TV Recommendations

[penfold]

I am looking for a TV and was asking a few friends who all said they have Samsung and never had a problem. So I was looking primarily at Samsung and found one which ticked all the boxes. Then I started at looking at the difference between models as I do have a budget to consider. My main requirement was 4 HDMI ports, but this became so expensive I will stick to 3. I then looked at QLED and LED and it seems that the colour is the biggest impact. Ideally I wanted QLED (current selection is out of stock) so I started looking at other brands. I can see if I go for other models I can get something cheaper. So my question is this. If I go down the cheaper models, what should I be looking for?

 

I know for Smart TV that there is a lifespan on how long they will be supported, but I have had my current TV for over 10 years and all I am really bothered about is the picture quality and connectivity. I have a PS4 and an old Raspberry Pii which is not used anymore since I can get apps on the PS4 for watching TV. So what is the biggest difference between something like Samsung and Hisense. Is the difference that Samsung offer better support long term? Or is the TV experience better?

 

One thing that does annoy me about my TV is how long it takes to turn on but once it is on it is fine. Just the picture quality is pretty poor.

 

I currently don't take videos at HD, watch Netflix/Disney+ and some sports (but only the bigger events - Like the Euro's due to lack of time.) I know that going to HD will be a big jump from the TV I currently have, so my thinking was, will I get much more out of paying the extra going to QLED. But the other side of me doesn't want to pay for a budget TV, only to think I should have paid a little more in a couple of years time. Budget would be about 500. But you know how it goes, you go into the shop to look at something within budget and the one next to it looks better. Before you know it you are looking at the models 2 times the price!!

Edited June 24, 2024 by Dos_Box

[XiJ]

Samsung or LG for me. Tbf I believe there are only a few actual panel manufacturers - but the UI (speed of jt) etc can vary wildly.

 

Minor annoyances with them dropping support for stuff occasionally but I guess that’s the Smart tech era.

 

I would go OLED and/or full dimming. Mu downstairs LG has awful edge dimming. It’s getting in a bit now though (relatively)

[TheHyperTechie]

I have always had Hisense. Our most recent is a 55" QLED, can't fault it. Think at the time it cost about £500, maybe even less.

[Rob_D]

We've always had good experiences with Sony TVs, and their price for the QD-OLED range is coming down a bit now.

Samsung mini and micro LED tech is worth a look and normally comes in a bit cheaper than OLED.

[dhicks]

I have had my current TV for over 10 years and all I am really bothered about is the picture quality and connectivity.

 

If all your TV-watching functionality is going to be from apps / set-top boxes anyway, then maybe get a monitor? We have an AOC 42" monitor, with a KVM switch to switch between HDMI / USB inputs.

[Dos_Box]

I have always had Hisense. Our most recent is a 55" QLED, can't fault it. Think at the time it cost about £500, maybe even less.

 

I have a 55" QLED Hisense too and very happy with it. They are often on sale so you don't have to pay a fortune for them.

[XiJ]

Interesting. What’s the UI / response time like. Are the Hisense decent? And panel display quality ?

[LeMarchand]

My two experiences are with non-smart Samsung: Great picture and still going strong after many years for Bonus Daughter #2. Currently a Philips, which is also great (and I love the Ambilight!). I'd definitely go QLED if you can afford it (I assume OLED is out of your price range - it was for mine) and the biggest screen you can. You can get switches to extend the number of HDMI ports; I have the HTPC and main on one and PS4/PS3 on another. I chose Philips as it was Android TV rather than a "custom" OS - so hopefully support will be longer as the PS4 is quite power-hungry if you check. That said, there are plenty of options for "smartening up" a TV after the OS stops having apps updated. The Philips also supports 120 Hz on one of the HDMI inputs, which wasn't common at the price point when I bought.

 

Some of the cheaper end brands like TCL and HiSense get surprisingly good reviews, but do a lot of reading - there can be regional differences in panels even on the same model. I'd set up an alert, or a few, on HotUKDeals as there are often bargains to be had, especially if you can get to a CostCo. Just remember to cancel them after you've made the purchase to avoid tears when you find that, had you waited...

 

Also be prepared to do a lot of fiddling with picture settings. I find that Amazon often needs further adjustment even though most other sources now look great.

 

Whilst I have a soundbar, I don't think it's always a necessity these days. Mine is mainly to try to get a bit more depth to the sound and because Mme LeMarchand has some hearing problems with certain ranges, so using "night mode" and the highest level of "voice enhance" means that the volume doesn't have to be too loud at night whilst our house is still under occupation.

[TheHyperTechie]

Interesting. What’s the UI / response time like. Are the Hisense decent? And panel display quality ?

 

The UI is good, and regular updates are available for it so I suppose it shows they actively like to solve any issues customers might be having.

 

I can't really comment on the panel quality to much (compared to something more expensive). But to me, it's great quality. The sound is also really good. Our living room isn't huge, but also isn't small and it's quite immersive.

Edited June 24, 2024 by HyperTech

[Dos_Box]

Interesting. What’s the UI / response time like. Are the Hisense decent? And panel display quality ?

 

What @HyperTech said. I'm not a fan of the speakers on mine though, but I tend to run it via an AV receiver, so it's not an issue.

[DrCheese]

What @HyperTech said. I'm not a fan of the speakers on mine though, but I tend to run it via an AV receiver, so it's not an issue.

 

Yeah built in speakers are universally hot garbage. Downside of TVs becoming super thin. Likewise, I run an AV system with left/right/centre & sub. Some of the Sony TV's let you double up the TV as a centre speaker.

[Dos_Box]

Yeah built in speakers are universally hot garbage. Downside of TVs becoming super thin. Likewise, I run an AV system with left/right/centre & sub. Some of the Sony TV's let you double up the TV as a centre speaker.

 

That's the same as my setup!

[MrEprise]

Friend of mine who used to work in the TV repair business uses a Cello brand TV - says these are really quite good.

 

A UK based company who also assembles the TVs in the UK, all based around LG components so the smart TVs use WebOS but they also do non-smart ones too.

[synaesthesia]

Hisense 55" here. Lovely panel, not fussed on sound as it's via a surround system. Only issue I have with it is stuttery playback over LAN from my NAS even when hardwired regardless of whether the content is 4K or 480P potato.

[Dos_Box]

Friend of mine who used to work in the TV repair business uses a Cello brand TV - says these are really quite good.

 

A UK based company who also assembles the TVs in the UK, all based around LG components so the smart TVs use WebOS but they also do non-smart ones too.

 

Wow, they have some good pricing! - https://celloelectronics.com/shop-televisions/

[HarryMonkey]

Some good deals to be had on CostCo.

[mikes]

I have a hisense, had a 65" A6G but it had a fault - every other row of pixels had a slightly different colour - so if you went into paint and flood filled in Cyan, it would have Cyan and White stripes. After 2 days it died and I got my money back. This was from Amazon.

 

Few weeks later in Curries they had a Hisense 55" on sale for less than £300 so I took a chance on it, and it's lasted me a few years now no problems with it, I only use it with a PC and use external speakers but it works fine. Works well for FPS and RTS gaming in 4K. My eyesight isn't the best so a 55" is great for me, I played some Doom wads on my friends 24" display and found it very difficult to tell an Imp from a Hell Knight at more than 20 metres or so away - on a 55" I can see everything a lot clearer.

 

It's an IPS display so the blacks aren't great and there is some backlight bleed but for the price it suits me fine. Will probably wait a few years for 120hz to become standard at 4K 65", or for MicroLED or some new standard to come out before I upgrade it.

[penfold]

There is a QLED 50" Hisense which I am now looking at as it is 200 less than the Samsung model available. I am now starting to think the Samsung model I wanted was on offer as the price jump seems more than I remember!

[Danp]

I bought a TCL 55C635K for £400 last year, still going strong

[DavonPotter]

Samsung is a solid choice, especially their QLED models which offer amazing color and brightness. If your top choice is out of stock, Hisense and TCL are great alternatives that often provide excellent value. When looking at cheaper models, prioritize picture quality and connectivity. Even a mid-range LED will be a big upgrade from your old TV. Look for good HDR support and a decent refresh rate. Samsung usually offers better long-term support, but if you mainly use external devices like your PS4, this might not be a big issue. Newer models, even budget ones, tend to turn on much faster. With a budget of around 500, you can find a great LED or entry-level QLED on sale. Balance what looks good now with what will still be great in a few years.

[southhamster]

If you can, try buying from Richer Sounds. They will nearly always match prices, proper warranty and local shops with actual trained staff (!) as well as online. Always been pleased with the service from them.

[PotNoodleTech]

I've got my trusty 42" panasonic plasma that's way too small and needs replacing. I keep saying when it dies I'll get a nice 65".

 

Anyhow I've been saying it for years the darn thing is indestructable.

 

I think I am gonna have to bite the bullet and replace it next year anyway - sad really - probably the last TVs that were properly built (no hanging on plasterboard) and designed to last.

[synaesthesia]

I've got my trusty 42" panasonic plasma that's way too small and needs replacing. I keep saying when it dies I'll get a nice 65".

 

Anyhow I've been saying it for years the darn thing is indestructable.

 

I think I am gonna have to bite the bullet and replace it next year anyway - sad really - probably the last TVs that were properly built (no hanging on plasterboard) and designed to last.

 

Think of the energy savings I was on a 42" samsung LCD until last year and worked out the £300 i spent on the 55" Hisense would be paid for by itself in just a couple of years of energy saving. For a plasma, if it's on for more than a couple hours a day, any modern TV would pay for itself in 6 months

[Dos_Box]

Amazon Prime day is coming up in 10 days, so may be worth us all posting up any decent TV's we see in here then.

They usually clear house for the new stock on these, so there 'should' be some nice devices on offer.

[PotNoodleTech]

Think of the energy savings I was on a 42" samsung LCD until last year and worked out the £300 i spent on the 55" Hisense would be paid for by itself in just a couple of years of energy saving. For a plasma, if it's on for more than a couple hours a day, any modern TV would pay for itself in 6 months

 

I mean I charge my car at 7250 watts so the 250w my TV uses isn't really something that's playing on my mind, but I get what you mean it would probably save a hundred quid a year for most people.