Been thinking about it for awhile...

[K Frame]

So I think I'm finally going to spring for a small TV for my office -- 32". Nothing special, just something for some background noise when I'm working at home. Maybe I'll move it into the bedroom at some point, but not any time soon.

It's going to be an Insignia from Best Buy. This one.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia-32-class-f20-series-led-hd-smart-fire-tv/6482022.p?skuId=6482022

$80 for a TV? Can't go wrong at that price, to be honest.

The fact that it's a Smart TV makes it a lot easier as I won't have to string any cables. I love that about the new TV in my living room. Much cleaner.

[BobR]

The prices for TV is nuts. I was in Walmart the other day and noticed they had a 40" HD smart TV for 118 dollars. That price is keeping in line with the disposable nature of electronics these days.

bob

[K Frame]

Not just the cost, but the weight. The LED flat screens are amazingly light.

I have a 32" CRT Samsung in my basement. Bought it in 1996. It was my primary TV until I bought my first flat screen in 2005 or so.

It weighs probably 3 times that the 65" flat screen I now have weighs.

[WLJ]

Had a Panasonic 31" Super flat. Two grown men had trouble moving that thing.

[K Frame]

I thought I'd check out my corporate discounts to see what kind of deal I could get buying direct from Samsung.

I did that with the surround sound system for my main TV earlier this year and ended up saving nearly $1,000 (the system was already on a really good sale and then I got my corporate discount on top of that).

A 32" QLED Samsung is, right now, $499, and on sale for $429. With my company discount it would be somewhere in the low $300s.

Sorry, but way too much for a TV that's going to be used very little.

And, since I thought about this some more, I'm just not sure if I'm going to do it or not.

Ultimately it wouldn't cost me anything because I'd pay it off with credit card rewards points. Gotta think about it some more.

[K Frame]

Good grief, the Insignia 32" weighs a touch over... 11 pounds. That's insanely light.

[Boomhauer]

I thought I'd check out my corporate discounts to see what kind of deal I could get buying direct from Samsung.

I did that with the surround sound system for my main TV earlier this year and ended up saving nearly $1,000 (the system was already on a really good sale and then I got my corporate discount on top of that).

A 32" QLED Samsung is, right now, $499, and on sale for $429. With my company discount it would be somewhere in the low $300s.

Sorry, but way too much for a TV that's going to be used very little.

And, since I thought about this some more, I'm just not sure if I'm going to do it or not.

Ultimately it wouldn't cost me anything because I'd pay it off with credit card rewards points. Gotta think about it some more.

Work buys Samsung TVs. They are junk. Always have issues.

[K Frame]

Work buys Samsung TVs. They are junk. Always have issues.

I have a 32" Samsung CRT TV that I bought in 1996. It's in the basement as a background noise TV when I'm reloading (I throw a DVD in the player). It still works perfectly.

In 2008 I bought a 40" LED Samsung to replace a 42" Toshiba that had taken a power surge during a hurricane. That one worked flawlessly until near sometime in 2022 when it started having problems turning on consistently.

In 2022 I bought a 65" Samsung to replace the 40". It's now my primary TV and has been absolutely perfect.

Castle Key has also purchased several Samsung TVs of varying sizes over the years and has, I believe, had very good service with them, as well.


Samsung TVs are far from junk. They're consistently rated as being among the most reliable and having the best picture quality among TVs from other manufacturers and in similar technology classes.

If your company is consistently having problems with its Samsung TVs, I'm going to bet that it's either how they're being purchased (refurb, return, or "dent & scratch open box") or it's the environment in which they're placed.

[HankB]

Work buys Samsung TVs. They are junk. Always have issues.

I use a 32" Samsung Full HDTV (1920x1080) as both a bedroom TV and as a computer monitor. I've had it for about 12 years with no problems whatsoever. Everyone I've talked to who has Samsung consumer electronics likes them. (Large kitchen appliances are a different story.)

[WLJ]

Samsung electronics are usually pretty good.
Samsung appliances usually suck

[K Frame]

Samsung electronics are usually pretty good.
Samsung appliances usually suck

Exactly. This. In spades. Friends don't let anyone, not even their enemies, buy Samsung home appliances.

[Brad Johnson]

So I think I'm finally going to spring for a small TV for my office -- 32". Nothing special, just something for some background noise when I'm working at home. Maybe I'll move it into the bedroom at some point, but not any time soon.

It's going to be an Insignia from Best Buy. This one.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia-32-class-f20-series-led-hd-smart-fire-tv/6482022.p?skuId=6482022

Can't beat the price for sure.

Do you have an old sound bar or a spare set of computer speakers laying around? From my experience, sound quality from small flat screen TVs isn't just poor, it's atrocious. Tinny and annoying. Pretty much on par with an old pocket transistor radio, and sometimes not even that good. Your chosen unit has a headphone jack so upping sound quality is as easy as plugging in your choice of audio device, maybe an old set of computer speakers or even into a stereo's input jack.

Brad

[Bogie]

This year I may get a "budget" wal-mart special 65" TV for the living room, and move the 42" TV that's in there into the office area...
 
I have a stack of about 8-10 blu-rays that I STILL have not watched... I need to actually use my living room for other than "I don't want to mess with this at the moment" storage.

[K Frame]

"Do you have an old sound bar..."

Yep, the original sound bar I bought to go with the 65" TV back in 2022.

It's a Samsung sound bar, and good, so I definitely don't want to scrap it.

[JTHunter]

For the last 15-18 years, I have had a 43" Sharp Aqous that came with a Blu-Ray player.  Earlier this year, it started acting up with the picture breaking up then blacking out.  After going through 20+ restarts, it would finally give me a good picture and would stay that way as long as it was on.  The "bezels" on the to and vertical sides were about 2" wide but the bottom one about 3" wide.
When my brother came down in early October to help with some home repairs, we went "shopping" for tires and TVs.  As he is a member, we started at Sam's Club, then went to Walmart.  Comparable TVs at WM were $150-250 higher than at Sam's, so we went back. This is a Samsung 43" but the bezels on it are only about 1/4" wide on all 4 sides.  What has been so astonishing to me is the CLARITY of the picture!  Even old B&W shows and movies have a "depth" to them that almost borders on being "3-D" !  Movies that I remember watching in the last couple of years that are 2-3 years old show a brightness and depth that leaves me feeling like I'm looking out an open window !

[K Frame]

Huh...

Amazon sells Best Buy Insignia TVs. I didn't realize that.

[Brad Johnson]

It's a Samsung sound bar, and good,

Score!

Prob wouldn't hurt to update the soundbar's firmware. Outdated or mismatched firmware can cause all manner of setup headaches. Easy enough to do. Follow linky and scroll to the "Update with USB" section.

https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00082755/

Brad

[K Frame]

Not a bad idea.

I'll do that.

[Big Hairy Bee]

Huh...

Amazon sells Best Buy Insignia TVs. I didn't realize that.

I bought mine through Amazon and picked it up at BestBuy same day cheaper.  I got the 42" no issues, my parents got a smaller screen

[K Frame]

I bought mine through Amazon and picked it up at BestBuy same day cheaper.  I got the 42" no issues, my parents got a smaller screen

Amazon and Best Buy are showing the same price for the same TV right now, so... wash.

I was thinking about stopping after work today (there's a BB on my way home) and picking one up, but I think I'll just order it from Da ZON!

[230RN]

I have two small "Element" brand TVs for about $100 each five years ago at Walmart.  Doing well except the remote for one died.  I also have a Biblical CRT (Panasonic) for the bedroom.  I got a digital to analog converter for it when analog went away, so it's still very functional.

So I've got three sets: LR, BR, Kitchen. I packed the kitchen one with the bad remote away, though.  Like others, I really don't watch much except for a few favorite shows, but there's usually a set going in the background.  Because of this, I never went with any subscription entertainment services, but Over The Air (OTA) channels seem to satisfy my "need" for TV.  Note the quotes on "need."  Don't forget, I did not grow up with television. But my brother and I used to watch the Dodgers games with two pints of ice cream between us.

I recently discovered  the "Story" Channel (4.6 OTA near Denver) which seems to have mostly interesting guy stuff on it.

Terry, 230RN

[K Frame]

Well, I pulled the trigger and ordered the TV. It should be here sometime in the next week. My guess is, even though I bought it from Amazon, Best Buy is going to be delivering it.

I'm going to put it in my office and I think I'll hook up my original Xbox to it instead of hooking it up to my big TV.

[dogmush]

For the last 15-18 years, I have had a 43" Sharp Aqous that came with a Blu-Ray player.  Earlier this year, it started acting up with the picture breaking up then blacking out.  After going through 20+ restarts, it would finally give me a good picture and would stay that way as long as it was on.  The "bezels" on the to and vertical sides were about 2" wide but the bottom one about 3" wide.
When my brother came down in early October to help with some home repairs, we went "shopping" for tires and TVs.  As he is a member, we started at Sam's Club, then went to Walmart.  Comparable TVs at WM were $150-250 higher than at Sam's, so we went back. This is a Samsung 43" but the bezels on it are only about 1/4" wide on all 4 sides.  What has been so astonishing to me is the CLARITY of the picture!  Even old B&W shows and movies have a "depth" to them that almost borders on being "3-D" !  Movies that I remember watching in the last couple of years that are 2-3 years old show a brightness and depth that leaves me feeling like I'm looking out an open window !

Yeah, I'll bet.  If you had an 18 year old Sharp it was probably 720p50hz.  Maybe 1080p.  That Samsung is probably 4k120hz, and the LED backlight is going to give a contrast ratio one or two orders of magnitude better, plus zoned backlighting and HDR.  A whole lot of imaging technology has happened in the last 18 years.

Enjoy your old favorites upscaled to 4k.  They'll look better then they did new.

[K Frame]

I remember the first time I rewatched a movie on my high def TV that I had originally watched chipped in and painted on the stone wall of a cave in France. Only it wasn't known as France, back then, it was Thagland, because Thag had originally settled it.

It was shocking how lifelike that new version was!

[K Frame]

Maybe I should have ordered it from Best Buy.

I didn't pay any attention to when it would be delivered until I took a look this morning.

Delivery date between 22 and 27 November.

Kind of ridiculous.

Going to look on the Best Buy page and see if I order directly from them if it will get here sooner.