Mom's TV is large, but is an older one that we bought her before we moved back to Hawaii 7 years ago. We had to get the analog to TV conversion box for it. It's still working great except for the fact that it's suddenly refusing to provide audio for her Japanese KIKU channel although the picture is clear. We've tried changing wires, jiggling.... everything. We get the channel upstairs and in the kitchen but not in her comfortable family room.
However, now that we're planning to get cable, we thought it would be time to upgrade the TV for her.
This is really aggravating and I'm dreading it.
Arrrghhh!
I've also read on the Internet that you can't go to the store and compare picture quality by what's in the showroom.
Arrrghhh!
My poor son-in-law, daughter and brother are probably pretty tired of hearing our groans of indecisiveness.
I made a spreadsheet of all the possible TVs we could buy from several stores. I've listed the specifications, size, 4K/HD, unit numbers, sale price, brand and what is included. We've made up our minds a half dozen times and then changed it.
My son-in-law said to just buy the most reasonably priced model.
Buuuutttt...
But what about the Consumer Reports rating? What about the viewing angle? What about the USB inputs? What about picture quality? Sound?
Sigh...
This is really aggravating and I'm dreading it.
Arrrghhh!
I've also read on the Internet that you can't go to the store and compare picture quality by what's in the showroom.
Arrrghhh!
My poor son-in-law, daughter and brother are probably pretty tired of hearing our groans of indecisiveness.
My son-in-law said to just buy the most reasonably priced model.
Buuuutttt...
But what about the Consumer Reports rating? What about the viewing angle? What about the USB inputs? What about picture quality? Sound?
Sigh...
I usually go by price and brand name. I myself prefer Samsung TVs because they seem to be very reliable. You could drive yourself crazy trying to decide what is the perfect one. They are all pretty good these days, Kay, don't you think? :-)
ReplyDeleteSo long as we stick to the brand names, my son-in-law is telling me I don't need to get a 4k and just go with the most reasonable price. I looked online and it pretty much says the same thing about 4K. So we're sticking to 1080p. Now we're waiting for the right sale.
DeleteRecently at Best Buy we were impressed with the clarity of 4k. The sales guy told us that DISH has the most 4k programming, so unless the technology is up to speed on the production end, 4k may be overkill. He said Oceanic has some 4k but not as much as DISH.
DeleteL...w
We were told not to judge the clarity by what you see in the showroom. We were also told that we don't need to get 4K at this time because there's just not enough programs in 4K. I looked it up online and that's what the reviewers seem to all be saying.
DeleteDavid bought a Sony last year. He preferred flat screen (not curved). It is 65 inch and a 4K and 3D.
ReplyDeleteHe is happy.
With all that research Im sure you'll pick the right one. I rarely watch TV..... I just dust it once in a while. LOL
ReplyDeleteYou should work for Consumer Reports.
ReplyDeleteKay I will buy whatever you decide on as I know it will be well researched.
ReplyDeletewe bought a dumb tv not a smart one when we upgraded last year to a flat screen with HD...good luck!
ReplyDeleteThat is impressive research effort. I would just walk into a store and pick one myself. Then live with what I got.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a tv, but if I were going to purchase one I would decide how much I wanted to pay and then pick a good one from that price range. I like to research before I buy, too. You guys are really thorough!
ReplyDeleteHAHAHAHAHA!! I spent months researching before I bought my new sewing machine . . . but I never made spreadsheets! For what it's worth, I like Sony. Oh and also, Wendell bought a washing machine from Costco that stopped working after a year. He lugged it back to Costco and they gave us a new one . . . even though we didn't have any hard copy proof of purchase. (In case Costco is on your spreadsheet). Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter says Costco has the purchases you make in their computer system so you don't have to find your receipt. I'm curious as to which sewing machine you bought. :- )
DeleteKay, I got the Brother CS6000i. I love it so much that I even wrote a review for Amazon. You can check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R17U848FZ0J8ZZ/ref=cm_srch_res_rtr_alt_1
DeleteThank you, Jalna! I've heard excellent things about Brother sewing machines.
DeleteI have two TV set LG and Samsung. Both are good but Samsung is better..
ReplyDeleteOh no... We were thinking of getting the LG!
DeleteNone of that is easy to understand, let alone have it influence your decision. We have been fortunate to pick one that has worked for a while, but ours is now making funny noises on occasion (it's about 8 years old), so I'm suspecting we need to look into a "smart" tv.
ReplyDeleteI was told that all the new tvs will break in 5-8 years because of the way it is made vs the old tvs that have tubes and heavier duty parts. For that reason, I usually go for the cheaper units that have a good clear picture.
ReplyDeleteI find that the sales help at Best Buy are very knowledgeable and will ask about lighting and tolerance to heat - some types of screens don't reflect the window but run hotter then the ones that are more reflective.
Also, for some strange reason, tvs get super cheap around Christmas and all the stores have major ads screaming to get your business.
Good luck and happy searching!
Someone told me that too. Arrrgh! We usually keep our TVs for decades. I don't remember any of them breaking down either. Now they've got the flat screen things so I don't know what will happen. We went to Best Buy and the sales rep there, Shelley was very, very helpful. We're going to buy it on Wednesday, provided the one we MIGHT want is available at the NEX. Sigh... I read that March is a good time to buy also.
DeleteI know! Any new purchase requires study! Then you need to learn how to use it.....I downloaded all my photos since buying this computer on a cute little SeaGate hard drive today, and I'm feeling light as air! With my important documents on Google Drive, and gmail I'm able to lose my computer without losing my data. YaY!
ReplyDeleteALOHA from Honolulu
ComfortSpiral
=^..^=
Good luck. That is an important purchase. I bought mine by tape measure. I had a cabinet it had to fit into. Not very scientific.
ReplyDeleteI do get tickled by your purchase dithering. We bought our TV at Video Only, where the prices are as good as anywhere else. We bought Samsung, Which is considered equal to Sony.
ReplyDeleteWe don't do nearly the shopping around that you do. We pretty much just go buy what we want, in this case a 60 inch HD Smart TV.
Good luck.
You're a well organized shopper. I hope you get the best of what you want.
ReplyDeleteI got my TV and Daisy's TV on a sale. They weren't the largest TVs, but I don't care too much. They look fine to me.
ReplyDeleteI don't miss my old SDTV.
OMG Kay...is this the curse of retirement? J/K!!! I like your spreadsheet idea, but I suspect not all parts are equal even for the same specification. I would trust reviews the most, after you've decided on the specifications. I'm interested in jaina's sewing machine research too. I have not sewn for quite awhile and don't know where to start looking in Hawaii.
ReplyDeleteL...w
Me, too. I did buy a Bernina when we moved to Hawaii. I got the workhorse version, not the computerized one and I've been happy with it so far.
DeleteDo check out Jalna's comment. She said she got the Brother sewing machine and gave us the website as well.
DeleteThanks Kay and Jaina! Can't believe what a great price too!! Looks perfect for my needs...just some sewing now that I have a bit more time.
DeleteL...w
Stop thinking...LOL Go to Costco and buy one that Consumer Reports likes. I like our Vizio, we have a small flat one. They like Samsungs. :)
ReplyDeleteWe have a Vizio we bought from CostCo's and are very happy with it. I didn't know they broke after a few years though. What I do like about them is how light the are compared to the old-fashioned kind. Easier to move around.
ReplyDeleteYou exhaust me with all the effort you put into your purchases. I am a very quick decision maker and would never buy if I had to research first. But you always seem to come out better than I.
ReplyDeleteYou are so good at research!!!
ReplyDelete