jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Our 50" Vizio TV keeps taking short breaks - no picture and no sound for several seconds. I'm guessing we'll have to replace it. Looking online, I see an assortment of 50" Vizio TVs. They don't make the differences between them obvious. Decisions, decisions. You'd think they could make the choices easier. I'll have to check out other brands, too.

BlueMorel Loc: Southwest Michigan

Are you looking for a smart TV or just a screen. We already had a Roku stick so we upsized to a 50" Spectra brand from Walmart. They have good sales from time to time.

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

Jerry, I've worked for Sam's Club for 23+ years and have seen an amazing revolution in televisions. When Vizio hit the market some 12 to 15 years ago they were terrible. We had many returns on them. Then about two or three years later they turned their company around and today is neck and neck with Samsung which has been the top or near the top of all TV's over the last ten to twelve years. When you buy a new TV, you will want at least a 120 refresh time, at minimum 4K and if you are willing to part with a few more bucks, go for the OLED. That technology gives an almost liquid appearance to the screen with detail like shooting with a 36mp camera! QLED used by some companies takes the technology a step farther but is even more expensive. At the level I'm talking about it is a foregone conclusion that the TV will be a "smart" TV, but in case you opt for a less expensive 4K model, make sure it is SMART. That eliminates the need to add a stick and will allow you obtain a lot of programming through wifi. All manufactures make so many levels of TV's today it would be to your benefit to look at some of the star ratings and look at what people like and dislike about a particular model.

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

Good luck, Jerry. There's a lot to choose from.

yssirk123 Loc: New Jersey

+1 on Samsung TV's - well priced and great selection with outstanding performance.

jccash Loc: Longwood, Florida

Just my opinion. I’d buy a 65” or larger OLED TV. expensive but worth it.

berchman Loc: South Central PA

OLED is superior to QLED. https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/qled-vs-oled-tv/

Country Boy Loc: Beckley, WV

Jerry, funny but my Visio takes the same little breaks. I found that it only does it on local network channels and figure it is a minor delay in the incoming signal. When I look at such items, I like to review CNET.com and check their reviews. They give great recommendations and explain the reasons for their choices.

melismus Loc: Chesapeake Bay Country

Jerry, the problem may be in signal path, not in TV.

1Feathercrest Loc: NEPA

"Smart TV" for "Dumb viewers" who spend far too much time watching innocuous programing (including sports by overpaid prima dona athletes) as the viewer immerses his psyche in it. I watch very little tv as it is a huge waste of valuable time that could be spent on personal creativity.

berchman Loc: South Central PA

I wish I could aspire to your level of personal excellence. Alas, I will instead fritter my time away watching award winning series like Breaking Bad.

al13

My 5 year old VIZIO 55 inch high dollar TV I purchased from Costco quite last year. Took back the first one after a week as it would cut off and after a few minutes I could cut it back on. That’s what my latest one did but wouldn’t stay on for more than a minute. Repair cost not worth the investment. Vizio customer service is useless. I have cable and great signal. Purchased a Sony OLED and so far it is the best picture I have ever seen on a TV. I wouldn’t buy another VIZIO product. P.S. Costco was great but not VIZIO.

Papa Joe Loc: Midwest U.S.

Hi Jerry,
Just bought my son a 50" Spectre. I was not familiar with that brand but I see it was ranked 4th from the top in a "top ten'' rating. So far, he's very satisfied with it and it was not very expensive at all. Beautiful picture. Built-in sound is average, but not like it could be with surround sound speaker setup. Just my two-cents worth.

Cookie223 Loc: New Jersey

Jerry,
If you have the bucks go for the Sony, and if you have extra bucks go for the OLED. You won’t regret it. I’ve had Sony products all my adult life and never had an issues.
Stay away from LG, and the newer cheaper unknown name brands.

Smudgey Loc: Ohio, Calif, Now Arizona

I had a retirement job teaching photography for 5 years at Best Buy and you learn a lot about TVs. The two best brands on the market are Samsung and Sony. Far fewer problems and far fewer returns. A little more expensive but just like cameras, you get what you pay for. I have a Sony 55in that I have had for nearly 8 years, no problems at all.