New TV

AndyPix

Rockman wrote: »

is the sound on TVs nowadays ok?

Varies massively - Find a TV you like and google reviews for that set.
Cheaper TV's tend to cut corners in the sound department

jshm2

TV's you want to judge how far away from it you'll sit and get a screen size accordingly.

Many idiots get a massive screen and sit right next to it and then complain about headaches.

In 55 inches the PANASONIC Viera TX-55CX700B is pretty much top of the line in under a grand.

At 40 inches the PHILIPS 40PUT6400 does the business.

The 48 inch SAMSUNG UE48JU7500 is in the middle and quite decent.

Boxman

We bought an LG 43UH750V 4K smart TV from Richer Sounds (with 6 year guarantee) about a month ago. We are very happy with it, the improvement in picture quality over the previous 1080i 32" set has far exceeded our expectations. Although as everybody knows there is hardly any 4K material about yet, it upscales regular HD and even SD transmissions with excellent results and when you look at the short promotional 4K vids available on YouTube (we have fibre broadband) you will be left drooling at the prospect of normal TV being transmitted at 4K. Very easy to connect wirelessly to the router and the 'smart' functions work very well.


Took a bit of time to get the optimum picture for our tastes, there are so many settings to fiddle with but now very happy. The sound is generally not too bad for 'normal' use TV but if we want to improve it (think ZZ Top at Glastonbury for example) it was easy to connect to our comparatively old analogue hifi via the headphone socket and crank up the volume.

Mr_Toad

fleshandbone wrote: »

Don't get cheap weird branded versions that you see in Tesco's, Asda etc, go for LG, Samsung, Sony or similar.
I would'nt worry too much about getting a 4K TV, HD is fine.
Have Fun.

My experience is just the opposite.

Years ago the parents needed a new TV so I got them a large panel one from Tesco, branded UMC.

Picture quality is good, it uses a Samsung LCD panel and was under £400. In fact when I replaced mine with a larger one I bought a 42" Technica from Tesco and again the picture is excellent.

Both are still in service.

I have no issue with branded, expensive items, hell I'm typing this on a Macbook Pro, but if cheaper will do the job then fine.

My girlfriend has a Samsung that is excellent but watching BBC HD is no better than mine picture wise.

I think the best advice is to go and look at some and decide what's good for you.

stator

No brand is basically pot luck. Sometimes you get a bargain. Sometimes you buy somethign with a good spec but the user interface is awful etc.
Definitely worth trying it out in store if possible, but with only Currys left your choices are limited.

almillar

If you're happy with your current TV's sound, you'll be happy with the new one. You won't catch me watching a film through the TV's speakers, but it's fine for news etc.

AndyPix

stator wrote: »

but with only Currys left your choices are limited.

Martin Dawes ?
Richer Sounds ?
John Lewis ?
Many many independants ...

agrinnall

Rockman wrote: »

Do I need to buy a separate surround sound system or is the sound on TVs nowadays ok?

I use a digital optical audio cable from the TV into my Denon micro system to get better sound rather than pay any extra for a dedicated sound system.

ballyblack

Definitely worth trying it out in store if possible,

Most stores play continuous High Definition DVD.

So not a test in the real world for watching at home

AndyPix

I definately think trying in store is a good idea.


One of my pet hates on a TV is if the menu responds slowly - That is a deal breaker for me.
And this seems to be an issue even on some high end TV's


Easy to discover if you can have a little play around with it in store