What is a good low end tv brand?

[royalfan5]

I think I am going to buy myself a new TV when I move next week. I am planning on getting a 26inch or so one now that will be my main TV until next year when I will upgrade significantly and move the one I buy now to bedroom TV duty. I'm not planning on going crazy with this one, and will probably get one from the lower end of the pool. Is there a better low end brand than others, or are they all kind of the same?

[colleyvillesooner]

yes

[Curly Bill]

I think I am going to buy myself a new TV when I move next week. I am planning on getting a 26inch or so one now that will be my main TV until next year when I will upgrade significantly and move the one I buy now to bedroom TV duty. I'm not planning on going crazy with this one, and will probably get one from the lower end of the pool. Is there a better low end brand than others, or are they all kind of the same?

Ask the expert sales peeps at WalMart. :D

[royalfan5]

Ask the expert sales peeps at WalMart. :D

But then I would have to go into a Wal-Mart, and I really don't want to do that.

[Curly Bill]

But then I would have to go into a Wal-Mart, and I really don't want to do that.

...but you did say low end, so I just assumed. ;)

[Frozen Sooner]

Define "low-end."

I've been OK with the Vizio I use for my bedroom TV. 32" and I paid like $500 for it.

[colleyvillesooner]

I've heard good things about Vizio as well for entry level flat screens...

[r5TPsooner]

Samsung, RCA, Zenith.

[royalfan5]

Define "low-end."

I've been OK with the Vizio I use for my bedroom TV. 32" and I paid like $500 for it.

Like that or Westinghouse, etc.

[Frozen Sooner]

Again, I've been OK with my Vizio. There's a visible difference in picture quality between it and my Toshiba, but the Toshiba is also a good 20" longer diagonal, cost about 4x as much, and is 1080p vs. 720p. :D

The major issues I've noticed with it are some macroblocking and slight color inaccuracy. Other than that, it gets the job done.

[yermom]

i have a 27" Apex from Wally World that was like $200 with tax

it has S-Video and that's about all i cared about when i bought it

it's probably like 5 years old, been fine

[C&CDean]

Samsung, RCA, Zenith.

Samsung isn't low-end. They're as pricey (and usually higher rated) than Sony or Sharp.

[C&CDean]

cost about 4x as much, and is 1080p vs. 720p. :D

Dude, even I know that 1080p doesn't look any better than a 720p - until they actually start broadcasting/playing in 1080p format. And I ain't anywhere close to being the nerdling you are.

[r5TPsooner]

Sorry Dean, Samsung makes a POS TV. However, probably the best cheap/low end brand out there.

[IowaSooner26]

Vizio is the lower end brand of LG from what I read awhile back. Also if you are not into going into wally world I am assuming your a Target type of person and I almost bought an Olivia before I got my Sharp. However like Dean said Samsung is a pricey brand but I love mine WAY more than the Sharp.

[Curly Bill]

Sorry Dean, Samsung makes a POS TV. However, probably the best cheap/low end brand out there.

I bought a Samsung from the PX while stationed in Japan. Shipped it home and it worked like a charm, then I let the ex take it. :mad:

[Frozen Sooner]

Dude, even I know that 1080p doesn't look any better than a 720p - until they actually start broadcasting/playing in 1080p format. And I ain't anywhere close to being the nerdling you are.

Incorrect in more than one sense.

First, I'm not just feeding a television signal into the set. Both BD and HD DVD have a native resolution of 1080p24. And yes, they both look better on my 1080p Toshiba than they did my 768p Panasonic.

Second, A digital TV will scale an image fed into it to its native resolution, resulting in a marginally better picture with smoother gradients etc. So even a 720p signal fed into a 1080p native rez set will look marginally better.

I will, however, agree that Samsung is no longer low-end. They're solidly middle-tier.

[Frozen Sooner]

Vizio is the lower end brand of LG from what I read awhile back. Also if you are not into going into wally world I am assuming your a Target type of person and I almost bought an Olivia before I got my Sharp. However like Dean said Samsung is a pricey brand but I love mine WAY more than the Sharp.

Vizio and LuckyGoldstar are not the same company.

Olevia just filed for BK protection.

[royalfan5]

Vizio is the lower end brand of LG from what I read awhile back. Also if you are not into going into wally world I am assuming your a Target type of person and I almost bought an Olivia before I got my Sharp. However like Dean said Samsung is a pricey brand but I love mine WAY more than the Sharp.

I'm not opposed to buying from Wal-Mart, just opposed to going into one. If I can get a deal from them online, I'll do it.

[Sooner_Havok]

I have been pretty happy with my Insignia TV. It is a Best Buy Brand that uses parts made by Toshiba, Sylvania, Sharp, Sony, and LG.

Again, you can tell the difference between an Insignia and a Sony or Sharp, but for the price, it has a pretty good picture.

[Curly Bill]

I have been pretty happy with my Insignia TV. It is a Best Buy Brand that uses parts made by Toshiba, Sylvania, Sharp, Sony, and LG.

TV or Frankenstein?

[Sooner_Havok]

TV or Frankenstein?

Well, the bolts coming out of it come in handy when you are mounting it :cool:

[SicEmBaylor]

I've heard good things about Vizio as well for entry level flat screens...

I have a 32" Vizio flatscreen in my bedroom. I love the thing. I thought the picture quality was almost as good as Samsung and better than a lot of other major brands.

The TV controls are very intuitive.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

I d go the Vizio way too...low price, good piece of equipment

[C&CDean]

Sorry Dean, Samsung makes a POS TV. However, probably the best cheap/low end brand out there.

Wrong. Check any Consumer's Report for the past 2-3 years. Consistently rated as high, or higher than any other set out there. Especially in LCD. And they sure as hell ain't cheap. Right there with the Sony. This ain't your daddy's Samsung anymore.

[Mjcpr]

The TV controls are very intuitive.

<----- Vol ----->
<-----Channel----->

WTF do these do?!

[SicEmBaylor]

<----- Vol ----->
<-----Channel----->

WTF do these do?!

I meant the settings menu. Like changing the color settings, display size, etc.

[soonerinabilene]

If you are not wanting to go all out on a home theatre yet, just something cheap that gets the job done(which, if i remember right you just moved into your first place, so thats probably a good idea for the time being) I would say an Apex would be just fine. Also, its getting close to the time where they are going to be getting rid of all the "obsolete" sets that dont have a digital tuner built in(which if you have cable or satellite, you dont need) so getting a good deal on a nice tv that just doesnt have that built in should be pretty easy. My dad actually just got a Polaroid 42" Flat Screen HD from Walmart for $400 because it doesnt have a digital tuner. Now, its not a great HD tv, but for someone that doesnt really care about if he is really getting true HD or not its perfect.

[VeeJay]

I have bought two Insignia's from the evil Best Buy in the last 16 months - a 27" for the bedroom and a 19" which I have in our home office, and have been very happy with both of them. Good picture, but the HD picture on my projection Sony is hard to beat.

There are so many choices within $30-$50 I think the quality is probably not far off on any of them.

[XingTheRubicon]

Wrong. Check any Consumer's Report for the past 2-3 years. Consistently rated as high, or higher than any other set out there. Especially in LCD. And they sure as hell ain't cheap. Right there with the Sony. This ain't your daddy's Samsung anymore.

Yup, the last Consumer's Report I read had a huge write up on LCD's, Samsung was in the top 2 in almost every size. Panasonic was up there, too. Samsung and Panasonic was rated above Sony in almost every size LCD.

btw, Vizio was surprisingly highly rated for a moon pie brand.

[bluedogok]

I found a 32" Toshiba for $600 a few weeks ago, I saw the 26" version of that Toshiba for $549 on the Best Buy site (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8747886&type=product&id=1202649422582) as we are looking for a new one for my father-in-law since his old Zenith (and my old one) got hit in a storm out in West Texas. Been looking at places that can deliver it out to him and there are Best Buys in the area.

[Condescending Sooner]

Vizio and LuckyGoldstar are not the same company.

Olevia just filed for BK protection.

I read that Olevia was the only TV made in America. I was hoping it would make it.

[BillyBall]

Samsung, RCA, Zenith.

Samsung isnt low end. In fact, they are a bit pricey.

[OUMallen]

Heard the vizios are dece.

[StoopTroup]

Just go with the Sony you cheap bastage. :D

[Mixer!]

Or Pioneer.

[Turd_Ferguson]

I got one you can have if you pay for the shipping.

http://www.radiolaguy.com/images/TVs/Sears5170-pix.jpg

[mdklatt]

Just go with the Sony you cheap bastage. :D

If you're willing to pay Sony prices, get the Samsung instead. Better picture quality and features for the same price. I don't know if Samsung has bumped their prices up in the past few years or if Sony has knocked theirs down to be more competitive.