Bill is looking to buy a midrange TV around Black Friday. He's thinking about Hitachi's 1080p 55 inch TV. Scott says that Hitachi got out of the TV business awhile ago, so chances are it will be an old model, and Scott would be hesitant about that.
Scott says that for a high quality, low cost TV, he recommends Vizio -- especially from the M-Series and up. The M Series is terrific if he can stretch his budget a tad beyond $400.
Scott says that the AVSForum has been redesigned so that it's easier to get the editorial content. Scott also says that there's a lot of HDR movies coming in theater including The Martian, PAN, and the Maze Runner Scorch Trials. Scott's really looking forward to The Martian. The book is fantastic, and according to reviews from the Toronto Film Festival, the film is really faithful to the book.
Terri is ready to buy a new HDTV, what's a good affordable one? Leo says that the Vizio E series is a very good buy. She'll want to get a larger screen than she thinks. For 10 feet away, a minimum size is 55". Make sure it's LED Backlit with local dimming. To watch Netflix and Amazon, get the smart TV and Vizio makes the best smart TV apps. When she gets it home, she should put it into movie mode. It'll look better. She'll also want to consider getting a home theater in a box or sound bar.
Brian and other employees want to chip in and buy a 40" HDTV for their boss. Is Insignia a good option? Leo says that Insignia is Best Buy's house brand. He wouldn't choose that over Vizio. That's where Leo would go. They offer tremendous value for the money.
Should he go larger than 40? Leo says maybe, if he can afford it. Samsung? Leo says yes, Samsung is great, as is LG, Sharp, and Sony. But Vizio is the best bang for Brian's buck.
Elan needs to buy a new TV and he likes Samsung Smart TVs. He's not married to that, though. What TV should he get? First off, Leo says to get the largest TV he can afford, and a 70" TV is a good option. Leo says that Samsung makes great HDTVs, but he shouldn't hesitate to look at a high-end Vizio. The price/performance ratio on Vizio is really good, and the P Series is very impressive. Leo likes Vizio's smart TV OS as well. It'll give him the best bang for the buck. A 70" will cost him $2300 for the 4K P Series, while the 70" 1080p M Series is $1599.
Scott returns from NAB this week, after spending a week walking the halls and seeing the latest in broadcast and film technology. Leo says that it's become more and more about that, rather than the inside technology of engineers. There's a lot more focus on streaming media. Scott agrees, and says that TWiT is ahead of that curve, blazing the trail. Scott says he likes to go to NAB because seeing what broadcasters are working on points the way to what consumers will go with. And 4K was everywhere.
Tim wants to know what 40" TV is best for color reproduction with photography. Leo says that the Sony Grand Vega was the top of the line back in the analog days. Leo says that he'd go bigger if he can. Bigger is always more immersive and more realistic. But in the 40" range, he can get one for under $300.
Robert just upgraded his TV and he needs a sound bar. Leo says that Pioneer makes one designed by Andrew Jones which is surprisingly affordable for the quality sound it provides. But he'll want to be sure he gets one with a subwoofer. He'll have to be realistic as to what he's getting because it's not going to be surround. But as far as sound bars go, the Pioneer SP-SB23W is the one to get.
Jeff has an old Magnavox Plasma TV and he's in the market for a new TV. Leo says that plasma has gone away largely because of the power requirements. And thanks to the State of California's low power requirements for TVs, nobody really makes them anymore. Jeff has a budget of $1,000 and would like a TV that's at least 55".
Rene bought a used Vizio HDTV, and now it's strobing, and the audio sounds like it's going through a fan. Leo says that HDTVs are difficult to fix, and may just be too expensive to pay someone to repair. But his best bet is to talk to a TV repairman.
