Shopping for a new TV... this is one deep rabbithole...

Maybe you didn't mean to come across like this but you sound like a very high maintenance customer that makes me glad I am not a retailer.  

That said, bestbuy and costco are very good with returns although I don't return much.  I did get a defective TV from Best Buy once, had a vertical yellow line.  took it back the same day and they were very helpful.  I said maybe I should try a different brand and they were fine with that. 

You do realize that people with a complaint are 100 times more likely to write a reveiw than someone who is happy?

Jerry

Costco

+1 on Costco. If I didn’t have a membership I’d purchase one just for the return policy and baked-in extended warranty. 

Negative reviews get way more press than positive reviews. It's always been that way. Like already stated, Costco and Best Buy are two good choices that come to mind. I've bought TVs from both and had good experiences from both. They come in, help with basic set up: unbox, set up on media counsel and ensure it turns on and functions. If you want it mounted on the wall, you can pay more to have it done. 

All the best,
Nonoise

I’ve bought Samsung 65" TVs - UHD $397, QLED $697 from Amazon Prime. No issues. The UHD is excellent with 4K. No need to spend more.

Whatever you decide go with an OLED.

I've got a 70" OLED which was the biggest available for less than 6 digits at the time.  I see they are coming down.  May move up to the 100" area.  more stuff available in 4k and 4k upscaling.

I appreciate you guys feedback. To address one message, I am not a high maintenance customer or at the very least don't want to be, but when I buy something I want it to work as advertised and if it doesn't then I don't want any hassle getting an adjustment to either make it work as advertised or return it for a refund or upgrade.

All of that said, I have read about way too many nightmare situations where people ordered a TV and the first one delivered was broken, and then the second one was too and then the third one was too over the course of 3-4 months because the turn around time on picking up the defective unit and the delivery of the next one takes weeks to accomplish, not days. These are not isolated issues at all but repeated with virtually every retail outlet.

Costco, Crutchfield are the two that seem to have the fewest complaints in terms of delivery and setup. Your comments seem to confirm the Costco source as reasonable.

Your admonition to go with Oled over QLed seems reasonable though for my living space I have questions about whether Oled will have a bright enough image for the space it must go into. I am putting TVs in 3 different spaces initially, each with different requirements. Viewing angle is a consideration, especially at larger screen sizes. I was in Sam's club the other day looking at their offerings, and was looking at 85" models for our living room and noticed that if was sitting a bit offset from the center of the screen as I normally would be, the part of the screen furthest away from me was washed out compared to the direct on view on some models. I had read about some screens having these kinds of issues but didnt realize how pronounced a problem that could be. It seems Oleds solve that problem and have great wide angle viewing. Some qled sets are pretty good in this regard but certainly not all.

In some ways I question the need for resolution above 4k and wouldnt even consider buying an 8k set. I would never ever sit close enough even to a 4k set to be able to see individual pixels, and in fact when I had just a full HD 65" I couldn't see individual pixels on that screen at our viewing distance of 10' or so. Certainly wont be sitting any closer than that to any set I buy, so 4k is something of overkill. But to get a straight HD set that is only available now in very small screen sizes.

Your admonition to go with Oled over QLed seems reasonable though for my living space I have questions about whether Oled will have a bright enough image for the space it must go into.

OLED has come a long way in this regard. This was the main concern we had since the television would be situated in our living room next to a long sliding glass door that leads to our backyard. During the day it’s bright - you can check my virtual system for reference and comparison. In the past month we went with an LG G4 and it’s plenty bright; almost blinding at times. The model below, the LG C4, would have likely been okay for our living room.

I was in Sam’s club the other day looking at their offerings, and was looking at 85" models for our living room and noticed that if was sitting a bit offset from the center of the screen as I normally would be, the part of the screen furthest away from me was washed out compared to the direct on view on some models. I had read about some screens having these kinds of issues but didnt realize how pronounced a problem that could be. It seems Oleds solve that problem and have great wide angle viewing. S

Beyond the blackest of blacks that OLEDs produce, the viewing angles are another strength. For example, in my living room I can sit on the side couch and not feel nearly as compromised as my previous IPS panel/television.

If you stick to the big 3 “Sony, Samsung & LG” and use a CEDIA installer ( www.CEDIA.org ) then you should not have a problem with the purchase, delivery & install of the product. If there is a problem with the display they handle it. To take it 1 step further ask the dealer if they are part of a buying group.  The major groups have signed deals with the big 3 for 90 day defective exchange. 

I always get mine from Best Buy. I get top of the line Sony OLED. They... at least as of a couple years ago had the lowest failure rates and best picture... also most expensive. With the Bravia they have the longest warrantee and best service. Mine had a few lines pop up after a year (most warrantees are 1 year) and Sony replaced the TV within a couple days. 

While in the past I have gone price shopping, for the largest available... to day the right size is probably available and I want the most reliable and great performance so I don't have to keep replacing them due to failure. So I stick with the Bravia. 

I wouldn't worry about brightness levels as TVs have, indeed, come a long way. Brightness levels on OLEDs are just fine for me as I don't keep the windows open while watching. That, and the brightness levels other types have used to be warned against back in the day as the rods and cones in your eyes can be damaged. Speaking for myself, I don't want or need a TV that can replicate looking directly at the sun or even getting anywhere near it. Don't fall for the numbers war in that respect. 

All the best,
Nonoise

I’d go to BestBuy, pick one out and take it home.

I don’t see the difficulty. Great deals this time of year with the Superbowl coming up. They really push them this time of year.

I am debating the idea of going cheap with the likelihood the set won't last a long time vs a High end Sony that may last longer but is way more money. At the end of the day, a high dollar TV that gives trouble is a lot more trouble than a cheap one that gives trouble. Definitely will have to ponder that a while. If I do what I usually do, I'll buy what seems like the best value proposition and let the chips fall where they may. Not all that scientific I guess but will hopefully give good enough performance to seem worth the money. I am considering last years or perhaps a 2023 model OLED from Sony that perhaps gives up a bit of performance for a more attractive price.

I’ve had good experiences with Best Buy delivering and setting up new TVs.  I used to get them and set them up myself but my 75 and 65 inch ones are so big it’s not worth the hassle.  I would definitely go with a local retailer if possible so you are sure you’re happy.  

Bought my Sony Bravia OLED from Crutchfield 4 years ago.  Delivery was great, I did the wall mount install myself which was easy.  Crutchfield is great, I’ve been buying electronics from them for decades and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy from them again.  I don’t know your budget or where you are installing them all but I would spend good money on the main tv and less on the peripheral ones.

do they still introduce new models in Late Feb/Early March? If buying new, I always stay one model year behind with auto, audio, video, cameras ..... certainly no vintage video

IF buying from a company that will solve a problem, your biggest problem will be patience.

Thanks guys for all the info and suggestions. If our current set survives until after tax season is over, I'll probably be buying then. It may be sooner but odds are I'll have to wait.