Need help finding the best picture/quality 50-55in HDTV for between $500-1k. 1080p 120hz+

[Adelitas]

Looking for a 1080p HDTV with a minimum refresh rate of 120hz and minimum size of 50 inches. I don't need (or even really want) 3D capability and I would even consider a non-smart TV. I'm looking for the best possible picture quality for the money. I will be using this TV for movies, regular TV, and video games and would like to have something that is quality enough to eventually put in my living room when I move out in a year.

If anyone can break down which TV's will have the best picture, it would be greatly appreciated. I've been mainly looking at LG and Samsung offerings so far, but am totally confused on how to pick out one over another. For instance how can you tell if there is a picture difference for a 2012 vs a 2014 model, a non-smart vs similar smart tv, between manufacturers, etc.

To summarize:
-1080p, 120hz
-50-55 inches
-LED
-3D and smart capabilities aren't required (smart preferred though)
-$500-1000
-Used for everything from movies to gaming
-Best picture for the money

 

[ssddx]

samsung un50eh6000fxza

1080p, 120hz, led, non-3d, non-smart, should be in budget. (we got ours for under $1k)

we have one in the other room and the picture is good. it uses the newer TS02 panels which get good reviews.

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the smart functions on televisions are a joke. it might be convenient for a little while however the programs quickly get outdated and eventually become useless because the tv is only supported for a rather brief timeframe. you would be better off using a roku, sony streaming player or other device sor such content if you want to have it for the long haul.

you will be disabling 120hz mode and motionflow 240 permanently i would guess. first of all it does not work for games at all and is known to cause lag. all 120hz televisions take a 60hz input signal and fake in the extra frames resulting in lag. as for movies, it causes what is known as the soap opera effect. while technically superior it is so different from how movies are filmed that it looks bad (which is just our perception... its actually an improvement). personally i dont know anyone who actually likes this effect but i've seen one or two people on here.

i would suggest viewing the televisions in person to test image quality. i would never buy a tv without seeing it for myself. you could also read some reviews to get a general idea but always view the tv first (unless of course if that is impossible)

 

[Adelitas]

That looks like a good match for me. That or something comparable would be perfect. How do I find out what panel is superior though when I look at different TVs?
I totally agree about the smart TV stuff. Plus, I'll be hooking this up to my computer while it's in my room so I will have the ability to do more than the average smart tv anyways.
So all games, movies, and possibly cable services will be at a lower signal? Is there ever a situation where I will be able to use native 120hz? And if I'm going to disable all of the 120 and 240hz features, what's the point of buying a 120hz over a cheaper 60hz?

Edit: Now you have me second guessing LED.. Maybe plasma would be the better option for me for my purposes.

 

[ssddx]

well.. you could read in depth reviews which analyze the contrast, bit depth, color spectrum, etcetera but that can be a bit confusing if you dont know what to look for.

generally i would say just visually look at them in person and see what you like better.

some big things to look for:
-banding (gradients are not smooth but appear as bands of shades)
-backlight bleed (glowing around edge of lcd
-uneven backlight (some areas of the screen are brighter than others. easy to see on a black scene)
-unnatural looking colors (could be bad adjustments... but colors should look decent at default settings)
-bad contrast or blurry edges (easy to spot in cartoons or sharp lined images like text or logos)
-too bright or too dim (you should have both some room above and below what you consider to be good brightness levels so that you can adjust it if you need to.

ALL 120hz or 240hz televisions only accept a 60hz input. it doesnt matter if you have a console, dvd player, pc or cable box hooked up. the televisions do not support 120hz native. the only lcds which do support 120hz native are 120hz computer monitors. honestly i dont get why you would want 120/240hz either so i always suggest not buying it (however its hard to find plain 60hz models anymore.

as for benefits? supposedly video looks smoother, however since we arent used to seeing video like that it looks very strange to us and many people dont like it. many people do like it for sports though since it helps to eliminate blur. nothing i find necessary but unfortunately that is how the market is headed.

plasma televisions have the highest contrast rate and blacks really are black. they really are pretty nice for watching movies however might not be great for general computer use because they can get burn-in. to eliminate this they use pixel shifting see here http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel_shifting which could cause an issue.

i would recommend led. dont get confused they are liquid crystal displays (lcd) but with a light emitting diode (led) backlight. normally its a bunch of them around the outside of the frame (edge-lit). while contrast levels and black levels arent as good as plasma they arent bad (no worse than computer monitors). they are also really cheap on your power bill and lightweight.

the reason plasma isnt as widespread (why it didnt replace lcd) is that it has a myriad of issues. it does have some benefits but not enough to overcome lcd.

 

[Karadjgne]

Panasonic S or G series 50" plasma has the darkest blacks, 600MHz, Internet possible, 1080p,, full range of connections etc. Panasonic is also best rated for quality, reliability in a plasma and has generally a better picture than LED. Just thought is throw an option in.

 

[Aussawin Cookie]

Samsung UN55H6350 55-Inch 1080p 120Hz Smart LED TV Picture is great. No complaints about this tv. I did have to disable the auto-picture brightness control. It senses the light in the room with the TV and adjusts the screen brightness accordingly. I like my picture brighter than what it would adjust it too but once I figured that out I have been incredibly happy with the TV.I see Samsung UN55H6350 Review at http/dealsonledhdtv.com/samsung-un55h6350-55-inch-smart-led/