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Up until today, I've been shopping for a TV. Samsung was my only choice, as I've been very happy with my last two Samsung TV's as well as my other appliances. I also have an S4 phone, which plays nice. I found that Samsung on Samsung is very transparent. I was going to get a smart tv, so I could run netflix (and other apps), but decided for the amount I watch it, I'll just get another Chromecast (they are $20 on Groupon), so I don't need a SmartTV. I went to my local store to see what they have, and...
I just picked up a cheapo 32" Haier TV to go in the bedroom. It doesn't need to have a great picture, it's mostly just to fall asleep to. I'm a huge fan of Samsung, but got this one on closeout for $169, vs about $250 for a comparable Samsung. I was really happy because this TV has RCA Audio out, which means I can hook it to my older sound system if want to. Not a huge deal, but nice benefit that most new TV's don't offer. Also, ALL of the HDMI and other jacks were side-facing, which should make wall mounting easier. I was a little worried about Haier quality, but I have 30 days to return for full refund.
I was also worried about long-term reliability on this cheapo, but decided for the price, it was worth it. I'd been shopping for a few weeks for a deal, and this one is a good price.
I was very happy with my purchase. Glad to be done with it.
Then, not 15 minutes later I was in Target, and they had a Samsung 4000 series 32" TV marked down to $175. Effectively the same price. This one has no RCA Audio out, only digital which is not compatible with my spare sound system, and all inputs are rear facing, which could pose a problem when wall mounting (???). I discussed returns with this guy, and told him point blank I would be returning one or the other, and he was fine with it (as was the Haier guy, because he knew I was unsure and would take it home to test-drive it), so I have no guilt there.
Sorry for the long intro, HERE IS MY QUESTION:
Is the Samsung quality worth giving up the ability to connect with external sound, and are the rear-facing inputs going to be a problem (I won't have my wall-mount until it is delivered sometime next week)? By "quality", I'm not as worried about the better picture quality, I'm mostly worried about reliability, seamless, non-quirky operation, and that kind of stuff.
What are your opinions about this?
1. Is the quality worth more than the ability to connect (which in reality I won't do much) audio?
2. Will the back facing inputs give me problems?
By the way, I will use OTA antenna. (Samsung is up and running, and getting all channels, I have not taken Haier out of box, and may not if all is well with Samsung. Still seeking opinions.)
I used to believe that Sony was the ultimate in TV quality, until last week. Last week, I was told by a TV repair shop that Sony doesn't sell parts for my 6 year-old Sony TV, which stopped working the week before last. Consequently, this TV is not repairable.
I won't put too much stock in brand names for TVs anymore. They all seem to be disposable now.
Bottom line? Go with the cheapest. The best one won't last much longer.
I used to believe that Sony was the ultimate in TV quality, until last week. Last week, I was told by a TV repair shop that Sony doesn't sell parts for my 6 year-old Sony TV, which stopped working the week before last. Consequently, this TV is not repairable.
I won't put too much stock in brand names for TVs anymore. They all seem to be disposable now.
Bottom line? Go with the cheapest. The best one won't last much longer.
Price difference is $6 (eg: "no difference").
I read some online reviews of the Haier, and got redirected to some very shady CS practices, and runarounds. I have mostly decided that the sound hook-up is not that important, so as long as I can mount this on a wall-bracket, then I'll keep the Samsung.
I'll get my bracket on Tuesday, but in the meantime, can anyone offer advice on this: It seems that the rear-facing inputs must NOT be an issue, since so many TV's are wall-mounted. I'm guessing there is a enough space, and I'm just worrying about something that is not a problem.
Anyone have (any brand) tv mounted to the wall with rear facing HDMI, cable and USB inputs? Any challenges with that?
TV Mounted on wall. Bracket has enough space for cables. TV is serving my needs. Glad I went with Samsung. (Only thing I lost was capability to run through stereo. My main TV in living area is hooked to a good system, so not an issue.)
...and Haier returned without any problems too. (+1 to HHGregg for good service and easy returns. I never even opened the box.)
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