LED TV question

• slingshot4ever

  I am looking at two 46" TV's and can't seem to pull a trigger on one of them:
  
  Samsung UN46B8000 (2009 8 series with 240 Hz refresh rate)
  Sony KDL46EX700 (2010 model with 120 Hz refresh rate)
  
  The Samsung is going for 1699 and the Sony for 1529 at Best Buy. I did some research and found a few online stores selling the Sony bectween 1320 and 1350 so I was going to try and haggle down the price. I could not find a cheaper price than Best Buy for the Samsung. If I can get it for 300-400 cheaper than the Samsung I am not sure the additional refresh rate is really worth it.
  
  Or is the 240 Hz refresh rate really that much better than the 120 Hz in terms of blurring and shadows?
• wes_mantooth

  

  It is not really worth that price difference.
  
  Honestly, I cannot tell the difference between the 120hz and the 240 hz until I look at the price label.
• tuskytuffguy

  Uh, best buy is a rip-off. Go to Walmart for the Samsung. Got my 46" Samsung at Walmart on sale for $650.
• wes_mantooth

  

  I don't think Walmart carries the LEDs yet...I might be wrong though.
• Fred Flintstone

  I love Samsung TV's we have three of them at our house. Nothing but great things to say about them. The most recent was a Black Friday purchase last year from Best Buy.
• slingshot4ever

  No way you got an LED for 650. Has to be LCD.
• tuskytuffguy

  yeah, i missed that middle letter.
• rentilrebo

  LED TVs are still LCD. It just uses an LED as the backlight source but it's still and LCD.
• fiction

  

  I bought an LCD at Best Buy and they sold it to me for their lowest advertised price. Ended up knocking like 20% off, but I've found that hhgregg is more open to haggling if there is a store near you.
• raiderbuck

  I have the Sony Z series 46" LCD with 240hz refresh (2009 model). I've never compared side by side, but IMO u can't tell much difference. FWIW, I've seen both the xbr4, and the 2010 Sony LCDs in home settings, 52 and 60" respectively, and I still couldn't tell the difference.
  
  Again...never compared them at the same time side by side.
• LJ

  

  I went with my buddy when he bought a tv a few months ago. He asked the guy at Best Buy about the 240 and the salesman kind of shook his head and told us to follow him. He showed us a 120 vs a 240 side by side during a basktball game. You couldnt tell one lick of difference.
• wes_mantooth

  

  I was thinking that the main advantage to the 240 was with the 3D tvs that are releasing. I have trouble distinguishing between the 60hz and 120hz, so I doubt I would drop that much money for the 240.
• I Wear Pants

  Either should be fine, although when I buy things like TVs that are going to (hopefully) last a damn long time I generally try to set my budget and then buy the absolute best set that is within that budget.
  
  Although I can understand going with the Sony if you don't want to spend that extra money and if you like the picture and features on that TV. Bottom line, make sure you watch something on the TV (take a dvd, or game or something with you so you can see something that you'll actually watch and not some video that makes the TV look sweet).
• bo shemmy3337

  The difference while watching a tv show or DVD is going to be little to none. However, a Blue Ray disk will show a difference as Blue ray is the only true 1080P. DVDs can upscale to 1080P but upscale is not TRUE. I would get the faster refresh rate because the HD in the future will look better on it IMO. Go with the Samsong as they are the Best IMO with Sony as a close second.
• bo shemmy3337

  wes_mantooth wrote: I was thinking that the main advantage to the 240 was with the 3D tvs that are releasing. I have trouble distinguishing between the 60hz and 120hz, so I doubt I would drop that much money for the 240.

  There is a large difference between 60 and 120 IMO. Other things contribute to good picture but 120 tends to not have the shadow effect that 60 does.
• HitsRus

  

  wes_mantooth wrote: I was thinking that the main advantage to the 240 was with the 3D tvs that are releasing. I have trouble distinguishing between the 60hz and 120hz, so I doubt I would drop that much money for the 240.

  
  I did the same thing...comparing the 60Hz vs the 120 hz side by side....and could not tell the difference. I saved a ton of money buying the 60HZ. I literally can't SEE spending the extra money
• slingshot4ever

  So I purchased a TV. I ended up with the 46" Samsung from 2009 but found the model on clearance with just the 120Hz refresh rate (7 series instead of 8 series based on original post) for $1,299. This was 230 bucks less than the exact same TV by Sony that I mentioned in my first post and was 400 less than the Samsung with the 240 Hz rate.
  
  They had the two Samsungs side by side and you cant seen any difference between 120 and 240 Hz. Guy only recommended 240 Hz if buying a 3D TV where the first models are hitting stores this year. Ended up being a really easy decision.