The only way is to do what you have already done. Find a display that works such as your friend's and just go buy it.
However, keep in mind the source of the video being displayed on your friend's TV and your own. It's possible that whatever your cable company streams is part of the problem. So that TV might not work, although it should if you have tried it with Netflix and other input sources. Another issue is they sometimes use a different panel in the TV that just has the same specs. So it might not even be the same TV.
But yes, finding displays that work is only get harder and harder. The good news is more and more people are having trouble with them. So eventually the problem will get solved. But until then you have to simply test out monitors and when you find one, just go buy it or use whatever you have that already works.