cheap teevee shopping

[madamesilverspurs]

Well, poo. Watching the news and the teevee machine goes “snapcracklepop” and dies. Dug an old itty bitty teevee out of the storage closet, it will have to do until I can get around to replacing it with one I can actually see. On the other hand, it could make watching the GOP “debate” a bit more palatable. Hmmm…...

Meanwhile, I checked a couple of ads, looks like the little bit of cash I got for Christmas will help me get a new one. The 32" flatscreens look likely, but the info is a bit confusing. Not having had a flatscreen before, I need to ask -- will the cable hook to it like it did to the old box machine? Anything I should be wary of?

[eShirl]

1. I see free older TVs on Craigslist all the time; can't beat the price.

Mostly large non-flat screen, non-HD ones, including the occasional projection screen TVs.

[MADem]

2. Buy s flat screen. They are cheap. They are

Light weight. They will hook up to cable easily. You will not be disappointed.

Go to a big box store and compare...

[gvstn]

3. I miss having an old itty bitty t.v. in the kitchen.

But yes if you can't get a free older one on Craiglists, just get any flatscreen since almost all shows are now in the 16: 9 format and look weird on the old 4:3 ratio tv's.

LG, Samsung whatever. They are only made to last a few years, but they do produce a great viewing experience as long as they last.

Most if not all should have all the hookups you need. Cable connection is standard.

[OriginalGeek]

4. LCD panels look best in hi-def

even a small one. If your cable does high def.

Most flat screen TVs are also widescreen so make sure you set your picture/aspect ratio accordingly. Old 4:3 tube tv pictures look gross when streeetched out to wide screen dimensions on newer TVs.

TVs capable of Hi-Def resolutions don't look so great when used with standard def signals. I can't even watch DVDs any more - I have to have blu-ray or my eyes are offended by the loss in quality.

IF you can, get an LED-LCD TV - the LEDs serve as the backlight for the TV and are more efficient (heat-wise and energy consumption-wise) and better looking than cold-cathode fluorescent lit LCD tvs.

[hunter]

7. Our Costco Vizio does all right, even with -gasp- old video cassettes.

Old tapes still look better than they did on our slightly upscale 1990's CRT.

(I don't replace movie tapes in our collection with disks except as I find them in thrift stores...)

Whatever interpolation software they've got in the flatscreen to upscale crappy analog video to HDTV seems to be doing its job. It probably helps too that I bought one of the last super high quality upscale VCRs in a thrift store for $10.

[OriginalGeek]

16. OK is OK lol

Yeah, I know I'm spoiled. I don't even have a vcr any more which kinda sucks because I have a ton of bootleg videos from the Page & Plant tours in 1995 and 1998. Great sound quality and I wouldn't care much about the video quality as I'd be doing other stuff while listening.

Maybe when I start putting together my new entertainment system I'll keep a spot open for a vcr...

What REALLY chaps my hide is sports bars and other public establishments with fancy new HDTVs but they are too cheap to buy the hi-def channels so they show standard definition and usually stretch the picture. I'll walk right the fork out of a place that does that if I'm there to drink and watch a game. IF we are there to eat then I don;t care as much. but I still make a mental note. lol

[hunter]

17. Having the aspect ratio set wrong makes me crazy too.

I started college wanting to be a television engineer, back when a good CRT studio monitor weighed about 500 pounds and cost more than a luxury car, and ordinary television studios were still using cameras as big as coffins connected by cables as thick as your arm.

After two years of that, I switched my major to biology, maybe for the frivolous reason there were always at most one or two women in any engineering class. For various reasons I probably felt as uncomfortable as they did.

More recently, something I sometimes wish I hadn't done, I've trained myself to notice compression artifacts in video. Once you can see them, you can't unsee them.

[PasadenaTrudy]

5. I bought one recently

at Bestbuy. A Samsung 40" flatscreen. Got a bluray player too, all for about $400.

[NV Whino]

6. Costco has good deals on Tv machines

Don't fall for the smart TV shit. They aren't all that smart. I got a 42 incher in 2014 for about $350. Samsung. I just ignore the "smart" stuff.

Go to a store where you can see the picture quality of several brands. I tend to like Samsung quality, but there are other good ones.

[hunter]

8. Some, maybe all of the "smart" stuff spies on you.

I don't want my television to have an internet or cable connection, even if I occasionally have to watch stuff at DVD quality 480p.

[Betty88]

9. agree skip the smart TV

and just get a Roku or any of a bunch of other devices for under $50 if you would like the extras.

[JCMach1]

10. Good time to cut the cable... let that cable bill pay for your new tv

keep your wifi and get a ROKU, or other player box...

[blogslut]

11. Most have a cable/coax port

Look at the back/sides for it. Probably best if it's located on the side if you want to mount it on a wall.

When I bought a 19" LCD flatscreen, the stand that came with it was missing a piece so I ordered a VESA, bottom-heavy computer monitor stand for it. It works great and it doesn't tip over when I roll the tv around on the little cart I've put it on.

As for smart teevees, I don't know. I would think you would be stuck with the interface/channel choices and however long the support life would be for the software. A Roku box or something similar or a Chromecast or Firestick would give you a good range of programming choices if you want to enhance your cable or cut the cord.

NOTE: HiDef is nice but if you have a cap on your Internet data, you can save a whole bunch by switching your resolution to 720p. - that is, if you choose to go with streaming stuff through your tv via your internet connection.

[KentuckyWoman]

12. All the new TVs have the ports you need and then some.

buy based on picture and price. Brand does not mean a whole lot anymore as far as quality and they are all made in some slave labor country.

Unfortunately.

Best prices I've seen are COSTCO if you have one nearby. They beat everyone by at least 30% and their offerings will be more on the side of having mass appeal.

I am also a Craigslist fan if you live in a metro area that has good offerings.

[TexasBushwhacker]

13. I'm happy with my Sharp TV

I got it from Best Buy. I don't know about other vendors but BB has a policy that repairs on any TVs 50" and bigger are done at your home. I'm single and hauling a big ass TV into the store would have been a pain in the ass. So while I was looking at a 48" that was a little less, I went with the bigger size.

Best Buy has a "daily deal" on their website that changes every day. They also match advertised prices of other stores. If you don't have to have a new TV this instant, it can be worth it to check the website every day. I got my 50" Sharp LED HDTV for $339 that way.

I've heard that BB's house brand, Insignia, are considered "disposable" as in not worth repairing.

I have a friend that likes his Vizio.

[fizzgig]

14. you've got mail

[madamesilverspurs]

15. So do you!

Thank you!

[madamesilverspurs]

18. Got one!

Nice 20" flat screen, has a built in DVD player. Came from some friends whose daughter moved across country and didn't want to take it with her.

Appreciate all the positive feedback, DUers!