Topic: Television buying

["21C or 70F?" SchizoidWeatherMan!]

Again can highly recommend the Philips Ambilight range. 500 quid will get you a great looking 55 with amazing picture quality, Android TV and all the works.

You can get cheaper TVs from the likes of Hisense and Toshiba as well, which are pretty decent value for money.

[MBL?]

Hisense look great value to performance from what I’ve seen.

[WhereAngelsPlay]

Hisense look great value to performance from what I’ve seen.

Yeah & there's a 50" at Currys for only £299 & 55" for £349

[ScottScott]

I felt dirty buying them but I've got 2 55" Hisense TVs in ours and they are absolutely spot on. Both bought for less than the price of one of the bigger brands as well. Think it was £600 for both from Argos

Obviously they don't have all the bells and whistles as other TVs like HDMI 2.1 or VRR but if it's just TV and a bit of gaming, you would never notice

[MBL?]

I would advise anyone looking at a new tv to do a bit of research looking at their price range online. You can’t take every review at face value but you will generally get an idea of how they perform in the same sphere. Most on a forum will recommend a tv or brand they know so it really isn’t the best info. If you are looking for a size/price there will be comparisons but I would always look at a few of those and not just the first you find.

[jonnypb]

For a £350 budget on a 55” it doesn’t really matter which one you get as they’ll all perform fairly similar. You’re best to go and look at a few different models and see which OS/interface you prefer.

When you start getting into the mid/high end TV’s that’s when you need to do a lot more research and start looking at panel types etc.

["21C or 70F?" SchizoidWeatherMan!]

I felt dirty buying them but I've got 2 55" Hisense TVs in ours and they are absolutely spot on. Both bought for less than the price of one of the bigger brands as well. Think it was £600 for both from Argos

Obviously they don't have all the bells and whistles as other TVs like HDMI 2.1 or VRR but if it's just TV and a bit of gaming, you would never notice

Nothing wrong with Hisense, except for a bit of polish in their OS and occasional sluggishness.

Great value for money to be honest. The Samsungs, LGs and Sony's in that price range are utter shite.

Haier is a great option as well in that price range or slightly higher.

[Red-Soldier]

I've got a hisense TV, paid just over 300 quid for it a few years ago.  Great picture and sound for the price!

Personally, I'd never spend much on a TV nowadays.

[Trada]

I got my new TV delivered today a hisense 65in been mucking about with and really liking it so far my old TV was a pain you had to keep it in default picture mode if you changed it to say dramatic picture mode after about 5 minutes it would turn itself off so moved that TV to the bedroom.

Anyway the reason I posted in here does anyone know of a good indoor ariel the one I have is a bit rubbish picked it up cheap on eBay.

[Schmidt]

I just got a new TV too, went with a 65" LG C2 as the C3 just dropped so the C2 is much cheaper despite the C3 only being a minor upgrade. I measured it and it's literally more than four times the size of my old piece of shit, image quality is superb too.

First thing I did was track down and disable the "TruMotion" setting that makes everything look like a channel 5 movie.

[zero zero]

First thing I did was track down and disable the "TruMotion" setting that makes everything look like a channel 5 movie.

Oh? Where's that?

Love our C2. Great TV.

[Schmidt]

Oh? Where's that?

Love our C2. Great TV.

Settings > All Settings > Picture > Advanced Settings > Clarity > TruMotion > Off. Simple eh?

I had to turn it off multiple times, it might have just been due to the way I was closing the menu but I'd maybe recheck it over a few days just to be sure it's off.

[zero zero]

Settings > All Settings > Picture > Advanced Settings > Clarity > TruMotion > Off. Simple eh?

Cheers. I had it off

[stoa]

I just got a new TV too, went with a 65" LG C2 as the C3 just dropped so the C2 is much cheaper despite the C3 only being a minor upgrade. I measured it and it's literally more than four times the size of my old piece of shit, image quality is superb too.

First thing I did was track down and disable the "TruMotion" setting that makes everything look like a channel 5 movie.

Did the same with Samsung. Got myself one of their higher end models from last year that got overwhelmingly good reviews. It's basically 1k cheaper than it was a year ago. If it really is that good then it's quite a steal for that price...

[PaulF]

The hdmi ports on our telly are all broken now so we're using Scart. It's like watching vhs, but as we don't have 4k sources and it's mostly the kids and often youtube, it doesn't matter that much.
I went into Currys for a bit of research and the OLED models are amazing. At the 50" ish size though they are rather pricey.  Are they worth the money for real world watching though?
Can anyone give a target price for 48 to 50ish OLED? I don't mind waiting around for a few months (black friday maybe) to get a good deal.
(Also like the idea of bluetooth sound for some easy to connect decent speakers. again, not looking for cinema experience)

[ScottScott]

The hdmi ports on our telly are all broken now so we're using Scart. It's like watching vhs, but as we don't have 4k sources and it's mostly the kids and often youtube, it doesn't matter that much.
I went into Currys for a bit of research and the OLED models are amazing. At the 50" ish size though they are rather pricey.  Are they worth the money for real world watching though?
Can anyone give a target price for 48 to 50ish OLED? I don't mind waiting around for a few months (black friday maybe) to get a good deal.
(Also like the idea of bluetooth sound for some easy to connect decent speakers. again, not looking for cinema experience)

I don't think you could go wrong with the below:

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/3035742?clickSR=slp:term:hisense%20televisions:2:4:1

It's a Hisense 50inch 4k QLED TV for £349. I've got 2 of them and they are excellent for that price

[PaulF]

I don't think you could go wrong with the below:

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/3035742?clickSR=slp:term:hisense%20televisions:2:4:1

It's a Hisense 50inch 4k QLED TV for £349. I've got 2 of them and they are excellent for that price

Thanks Scott Scott,  I'd looked around there. And just missed out on an LG 50in (not Qled for £100 less) . So glad I did and waited on the QLED.

--edit-- If anyone can recommend a bluetooth speaker to hide behind the sofa please? .....

[PaulF]

Unless your going OLED of FALD this is all the TV you will ever need, I am very impressed with the quality especially for such a low price and I'm comparing it to my Sony FALD XH95, though it's not as good as the Sony the Hisense does a very good job with older SD content as well as new HD and UHD videos there is no motion blur and out of the box it's picture set up is very good there is no eco mode switched on ruining the picture, only issue I have is it loses you internet password and religion settings when unplugged also make sure you set the religion before you tune the TV as in the north west of England it causes the channels to arrange all over the shop

That was one of the reviews.   What the hell are the religion settings on a TV?

[ScottScott]

That was one of the reviews.   What the hell are the religion settings on a TV?

Region settings I'd assume that means 

[Claire.]

Whatever telly you get, make sure before you buy to check John Lewis/Richer Sounds or if you're a member, Costco, to see if they'll match cos better guarantees.

Costco doing that one linked for a bit cheaper - https://www.costco.co.uk/TVs-Electronics-Security/Televisions-Projectors/Televisions/Hisense-50E7HQTUK-50-Inch-QLED-4K-Ultra-HD-Smart-TV/p/484007

[PaulF]

Thanks Clare,  that's my excuse to sign up for costco sorted!

[Graeme]

100% on what Claire said.

John Lewis / Richer Sounds / Costco. They will all give a better warranty than any other retailer and actually honour it should something go wrong.

Richer Sounds will price match anyone, and for a period of time after you’ve bought it too. I got a partial refund from them after buying my LG C1 because it was cheaper in Costco a few weeks later.

[PaulF]

Can't see that model at richersounds (shame as I'm a big fan), and I don't think JL sell hisense.
The online membership at Costco gets me to the same price as Argos, which is well worth paying for the 5 year warranty.
Has anyone experience of the warranty service from Costco?

[Graeme]

Costco warranty amongst the best anywhere.

[Claire.]

Have a look on Hotukdeals for Costco sign up offers (if there's one near you) they do deals where you get a load of stuff and an offer code for a 10 or 15% off discount.

Or, see if any of your mates has a membership

[jonnypb]

100% on what Claire said.

John Lewis / Richer Sounds / Costco. They will all give a better warranty than any other retailer and actually honour it should something go wrong.

Richer Sounds will price match anyone, and for a period of time after you’ve bought it too. I got a partial refund from them after buying my LG C1 because it was cheaper in Costco a few weeks later.

Be careful with the Richer Sounds warranty as it's very misleading.  The likes of Costco, JL will give you the full amount back, or replacement if it can't be repaired, but RS operate on a sliding scale - something which my friend was stung with a couple of years ago.

Current value will be calculated taking into consideration the age, usage, condition and packaging of the product. If the item is in perfect condition with all packaging as new, having had reasonable use we suggest the value as follows:

*Usage scale:

During year One – full value
During year 2 – Original retail less 20%
During year 3 – Original retail less 30%
During year 4 – Original retail less 40%
During year 5 – Original retail less 50%
During year 6 - Original retail less 60%

https://customerservice.richersounds.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360013041018-6-Year-TV-Projector-Guarantee#:~:text=Under%20our%206%20year%20guarantee%20we%20will%20always,used%20towards%20the%20cost%20of%20a%20new%20item.

[PaulF]

Took the plunge with Amazon in the end on a 55E7HQTUK .  Should arrive tomorrow. v excited!

--edit-- plugged in. Jammed up on a book as the feet extend beyond our tv unit. Watched about 20 mins of the "live action" Cinderella. Definite improvement on what we had.
And for our viewing usage hits a lovely sweet spot for price.

I'm probably going to invest in an amp and some decent speakers though. What it has is 'fine' but I'm getting hard of hearing in old age.

[John C]

--edit-- plugged in. Jammed up on a book as the feet extend beyond our tv unit.

Seems a bargain that Claire. Quick tip, have a look at the base legs on the second one, it may not be suitable to whatever it will stand on. The centre stand on the first is ideal and more flexible to position.

[Walshy nMe®]

Just bought an A80J Sony Oled.

Looks great, however there is some buzzing/high pitched noise coming from the panel during bright scenes and it's really distracting. I had it replaced once, but worse on the 2nd one. One more swap coming Friday hopefully not another dodgy one otherwise I think I'll need to jack it in and go for an LG or something.

[Chakan]

Just bought an A80J Sony Oled.

Looks great, however there is some buzzing/high pitched noise coming from the panel during bright scenes and it's really distracting. I had it replaced once, but worse on the 2nd one. One more swap coming Friday hopefully not another dodgy one otherwise I think I'll need to jack it in and go for an LG or something.

Do you have other TV's in your house? I usually stick to one brand for the tv's in the house, that way if I misplace a remote (or the wife does) I can just use the other one from the other tv. I usually go for LG's.

[Walshy nMe®]

Yeah we have smaller Sony screens in the kids rooms.

Had Sony for a while though and first OLED so hoping it's not standard for this type of screen.

[duvva 💅]

It’s not standard for OLED but every panel can be slightly different. I’ve had a Panasonic OLED for 5 years now and had no issues with it. But I’ve read some horror stories about the model from others.

You seem to have been very unlucky and I wouldn't blame you for looking at other makes if the next one is iffy.

[ScouserAtHeart]

OLED panel lottery is a thing, unfortunately.

[Walshy nMe®]

Wasn't keen on the A80L issues, probably just bad luck.
Decided to say fuck it and gone for the A95L - can't really afford it but watching it daily will ease my troubles.

[Ciara (with a capital "C")]

We went to have a look at TVs today - Husband had been keen on an OLED.

I used to sell teles in my student days at the height of the LED boom but OLED has bypassed me completely. Is it worth it if you are just connect a Sky box, firestick and potentially an Xbox? I don’t even know if we broadcast anything on 4k - not even sure if my SkyQ box is 4k!

We want 75” give or take.

We saw the Sony A84L but it’s £3k. It did look (and sound) insane. Big Virg lifting the PL trophy on it would look incredible. Though not sure I have the tech at home to get anywhere near that kind of picture.

We also saw the X85L for half the price but it’s not OLED. They are obviously running content through their screens to give the best picture so it looks great. What would it be like at home?

Anyone got any strong feelings on a brilliant TV around 75”? Have a sound at currently but may look to upgrade that too. 

[Too early for flapjacks?]

If you're looking at TVs that are 3K you might be looking at a model that was recently released. I got my Samsung 75 inch QN95A Neo QLED for £1500 just as the newer model was about to come out. If you're not gaming I'm not sure it's worth going all out on a TV. I think LG and Samsung release new models every year. Personally I'd look for something that is just about to be, or has recently been replaced by a newer model.

[duvva 💅]

We went to have a look at TVs today - Husband had been keen on an OLED.

I used to sell teles in my student days at the height of the LED boom but OLED has bypassed me completely. Is it worth it if you are just connect a Sky box, firestick and potentially an Xbox? I don’t even know if we broadcast anything on 4k - not even sure if my SkyQ box is 4k!

We want 75” give or take.

We saw the Sony A84L but it’s £3k. It did look (and sound) insane. Big Virg lifting the PL trophy on it would look incredible. Though not sure I have the tech at home to get anywhere near that kind of picture.

We also saw the X85L for half the price but it’s not OLED. They are obviously running content through their screens to give the best picture so it looks great. What would it be like at home?

Anyone got any strong feelings on a brilliant TV around 75”? Have a sound at currently but may look to upgrade that too. 

Before you buy I’d check out of you’re paying for/receiving 4k UHD/HDR content with Sky, Netflix firestick etc and consider if not whether you want to pay the extra. If not it’s probably not worth spending that much on a TV if you’re not intending on getting all the benefits you’re paying for.
If you are getting or want to watch content in 4K UHD/HDR then that’s a very nice TV.

Sony do some good soundbars with rear speakers too. I have the ZF9 with rears and it creates a great sound bubble but they’ve got some newer ones

[ScouserAtHeart]

We went to have a look at TVs today - Husband had been keen on an OLED.

I used to sell teles in my student days at the height of the LED boom but OLED has bypassed me completely. Is it worth it if you are just connect a Sky box, firestick and potentially an Xbox? I don’t even know if we broadcast anything on 4k - not even sure if my SkyQ box is 4k!

We want 75” give or take.

We saw the Sony A84L but it’s £3k. It did look (and sound) insane. Big Virg lifting the PL trophy on it would look incredible. Though not sure I have the tech at home to get anywhere near that kind of picture.

We also saw the X85L for half the price but it’s not OLED. They are obviously running content through their screens to give the best picture so it looks great. What would it be like at home?

Anyone got any strong feelings on a brilliant TV around 75”? Have a sound at currently but may look to upgrade that too. 

Not sure what your budget is but I'd recommend the LG C3, they're usually cheaper than the Sony ones. Plus you get 4 HDMI 2.1 ports instead of just two on the Sony ones (and one of those will be the eARC port that you connect soundbars to)

[PaulF]

If you're looking at TVs that are 3K you might be looking at a model that was recently released. I got my Samsung 75 inch QN95A Neo QLED for £1500 just as the newer model was about to come out. If you're not gaming I'm not sure it's worth going all out on a TV. I think LG and Samsung release new models every year. Personally I'd look for something that is just about to be, or has recently been replaced by a newer model.

I think Ciara mentioned an Xbox might be hooked up. Which I would assume is for gaming.

[blert596]

On the Samsungs that use the one select box connection, what is the connection actually over and are there any limitations? Toying with at getting a QN95