Has the industry basically done away with any size between 24 and 32"?

[three4rd]

I have an old 27" CRT (Panasonic) that I've been using for at least 20 years. It's starting to go "on the fritz" and likely not exploring repair options. The cabinet it's in is the perfect size for it. In looking to replace it with new, I'm disappointed to find that it appears to come down a choice of 24 or 32". Figured I might as well go with a WIFI smart unit. Some of the reviews I've looked at for a few vizios refer to the power light being a bit annoying (reports of it flickering?). I have a 26" vizio (2009 model) in another room. Something similar to that would be fine but, again, very few 26-27" out there. Any suggestions or advice? I hate to go down to a 24 since the cabinet size really allows for larger. I admittedly know very little about these newer ones, having never even owned a smart tv. Thanks...

 

[The Dark Horse]

I have an old 27" CRT (Panasonic) that I've been using for at least 20 years. It's starting to go "on the fritz" and likely not exploring repair options. The cabinet it's in is the perfect size for it. In looking to replace it with new, I'm disappointed to find that it appears to come down a choice of 24 or 32". Figured I might as well go with a WIFI smart unit. Some of the reviews I've looked at for a few vizios refer to the power light being a bit annoying (reports of it flickering?). I have a 26" vizio (2009 model) in another room. Something similar to that would be fine but, again, very few 26-27" out there. Any suggestions or advice? I hate to go down to a 24 since the cabinet size really allows for larger. I admittedly know very little about these newer ones, having never even owned a smart tv. Thanks...

Remember the old CRT TV's have big borders (bezels) around the screen. A new 32" TV will have a much smaller border, almost no border in fact, but will have a bigger screen. So they will be smaller overall but with more screen size. Plus of course much lighter.

 

[three4rd]

I came across a listing for a (new) Samsung "28" inch - model UN32J5205AF. Any advice on this unit? Also came across (on Samsung's website) a 28" H4500 LED Smart - which apparently has gone the way of the dodo since it appears these aren't around anymore. Any suggestions on a smart WIFI-enabled 26 to 28" in. would be greatly appreciated since it appears I'm going to need to replace my old Panasonic CRT (as referred to in my other thread).

 

[three4rd]

I know...but I'm still limited to 27" width opening in the cabinet and 21" high.

 

[The Dark Horse]

I know...but I'm still limited to 27" width opening in the cabinet and 21" high.

But a new 32" smart TV is likely to be smaller than a 27" CRT TV so it should fit

 

[three4rd]

Most 32" I've been looking at still run about 28-29" in width and so won't fit in the cabinet. Perhaps I'm misquoting the exact size of my CRT - width is just a tad under 26 and yet the diagonal screen size is 27.

 

[The Dark Horse]

Most 32" I've been looking at still run about 28-29" in width and so won't fit in the cabinet. Perhaps I'm misquoting the exact size of my CRT - width is just a tad under 26 and yet the diagonal screen size is 27.

If it’s that tricky just buy a stand and get rid of the cabinet. Or look at getting a 24" or 28" smart TV.

 

[ShanePJ]

Panasonic's TX-24FS500B is still going strong even though it would be a down size as you have mentioned

 

[three4rd]

Well, here's the issue. My entertainment center (a few decades old) also houses vintage stereo gear - receiver, turntable, combo vcr/dvd player, double cassette deck. As you probably are aware, many of these older components are of a size that does not fit into many modern entertainment centers. The industry has changed, but I haven't changed with it LOL. (This is why both my vehicles are still 1995 and 1997 models). Lots of the newer centers appear to not be built to accommodate the sort of older, larger audio equipment I have. Also, to get a new center I'm limited in size since it is between two living room windows. I know there are very large entertainment centers out there, but those won't fit the room. Maximum width available is around 50". Bottom of my center has space for vinyl LPs across the entire width (and is, shall we say, stuffed full). This is why we haven't replaced the cabinet, ergo are still using a decades-old CRT tv which fits the cabinet opening perfectly and yet maximizes the amount of available screen size. A 24" tv will just look small in there. Sort of a bummer to move down in size instead of up.

 

[three4rd]

Panasonic's TX-24FS500B is still going strong even though it would be a down size as you have mentioned

Yeah...thanks. If I decide to go with 24" the choices are many. Was hoping to still find 26-27". Disappointing to see that there are very few around anymore. Even looking used on eBay turns up practically nothing - sort of hate to go used anyway. I mean, I have a used (understatement) tv now.

 

[Boostrail]

Yeah...thanks. If I decide to go with 24" the choices are many. Was hoping to still find 26-27". Disappointing to see that there are very few around anymore. Even looking used on eBay turns up practically nothing - sort of hate to go used anyway. I mean, I have a used (understatement) tv now.

Appreciate you are in US but LG sell 2 28" sets in the UK
LG 28TN515V and LG 28TL510V
These measure 25.55" wide by 15.5 " without stand and 17.6" with stand. Might be worth starting with LG's US website to see if they are sold there and where the nearest stockist is. The US type no's will be of course a bit different.

 

[Boostrail]

Samsung UN32J5205AF. is 32" TV.

 

[mikej]

32" LCD TVs tend to be around 74cm / 29" wide.

As mentioned above, LG sell a couple of different 28" LCDs in the UK which are around 65cm / 25.5" wide, but it doesn't look they are available in the USA unfortunately, at least as not as far as I can tell with a quick look on their website - you might want to check yourself.

Is the 27" CRT you have a 4:3 or widescreen set ? I would be wary of dropping down to a 24" widescreen set in either case - most people would look for an increase in screen size when upgrading, not a decrease. I doubt you would be able to read any on-screen text on a 24" TV from any normal living room viewing distance, for starters.

Could you look into storing some of your vinyl collection elsewhere to enable you to have a cabinet that takes your audio equipment as well as a larger TV ?

If keeping the cabinet is important to you, is there any way you can alter or adapt it to fit a 32" TV ?

There's bound to be a solution to your problem - you might just need to get creative. For example - you could fit something flush across the opening and then fit a slimline mount to that, on which the TV would fit. It wouldn't project too far and would only block a couple of inches either side - depends what you've got in the adjacent compartments as to whether that would be an issue, I guess.

 

[Dodgexander]

J series is a 2015 model now, a bit out of date. But it shouldn't be any poorer than other recent small LCD TVs like the H4500. Even since 2014 small TVs have not had good specs, and its not been possible to recommend one over another really since they are all bottom range models.

I'd suggest consider buying a larger TV, the 48" LG CX or Sony A8 OLEDs are the best stand out small models nowadays, and if those are too expensive there are 49 and 50" LCD TVs that are decent too like the Hisense H8G.

 

[three4rd]

I'd suggest consider buying a larger TV,

Except that, as stated, I don't have room in the cabinet. We've been looking into the idea of getting a different entertainment center so as to accommodate a larger tv on top, with still having the necessary storage spaces for other components, and made progress with a search but then covid came along and put the kibosch - so to speak - on any further progress with it. Can always do that later but in the meantime really don't want to be without a tv that reasonably fills the existing cabinet space. Anything wider than 27" won't work. Price is not an issue.

 

[three4rd]

Even since 2014 small TVs have not had good specs

Wow...why don't I find that hard to believe? Isn't it this way with everything the way it seems...once again...the reason I'm still hanging on to my 95 buick and 97 jeep grand cherokee.

 

[Dodgexander]

Just a matter of finding one with the right measurements, you aren't going to find anything fantastic at sizes smaller than 48" nowadays, even at 32" choices are poor.

This would be fine, has a good user interface with app choice etc, easy to use: TCL 28" Class 3-Series HD LED Roku Smart TV - 28S305

 

[three4rd]

Could you look into storing some of your vinyl collection elsewhere to enable you to have a cabinet that takes your audio equipment as well as a larger TV ?

Yeah...the idea of a different cabinet has been in the works to varying degrees over a good many years. We'd occasionally look but not see anything that would fit the limited width between the living room windows AND also have the necessary storage space - even just for components. Then, of course, it begs the question of maybe getting rid of the components and going to smaller - but that idea goes rather hard with me for sentimental reasons and also the quality of the components might possibly be greater than what's out there now.

Is the 27" CRT you have a 4:3 or widescreen set ?

Wow...you got me. All I know is often text, etc. on the edges of the screen are cut off. I don't believe it's adjustable at all.

is there any way you can alter or adapt it to fit a 32" TV ?

Nope....not without destroying the end of the cabinet OR putting a tv on top, which would leave a gaping 27x21" opening where the tv is now. The opening where the tv is has wooden partitions on both sides - not movable - permanent part of the structure. So the space for the tv is not modifiable in any way without destroying the cabinet.

 

[three4rd]

This would be fine, has a good user interface with app choice etc, easy to use: TCL 28" Class 3-Series HD LED Roku Smart TV - 28S305

Dodge....thanks so much for that suggestion! Will look into it. Probably a stupid question - but is there any option with computer monitors being used as a tv? Obviously it'd have to have built-in audio and probably require some sort of interface to serve as a tv tuner?

If using a Roku TV...is that the only option for accessing online streaming?

 

[Dodgexander]

I am well aware what you said regarding the cabinet, but I'm only the messenger here. Your choice is sadly a poor quality small TV, or changing your setup. No way around that.

For the record I don't agree that they give no attention to smaller TVs now, but it is what it is, sadly. The advantage if you keep your setup is smaller TVs are really cheap. I'd probably go for a 32" TCL to get the Roku interface.

 

[three4rd]

Weird that the TCL never came up in any of my searches (for units under 32"). Another sideline question - ever since we got a Vizio (2009) we're unable to record anything from the tv to a combo vcr/dvd player. It just doesn't work. Here's the thing - we're not on cable - so the CRT tv - while also running through a VCR/DVD like the Vizio does - ALSO goes through a converter box to convert the antenna signals to digital. The Vizio, of course, doesn't need the converter box. So we also run into issues with scanning for channels with an antenna rotor. (Like I said, sorta old school here in lots of ways LOL). The CRT allows for adding to already scanned channels, but the Vizio doesn't. I know...probably a bit confusing. I actually LIVE with all this stuff

 

[three4rd]

Thanks...I appreciate it all. Agree totally on the options which limit themselves rather quickly without changing to a different cabinet. If using Roku...is that then the only option for accessing online programming?

 

[Dodgexander]

A rotating antenna won't play ball with modern TVs unless you are willing to re-tune each time. I don't think you get the same manual adjustments you used to get where you could tune one channel manually to a set frequency keep it in the list whilst you rotate to get other channels and add them later.

You'd basically have to rescan/update each time you change direction.

Regarding recording, a dedicated PVR is probably the best idea, but I don't know a lot about them. Not sure how they would play ball with rotating but I'd expect the same limitations would apply needing a tune each time you change direction.

If I were you (and you have the internet to support it) I'd make the jump to online video instead, a lot of content can be streamed online through apps now, and cord-cutting services are much cheaper than traditional cable.

Regarding the TCL and Roku - no its not the only smart TV interface, other brands have different platforms. I just find it the most straightforward to use and the app selection is good.

 

[Dodgexander]

I have just merged the two threads together, no need to keep things separate, you can edit existing posts, or create a new post in one thread rather than making two.

 

[three4rd]

You'd basically have to rescan/update each time you change direction.

It's not quite as bad as all that, and we really don't turn the rotor all that often. There are channels that come in on the CRT but not the Vizio, and vice-versa.