Topic: Bought a New 4k UHD TV.... but where are all the inputs!?

[BlackNMild2k1]

So I walked into Walmart and on impulse (without research, just before closing) bought my mom a new 50" Samsung 4k UHD TV last night. It was only $298.00

how are TV's so damn cheap all of a sudden?
I almost bought the Vizio, but the Samsung was the same price. After a 5 second google search, and seeing it rated higher than the Vizio (yes, I know... I might as well not even have bothered if that was all the research I was gonna do) I decided to just gamble on the Samsung instead.

So today, I'm just now looking at the specs on this TV as I wasn't sure if it would fit in her room.... TV stand is a little small, but I suppose I could mount it if I wanted to, its in an angled corner, so I'd have to get a extended mount. So I thought that maybe I would just swap it with my old Vizio that I've had for many years now, that has a central stand (that's another issue with all these new TV's.... they all have the legs at the far ends of the TV and not the central stand anymore.).

But as I'm looking at the specs, there is only 2 HDMI ports, a USB, Ethernet, and Digital Optical Audio.
no TV has the PC Video inputs anymore? why only 2 HDMI? I need to hook up the Computer, Switch, and DVD Player at the least. I can get by w/o the PC Video connector, but can I at least have some HDMI ports to spare!?
what if I game with more than one system? use a cable box? WTF am I supposed to do with all my ****? buy HDMI component box.... this **** is ridiculous.

Someone point me to the cheap HDMI TV I should've bought that will fit my needs so I can give my old TV to my mom. Price isn't really the point, but let's not aim at no $1000 TV's here.
I gotta save that for the new phone I eventually need to buy soon.

Thanks.

[Stratos]

That's one of the reasons they are so cheap. Cutting pack on ports and other less used features. Also, they sell your viewing data, so be sure to opt out of that crap if you can. I bought a new Samsung in December (also 50" 4k UHD) and found you can cancel out of the data sharing prompts to avoid opting in to the data collection, but If I want to use some things I'll have to give up on that point. But for Netflix, Hulu, D+, and gaming I am able to use it all.

Be sure to check Costco. I bought mine at Best Buy then found a larger one for the same price at Costco, but I didn't compare specs so may have been some other differences. Mine has 3 HDMI, 2 USB, 1 Digital Audio, 1 network jack, and the good-old component/RGB plugs. I paid ~$350.

I bought an HDMI switch so I could hook more devices up, since this is my entertainment center/gaming TV. You can get one for cheap on Amazon.

This is the one I bought, its going for more than I paid for it at $400.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I'm real close to pulling the trigger on a 8 series instead since it had 4 HDMI and it's only $469.00

I just need to check behind my computer and make sure my video card has HDMI out so I can either buy another long HDMI cord or a long HDMI to DVI cord.

Might be handing down my good old trusty Vizio from 2014 to my mom, and upgrading to a 2019 4k UHD TV

[nickmitch]

I've had a gripe about this too.  When my dad bought some new TVs, there were very few HDMI ports.  I guess they just expect you to not have too many devices now?  Which makes sense with so many people "cutting the cord" and gaming systems being able to be used for streaming.  And there's wireless workarounds for connecting a computer.

[NWR_insanolord]

Some of that may be them trying to make people use the built-in smart TV functionality most current TVs include.

[BlackNMild2k1]

That may be true, and makes perfect sense, but....

I'll just assume all usual function needed in any given household and in various parts of mine:
- Cable Box - HDMI (I don't think the boxes have the coax out anymore... I could be wrong tho)
- Video Game System of Choice
- BluRay/DVD Player (because I assume people still have disc and occasionally watch them)

that's a basic need for 3 HDMI inputs right there.
Now if you also had a dedicated smartbox, even if your TV has most of if not virtually all the same features, you're gonna want that 4th HDMI till you eventually transision to the TV's built in features assuming the TV isn't slow.

[Shaymin]

I wonder how many of those TV manufacturers also sell HDMI switchers on the side.

But yeah, I'm probably looking to buy a new TV in the next couple of years and I don't think I'm going to find something with like, five HDMI ports for a reasonable price. Let alone finding a proper dumb TV.

[BlackNMild2k1]

So I ended up with the Series 8 Samsung 49" (not sure why it had to be an inch shorter.... but whatever). It physically takes up less room than my previous 47 inch, which probably took the same space as this TV would've had it been a 52" TV instead.

The UI is very responsive, night and day against the Point of purchase TV that was the Vizio  40" I bought for my daughter on a whim as I was walking through the door. But she don't know no better, so she can deal with how slow that TVs UI is.

This Series 8 came with 4 HDMI ports and required me to get a HDMI to DVI cable to connect back to the PC, and everything has worked extremely well so far, except for the fact that this TV does not auto turn on to the awakening of the PC like it will for the Switch and DVD player.
It also will not auto turn off once the source has shut off like my old Vizio would do. That is my only issue with this TV and it's for the most part quite minor, as I have it set to auto turn off after 4 hours, which is good at night, but it'll pop up during the day when we are gaming.

Which is why I prefer the auto source sense the prior Vizio had, because I ran pretty much everything though the PC, if I fell asleep or left the room for an extended amount of time, the computer will go to sleep, and then the TV would follow suit minutes later. This TV does not appear to have that feature.... and if it does, I have not yet discovered it.

Overall, I'm happy I upgraded, as I have an extra HDMI port just in case, as I really only need the 3.

The remote is very simple and comfortable to hold with that curve and minimal buttons. Just feels good to hold.

The Samsung UI also comes with free TV channels, and everything is quick to respond. It's nice.
Now I can use the TV to quickly load up a Netflix/Amazon/Hulu show or movie and not worry about whatever I'm doing on the computer making it skip for a minute, or my mouse slipping up to the TV screen and bringing up the movie player interface. I can also let the computer go to sleep while watching a movie, and not have the brightness of the computer monitor glaring at me.
Not that I couldn't do that on the old TV, but I can navigate on this TV almost as fast as the compute itself, so it's not like I have to wait for things to respond like the old TV that is much slower.

Now i still gotta return that 6 Series back to Walmart before I lost the receipt.
(or maybe I'll mount it in the garage.... and revamp my garage gym to the next level with an HD bigscreen display. LOL)