Need Help Finding the Right TV

[BadgerAVS]

My parents gave me the task of helping them pick out a TV for the new house we are moving to. The TV will be in the living room. I will get the dimensions as soon as I can. Attached is a picture of the living room (The wall the TV will be going on is not pictured unfortunately, but it is the wall opposite the fireplace wall. The TV wall has two smaller windows and the TV will go in between them. The space for the wall provides about 8' of space in width.

My parents' main uses for the TV will be watching cable and movies with blu ray player.



For a budget, let's say between $1500-2000 with minor flexibility.

Thanks for the continued help guys,

Adam

 

[BadgerAVS]

From my knowledge base, I'm pretty sure it's safe to say a plasma HDTV is out of the question due to the over abundance of ambient light that those gigantic windows will provide. Though, I could be wrong.

 

[agarwalro]

What kind of ambient light (brightly lit/ low light/ dark) will most of the viewing be done in and how far will they sit?

 

[BadgerAVS]

What kind of ambient light (brightly lit/ low light/ dark) will most of the viewing be done in and how far will they sit?

The TV will be used throughout the entire day, as we have a larger family with some working, others younger who are not, etc. I was told a good rule of thumb was to take the diagonal dimension of the screen and x1.5 and that was how far the seating should be, so we would probably follow suit on that.

 

[agarwalro]

Plasma will undoubtedly give you the best picture quality espceially for night time viewing. Yet, for all outside the AV nut job croud, modern LED TVs work just fine. Further, LED is the prefered technology since it will provide the maximum light output of all, and that is needed to compensate for the ample ambient light in the room. Last but not the least, there will be no worries of image retention or burn in if the same image is left on screen for extended periods of time.

The only LED technology drawback to be aware of is, viewing quality when seated off axis. This consideration is explained here and pictured thusly (this is in a dark room, bright rooms will be worse).

The off axis picture quality degration can be mitigated by getting a large TV, increasing the distance to the it and attempting to keep most frequently used seats in a +/- 35 degree angle from center of screen. In a room that big, you should aim for a 60 or 65" set.

In your budget the Samsung UN60ES8000 seems to be a good choice with many glowing reviews 1, 2, 3. The Cnet and LCD TV Buying Guide reviews have settings used to judge the TV.

It is available for $2099 at Abes of Maine and they might just price match $2009 from PowerSellersNYC.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Realistically, unless they are video snobs, then Vizio makes some of the best 'lesser expensive' models. I'm guessing they just want a "TV" for their new home and may be okay with almost anything you purchase, so I would focus on the size of the display as it relates to viewing distance.

With a large family room like the one pictured, it may be worth it to look at something like this:
Amazon.com: VIZIO E701i-A3 70-inch 1080p 120Hz Razor LED Smart HDTV: Electronics

With a viewing distance that appears to be in excess of 12', I would shoot for at least a 60" diagonal minimum, but more reasonable is a 70"-80" display.


You have a lot of options, but the best displays tend to be a bit more pricey...
Amazon.com: Sharp LC70LE745U 120Hz 70-Inch LED-Lit TV: Electronics

Amazon.com: Samsung UN65ES8000 65-Inch 1080p 240Hz 3D Slim LED HDTV (Silver): Electronics

 

[agarwalro]

Realistically, unless they are video snobs, [deleted]... I'm guessing they just want a "TV" for their new home and may be okay with almost anything you purchase, so I would focus on the size of the display as it relates to viewing distance

+1. I wanted to say this!

The 60" version of the same Samsung TV is what I linked and it perfectly fits the budget.

 

[highsounder]

I suggest Samsung based on the service we received on two problems. On the first, the TV was picked up and a newer model delivered by Samsung(and it was past warranty). Get the biggest you can find and don't worry about axis viewing in such a large room. There is enough room for 10+ people to move if they want to watch. Don't sacrifice for the 1-2 times a year that a crowd may cause axis watching to be a problem. LED, 1080p, 240hz, HDTV what more can you ask. (and you can turn off 3D)