What is a good inexpensive 1080P 120Hz 40inch LED?

[Dr Kain]

I'm looking to get a new tv since I am sick of having a huge 720P tube and want to get a 1080P tv with 120Hz that is around 40 inches, perferably an LED. I cannot spend more than $400-500 on it though. What is a good tv to get? I'm not really worried about brand, because in all honesty, there is no difference. Sony's and Samsung's are great tvs, but you are paying more for the name whereas Vizio and LG have the same quality as them.

[AV_Integrated]

LG has about twice the failure rate of Samsung, and Sony is slightly better than Samsung as far as failure rate goes. Vizio is a low cost leader.

How far away from your TV are you sitting that you feel the jump from 720p to 1080p without any change in size is warranted?

I will say that I had a 60" 720p Pioneer, and the jump from my 50" to a 60" at 12' sticking with 720p was phenomenal because of the contrast and color accuracy of the Pioneer. The resolution made almost no difference at all.

I'm not one to talk people out of a purchase, but if you are at about 8' from a 40" display, you are just wasting money to keep the size the same and just ask for an increase in resolution with no thought towards actual contrast ratio, color accuracy, shadow details, and motion handling. All four of those are MORE important to image quality than resolution is.

[Dr Kain]

I am about 9 feet away from the tv, but our current tv is a 30inch. The main reason we want to get a new tv is we are sick of dealing with this 159lbs dinosaur, especially since we will be moving to a new apartment across town in the Fall. We do not want to have to move the tube again, as it is too much of a hassle. Plus, I am sick of not having 1080P.

Oh, and the tv we have now is a LG, which we have had for more than 6 years without an issue.

[AV_Integrated]

I'm glad you've had good luck with your LG tube TV and I do think that going to a flat panel makes a lot of sense. As for the size, you are definitely not big enough at 40", but if that's what you want, then that's what you want.

I will say that your request for 120hz is typical of someone who is just getting into the flat panel game for the first time. LCD (LED or traditionally lit) have failings which requires faster refresh rates to help, but not fix, an issue with motion handling that they can't deal with. The cheaper ones, which is where your price range is, handle this worse, while more expensive ones do it better.

Plasma does not have this issue which is why you don't see much marketing from plasmas about higher speeds - they don't need it.

It is worth saying that plasma will give you a much closer image to your CRT display compared to LCD, which is something you shoudl keep in mind. The viewing angle, the motion handling, especially at your price point, really make plasma a much better option for your use.

Panasonic has this model which will deliver a better image than anything else you will get for the price point:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Panasoni...&skuId=4837543

Going a bit more, Panasonic offer this:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Panasoni...&skuId=4837525

It has a (not needed) 120hz rating.

There are cheaper TVs which will actually look phenomenal from a 9' viewing distance and cost less and will be class leaders for the money spent:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+...&skuId=4837604

You really don't find anything from Best Buy which is a major manufacturer with 120hz LCD tech. Due to LCDs tech, you DO want 120hz at least for better motion handling, but you get into refurbished models, which I would typically avoid.

Going a bit over budget:
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-UN40EH...samsung+40+led

Amazon can deliver a quality model typically for a bit less than Best Buy, but it is worth keeping your eyes open for deals from any and all stores.

I typically recommend people stick with better manufacturers including Panasonic (top of the quality list), Samsung (good image, average reliability), Sharp (good image, average reliability), Vizio (decent image, average reliability, typically cheaper), Sony (bit more expensive, good image, average reliability).

Store brands/imports (Insignia, Haier, Seiki, TCL, Coby, etc.) are the ones which will be cheapest, and they will deliver absolutely the lowest quality product and image that you can get. Coming from a decent CRT that you are happy with, it will be a significant downgrade to any of those models and I would not recommend them.

Similarly, I would not recommend brands which have higher than typical failure rates, most notably LG. Your past experience not withstanding, the reality is that LG has a reported failure rate almost twice the national average and four times higher than Panasonic. Still, they look good and they are cheap, and it's your money to spend how you choose. I personally just won't recommend them based upon personally knowing several people who have had LG displays fail on them. (I've never owned one)

To get to a 120hz LCD, from a quality manufacturer, the cheapest appears to run over $500, but can be had under $600...

http://www.amazon.com/VIZIO-Class-Th...0717742&sr=1-6

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-LN40A5...0717843&sr=1-5

You do have some options, which is nice, but it is important to know if LCD is really what you want and that you are properly informed on the serious shortcomings of LCD technology, especially at the lower end price point.

[Dr Kain]

Thanks for your advice, it is appreciated even if the rest of my post does not sound like it is.

To be honest, here are where my thoughts lie right now:

We are going to be moving in Oct/Nov, the new apartment that is our top choice will most likely have the tv farther than 8 feet away due to how the living room is set up.

Secondly, right now, we just want an inexpensive tv to replace the tube, and then later on, when I have a job again (I was working at Best Buy and my GM gave me the boot the moment I graduated), we are going to look at much higher quality TVs after a few paychecks of when I get a new job.

That is pretty much why we cannot spend more than $500, because that is what my g/f and I budgeted in in our "new apartment purchases" budget. On the other hand, I am selling off a ton of my figure collections since I have way too much stuff, so I might be able to go for that Panasonic tv instead, but right now, we are just looking for a temporary tv, as it were.

[Tnecniv]

Good luck finding a new job soon. I'd recommend Vizio as a good temp budget tv. Owned a Vizio back in college and was happy with it for the most part.

Having a hard time finding one brand new under 500 bucks that meet your specifications--40'', led, 120hz, best I could find was a 42'', 60hz LED model hovering around $530-570:

http://store.vizio.com/led-lcd-hdtvs....html?___SID=U
http://www.amazon.com/Vizio-E420VSE-...=vizio+E420VSE

[AV_Integrated]

As said, you have reasons, and they are fine.

You didn't really address the plasma/LCD issue. If you want quality and have a limited budget, the plasma will significantly outperform LCD for the money and will simply deliver a value TV which is better.

A 60hz plasma will always outperform a similarly priced LCD, and as linked above, you can do 42" for under $500 by doing that. Since you currently have a CRT display you are mostly happy with, I don't see any obvious reason why plasma wouldn't be the ideal replacement.
http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-VIER...onic+42+plasma

Nothing else out there, I believe, will give you as good of an image for the money around the 40" size. Plus, the added reliability of Panasonic will mean you should not be paying extra in a couple of years due to poor product quality.

[Badger3920]

Your reasons and budget concerns are your own and cannot be challenged. I'm a huge LCD/LED fan (one of the few here that does not prefer plasmas) but in this case I'd think of it like this:

-Plasmas are very budget friendly. You are going to get a tv that you consider "temporary" - but consider this; in a couple years you'll have a steady job, and you'll be ready to upgrade. You're not simply going to throw this in the trash, you'll either sell it, or you'll put it in the bedroom. In either case, why not have something with a better/bigger image quality, or something with a good image that will be easier to re-sell?

For your budget right now, I'd take AV's pointers to heart. You'll simply get a superior set, and a larger set, for your money in this price range if you go with plasma. Later on, you'll be glad you did because it'll have a better image quality and you can throw it in the bedroom, or someone will be happy to buy it off of you.

[AV_Integrated]

Your reasons and budget concerns are your own and cannot be challenged. I'm a huge LCD/LED fan (one of the few here that does not prefer plasmas)

Yes, you are weird!

Worth saying that I merely recognize the price and quality advantage of plasma for many situations. But, I install about 75%+ of my displays as LED/LCD due to their added brightness and quite often a budget which allows for the nicer LCD displays. But, when I've used plasma it has been the better Samsung or Panasonic models. I personally own a few LCDs - mostly lesser expensive ones - and they do not look very good, certainly not as good as my cheap plasma display looked.

[Tnecniv]

From my personal experience and taste, also prefer to go with plasma. Was able to get a 5020 Kuro brand new at a huge discount right before (or was it after, can't remember) Pioneer announced their exit from the TV business. But back to topic, that Panny LCD AV Integrated linked to for just under $500 looks like the one to get. Then perhaps upgrade to a killer high end plasma later on once you get a new job and the money starts rolling in. Panasonic makes some solid sets, have got a Panny plasma from '08 that is still running strong.

[Dr Kain]

Well let's say we put cost to the corner, which is better to get, the Panasonic 42 inch Passive 3D LED or the 50 inch Plasma? Both cost the same price and Best Buy is offering a free 3D BD player with either one (and I need one, my Samsung is going to die any day now).

I mean, the 50 incher is bigger than what I am really looking for, but some say Plasmas are better. How so? I ask because when I compare the two, a LED is brighter and more vibrant whereas a Plasma looks faded.

The LED also has built in wifi and might be able to play my video files that a Panasonic BD player cannot (MP4 and AVI).

[rm082e]

I mean, the 50 incher is bigger than what I am really looking for, but some say Plasmas are better. How so? I ask because when I compare the two, a LED is brighter and more vibrant whereas a Plasma looks faded.

Plasma may look more faded in a brightly florescent lit store, but that is not the case in a typical living room with a moderate amount of natural light. In a dark room, correctly calibrated Plasma has the "pop" of an LCD without sacrificing black levels. If you mostly watch TV at night, I have no problem pushing Plasma on you all the way. If you watch most of your TV in the day time with a lot of light in the room, then it's more of a toss up.

All things being equal, I would take a 50" 720P Plasma over a 40" 1080P LCD any day of the week. At your distance, the increase in screen size is going to give you a much better experience than an increase in resolution.

Speaking from personal experience, I just replaced an LED DLP with a Panasonic Plasma and I am more thrilled with my new set than I ever thought I would be. The picture quality is much closer to CRT than DLP or LCD and the black levels really make the experience for me. Doesn't matter what the light levels are in the room, or if I'm gaming, watching a movie, etc. It looks fantastic at all times.

The LED also has built in wifi and might be able to play my video files that a Panasonic BD player cannot (MP4 and AVI).

Just because it has Wifi built in doesn't mean it supports DLNA. Check the specifics of the onboard software before you consider this a pro for any TV set. Even if it does, you will probably need to run a DLNA server client on your PC to get it working reliably. Just make sure you understand what you are getting for your money.

[Dr Kain]

Thank you all for the recommendation, but I must admit I did not go the Plasma route. I was going to do the Panasonic Plasma, and then I realized there was no way in hell the box was going to fit into our car.

Anyway, we decided to go with the Samasung 40inch LED ES6100 tv. We just watched Inception on it and it looked incredible!!!!!

Now I cannot wait to get through all of the Batman movies and I'm definitely rewatching Lord of the Rings this month.

[AV_Integrated]

The Samsung LCD/LED displays are some of the best on the market and you made a solid decision to go with that model. I'm sure it was well over your $500 initial budget, but I'm (personally) happy that you made a decision that led you with quality first instead of budget. I regularly use Panasonic, Samsung, and Sharp in my installations, and for LCD, you just can't beat Samsung. For plasma, both Panny and Samsung have excellent models and options.

We could go on about why plasma is better than LCD, but at the end of the day, they both look good and are worth having. When you move, if you decide to go with a larger display in the new place, then I urge you to try out a nice big plasma display. The difference in quality between the two with a quality HD source is definitely noticable. With four LCDs in my home, and one plasma, it is by far the plasma which looks best.

[Dr Kain]

Glad to know. And yeah, it was $800, but my g/f said let's just spend the money on it since it was partially my graduation present, it just means we have less in our savings when it comes to our anime convention in Sept, but that is fine.

So far I have watched Inception, The Matrix, and Batman Returns on it, and all looked wonderful. I'm hoping it is running at 120Hz by default though, because there doesn't seem to be any button to choose your Hz speed.

I am curious though. The tv had the picture settings on the one labeled Standard, but the one labled Natural looks better, so why would they not go with the Natural look for the default? That just seems odd. And of course, I changed it over to Natural because the Simpsons looked completely yellow in that. Yes, I do my tv calibrating through the yellowness of the Simpsons. I have been doing it since the 90s when my parents had to get a new tv back in 93 and I will continue to do so for all of eternity.