I have 5 HDTVs (all are different brands), none of which are so-called "smart" or 3D, and we didn't find them any more difficult to use than the old CRT ones. I see more complaints about the "smart" ones which IMHO are a very dumb idea to begin with. Any they cost considerably more than the plain vanilla ones too. They all get so much better pictures than the old CRTs, you're going to be happy with anything that pleases your eyes in the stores.
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Good luck.
We are "boring" people who like to watch PBS and nightly news from over the air antenna and some DVDs. That said, we are looking to replace our ancient CRT with latest LCD or plasma unit. Problem is, that these new sets all claim great pictures but have all the unneeded bells and whistles (voice recognition, swipe remotes, wifi, ethernet etc) for us. Any recommendation for a great picture TV, but simple to operate without cracking the user manual everytime (price does not matter)?

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