OT: Best budget-friendly 65-inch 4k TV?

[dahliaclone]

Looking to buy a 65-inch tv and have no clue which is the best option. I don't want something that craps out on us after a year. But I realize for what we are wanting to pay that might happen. There are several 65 inch tvs at Target/Best Buy/Amazon under $550 and we are days away from pulling the trigger but have no idea which brand to go for and why.

What we are hoping for/wanting:

• Great picture quality
• Very minimal glare
• Alexa-enabled would be nice but not a must at all
• Sporting events look awesome
• Solid sound

I keep hearing good things about TCL but then looking at reviews there are quite a few saying a certain version crapped out after a year so that isn't good.

LG or Samsung is kind of where we are at but not sure which and why. And if TCL is great, then by all means say so. And what about a brand like Hisense?

Any thoughts/suggestions appreciated. Again, I KNOW that quality is going to be better the more expensive it is. But we just aren't wanting to pay over that $550 mark at this time and know that could mean lower quality and lifespan...

TIA

 

[jdcyclone19]

Have had a TCL 65” for quite a while, no issues and love it. I have the 4 series. You can get the 5 series discounted at a lot of places as they released a newer model. Hisense didn’t look is as good as TCL when I saw the picture wide by side as Walmart when I was looking.

This close, I’d wait until Black Friday. I got my TCL 65” for 399.

 

[brianhos]

If you have a costco membership, that is the best place to buy a TV. They extend the warranty for no cost for years. I returned at TV 3 years after I bought it because it died, I got a full refund and upgraded. I won't buy a tv anywhere else now.

 

[3GenClone]

Best times for TV deals:

Black Friday

Week before Super Bowl

End of March/Early April - this is the time when manufacturers are getting their new TV models shipped to stores, so stores are trying to get rid of last years models.

 

[3GenClone]

If you have a costco membership, that is the best place to buy a TV. They extend the warranty for no cost for years. I returned at TV 3 years after I bought it because it died, I got a full refund and upgraded. I won't buy a tv anywhere else now.

Costco has a 65” Samsung listed in their October ad for $650. That’s a little pricier than what the OP is looking for, but that’s an awesome deal.

 

[HandSanitizer]

Hisense makes a decent 65” with built in roku for $450 (Walmart)
120Hz, usb and 3 hdmi ports

 

[ruflosn]

I have had great luck with Vizio. Sams Club has some good deals going on right now.

 

[brianhos]

https://www.costco.com/Samsung-65"-Class-(64.5"-Diag.)-4K-UHD-LED-LCD-TV.product.100455688.html

I would get that if my budget was hard capped at $550.

 

[Gonzo]

I have had great luck with Vizio. Sams Club has some good deals going on right now.

I'll second this. Only have one Vizio but it's been great so far.

 

[Clonehomer]

Don't forget about inputs. Many of the discounted Black Friday TVs have a bare minimum of HDMI ports. Make sure you know what you need for your setup and what you may need in the future.

 

[cstrunk]

Hisense makes a decent 65” with built in roku for $450 (Walmart)
120Hz, usb and 3 hdmi ports

I just bought this TV on sale a month ago from Best Buy for $400. Took a few weeks for it to be available for in store pick-up, but I just got it last week and am really impressed at what I got for that price.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Looking to buy a 65-inch tv and have no clue which is the best option. I don't want something that craps out on us after a year. But I realize for what we are wanting to pay that might happen. There are several 65 inch tvs at Target/Best Buy/Amazon under $550 and we are days away from pulling the trigger but have no idea which brand to go for and why.

What we are hoping for/wanting:

• Great picture quality
• Very minimal glare
• Alexa-enabled would be nice but not a must at all
• Sporting events look awesome
• Solid sound

I keep hearing good things about TCL but then looking at reviews there are quite a few saying a certain version crapped out after a year so that isn't good.

LG or Samsung is kind of where we are at but not sure which and why. And if TCL is great, then by all means say so. And what about a brand like Hisense?

Any thoughts/suggestions appreciated. Again, I KNOW that quality is going to be better the more expensive it is. But we just aren't wanting to pay over that $550 mark at this time and know that could mean lower quality and lifespan...

TIA

Don Lindich, consumer electronics guru, loves the TCL as a budget buy. He's got a column that's in the Star Tribune each Saturday. Been reading this guy for years and he is my go to resource. When my six year old Panasonic plasma 60" dies I'll be surfing Don's articles.

His take on the TCL-5:
http://soundadvicenews.com/2018/12/21/week-51-2018-55-inch-tcl-5-series-tv-a-great-buy-under-500/

Mentions the TCL-6 in his overview of the difficulty of comparing different types of screen tech.
http://www.startribune.com/sound-ad...-can-make-it-tricky-to-compare-tvs/559369932/

His take on the TCL-6 from another column:

I’d put the TCL 6 Series on your shopping list as well. While the 6 Series may not deliver quite the state-of-the-art picture quality as the very top-of-the-line TVs I mentioned, it still delivers a first rate, high-end viewing experience. CNET expressed it well when they said, “The TCL 6 Series has an insanely good picture for the money.” The difference in price between the 6 Series and competitors is staggering in some cases. ............. where “insanely good” is enough to satisfy, the TCL 6 Series gives you a chance to experience viewing pleasure normally reserved for those who own the very best televisions.

Also, you are a movie buff so I won't hard cap my price at $500. Not saying bump it to thousands but you might have more shopping options up to, say, $650 or so.

 

[dahliaclone]

Looks like a lot of these cheaper tvs are only 60hz refresh rate. Isn't 120hz what you should be going for? Or for what we are looking for (no gaming just watching tv/movies/sports) is 60 fine?

 

[Rabbuk]

Are TVs pretty similar to fridges in that most of the components for all price points are made in like the same three places?

 

[brianhos]

Looks like a lot of these cheaper tvs are only 60hz refresh rate. Isn't 120hz what you should be going for? Or for what we are looking for (no gaming just watching tv/movies/sports) is 60 fine?

TV is 60 hz, if that is all you do, that is all you need.

 

[Bigman38]

The last time I dug into consumer reports and stuff like that was 2 years ago. At the time it basically ended up with the budget option being the Vizio, and Sony if price wasn't an issue.

We got a 55" Vizio and it's been great. Probably worth looking into specific models when you decide on a brand or two. The performance varied between different sizes/models more than you'd think.

 

[cytech]

I have a 55" Vizio in my home that has worked great for 5+ years. With that said I have needed to get a couple TV's in the last couple years for video surveillance monitors. I have a 2 year old and 1 year old TCL that have been working great. They have not been heavily used though.

 

[jdcyclone19]

Was the Vizio spygate not as big as a deal as people made it out to be when it happened?

 

[STATE12]

I've heard from others before that know more than me on this type of thing, and they recommend looking more at specs and recommendations from others than just walking into Walmart/Best Buy/Other Big Box Store and comparing them side-by-side. A lot of things can be done with the settings to show a better or worse picture, and sometimes are set to a "show floor setting" that is only best for the still photos cycling on the screen or to influence you otherwise.

 

[AgronAlum]

We have a 65” TCL and love it. I really like the built in Roku.

The one we have is listed for 480 bucks at target right now.