Your one-stop guide to buying a flat-screen HDTV this 2014 Holiday Season
With so many HD televisions available today, let’s sort through the options for the best home theater experience. See the top flat screen HDTVs.
Sometimes the problem with too many options is the fear that you will make the wrong choice and then suffer from buyer’s remorse. . An example of this is flat screen televisions, which come in an array of sizes, technologies and features. But that really should not be a barrier. With a bit of legwork, measuring the size of the space that will host the television, looking at what features you want and which do not serve your needs a buyer can make an informed decision that will make them happy for years to come. Which ones are truly good deals for you? Here’s a roundup of top sets in each price point.
If you have general questions on what should you look for when buying a Flat Screen HDTV then Read our HDTV buying guide.
Flat screen HDTVs are so prevalent these days that they are now popping up in grocery stores and bar windows. This is good news for consumers because it helps to drive down the overall cost of the technology. Now when you see an old CRT-based television you have to think for a moment about what it is, that is unless it is in the electronics pile at your local recycler. The advantages that the HDTVs bring to the party are pretty obvious, greatly improved color, clarity and picture resolution along with wide viewing angles so everybody is not sitting in each other’s lap when watching as a group. They are also lighter and easier to move and much more energy efficient. Flat screen HDTVs come in such an amazing array of screen sizes, features and capabilities that it is increasingly hard to just list them in any one way without missing an important category. But we will try.
Adorama’s Flat Panel Television Department offers a comprehensive selection of all major brand models. Here’s a sample of some top models that we sell.
Entry Level HDTVs
We are placing the systems in order of screen size rather than any other capability, so when it says entry –level, what it means is that it is a smaller screen, not that it is feature deficient; many of the small screens give their bigger cousins a run for the money. It should be noted that cost is usually a function of size as well so that the larger the screen, the more it will cost. The displays now often have the ability to function both as a HDTV and a computer display as well so they can pull double duty.
A case in point is this Adorama-priced $129.99 Naxa NTD-1554 16” Widescreen HD LED TV, a 60Hz, 16-inch system that comes with 1366 x 768, has built-in USB input as well as supporting HDMI input. The small form factor does not prevent it from supporting HD video.
Another in the small screen size, with a price to match is the Samsung UN19F4000 (Adorama price: $147.99). The 19-inch HDTV delivers 720p-quality images and has a USB connection so that it can play media without a PC connection. Other offerings in this field include the $149.00 Pyle PTC19LC 19” Hi-Definition LCD Flat Panel TV or the LG Electronics LG 26LN4500 at $279.00
Mid Level HDTVs
Mid-level can be anywhere you want it these days, at least it seems so but we will peg it in the 40-inch to 50-inch range. Some might go a bit bigger or smaller but you have to start somewhere! Also this is where we really start to see a host of features moving onto HDTVs that were once only available on the highest end offerings such as the ability to connect to the Internet.
The Samsung 46″ Class 1080p LED HDTVis an Adorama-priced $547.99 46-inch screen size beauty. The HDTV features 1080p HDTV resolution. It comes with SRS TheaterSound HD to give users top quality sound without the addition of external components built. The system comes with Samsung’s ConnectShare Movie that enables a user to watch videos, play music or view photos from a USB drive.
The $699.00 LG Electronics 47LB6300 is another great example of a feature-rich HDTV that does not have a giant display. The 47-inch screen supports 1920 x 1080 resolution and is in the emerging class of displays ready for Internet use. It has built-in Wi-Fi and with its Smart TV and Magic Remote with Voice you can navigate and access Internet streaming and social media sites. It has not only HDMI ports but also USB and a number of others to support mobile devices.
Other options in the mid-sized space include the $498.00 Sony SDL-40W600B 40” Full HD or the $747.00 Samsung 50” Class LED SMART HDTV.
The Big HDTVs
When you have a lot of space and want to provide a top-level entertainment experience to big groups of friends, big is the way to go. With prices dropping and options growing looking at a 50-inch to 60-inch or greater display is no longer an effort in avoiding sticker shock. You need a large viewing area to own some of these unless you like the feel of being in the front row at a movie theater. However if you are designing a home theater many of these will fit quite nicely as the centerpiece of the room!
The Sharp AQUOS LC-70LE650U 70” Full HD 1080p Smart LED TV at the Adorama price of $1,697.99 is designed to meet the needs of a large viewing audience. The plasma HDTV provides1920 x 1080 Full HD resolution display features dual 10W speakers and can accept digital media via its USB Media Player as well as by using its four HDMI ports.
If you are looking for even more features then the $9,997.99Samsung UN85HU8550 85” Ultra HD 3D LED Smart TV could be the way to go, if you are looking to make a huge splash. This is one of the first to support the emerging 4K ultra high definition (UHD) standard with 3840 x 2160 resolution. The TV has voice command so that users can search listing or have it record programs simply by telling it what you want. It also has the ability to split into four screens which can be dedicated to different purposes such as watching broadcast TV on one while viewing YouTube videos on the Internet on another.
Have an even bigger room to fill? Try the 90” Sharp AQUOS 1080p Smart LED HDTVfor $7,999.99!
