I just received an offer for a new job so and want to reward myself with a new TV. I'm currently using an LG 42" LB5500 which works ... fine. It is a bit small, only has 2x HDMI and doesn't produce the best image quality. That said, I picked it up off gumtree for £120 so I was more than happy using it while finishing my studies. I've measured the wall and it can fit a 60" but they seem to be uncommon. I'm looking for something that will be good for movies and gaming with a connected computer and later a switch. It seems that some HDMI 2.1 freesync features are coming to TV and would be great. It is not a bright room and I use external speakers. I was thinking to go used it doesn't seem worth it with 55". I was considering the Samsung QE55Q60R £869.00 because it is QLED. It's a bit more than I wanted to spend but I thought it would be a good choice but reviews seem to be mixed. What are some good options for the £600-900 and are there and good sites for reviews/comparisons? Is this a good time or should I wait a bit for a big sale? Also, I've never had a smart TV. I want to run PLEX, Youtube, Prime Video and a few Chinese streaming apps. Can I do this with a smart TV or do I need an android box?
ebuyer currently have that model TV for £713 It seems to have Youtube & Prime Video built in, along with a bunch of other apps. Some "Smart" TVs will pick up a Plex server on the LAN, don't know about this particular one. Maybe hit Samsung up for a manual? You might need a separate box for your chinese channels. £899 would get you a (refurbished) LG OLED set from Richer Sounds.
Can't recommended a model but my mate has a Samsung TV with Android built in so gets all the typical apps including Plex. It did set him band £1,000 though but he is happy enough with it
In terms of getting all of the extras onto it that you want you'd probably be best with whichever flavour of Fire Stick you want and then you can sideload whatever apps onto that you want (I run Kodi on mine for network streaming) and then that way you can focus on getting the best TV for your money rather than the TV that happens to allow you to install apps (which may then not have the best picture quality etc)
I wish I could make a proper comparison between models but you can see in stores that they are not calibrated at all and the source can be crap as well.
That's what I was thinking, and then I was reading that many android boxes struggle with 4k, like the Xiaomi Mi Box S. Than I started to wonder if the hardware in a smart TV isn't at least as powerful. I've been unable to use one thus far because my set only has 2x HDMI (desktop + virgin box).
The 'smart' functions of a 'smart TV' can basically be disregarded. Invariably support will de-facto cease after the first year of sales (i.e. when the next generation go on sale) and there is basically no recourse for removal of features. Built-in hardware is also very likely to be the lowest possible performance, similar to distributor-provided set-top boxes. You're better off cutting your TV budget by ~£150 and getting a Shield TV (still getting regular updates, still vastly more performant than any built-in hardware). In terms of features, the biggest differentiator at the moment is likely HDR. Like with desktop monitors there's plenty of not-actually-HDR TVs sold as HDR to trick you into wasting money. If HDR is something you want to invest in, at a minimum you want a TV that complies with the Ultra HD Premium branding, and is either OLED or has a FALD backlight. Otherwise, aim to get a TV that does not advertise any sort of HDR support at all (so you're not paying extra for a non-feature). 'QLED' is a marketing gimmick like the old trick of selling 'LED TVs': it's a change in how the backlight is manufactured, but not a change in panel technology.
I would primarily like an upgrade in size from my 42" budget 2015 1080p set (the biggest obvious improvement) and something that have better image quality and a few extra ports, but I'm unwilling to go up to £1000+. I'm not paying extra for a "smart" tv as it seems that all 55" teles are equally "smart". Is it worth paying an extra few hundred for a mid-range £600-800 model or would I not notice a difference in quality compared to an LG 55UM7450PLA or Samsung UE55RU7100 55" for £449.00 or Hisense H55B7100UK for £429?
Really it comes down to how picky you are. The OLED will be night and day better than any mid range TV, but if you're not too bothered by picture quality then it won't matter https://www.whathifi.com/lg/oled55c8pla/review https://www.techradar.com/reviews/lg-c8-oled-oled55c8
With the proviso that while 100% true at night, during the day if your room is brightly lit then the LCD will kick the OLED's arse when it comes to perceptual image quality due to an OLED's lower absolute brightness. People perceive brighter = better (even if it is actually less contrast) in bright environments. The human visual system is whack, yo.
I was not aware of this. I don't have the budget for OLED. I'm thinking about the £400-600 but could go a bit higher if it was really worth it. What I want to know, is say I go Samsung, in my price range: Samsung 55" RU7100 vs RU7400 vs RU8000 - is there a noticeable enough difference to justify the price. I know comparing the RU7100 to the Q60R I should notice a difference, Samsung 55" RU7100 £499 Samsung 55" RU7400 £579 Samsung 55" RU8000 £699 Samsung 55" Q60R £869 With my computer monitor, I knew what I was paying for 144op, IPS, freesync, small bezel. Are consumer paying for a noticeably better product or are they coming in with a budget and buying something at that price point.
RTings has the RU7100, RU8000 and Q60R in their review database (and the RU7300 rather than the RU7400).
[Laughs in API levels] AFAIK no Android TV... TV has an unlocked bootloader. That means you're stuck with whatever Android build the manufacturer distributes, which falls into the "you get a year of updates until the next model comes out then you're SOL" pit. Even if you can sideload individual applications, you're still dependant on the app developers maintaining support for whatever ancient Android TV version your TV manufacturer decided to crap out (which as likely as not will be a year or two out of date when the TV was launched).
Well, my TV was shipped with Android 8 but last Gen Sony’s that shipped with 7 have been updated to 8 so there is that to consider. Whether or not I get 9 is yet to be seen but it seems like you get at least one version upgrade so far. As for longevity, it’s still far more useable in the long term than being tied into Samsung or Panasonic’s bespoke smart eco system. Just the ability to side load alone gives you much more options than other TV OSs off the bat and long into the TVs lifecycle. I tend to change sets every 4-5 years so I’m not concerned that I’ll have any issues whatsoever.
For gaming I wouldn't get an OLED due to burn in. I have a Q6FN for gaming, movies and general PC use and couldn't be happier. It even supports Freesync up to 120 hz at 1440p or 1080p. The Q6FN is older, but better than the Q60R according to reviews. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-QE...r_1_1?keywords=q6fn+55"&qid=1572002012&sr=8-1
Just to add to this, my two Samsung and one Sony smart TV's can access the Plex service and the Synology DNLA service from the TV's built in video app. The Sony, being an Android TV, can even use the Synology DS Video app. I have tried the Plex app as well but prefer the Synology app. Basically a smart TV will only have apps that are released for it, whether it is an Android TV or not. Whether you can get a Plex client on it will depend on the TV, iot is hit and miss. Most TV's will have a built in video app which is simply a DNLA client so will access a DNLA stream from anything.
My Sony can access both Plex and Synology via the apps which I installed from the Play Store on the TV, so not sure what's going on with yours? Both working as expected too.
