Help! Need a new TV...options?

@cinoclav Yep, absolutely this. Plasma isn't really a thing anymore, and it's a damn shame when you compare them to LCDs. So, @Glidde8, one more vote for just keeping your (really, really nice) TV.

@cinoclav agree. my 720p Samsung plasma blows away the other two 1080p LCDs I have in the house. Plasma fo' eva'.

@cinoclav Plasma: when you want a heavy, glare-prone screen that uses more electricity than a LED LCD screen and generates more heat.

@medz I have no issues with glare (they DO have an anti-glare coating). Heavier, because it has a legitimate glass front which is less easily damaged. Do you move your tv often? Heat really isn't an issue. Do you have a 50" tv in a closet where you're worried heat wont dissipate? As for electricity, yes it uses a bit more. If you can't afford $5 to $10 more per year in electricity you probably shouldn't be spending all that money on a tv anyway. Honestly, it's a damn shame that Pioneer and Panasonic have gotten out of the plasma business. True enthusiasts will still tell you they give the best color range and picture.

@cinoclav Don't move it often, 'cept when I move, need to clean, or when I add stuff to the entertainment center. 2 of our TVs are wall-mounted, so they don't move. I can tell you it is a pain in the ass lifting our ancient tube LCD up onto the wall mount in the basement though. I imagine heavy plasmas would be the same. TV is not in the closet, but between the xbox, computer, TV, receiver, etc all running..it can really warm up that side of the room. Cooler the better. Oh, did I mention image burn? Never had a problem with my LCDs. Maybe they fixed that in the newer plasmas too...

@medz They did. I've never had an issue with burn in. It's not THAT heavy either. Not compared to the old 55" projection Mitsubishi that's still kicking!

@kadagan Technology is only as good as the media source. I am sticking with 1080p dumb TVs until 4k becomes a viable option.

@The_Baron @kadagan I agree that the media source is an issue when upgrading to 4K. 4K video is really a maximum resolution of 4096 × 2160 so it's only double the 1080p but they elected to call it 4K for marketing purposes, I suppose.

Even today, many bluray movies aren't truly 1080p even when they say they are because the black bars take up enough lines to give you only 800 actual movie lines. Then, DirecTv doesn't broadcast too many channels in 1080p and reserves those for pay-per-view and special events. I confirmed this when my HDMI output went out and they recommended that I used the component outs which only gave me 720p max and they said it will not impact me at all.

So, in summary, unless you plan on viewing video directly from your GoPro 4 black or RED camera, you will be paying a lot of extra money for zero to little benefit.

@cengland0 Yep, the recording source has to be 4k, most is just converted up or faking it. There is also something very strange with movies in actual 4k. Like if you go to a Best Buy Magnolia display and watch the new Avengers. The quality is soo good that you can almost tell they are recording on a sound stage with CG added. Super weird.

@kadagan The curved one is Samsung. I considered it but after much research I decided against it: http://www.techhive.com/article/2890396/curved-tvs-gobsmackingly-great-or-goldbrick-gimmick.html I am definitely a Sony person. A little more expensive, but I have never had a problem. I recently purchased this Sony 4K with AMEX points and the picture is amazing! (i use DirecTV) Sony XBR55X850B 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz 3D Smart LED TV. The 3D stuff is a gimmick, and I don't use it.

@mfladd That was a good article, thanks for sharing it! But his final note is to wait for a year or more for manufacturers to work out the kinks, and that fits into my plan ;). The part that surprised me most is that they said the reflections from ambient light are worse.. That was one of the main reasons I wanted a curved tv, since I thought it would reduce the reflections.. But a little bit of googling shows that Samsung is advertising a new technology in their screens that "absorbs ambient light" instead of reflecting it.. If that's legitimate and not just marketing hype, I'll be all over it :).

@cengland0 Yes, 4K is a marketing term, but it's technically 4 times as many pixels (twice as many horizontal, and twice as many vertical). I also understand that there's not a lot of content for it now.. But in 2 years (as my plan stated), I think there will be a lot more 4K and 8K content. I don't use DirecTV anymore or cable, so my content is either ripped from bluray, broadcast, or streaming. Netflix is working on 4K now, so there will be more content. Most major film production companies try to record in the highest resolution that they can, so even if movies aren't currently released in 4K, they can be released in that format fairly easily in the near future.. When demand increases.. But one of the main reasons I want something better than 1080p is because my main TV is connected to a media center PC, and when I use it for PC tasks the 1080p resolution makes text look HORRIBLE on a 46" screen. Big blotchy pixels everywhere! Higher resolutions can look great with video games, as long as the video card is beefy enough to handle them :). So I'm not afraid by the current lack of content. It will come over time, and I'll be ready for it.

@kadagan "Netflix is working on 4K now, so there will be more content." Well, Netflix is already having problems getting enough bandwidth to handle their poor resolution now. If they try to stream 4K video, where is that extra bandwidth going to come from? Also, what source are they getting it from and why isn't that source available for the consumers to buy?

@cengland0 As far as anything I've heard, the netflix bandwidth "issues" are at the ISP end (primarily Verizon), not on netflix's side (http://blog.level3.com/open-internet/verizons-accidental-mea-culpa/). A quick google search shows that netflix and amazon prime both record all of their own tv series' in 4K, plus they both have a decent selection of movies available in that source as well. Apparently 4K Bluray are supposed to be hitting the stores in late 2015 (http://www.cnet.com/news/ultra-hd-4k-blu-ray-what-we-know/), and they see streaming 4K as their biggest hurdle to overcome.

@cengland0 Also, as I said in my OP, people can look into a plan like mine, "Or do your own thing.. Doesn't bother me either way." :) I like new tech, and I hate low resolution (seriously, 1080p is very low res for the screen size! I hate that monitors are all 1080p now, and I hope my 1920x1200 monitor doesn't die any time soon, since replacements are hard to come by!) I think 1080p looks fine on a 20" screen, but for something in the 50"+ size it's just too grainy!

@kadagan Suppose I'm not as optimistic as you. Since they still cannot get 1080p right, why should I think they can get 4K done?

Not all 1080p is the same. Sure I can record 1080p from my cellphone but it's nowhere near as good as my Canon XA10 camcorder.

Just because they say they will stream 4K video, there is no way a consumer's bandwidth will see the same quality of a 4KBD that's 100 Gigs. Probably people that still take vertical videos are the audience they are marketing this 4K video capability to and not real videophiles.

@kadagan Using a hires monitor for programs is a different use case than trying to use it to show movies. My 30" monitor is 2560 x 1600 and I love it and would never trade it for a 1080p monitor. However, when it comes to a TV, I have no need for anything greater than 1080p.

@cengland0 I wouldn't consider myself a real videophile either, but I generally want it to look decent.. I know that directv and cable haven't done 1080p well, but I haven't noticed problems with streaming or bluray generally. I do have a higher end internet connection (and moving to a business class connection soon, since I like to stream out from my home NAS when I'm travelling). I use a smaller local ISP, so they bandwidth isn't quite on par with Fios or Google Fiber, but I'm still pulling 50Mbps down now, and moving to 100Mbps soon.

@cengland0 I suppose our use cases are just different. I use the TV for a lot more than "watching TV".. haha

@darkzrobe I really don't like the OLED displays I've seen on phones, etc… saturation is grossly exaggerated. I am also pretty disillusioned by 'Smart TVs', though… it's like they have their interns whip something up on their last day and just call it done. Notable exceptions being the Roku TVs that are out there.

@brhfl Meh, you should be able to adjust the settings on the tv so its not so saturated. It is the only replacement I have seen to the plasma.