Suggestions please: Smart TV or Regular budled with console and laptop? 44"

Hey!

OK, now before someone spews venom, please hear me out. I'm not asking for an HDTV deal in specific here. I'm doing my research on what to go in for and I'd appreciate some awesome advice I always get at SD!

I'm looking at getting a TV upwards of 44". I'm not sure if I should go in for a smart TV or just a regular one and bundle an XBOX or PS3 and probably a Roku or Logitech Revuee. I'm not a cable/ satellite TV person. I'd rather stream the content I want to watch online, use netflix, hulu, etc. And my usage would be basically for watching movies and streaming online videos with occasional gaming. (Only if I get the XBOX. I'm not a huge gaming enthusiast either.) So I feel just plugging in a spare laptop would help here big time! Oh and I don't really need the 3D BS that these people are throwing in!

I was interested in a smart TV (probably with a browser) so that I could browse and stream stuff directly. Also keen on Samsung with AllShare as I have a Galaxy Note, but again not specific on these requirements. But if I were to do the bundle, I'm not sure how is the internet browsing experience. AllShare is only to stream content, so I cant wirelessly share my computer desktop or phone onto the TV. Oh and I went to BB and now I so feel I want a sound bar!

Coming to budget constraints. I dont want to splurge too much. At the max $1000 in total. I just got a Chase Freedom card with 6 month 0% APR, so I could put the TV on that and pay it off in 4-5 months.

So what do you guys suggest? Should I go the smart TV way or should I pick up a regular TV and bundle it with stuff?

I know how you feel, I was in the same situation almost two years ago.
I bought a Samsung TV with All Share & DLNA features (no browser back then, just apps & DLNA). Originally I thought it was the dream TV and I would never need any other device for content. But after a year or so some of the apps I loved the most no longer were supported, or started having issues, or something else that made the unusable. I'm only talking about very specific apps, the popular ones like Netflix and Hulu have always worked flawlessly.

When this occurred I HAD to get Roku, and eventually a Western Digital Live Player.
Nowadays, I do have everything I wanted.

Pros & Cons
Well, I must say I underestimated the simplicity of just needing to use one remote to access everything, once I got the Roku and the WDTV, it is quite annoying having to switch controller very often.

That said, now I'm able to move the devices to any TV I wish around the house, and those devices get regular software updates extending the life of each device and occasionally adding a new feature. TV firmware RARELY get any updates.

My honest advice.
Don't pick a TV on whether the TV has internet features or not. Find a few TVs with the highest technical specs your money can afford and then compare the difference. At that point you must give a dollar $ value to the added feature of having internet features. Is it worth $20, $50, $100, $200, or more to have integrated apps in you TV?
In my opinion, those features are worth $100.
If the TVs are identical except one of them has Internet Apps, and is $101 or more. I would go with the non-featured TV. If it is $100 or less, I think the convenience of the integrated apps is worth it at that point.

Very simple. Concentrate on the rest of the specs.

Also, if you decide to go a TV with apps, go with a Samsung, no exception.
I've had Vizios & LGs TVs and their App interface is complete junk compared to the Samsung All Share & Apps, so much better they are not even close.

Thanks for the advice. Its given me a little perspective. I was leaning towards getting a regular TV and then adding stuff. But at BB I could barely find something like that.

Now, when you talk about the tech specs of the TV, I'm unclear on Plasma/ LED difference. I understand the LED - LCD difference. And also find LEDs to be slightly sharper. The plasma's certainly have better blacks than LEDs, but beyond that what? In terms of life of the device, what is better?

In plasma I see they all have a 600 Hz refresh rate while in LED/ LCD its generally 120 Hz. I would love to pick the 240 Hz TVs but they are pricey. How much would it matter?

Quote from powtail : I know how you feel, I was in the same situation almost two years ago. I bought a Samsung TV with All Share & DLNA features (no browser back then, just apps & DLNA). Originally I thought it was the dream TV and I would never need any other device for content. But after a year or so some of the apps I loved the most no longer were supported, or started having issues, or something else that made the unusable. I'm only talking about very specific apps, the popular ones like Netflix and Hulu have always worked flawlessly. When this occurred I HAD to get Roku, and eventually a Western Digital Live Player. Nowadays, I do have everything I wanted. Pros & Cons Well, I must say I underestimated the simplicity of just needing to use one remote to access everything, once I got the Roku and the WDTV, it is quite annoying having to switch controller very often. That said, now I'm able to move the devices to any TV I wish around the house, and those devices get regular software updates extending the life of each device and occasionally adding a new feature. TV firmware RARELY get any updates. My honest advice. Don't pick a TV on whether the TV has internet features or not. Find a few TVs with the highest technical specs your money can afford and then compare the difference. At that point you must give a dollar $ value to the added feature of having internet features. Is it worth $20, $50, $100, $200, or more to have integrated apps in you TV? In my opinion, those features are worth $100. If the TVs are identical except one of them has Internet Apps, and is $101 or more. I would go with the non-featured TV. If it is $100 or less, I think the convenience of the integrated apps is worth it at that point. Very simple. Concentrate on the rest of the specs. Also, if you decide to go a TV with apps, go with a Samsung, no exception. I've had Vizios & LGs TVs and their App interface is complete junk compared to the Samsung All Share & Apps, so much better they are not even close.