# Selecting a 60" TV



## whubbard (Oct 31, 2007)

I'm in a bit of bind here and the market is quite hard to figure out. I'm looking to buy a new TV for my home theater (budget isn't really a concern, but obviously I don't want to overspend). I care about picture quality, then size (The TV can be more than 56" wide, so 65" seems to be out of the question). I don't really care about having a "smart" TV. I also don't need sound in the TV. I would like it to be an LED TV. 

I've been doing a ton of research and reading as many threads as I can. It seems the best panels out today are the Panasonic P55VT50 and the Elite PRO-60X5FD. With the Elite being 60" (vs. 55") and LED (vs. Plasma), I'm leaning towards it, but it's obviously a quite expensive TV. The Samsung ES8000 60" which is LED doesn't seem to be getting all that stellar reviews.

Now, is the Elite my best option? Are there any new TVs coming out soon that I should consider? Have I missed a TV?


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## tripplej (Oct 23, 2011)

There is a new tv that just came out. I ran across the review article just yesterday. The writer was impressed with the 60 inch from Vizio. Check it out here.


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

It is hard to go wrong with either the Panasonic or the Elite, in general. It really depends upon your individual preferences and your application, however...tell us more.


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## whubbard (Oct 31, 2007)

*Application:*
Well here is the space it's going into, excuse the mess, working on the audio/video side right now:









The room get's a lot of light, as you can see from the next two photos, so glare can be an issue during the day, but it's rare I watch TV during the day.

















I'd be lying if I said CNN and ESPN weren't the two most watched things on this TV, that said it is also the HT. In terms of movies, action movies are the most common. It's pretty much exclusively bluray right now, but my current TV only does 1080i. Not sure what else you'd like to know for application.

* Preferences:*
I care greatly about the blacks, whites and contrast. Good brightness would be next so that it's more view-able during the day. No need for 3D, SmartTV or Audio. Only input I need is 1 HDMI (going through a processor). Like I said earlier, LED would be highly preferred. OLED looks awesome but I'm thinking these 1st Gen TVs will be buggy and cost a fortune.


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

whubbard said:


> I'm in a bit of bind here and the market is quite hard to figure out. I'm looking to buy a new TV for my home theater (budget isn't really a concern, but obviously I don't want to overspend). I care about picture quality, then size (The TV can be more than 56" wide, so 65" seems to be out of the question). I don't really care about having a "smart" TV. I also don't need sound in the TV. I would like it to be an LED TV.
> 
> I've been doing a ton of research and reading as many threads as I can. It seems the best panels out today are the Panasonic P55VT50 and the Elite PRO-60X5FD. With the Elite being 60" (vs. 55") and LED (vs. Plasma), I'm leaning towards it, but it's obviously a quite expensive TV. The Samsung ES8000 60" which is LED doesn't seem to be getting all that stellar reviews.
> 
> Now, is the Elite my best option? Are there any new TVs coming out soon that I should consider? Have I missed a TV?


Hello,
If you can accommodate a 60 inch, I would absolutely consider the Panasonic TC-P60GT50. I too was seriously considering the VT50 and if it was made in a 60 inch, I would have almost definitely purchased it.

However, after spending a decent amount of time comparing the 65VT50 and 65GT50, I truly believe that it truly was not worth sacrificing 5 inches of screen size to get the 55VT50. With the GT50, you still get the Dual Core Processor should you want to use Viera Link, same 24,576 Steps of Gradation, THX Certification and Picture Modes, and a quite similar Industrial Design.

The VT50 does offer ISF Day/Night Modes, a slightly different AR Filter, and a secondary Remote Control specifically for Viera Link (Smart TV). However, my AVR/SSP has ISF Modes and like you Smart TV is not of a huge importance so I have not regretted for a nanosecond not getting the 55VT50.

In terms of LCD's, indeed the Sharp Elite is excellent. However, I do not think the juice is worth the squeeze when compared to the vastly cheaper GT/VT Series. Or I would guess the Samsung, but I have not spent as much time checking out the Samsung E8000 Series. Regardless, any of these TV's will be an excellent addition.
Cheers,
JJ


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## mwerling (Sep 26, 2012)

It's hard to beat the performance of a good plasma set. That being said, LED performance has improved tremendously in the past few years. I am a CEDIA custom designer, and have had very good results with Panasonic plasmas, and LG LED sets. Sharp dominates the 70 and above LED market in our area, and they make a nice 60 inch set too. Samsung sets are very nice, especially with their almost frameless sets. The truth is there are many very good quality sets available to choose from. You may want to reconsider internet access for your TV. As time goes on, having all your gear on your network will become more and more relevant. Not only will access to entertainment through the internet become more prevalent, but firmware updates and system operations will be more reliant on network access.


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## doublejroc (Feb 5, 2011)

I recently obtained a Samsung LED (let's get it right....LCD, LED backlit) after using a Samsung plasma. Maybe it was the model I had, but the LED outperforms the plasma with whites AND blacks. Perhaps it's my environment, or the shows I watch, but I find it was the right decision. I agree with going for a smart tv. It's just the direction things are going. Mind you, I always lean towards a physical hard copy of media, rather than a download, but things are changing. I gotta accept it!
Slim frame tv's are great. Samsung nailed it with aesthetics.


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

If you watch the same channels like ESPN a lot, you eventually may get the banners burned into a PDP. I know the PDP fans say it is not an issue but I have seen it too many times, even on calibrated sets that are properly broken in. It comes down to the relative frequency of keeping the same image in the same place over time. Plasma phosphors do age. 

I have 2 PDPs and one LCD, BTW and I almost never watch the LCD set. I prefer plasma over all but the best LCDs in terms of picture performance. I also have a hard time justifying the cost of the Elite when the less expensive Panasonic PDPs are so good.


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

lcaillo said:


> If you watch the same channels like ESPN a lot, you eventually may get the banners burned into a PDP. I know the PDP fans say it is not an issue but I have seen it too many times, even on calibrated sets that are properly broken in. It comes down to the relative frequency of keeping the same image in the same place over time. Plasma phosphors do age.
> 
> I have 2 PDPs and one LCD, BTW and I almost never watch the LCD set. I prefer plasma over all but the best LCDs in terms of picture performance. I also have a hard time justifying the cost of the Elite when the less expensive Panasonic PDPs are so good.


Hello,
That is an excellent point. For what it's worth, Cnet did a Plasma IR/Burn In Comparison where they ended up accidentally leaving the same image on 2 Panasonics (VT/GT) and a Samsung for I think 8 hours. Long story short, the Samsung had no IR at all, the VT had some IR but did abate, and the GT did need to be returned to Panasonic.

It was only by virtue of the VT and Elite being mentioned that made me advocate for the Panasonic over the price difference.
Cheers,
JJ


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## Sevenfeet (Feb 2, 2009)

If it's me, for a home theater application it's plasma all the way. Still the best blacks and colors, but LCD is pretty nice these days. Anywhere else in the house is LCD.


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## AtomicAgeZombie (May 2, 2012)

I've had the Samsung UN60D7000 for about a year now, and I love it. I constantly hear about deals on it since they have released their new series since. With the LED back light, daytime viewing isn't really an issue, just crank it up. I've watched hockey and football on it without a single problem with fast moving objects.


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