Nov 28 Podcast #663: HDTV Buying Guide 2014
Podcast Tags: Buying guide, HDTV 
Tis the season for us to go wishlist shopping and help you spend your money - one of our favorite times of the year. If you happen to be lucky enough to have budget for a new HDTV this Christmas, but still aren’t sure which one to buy, we’ve got you covered. Unlike years past, we’re going to skip the budget categories, and the screen size categories and jump right to our top picks. We each pick three TVs and one ‘money is no object’ / ‘dare to dream’ TV for you to consider.
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Today's Show:
News:
- Netflix, YouTube consume most bandwidth in North America
- TVs On One-Third Of All Holiday Shopping Lists
- Best Buy Licensing Sharp Brand For Direct-Sourced TVs
- Redbox plans price hike
Other:
- Amazon plans a streaming-video alternative
- The Wood Whisperer
- If you live in Connecticut and would like assistance integrating your Apple devices with your A/V systems, or need Mac computer support, call on Chris Hart. To find out more, visit MyMacTech.com.
- Epson Pro Cinema LS10000 Laser Home Theater Projector
- For the bold: shopjimmy.com
Amazon Prime:
Sign up for Amazon Prime and enjoy:
- Free Two Day Shipping!
- Instant Streaming of TV Shows and Movies
- Instant Access to thousands of Kindle Books
- The HT Guys gratitude!
Tis the season for us to go wishlist shopping and help you spend your money - one of our favorite times of the year. If you happen to be lucky enough to have budget for a new HDTV this Christmas, but still aren’t sure which one to buy, we’ve got you covered. Unlike years past, we’re going to skip the budget categories, and the screen size categories and jump right to our top picks. We each pick three TVs and one ‘money is no object’ / ‘dare to dream’ TV for you to consider. For those who don’t still have last years buyer’s guide handy, here are few of the sets from last year along with their prices. It turns out waiting a year to buy a new TV may not be a good idea. Most of the prices actually went up. So check out this year’s list and jump on the good deals before they’re gone. Seiki SE50FY35 50-Inch 1080p 60Hz LED TV ($349) If you aren’t lucky enough to pick up one of the $200 50” TVs on Black Friday, this model from Seiki is a close runner up. Sure it’s a Seiki, but we said the same thing about Vizio just a few years ago, so you can’t always judge a TV by its name badge. It’ has a full array LED backlight for great color and contrast and they offer a one year replacement warranty. Amazon users rate it at 4 stars with 690 reviews, with more 5 star reviews than any other single category. Good deal for a 50” HDTV. LG Electronics 65LB6300 65-Inch 1080p 120Hz Smart LED TV ($1299) Let’s be honest, 65 inches is a really big TV. And for $1300, it isn’t a huge amount to spend. Sure it’s pricey, but not ridiculous. And it comes with all of the cool new features we’ll talk about with a much more expensive LG model coming up later in the list. It has webOS for the Smart TV interface, something engadget says is the best smart TV interface they’ve ever used, and LG’s Magic Remote with Voice Mate feature that gives you natural speech recognition to control your whole home theater. And you get great picture quality, IPS for off-angle, but unfortunately no 3D. Sharp LC-70EQ10U 70-inch Aquos Q 1080p 240Hz Smart LED TV ($1497) Or, for a few dollars more, grab 5 more inches of screen real estate with this model from Sharp. The Sharp Aquos line was once the gold standard in LCD televisions. They have been outpaced by other, hungrier manufacturers, but they still make an excellent TV. This one includes Sharp’s proprietary Quattron technology incorporates a fourth yellow subpixel to the standard red, green and blue, giving AQUOS Quattron televisions 33% more subpixels than a standard HDTV, for a total of 8 million subpixels. It is a smart TV and has 240 Hz refresh. For $200 more you can step up to the 3D model if you’re interested: Sharp LC-70SQ15U 70-inch Aquos Q+ 1080p 240Hz 3D Smart LED TV ($1697). At 70” 3D could be compelling in some circumstances. Sony KDL50W800B 50-Inch 1080p 120Hz 3D Smart LED TV ($950) This year I went big with my selections because I feel that anything under 50 inches is essentially a commodity product. I really like this TV because it actually comes close to plasma black levels and contrast and doesn’t have a screen that is highly reflective. For those of you who don’t own a media device like a Roku, this is a Smart TV with wireless support for all the usual services. There is also a 55 inch for about $150 more (Sony KDL55W800B 55-Inch) Sharp LC-60LE660 60-Inch Aquos 1080p 120Hz Smart LED TV ($799) This is the steal of the list. A 60 inch TV for less than $800! No 3D, no 4K, just a large format HDTV that won’t break the bank. The picture quality is good but it can be great with professional calibration. There are a ton of settings that, in the hands of an expert, will make this TV the best bang for the buck on this list. VIZIO M801i-A3 80-Inch 1080p Smart LED HDTV (2013) ($3285) If you want to go really big but don’t want to buy a projector and screen this is a TV for you. Its a 1080p TV so no issues with compression artifacts, just a great picture that allows you to immerse yourself into whatever you are watching. Being that its a 2013 model you can save some cash and still be the envy of everyone on your block. The Vizio M-Series is an edge lit LED TV so it only has 16 light zone that can be independently dimmed but regardless it does have good black levels and contrast. Colors are good too. You would have to go with some higher end TVs to get better but none offers an 80 inch unit for less than $3,300! Built-in WIFI gets you access to Netflix, Hulu, and much much more. Tip: A TV this size should be calibrated to get the most out of it. LG Electronics 55EC9300 55-Inch 1080p 3D Curved OLED TV ($3499) Sure it’s curved, which we’ll admit is odd, but it’s also OLED, which you have to admit is pretty awesome. If you want the absolute best color and contrast money can buy, you’re looking at OLED. At 55” the TV isn’t very big, so you aren’t getting a giant screen for the money, just the best picture technology on the market right now. Add LG’s exclusive 4 Color Pixel for OLED (white sub-pixel) and the colors are unbeatable. Some added bonuses in this model for 2014 are the addition of webOS for the Smart TV interface and LG’s Magic Remote with Voice Mate feature that gives you natural speech recognition to control your whole home theater. Sony XBR65X900B 65-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz 3D Smart LED TV ($3799) I didn’t put any 4K TVs on my regular list. That’s because the type of viewing that most of us do (sat/cable) just has too many artifacts. Some programs and networks look fantastic but others don’t. With that said, Blu-rays look incredible. So this TV is on the list for movie lovers that primarily watch Blu-rays. Bright vivid colors and high contrast makes this the TV with the best picture on my list. Its a bit pricy for a 65 inch TV but if you love movies this will make the experience more enjoyable! If you are made of money there is a 79 inch for $7,500 (Sony XBR79X900B 79-Inch). If you really want to go big or go home, check out the Sharp LC-90LE657U 90-inch Aquos HD 1080p 120Hz 3D Smart LED TV ($6195). That’s one gigantic TV.HDTV Buying Guide 2014
Braden’s Picks
Ara’s Picks
Ultimate Christmas Presents:
Reader Comments (2)
So funny! I have a 61" Samsung HL-T6187S LED-driven RPTV that has developed the "white spot" issue throughout much of this year. I had hoped the TV would keep going until 4K became the norm and maybe even come down in price before I got something new. I checked YouTube and found the ShopJimmy videos on replacing the DLP chip with the now-stuck mirrors. After searching around I found that ShopJimmy was THE place to buy these (even the best eBay prices were the parent of ShopJimmy). However, their replacement video only resembled my TV in that it was a TV. Some guy made a video for my exact model and it turned out I had needlessly loosened three screws which controlled viewing picture alignment. After a couple of tries I got the picture back in the correct place and it looks like this TV will keep running per my original plan. Luckily, since Ara doesn't seem that happy with his Vizio 4K. This is why I wanted to hold off until most of the details and upgrades had been made. Anyway, now two listeners have said ShopJimmy was OK.
Sharp also has a non-native 4k screen, using some sort of electronic enhancement to make 4K work. Another reason I'm happy to wait until I buy a 4K TV. We'll be past all this kind of stuff when I jump in.
If you have Amazon Prime you have a lot of movie/TV streaming available to you. Also, some sort of music service I have never tried.
Love That Bob? Thanks, Ara! I thought I was the only one who remembered Bob Cummings.
So, what is this "over the top" phrase that came into usage recently? That used to mean something beyond reality, a caricature almost. Could you define this current usage? Is it only in reference to something in HT? Help!
I was listing to this show when I heard ShopJimmy mentioned. I wanted to let you know that I used their site with no issues.
I have a 73 Mit (73736 if memory serves) that had the DLP chip go south and became unwatchable. I didn't want to plunk down the cash for another TV in the 73 to 80 inch range so I gambled and got a new chip from ShopJimmy. After watching any of the numerous videos on YouTube I got behind my TV and gave this chip replacement a shot. The whole process was surprisingly easy. The wires you have to disconnect will only go back on to their specific connections. The only step that really requires keeping track of screw placement is when you pull the circuit board above the chip itself. I was done in a hour.
I turned the TV back on and it fired to life like it was new. I'll take it all day long for $190 and ride this TV for a few more years then maybe go for a UltraHD.
Love your show!
George