonic 50" plasma, and thought it had a better picture overall than this Samsung I'm having backlight problems with now. It would probably be stupid to get an OLED set at this point, because even though the government would really be buying me a new TV, I could be just as happy with a decent LG. Still, they do sell TCL's at Costco, and they are a very big seller overseas, and have been gaining a lot of recognition for several years. The prices are very low compared to the "high-priced spread".

    I really only started to get picky-picky about the TV after I had cataract surgery and can really, REALLY see well now....

    Thanks again!
     
  4. gorfias

    gorfias Well-Known Member

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    Somewhere between OLED and LED is QLED. 55" QLED would fit in your price range. Stuff to consider:



    If anything, I almost wish some of my LED TVs would die so I can buy some new toys! I've still got a functioning Phillips 32" 720P that just will not die! (I think I got it around 2005-8 and cost $850 back then!). Great sound, OK picture for a 32". And I have a new space for it much to my wife's chagrin!
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2020
  5. Pollycy

    Pollycy Well-Known Member

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    I thank you very much for your thoughtful reply and recommendation, but I'm kind of 'done' with Samsung backlit-TV's. And, the Samsung QLED TV's do have backlights.... I've got a Sammy now but crapped-out backlights, and I think I'll probably opt for either a true OLED TV, or, more likely now, an LG Nano-Cell TV with the Series 9 processor (superb reviews).

    A 55" model runs about $900 at Best Buy. Sadly, they don't carry the 55" model at Costco -- only 65-inchers and larger. My living room isn't big enough for that, and I'm not about to start hanging one of these things on the wall!

    Thanks again for your response! I do appreciate it! And, you know... at the rate things are going, prices on the OLED TV's might drop considerably in just a couple of months... I'm not in a giant hurry. The prices of a LOT of other things might drop considerably, too.... CASH IS KING, and debtors are slaves! 8)
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2020
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  6. waltky

    waltky Well-Known Member

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    Granny gonna get one dat'll...

    ... put the phone on hold...

    ... when ya watchin' TV!
     
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  7. gorfias

    gorfias Well-Known Member

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    I'd not heard of the LG Nano-Cell. Will review. And yes, you can get same size TV with same sounding specs but things like Series 9 processor? From what I've seen, they keep making huge advances that make the new TVs a luxury (oddly, access to newer smart apps, faster turn on and switching inputs, etc.).EDIT: PS, be careful out there on one thing: we really may see huge limits in how we deal with China after this virus. This may impact the cost of electronic goods. I keep looking at PC parts like it is the stock market. I don't wanna upgrade for 3 years. Hope I don't regret waiting. EDIT2: Just watched: If you are a gamer, Nano may be better for you than OLED. Less latency per frame. So Linus Tech Tips tells me.
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2020
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  8. Pollycy

    Pollycy Well-Known Member

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    I'm still a gamer, and I build my own rigs. It's weird to watch the prices of some video cards and SSD hard drives fall one month, and then shoot up again later. Same with memory modules. But I do all my gaming on the PC, and never the TV.

    My rig is over four years old now, with an old i7 proc and only 16GB of RAM, along with an nVidia 970 card -- and yet, I can play the new "Metro - Exodus" game just fine, without overclocking anything. Just turn up the fan speed on the video card to keep it cool, that's all.... I need a newer, larger SSD, though. That is probably what I'll get next, even though for the first time in over 15 years I'm now considering a new build featuring AMD components!
     
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  9. gorfias

    gorfias Well-Known Member

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    LOL, we are simpatico. Rzyen 1700 RX 480 8 Gig DDR 5, 16G DDR4 256 SSD. So much must go on C:\ I do think of getting a 1 TB for about $100 but, I'm OK so far. Again, I hope I don't end up needing that card and seeing the price double over the next 3 months. Plays Just Cause 4 just fine so I'm hoping it will live for another 3 years. My goal is that I can R&R this thing with a PC about 4 times more powerful than this rig for about what I paid for it. And I build them to! Rather than worry your pre-built has some vital but cheap parts that will bring the whole thing down. That and it is fun. upload_2020-4-1_11-20-41.jpeg
    39" Vizio Smart LED 60 hz. I'm told it is all about the refresh and need a 144hz. Not sure I can do that with an RX 480. I turn up the fan to about 50% too.
     
    Last edited: Apr 1, 2020
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  10. Pollycy

    Pollycy Well-Known Member

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    After thinking about it, and reading about it, I've decided to put off buying a new TV until about the middle of June. Why? Because the price of new TV's and a lot of other things is expected to drop A LOT as we approach the end of Q2. Sales are horrible, and very deep discounts are coming.

    Why pay $1,500 for an OLED TV right now that may cost approximately half that in the middle of June? Who says 'deflation' is a BAD thing? Not me, that's for sure!
     
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  11. Durandal

    Durandal Well-Known Member Donor

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    I will only buy dumb TVs, because I don't want my TV spying on me or being vulnerable to hackers. I hook a Linux PC to my TV to do the "smart" stuff better than any smart TV ever could, anyway.
     
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  12. Kranes56

    Kranes56 Banned

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    Not following because I know anything about smart TVs, but because I might want to get one for my living room/dining room.
     
  13. Right is the way

    Right is the way Well-Known Member

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    I have the LG you are looking at and like it alot.
     
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  14. Zorro

    Zorro Well-Known Member

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    I thought you might find this interesting.

    https://www.thestreet.com/mishtalk/...-how-damaging-are-they-996XyLO_3kCighDjkz7O_w

    His view is that deflation in goods and services are to be welcomed and that it's asset deflation that results in all the harm. Asset bubbles blown large by easy credit that cause great destruction when they burst.

     
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  15. Texan

    Texan Well-Known Member

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    I have Spectrum cable TV. I discovered that a ROKU TV will operate remotely on wifi without a box using the Spectrum app.
     
  16. James California

    James California Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    ~ For some reason I have good luck with LG brand. As far as features I would eyeball the picture contrast in the store and pick the one with best resolution.
    From what I read outdoor antennas are the way to go. That's what I would do.
    No cable please ... :pc:
     
  17. Pollycy

    Pollycy Well-Known Member

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    The whole idea of 'deflation' scares the living hell out of our wonderous central bank, 'the Fed', because deflation is a direct threat to their whole 'fraud-balloon' methodology for keeping the stock market healthy!

    Example... The Fed has loved the whole concept of a $40,000 house becoming a $90,000 house, going on to become a $150,000 house, and beyond! In Southern California, a lot of those 'bungalows' that were built after WWII for ten thousand bucks now sell for over a million -- especially if they're within ten miles of the ocean. Inflation, inflation, inflation! And the Fed has been happy to alter an economy to the breaking point with disastrously-easy credit, in order to allow people to buy houses that were WAY over their ability to pay for them -- in order to keep the 'fraud-balloon' economy afloat. Housing, cars, and even small-ticket purchases like TV's are all part of what in needed to keep more and more money moving, and more credit and indebtedness increasing, along with inflation!

    Now it's all going to go to sh!t... wait and see. It's even going to affect that most precious-of-all-things -- THE SMARTPHONE! Anybody needing or wanting a new phone should wait until about the middle of June to buy one of those things, too...
    Link: https://www.news18.com/news/tech/co...-13-in-q1-2020-samsung-worst-hit-2600771.html

    Who knows? Maybe, in time, that million-dollar-plus bungalow in Cali might cost half as much -- once the market adjusts for REAL VALUE, instead of 'blue sky'.... And then what's the Fed going to do...? They've already flooded the world with imaginary money and cut interest rates to zero.... Maybe this 'one-trick-pony' central bank better learn a new trick.
     
  18. Hoosier8

    Hoosier8 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I get whatever the cheapest with good rating ROKU TV. Bought one for my sister. Love it.
     
  19. Zorro

    Zorro Well-Known Member

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    Yup, what we want is innovation increasing productivity and wages and falling prices thanks to the innovations that increased supply.
     
  20. Zorro

    Zorro Well-Known Member

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    Mish Talk:

    The absurd underlying notion behind the battle cry for inflation is that if prices fall people will stop buying things and the economy will collapse.

    Reality Check Questions

    1. If price of food drops will people stop eating?
    2. If the price of gasoline drops will people stop driving?
    3. If price of airline tickets drop will people stop flying?
    4. If the handle on your frying pan falls off or your blow-dryer breaks, will you delay making another purchase because you can get it cheaper next month?
    5. If computers, printers, TVs, and other electronic devices will be cheaper next year, then cheaper again the following year, will people delay purchasing electronic devices as long as prices decline?
    6. If your coat is worn out, are you inclined to wait another year if there are discounts now, but you expect even bigger discounts a year from now?
    7. Will people delay medical procedures in expectation of falling prices?
    8. If deflation theory is accurate, why are there huge lines at stores when prices drop the most?
    Bonus Question

    If falling prices stop people from buying things, how are any computers, flat screen TVs, monitors, etc., ever sold, in light of the fact that quality improves and prices decline every year?

    https://archive.mishtalk.com/2014/1...g-prices-provide-an-overall-economic-benefit/
     
  21. Pollycy

    Pollycy Well-Known Member

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    You make accurate observations -- about relatively small-ticket items! But if the likelihood of large price decreases appear likely in the next 2 - 6 months? A lot of people will wait, especially when a lot of those people are now unemployed or way underemployed!

    I've used the examples of TV's and smartphones, and the same can probably be said for cars, computers, and a lot of other things, too. If there's going to be "fire sales" on a lot of merchandise that just ain't moving, it sure might be worth waiting for a couple of months, or more... especially for a significant portion of the population that's struggling to pay the rent, the mortgage, or all that crap they bought for Christmas....
     
  22. Zorro

    Zorro Well-Known Member

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    There is a competing line of thought, @bringiton for example, is quite dogmatic about it, that if someone makes the perfectly rational decision to hold their money (which is essentially to put it in savings in expectation for a return, in this example, the price reduction) that something dreadful has occurred an occurrence that all policy must be focused on preventing. It's a strange outlook that results in multiple economic distortions including:
    1. Forced redistribution from savers to spenders because spending is "beneficial" while saving is "harmful".
    2. With no savings, every economic downturn requires a government/Fed bailout.
    3. These bailouts always filter through larger entities to the disadvantage of small businesses and sole proprietors.
      1. I don't think that power concentration is good for our Freedom and Liberty.
    We have the basic human right to exchange our labor for goods and services, or, TO REFRAIN FROM DOING SO.

    These folks have a Big Big problem with our ability to make choices they disagree with. And these dumb sob's have blown up three asset bubbles in just over 20 years, and it's these bubbles popping that do cause the tremendously destructive debt deflation when the asset values of the assets securing all these loans goes to crap.

    Declining prices in good and services are not a problem.
    Asset deflation is very destructive, but it's these fed/fiscal policies that keep blowing all the air into the asset values in the first place.

    At this point though, I think they are riding the tiger and can't figure out a way to safely get off. We just had the worst quarter since the GFC and the current quarter GDP has a mid-line forecast of an annualized NEGATIVE 28%!

    [​IMG]
    and the S&P is just 16% off it's all time high.

    I hope they pull it off, but it's far more breathtaking than I'm comfortable with.
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2020
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  23. bringiton

    bringiton Well-Known Member

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    No, I didn't say all policy, just monetary policy. And something if not "dreadful" then at least undesirable has occurred when people save in expectation of lower prices: production has been foregone, and the saver has obtained increased purchasing power in return for no contribution to production. When people make "perfectly rational" decisions that harm the economy, that shows there is a perverse incentive at work.
    Deflation is forced redistribution from debtors to creditors and savers. Inflation is forced redistribution from creditors and savers to debtors. Both are economic distortions; but inflation is less harmful, as already explained: it stimulates economic activity as people have an incentive to spend their money now rather than later.
    No, rational monetary policy would simply tend to be counter-cyclical.
    That's under the current system, not a rational monetary system.
    Deflation gives power to savers and creditors, who tend to be fewer than spenders. Everyone is a consumer, after all.
    No one questions your right to save money. The question is whether it should be encouraged by the monetary system.
    No, that's just some silly garbage you have made up. The problem is that deflation encourages people to make choices that harm society.
    No, I oppose the debt money system that makes the bubbles inevitable.
    That's the debt money system for you...
    They are, as already explained: they discourage production.
    No, asset deflation is beneficial because it increases market liquidity and improves allocation: if people see their asset value declining, they will try to either put the asset to more productive use, or sell it to someone who will. Asset inflation has the opposite effect: why take the risk of productive use when asset inflation is shoveling money into your pocket for doing nothing?.
    It is the debt money system that makes the asset bubbles and crashes inevitable.
     
  24. Pollycy

    Pollycy Well-Known Member

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    You are a WEALTH of information, Zorro, and I really learn a lot from your posts!

    Me? I've decided that I'm not buying anything but just the usual day-in, day-out stuff until the prices of the 'good stuff' start nosediving! Then, when the half-witted crowd that esteems itself on how much money it can borrow are relegated to 'soup kitchens', it will be proven once again that "CASH IS KING!"

    [​IMG] Save money for a 'rainy day' and you won't have to crap your pants when clouds gather overhead....
     
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  25. gorfias

    gorfias Well-Known Member

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    Did you get that new TV? Black Friday and Cyber Monday have passed. I think there will be more sales after Xmas.
     

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