Under 40" Television Recommendations?

[njpaddy]

The brown staining/brusing on my 37" Vizio screen has finally gotten too big and dark to ignore and I need a replacement. It needs to be 40" or under to fit the cabinet which SWMBO refuses to get rid of. I've been reading reviews on Amazon and my head is spinning. I always liked Panasonic, but I'm not sure about Plasma and also a bit put off about complaints of Panasonic's "7 flashes of death". Samsung gets decent reviews except for the chance you take getting a Samsung or Sharp panel in it. Not sure it matters if both are reliable. There also seem to be complaints of some Samsung sets cycling on and off.

So, anyone have a recommendation? LED vs LCD vs Plasma? Brand? Model? I don't need a lot of features. 2 HDMI and component port are sufficient for my purposes. I'm undecided on built-in Wi-Fi as I don't have streaming at this time.

 

[jkingrph]

I have 3 Sharp lcd models, largest is 46, then a 27, and a 19. All were chosen to fit a certain space. The 46 is about six years old and still looks good.

 

[Crixus]

No plasma for me, thanks. A year and a half ago I bought a 40" Dynex (a Best Buy house brand) and I am thrilled every single day. I was prepared to be disappointed with the sound, but the stereo sound is great. I don't want to jinx myself by writing this, but I have had zero issues with this thing. It's my first flat screen hi-def, so I can't give you a comparison to a $1200 TV, but the hi-def picture on mine is fantastic. Stop by a Best Buy and see if they have a demo set to look at. I didn't pay very much for it either. With the stand, the dimensions of mine are 38.5" wide and 27" tall. Screen is a full 40" diagonal. Sweet.

 

[americanarmsdealer]

I have a 42" Vizio LCD that I've had for about 2 1/2 years, and have had zero issues with it. I have Dish with 100% HD programming, and the picture is absolutely gorgeous. And yes, they make them smaller than 40", too!

 

[njpaddy]

Thanks guys. Sharp and (especially) Dynex are 2 brands I probably wouldn't have considered. The dimensions on the Dynex are perfect for the space. I usually avoid Best Buy, but I will check that one out. Costco is usually my first stop for electronics because of their 3-month no questions asked return policy. The problem is that selection is limited and staff uninformed.

Any other suggestions? I stopped at a local pizza joint today and noticed that they had a Samsung with dark areas of staining/brusing. I guess it's not just my Vizio. It was so much easier when TV's still had tubes. And they lasted forever.

 

[njpaddy]

I have a 42" Vizio LCD that I've had for about 2 1/2 years, and have had zero issues with it. I have Dish with 100% HD programming, and the picture is absolutely gorgeous. And yes, they make them smaller than 40", too!

I liked my 37" Vizio at first, but I can't remember when the dark spot started. It's now 5+ years old and the right third of the picture is like looking through a sandstorm. Now another spot is starting in the center.

 

[BubblesTGB]

I have been happy with our Vizio sets - but sounds like you have had some issues. I, too, like Costco because they give you their concierge service automatically, which extends the manufacturer's warranty to two years. When I was in last week they had a few decent looking Vizios and Samsungs under 40". As to the selection issue - they have free shipping on most TVs and they have a larger selection online. Can't help you with the uninformed sales people, though.

Costco is usually my first stop for electronics because of their 3-month no questions asked return policy.

 

[benvh]

I've had a 32" Samsung LCD for 4 years or so and it's still working well. No complaints.

Ben

 

[bakerbarber]

Just sign up for the email deal alerts from Tiger Direct and Newegg.

Then when one goes on sale buy it.

It's hard to be brand loyal with that size TV. Most LCD or LED will be similar in price and quality.
Go for one with the best refresh rate and resolution you want. Make sure you have the inputs you need, like how many HDMI ports etc. Check the dimensions in the specs so it fits in your cabinet.

I have been happy with numerous purchases from Tiger Direct and Newegg. Fast shipping, and it's usually free, and both have customer service online and over the phone. You can call and they'll even help you decide what to buy or look for based on your current setup and needs.

When I needed a new laptop I called Tiger Direct and they helped me sort through all the techie stuff. No upsell or pressure. They actually steered me to towards a lower priced model than I was considering.
That was a few years ago, but I just bought a USB 3.0 external HDD from them Thursday and got it Saturday.

I had been in the market for one and when I saw one in their email alert, I pulled the trigger.

I don't care to gamble on electronics with Amazon. Sometimes you get an odd seller and checkout can be confusing. Amazon seems to be good for research and reading reviews, but half the bad reviews I read are related to the customer being disappointed in the third party vendor that is using Amazon as a front.

Newegg and Tiger Direct are solid and reliable, plus they usually have one or two cool gadgets on clearance every week. It's like getting a treat or dessert after paying for a nice meal.

They're both good with returns. Although sometimes the specials and deals have limited returns or exchanges, like with refurbs. I don't usually go for refurbs or mail in rebates. Sooner or later whatever I'm in the market for goes on sale straight up on one of their sites.

 

[bakerbarber]

Here's Tiger Direct's TV Deals.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/campaigns/deals.asp?campaignid=2512&cm_re=TV-_-Spot%2001-_-TV%20Deals

Here's Newegg's TV buying guide.

http://www.newegg.com/hdtvfinder?name=HDTV-Buying-Guide&cm_sp=TVcat264-_-VisNav-_-TVFinder

 

[njpaddy]

Thanks for the links. I don't think I ever bought anything from Tiger Direct. I've used Newegg over the years for pc components, but I just have this "mental thing" about buying a TV on line.

 

[bakerbarber]

I understand.

Especially if UPS leaves it unattended while you're not home. My TV came from online and I was worried it would be broken in transit or stolen from my porch.

I've never actually had a problem though.

 

[DonN]

not under 40" , think it's 42" but couldn't be happier with our Sony XBR LCD !! very crisp & trouble free !!!

 

[Merk]

I have a friend who is very tech-savvy that swears anything with a screen (phone, computer, laptop, TV, tablet) always looks and lasts best if it is made by Samsung.

 

[linuxslantman]

I would do whatever it takes to be able to get a 42" Plasma or 50" or larger Plasma.

You can't get a new plasma these days any smaller than 42". A good Panasonic or Samsung plasma will have better color, deeper blacks, better contrast, better performance with films or fast moving video content, and are usually cheaper than the LCD HDTVs.

I encourage my friends buy plasma HDTVs and they've all been delighted.

You may have to work to convince your wife to allow you to get a plasma, but she'll thank you once you've got it.

 

[BigFoot]

The new Vizio LED's have ann amazing picture. And at the size you are looking at the price almost makes them disposable if they take a crap in a few years. BTW I have 3.

 

[shavious]

I would do whatever it takes to be able to get a 42" Plasma or 50" or larger Plasma.

You can't get a new plasma these days any smaller than 42". A good Panasonic or Samsung plasma will have better color, deeper blacks, better contrast, better performance with films or fast moving video content, and are usually cheaper than the LCD HDTVs.

I encourage my friends buy plasma HDTVs and they've all been delighted.

You may have to work to convince your wife to allow you to get a plasma, but she'll thank you once you've got it.

I don't know that I'd say LCD or LED is entirely inferior. They all have their advantages. I will say that you shouldn't outright avoid Plasma though. Deeper blacks and a great refresh rate are excellent qualities. Personally, I have a 50" plasma that's been serving me well for over two years now.

 

[ras120]

I would do whatever it takes to be able to get a 42" Plasma or 50" or larger Plasma.

You can't get a new plasma these days any smaller than 42". A good Panasonic or Samsung plasma will have better color, deeper blacks, better contrast, better performance with films or fast moving video content, and are usually cheaper than the LCD HDTVs.

I encourage my friends buy plasma HDTVs and they've all been delighted.

You may have to work to convince your wife to allow you to get a plasma, but she'll thank you once you've got it.

+1 on a Panasonic plasma. I have a 6-7 year old model TH-42PX60U that still performs flawlessly.

 

[Crixus]

I would do whatever it takes to be able to get a 42" Plasma or 50" or larger Plasma.

You can't get a new plasma these days any smaller than 42". A good Panasonic or Samsung plasma will have better color, deeper blacks, better contrast, better performance with films or fast moving video content, and are usually cheaper than the LCD HDTVs.

I encourage my friends buy plasma HDTVs and they've all been delighted.

You may have to work to convince your wife to allow you to get a plasma, but she'll thank you once you've got it.

I do not find this to be the case on any of the plasma televisions I have seen in stores when set up next to good LCD or LED televisions. I've never owned one, so my observance is strictly the displays. But I have found the image on a good non-plasma hi-def television hard to improve upon.

I also watch a lot of baseball, which usually keeps a [I]bug[/I] up in the same spot somewhere on the screen (shows balls and strikes, etc.). I understand on a plasma screen this kind of thing can burn itself in and become permanent on your screen. Does this still happen with plasma?

 

[shavious]

If it were there for 24 hours, I suppose the image may lightly burn in. In a normal period of a few hours, probably not. In addition, if its not up there for a preposterous amount of time (24+ hrs) any burn in will be solved by simply playing something else for a few hours.