Which TV to get?

[kobe]

Hey guys so I'm currently looking for a new TV and I was looking for a 50 inch TV and am on a tight budget. I don't care about it being a smart TV or if it's 3D, but I want it to be an LED 1080p 50 inch TV.

I found two that I'm interested in. One is an RCA 52 inch 1080p LED 60hz and the other is a TCL 50 inch 1080p LED 120hz. Now I know the difference in the hz, but I want to get everyone's opinion on what would be better for sports, gaming, and of course blu rays. I would also like to know if the settings on the TCL can be changed to make it display at 60hz if I wanted to.

This TV isn't going to be a super long term TV, possibly only 3 years so my other question is whether or not these brands will hold up? Does anyone have either of these and can vouch for it's durability and quality? Both of these are under $500, but if it's smarter to go for a brand name TV, I'll dish out a little more and get one that's not as big (about 46-49 in. should be fine as well).

Thank you

[kpkelley]

I'd go for a 720p plasma before either of those tv's. They don't have the contrast to make a pleasing image.

The Panasonic 50" X60 720P Plasma can be had for about $450 at Best Buy or Sears.

Resolution is not the most important quality in a television set...Click Here.

[kobe]

That's the only issue. I need an LED because I need it to be as thing as possible as it's going to be mounted on the wall. This room is going to have a lot of traffic so I can't have it be on the TV stand.

[kpkelley]

You can wall mount a plasma.

It's only 3.2" in depth. General depth, whatever that is, is 2.5".


I'm having difficulty finding the specs for the RCA, but I believe it's 4.2" in depth. The TCL appears to be 2.2" in depth.


Here is a review of the TCL in a 58" version.

[DavePS3]

There are two schools of thought here and it all comes down to your priority. For any given budget you want the best bang for the buck but consider whether you prefer size or quality to be more important. As you go down in models in any given size, your black levels suffer, contrast, detail etc... so if size is paramount, for the budget, you will suffer on quality. If you go for quality, you'll have to go for a smaller size. I know which way I'd go but it's your cash and what you'd feel best about.

Remember that although LED's can offer a brighter picture, they will wash out somewhat off-axis so consider where people will be watching from as well.

[kobe]

I'm interested in that Sharp that you posted, but that brings me back to original question. How is the difference between 60hz and 120hz going to effect my games, sports, and blu ray movies? Which ones will benefit from the 120hz and which ones from 60hz?

[Spaulding]

Higher refresh rate the better for everything 60hz is old tech. For $500 or so nothing better than either a 50" 720p Plasma or a smaller 40-47" LED-LCD.

This is my choice

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/VIERA+-+...1#tab=overview

[SlmShdy1]

For what you're looking for in a TV, I'd go with a plasma. Plasma displays are better when it comes to sports, games, and Blu-ray. Plasmas are much better at handling motion than LCD panels. Plasmas are generally cheaper than a comparable LED LCD. You get a lot more bang for your buck when you go with a plasma and the thickness of the panel is never an issue that comes up.

Whichever TV you decide to go with, make sure to turn off all Motion Enhancers.

[kobe]

Now another question. Have any of you ever bought a TV off of craigslist? This TV is for my room in college and something that I only want to keep for possibly 3-4 years. When I look for ads on craigslist, what are things I should look for regarding TVs?