The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: The 585 on June 19, 2019, 03:07:15 PM
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Just a few days ago I accidentally broke our current flatscreen TV which was about 6 years old and was going strong... until something tipped over against it and cracked the TV panel... d'oh! Looks like repairs or replacements cost more than a new TV. Fortunately, it looks like they significantly went down in price over the years!
So anyways, I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions on the best value for a 40" flatscreen TV out there under or around $200. Ideally it'd be a smart TV, because we pretty much only use it to stream youtube channels from our Roku. Looks like there are sites out there selling refurbs for closer to $100, but I don't know how much I trust that. Anybody have good experiences with those? There's just so many models of TVs out there and I want to avoid getting a bad deal.
I opened a credit card with a $200 signup bonus to make up for the cost which makes me feel better about the purchase. Any recommendations or suggestions would be a huge help, thanks in advance!
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For smart TVs, I'm a fan of the TCL Roku TV series. A lot of other brands have home-grown, half-baked "smart" interfaces with limited streaming-service support, but the Roku TVs work the same and have the same broad service support as standalone Roku devices.
There's a 40" model right at $199 USD online, though I think it's a 1080P model. I paid a little more for a 43" 4K model, and we're loving it so far. (That said, you really don't need 4K resolution at 40" anyway. The 43" just happened to perfectly fit the space it was going into.)
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43" 4K TCL with built in Roku, refurb for $199 with free shipping: https://www.amazon.com/TCL-43S403-Smart-Certified-Refurbished/dp/B077GPXLCH/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=roku+tv&qid=1560980394&s=gateway&sr=8-9
I paid $229 for a similar one (but 1080p) two and a half years ago. It's amazing how much cheaper/better they've gotten even since then. "Luckily" my shit DSL means we mostly stream video in 720p anyway.
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Yeah, it's really cheap. You can buy it
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40" TCL with good reviews (edit: interestingly the 43" version is the same price. And the 49" is only $250)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GB61TQR
Found from the excellent TV review site, RTINGS.com
https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/best/by-size/40-42-43-inch
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Obvious but not stated thus-far: Craigslist.
So many people have upgraded their 40" 1080i flatscreens to 60"+ UHD models that I see models pop up all the time on CL, often for way less than $200. Right now there are four 42"-46" flatscreens near me being offered for under $100. I've seen many pop up in the 'free' section b/c everyone wants the 65" screens these days.
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More obvious: you don't need a ridiculous 40 inch TV, so don't replace it. Spend your time on a side hustle instead. Come on people, this is MMM, not "buy dumb things you don't need".
If you insist on a TV buy the cheapest one you can find on Craigslist.