help Help sought replacing 14 year old TV

[Spainz]

Hello. 

 

So I'm not a rich man, in fact my job is that of a Bar-Back and Server Assistant. Never the less I've save up a fair amount and am seeking to replace my parent's 14 (yes) year old tv which is the: Sharp Aquos LC42D64U 42-inch 1080p LCD HDTV (2008 Model).

 

It's a fossil. Works like brand new but, it just really needs to go. The colors are so-washed-up-grey, the lighting sucks, the stereos suck, and the 1080p across 42 inches.... yeah it's like graph paper. 

 

Anyone know of a budget option, don't care if it's 7 years old... as long as it's still sold or in production and is less than $500. That's my budget.

 

I would ABSOLUTELY like the new TV:

          *To be at least similar in width. 

          *To have greater Color accuracy.

          *To be brighter.

          *While I would like it to be 2k, 1080p is also acceptable. (Not sure I can get away with 2k on a budget).

          *Still sold on sites like Amazon, (etc.) or still in production so that I can get a warranty for the TV.

 

Quality Of life / "Wants" for the new TV:

          *The Response time and Frames Per second are low on the specs list for me, as my parents only watch TV on it. 

 

 

 

 

Here are the current specs (stripped straight off an old amazon details list) of the TV we current have...

Key Features

• 
  Incredibly thin slim-line design
  New -- DLNA-Compatible: for better interopability with electronics, computers and mobile devices from many different manufacturers (Learn more)
• 10-Bit Panel offers more colors (Learn more)
• Full HD 1080p resolution (Learn more)
• 10,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio with 450 nit brightness
• 4ms response time
• Four-wave backlight (Learn more)
• 60,000 hour lamp life
• 3 HDMI ports: Simplay compliant (Learn more)
• Manufacturing including a solar-powered factory (Learn more)
• OPC function: Automatically alters brightness to adjust to changing room conditions
• One side-mounted composite video input provides quick access for switching components, with an additional two rear inputs for stationary system accessories.
• Built-in tuners: ATSC, QAM and NTSC tuners provide access to DTV and analog TV channels.
• PC input easily turns your TV into a PC monitor via 15-pin dSub.
• Picture-in-Picture enables convenient simultaneous viewing of TV programs and video or PC sources
• V-Chip system allows blocking of rated TV and movie programs determined by the parent to contain objectionable content.
• Trilingual on-screen displays in English, Spanish or French. 
• Auto wall mount compatible:3-dimensional operation via TV?s remote control; no external IR receiver required.
• Removable table stand included
• 1 year parts and 1 year labor warranty

[Deeya]

I'd recommend taking a look at rtings best budget TV list here: https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/best/budget

 

The top recommended one appears to be under your $500 budget.

[emosun]

What you're looking for is basically.... any television that is new and 42". You should be able to just hop over to a best buy and grab any cheapo TCL tv and that would do it.

Word of warning though most new tv's tend to die early deaths regardless of how much you spend so do not expect to get 14 years out of anything anymore

[Kid.Lazer]

11 minutes ago, emosun said:

Word of warning though most new tv's tend to die early deaths regardless of how much you spend so do not expect to get 14 years out of anything anymore

This. Even though your old TV is outdated, don't just get rid of it. That kind of longevity from any device is unheard of these days. That, and it's probably not a smart TV, which is very desirable, IMO.

 

For your budget, I'd follow @Deeya's recommendation and get this. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B091Y2KLZZ

[Kilrah]

-> Moved to Home Theater equipment

[varrys]

Just under your budget is the Samsung QLED line, whether Q60T or Q60A. The Q60A is currently just under $500 on Amazon, though with taxes and potential shipping, could go over. I have a 43" Q60T from 2020 and love it. Good colors and picture quality for a household that isn't hyper obsessed with big TVs and doesn't use it for (modern) gaming.

[IPD]

-2k IS 1080p

 

-Avoid OLED if you want something brighter

 

-45" and 4k should be easy to find under $500

[cmndr]

I'm going to second the suggestion of checking out RTINGS.

You'll probably want to look at 50" models and check for sales (pop specific model names into slickdeals.net).

 

On 6/8/2022 at 11:41 AM, varrys said:

Just under your budget is the Samsung QLED line, whether Q60T or Q60A. The Q60A is currently just under $500 on Amazon, though with taxes and potential shipping, could go over. I have a 43" Q60T from 2020 and love it. Good colors and picture quality for a household that isn't hyper obsessed with big TVs and doesn't use it for (modern) gaming.

No.
Many of Samsung's models are being sold based on brand reputation, not actual value or performance.

https://www.reddit.com/r/HTBuyingGuides/comments/vaxvdt/home_theater_101_why_you_shouldnt_buy_the_2022/
 

Quote

OUR TAKE (r/htbuyingguides ) Again not competing with TCL in the budget category just like last year.

TLDR: Edge Lit, no Local Dimming, no HDMI 2.1, poor HDR Brightness, 60 Hz Refresh Rate, & a poor value.

The TCL S546 & Vizio MQ7-J are a better choice as would stepping up into the TCL R646 or Sony X90J/X90K.

Do note that this is coming from someone with a Samsung QN90A. Samsung has some of the best TVs on the market. The Q60 series is in a different league though. Not in a good way.

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Quote

The colors are so-washed-up-grey, the lighting sucks,

If this is because of light spilling in from windows, curtains might be a more effective solution and they would still be beneficial even with some of the brightest (to the point of hurting people's eyes - and I've had a few people complain about my TV being too bright) TVs on the market. Light control (think curtains) helps.

 

Quote

the stereos suck,

You'll probably want separate speakers.

Even the best TV speakers aren't going to compare that well to something like a Klipsch Promedia 2.1 set (often on sale for around $70). You just need more physical size and the push for thinner TVs goes against that.

Even my "good" TV speakers on my QN90 pale in comparison to a pair of $30ish (off craigslist) Pioneer BS22 speakers and a budget amp ($30ish ??).
 

All things considered unless SIZE is an issue (and being bigger IS nice) don't dismiss the value of keeping what you have in place and working, throwing up some blinds/curtains and getting better speakers. If the colors are legitimately washed out (bad backlight) then there's value in a proper replacement.