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

I am guessing most forum members here have TVs they are happy with and are not planning on an imminent upgrade. I am faced with the daunting task of buying at least 3 new tvs probably this year and possibly 5 or 6 depending on what we decide to do once we move back into the house post-rebuild.

That said, I have been looking a bit at local retailers, best buy, wally world, and Crutchfield. Online its Amazon...because of Amazon's stinky reputation for handling returns on big ticket items in a fair way, I wont buy from them, but I am seeing so much discontent in the reviews posted about all makes and models from all retailers regarding shipping damage, high failure rates, defects that manufacturers will not cover, worthless warranties that you pay extra for, and so on. This is coming from every retailer for the most part. It seems that any TV you buy should be unboxed in the store and powered up to check for damage on-site before being boxed back up and transported to your home. Then you have to install it or get someone to do it for you. Installation reviews of the teams from all the retail players are getting negative reviews in the extreme. Quality issues in some models exceed 10% failure either immediately or within the warranty period...further, each year new models come out that have no track record but drown you in marketing hype...its a confusing and depressing situation. How do you get a good TV? How do you ensure you get good delivery service? I have come to the conclusion that Sony has the fewest defects and that people generally like how the tv is to live with and that there is less need for warranty claims. Who to buy it from? Crutchfield is 90 minutes away so they will ship the TV, but how do you ensure you get some high level of competency in your delivery team? As much as these TVs cost, I could buy a decent car for what some of them go for, so naturally entrusting the transport to Darryl and his other brother Darryl is not something I would willingly do, but what other alternative is there? I'd love to hear what you guys think about all of this and if you have purchased a TV within the recent past, how your experience went.

 

livinon2wheels
theirv
3 posts
 

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. 

ghdprentice
7,147 posts
 

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. 

nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,903 posts
 

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

 

thecarpathian's avatar
thecarpathian
4,652 posts
 

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.

livinon2wheels OP
110 posts
 

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.

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