Starting to think about replacing the old tube tv. I think it was on here a while back, someone commented on the quality of the digital receivers among the different brands.I only get tv over the air. Currently have a converter box that works fine. I would appreciate any wisdom you guys would care to share.
- Thread starter moresmoke
- Start date
When the wife bought one for one of the boys a few years ago,a friend of the other son who worked in electronics at Wallyworld told her to get a Samsung. The picture was excellent.
We just got a new Westinghouse for Christmas and had to upgrade Direct TV to HD to get a decent picture. In fairness though,when we scanned it in on the antenna and only got three channels,all three of those were crystal clear. On the other hand,the RCA in the bedroom gets 47 channels off the same antenna,so I don't know if that has to do with a difference in the TVs or not. I can't complain about the picture on the RCA.
We just got a new Westinghouse for Christmas and had to upgrade Direct TV to HD to get a decent picture. In fairness though,when we scanned it in on the antenna and only got three channels,all three of those were crystal clear. On the other hand,the RCA in the bedroom gets 47 channels off the same antenna,so I don't know if that has to do with a difference in the TVs or not. I can't complain about the picture on the RCA.
casecollectorsc
Well-known Member
- Location
- E central SD.
Three TVs in the house...main is Vizio, great flat screen 42" TV. All of them are great TVs. All flat screen, don't know if you can buy a bad one nowadays...Hooked to direct tv....wife bitches to them when the price goes up and end up paying about $45 a month for 2-300 channels...
I just use outside antenna, upgraded to digital tv in house, don't need converter box any more. Samsung 32" works great. Put old tv and converter in shop with short antenna outside. Now I can watch Gunsmoke on ME tv network while I am in shop. win win. Get 9 channels off air, good enuf for us.
spacecadet9
Member
I wrote a long reply, but the site time me out.
check out:
http://www.heronfidelity.com/blog/great-1080p-tvs-for-less.html
http://televisions.reviewed.com/reviews?page=1&sort=rating,desc&msrp=min,max&specs.screen_sizes=min,max
http://www.rtings.com/info/television-size-to-distance-relationship
And to explain the LED misconception:http://www.cnet.com/news/led-lcd-backlights-explained/
We have a high end (XBR) Sony that's 8 years old, a E series Vizio that's 5 years old, an Insignia that's 4 years old, and a Sanyo that's 4 years old. Their listed in the order of picture quality. My oldest son has an LG Plasma TV that is better than anything we have.
check out:
http://www.heronfidelity.com/blog/great-1080p-tvs-for-less.html
http://televisions.reviewed.com/reviews?page=1&sort=rating,desc&msrp=min,max&specs.screen_sizes=min,max
http://www.rtings.com/info/television-size-to-distance-relationship
And to explain the LED misconception:http://www.cnet.com/news/led-lcd-backlights-explained/
We have a high end (XBR) Sony that's 8 years old, a E series Vizio that's 5 years old, an Insignia that's 4 years old, and a Sanyo that's 4 years old. Their listed in the order of picture quality. My oldest son has an LG Plasma TV that is better than anything we have.
MarkB_MI
Well-known Member
- Location
- Motown USA
I seriously doubt there's much difference in broadcast reception of the different brands. Many (probably most) customers don't receive their TV over the air, and you can't tell the difference in a store's showroom. I suspect most brands use the same chipset for their RF sections.
There certainly ARE differences between various digital TVs when it comes to over-the-air reception and they do NOT all use the same chip sets in the tuners. The problem is - there's no way to know except by word-of-mouth. Not much to tell when you look in a store.
I have over-the-air antenna systems in four places. Two in central NY and two in northern MI. I've got a dozen digital TVs. One thing I've found is that even with one brand, various models and sizes will act differently.
So the brand name means little.
One thing you CAN tell before you buy. The digital tuner does a search for signals and locks in local channels the first time you use it. Find out if it allows a second or third search and channel lock-in without deleting the first set of channels it found. That is a BIG plus if you have an antenna rotator or multiple antennas.
By the way - I just bought a new 50" Emerson TV from Walmart for $218. It has one of the best tuners I've had so far. Emerson brand and manufactured by Funai.
I have over-the-air antenna systems in four places. Two in central NY and two in northern MI. I've got a dozen digital TVs. One thing I've found is that even with one brand, various models and sizes will act differently.
So the brand name means little.
One thing you CAN tell before you buy. The digital tuner does a search for signals and locks in local channels the first time you use it. Find out if it allows a second or third search and channel lock-in without deleting the first set of channels it found. That is a BIG plus if you have an antenna rotator or multiple antennas.
By the way - I just bought a new 50" Emerson TV from Walmart for $218. It has one of the best tuners I've had so far. Emerson brand and manufactured by Funai.
Texasmark1
Well-known Member
Since the incorporation of digital tv, reception is not the same.
In the days of Amplitude Modulation, a carrier wave (the tv station's transmitting frequency) contained variations in the power level of the signal which varied the amplitude when received and your video detector in your tv scooped that off and threw away the carrier. Sent the results to the video and color circuits (if you had color) and sent it to the boob tube. The sound came in via frequency changes (Frequency Modulation) and was scooped off to that circuitry.
In comes digital where the signal is chopped up in Bits of 1's and 0's. Lot more signal distinction to receive and noise (snow) got lost in the wayside.
The result for me was that I ceased to get snow and I could pull in stations that I couldn't get before.
You aren't going to believe the difference in what you can buy today and what you have been watching. It is truly night and day and there just is no comparison I'm going to say regardless of whose brand you buy. So go find yourself a good deal on a tv that has a good picture and go for it. Buy it from someone that will take it back if you don't like it.
The other thing that you won't believe is the picture, digital quality and big screen. Thin tube, no bulbous Cathode Ray Tube with the long neck sticking out the rear and the heavy weight. I think my last boob tube was a 27", Sony brand and it weighed 150". Try getting that up on a shelf by yourself. My current 37" IC power brand weighs about 20. Had it for over 10 years. Set it up and haven't touched it since.
Oh, and the kicker is with digital tv, no convergence. No red or blue or green lines along the collar of white shirts; no big smears that need to be degaussed if you run the vacuum cleaner too close to the set. Jacks for all your audio and accessory goodies......the list just goes on and on.
Oh, and today remote control is standard equipment!
The other day I was in Wally World and they had Samsung (as good as they get) digital tv's, about 37" diagonal measure (what's your current, 25?) for $300. I'd bet you paid more for your current tv if color, than that without any inflation adjustment.
Oh and you can throw your converter away and that too will help in the quality of signal. You don't need one with digital tv.
Last, when is the last time you installed a new antenna and lead in wire? That too can make a whopping difference. Radio Shack carries them for one.
Good Luck,
Mark
In the days of Amplitude Modulation, a carrier wave (the tv station's transmitting frequency) contained variations in the power level of the signal which varied the amplitude when received and your video detector in your tv scooped that off and threw away the carrier. Sent the results to the video and color circuits (if you had color) and sent it to the boob tube. The sound came in via frequency changes (Frequency Modulation) and was scooped off to that circuitry.
In comes digital where the signal is chopped up in Bits of 1's and 0's. Lot more signal distinction to receive and noise (snow) got lost in the wayside.
The result for me was that I ceased to get snow and I could pull in stations that I couldn't get before.
You aren't going to believe the difference in what you can buy today and what you have been watching. It is truly night and day and there just is no comparison I'm going to say regardless of whose brand you buy. So go find yourself a good deal on a tv that has a good picture and go for it. Buy it from someone that will take it back if you don't like it.
The other thing that you won't believe is the picture, digital quality and big screen. Thin tube, no bulbous Cathode Ray Tube with the long neck sticking out the rear and the heavy weight. I think my last boob tube was a 27", Sony brand and it weighed 150". Try getting that up on a shelf by yourself. My current 37" IC power brand weighs about 20. Had it for over 10 years. Set it up and haven't touched it since.
Oh, and the kicker is with digital tv, no convergence. No red or blue or green lines along the collar of white shirts; no big smears that need to be degaussed if you run the vacuum cleaner too close to the set. Jacks for all your audio and accessory goodies......the list just goes on and on.
Oh, and today remote control is standard equipment!
The other day I was in Wally World and they had Samsung (as good as they get) digital tv's, about 37" diagonal measure (what's your current, 25?) for $300. I'd bet you paid more for your current tv if color, than that without any inflation adjustment.
Oh and you can throw your converter away and that too will help in the quality of signal. You don't need one with digital tv.
Last, when is the last time you installed a new antenna and lead in wire? That too can make a whopping difference. Radio Shack carries them for one.
Good Luck,
Mark
As stated you cant really tell reception in the store. You can tell picture quality between certain brands some what in the store though. A friend of mine has a tv in his living room and one in the bedroom, which is a slightly older tv. The older tv can pull in stations on antenna that the newer one cant, yet he gets better reception going through the vcr (which has a tunner as well) on his new tv. I think it all depends on your location. Where Im at and my friends house 2 miles away, the digital signal is bad. It cuts in and out constantly. At least with analog you could still watch something even if it was fuzzy lol.
spacecadet9
Member
Yes there is a difference, but the problem is finding out which is better or worse. Our Sony and Visio can get stations that the Insignia and Sanyo can't, and the problem isn't the coax distribution. In the old days there were magazines that tested the tuners in TVs. I haven't found anyplace that does such comparison today.
There is also a difference in the way sets handle standard definition (SD) with the processing inside the set.
Long-story-short. If you already get a strong signal and use just one antenna (no A/B switch) with no rotator -you'll likely see no difference with any new TV in regard to reception (except price). All the new TVs I've used have better tuner chips then many of the converter boxes did.
If you were in a fringe-reception area and had to use a big antenna and high-gain signal-amps to get anything, then yes - there IS a difference.
Don't get fooled into overpaying for a high price TV. I've bought a lot of bottom-dollar TVs with no problems. In fact, I still own one of the first LED-digtal TVs made by an unknown brand (Brillian-Syntax).Twice as heavy as the new ones but still works great.
I'm still amazed at the 50" HD LCD TV we got a few weeks ago at Walmart for $218. Are they selling below cost? It was the Thanksgiving day sale. No line, no BS. Just walked in, paid in advance and ordered it. Had it 2 weeks later.
If you were in a fringe-reception area and had to use a big antenna and high-gain signal-amps to get anything, then yes - there IS a difference.
Don't get fooled into overpaying for a high price TV. I've bought a lot of bottom-dollar TVs with no problems. In fact, I still own one of the first LED-digtal TVs made by an unknown brand (Brillian-Syntax).Twice as heavy as the new ones but still works great.
I'm still amazed at the 50" HD LCD TV we got a few weeks ago at Walmart for $218. Are they selling below cost? It was the Thanksgiving day sale. No line, no BS. Just walked in, paid in advance and ordered it. Had it 2 weeks later.
Texasmark1
Well-known Member
Couple of questions here:
1. What, if any difference is there in the signal sources of the two tvs? Both connected to the same antenna via a splitter? Both on the same type cable, like twin lead or coax? Same brand and type if the same cable? Both these things can make a whopping big difference in signal loss.
2. On going to digital, my experience was exactly the opposite to yours. My snowy analog pictures all of a sudden were crystal clear without snow. Amazing.
Mark
1. What, if any difference is there in the signal sources of the two tvs? Both connected to the same antenna via a splitter? Both on the same type cable, like twin lead or coax? Same brand and type if the same cable? Both these things can make a whopping big difference in signal loss.
2. On going to digital, my experience was exactly the opposite to yours. My snowy analog pictures all of a sudden were crystal clear without snow. Amazing.
Mark
Technically, you cannot get "snow" with digital so what you mention makes perfect sense. Same signal can give a snowy picture on analog but almost no, or "in and out" good picture with digital.
You likely need a $35 signal amp mounted on the antenna.
You also need to verify the antenna is pointed in the correct direction. Many TV stations switched transmitter locations when they changed from analog to digital. It's easy to check.
You likely need a $35 signal amp mounted on the antenna.
You also need to verify the antenna is pointed in the correct direction. Many TV stations switched transmitter locations when they changed from analog to digital. It's easy to check.
Texasmark1
Well-known Member
Probably one of their sacrificial lambs. I got caught up in that one year at a computer store. Had an otherwise expensive something I really needed at a drop dead price. They accomplished their goal in that my presence was at their store, standing in line with the mob, to buy their products rather than elsewhere doing the same thing on a Black Friday or whatever you call the "big" shopping day of the year.
But in the fine print the super price was AFTER the mail in rebate of $100 which finally came but it took 5 months.
Mark
But in the fine print the super price was AFTER the mail in rebate of $100 which finally came but it took 5 months.
Mark
buickanddeere
Well-known Member
1080i, not 720 as a lot of Tv's still are. LED. 240Hz. Nobody ever complained about the screen being too large. Don't go small thinking it's 'good enough".
In this case, no "mail in rebate", no line, no BS. Just walked into Walmart. Saw a huge line of people picking up TVs they'd already paid for. A short line for people who hadn't paid yet - like me. Took me ten minutes. I paid. Two weeks later the TV came in and I've been using it ever since.
$218 plus tax for a 50" LCD-LED 1080 TV with a 120 Hz refresh rate. I'm really impressed with it. Considering the cheap price -I splurged and paid an extra $28 for a full-replacement warranty. So it's now warranteed for 4 years.
$218 plus tax for a 50" LCD-LED 1080 TV with a 120 Hz refresh rate. I'm really impressed with it. Considering the cheap price -I splurged and paid an extra $28 for a full-replacement warranty. So it's now warranteed for 4 years.
Some might complain about big screens that
cannot interpret the image properly and make it
look like a fun-house mirror. I've noticed
quite a few new TVs that cannot properly
process an older 4.3 type image and make it
look "normal." I've got an LG here that is two
years old and no matter what aspect setting is
picked - it cannot display a 4.3 image without
distorting it. To the converse, my 4 year old
RCA and brand-new Emerson do it fine.
Also found the same with several Sony TVs and
DVD players. In fact, I've got a brand new Sony
DVD player with HDMI that cannot play older
movies without distortion. After many calls to
Sony tech -they told me their HDMI cannot
properly display older movies and there is NO
setting to corrrect it.
cannot interpret the image properly and make it
look like a fun-house mirror. I've noticed
quite a few new TVs that cannot properly
process an older 4.3 type image and make it
look "normal." I've got an LG here that is two
years old and no matter what aspect setting is
picked - it cannot display a 4.3 image without
distorting it. To the converse, my 4 year old
RCA and brand-new Emerson do it fine.
Also found the same with several Sony TVs and
DVD players. In fact, I've got a brand new Sony
DVD player with HDMI that cannot play older
movies without distortion. After many calls to
Sony tech -they told me their HDMI cannot
properly display older movies and there is NO
setting to corrrect it.
Texasmark1
Well-known Member
Looks like you made out. Glad to hear it. I find that WM is pretty straight forward with their products. Have no gripes from any purchases I have made from them over the years. Also, no problems with the few things I have returned. Fast service, no hassle, purely professional.
Again, this is a thorn in the side of some folks that see the old mom and pop shops "on the square" having to close, but I never liked dealing with them for 2 reasons:
1. They couldn't make volume purchases and had a limited customer base so they were high priced for what you got.
2. You walk out the door and it's yours. Don't walk back through the door expecting any changes.
Sorry for facts but so be it. Life goes on.
On the flip side, WM has just invaded the small towns in N. TX. Currently I think they are installing 3 of their mini stores in towns of about 1500 residents. Problem with that is more pressure on what small MP shops are left, and there are already Dollar General and the other chain discount store in these towns. We'll see how this plays out.
Personally I shop $ Gen. for certain items and will continue to do so. For WM purchases I go to the closest megamart about 25 miles away. Will be interesting to see what will attract me in the new stores.
Mark
Again, this is a thorn in the side of some folks that see the old mom and pop shops "on the square" having to close, but I never liked dealing with them for 2 reasons:
1. They couldn't make volume purchases and had a limited customer base so they were high priced for what you got.
2. You walk out the door and it's yours. Don't walk back through the door expecting any changes.
Sorry for facts but so be it. Life goes on.
On the flip side, WM has just invaded the small towns in N. TX. Currently I think they are installing 3 of their mini stores in towns of about 1500 residents. Problem with that is more pressure on what small MP shops are left, and there are already Dollar General and the other chain discount store in these towns. We'll see how this plays out.
Personally I shop $ Gen. for certain items and will continue to do so. For WM purchases I go to the closest megamart about 25 miles away. Will be interesting to see what will attract me in the new stores.
Mark
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