Front TV Upgrade to 32"...TV Questions

[Dick Simonis]

I'm diligently working on replacing the front 26" Visio to a 32" LED LCD TV.  Since the last TV I purchased was our 42" Panasonis Plasma for the house about 8 years ago, there are so many players in the LCD market I'm suffering from data overload.  After researching just about everything on the market I have found one that appears to have the physical dimensions that may work...most important is the width where space is extremly limited without cabinet work.  The problem is, I've never heard of this brand.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/TCL---32%26%2334%3B-Class---LED---720p---60Hz---HDTV/5405102.p?id=1218643213752&skuId=5405102

It appears they use a Samsung display and the boards is identical to RCA (they are the supplier).   The price is awfully good at $248.00 with free shipping from either Amazon or Best Buy.  I might use Best Buy as they seem to have an excellant return policy in case it doesn't fit/function well.

The unit will be mounted on an articulating arm....that should arrive today...so I can swing it out near the coach centerline.  I have the Visio out and will build a mockup of the 32" TV and mount the whole thing this week.

I would appreciate those of you that are TV savvy to take a look at the above link and tell me what you think.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Dick

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Dick,
Reviews on Amazon were generally positive. Check out if  you haven't already. Only thing I noted in specs was that it lacked an optical audio out which can be used to route sound back to your SS amp. However it does have a headphone out which will work OK if you want use SS.
Good luck. Steve

[Bill Jourdain]

60 Hz 720p is a lower resolution TV, thus the lower price.  If you are going to use it with high definition output from a Blu-Ray player or satellite (HDMI output), you might want to spend a little more and get a 120 Hz 1080p resolution LED.  If you are not concerned about the high definition picture, this should work fine.  I've never heard of the TCL brand, but it may be fine.  As noted above, I would check the reviews to see what others say about it.

[Phil N Barb Rodriguez]

Good info from Bill re: resolution. Looks like all the reviews on Amazon are on the 3900 verision not the 3300, although the reviews are under the 3300 picture.

I saw that Amazon offers a 4 year warranty for ~$50.

Anxious to see pics of your installation. I'm itching to do the same thing.

[Dick Simonis]

Thanks for the replies.

As far as the resolution goes, I can't have both size and 1080 but I'm not sure my eyes will tell the difference.  Not a lot of options anyway in 32" size.  Same with refreash rate, just not a lot of 120hz available in 32" sets.  I will be inputting sat and blu ray via HDMI however, I have yet to use the blueray since I installed it last year...seems sat fill all our need.

Overall the reviews on the LCL brand seem pretty good, at least on the Amazon site.  I am taking some pics as I go along and will post them as the project progresses.  At least the price is so attarctive it makes taking a bit of risk torerable.....hell, that's only 1/2 tank of fuel.

[Bill Jourdain]

You really put things in perspective when comparing them to the cost of a tank of fuel!  

We are really enjoying our retrofitted TV on the articulating arm.  We went with a 26 inch TV, but it is fine for us.  I'm looking forward to seeing photos of your completed install.

[Larry and Heidi Lee]

I am also upgrading my front TV. I chose a 32" Internet ready LED LCD 1080P Samsung UN32EH5300 w/SRS HD (2 channel 10W per) Audio. 60hz refresh rate, This unit has Wifi "built in" so it has a web browser built in. Now I can access Netflix, You Tube or whatever! USB or the wireless "allshare" feature allows me to access and stream video from other devices as well. More money at $497. but the versatility is worth every penny for me. Weighs just 12.8lb.s

I was very surprised to find Best Buy does not carry a 1080P 32" internet ready TV in the store..

[Bill Jourdain]

Sony has a very nice outlet store in Destin, FL in the Silver Sands Outlet Center.  Very good deals on some very nice Sony TVs. I purchased a 42 inch LED there about a year ago for much less than retail.  It was "last year's model", but a super TV.  If you are traveling through that area and in the market for a TV it's worth a look.

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Dick,
Regardless of the TV you decide on be sure it has the inputs you need. When I converted, I noticed that a number of the newer sets had dropped the component inputs completely and had only HDMI and composite. Not sure how you are planning on wiring the inputs but if you are going to use the set input selector to switch between Satellite, Cable, Antenna, and DVD, make sure you have the needed input jacks available on the set.
Steve

[Joel Ashley]

I know it is perhaps impossible to find a set smaller than 40" with a refresh rate above 60Hz, but I certainly notice issues with both of our 32's, Sony at home and Sharp in the coach... some onscreen movements is like watching through a fish tank.  I wont buy another 60Hz unit.  But the Samsung Larry mentioned would at least make decent use of your Blu-Ray, since it has 1080p, rare in a 32" the last time I researched.

And I have to bolster Steve's comment that many manufacturers have dropped certain connections in back, especially in the smaller and/or low-end models.

Joel

[Robert Mathis]

I became less concerned with the make of TV's after our patio TV on the stick house went out recently. It is a Vizio 42" HD and had given good service until a board went out and the picture became a series of vertical lines. When the repairman came to examine it, and removed the back panel, the circuit boards were all made by different manufacturers, some were Samsung, some other brands. He found the bad board, but didn't have one with him. I ordered one on the internet for about $50 and installed it myself (just "plug and play"). He told me that the only TV's he knew of that used their own components were Sony's, and other than that brand, all the rest were about the same.

[Dick Simonis]

Thanks for the replies.  My connections are fairly simply....One HDMI for the sat receiver, one HDMI for the unused Blu Ray, and the 2 audio connections....no idea what they do as the input for the Bose system comes off the back or the Sat receiver.  I do have a selector switch for the audio that selects either DVR or TV audio to the Bose system.

Over-the-air from the roof top antenna just appear on the TV without selecting anything except input source on the TV menu.  Same for cable TV input from the jack in the water bay.  No idea how it does this but Danny at BCS did a lot of work when we bought the coach using diplexers and the such to get our external sat dish (carry out) to work with our VIP 722K receiver which needed two(2) inputs from the dish.

As far was the refresh rate goes, my Visio is a 60 hz as is the Plasma at home and I've never noticed a problem.  Perhaps we don't have very discriminating tastes in TV?

The problem of size rules every other consideration at this time.  It's tough to tell just what exact width can be accomadated until I actually get one and mount it in place, but, all my measurements tell me that it must be less than 29" and so far the TCL is only one that works.  A big unknown is where that 29" occurs and that comes down to the actual shape of the TV near the bezel and where the max thickness comes in contact with the existing frame around the TV hole.  If I get the TCL and everything fits nicely, I'll have a better handle on whether or not a slightly larger width will work.  If so, I might return it for something like a Visio or Samsung....no need for a smart TV as we would never use those function.

[Edward Buker]

Dick,

I think the only issue with an off brand TV that is inexpensive, is if you are really getting a bargain quality wise and if you are happy with the performance. As long as the purchse location has an adequate return policy then there is little risk here.

I would recommend that you run the set continuously 24 hrs a day for several weeks before going through the install to see if any early defects appear in the set. If you have the opportunity to run the set on a terrestrial antenna and watch an HD sports event with motion, like football, and see if you are happy with the movement and image edges. I would also run it on your satellite system, as well as your Blue Ray player and verfy that it all works as intended.  

If after several weeks of run in and you have watched the set handle Terrestrial HD live programming where the most digital data is being transferred, and you are happy with it all, then go ahead and install tha set. It is all personal taste and all the newer sets are very adequate given the state of current technology when compared to the old days....

I cannot speak for all cable boxes or satellite receivers. At least for the Dish 722 HD receiver there is a menu panel where you select various digital resolutions. I find that most people are unaware of that and probably have never upped the resolution to 720p or 1080i which are in the HD range. I have upped many friends HD receiver resolution given the units are shipped with 480p as a default, so that some image appears on an older set so an install can be completed. One of those two HD resolutions will provide you the best picture depending on your particular TV. I would check your HD setup menus usually under installation and verify that when you are evaluation your set on satellite that you are in the HD range of at least the 720p capability of the set. Hope this helps.

Regards Ed

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Dick,
You might want to consider routing your sound back from the TV (optical or headset output) to the Bose system instead of getting the input from the sat receiver. Advantage is that you then are able to get the Bose quality sound regardless of your video source, rather than limiting it to the sat rcvr only.
Steve

[Dick Simonis]

Dick,
You might want to consider routing your sound back from the TV (optical or headset output) to the Bose system instead of getting the input from the sat receiver. Advantage is that you then are able to get the Bose quality sound regardless of your video source, rather than limiting it to the sat rcvr only.
Steve

That's a good point but we've not any other feed as the sat is the only thing we have used.  Upside is that I can use the music channels without the TV on.  However, that said, I do have anlog audio out from the TV going someplace and I think that may be how Danny got the BluRay sound to the Bose.  It has something to do with a Radio Shack two button switch that's labeled Sat on one button and VCR on the other.  All he said is that switch controsl the input to the Bose.  Guess I need to dig into the wires a bit deeper and without the TV or Sat reciever installed right now this is a good time to do that.

Guess I also need to figure out what the mulitpe button box does in the left hand cabinet by the curtain switch.  I haven't noticed then doing anything but who knows.

I kind of like Ed's thought about burnng in the set for awhile.  I could set it up in the house and run the sat reciever signal into it.  We have never used the over-the-air antenea nor the park cable input so I'm not too concerned about that.  If we don't have sat, I have lot's of programs on the reciever DVR that we watch....if all else fails we would just read.

I just got the articulating arm and it appears I went a bit overboard on the size.....one may be able to do chin ups on it.  Oh well something else to ponder.  Now I found one with a 20" extension for $25.00 instead on the 14" one I bought.  That would move the TV another 6" closer to the coach centerline.

Tommarrow, I will mount the Visio and see what it looks like than consider a differant mount.  Also will mount the 32" mockup and see it all comes togeather.  Great fun.