home theater, cord cutting, video streaming, a/v tech, and more!

Postby **MWB** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 3:44 pm

Looking to get a new tv relatively soon. Something 55-60 inch range. Any recommendations on brands, models, or where to buy? I don’t want to spend a ton of money ($500ish I guess), but would also like a good tv.

Postby **nocera** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 4:05 pm

I too am in the market for an affordable 4K tv with 120 Hz.

Postby **AuthorTony** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 4:09 pm

Looking to get a new tv relatively soon. Something 55-60 inch range. Any recommendations on brands, models, or where to buy? I don’t want to spend a ton of money ($500ish I guess), but would also like a good tv.

At that price, I'd be looking at TCLs.

Postby **eddy** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 4:33 pm

Looking to get a new tv relatively soon. Something 55-60 inch range. Any recommendations on brands, models, or where to buy? I don’t want to spend a ton of money ($500ish I guess), but would also like a good tv.
At that price, I'd be looking at TCLs.

This, check out their 6 series. 2020 Hisense is supposed to be decent too.

Postby **MWB** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 5:59 pm

I saw TCLs mentioned on CNET, but had never heard of them before.

Postby **eddy** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 6:41 pm

I saw TCLs mentioned on CNET, but had never heard of them before.

Very good bang for your buck although I'd stay clear from the lower tier models if you are using for your main home theater setup.

Postby **NTP66** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 7:07 pm

Go through the wizard on rtings.com, and it’ll help you identify the most suitable set for your viewing environment and budget.

Postby **tifosi77** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 7:13 pm

I think when we upgrade our TV we're probably going with a TCL or another Vizio. There's just so much value in those brands.

Postby **NTP66** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 7:26 pm

FALD is mandatory for me. And even then, some brands are better than others. My Vizio is decent, but dark scenes highlight the average backlighting. My Sony is far superior (as it should be).

Postby **MWB** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 7:47 pm

I saw TCLs mentioned on CNET, but had never heard of them before.
Very good bang for your buck although I'd stay clear from the lower tier models if you are using for your main home theater setup.

If by “home theater setup” you mean the tv that will be in my living room, then yes, it will be that one. I think my current tv is 6-7 years old and is 40”.

Postby **MWB** » Tue Oct 20, 2020 7:48 pm

Go through the wizard on rtings.com, and it’ll help you identify the most suitable set for your viewing environment and budget.

Postby **DigitalGypsy66** » Wed Oct 21, 2020 3:53 pm

RIP Quibi. Their YouTube ads died off finally, or the political ads were more in my demo?

Postby **eddy** » Wed Oct 21, 2020 3:54 pm

What the **** is quibi?

Postby **dodint** » Wed Oct 21, 2020 3:57 pm

Nothing. It was nothing and is nothing.

They made short form programming. Like podcasts, but with video, like Youtube. Except that we have content pouring out of every digital orifice and did not need this. I forgot which celebrity backed it.

Postby **nocera** » Wed Oct 21, 2020 4:05 pm

More importantly, what the **** is Cheddar Live?

Postby **DigitalGypsy66** » Wed Oct 21, 2020 4:14 pm

@ cheddar. It's a news channel of some sort.

Postby **MWB** » Thu Oct 22, 2020 9:19 pm

Ended up with a 65” Samsung 7 series, 2018 model. Pretty happy with it so far.

Postby **eddy** » Fri Oct 23, 2020 10:06 am

Has anyone hooked up a 2nd subwoofer in their home theater?

Postby **iamjs** » Fri Oct 23, 2020 11:24 am

It figures as soon as I get my Best Buy card down below a $100 balance that my TV is starting to go. It's nothing terrible short term, but if I leave it run for more than 3-4 hours the colors start to get fuzzy. But considering it's age and usage over that time, it has done a decent job. I'm hoping to get another month or two out of it and maybe pick up something around Black Friday or Christmas.

This doesn't look like a bad deal, but there are a few reviews in here that aren't exactly a good endorsement: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-75 ... Id=6401719

Postby **iamjs** » Fri Oct 23, 2020 11:35 am

Nothing. It was nothing and is nothing.

They made short form programming. Like podcasts, but with video, like Youtube. Except that we have content pouring out of every digital orifice and did not need this. I forgot which celebrity backed it.

They're blaming the pandemic for this, but with everybody either primarily working from home or not working at all, wouldn't this have been more ideal for them?

But I agree with your comment. There is content everywhere. Did we really need this?

Postby **MrKennethTKangaroo** » Fri Oct 23, 2020 2:14 pm

Quibi is a pretty good example of what happens when big companies try to make something popular or go viral or whatever you want to call it

Postby **NTP66** » Fri Oct 30, 2020 8:43 am

Anyone here have an Nvidia Shield? I'm debating whether or not it's worth grabbing one solely for 4k/Atmos videos that I download, since my TiVo Roamios are limited to 1080p/DD.

Postby **dodint** » Fri Oct 30, 2020 8:59 am

This is something that has always bothered me about purchasing digital content and it finally happened to me the other day. With the news about the Peanuts holiday classics going to Apple TV, I went to check on the specials I had already purchased on Youtube/Google Play and Amazon Prime. The items purchased on YT were still there, but the ones on Amazon Prime were 'Not Available At This Time' despite being listed under my purchases.

Then yesterday this on-point news item crossed my desk:
Lawsuit Reminds Us We Don't Own Content Purchased on Amazon Prime Video - Any digital content purchased through Amazon 'may become unavailable' at any time.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/lawsuit-remi ... rime-video

It's easy to assume that digital content purchased through Amazon, or any other well-established digital marketplace for that matter, should remain available indefinitely. However, Caudel is correct and Amazon even agrees. In a motion to dismiss the claim, Amazon stated, "These Terms of Use expressly state that purchasers obtain only a limited license to view video content and that purchased content may become unavailable due to provider license restriction or other reasons."

You are basically just reserving it to be available to you during the times that Amazon happens to have rights to it.

We've talked before about physical media vs. digital and how to secure digital purchases in perpetuity. Looks like Amazon just isn't the place to buy this stuff, though I'm sure many other services have similar policies. I've dealt with this in the PC racing simulator iRacing; except that service is very explicit about the fact that you're licensing access to content. Maybe Amazon should have to stop calling it a 'Purchase' and refer to it as a 'License.'

Postby **NTP66** » Fri Oct 30, 2020 9:04 am

Yeah, I saw that the other day. Not surprised, though I still think it's total horseshit.

Postby **AuthorTony** » Fri Oct 30, 2020 10:57 am

For the last few months I've been watching streamed content almost exclusively. Over Halloween I've been watching my Blu Rays and even some DVDs. I'm amazed at how much better physical media looks my my 65" 4K TV, even when none of it has been 4K content. There is none of the awful blocking up of shadows I see constantly in dark scenes in streamed content, no weird motion effects, etc. Storing a metric ton of physical media is a pita but I'd never buy digital content for anything I really cared about watching. The image quality is far inferior. Even my sd DVDs have looked better.