TV's WTF

[MoonCat]

Well, it's apparently time to buy a new TV. I don't use it but my sister does. The remote died, we tried a new universal one, but the TV is not receiving any signals we try to program. Understandable; it's AT LEAST 20 years old. I don't think it's capable of communicating with a new remote. The thing is, I don't drive, and while there is a Home Depot not far from where I live, making it the closest and easiest place to buy, I thought I'd check online first to see what they have (the "closest" Best Buy is an 45-60 minutes away by bus).
So I look up TVs. Holy shit, how am I supposed to know if I want LCD or LED? It doesn't need to be USB but composite? HDMI? Optical? I have to pick a screen resolution?

It's nice to have choices, I guess?? But I sure miss the days when you could go into the store, see a bunch of working TVs on display, and pick according to how good the picture looked, the size of the TV, and the price, by looking at the models they sold, while in operation. I don't know what 480p looks like compared to 720p or 1080p

First world problems, I know. Also old person problems We will have to figure something out. I just needed to vent.

[RealUnimportant]

You're using a PC or a phone right now? Basically TVs are the same as computer monitors nowadays; go to YouTube or Twitch or any other video-playing site and you can view content at all the different resolutions and see how it changes. Watching 480p content on a 1080p screen really highlights how much lower-resolution such content is, even though for decades TVs were lower-quality than that; the difference mainly comes from TVs not producing distinct pixels like monitors, so the shows (and indeed the older game systems) were built with that in mind. This is also why playing retro games on modern hardware often makes them look clunky, despite us remembering a much smoother experience.

Just look for something in your budget, preferably also recent. HDMI is the latest version of SCART, which took over from Composite - it's just the cabling. If you're not looking to connect it to anything then it makes no difference, but almost everything from the last decade will have HDMI on it anyway. You still can go to the store, it's just more hassle with there being less of them!

[dalesys]

And in stork at my yokel BB the smallest are 24, 27 & 32 inch models. I remember when a 21" color TV required a moving van for delivery, namn dear!

[csquared]

I remember when a 21" color TV required a moving van for delivery, namn dear!

And three guys to carry it. They may have had to pop the pin on the hinges to remove the door to get it in.

[dalesys]

Getting serious, what devices would you want to connect? DVD player? VCR? Channel 3/4 game modulator?

I'd recommend "Full HD (1080) resolution. The cheapest in stock here (Utah) is $120USD for a 32" screen, 9.5 pounds, box 19.7 x 32.3 x 5.3 inches.

[RealUnimportant]

It's amazing, I have a 15 y.o. 32" LED with 1080p HD but only via HDMI input; came out just before they started building in HD decoders for over the air, and it cost nearly 10 times that. The TV before was a late-90s CRT widescreen that weighed a ton, and was eventually given up on after the hold circuits gave up for the second time - all that switching from 4:3 to 16:9 by changing how much power went to the horizontal coils eventually broke them down - but it was free from a friend who didn't need it, and lasted a good 5 years after its first repair, so good value!

[El Pollo Guerrera]

Check the speakers when you 'test-run' a TV. Manufacturers apparently have been skimping on the speakers. Bought a "resaonable priced" 32" TV, got it home, and it sounds like it's coming through a tin can and a string. Had to pick up one of those 'sound bars' to make it sound normal. Unless you already have an audio set-up, double-check.

[Arcus]

I remember when a 21" color TV required a moving van for delivery, namn dear!

These days I'm trying to get my hands on those old TVs so I can fix up some of my arcade games. The old gun games that had the screen flash don't work with an LCD/LED screen. My Area 51 and Carnevil need new CRTs.

[EricKei]

I can help on some of it

LCD vs LED is an almost meaningless distinction these days, so you can disregard that; most modern LCD sets now use LED lighting anyway. Check them out in the store and get whatever you like better/what best fits into your space and/or budget. Note that stores routinely have the colors cranked up to absurd levels, so those may not reflect the in-home viewing experience.

You can easily get a 50" whatever for $300 or less, and some "small" (30") sets are closer to $130~150. Note that you may need a stand, so be sure to check, as they're normally not included; don't be surprised if the stand itself is much heavier than the TV.

As for connectors: If it's to be used as a TV and nothing else, they're largely irrelevant except for the cable/satellite connectors. Look for one with built-in Roku/FireTV/AppleTV/etc if you use streaming services. USB only matters if you put media onto a USB stick that you wanna show on the TV. HDMI (and/or HDMI ARC) are nice for future compatibility even if you won't use it right now. Audio is often lacking on TVs, so look for one that accepts your speaker wires, if applicable.

On 480p/4K etc - Higher numbers look prettier, by and large, with certain exceptions already mentioned, such as retro gaming. If you see a 4K set you like and it has a related 8K set, the latter will likely cost MUCH more than the former for minimal visible improvement (unless you're a videophile), so go with the cheaper one. 720/1080 or better are in the DVD/Blu-Ray quality range, if that helps. 480 and lower are the old 90's CRT TV/VHS quality range. Note that the difference between 720 and 4K is likely to be quite noticeable for not much more money, if there's a difference at all.