Around 40" LED TV

[Mr.Mischief]

Hi Guys!

I'm in the market for an LED, around 40" in size. I don't want to spend more than $500, I'm looking in the low-end section.

These are the best I've found so far:

Walmart.com: RCA 42" Class LED 1080p 60Hz HDTV, (1.9" ultra-slim) LED42A45RQ: TV & Video

Walmart.com: Haier 40" Class LED-LCD 1080p 60Hz HDTV, (1.59" ultra-slim) LE40C13800: TV & Video

Find this refurbished Philips 40" LED-LCD HDTV and more ultra-slim models at Walmart.com. Save money. Live better.

Insignia™ - 42" Class - LED - 1080p - 60Hz - HDTV - NS-42E760A12

I'm not sure how well the RCA or Haier are built. I like the Phillips, but it's just over my price range. The Insignia looks nice, but Best Buy doesn't ship it to any stores near me.

[houstoned]

for that price range, why are u limiting yourself to LED? u can get a 1080p 55" plasma for like $500-$600 bucks. unless power consumption is your ONLY concern, i'd stay away from a 40" LED TV because the picture quality is almost guaranteed to be pretty crappy.

even mid-tier edge lit LED TV's have uneven color distribution, flash lighting/blooming, horrible blacks, and major pixelation during gaming/fast-paced scenes. u'll really be rolling the dice with your money when u look for a low-tier LED TV. don't settle for junk just because it say "LED" on it. when it comes to picture quality, LED doesn't mean much without some sort of local dimming technology.

[Mr.Mischief]

for that price range, why are u limiting yourself to LED? u can get a 1080p 55" plasma for like $500-$600 bucks. unless power consumption is your ONLY concern, i'd stay away from a 40" LED TV because the picture quality is almost guaranteed to be pretty crappy.

even mid-tier edge lit LED TV's have uneven color distribution, flash lighting/blooming, horrible blacks, and major pixelation during gaming/fast-paced scenes. u'll really be rolling the dice with your money when u look for a low-tier LED TV. don't settle for junk just because it say "LED" on it. when it comes to picture quality, LED doesn't mean much without some sort of local dimming technology.

Thanks for the info, now for more research

[houstoned]

my buddy just ordered a 55" LG 1080p plasma for like $599.

check out Slickdeals: The Best Deals, Coupons & Discounts on Laptops, Computers, LCDs, TVs, Dell, HP, Apple, Amazon for lots of deals.

what's your price range and main use? maybe one of us could help u out.

[Mr.Mischief]

Thanks houstoned!

I went with a 40" Phillips LED 1080P model. It was more than I wanted to spend, but it looks great! We're only going to watch TV on it, no gaming.

[houstoned]

congrats! search up some calibration settings for it, when it comes in. HD content will really shine after some proper tuning. don't be afraid to ask for help!

[hizzaah]

I picked up a 37" Vizio LED last winter for ~$450 i think. I love the tv I originally was mad that black levels weren't great, but I've now figured it's just my crappy BR play that doesn't like black levels.. Gaming looks great through my 360 too.

@ Mischeif: your TV is pretty snazzy looking! congrats!

[DR650SE]

Nice buy Mischief! When I worked at Best Buy I bought a 46" Sony HX800. After my employee discount and Sony Employee Purchase program rebate, it cost me $410. Amazing T.V. too. LED, Motionflow 240hz, 1080P, looks awesome. I just need to do some gaming on it, which I never have the time.

[HTWingNut]

I'm in the hunt for a new 42" - 46" flat screen. Don't have money yet, have to buy my tires first. But then I'll be going for a new TV. My old tube TV just doesn't cut it anymore either. Looking forward to mounting it above my fireplace and having a small entertainment cabinet next to it and free up some space in my living room.

So for LED, what to look for?

Doesn't plasma lose brightness over time that can't be compensated?

If I were to leave a TV on like 4-6 hours a day, what would be the best for power?

[hizzaah]

I feel like an idiot. I've had this tv for a year and a half now and I've gone through the menu a billion times. Just a few moments ago I realized I could turn the auto screen dimming off. It's like a whole new tv lol. The picture is twice as bright now.

High refresh rates seem to be the thing nowadays.. I'm sure you know but if you're not used to 120hz, it'll look kinda strange for a while. Dream-like if you will. Plasmas have greatly improved in the past few years too. I didn't research any of their new tech since they were out of my price range when I was looking. Samsung makes a nice tv. A guy at a tv shop told me that Vizio uses the same panels as Samsung in their higher end models so you might be able to save some $ there.. LED's are gonna be your slimmer tv's and they'll have low power consumption.

Definitely go demo tv's at you local stores. I hate how the tv's in the size you're looking for appear puny next to the massive ones some stores carry, it makes it too easy to spend too much money lol