Do you ever wonder “Why do I make things so difficult on myself”? Several nights ago I was watching my customary show before bed, The 11th Hour with Brian Williams and noticed the words ‘BREAKING NEWS’ in that news-ticker that scrolls at the bottom of the screen.
I jumped up from the couch to get a closer look and felt a POP in my right knee followed by a jolt of pain. 2 things sprang to mind:
- I better get a knee wrap tomorrow (darn it, I haven’t worn one since retiring 6 years ago).
- I NEED A BIGGER TV.
I’ve been mulling getting a new tv for around 4 years now, and here it is. I am (almost) speechless. I’m in real love.
When I bought my first LED tv back in 2011, a 32 inch Panasonic Viera, it was fine. I had a narrower room then, and my tv only sat 3 1/2 feet from my sofa. 10 years and a much wider livingroom later, the TV still worked perfectly, but was now 8 feet away.
I could still see the picture okay, but even leaning forward and squinting, any text on the screen was a blur. I have pretty severe astigmatism and my glasses take me from 20/140 and 20/200 to 20/60 and 20/80, which is still poor.
For things like foreign movies, where you have to rely on subtitles, I got down on the floor in front of the tv like a kid watching Saturday morning cartoons. Once when I told Dr. Cho, my gastroenterologist that, she said “How do you get back up Douglas? I can’t and I’m in better shape than you!”
I’d been holding off buying a new tv for a variety of reasons, none of which had to do with money: I didn’t want a smart TV with internet doodads I didn’t want or need. I didn’t want a big glossy screen (my Panasonic screen had a matte finish), I didn’t want to have to deal with accesories like a sound-bar (I heard today’s tvs had a tinny sound).
I also didn’t want something that would consume my room. Enormous tvs might be a fun addition to a family room, but not an apartment. But it still had to be big enough to make a difference.
Anyway, I got a smart tv after all (Consumer Reports warned not to buy a “dumb” tv, you’ll get lower quality components for the same price as a smart) and this was delivered a few days ago. It’s perfect.
LG - 43" Class LED HD Smart webOS TV
- Model: 43LM5700PUA
- Vendor: Best Buy
- Price: $269.99
- 2 Year Geek Squad Protection: $39.99
- Shipping: Free
You can’t tell the tv’s size in this photo, I should’ve taken a pic of my old one before packing it away. My 32” tv left a half foot of space on both sides of the stand here, this 43” fits the width of the stand like it was custom-made.
This TV is coniderably taller too, and where my Panasonic had a 2 inch bezel (frame) around the screen making the picture even smaller, this LG barely has 1/2 inch.
The picture has 4 color presets so you don’t have to fiddle with the color, sharpness, contrast, etc. I left mine at ‘Standard’, and it looks wonderful. Same with the sound, you can choose from 4 settings including ‘Cinema’ and ‘Clear Voice’, mine is set on Clear Voice and sounds terrific—nothing tinny about it, no sound-bar needed.
The glossy screen isn’t at all what I imagined, I only see a dull reflection of my couch & lamp opposite the tv (when the tv is off). It was a breeze to set up, took me all of 15 minutes. I let the TV find my Xfinity internet and auto-update it’s software, then disconnected it from the internet.
(The only thing my new TV wanted to do was update the apps for streaming channels like Youtube, Netflix, Hulu, Pluto, Tubi, Paramount Plus, etc. I already get those same channels on my Xfinity box.)
Everything was just right, from start to finish. Best Buy went out of their way with delivering my order, from bringing it inside the building to carrying it upstairs to my 4th floor apartment, to giving me numbers to call if it was defective or I needed help setting it up.
They even called me a few hours later to ask how things were going! I was very glad I didn’t order this thru Amazon, I’m tired of running to them for everything.
. . .
It’s been 4 days now, and I’ve grown more accustomed to that 43” screen (unless I’m a couple feet from the tv, then I’m surprised by it’s generous picture). From my couch, it’s a hugely comfortable watch. I can’t believe how nice it is, how easy it is to see, and how much I’ve been missing.
What the heck was I waiting for!
Sounds a lot like my 43" Sharp, smart tv, Doug! Congrats and welcome to the 'smart' club. I also bought mine from Best Buy, partly because they recycled my old one. I hope your popped knee has calmed down. A bit of time off it, possibly watching your new tv with a bowl of popcorn and something fizzy in a fancy glass. Definitely a purchase to celebrate!
ReplyDeleteThanks Florence! I LOVE Sharp electronics, I would've snapped that right up. Well, I chose not to recycle my Panasonic 32, only because it looks & works like new. I used all the packing stuff from the LG to store my old one away, who knows I might need it again :) I hope not!
DeleteI just set out a 32" old school tube television for free at a neighborhood garage sale. It sat out there all day and I was worry about having to carry the heavy thing back inside and figuring out a new way to dispose of it. Fortunately in late afternoon, some poor sap carried it to his van and took it away. Sucker!
ReplyDeleteI have a Roku box with all the apps too but anymore, I prefer just using the apps through my smart television. It is faster and one less remote I have to have sitting round. My Roku box now just gathers dust.
Ed that 32" tube must've weighed a TON! Haha I'm glad someone took it for you :) Well, I WAS going to get something like a Roku or Firestick if I cut my cable, but I guess I don't have to now. I should test these smart apps out. :)
DeleteCongrats on your new purchase. You got me running to see what we have hanging on our wall. It's a 43" Samsung which we bought (also from Best Buy) when we moved four years ago. It's also a smart one, which is a good thing, because pretty much all we watch these days is Netflix and Amazon.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that Tom, I thought about hanging mine (it's lighter than my old one which is a lot smaller) I think I'm just too used to having it at eye-level. Well, at least I'm catching up with you 43" people :)
DeleteCongratulations! You will get many years of enjoyment from it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gigi, I know its not a David-sized tv but for my small place it's perfect :)
DeleteCongrats on biting the bullet. You might have convinced me to make a change but I do have an inch problem. My entertainment cabinet (yes I still have one of those) only has 32 inches of space to put a TV. Maybe I need to get better glasses so I can read the ballgame stats at the bottom when the game is on. Enjoy that new, readable and clear TV. I'm envious.
ReplyDeletePatti, I know several of my neighbors have entertainment centers (my mom loved hers) but doggone it, I am sorry about the 32 limitation. If you ever DO get a bigger size tv, if you have vision like mine... it's something to think about. I wasn't going to blog about it, but it sure makes a big difference. :)
DeleteMy huge entertainment center sits down in my shed, it was just taking up far too much floor space. I tried to sell it, but no one wants anything that big anymore.
DeleteRiver I know a couple of people with the same situation, they'd rather hang thir tvs on the wall now...
DeleteYour new TV sounds great and the price was really good too! We have not graduated to a smart TV yet but when the one we have now goes out we will. If you ever decide to cut cable the smart TV will be helpful. We cut cable when we retired and have never regretted it. We have a roku and subscribe to Sling TV which gives us all the channels we want for just $35 a month. There are also many free streaming channels you can get now.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your new TV! Isn't it fun to have something new like that?!
Thanks Bonnie and yes it is a lot of fun, haha :) I liked your comment here a lot, because I HAVE been giving a lot of thought to cutting cable--Id probably be like you and go with Sling Blue (as it includes news channels). I just might have to get a new internet provider, as Xfimity is starting a 'data cap' in 2022, and streaming consumes a lot of data. If I wind up doing it, I'll be sharing that too! Thanks again Bonnie :)
DeleteWe also have a 43 inch smart LGTV and love it. We bought it a while back and paid more for it than you back then (Best Buy also), but it fits perfectly into our cabinet and have had no problems with it. We pay for Hulu, Acorn, and Britbox, and have Netflix, Prime, and Disney through our son. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds great Rian, you're farther in this game than I am--I thought the price of my tv went up recently though, these prices jump around enough! Hey I was giving a lot of thought to Britbox, I might have to look into that... thanks Rian! :)
DeleteThat is the same size as my bedroom tv. It is a Samsung and I have had it for a few years. It is good to watch when I do my exercise bike. I must say you got a great price. My local Best Buy does not show that TV. The price of my 65 inch has dropped to $1900.00, I paid $2,000.00. I am glad to see that you got a great deal. Best Buy is my store of choice.
ReplyDeleteThanks David, I thought of you when I was buying this! I saw the larger size (over 55") and remembered your recent new TV. Well, you guys definitely have the room for it, I'd love to see some movies on yours. :^)
DeleteBy the description of your vision even with glasses, I'd say you need better glasses! I have astigmatism also, as well as being long sighted, so I have two pairs of glasses, one for close work like reading and computer, the other for longer distance, like my TV. Mine is newish and I worried about the sound, but I bought the same brand my daughter had and the sound is fine. I think it is mostly the very cheap range that has the tinny sound. My TV is 39 inches with a 1cm frame and having only a small room it is plenty big enough. I haven't measured how far back I sit, probably around 6-8 feet depending on how far back I push the chair, during the day I leave it pushed closer to the TV, because my table is right behind and i need that space to be able to use my computer chair, which then gets pushed aside later in the evening to make room for the TV chair to be pushed back.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing River--well, the glasses thing has always been a problem, I know I need bifocals too (like your two pair of specs) but I prefer to live without 'em. It sounds like you make good use of your space, and if I was in my old apt (smaller room) I would've gotten a 39 tv too.
DeleteI too have an astigmatism, and even with cataract surgery, it was hard to correct with glasses. The new TV sounds great! I've had good service from Best Buy so that's where I buy most of my electronics.
ReplyDeleteHi Margaret, thanks for sharing that (tho' I'm sorry you deal with it too). I hope you're having a good week, looking forward to hearing about it soon!
DeleteWow! That is a REALLY great price! Lucky you! I know you're going to love being surprised by that "generous" screen size. Art and I have a 32" TV. We bought my mom a 60" about 5 years ago after her sister passed away suddenly. The shock of it caused a hemorrhage in the retina making her vision blurry so we bought her the bigger size. She's a very happy camper and loves to show it off to people.
ReplyDeleteWow Kay, that was very generous of you & Art towards your mom, that's a terrible loss alright. Well, I'm glad I finally met a fellow 32 incher--if you ever go a little bigger, please let me know :)
DeleteI mentioned your big TV to Art and how we should upgrade ours too. He said, "Nah... This is fine for me."
Delete"But Doug got a bigger TV..." I told him.
He just smiled. (I wish I could add my rolling-eyes emoji here.) It's true though that we don't have a space to put it like my mom does.
Haha! Kay, I'm sorry for the chuckle but you always make me laugh! Well, you know how I feel about Art but I'm in YOUR corner on this one. You don't need a 43" wide shelf for this, mine is 38" and fits just right, and boy do I love the upgrade! You deserve this for all the masks you've sewn & handed out this past year :^)
DeleteI just finished reading all the comments before making one myself. I too had a 32" TV before moving up to the same 43" one you got (also from Best Buy. We have been very happy with it. I wondered if anybody asked about your knee, but no. Is it OK?
ReplyDeleteThanks DJan, the knee is getting there--been using these "Salonpas" patches and ICY HOT. But I know why it's not good, I'm sitting too much darn it. This happened when I was working and sitting all day then coming home and sitting all night. I need to start walking more. Not a hiker like yourself, I don't think I'll get to your level, but I do need to walk more. Thanks again for asking.
DeleteI feel a bit silly posting about the tv, after a week it doesn't seem so oversized anymore. I'm sure you know what I mean. :)