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ATP: Buying a new television

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scooter84

Jack Campbell
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I know we have had threads about this before but couldn't find one that was recent.

I need to buy a new TV for my family room. We have a 55" one now - trying to decide whether we need something bigger. Our room is not that big. Main seating area is only 12-15 feet from the TV. TV is mounted over the fireplace. I think we are OK with another 55" one. Moving to 65" just seems too big and I don't really see options in between?

What specific TVs would people recommend? I think we should go for true OLED - do others agree? Any other features or anything we should be looking for? I assume they are all Smart TVs these days...

Also - we are building a screened porch on our house that is going to have a fireplace with another TV over it. I think I am going to move my current family room TV out there. Should I be worried about putting it outside? It should be pretty protected from moisture but will experience temperature swings. We are putting the EZ-breeze windows out there but it will be just screened most of the time. Should I buy a cover for it?

Thanks for any opinions...
 
12-15' recommended to have 65" or bigger. How dark is the room? OLED is amazing if you can control light, not very bright with reflections. LG C1(2021) or new C2(2022) or a CX(2020) model on clearance and Sony A80J or A90J (or Costco equivalent model) are best OLED that regular consumers can buy.

Rtings.com is a great review buying guide source.

https://www.reddit.com/r/HTBuyingGuides/comments/tdkpdn/2022_uscanada_tv_buying_guide/ also a good source of info.

Yes, all TV's are smart these days. However, probably better off running a streaming box, Google Chromecast with tv, Roku, Apple TV etc, they are just better than built in apps, get updated more frequently, etc.

And you're probably fine putting current tv outside, just keep direct moisture off of it. Cover isn't terrible idea but not required. And if it does get messed up, see the links above and get one of the mid grade models that has a wide viewing angle(prob necessary outside) and good peak brightness.
 
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I have a 65" QLED TCL 65R625 that's awesome. I love it and works great in my living room in dark and lighter conditions.
 
Once its installed nobody ever complains that their tv is too big. If your question is whether to buy a bigger tv then you should.
 
dubs21 said:
12-15' recommended to have 65" or bigger. How dark is the room? OLED is amazing if you can control light, not very bright with reflections. LG C1(2021) or new C2(2022) or a CX(2020) model on clearance and Sony A80J or A90J (or Costco equivalent model) are best OLED that regular consumers can buy.

Rtings.com is a great review buying guide source.

https://www.reddit.com/r/HTBuyingGuides/comments/tdkpdn/2022_uscanada_tv_buying_guide/ also a good source of info.

Yes, all TV's are smart these days. However, probably better off running a streaming box, Google Chromecast with tv, Roku, Apple TV etc, they are just better than built in apps, get updated more frequently, etc.
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So QLED needs a darker room? We have a lot of windows in our family room so maybe QLED or Nano (Samsung or LG)?
 
See the reviews on rtings.com for those models. I don't know a ton about QLED. You probably don't want OLED if you're room has tons of windows unless you plan to watch primarily at night. Also, depends on how much weight you put into all the picture processing and where you draw the line with your money.
 
We have a TV outside on our covered porch over the fireplace that is 65”. It’s been two years without any issues.

An “outdoor” TV was so expensive I can buy 6 of the ones I have out there now and still break even.
 
Personally I'd go OLED even if your room has windows. First, it'll be fine unless there are hours where daylight is literally streaming directly onto the screen. But OLED is just so freaking awesome compared to any of the other technologies, and at night, with shades down, etc - it'll be absolutely stunning.

Also go 65" without question. Just wait until you get a nice 4k sporting even streaming on a 65" OLED... Unreal.
 
We went from 55" pannasonic plasma to the LG OLED mentioned above. It's pretty amazing. Agree with everyone that says go bigger if you can.
 
DeaconCav06 said:
We have a TV outside on our covered porch over the fireplace that is 65”. It’s been two years without any issues.

An “outdoor” TV was so expensive I can buy 6 of the ones I have out there now and still break even.
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Same here. As long as it’s not getting wet or direct sun it should be fine. Don’t waste money on an outdoor tv. I paid $300 for this one four years ago and it’s going strong out there.
 
outdoor TVs are really expensive but it isn't just about them being more weatherproof. the outdoor TV looks much better outdoors than the indoor TV during the day. that's what you are really paying for. they are significantly brighter and have anti-glare coatings. i have two next two each other outside, one of each, and it isn't close.
 
Fuck Your Couch said:
outdoor TVs are really expensive but it isn't just about them being more weatherproof. the outdoor TV looks much better outdoors than the indoor TV during the day. that's what you are really paying for. they are significantly brighter and have anti-glare coatings. i have two next two each other outside, one of each, and it isn't close.
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What model is the non outdoor tv that you have outside?
 
How often do people watch TV outside during the day factoring in jobs and weather?
 
dubs21 said:
What model is the non outdoor tv that you have outside?
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it is pretty cheap 55 inch samsung. around $400

PhDeac said:
How often do people watch TV outside during the day factoring in jobs and weather?
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most weekends with decent or better weather. of course its primarily sports. its a great CFB/NFL spot in the fall, been great for tourney games this month, great for masters next month
 
If it's a low end model then that's probably why it's not very bright and might not have good reflection handling. But who knows. Hopefully the outdoor specific TV's actually have some features that would cause them to ask such wild prices.
 
dubs21 said:
If it's a low end model then that's probably why it's not very bright and might not have good reflection handling. But who knows. Hopefully the outdoor specific TV's actually have some features that would cause them to ask such wild prices.
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i bought a cheap indoor TV to put outdoors because i was considering it disposable. spending up to get a midgrade indoor TV to put outdoors seemed dumb to me.

anyway it looked like crap and i saw what a real outdoor TV looked like at a friends and it is 100% better
 
it also depends on if you are in a screened in/shaded area vs. full exposure. if sunlight is going to directly hit your screen an indoor TV is not going to work.
 
Yeah I get the the decision process, totally makes sense. And screened porch is going to be much easier to go with lesser tv.
 
since he said it will be protected from moisture, I suspect it will be shaded enough for a regular TV.

no cover needed if you have screens - covers are mainly useful for protection from bugs and birds, I think. We had a bird try to make a nest behind ours once.
 
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