Just a Living Room TV!

[GeForceX]

Peace to everyone.

I am not much of a TV guy. In fact, I have not bought a TV in literally over 15 years. I've used some and even gotten some for free, sure, but never bought one. The only shows I watch is something like Colbert Report or DemocracyNow.org which is made available online.

But now that I'm married, my wife had set me to the task of finding the best TV for the bang for her sake. And I'm starting to think of some cool things to go along with it. I measured the living room to guesstimate a perfect screen size and most likely stick with using a TV stand. Some details:

Size must be between 46" to 54". They say that bigger is better. Is that really the case? I'm still using a 21" CRT and don't think I will ever need to get any bigger than that!
Must have good quality speakers built-in, wife does not want free-standing speakers.
This will NOT be used for gaming, just TV.
Will need to have a USB port for Chromecast.
No 3D or Smart features. We don't need any of that bloat.
Should have a minimum of 1080p support for the occasional DVD show.
Best picture quality for the money.
Plasma is OK, as long as its electricity use is not obscene. Which leads us to the next one:
Lowest running electrical cost possible.

Here's the funny thing, I have no budget for TVs. This is not to say that I'm willing to burn money though. It's just that I want the best bang for the buck. If I could get away with a fantastic TV for $300, I would! But if it takes $800 to get what we need, then I grudgingly would.

I am constantly on the hunt for coupons and the best deals. I found what appears to be a good deal -- 50LB5900 for $530 or 55LB5900 for $580. I am also OK with buying used because I always buy stuff used and it worked well for me. However, should one take the risk of buying a used TV? Is it worth it in the end?

Sorry about all the questions.

Thanks to those who read this post!

 

[THUMPer]

I went through a similar issue.
I didn't want smart or 3D due to my HTPC. I found this to be the best deal with the best picture. And I found it locally at hhgregg.
http://www.lg.com/us/tvs/lg-50LN5400-led-tv

 

[Rectal Prolapse]

I always laugh when people buy a 46" TV, and their couch is 10 feet away from the set. WHY BOTHER? lol!

I hope your viewing area isn't that far away - but that's ok if it is - I always need a good laugh!

BTW DVDs are 720x480. Maybe you meant occasional Blu-ray? But none of this matters if you sit too far away anyways. At 10 feet from a 40" TV you couldn't tell if it was DVD or Blu-ray.

 

[Trimlock]

Size must be between 46" to 54". They say that bigger is better. Is that really the case? I'm still using a 21" CRT and don't think I will ever need to get any bigger than that!
Must have good quality speakers built-in, wife does not want free-standing speakers.
This will NOT be used for gaming, just TV.
Will need to have a USB port for Chromecast.
No 3D or Smart features. We don't need any of that bloat.
Should have a minimum of 1080p support for the occasional DVD show.
Best picture quality for the money.
Plasma is OK, as long as its electricity use is not obscene. Which leads us to the next one:
Lowest running electrical cost possible.

1)Bigger isn't always better, actually it just depends on your room and you.
2)Personal opinions are fine and all but if you try to watch a 21" CRT from 8+ feet away you may change your mind.
3)No TV has great built in speakers, all of them are passable to terrible.
4)TV/Gaming doesn't matter, if the TV is great for watching TV its probably great for playing games.
5)Chromecast is HDMI, unless they released a USB version?
6)Easy to get a TV without 3D but impossible on smart features, its not like the OEM's of PC's where you get to pick and chose certain things your TV comes with.
7)DVD's are 480i/480p (and sometimes worse), Blu rays are 1080p, some broadcasts are 1080i/p if you pay for it.
8)Theres a lot of cheap TV's out there with great PQ, you just have to turn off a lot of the effects.
9)Plasmas outside of Kuros don't use all that much electricity, sure they use more then an LED TV will but they won't even come close to the amount of energy you use to light your house (most likely).
10)If you want a low energy use TV get an LED based TV.

When looking for a TV don't over buy on features if you are looking to stay cheap. You didn't list a price point so its tough to recommend a TV. BUT to me it seems like you want something sub $800.

Try these from BB.