TV Recommendations please!

dllive

Hi all, 

After 10 years I thought Id treat myself to a new TV. (my existing TV will be moved up to the bedroom, or sold).

Id like a TV that is 110cm wide, smart TV (Netflix and YouTube) and good quality. Im overwhelmed with all the options and the new fandangled stuff. I dont know if I want HD, or 4D or anything else. I just want a good picture and good sound (obviously). Does anyone have any recommendations? I suffer from a severe case of analysis paralysis!

Thanks 

[Deleted User]

What is your budget for this TV?

110cm wide is commonly sold as 50 inch.

Prices range from £300 to £1000+ for that size of TV so it is impossible to recommend unless we know how much you want to fork out?

Sandtree

dllive said:

 I just want a good picture and good sound (obviously). 

In the race to make TVs thin sound has frequently been sacrificed which is one of the reasons for the proliferation of "sound bars" to compensate. Would you consider having external sound?

Any particular quirks of the room to consider? OLED/LED recommendations may differ if the room is particularly bright or reflections on the screen are a key issue.

As already mentioned, budget is key.

dllive

Thanks guys. I would say that my budget is around the £500 mark. Im mindful that I dont want to pay peanuts and have uyers regret, but at the same time, I dont watch much TV, so reluctant to spend a fortune. So perhaps £500 seems about right.

The room is fairly dark (cast in shade by the tree outside), and the TV will be about 2.5 metres from the sofa.

Ive just been reading up on different TVs (trying to get to grips with the jargon!). From what Ive read, I think I need HDR, 4k (which is the same as ultra HD?) and have Netflix on. Samsung/LG/Sony seem to be the brads to buy rather than JVC and Bush.

Regards sound, Ill keep the soundbar that I have (which came with my last TV from 10 years ago) unless you think I should upgrade it. But perhaps the speakers on the new TV will be much better quality anyway.

neilmcl

dllive said:

Thanks guys. I would say that my budget is around the £500 mark. Im mindful that I dont want to pay peanuts and have uyers regret, but at the same time, I dont watch much TV, so reluctant to spend a fortune. So perhaps £500 seems about right.

The room is fairly dark (cast in shade by the tree outside), and the TV will be about 2.5 metres from the sofa.

Ive just been reading up on different TVs (trying to get to grips with the jargon!). From what Ive read, I think I need HDR, 4k (which is the same as ultra HD?) and have Netflix on. Samsung/LG/Sony seem to be the brads to buy rather than JVC and Bush.

Regards sound, Ill keep the soundbar that I have (which came with my last TV from 10 years ago) unless you think I should upgrade it. But perhaps the speakers on the new TV will be much better quality anyway.

Well that would rule out my recommendation of an OLED TV then 😄

dllive

Ah! I should also say, I hate the lag of my current TV! When I flick between channels or search for something on Netflix, I want it to be quick. At the moment, it takes ages to find anything on Netflix. Having said that, Im not sure whether thats the TV, Netflix, or my internet connection. (I dont think its my connection as I have a very fast connection as Im only 100 metres from the local exchange).

dllive

neilmcl said:

Well that would rule out my recommendation of an OLED TV then 😄

Doh! 
Ill have a look at OLED and see what difference it can make. I could afford more, but like I say, I hardly watch a lot of TV. (although perhaps thats because I dont have a good TV! )

neilmcl

dllive said:

neilmcl said:

Well that would rule out my recommendation of an OLED TV then 😄

Doh! 
Ill have a look at OLED and see what difference it can make. I could afford more, but like I say, I hardly watch a lot of TV. (although perhaps thats because I dont have a good TV! )

The cheapest (but not the best) OLED TV at the moment seems to be this:

https://shop.bt.com/products/lg-48--oled-a16la-ultra-hd-hdr-smart-tv-oled48a16la-aek-GBZ3.html

Personally though, I'd stump up the extra cash for the far superior:

https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/lg-c1-oled48c16la-48-4k-oled-tv-ps899-55-ps1099-65-ps1599-5-year-warranty-delivered-with-code-at-sevenoaks-sound-3823167

Sandtree

dllive said:

Ah! I should also say, I hate the lag of my current TV! When I flick between channels or search for something on Netflix, I want it to be quick. At the moment, it takes ages to find anything on Netflix. Having said that, Im not sure whether thats the TV, Netflix, or my internet connection. (I dont think its my connection as I have a very fast connection as Im only 100 metres from the local exchange).

it could be any of the above, easiest way to test normally is to use a smartphone or computer to access it and see if there is a material difference in speed.

We've a smart TV (LG) but as we've also got a projector I use an AppleTV for the likes of Netflix. They are next to each other so wifi and all other aspects should be the same but I find that the built in netflix app on the TV gets very occasional buffering which the AppleTV doesnt... technically our BluRay player also supports it but never been so bothered to test it in comparison.

May want to be a little careful calling it "lag" though, this is normally the time difference between the signal being received and it being displayed on screen, something that gamers care about alot but not a material issue for others unless the "lag" for picture and sound are different so the two get out of synch.

Personally like LG (OLED) and Samsung having had both, I would possibly add the wild card of Hisense which are starting to make some waves and deliver more bang for the buck - I know outside the UK they offer full price range of TVs but not sure in the UK if their cheaper options are available yet.

dllive

OK, Ive just been reading this page: https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/televisions/article/what-size-tv-should-i-buy/what-size-tv-should-i-buy-aXiiB3e0zZcW

So, given that the TV will be 2.5m+ from the sofa, and the fact that I want 4K ultra HD, it seems the perfect size is 50inches (give or take 2 inches!).

So thats the size question answered.

I like the look of the LG 48" OLED A16LA Ultra HD HDR Smart TV linked above, in particular "Low blue light & flicker free for less eye fatigue" and "Uncompromised picture quality at any viewing angle". Although perhaps any TV in this price range says that. I could stomach £650, but not quite justify £900 for the LG C1 OLED48C16LA.

A corollary question (given that this is the MSE forum!): When would be the best time to buy? Just before xmas, or just after? Are there actually any genuine offers on Black Friday?
 

Sandtree

New TVs are typically announced at CES in Jan and start coming out from March onwards. Impact is greatest on higher tier TVs but "this years" model gets increasingly discounted as the launch of "next years model" gets closer.