Ready for an upgrade to a 50-HDTV

Discuss Your Gaming Environments and AV Setups
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Xeogred
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Ready for an upgrade to a 50-HDTV

Post by Xeogred »

The plan was to get something off Amazon and I'm wanting to keep it around $500-600 if possible, so I can put it on credit since I usually do one big Amazon credit purchase a year. Except well... I'm not very happy with what I'm finding.

(assuming Prime gets me free shipping?)

New 2015 Samsung's

- I've always been a fan of the bigger stands. These new leg styled things I don't like at all. So of these three here at least, the Samsung UN50J6200 looks the nicest, except it sounds the bulkiest and heaviest.

- My current TV/console shelving is something like this (just cut it in half haha). So I literally don't know if weird leg styled stands will work unless I can get a flat top to put over my shelves.

- Are 2015 HDTV's completely ditching Component/AVI? That's a red flag for me.

I feel like there were way more options maybe even weeks ago. I've been looking off and on for months. Or it's just realizing what's really available here when I finally get serious about it.

I've been with Samsung forever and have always been happy. Still have my 32 and also have a 40 which I'm using right now. But I'm definitely ready for a better TV, not just in size, but I've seen how much better the quality can get as well. I think my roommate lucked out with a really good 2014 50 inch model, I think he has the UN50H5203AFXZA. So even beyond the size, the crystal sharp picture is what really stands out.

I definitely don't mind budging from Samsung though. Maybe LG, or Sony have better options that still employ some of the old inputs and options? As for features or what I'm looking for, I don't care about 3D at all or any Smart TV stuff, but it looks like that's all packed in by this point so I don't really care. I dual monitor with my TV, so I'd have access to all the "Smart" features I could ask for via my PC haha. I don't have any classic systems hooked up right now, except the oXbox via component. But it's a low blow if those inputs aren't available. 2 HDMI is what I have now and gets the job done, but more can't hurt.

Right now I like to move my TV around manually on my entertainment shelf. I have it angled when I'm on my PC so I can see it, then move it and center it with the shelf when I play games to sit in front of it. I'm not sure how viable this will be with these weirder stands and a bigger TV though.

Figured I'd throw this out there to get some discussion and ideas going. Help! :lol:

LG that looks nice but those ugly legs!

http://amzn.com/B00TRQPNKU
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CRTGAMER
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Re: Ready for an upgrade to a 50-HDTV

Post by CRTGAMER »

Before buying any TV new or used, best to bring a PlugNPlay to see how the SD signal looks
This is important for all your Retro consoles as well as verifying SD TV channels. With the exception of HD CRTs, many HD TVs upscale from 480i to its fixed 720p/1080p screen are horrible. Even though you plan on buying online, you can test the video quality locally on similar models at Best Buy, Frys, Target and Walmart.

The battery powered PlugnPlay allows for quick two cable hookup test, does not need a power outlet. :idea:

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Xeogred wrote:Are 2015 HDTV's completely ditching Component/AVI? That's a red flag for me.

Right now I like to move my TV around manually on my entertainment shelf. I have it angled when I'm on my PC so I can see it, then move it and center it with the shelf when I play games to sit in front of it.

Any TV can be Googled to check the specs and what inputs are available. No more SVideo and Component/Composite are also getting hard to find. Be sure to check locally how much the display dims when viewed from angles. This of course not an issue for SD and HD CRTs though they are much heavier.
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CRT vs LCD - Hardware Mods - HDAdvance - Custom Controllers - Game Storage - Wii Gamecube and other Guides:
CRTGAMER Guides in Board Guides Index: http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1109425#p1109425

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Anapan
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Re: Ready for an upgrade to a 50-HDTV

Post by Anapan »

Watch out for Samsung's RGBG honeycomb matrix if you value square boxes up-close.
I also prefer Samsung. Their reds are the right shade of red, LCD lighting is evenly distributed, and im my experience, game mode is pretty decent as well.
I bring either a netbook or media server box to display this picture over 1080P, then adjust the TV options and picture until It can show almost-all grey.
Seriously, no display I've seen can do the boxes over and under the center square and circles without a little orange and blue fringing unless the color is reduced, but any Viewsonic LCD will make blurry staticky green lines on this pic.
Many displays cannot even show this picture properly without it being shown through VGA in PC Mode - they just cannot turn off their enhancement functions enough to show it.

If you brought a netbook, you could bring the picture into window mode and drag it around to see what the display thinks of 60Hz black and white flickering. If the result looks kosher to you, your SNK fighting games' shadows will fare pretty well!

The only last thing is display lag. Google it as this is something you want to hear from the experts!
Start with displaylag.com

My Samsung plasma is mounted on a dual swivel wall mount ($35 at a liquidation store - it said it couldn't handle that size, but apparently it can). 0-2.5 feet from the wall and can face any direction decently freely. I can also adjust the viewing angle easily.
Under it, I have a 24" 1080P low lag Gaming LCD, and both displays are hooked through (nearly) all my devices using a really-cheap MP-SP08 1X2 Monoprice HDMI splitter.
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