TV/Internet/Phone options

[smeags]

I was checking the curved sets out. They look awesome but I didn't have the extra coin this close to Christmas and considering I had to buy a new washer a couple weeks ago.

Might be a tax return option

[QB Eagles]

Smart features in TV are close to worthless IMHO. Maybe less than worthless if the smart features are actively spying on you like many do.

A great looking TV with a lot of inputs can easily last a decade, whereas the smart features will be underpowered and outdated in 2-3 years. Better to just swap out a $25-$100 GoogleAmazonRokuApple stick/box every couple of years to get all the latest "smart" features than be locked into 8 year old tech that someone used to trick you into buying a $1500 TV.

[Sgt PSN]

Agreed. I've got a $35 chromecast that if I ever need to use any kind of smart feature, I can just mirror my phone to the tv. It's revolutionized the way I watch teh pr0n.

Also have Apple TV so squaw can mirror with her Apple gadgets or with our Mac.

[smeags]

I got the smart tv for Netflix. Works perfect. Deal was too good to pass up.

I have Amazon prime, does that mean I can sign into Amazon video service ?

[Sgt PSN]

Yes you can.

Re: smart features

There isn't a single component you can buy today that doesn't have smart features. Blu-ray players come loaded with apps like Netflix or Amazon and they have hundreds more on their "app stores" that are available for download. Same goes for home theaters, tvs, game consoles, etc, so I wouldn't make my decision on buying something because of apps. Jmo.

[smeags]

Oh I have to check out Amazon video. I did prime for the shopping discounts. This is a bonus.

[hunt]

the content is very similar to netflix.

[smeags]

yeah - it all comes down to the original content. im a nerd so im hooked on the defender series on Netflix. plus im def in for another season of narcos. no way I can dump it.

want to check out this man in the high castle series on amazon.

[Susquehanna Birder]

I'm slowly realizing that I'm going to have to replace my 30 year old (okay, 12) plasma TV. It's not that the picture is bad. Far from it - this thing was one of the early plasma TVs, and it still holds up against a lot of the cheap shtein that I've seen in the big box stores. I still love the look because it doesn't oversharp the hell out of things. When you see some sets in the store, they set them for more wow factor to sell them, but if you use them like that, the eye fatigue has to be unbearable.

Anyway, the limits at this point is are the number of inputs and the available resolution. The thing has one HDMI input, which I was able to get around by using a switching receiver. But as I think of adding more devices, the lack of inputs starts becoming more problematic. The available resolution settings on this thing are 480i, 480p, and 1080i (no 720 anything). The 480p still looks damned good. 1080i is great, too, but fewer and fewer new devices will output 1080i - they all want to do 1080p. I had to fight with Comcast to get an X1 box that would work with it (eventually I won that battle), and the Apple TV gets confused sometimes after it resets (I have to manually go in and reset it to a workable resolution). And it looks like Amazon Fire won't talk to it at all.

It kind of breaks my heart to get rid of this TV, partly because it still looks quite good, and partly because I purchased it on a binge when I got some inheritance from my mother's passing. Sentimental value and all. It's too big to put on the wall in the shteinter. Maybe I can find a spot in another bedroom or something.

[smeags]

def make it a bedroom tv. seems like the natural cycle.

[Sgt PSN]

Have you considered getting a receiver instead of a new TV?  I have a Yamaha something or other receiver and it has like 6 hdmi ports on the back. Granted, my TV has a bunch too, but I don't use them. I run all my components (bluray, apple tv, xbox, etc) through the receiver and I only have 1 cable going from the receiver to the TV. I went a little on the pricey side with mine ($700) but you can find a decent one for probably half that, which would be less than a new TV of comparable quality to the one you have.

[smeags]

speaking of a receivier -  I need to look into one. I really would like to bose 3.2.1 but not sure about the set up. not too worried about a bluray player but do they have multi hdmi ports and such. need to do some research.

[Sgt PSN]

Bose, imo, is a waste of money. I've never owned one, but I know about 6 or 7 people who do/have. 3 of them had their units go kaput in less than a year. My sister had 1 and she had 3 different units replaced by warranty in about 9 months. The ones who didnt have any problems still don't have sound as good as I do.

When I bought my receiver I bought a package set of polk speakers for like $400...2 front, 2 rear, 1 center, 1 sub. Since then, I upgraded my front speakers with a pair of klipsch tower speakers (got them for $175 each at BB....they were 50% off because the newer model just came out).  My room setup won't accommodate bookshelf speakers for the rear speakers, but eventually I'll go that route. Anyway, my sound system is legit as farg and kicks the shtein out of Bose and I probably paid half as much....I'm about $1400-1500 into it.

[smeags]

I've had 2sets of Bose speakers in the past and loved them. Now they were just straight shelf speakers (201s & 301s) with no receiver. Sound quality was insanely great. That was so long ago though. I'm not paying a ton for a system period so prob have to look elsewhere.

Maybe I'll get lucky and run into a guy in a white van at neshaminy mall.

[Susquehanna Birder]

Have you considered getting a receiver instead of a new TV?

Yeah, I did that. It made the whole thing a little more tolerable. My previous receiver (Yamaha) was good, but it only did component, and everybody is all about HDMI these days. The new one (Sony) works well as far a switching goes. I suppose it all depends on how you want the signal path to go: source->TV->audio or source->audio->TV. Ultimately it's all the same, I guess, especially when you're using digital technology.