Q: You rave about plasma TVs while ignoring those of us who need an LCD or LED model. I have a bright room with lots of windows and a wide viewing area. I know LCD or LED is better for both of those situations. What do you recommend for a high-quality LCD or LED TV?
A: I don't mean to ignore LCD sets, but plasma is the way to go, especially at higher prices.
As for wide viewing angles, it is the other way around. Plasma has a wide viewing angle, and LCD sets tend to have narrow viewing angles. Many LCD sets also have reflective protection screens that make them reflect just as much light as a plasma, and many plasmas have anti-reflective coatings and viewing modes for bright rooms. For example, the Panasonic VT60 has a "THX Bright Room" mode designed to produce an accurate picture with a bright picture for well-illuminated rooms.
What are touted as "LED" TVs actually have LCD technology that uses LEDs for illumination rather than a fluorescent light source (CCFL). If you want the best, the Sony 4K TV has one of the nicest pictures I've seen in an LED-LCD model, whether it is running a 4K signal or not. Of course, that comes at a $5,000 price for a 55-inch model.
Some great televisions for those on a budget are the Vizio E-Series Smart TVs (www.vizio.com). A 60-inch Vizio E-601i-A3 sells for $999, the 55-inch E550i is $798 and the 70-inch 701i-A3 is $1,698. They are all excellent values, especially the bigger models. All the E-series televisions have Internet connectivity, a fine picture and a matte screen finish for optimal use in rooms with lots of windows.
Speaker recommendation
Q: The $89 Insignia NS-B2111 bookshelf speakers sound ideal for me, but Best Buy doesn't seem to have them. Have they been discontinued? Do you have a similar recommendation?
A: The amazing NS-B2111 speakers were discontinued years ago.
Discontinuing these affordable, stylish, great-sounding speakers has to rate as one of the worst product planning decisions I've ever seen. Perhaps they were stealing sales from more expensive speakers and hurting profits. I would love to see Best Buy bring them back. At the price, nothing came close to touching them.
