Just because a tv is newer does not mean that the tuner part is better, I also have an older 4 year set top box, more indicators for signal strength etc than my brand new 48 inch 1080p tv, the set top receives chn 36 50% of the time (even shows chn 11 at 49% signal but multipath is killing it 90% of the time) and the new tv shows 0% for both chns. All on the same antenna, rf amp and splitter.

So, in my opinion, newer is not always better, its sometimes how much one pays for the item.

Comparing side by side is the best without having expensive test gear.