Topic: Television buying

[WhereAngelsPlay]

Yeah that’s the sort of thing I was talking about. As for the bracket it’s all about how close you want it to the was or do you want it on an adjustable arm etc.

This is the one I got from Aldi,gutted I didn't buy 3 as I would replace my others with them,goes flat to the wall as well.Have to laugh at a couple of the reviews though,some people are just dumb. 

https://www.aldi.co.uk/reka-full-motion-tv-wall-bracket/p/705493391165000

[Danny Singh]

Either or really but as I also own a ps5 I’d probably go for the c1. As you are putting it on a wall I would also recommend the Philips 806. This has ambilight which can be impressive and all the gaming features of the c1. You don’t hear as much about them as they aren’t sold in the US as far as I know. They are more expensive because of the built in ambilight. The 805 2020 model can be had for a great deal right now but doesn’t have the latest gaming features.

One thing I think you should ask yourself is can I fit a 65 where I plan to put the tv. I was planning on 55 initially and ended up going for a 65. Keep in mind there should be price drops in the next two months. Usually some good deals on the weekend of Black Friday.

I'll check out the Philips but seem to be leaning towards the C1 after watching a few YouTube reviews! I'm going to put the TV on a media wall so there probably won't be a great deal of space around the sides in order to maximize the ambilight feature.. I could get a light behind it which I've seen some people do? Yeah, I'll hold off until Black Friday and hope the 65" which is currently priced at roughly £2k drops! For volume/sound would you say it's essential to get a soundbar and if yes, any recommendations for the C1 if I get it?

[MBL?]

I'll check out the Philips but seem to be leaning towards the C1 after watching a few YouTube reviews! I'm going to put the TV on a media wall so there probably won't be a great deal of space around the sides in order to maximize the ambilight feature.. I could get a light behind it which I've seen some people do? Yeah, I'll hold off until Black Friday and hope the 65" which is currently priced at roughly £2k drops! For volume/sound would you say it's essential to get a soundbar and if yes, any recommendations for the C1 if I get it?

I doubt there are any left now but last years LG cx is essentially the same thing and would be far cheaper. The  65 c1 should go down by a few hundred for Black Friday. The biggest price drop is after the new model comes out.

With regards to the soundbar if it was between a 55 and soundbar or a 65, I’d go for the 65. to be honest I don’t feel a soundbar is needed and would recommend going with out and get one at a later date if you think it’s lacking. I’ve got the 2018 version and I’m pretty sure the speakers are the same. It has the best sound of any tv I’ve had. The Sony is known to have slightly better sound but both are above average.

I would love surround sound but not sure the positioning of everything would work in my sitting room. Would probably be very messy.

[Crimson]

Only difference I can see between the CX and the C1, is the latter might be a little bit better at handling reflections. I have a CX and don't think it's suited as wall mounted. Solely due to the slightly extended backside, leaving some air space between the screen and the wall.

[ScouserAtHeart]

I doubt there are any left now but last years LG cx is essentially the same thing and would be far cheaper. The  65 c1 should go down by a few hundred for Black Friday. The biggest price drop is after the new model comes out.

With regards to the soundbar if it was between a 55 and soundbar or a 65, I’d go for the 65. to be honest I don’t feel a soundbar is needed and would recommend going with out and get one at a later date if you think it’s lacking. I’ve got the 2018 version and I’m pretty sure the speakers are the same. It has the best sound of any tv I’ve had. The Sony is known to have slightly better sound but both are above average.

I would love surround sound but not sure the positioning of everything would work in my sitting room. Would probably be very messy.

Wireless surround sound (including atmos) is the dream, but everything's so expensive. I really like the Sonos set but they're close to 2,000 pounds I think

[MBL?]

Wireless surround sound (including atmos) is the dream, but everything's so expensive. I really like the Sonos set but they're close to 2,000 pounds I think

Yeah would be great. Maybe in a few years I’ll look into doing something like that.

[shayne66]

Wireless surround sound (including atmos) is the dream, but everything's so expensive. I really like the Sonos set but they're close to 2,000 pounds I think

I have the JBL 9.1 which have true wireless rear speakers. Just dock them at night to recharge. Works pretty well with my LG C9 tv. Produces nice sound, great bass and also has Atmos. Without breaking the bank, it's a nice setup to get that little extra out of watching movies and tv-series.

[ScouserAtHeart]

I have the JBL 9.1 which have true wireless rear speakers. Just dock them at night to recharge. Works pretty well with my LG C9 tv. Produces nice sound, great bass and also has Atmos. Without breaking the bank, it's a nice setup to get that little extra out of watching movies and tv-series.

Have you had any issues with the battery when it's not docked? A few places online mention the battery starts off great but then eventually it only lasts a couple hours or so.

My only issues are A) There's basically no after sale support for JBL here in India unfortunately and B) Because of import duties and stuff, it costs close to 900 pounds

[WhereAngelsPlay]

Have you had any issues with the battery when it's not docked? A few places online mention the battery starts off great but then eventually it only lasts a couple hours or so.

My only issues are A) There's basically no after sale support for JBL here in India unfortunately and B) Because of import duties and stuff, it costs close to 900 pounds

It's £899.99 here as well but it was £649 last month.I'm guessing that it will be £649 again on black Friday.

[duvva 💅]

I have the Sony ZF9 soundbar which I added the accompanying rear speakers to. It’s excellent for creating a bubble of sound if you like - definitely get the impression of whether the sounds are from behind the side etc. Wouldn’t say the Atmos is brilliant but it’s not bad for a soundbar setup. Not the cheapest if you include the rears but I definitely recommend them. The rears work via wifi but do need to be plugged in, had it almost 3 years now never had any issues with it.

[shayne66]

Have you had any issues with the battery when it's not docked? A few places online mention the battery starts off great but then eventually it only lasts a couple hours or so.

My only issues are A) There's basically no after sale support for JBL here in India unfortunately and B) Because of import duties and stuff, it costs close to 900 pounds

Nope, had for 9 months now and had zero issues with battery life. Some days we'll use it all day watching movies.

Other days on normal tv content theres no point if you dont gain at least 5.1 so just leave them docked.

Everyone who has come round I show them the Jurassic World Atmos demo clip. They love it and pretty impressed.

[duvva 💅]

The other thing to consider with a soundbar is the number of HDMI inputs and whether they’re 2.0, 2.1 etc. It might not be an issue if you haven’t got a Sky box, Blu ray player, games console but if you do it’s something to ensure you have enough ports

[Graeme]

The other thing to consider with a soundbar is the number of HDMI inputs and whether they’re 2.0, 2.1 etc. It might not be an issue if you haven’t got a Sky box, Blu ray player, games console but if you do it’s something to ensure you have enough ports

Majority of TV’s should have optical out, and I assume most decent soundbars will have optical in. I’ve got a Sony HT-XT2 and Sonos Playbase and both have optical in.

[ScouserAtHeart]

Nope, had for 9 months now and had zero issues with battery life. Some days we'll use it all day watching movies.

Other days on normal tv content theres no point if you dont gain at least 5.1 so just leave them docked.

Everyone who has come round I show them the Jurassic World Atmos demo clip. They love it and pretty impressed.

Good to know!

I have the Sony ZF9 soundbar which I added the accompanying rear speakers to. It’s excellent for creating a bubble of sound if you like - definitely get the impression of whether the sounds are from behind the side etc. Wouldn’t say the Atmos is brilliant but it’s not bad for a soundbar setup. Not the cheapest if you include the rears but I definitely recommend them. The rears work via wifi but do need to be plugged in, had it almost 3 years now never had any issues with it.

Will take a look. Cheers!

Majority of TV’s should have optical out, and I assume most decent soundbars will have optical in. I’ve got a Sony HT-XT2 and Sonos Playbase and both have optical in.

Think the problem with optical is you can't go above 5.1. Atmos for example needs higher bandwidth through HDMI.

[Zlen]

Could someone give me advice on a smaller TV, as in under 40''.
I was looking at Samsung Frame 32'', but could be pushed towards something with better picture quality if it exists.
I really have no space for a larger TV, nor would I want to have a TV that is dominating the room (we have none at the moment).
So something sleek, small, has main streaming apps and as good picture quality as possible.

Thanks.

[shayne66]

Could someone give me advice on a smaller TV, as in under 40''.
I was looking at Samsung Frame 32'', but could be pushed towards something with better picture quality if it exists.
I really have no space for a larger TV, nor would I want to have a TV that is dominating the room (we have none at the moment).
So something sleek, small, has main streaming apps and as good picture quality as possible.

Thanks.

At the size your after there wont be alot if any difference between one tv to the next. Also, dont even think about trying to watch any HDR content as it will be appalling. Unfortunalty I believe most built in apps are starting to produced more content in HDR.

Only real thing you need to consider is screen type, do you view straight on to the tv or need one with a wider viewing angle ?

What's the max size you would consider 43" Possibly ?

[Zlen]

Honestly, I don’t even know what HDR does - so I won’t be missing it’s presence. 😁 I could fit a 43’’, but it would fill the wall and I’m not that crazy about that idea. I’d be content with solid looking 1080p that is good with colours and has decent enough black. I guess my question is - which manufacturer makes best picture quality panels and is their TV OS terrible enough to look for a compromise elsewhere.

[shayne66]

Honestly, I don’t even know what HDR does - so I won’t be missing it’s presence. 😁 I could fit a 43’’, but it would fill the wall and I’m not that crazy about that idea. I’d be content with solid looking 1080p that is good with colours and has decent enough black. I guess my question is - which manufacturer makes best picture quality panels and is their TV OS terrible enough to look for a compromise elsewhere.

viewing angle is pretty important before been able to help. are you viewing the tv straight on or at a wide angle ?

[MBL?]

viewing angle is pretty important before been able to help. are you viewing the tv straight on or at a wide angle ?

if it’s a small room I don’t think viewing angles matter. Budget would be the most important thing imo

[Danny Singh]

I doubt there are any left now but last years LG cx is essentially the same thing and would be far cheaper. The  65 c1 should go down by a few hundred for Black Friday. The biggest price drop is after the new model comes out.

With regards to the soundbar if it was between a 55 and soundbar or a 65, I’d go for the 65. to be honest I don’t feel a soundbar is needed and would recommend going with out and get one at a later date if you think it’s lacking. I’ve got the 2018 version and I’m pretty sure the speakers are the same. It has the best sound of any tv I’ve had. The Sony is known to have slightly better sound but both are above average.

I would love surround sound but not sure the positioning of everything would work in my sitting room. Would probably be very messy.

Thanks mate, I'll be awaiting Black Friday and hope to pick up the C1 with the price drop! Are there any websites to keep a look out for or just the usual Currys, John Lewis etc?

On soundbars, if I do get one for the C1, does anyone have any recommendations? Probably under £500/£600..

[TepidT2O]

I’ve got a sonos play base which is great

[Zlen]

Viewing angle is fairly straight. I’m ok with paying more for good panel, especially for image quality. Samsung Frame looks slick, picture is kinda mediocre imo. I spend my days working on a good IPS monitor - so shitty colour range really pokes my eyes immediately.

[MBL?]

Viewing angle is fairly straight. I’m ok with paying more for good panel, especially for image quality. Samsung Frame looks slick, picture is kinda mediocre imo. I spend my days working on a good IPS monitor - so shitty colour range really pokes my eyes immediately.

Those frame TVs are expensive for what they are. If you can budget a little bit more you will get far better picture quality at 43 inch. What sort of content will it be used for?

[Danny Singh]

I’ve got a sonos play base which is great

Thanks, I'll check it out!

Any other shouts?

[Graeme]

+1 for the Sonos PlayBase. It’s excellent. It’s recently discontinued though so stock can be hard to come by.

[Danny Singh]

+1 for the Sonos PlayBase. It’s excellent. It’s recently discontinued though so stock can be hard to come by.

Thanks for the reply Graeme. I've had a look online and your right, I'm struggling to find any in stock, in black.

On the Sonos website they have another model called the Arc. Has anyone bought this and if yes, how does it perform?

[tray fenny]

sonos tvs now? sweet

[Danny Singh]

Went into JL yesterday and saw both the C1 and A80J (65") which look great! One of the workers asked if I would like a comparison on both TV's so I said sure. He played a clip on each one so we could see how they upscales standard quality video and the A80J ran much smoother and was less fuzzy/jittery. Then we looked at picture quality and to be honest there wasn't much between them, the only 2 slight difference would be the C1 seemed a little brighter and the contrast might have looked a bit better on the A80J, but again it's ever so close! The worker also said he thinks the A80J is better and has one himself, so now I'm debating whether to stick with the C1 or pay the extra £200 and go for the A80J..

[ScouserAtHeart]

Went into JL yesterday and saw both the C1 and A80J (65") which look great! One of the workers asked if I would like a comparison on both TV's so I said sure. He played a clip on each one so we could see how they upscales standard quality video and the A80J ran much smoother and was less fuzzy/jittery. Then we looked at picture quality and to be honest there wasn't much between them, the only 2 slight difference would be the C1 seemed a little brighter and the contrast might have looked a bit better on the A80J, but again it's ever so close! The worker also said he thinks the A80J is better and has one himself, so now I'm debating whether to stick with the C1 or pay the extra £200 and go for the A80J..

You really can't go wrong with either. I would say (like others have mentioned) you go for the C1 if you're more of a gamer--it has 4 HDMI 2.1 ports (1 eARC for soundbars), ALLM, VRR. A80J has 2 HDMI 2.1 ports (1 of them is also the eARC port) ALLM but no VRR. Sony has said it'll come in a later firmware update, but they said the same for last year's X90J and it never did.

VRR btw is variable refresh rate. Games sometimes dip between 50 and 60 FPS for example, and having VRR means you won't notice any sudden screen tearing. This is all being nitpicky of course  If you're gaming only with a PS5 I wouldn't worry, it doesn't support VRR either.

[Danny Singh]

You really can't go wrong with either. I would say (like others have mentioned) you go for the C1 if you're more of a gamer--it has 4 HDMI 2.1 ports (1 eARC for soundbars), ALLM, VRR. A80J has 2 HDMI 2.1 ports (1 of them is also the eARC port) ALLM but no VRR. Sony has said it'll come in a later firmware update, but they said the same for last year's X90J and it never did.

VRR btw is variable refresh rate. Games sometimes dip between 50 and 60 FPS for example, and having VRR means you won't notice any sudden screen tearing. This is all being nitpicky of course  If you're gaming only with a PS5 I wouldn't worry, it doesn't support VRR either.

Thanks for the insight! I'm not a proper gamer and will use the TV for 1 console (PS5), watching TV shows/Movies on Netflix and the mighty reds of course! Still reckon C1? or A80J due to better picture quality but slight drop in gaming?

[ScouserAtHeart]

Well me personally I'd go for the C1 and use the money you save towards a good soundbar. The Sony would have better image processing but honestly unless you're watching them side by side, the C1 is more than enough.

The difference a good soundbar would make to your TV watching is way more than the difference in picture quality between the C1 and A80J.

[Danny Singh]

Well me personally I'd go for the C1 and use the money you save towards a good soundbar. The Sony would have better image processing but honestly unless you're watching them side by side, the C1 is more than enough.

The difference a good soundbar would make to your TV watching is way more than the difference in picture quality between the C1 and A80J.

Yeah, I agree and swaying more towards the C1.

I was browsing YouTube and came across this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqvtgS5DtTo&list=WL&index=1&t=547s

The picture quality looks incredible! He has changed some of the TV settings which I think you can access for £5 (check the pinned comment).

Have you or anyone done this also?

[ScouserAtHeart]

Well for one thing I would definitely not pay anyone! There's lots of videos for free out there which help you tweak your settings to get the most out of your picture.

 https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/lg/c1-oled/settings

This one's very detailed, free, and is a good place to start.

[Danny Singh]

Well for one thing I would definitely not pay anyone! There's lots of videos for free out there which help you tweak your settings to get the most out of your picture.

 https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/lg/c1-oled/settings

This one's very detailed, free, and is a good place to start.

Ok thanks, I didn't know there were free ones out there! Some more good news is the C1 has dropped in price by £100 to now £1,899. Still not pulling the trigger yet as I'm expecting to get the keys to my new home in a month and will wait til Black Friday.

[classycarra]

Well me personally I'd go for the C1 and use the money you save towards a good soundbar. The Sony would have better image processing but honestly unless you're watching them side by side, the C1 is more than enough.

The difference a good soundbar would make to your TV watching is way more than the difference in picture quality between the C1 and A80J.

Dipped into this thread for the first time, and there's amazing insight from some very knowledgable people. I'm wondering if it's time for me to invest in a better TV as I'll be moving out from my mates in the new year and I hear black friday usually features big deals.

The advice on the C1 over the Sony made a lot of sense to me (which is rare with all the latest TV developments, which have passed me in the last five years I've been renting at flats with mates).

I'm wondering if you have similar advice about a good value option that's an ideal mix for games (PS5) and films, but perhaps a bit smaller than the 48 inch C1 option I've seen (and definitely less expensive than £1,099?

Last TV I bought about a decade ago was a 32 inch LCD and I'd alawys thought the size was right for me. But my housemates have an equally old 42 inch TV, that doesnt feel overly large or take up as much room as i expected, so maybe slightly large 48 inch wouldn't be a problem. I'm just moving around a lot and will always be renting so can't ever be sure about the space in future rooms.

Any advice at all is appreciated on a kind of established good quality (inc for games) but good value value TV in the mould of the C1, but under 48 inch and definitely under £1,000. Including if I should be waiting til black friday deals to invest. Am I dreaming haha?

[ScouserAtHeart]

I think it depends on how long you'd be willing to wait. The C1 48 inches will drop prices around sales time (although since we don't have a Black Friday here I'm not really sure how much it would drop by  ) but what I can tell you is they'd drop much more significantly early next year, right around the time the new models start rolling out. You'd have to be quick though, the stocks usually don't last.

If you're okay with going with last year's models, I would highly recommend the LG CX 48 inches. It's very, very close in terms of picture quality and features. The only thing I can think of that's different besides the new marginally improved chipsets is the new game optimization bar. But unless you're a very hardcore gamer whose enjoyment is based on how much FPS you're getting, it's not really a make or break deal. If you can find it in stock somewhere, I'm very sure it'll be much closer to the £1,000 mark.

The only other one in that price range and size I can think of is the Samsung Frame TVs, they come in 43 inches I think. Now these are QLEDs though, not OLEDs (they're brighter but you don't get the same contrast levels as OLEDs) plus you won't get Dolby Vision, which is what a lot of shows on Netflix and Disney+ are now coming out in. You will get Samsung's version of it called HDR10+ though, which is supported by shows on Amazon. But honestly they're both just different versions of HDR (one's licensed by Dolby and the other's open standard) and they're more less the same quality unless you're nitpicking.

[classycarra]

I think it depends on how long you'd be willing to wait. The C1 48 inches will drop prices around sales time (although since we don't have a Black Friday here I'm not really sure how much it would drop by  ) but what I can tell you is they'd drop much more significantly early next year, right around the time the new models start rolling out. You'd have to be quick though, the stocks usually don't last.

If you're okay with going with last year's models, I would highly recommend the LG CX 48 inches. It's very, very close in terms of picture quality and features. The only thing I can think of that's different besides the new marginally improved chipsets is the new game optimization bar. But unless you're a very hardcore gamer whose enjoyment is based on how much FPS you're getting, it's not really a make or break deal. If you can find it in stock somewhere, I'm very sure it'll be much closer to the £1,000 mark.

The only other one in that price range and size I can think of is the Samsung Frame TVs, they come in 43 inches I think. Now these are QLEDs though, not OLEDs (they're brighter but you don't get the same contrast levels as OLEDs) plus you won't get Dolby Vision, which is what a lot of shows on Netflix and Disney+ are now coming out in. You will get Samsung's version of it called HDR10+ though, which is supported by shows on Amazon. But honestly they're both just different versions of HDR (one's licensed by Dolby and the other's open standard) and they're more less the same quality unless you're nitpicking.

Thank you mate, that is illuminating! I am starting with next to no knowledge at all.

I'm definitely in no rush at all, and it'd probably be sensible of me to wait til the new year anyway.

Can I just double check I'm following all the LG model names

The new one [C1] is this one LG OLED48C14LB (2021)?
https://www.johnlewis.com/lg-oled48c14lb-2021-oled-hdr-4k-ultra-hd-smart-tv-48-inch-with-freeview-play-freesat-hd-dolby-atmos-black/p5404107

And the old one [CX] is this LG OLED48CX5LC (2020)?
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/3286168?istCompanyId=a74d8886-5df9-4baa-b776-166b3bf9111c&istFeedId=30f62ea9-9626-4cac-97c8-9ff3921f8558&istItemId=iaxampxmq&istBid=t

So if the C1 was to be discounted a bit in January 2022 when new model's launch, it's probably likely to still retain most of its price (currently available for £1,099) rather than have a particularly huge discount [as the CX from the previous year is still £999)?

Trying to see if it may eventually drop into a price range I can reach without stretching haha (not that I'm spending on anything else good these days!). Thanks again!

[ScouserAtHeart]

Pretty much, yeah.

I don't see the C1 going for as cheap as the CX is now for a long time yet, especially given the global chip shortage. There's no guarantee that prices will fall like before. Here in India, we usually have tons of sales around Diwali, especially electronics. But we're already seeing articles saying it's not gonna be the case this time around, and if anything prices may increase as we head towards the end of the year 

[classycarra]

Pretty much, yeah.

I don't see the C1 going for as cheap as the CX is now for a long time yet, especially given the global chip shortage. There's no guarantee that prices will fall like before. Here in India, we usually have tons of sales around Diwali, especially electronics. But we're already seeing articles saying it's not gonna be the case this time around, and if anything prices may increase as we head towards the end of the year 

Really useful context - thanks mate.

[Graeme]

https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/lg-oled55c14lb-55-inch-oled-4k-ultra-hd-hdr-smart-tv-freeview-play-in-ear-wireless-headphones-free-6-year-guarantee-3797435?itm_source=admanager&itm_medium=cpa&itm_campaign=3797435&itm_term=5794828234