Your hick cousin from EBF, Egypt needs giudance

[vaskidmark]

All he knows is that the 1962 CRA color teleovision he inherited from his grandma in 1970 has gone toes up.

He's taken a good whack at thinking that there is nobody left living that remembers how to fix it, let alone makes housecalls to do that.

He's heard tell of them "smart" teleovisions that work with that WiFi stuff, and things like Hulu and Roku that let you get channels without the cable company.  Based on space limitations it's pretty sure that anything bigger than 48" is going to be too big to fit in the available space (where grandma's old 27" RCA lived).  Can't wall mount anything 'cause it's a real plaster & lathe wall that pro'lly will crack if you give it a harsh look.

So, time for all you geeks to help Cousin skidmark Homer come into the 21st century of teleovision - or whatever it's called today.  About the only thing certain is that the VHS/DVD recorder/player he's got need to work with whatever he gets.

OBTW - the only available electricity comes from a 2-outlet box set up foe 2-prong plugs - currently with 3-prong adapters and a multi-outlet thingummie stuck into them.  Apparently it met the electric code when the place was built in the mid-1950s.

What to do?  What to get?  Can he still put a potted cactus on top of the set?

Cost is about third down on the list of limiting factors.

Also - thoughts about something like Geek Squad to come and put it together?

stay safe.

[K Frame]

How easily you can hook up your VHS/DVD thingy depends on what kind of leads it has. I'd think most TVs would still have at least the RCA connectors that would allow you to hook into...

I'm sure, though, that someone still makes some sort of adapter that will allow you to hook just about anything into anything.

As for which TV to get, I'm of the opinion that Samsungs are still the best bang for the money.

[zxcvbob]

Granny had a color TV in 1962?  She was ahead of the times!  (Go, Granny) They were available then, but there was very little programming in color until the mid-to-late 60's.

[lupinus]

Samsung and LG for great stuff. Vizio makes good stuff for the lower price point.

How well it will work depends what it has and how fiddly he is willing to get. If not he's looking to spend some cash anyway it might be worth it to drop a little more and update the add ons while he is at it.

[AJ Dual]

The big issue is if you want a TV that's either the new VortranHQ or Testar3 compliant with an inverted scan-rate or not, EMF level 5 shielded, and legacy IPV6 support for device discovery persistence under DNLA,

Not really. That's all made up.  

Just get a 48" Vizio from Wallyworld and it'll be fine. Just insure there's legacy Red/White/Yellow RCA jacks on the back for legacy support.  The remote control will have a menu button that'll let you put in your WiFi password for the house, and the apps will be able to reach the internet.

As to your plugs, put one of these $.90 cent do-hickeys on from the extension cord aisle at Home Despot.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Cheater_plug_edited.jpg  Just be sure to actually screw down the grounding tab to the faceplate screw, and you're good.

[41magsnub]

One gotcha - I recently bought a Samsung LCD.  It didn't have any form of audio out, just the various inputs (RCA, HDMI, and a antenna/cable jack).  It didn't even occur to me to look for an audio out because I figured everything would have it.  The only way to pipe the audio through anything other than the internal speaker is to catch it upstream.

[K Frame]

Oh, and it goes without saying...

If you want wifi capabilities, you have to buy a wifi enabled TV.

I know one person who did....

But didn't.

 

[Brad Johnson]

I have a Sharp Aquos that's been a good'n. Nice combination of performance and price. I don't use the smart apps. Decent 60" 1080p units from several mfgs are well under the $1k mark now.

I run my Netflix/Youtube/Streaming Whatever throught the XBox. App performance is much better and the menus are far more intuitive.

If you're springing for a new TV, spend an extra $80 and get a BluRay player. Direct hookup to the new TV, upscaling for much better picture with DVDs than using a dedicated DVD player, and now you can play them new fangled bloo rey thingies. If you need to keep your VHS/DVD player for other reasons just make sure the TV has at least one set of RCA inputs. They'll be called omponent/composite in the specs.

Consider having a ground run to the outlet feeding your TV location. The price of installation is far less than replacing a bunch of electronics. Get a real surge protector, not a jickey $5 power strip. Tripplite Isobar is my preferred brand and model.

Finally, don't buy hookup wires/cables or surge protectors at a retail outlet. It's hghway robbery. Amazon has AmazonBasics and Monoprice brand cabling for a third of what Big Box charges.

What size and budget? With that we can give some recommendations.

Maybe something like this? Toshiba 55" LED with the inputs you need and sans all the Smart App (i.e. "more expensive") foofery you'll likely never use. $550 and you even get to keep the box.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/toshiba-55-class-54-6-diag--led-1080p-hdtv-black/4203600.p?id=1219707771149&skuId=4203600

Or bump the price a bit to $750 and get a 120Hz refresh rate for better clarity during high screen activity. It's currently on sale for $600. (At the sale price I recommend stepping up to this unit for the added clarity even though you likely never use the smart apps it has.)
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung/6010007.p?id=1219657153378&skuId=6010007

Edit to add... they also have a Vizio 55" true 120Hz refresh rate set for $559. Doing this on my phone and copying links is a pain.

Brad

[vaskidmark]

Maybe something like this? Toshiba 55" LED with the inputs you need and sans all the Smart App (i.e. "more expensive") foofery you'll likely never use. $550 and you even get to keep the box.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/toshiba-55-class-54-6-diag--led-1080p-hdtv-black/4203600.p?id=1219707771149&skuId=4203600

Brad

Can ya shrink that down to 48" sos it'll fit in the available space?

stay safe.

[Brad Johnson]

Can ya shrink that down to 48" sos it'll fit in the available space?

stay safe.

What is the max width? They have a 49" screen version with an overall width of 44". The Vizio I mention in my addition has multiple screen sizes from the 30s to the 60s. You can select different sizes right from the product page.

Brad

[KD5NRH]

On good lath and plaster, predrill for the biggest toggle bolts you can reasonably use, and it should be fine.  If not, well, plaster is cheap, and relatively easy to repair cleanly.

[AJ Dual]

On good lath and plaster, predrill for the biggest toggle bolts you can reasonably use, and it should be fine.  If not, well, plaster is cheap, and relatively easy to repair cleanly.

Find studs. Seriously...

https://www.tvlift.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Ripped-out-wall-mount.png

[makattak]

Can ya shrink that down to 48" sos it'll fit in the available space?

stay safe.

Or bump the price a bit to $750 and get a 120Hz refresh rate for better clarity during high screen activity. It's currently on sale for $600. (At the sale price I recommend stepping up to this unit for the added clarity even though you likely never use the smart apps it has.)
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung/6010007.p?id=1219657153378&skuId=6010007

There's a 40" option on this one for $500.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung/5410021.p?id=1219651284922&skuId=5410021

[KD5NRH]

Find studs. Seriously...

https://www.tvlift.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Ripped-out-wall-mount.png

That's in drywall, and looks to have been done with the cheap little plastic anchors.  Plaster is a lot tougher, and with either good toggle bolts or true expansion anchors properly sized for the wall thickness, you'll be spreading each contact point over 2-3 laths.  Finding studs in a plaster wall can be tricky, and they may be on 24" rather than the modern 16" centers.

[Brad Johnson]

That, and a 45-50"  LED TV isn't all that heavy. 30-ish lbs for a typical 50-55" set. Spread over four good toggle bolts a plaster/lathe wall mount shouldn't be an issue.

Brad

[MechAg94]

So is EBF near Egypt, TX?  I pass that way quite often. 

[KD5NRH]

That, and a 45-50"  LED TV isn't all that heavy. 30-ish lbs for a typical 50-55" set. Spread over four good toggle bolts a plaster/lathe wall mount shouldn't be an issue.

Depending on the mount, it can also be pretty close to the wall, reducing the pull-out tendency on the upper bolts and keeping the majority of the force straight down.  An arm mount might not be a great idea, but a flat mount should be fine.

Or go really fancy with a custom inset mount job.  Those really suck when the outer dimensions become impossible to match about the time the original set dies.

[Calumus]

Maybe something like this? Toshiba 55" LED with the inputs you need and sans all the Smart App (i.e. "more expensive") foofery you'll likely never use. $550 and you even get to keep the box.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/toshiba-55-class-54-6-diag--led-1080p-hdtv-black/4203600.p?id=1219707771149&skuId=4203600

Brad

If anyone is thinking about this one, I used to have one and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Good picture once calibrated (I still have the settings if anyone needs them). I never noticed any motion blur in movies or games. I only used the optical out, so I can't attest to the sound. Only reason I don't still have it is that I left it with an ex when we broke up. As for the blueray player, just grab a PS3. They've gotten cheap, have a very good bluray player built in, and the menus for Netflix, Prime etc. are very fast. Plus, you don't need to pay for an extra subscription for the console if you're just using it as a media center.

[Hawkmoon]

Plaster is a lot tougher, and with either good toggle bolts or true expansion anchors properly sized for the wall thickness, you'll be spreading each contact point over 2-3 laths.

Plaster is harder than gypsum wallboard, but a lot more brittle. And not all plaster is on wood lath. In the 50s it was common for plaster to be troweled on over "Rocklath," which was basically a cement-based wallboard.

Do not hang a flat screen (or any other type) of television from a plaster wall. If you can't find the studs ... keep looking.

[KD5NRH]

Plaster is harder than gypsum wallboard, but a lot more brittle. And not all plaster is on wood lath. In the 50s it was common for plaster to be troweled on over "Rocklath," which was basically a cement-based wallboard.

At my place, it's troweled on over the cement that's used for the initial smoothing of the inside of the limestone walls.  Takes some serious anchors to hang anything on the exterior walls.

[K Frame]

Plaster was also frequently done over expanded metal lath, particularly in the building boom after World War II.

Each has its charms and 7 levels of hell.

[charby]

I like my non smart Vizio and Roku box, much better than my smart vizio. More choices for programing with the roku.

[grampster]

Just hire a stripper to come by a couple days a week.

[vaskidmark]

What is the max width? They have a 49" screen version with an overall width of 44". The Vizio I mention in my addition has multiple screen sizes from the 30s to the 60s. You can select different sizes right from the product page.

Brad

Absolute max width of space it's going in to is 48".  it's going to sit on a table/stand 24" wide.  There are no deviations to go larger.

stay safe.

[Brad Johnson]

Absolute max width of space it's going in to is 48".  it's going to sit on a table/stand 24" wide.  There are no deviations to go larger.

stay safe.

You can do a 50" set with almost half a foot to spare. Screen measurment is diagonal. Linear dimension will be about 10% (-ish, depending on bezel thickness) less. According to specs the 50" Samsung linked above is 45" wide, 29" tall, and 9" deep when mounted on the stand.

Brad