TV thread -

[Dr. Geronimo]

Saw that there wasn't a thread about Televisions so here we are. Dox your 4KTV's here and give opinions if you like.

However the reason why I made this thread is because I'm trying to dissuade myself from buying an OLED TV. They look fucking gorgeous but they are expensive. How are QLED's, Particularly the Vizio Quantum series?

 

[The Last Stand]

What's a TV?

 

[Dr. Geronimo]

What's a TV?

It's what boomers use to watch commercials

 

[SSF2T Old User]

I'm not into the whole 4K trend. I have a 30" JVC CRT (Tube TV) that looks like this

I have this in my "man cave" in which I call the "Retro Room". I have two switchboards hooked up to it, one for Composite/S-Video (Sega Saturn, N64, PS1, Roku) and one for Component (PS2, Wii, GameCube, DVD Surround Sound).

In my bedroom, I have two hd tvs. One I use for my computer (32" Dynex, which for some reason my Linux computer shows its a "Priva Hortimation BV")

And then I have a 32" Emerson hanging on my wall with another Roku attached (HDMI input)

 

[NOT Sword Fighter Super]

What's a TV?

It's YouTube for normies.

 

[heyitsmike]

I don't have a 4K television, don't see the need for one. I have a 32" 720p LCD set in my bedroom and a 60" 1080p LED set in the living room. Both have served me well.

Whenever I see a 4K HDR set in the store I think, 'Is that really such an upgrade?' And the answer is no.

Save the money and just get a bigger 1080p television.

 

[Sam Losco]

My main is a Sony KDL-50W800C. That's a 50in Android TV. This is the best one in the house and has a 5.1 Onkyo system connected to it using HDMI ARC. Built in Chromecast and installed VLC for local streaming.

My secondary in the main living room is an old, dumb Samsung UN40C5000QF. That's a 40in. I have an RPi 3 connected to it with Kodi for local streaming from the NAS and Comcast gave us for a free one of their new devices (Xfinity Flex) for other streaming services like Tubi, Pluto, etc. Also have an older Chromecast attached to it.

The most recent addition is a cheap HiSense in the bedroom. It's 32in and is an Android TV. My main complaint with it is the built in WiFi is so fucking horrible that you can't even use it for anything. It disconnects and is horribly slow. So I had to run a cable to it. Second complaint is the power cord is hard wired in. Otherwise, it's not a bad TV. It's even got a cool feature we use a lot that allows you to continue playing audio with the screen off.

For actual TV channels, I refuse to pay for garbage I don't want (like MTV, Lifetime and TLC) so we just use an antenna for OTA channels. It's split to directly wire into the Samsung and then into an HD Homerun box for streaming to the Android TVs. Works pretty well.

 

[Pickle Dick]

I've never owned one, but I've always thought that Plasma television sounded cool based on the name of it. I might think of picking one up one day. Anyone here with experience with Plasma TVs?

 

[heyitsmike]

For actual TV channels, I refuse to pay for garbage I don't want (like MTV, Lifetime and TLC) so we just use an antenna for OTA channels. It's split to directly wire into the Samsung and then into an HD Homerun box for streaming to the Android TVs.

I use an antenna too. I know OTA television has been around for almost 100 years. And the set in my room when I was still living at home over 15 years ago had an antenna so I'm used to it. But for some reason crystal clear 1080i being beamed through the air blows my mind.

I've never owned one, but I've always thought that Plasma television sounded cool based on the name of it. I might think of picking one up one day. Anyone here with experience with Plasma TVs?

Plasmas are obsolete. Thinner, lighter, higher resolution, more power efficient is the name of the game now. They don't do well with those. I don't think manufacturers have put out new plasma sets since 2014.

 

[Smaug's Smokey Hole]

Plasmas are obsolete. Thinner, lighter, higher resolution, more power efficient is the name of the game now. They don't do well with those. I don't think manufacturers have put out new plasma sets since 2014.

I think the EU made them illegal to sell, there was at least talk about it 8-10 years ago. Shortly after that I stopped seeing them in stores even though they were better in color and viewing angles and LCDs at the time were still pretty chunky because they used CFL instead of LEDs as the backlight. Closing a large market like that might have dissuaded manufacturers from developing new ones and they went all in on LCD instead. That's just me speculating.

 

[heyitsmike]

I think the EU made them illegal to sell, there was at least talk about it 8-10 years ago. Shortly after that I stopped seeing them in stores even though they were better in color and viewing angles and LCDs at the time were still pretty chunky because they used CFL instead of LEDs as the backlight. Closing a large market like that might have dissuaded manufacturers from developing new ones and they went all in on LCD instead. That's just me speculating.

Banning plasmas was kinda like banning coal now. It's already going away on its own, no real need legislate it away anyway. But that's EU bureaucracy for you.

Manufacturers were going away from it regardless. 8-10 years ago they weren't just moving away from plasmas, they were moving away from LCDs. They didn't need dissuation to move away from CRTs or DLPs or LCDs. At the time the market wanted LEDs and LEDs only.

 

[Smaug's Smokey Hole]

Banning plasmas was kinda like banning coal now. It's already going away on its own, no real need legislate it away anyway. But that's EU bureaucracy for you.

Manufacturers were going away from it regardless. 8-10 years ago they weren't just moving away from plasmas, they were moving away from LCDs. They didn't need dissuation to move away from CRTs or DLPs or LCDs. At the time the market wanted LEDs and LEDs only.

I agree with that, except LED is just the backlight for the LCD panel. LED is a better backlight, it's way more power efficient and smaller than the older compact fluorescent lights(CFL), with the added benefit of removing flicker. They probably don't break as often either and their lifespan is longer, it just sucks that like CFL they start to fade over time.

 

[heyitsmike]

except LED is just the backlight for the LCD panel. LED is a better backlight, it's way more power efficient and smaller than the older compact fluorescent lights(CFL)

I understand that... don't really know what made you think I didn't?

The market moved from [CCFL] LCD to LED [LCD]. That's absolutely true.

 

[Smaug's Smokey Hole]

I understand that... don't really know what made you think I didn't?

The market moved from [CCFL] LCD to LED [LCD]. That's absolutely true.

This part:
"they were moving away from LCDs. They didn't need dissuation to move away from CRTs or DLPs or LCDs. At the time the market wanted LEDs and LEDs only. "

 

[heyitsmike]

This part:
"they were moving away from LCDs. They didn't need dissuation to move away from CRTs or DLPs or LCDs. At the time the market wanted LEDs and LEDs only. "

People wanted televisions with LED backlights instead of CCFL backlights. That's entirely consistent with my statement.

 

[Smaug's Smokey Hole]

People wanted televisions with LED backlights instead of CCFL backlights. That's entirely consistent with my statement.

You said they were moving away from LCDs. Many people mixed up the display with the backlight it uses, it's fine, it's the marketing worm.