juanpabloingram Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 I cannot remember when I last purchased a TV (if ever) so I am a complete novice in purchasing TVs. I have recently moved into a 1 bed place which has quite a large living room / dining room and need to get myself a TV. I have Sky and also looking to get myself a Playstation in the new year. Any recommendations on size, make, functionality etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjw63 Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Everyone's going for these new fangled 4K UHD things at the moment. Except me. I got a 49" Samsung 2015 model from Amazon warehouse for £308.00 and it's **** great. Good sound, good picture, plays every file I know via the USB too. Oh and hardly anyone is broadcasting in 4k yet, could be the latest fad after 3D... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted December 30, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted December 30, 2016 Size will depend on how big the room is, how far you sit away from the screen, and your budget. Makes are much of a muchness provided you stay away from the more 'own brand' names. Beyond that different makes have slightly different technologies you probably won't notice (Samsung has 'quantum dot', etc), and all of them have 'problem' models in their range - Sony produced a TV last year that was excellent on paper but suffered with awful light bleed for instance. 4k and HDR are the big new functionalities. 4k is just starting to mature as a tech, HDR is still getting there. If you want 4k, bare in mind that ATM the only content is available via Sky Q, steaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, UHD Bluray discs (requiring a UHD player) and YouTube. HDR is a similar story but there's no broadcast content currently so it's streaming only, and the standards of HDR are still being worked out. There are 2 standards, HDR10 and Dolby Vision, with another being developed, HLG. Very little supports Dolby Vision specifically currently content wise and only a minority of sets support it, but on paper its better than HDR10, and sets with Dolby Vision support HDR10. HDR and 4k console gaming is just starting to come to the fore with PS4 Pro and the Xbox One S. The benefits of 4k and HDR may not be worth the outlay depending on your usage. 4k will offer unprecedented picture quality but if you don't have access to content, or are on a smaller screen sat a greater distance away, the benefit will be reduced (or even lost on you). HDR has a greater effect on the picture quality, by giving much wider and more subtle variance of colour and brightness, giving you much more lifelike and vibrant images, but again there is very little content at the moment (though like 4k the catalogue is growing), the effect is heavily reliant on how good the set is (the range of colour and brightness offered varies model to model) and anecdotally is heavily affected by how bright your room is when you watch. The Ultra HD Premium label is on a growing number of TVs (except Sony models) to highlight sets capable of 4k and HDR to agreed standards to help. If you want to game you may want to be aware of input lag. Some 4k sets have very high input lag, which is the delay between you pressing a button and the action happening on screen. The lower the better, ideally less than 50ms, and it's worth mentioning some people notice it more than others. There are websites which will list input lag figures for various sets if that matters to you. If you do go 4k, try to get as new a model as possible, some models will be out there at bargain prices but are missing vital features that will be increasingly necessary going forwards, e.g. newer HDMI standards. Otherwise, best thing to do is decide what you want in general terms, go to Curry's website and filter to models that match your desired spec, find a couple you like the look of, check out the threads at AVForums about them to see if they are 'problem' models (take with a degree of salt - the threads are populated by perfectionists who will reject a TV for a problem you might never notice), then go check out somewhere like (ideally) Richer Sounds to see it in action set up properly - Curry's will just set up the display models with minimum of effort and set up to look as eye catching as possible in a showroom, which is unlikely to be what your living room is like. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juanpabloingram Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Thanks - very useful. My budget is £500 or less and quite like to get a Samsung because of having Sky (compatible remotes?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LancsVillan Posted December 30, 2016 Moderator Share Posted December 30, 2016 5 hours ago, rjw63 said: Everyone's going for these new fangled 4K UHD things at the moment. Except me. I got a 49" Samsung 2015 model from Amazon warehouse for £308.00 and it's **** great. Good sound, good picture, plays every file I know via the USB too. Oh and hardly anyone is broadcasting in 4k yet, could be the latest fad after 3D... We've got 4 Samsung's and they are all very good from old 32" HD ready through to a SMART 50" that cost around £650 last year. As Rob says the USB and file playing is superb. I love the ease of connection from my phone too (also Samsung) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juanpabloingram Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 (edited) I've found this one which appears to be a good buy? Samsung UE49K5600 Smart 49" LED TV - £449 or Samsung UE49K5500 49-inch - £399.99 Edited December 30, 2016 by juanpabloingram Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrenm Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 7 hours ago, Chindie said: Size will depend on how big the room is, how far you sit away from the screen, and your budget. Makes are much of a muchness provided you stay away from the more 'own brand' names. Beyond that different makes have slightly different technologies you probably won't notice (Samsung has 'quantum dot', etc), and all of them have 'problem' models in their range - Sony produced a TV last year that was excellent on paper but suffered with awful light bleed for instance. 4k and HDR are the big new functionalities. 4k is just starting to mature as a tech, HDR is still getting there. If you want 4k, bare in mind that ATM the only content is available via Sky Q, steaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, UHD Bluray discs (requiring a UHD player) and YouTube. HDR is a similar story but there's no broadcast content currently so it's streaming only, and the standards of HDR are still being worked out. There are 2 standards, HDR10 and Dolby Vision, with another being developed, HLG. Very little supports Dolby Vision specifically currently content wise and only a minority of sets support it, but on paper its better than HDR10, and sets with Dolby Vision support HDR10. HDR and 4k console gaming is just starting to come to the fore with PS4 Pro and the Xbox One S. The benefits of 4k and HDR may not be worth the outlay depending on your usage. 4k will offer unprecedented picture quality but if you don't have access to content, or are on a smaller screen sat a greater distance away, the benefit will be reduced (or even lost on you). HDR has a greater effect on the picture quality, by giving much wider and more subtle variance of colour and brightness, giving you much more lifelike and vibrant images, but again there is very little content at the moment (though like 4k the catalogue is growing), the effect is heavily reliant on how good the set is (the range of colour and brightness offered varies model to model) and anecdotally is heavily affected by how bright your room is when you watch. The Ultra HD Premium label is on a growing number of TVs (except Sony models) to highlight sets capable of 4k and HDR to agreed standards to help. If you want to game you may want to be aware of input lag. Some 4k sets have very high input lag, which is the delay between you pressing a button and the action happening on screen. The lower the better, ideally less than 50ms, and it's worth mentioning some people notice it more than others. There are websites which will list input lag figures for various sets if that matters to you. If you do go 4k, try to get as new a model as possible, some models will be out there at bargain prices but are missing vital features that will be increasingly necessary going forwards, e.g. newer HDMI standards. Otherwise, best thing to do is decide what you want in general terms, go to Curry's website and filter to models that match your desired spec, find a couple you like the look of, check out the threads at AVForums about them to see if they are 'problem' models (take with a degree of salt - the threads are populated by perfectionists who will reject a TV for a problem you might never notice), then go check out somewhere like (ideally) Richer Sounds to see it in action set up properly - Curry's will just set up the display models with minimum of effort and set up to look as eye catching as possible in a showroom, which is unlikely to be what your living room is like. Also, BT have their 4k service with 4k streaming services such as Netflix built in and BT sport uhd. It's what I've got but without the TV to support it yet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 3, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted January 3, 2017 Still haven't taken the plunge on mine. But this is my new favourite My uncle has just got one and I saw it last week. Looks fantastic, and I have good experience with Sony. My current TV is a bravia. Approaching 10 years old now but it's been excellent and never had a single problem with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjw63 Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 On 30/12/2016 at 20:38, juanpabloingram said: I've found this one which appears to be a good buy? Samsung UE49K5600 Smart 49" LED TV - £449 or Samsung UE49K5500 49-inch - £399.99 Both look decent; mine was cheaper also because it's not a smart-TV, I don't need one although I suspect in the coming years they will all be Smart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juanpabloingram Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Think we've opted for this one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villarule123 Posted January 4, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted January 4, 2017 23 hours ago, Stevo985 said: Still haven't taken the plunge on mine. But this is my new favourite My uncle has just got one and I saw it last week. Looks fantastic, and I have good experience with Sony. My current TV is a bravia. Approaching 10 years old now but it's been excellent and never had a single problem with it. Not sure of the differences but I've seen this one for £749 http://m.richersounds.com/#!/product/sony-kd55xd8005bu We have the 49 inch one and it's great. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 4, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted January 4, 2017 Thanks. I'm not sure of the difference either! I'll have a closer look later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanAVFC Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 I'll be buying a new TV when I go back to Poland. No idea what but my budget is 1000 PLN. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted January 4, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted January 4, 2017 CES is underway which means all your 2017 TVs are getting revealed. Highlights have pretty much been Panasonic revealing an OLED which will check cost more than a car but seemingly be outstanding, and LG revealing their own OLED upgrades, most notably a new flagship such is less than 3mm thick, that they're dubbing wallpaper design. It's impressive but the effect is ruined somewhat when you realise a HDMI cable is more than 3mm... So it has a large soundbar/breakout box it's attached to by a cable. Also, as if you didn't know already, 3d's dead. LG were the last holdout, their 2016 OLED panels being great 3d performers by all accounts, but they've ditched it now. Also, new HDMI standard. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 27, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted January 27, 2017 On 1/3/2017 at 11:53, Stevo985 said: Still haven't taken the plunge on mine. But this is my new favourite My uncle has just got one and I saw it last week. Looks fantastic, and I have good experience with Sony. My current TV is a bravia. Approaching 10 years old now but it's been excellent and never had a single problem with it. Purchased. Pick it up later. Can't wait Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 29, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted January 29, 2017 It's so nice! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 It was mentioned on the radio this morning that manufacturers are stopping production of 3D sets. Glad I never spent any money on that gimmick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted February 5, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted February 5, 2017 On 29/01/2017 at 20:13, Stevo985 said: It's so nice! Still loving it, but one thing that's annoying me. If I plug a hard drive in, the video player app doesn't show any folder structure. So it just shows you every video that's on the hard drive. And not in a particularly user friendly way. So for example, if I had a folder called Game of Thrones, and then a folder called Season 1, and then a video called episode 1, it would just display the video as "Episode 1". Along with ever other video I have named as episode 1. Kind of annoying. Anyone know of any sony TV apps or Android TV apps that are a bit more user friendly in that way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craigyh74 Posted February 9, 2017 Share Posted February 9, 2017 On 2/5/2017 at 23:25, Stevo985 said: Anyone know of any sony TV apps or Android TV apps that are a bit more user friendly in that way? If it's Andriod you can always put Kodi on and use it for it's original purpose. i.e. a Media Centre for playing personal music/films....none of this add-on malarky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted February 9, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted February 9, 2017 Kodi is a streaming thing, right? That's ok, but I can already stream videos from my laptop to the TV via the built in chromecast. That's ok 90% of the time, but the problem is certain file types seem to be a bit crap at that and I get buffering problems. So would be ideal in that situation to just plug the hard drive int o the TV and play them directly from there. My 3 year old basic LG TV I have in the bedroom shows the folder structure of your hard drive. I would have thought it was a standard thing for a smart TV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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