Need advice on cheap but decent TV

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Not sure if this is the proper place for this thread, so if it is not - feel free to move it.
Now, my parents have told me a few days ago, that their TV have died. They have a second one, so that’s not really that big of a deal, but still, I want to make them a nice present and give them a new TV. Keeping in mind, they have only CRTs, any LCD will be an improvement.
So I have a few questions about picking up a proper TV…

  1. Keeping in mind most channels are SD anyways, does the resolution really matter? Meaning should I go for 1080p or the cheaper 1366x768 or whatever resolution is available?
  2. What features I definitely don’t need and what I do? Aside from hulu and Netflix, that my 60 year old parents will never use, are there any features, that are actually usable, keeping in mind they also have a PC for Skype and stuff…
  3. Is there something I should keep my eye at? Are there stuff, that I should avoid, such as 3D?

Currently I am looking at LG 32" 32LJ500V for about 230€…
All I want is about 30-40" TV around 200€ (cheaper if possible), and all I really want to have is USB port so I can play files from it.
My favorite brand is Sony (in more than one way), so if there is a possibility to get a Sony with 1080p and USB ports I rather get it. But I can get LG or Samsung instead, if the price is better.

PS: I’m planning to buy something at the end of January or beginning of February…

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Samsung 1366x768 TVs are decent. You can’t go wrong with them. LG’s WebOS TVs at that same resolution may be overkill for your needs.

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You mean something like Samsung T28E310EW? I found that for 170€…
The cheapest 30+" Samsung is about 200€, but I rather get a 1080p at that point…

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You’d want to avoid having WebOS or Smart TV options in a set this cheap cause you can afford to lose those features and it brings down the cost. Just look for a “dumb” TV with no Smart TV options at 1366x768 since all you watch is SD content.

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5

The issue with that is, that all stores localy carry only “smart” options. That Samsung is literally the cheapest 28" TV I found.

Not all, but most. We have like 120 chanels, something like 15 of them are HD…

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I’d still go with Samsung or LG. LG might have better backlights IMO.

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A TV newb here. When we purchased a 42" 1080 TV [Haier from Costco] we found the picture really fuzzy until we found the HD channels. A 28" probably won’t show the lack of detail compared to the 42". I also avoided the “smart” option figuring that roku or something could fill the gap.

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Those are exactly the brands I am looking at.

My parents live in a small single bedroom apartment, so there isn’t much benefit going over 32", but I don’t really want to go too small. Both of them are wearing glasses, so large screen size will help a bit with subtitles and stuff…

Seriously, there is no way to get something without the “smart” function. Nobody cary such products in the local market.

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That sucks. IMO, Lots of datamining with smart TV. Probably don’t matter, I just dislike datamining in general.
I have a tinfoil hat hidden under my Santa hats…

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It’s not getting better when ATSC 3.0 is rolled out. Compulsory ad metrics is INCLUDED IN THE STANDARD. There’s no way to opt out.

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I have philips monitors at work and home, and am really impressed with them.

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I got a 39 inch 720p Vizio TV off craigslist for like $120 a couple years ago. If you sit far enough back from it, and only watch decent 720p content, it’s actually not bad at all. Not sure what country you are in, but in the US most over the air content is digital and 720p or 1080p now. I think I can pick up over a dozen channels.

Check your local craigslist, or craigslist equivalent. Don’t be afraid to buy used, just ask to test it if possible.

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I’m actually using a philips 28" smart TV right now with my desktop. It’s not usually hooked to the net until I download a game. It works good enough for me but is far from ideal. Main use is to listen to L1T channel while exercising.

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I don’t want to buy used. It’s not like a GPU, where you run a couple programs and you know it’s basically OK… It have so many things I rather buy new. I found 32" LG 32LJ510U for under 200€ and I will never hook it up to the Internet, so that’s fine.

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Too bad there are very few options for a 4K TV that doesn’t have such intrusions, but I am content with my dumb 1080p TV.

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I almost bought a 4k tv for my monitor, and i’m glad i didn’t. The usb 3.0 hub is dope

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I thought the same, but then my work ordered like 4 LG 60" panels. If you got a commercial business hook-up then your good.

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Yeah business, I am talking about consumer displays. They don’t need to spam me with ads or worse, data collect all the time.

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Just bought one for wife. I narrowed it down to 2 choices.
A 55 inch 1080 for 280 or a 50 inch 4k with an internal Roku. She chose the one with the Roku.
Roku also has a free channel with allot of old movies and a bunch of John Wayne westerns.
Also your parents may like “The Crown” on Netflix.
4k is a total waste on DSL but I was amazed at how much nicer the picture is over our old 1080 screen even with our slow connection. And data compression will continue to improve. We are getting to the point where 4k is close in price to 1080 screens.
Hope this helps :slight_smile:

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This would be way way too large…
4K is kinda pointless in my mind. I mean we barely have any proper HD channels. Netflix and what not are are absolutely useless for my parents. They just need the screen. I mean their last TV was CRT…