conceyted
09-09-2009, 09:11 PM
This is going to be a long-winded post, so please bare with me.
I've done a LOT of research on TVs and am down to 3 TV models. IMO, LED backlit w/ local dimming LCD TVs are amazing. A friend of mine purchased a Samsung 81 series in 46" about 2 years ago and I have always been amazed by it. I steered my parents into a 52" XBR5 around that same time and am also fairly impressed by the PQ on that, as well. With that said, I am now in the market for a TV and have decided that this "upgrade" opportunity is going to be my turn to get an amazing TV. I have looked up and down for what people consider to be the best of the best and why and what I came out with was that the Sony XBR8 and Samsung A950 are both amazing TVs. The only thing holding me back from these are the fact that they are being discontinued, but waiting for new models also means the possibility of doing AWAY with LED backlit w/local dimming. Obviously, that is not entirely true, as the new Samsung will have this feature, but it appears that the new XBR10 will be an edge lit set :(. Regardless, if I were to wait I probably wouldn't consider a 2010 flagship model TV due to the drastic price difference over all other TVs. Truthfully the only reason I am strongly considering the old flagship models is due to their price reductions.
With that said, here is my dilemma. I am having trouble settling on the proper size my TV should be. A little background, our house has an open floor plan and our living room and dining room are one fairly large room separated by furniture. What that means is that you can see the TV from the dining room table. However, we rarely watch TV whenever eating at the table so I am not even considering that when choosing a TV size. The living room portion of the room measures to be 12' x 13' x 8' (L x W). My main listening & viewing position is approximately 9.5' from screen to eyes, and that position is the farthest that you can sit away from the TV without being in the dining room. The closest point at which the TV can be viewed is approx. 7'. Judging by the information I have read online, it appears that a 46" would be the suggested size, however as many can attest, rarely do people ever complain about a TV being too large, so I wonder if a 52" would be okay for my TV. I made the mistake of purchasing a TV stand a month or so ago as an upgrade to my HT setup and neglected to consider purchasing a TV larger than 46". The stand I purchased claims to be able to hold up to a 65" TV, however the stand is exactly 50" wide at its widest points. Anyways, judging by the measurements of a 52" that I would consider, the TV would almost exactly fit on the stand with no hangover on either side (TV measures 49.5" in width). I was confused as to how this might look so I did a little photoshopping. Below are the images I have come up with. Though not perfect, it does give you much better idea of how my setup looks and what would theoretically look best. Please excuse the mess as my wife is in nursing school and has little time to clean up :D.
http://conceyted.com/images/mvs46stand-a950.jpg
http://conceyted.com/images/mvs46stand-xbr8.jpg
http://conceyted.com/images/mvs52stand.jpg
Which do you feel looks like the best size. The top two are 46" and the bottom is the 52".
This brings me to my next dilemma. Currently both the Sony XBR8 and Samsung A950 are priced with considerable reductions. This means that for close to the same price as a upper-mid range LCD TV, you can get the flagship models of last year. I am interested in doing so, but the 46" vs 52" dilemma must be solved first. If it is decided that the 52" is the way to go, then both the A950 and XBR8 would be out of the question, as they only offer 46" and 55" models. I have already convinced myself that 55" is too large. Therefore, I would have to have a third option if 52" was the chosen size. After some research, I have decided that the Samsung B750 would be the 52" model I would choose. People who have seen the A950 and B750 claim that there is very little differences in PQ and that the B750 is a great TV. I have also seen the B750 in person and am happy with the PQ of it. However, I am open to either option, really; getting a 46" and go with an older flagship model or getting a 52" and going with the B750.
My final dilemma is the places I would purchase these TVs. Both the A950 and XBR8 have found their way out of most/all of my local stores. I have located a few of each online, so I would be purchasing these sets from an internet store. Before purchasing I would be sure to check that I would be able to return for replacement should I encounter any problems with the set in terms of screen abnormalities or defects. The B750 is still being sold at most local stores, and therefore would be available to be purchased locally. This means that I should have little to no issue should any issues arise or any abnormalities/defects in the screen be found.
So, there you have it. I am pretty much unsure what to do past this. Should I go with a 46" or a 52"? Which looks best with my current setup? If I should go with the 46" should I get the A950 or spend the extra 500 and get the XBR8? (I am pretty sure I would get the A950 and call it a day)
All of this is based off of these prices for the 3 models listed above:
Samsung 46A950 - $1999 shipped
Sony 46XBR8 - $2450 shipped
Samsung 52B750 - $2100
My only other thought on pricing is that I should maybe wait till Black Friday, Christmas, or the Super Bowl to buy, but this is probably way too late for the A950 or XBR8 to be a consideration, so I will only wait if the 52" is what I choose.
So, I told you it would be long-winded. What do you all think I should do?
Thanks in advance!
Chris M.
I've done a LOT of research on TVs and am down to 3 TV models. IMO, LED backlit w/ local dimming LCD TVs are amazing. A friend of mine purchased a Samsung 81 series in 46" about 2 years ago and I have always been amazed by it. I steered my parents into a 52" XBR5 around that same time and am also fairly impressed by the PQ on that, as well. With that said, I am now in the market for a TV and have decided that this "upgrade" opportunity is going to be my turn to get an amazing TV. I have looked up and down for what people consider to be the best of the best and why and what I came out with was that the Sony XBR8 and Samsung A950 are both amazing TVs. The only thing holding me back from these are the fact that they are being discontinued, but waiting for new models also means the possibility of doing AWAY with LED backlit w/local dimming. Obviously, that is not entirely true, as the new Samsung will have this feature, but it appears that the new XBR10 will be an edge lit set :(. Regardless, if I were to wait I probably wouldn't consider a 2010 flagship model TV due to the drastic price difference over all other TVs. Truthfully the only reason I am strongly considering the old flagship models is due to their price reductions.
With that said, here is my dilemma. I am having trouble settling on the proper size my TV should be. A little background, our house has an open floor plan and our living room and dining room are one fairly large room separated by furniture. What that means is that you can see the TV from the dining room table. However, we rarely watch TV whenever eating at the table so I am not even considering that when choosing a TV size. The living room portion of the room measures to be 12' x 13' x 8' (L x W). My main listening & viewing position is approximately 9.5' from screen to eyes, and that position is the farthest that you can sit away from the TV without being in the dining room. The closest point at which the TV can be viewed is approx. 7'. Judging by the information I have read online, it appears that a 46" would be the suggested size, however as many can attest, rarely do people ever complain about a TV being too large, so I wonder if a 52" would be okay for my TV. I made the mistake of purchasing a TV stand a month or so ago as an upgrade to my HT setup and neglected to consider purchasing a TV larger than 46". The stand I purchased claims to be able to hold up to a 65" TV, however the stand is exactly 50" wide at its widest points. Anyways, judging by the measurements of a 52" that I would consider, the TV would almost exactly fit on the stand with no hangover on either side (TV measures 49.5" in width). I was confused as to how this might look so I did a little photoshopping. Below are the images I have come up with. Though not perfect, it does give you much better idea of how my setup looks and what would theoretically look best. Please excuse the mess as my wife is in nursing school and has little time to clean up :D.
http://conceyted.com/images/mvs46stand-a950.jpg
http://conceyted.com/images/mvs46stand-xbr8.jpg
http://conceyted.com/images/mvs52stand.jpg
Which do you feel looks like the best size. The top two are 46" and the bottom is the 52".
This brings me to my next dilemma. Currently both the Sony XBR8 and Samsung A950 are priced with considerable reductions. This means that for close to the same price as a upper-mid range LCD TV, you can get the flagship models of last year. I am interested in doing so, but the 46" vs 52" dilemma must be solved first. If it is decided that the 52" is the way to go, then both the A950 and XBR8 would be out of the question, as they only offer 46" and 55" models. I have already convinced myself that 55" is too large. Therefore, I would have to have a third option if 52" was the chosen size. After some research, I have decided that the Samsung B750 would be the 52" model I would choose. People who have seen the A950 and B750 claim that there is very little differences in PQ and that the B750 is a great TV. I have also seen the B750 in person and am happy with the PQ of it. However, I am open to either option, really; getting a 46" and go with an older flagship model or getting a 52" and going with the B750.
My final dilemma is the places I would purchase these TVs. Both the A950 and XBR8 have found their way out of most/all of my local stores. I have located a few of each online, so I would be purchasing these sets from an internet store. Before purchasing I would be sure to check that I would be able to return for replacement should I encounter any problems with the set in terms of screen abnormalities or defects. The B750 is still being sold at most local stores, and therefore would be available to be purchased locally. This means that I should have little to no issue should any issues arise or any abnormalities/defects in the screen be found.
So, there you have it. I am pretty much unsure what to do past this. Should I go with a 46" or a 52"? Which looks best with my current setup? If I should go with the 46" should I get the A950 or spend the extra 500 and get the XBR8? (I am pretty sure I would get the A950 and call it a day)
All of this is based off of these prices for the 3 models listed above:
Samsung 46A950 - $1999 shipped
Sony 46XBR8 - $2450 shipped
Samsung 52B750 - $2100
My only other thought on pricing is that I should maybe wait till Black Friday, Christmas, or the Super Bowl to buy, but this is probably way too late for the A950 or XBR8 to be a consideration, so I will only wait if the 52" is what I choose.
So, I told you it would be long-winded. What do you all think I should do?
Thanks in advance!
Chris M.