Thanks for all the advice! I'm surprised by all the support for Costco. We're going to go look there today. Quick question, though. Are people as enthusiastic about BJs for things like TV purchases? We got a 2-month free membership for BJs in the mail, so it'd be a little cheaper. (We're not members at Costco, so would have to add the $50 membership to the price of the TV) But since people were specific about good experiences with Costco, I didn't want to assume it translates to other big discount clubs.

Anonymous wrote:Buy at Costco, they have awesome return policies and I believe extra warranty protection for electronics.

I agree- we have two Sharp Aquos from there - not sure if they are still sold but we are happy.

Buy at Costco, they have awesome return policies and I believe extra warranty protection for electronics.

We just bought this TV a few months ago on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004SHKELG/ref=oh_o05_s00_i00_details

We've loved it so far, but we don't watch much TV. I researched for quite a while, and also found it overwhelming!

We don't have cable, but do have a Roku box, and have used it to watch streamed movies from Amazon Prime without any problems. Even without cable, we get pretty good/great reception with just an antenna (except for sometimes if the weather is crappy).

i would get a samsung

OP here, Thank you both so much! That's very helpful. I appreciate you taking the time to reply. I tend to over-research things and I think you have saved me from spending too much time doing that in this case.

Here are the guides I used when we last bought a TV. I found them pretty useful.
http://www.consumersearch.com/televisions-0
http://www.consumersearch.com/lcd-tv/review

I found good prices and selection at Costco. Good luck.

1. You probably won't end up with an obsolete tv. The only big option is 3D but it does nit seem to be popular.

2. You can save money by buying a 720 tv instead of 1080. I generally buy 1080 but if you sit far enough away them the human eye can't tell the difference. To figure this put you can google a chart on tv viewing distance.

3. Some discount brands like vizio ate very well reviewed. I have one and like it. But in vizios case you can't get it repaired. They replace it under warranty or you do it.

4. To hook to a computer check to see what video options your computer has. If it has an HDMI port it is easy. If it had a VGA port buy a TV with that port. If you have a mac you will need to buy an adapter which is relatively cheap.

5. There are tvs which can receive Internet programming directly. That may be convenient but they generally support only certain sites like netflix. With a PC you have more flexibility but then you have to hook it to the tv and that means you probably can't do email on it while you watch tv. Decide for yourself whether to pay for this feature but know exactly what sites are supported.

6. If you watch in the daytime and get lots of light shining from behind, consider buying a brand that has a matte finish screen to cut the glare.

You probably can't make a bad decision at this point. The market has had years to work out the bugs on hdtvs and now they are commoditizing because there is really nothing new except 3D.

My husband and I are in our forties and are about to buy our first new TV.
We don't have many techno gadgets, and I'm finding researching TVs is a little overwhelming. Thought I'd give DCUM a try.

We want a reliable TV 36-42". LED or LCD. Good quality, sound, etc, in around the $500-700 range (preferably the lower end of course).

We will probably watch mostly videos and through the internet. (probably won't be paying for cable. Though I hear some people are getting good reception on their TVs without cable, which would be nice) We'd like it to last a long time and not be out-dated in a few years for lack of some port or something.

Anyone gone through this recently who wants to recommend what they have, or share some tips?