Future proofing doesn't work on computers nor will it work in this venue. However, Std HDTV already are dirt cheap and being replaced by 4K/UHD...even though industry is slowly utilizing those modes. It will use those modes big time. So one has to look ahead a bit. These ratings are a PIA....go through all this friggin technical rigamarole that blurs your vision and at the bottom of the review they tell you not to let all this crap frizz your hair too much as most of what they rated is vary hard to discern unless you specifically look for it. Sweet. WTF.
From what I saw online.....LG and Samsung are pretty reasonable and good tvs.....Sony a little more but usually a good pick........so they get into this edge lit being dim and direct being brighter......dark room vs daylite...How much does this matter?
I saw something a few years back with holographic projections via some laser technology....
Look to Japan for all your advances.....all this I phone/smart phone stuff was in use over there ten years ago before it came here......
My father was a VP for Sony back in the 70's and 80's, and yes, they tended to "debug" new technologies in Japan before they deployed them on a worldwide basis. I have a Toshiba LED that I've had for about 5 years. Still has a great picture on it - and if there are better pictures, I wouldn't know about them because I am only watching the TV that is in my den - and I think it's great. I used to go with only Sony, but Sony changed after dad retired and their focus shifted to movies and media while TV and other electronics became kind of a sideline for them (except for videogaming). JMO.
A smart TV is basically just a TV with an internet connection. My Toshiba isn't smart, but the Roku I plugged into it has a wireless connection to my router and internet. IMHO, a "dumb" TV with a Roku is smarter than a smart TV as there are hundreds if not thousands additional channels available on the Roku.
I don't think the brightness is near the issue it used to be. Several years ago I had a 60 inch Toshiba DLP, which was kind of projection TV that used mirrors. When my TV room was in the basement, the picture was great. When I moved and my den had a large picture window, it was pretty much unwatchable during the daytime - hence the new TV. My current Toshiba LED has zero problems with ambient light, no matter how bright.
Again - when the TV in your den is the only one you are looking at, it doesn't really matter if the Samsung or the Toshiba or the Sony has a better picture. The only time it matters is when you see them side by side. I looked at TV's at Best Buy, and truth be told, the Samsung had a slightly better picture than my Toshiba, but it also cost about $500 more (it was 3D, and I would never have used it). Once I got it home, the picture was fantastic.
That brings up something else - I bought my TV from Best Buy because even though it was cheaper on Amazon, I was able to physically view and compare and ultimately decide on the TV for me. I felt that was worth something. Should Amazon be the demise of the "big box" stores, it's going to get even harder to decide which TV has the best picture, although I am sure that some people will buy two and return the one that they like less.
