Doug has a 70" flat screen TV and it just died on him. He bought another slightly smaller one. Is it worth it to fix the broken one? Leo says maybe. It could be a failed power supply. If it's the screen itself, it's probably not worth fixing. But it wouldn't hurt to find a good TV repair guy to let him know. It's worth at least $1000 if he can.
Paul wants to buy a new TV. Is it a good time for that? Leo says yes. The new models are now out and he can get a great deal on last year's model. But Vizio has also announced the P-Series, which supports the new UltraHD Premium standard with 4K, HDR, and great dynamic range and color gamut.
Jose is in the market for his first flat screen. He wants to get a Samsung 60" TV, with a budget of $1000. He's seen one for under $800. Leo says that's a great price. But Jose should also look at Vizio TVs. They will give him a lot more bang for his buck and Leo believes that the software in them is much better. If he can afford the P Series, they're really nice TVs. The thing to pay close attention to are the blacks. Make sure they are deep black, and that whites are true white.
Kathleen's HDTV just died. She's looking to buy a 65" 1080p model for $500, but should she buy a 4K TV? Leo says that it may just be a bad cable, so she should make sure that isn't the problem. But if it's dead, then Leo says that it's a very good time to buy a TV as the new models are coming out in the Spring. 4k content is starting to trickle out now and the 4K UHD Blu-ray players are half as much as the Blu-ray players were when they first came out. There's some great options at $1000 for 4K TVs.
Paul can't decide between the Vizio and Samsung 32" HDTVs. Leo says he owns both and he thinks that Vizio has the better 'smart' software, and Scott agrees. As for audio quality, Scott says it's not that good on either TV. Leo agrees and says that none of the TV manufacturers put much thought into the speakers since they expect users to already have home theater systems.
Gary wants to buy a new 70" HDTV and his budget is around $1200. Leo says that if there's a 70" for that price, it's probably a Vizio. The M-Series are good TVs. The E-Series is great as well. Leo bought one. Vizio corners the market for decent TVs for the price. This Vizio E-Series 70" TV is $1200 and Leo thinks it's a good choice.
Jerry's elderly mother has UVerse cable, and she can't afford the HD service. Currently she has an old Sharp 720p TV, and Jerry wanted to replace that for her. Should he buy a 720p TV or a newer 1080p? He was told that the newer, smaller 1080p TV sets don't upscale. Leo says it's a big deal if an HDTV doesn't upscale, because standard definition will look a lot worse. The set top box may upscale, though. Better cables may also help. It also would help to use HDMI instead of composite if it's a possibility.
Steve is looking to get a new HDTV and wants to know if he should get a smart TV or rely on a set top box like Roku. Leo says that most HDTVs are smart TVs, but the apps are awful. He ends up using the Roku or the Apple TV to run all those apps. Steve can get an HDTV that isn't "smart," but they are usually low end options. Leo also says that UltraHD Premium sets are now all the rage and the prices have gone down on 4K TVs. But at the end of the day, it's best to just go with the TV he likes and a Roku.
Over at AVS Forum, Scott has posted an article on "Ten Terrific TVs for Super Bowl Sunday." He advises to avoid "house brands" like Element, Insignia, Sceptre, etc. If you need a value label, Vizio is the way to go. Leo agrees and says that Vizio's software is excellent. There's also LG, Samsung, and Sony.
Scott says that the week before the Super Bowl is actually a bigger week for buying a big screen TV than Black Friday. That's because of the Super Bowl. It's a great time for clearing out the old inventory from last year to get ready for the new models that will come out in the Spring. If you're in the market, Scott has seen a lot of deals and suggests a Samsung SUHD TV. It's high dynamic range. It conforms to the Ultra HD Premium standard, too. Look for the letters "JS" in the model number.
