Read what you can, then forget it all and actually go look at as many models as you can in person in a store. When we were shopping before we were quite surprised that some of the models that got good reviews online looked really quite shitty in person. (And I don't mean shitty in the way where it's just someone's been playing with the brightness and contrast, I mean actual picture quality.)
I would also *look* at the 3D models, even if you have no intention of using the 3D - apparently producing 3D requires a better video chipset in the TV itself, and on some TVs that turns into a better picture on 2D also. (We were not planning to do 3D at all either - we're shopping for a bigger TV for a gift for my mom - but the one that's currently in the top slot based on image quality is actually a store-brand 3D model.)
Which reminds me - store brand models are generally just some brand name product in a store brand costume. Sometimes the specs are a little different in terms of extras (like if it has wifi or not) but sometimes there's basically no difference at all except for the outside case and the name on the plastic. (When we last were shopping for a TV, it was actually kind of hilarious - there was a name brand model and then three TVs down was the store brand of the same size and type, and the ONLY difference was the name on the plastic and the fact that the name brand plastic frame was black and on the store brand the plastic was white. I mean, it was otherwise completely identical. Specs, buttons, button labels, everything.)
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Date: 2011-12-10 07:27 am (UTC)I would also *look* at the 3D models, even if you have no intention of using the 3D - apparently producing 3D requires a better video chipset in the TV itself, and on some TVs that turns into a better picture on 2D also. (We were not planning to do 3D at all either - we're shopping for a bigger TV for a gift for my mom - but the one that's currently in the top slot based on image quality is actually a store-brand 3D model.)
Which reminds me - store brand models are generally just some brand name product in a store brand costume. Sometimes the specs are a little different in terms of extras (like if it has wifi or not) but sometimes there's basically no difference at all except for the outside case and the name on the plastic. (When we last were shopping for a TV, it was actually kind of hilarious - there was a name brand model and then three TVs down was the store brand of the same size and type, and the ONLY difference was the name on the plastic and the fact that the name brand plastic frame was black and on the store brand the plastic was white. I mean, it was otherwise completely identical. Specs, buttons, button labels, everything.)