Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I purchased a 50 inch LED 1080p Smart HDTV (Model #H5 Series - 50H5GB) from Best Buy on 1/31/16. At the time, I did my research, but if you look them up now, there are more than 500 customer complaints through BBB and terrible reviews of actual users. Unfortunately, they were all AFTER I purchased mine. No matter that model, the complaint was the same - it dies and quickly. As for my model: While advertised as a "smart" TV, it works with an app store called Opera or something and it does not offer Hulu. That was irritation number one. It was always a little slow and often the pictures would pixilate, as if the wifi wasn't strong enough, but that wasn't the problem. About a year ago it started "blipping." It would be working fine and then suddenly the screen would go grey. You had to turn it off and back up to "reboot" it. This began to increase in frequency about 6 months ago. About 2 weeks ago it started "freezing." Whatever it was doing, it would just stop, frozen on the image. You couldn't exit the app, you couldn't turn the TV off (with the remote or manually) - nothing. Once I left it on to see how long it took to realize it was inactive and turn off - went overnight and never turned off. We would have to unplug it and plug it back in to get it to work. Yesterday, it worked in the morning, but by evening, even though the standby light would work appropriately (thus confirming the power supply wasn't the issue), there was no picture or sound. Just a black screen. The serial number indicates that the TV was manufactured in June 2015. So 3.5 years old, and we've own it for less than 3. Of course, the warranty is only 2 years. So I called their Trouble Shooting phone number, and the woman confirmed my warranty was expired and when she asked what was happening and I told her, her actual response was "Well, it's not supposed to do that." OF COURSE NOT!! So I went to the website. Be sure to specify US or you're going to get a website in a different language. On their FAQ/Trouble Shooting page you have to enter the model number. Mine turns up no results. How is that possible? So I do an online chat with a representative (Shadae). She asks me the same questions, tells me the answer is on their website and when I protested, she referred me to the manual (which has NOTHING in it except check the power, and be sure the power switch is on, use the remote to turn it on, and if the light's on, power's good - how is that troubleshooting for "no sound or picture?!") and when I protested, she sent this "Please unplug TV power outletRemove [sic] all connected cables from the TVPress [sic] and hold power button on Tv while unplugged atleast [sic] 30 seconds - 1 MinuteRelease Power button then replug TV without connectionsDo [sic] you see the little red light at the bottom of the right or left hand corner blinkingWe [sic] what we call a flashlight test. True the TV on Look slowly at the TV form approximately a 90 degree angle. Flash the flashlight through the front screen at approximately a 90 degree angle." WHAT IS THAT?! What are we doing? Unplugging and replugging it back in?! Don't you think we've tried that?! And what is a flashlight test?! What are we looking for? What does it do/tell us? I have NEVER had a television give out that early. We have had our old tube ones for a hundred years, and our JVC and Sony flatscreens for 7 and 10 years respectively. All of them work perfectly fine. Never had an issue - and my JVC is a factory rebuild, so it's not even new. I was shocked. I did my research for complaints before I bought it and didn't see any, so I'm making sure that I put mine out there so NO ONE makes the mistake I made. Looks like I was lucky I got almost 3 years out of it based on the reviews out there now. Absolute insanity. Utter waste of money. I plan to send them (and Best Buy - who screwed me out of my protection plan too, to really slap me in the face) the repair bill. Let's just hope I can fix it!