Buying a new TV

[j44ke]

I have no idea. But the GC wants to me to choose a mount to be installed. Everyone here is super helpful on a wide array of info so far! So:

Room is 11x14. TV will be on a center section of the 14' wall.

Wall has a mounting area built into it, i.e. 2x4 horizontal studs & 3/4" plywood.

No cable television. Just AppleTV and streaming from computer.

Connections all built into wall.

Size?

Brand?

Mount?

[robin3mj]

FWIW...I am a Samsung devotee. Our original 42" DLP from 2005 will not die, and we supplemented that with a base model 55" Samsung last year when we finished the basement. Plug and play.
My only gripe is that it's getting harder to find "dumb" TV's these days. When you know you're going to be using AppleTV (like we do) then the menus and UI of a Samsung/Sony/etc. smart system are extraneous and annoying.

[funcrusher]

samsung tv (i'm korean so i'm biased)...remember smart tvs are essentially big phones that run on android now...we have a sony one too and it constantly crashes...all others are samsung and trouble free

lots of the reviews you read have to do with color saturation, refresh rate and other nonsense...you don't seem like the type who will care (i don't either)

this series is pretty well reviewed https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

get the biggest tv that will fit in the space...somewhat depends on how far back you'll be sitting, but IMO bigger is always better esp for watching sports

CHIEF makes the best mounts...get one with the articulating arm so you have the option to pull it out...they are spendy but rock solid

https://www.amazon.com/Chief-PDRUB-M...ronics&sr=1-13

[Saab2000]

Use caution WRT privacy.

As smart TVs become the only option, your privacy choices fizzle out - CNET

[funcrusher]

Use caution WRT privacy.

As smart TVs become the only option, your privacy choices fizzle out - CNET

if you use a smarphone you're already fukd...as described above, the new tvs are just giant smart phones from software perspective

[Matthew Strongin]

Third vote for Samsung. My newest is about 9 or 10 years old at this point and still works well. My folks have probably gone through 3 or 4 from other brands during that time. Unless you're really picky about picture quality or features, I'd go for something in the middle of the lineup for good bang for the buck.

[Saab2000]

if you use a smarphone you're already fukd...as described above, the new tvs are just giant smart phones from software perspective

Yes, but as with phones you can turn off some installed “features” that come turned on when you buy the device. Just pointing it out as it was slightly related to the privacy concerns with other connected things like the smart thermostats in the other thread.

At the very least I’d go through the settings of the TV before getting going.

[htwoopup]

NEVER set the TV up to connect directly to your wifi/ do not set up the Samsung/LG/Roku/whatever. Use your Apple TV with a direct HDMI cable to the TV. Use Apple streaming or something like parrot for a PC to stream to the Apple TV. That way only Apple has all of your data. You can take the attitude of WTH there is no privacy but if you want to limit it....

Of course, do what you want about protecting your data. But I do what I said in the first paragraph and I am one of those people that helped start and helped make this media thing and whole data thing a thing. Like all stuff developed for all of the right reasons, somehow the bad guys hijacked it. But that's a whole other thread.

[funcrusher]

NEVER set the TV up to connect directly to your wifi/ do not set up the Samsung/LG/Roku/whatever. Use your Apple TV with a direct HDMI cable to the TV. Use Apple streaming or something like parrot for a PC to stream to the Apple TV. That way only Apple has all of your data. You can take the attitude of WTH there is no privacy but if you want to limit it....

Of course, do what you want about protecting your data. But I do what I said in the first paragraph and I am one of those people that helped start and helped make this media thing and whole data thing a thing. Like all stuff developed for all of the right reasons, somehow the bad guys hijacked it. But that's a whole other thread.

oh snap...you're that jon mandel!

[Matthew Strongin]

oh snap...you're that jon mandel!

Wait...whut?! VSalon cracks me up. I thought his name sounded familiar...always just figured it was a coincidence, like our very own Todd Holland who is definitely not a famous director.

[Blue Jays]

Conventional purchasing wisdom on TV diagonal size is one will ideally wish his/her eyes to be situated 3x the size away.
Example: 60" TV x 3 = 180 inches = 15' from screen to eyes. YMMV. For example, my preference for Zwift is to be closer.

[davids]

Wait...whut?! VSalon cracks me up. I thought his name sounded familiar...always just figured it was a coincidence, like our very own Todd Holland who is definitely not a famous director.

What...whut?! Todd didn't direct The Larry Sanders Show? Why the hell am I wasting my time on him?

I'm tremendously happy with the Samsung I bought back in 2011. While I kind of wish I'd bought the 46" rather than the 42", it's been a very satisfying TV with all the inputs and quality I could have hoped for in a $1k TV. And while I think Samsung makes great products, I tend to listen to the guys at The Wirecutter.

[gt6267a]

mount = peerless (have also seen great rec's for chief)
tv = sony

jonM, do you also run all the media gear on a separate "guest" network or you allow the apple tv on your main network? same for nest, echo, etc etc?

[thollandpe]

Wait...whut?! VSalon cracks me up. I thought his name sounded familiar...always just figured it was a coincidence, like our very own Todd Holland who is definitely not a famous director.

Although I have directed. No Emmys, however.

[j44ke]

Chief mounts and Peerless mounts.

I am thinking flat mount rather than swing arm because that wall will not have any furniture underneath the TV. Meaning a swing out arm doesn't collapse closely enough to the wall, and the TV will be in the way.

I didn't realize that Samsungs would get such resounding recommendations. We have one in the barn we rent in Hillsdale, and it is fine. Very workable. I can see jerseys and race numbers just fine. Maybe a bit thick and the mount is clumsy. I looked up the model - 50" - and it was $350.

Whoever said it above - you're right. I am not too picky about image quality, except I do like baseball players to look like they are not being squashed by gravity on Jupiter.

I expected Sony to be recommended. They've always had good stuff. Horrible settings menus but good stuff.

I wanted an LG Wallpaper television until I saw the price. !!

My wife wants the Samsung Serif television.

[vvv321]

Lg oled

[htwoopup]

mount = peerless (have also seen great rec's for chief)
tv = sony

jonM, do you also run all the media gear on a separate "guest" network or you allow the apple tv on your main network? same for nest, echo, etc etc?

Separate network. Won't use Nest, Alexa, etc for same reason. Danger is in that while things are not PII, it is very easy to combine and attribute and identify and target. I think when I lost it was when I realized that even some spending data was attached to me which was accurate.

And, y'all can bust my balls all you want about my comment. I just meant it as a plea to take the subject of privacy in data seriously. It does genuinely concern me not just as an individual but for what could happen in our society.

[Matthew Strongin]

And, y'all can bust my balls all you want about my comment. I just meant it as a plea to take the subject of privacy in data seriously. It does genuinely concern me not just as an individual but for what could happen in our society.

Just so you know, I wasn't busting your balls above*. I'm impressed. I've worked in tech for a while now and I'm a big advocate for the proper and ethical management and usage of PII and other data. I do my best to apply those principles in my professional life and I try to act in my personal life as if nobody else has the same concern. So, I'm with you and appreciate your input. Seriously.

*I was, however, busting Todd's balls, but that's pretty standard.

[d.bancroft]

Lg oled

This. not even close

[Bob Ross]

Size?

Brand?

Mount?

65”
Sony, LG, or Samsung...in that order
futureautomation, or Chief