Yep. Been watching rtings.com a long while thanks to your posts in previous years here, Pnambic (thanks!). They have some really solid info. The trouble is when you get into store-specific models that you can't find the "mass-market" equivalent for. Also, there's the fact that rtings.com only has a limited number of makers/TVs on their site at the moment. For example, I have been unable to find any of the new Toshibas there, only one of the Hisense models, etc. They recently added one of the Element TVs, but have not rated any of the Insignias (I realize this is a BB-only brand, but you'd think the sheer audience of BB shoppers might warrant at least a look at 1 or 2 of them).
I realize some (many?) of these are not top end TVs by any means, but it would help those on a more snug budget (like I was at the time I bought this one) figure out what best fits the priorities they have in the moment. (Do I get the larger Insignia or the smaller Samsung? Depends on what matters most, obviously, but the site could help someone paint a clearer picture, no pun intended.) Definitely would have helped me in my rush buy, I'm sure, to have known then what I know now about refresh rates and such. I could've opted to, perhaps, go with a smaller screen size in the interest of a higher refresh rate that would have given me better picture quality for the things I enjoy watching most.
Now I'm using all the knowledge I've gained from you and others here, along with that site and other reviews to determine if any particular deal on a TV would actually be a deal for me or whether I should just keep looking. Not going to settle this time, as long as current set stays in good working order. My hunch, however, is that it's actually my cable box that's hurting my picture more than the TV itself. It may be a relatively new box (w/in last 2 years), but I know they're only broadcasting in 720p. That can't be helping.
In any event, I'm enjoying having the luxury of time to really shop thoroughly this time and invest in a good quality set, be it this year on BF or sometime in the not-too-distant future.
For those curious: Kitty in my pic is current furbaby, Mew, curled up in a box far too small for her. Ha! "If I fits, I sleeps!"
NASCAR fan (particularly JGR pit crews - many friends there), diehard UM Wolverine fan, animal lover, car girl, cookie baker, singer, bargain hunter. Yep. That about covers it. lol