I’m looking to update my TV, and pretty much everything else that’s accompanies them these days. I’m not a complete luddite but the digital revolution has pretty much passed me by in this area, for context let’s just say we’ve still got a vhs plugged into the current crt tele.

TV wise I’m looking at a panasonic 50″ 4k – can’t seem to work out the link, but model is panasonic TX-50cx680b

It seems massive but bigger is better right?

Sound bars? Essential, nice addition or not required with the set I’m looking at.

Now we come to the things that really twist my melons, the more I look the less I seem to understand. I’m talking about the little boxes of tricks that are plugged into the tele,- freesat, hard drives, Android box, Apple TV, chromecast, firestick… Etc etc. Completely confused with this bit.

I haven’t got an aerial, just a dish, so I assume this limits me somewhat – like the time I tried to setup a bt box that came with my broadband. I have an old sky box that I currently use for freesat.

So, what do you think I need to bring my TV viewing into the 21st century.

Any input appreciated.

I wouldn’t bother with 4K personally, for reasons as previously discussed at length on here recently.

Now we come to the things that really twist my melons, the more I look the less I seem to understand. I’m talking about the little boxes of tricks that are plugged into the tele,- freesat, hard drives, Android box, Apple TV, chromecast, firestick… Etc etc. Completely confused with this bit.

you want under the counter or over the counter?

If you had £500 to spend on a tv at currys, what would you buy?

You could buy a TV and plug the audio out into your hi-fi.

Cougar – Moderator
I wouldn’t bother with 4K personally, for reasons as previously discussed at length on here recently.

OK, done a bit of forum searching and found the relevant threads, probably save myself a few quid here. Thanks.

you want under the counter or over the counter?

Just decent above board sort of stuff really.

hexhamstu – Member
If you had £500 to spend on a tv at currys, what would you buy?

Knowing me, something for about £600.

I have no particular brand preference though if that’s what you mean.

slowoldman – Member
You could buy a TV and plug the audio out into your hi-fi.

Unfortunately that would require a whole new thread along the lines of “help me spec a complete home hifi”

I’m also a bit of a luddite, but not at the OP’s level – I just go for the easy life.

Sky+HD wifi’d for On-Demand etc
Toshiba flat-screen telly
Yamaha Amp
Hard-wired surround speakers cw sub

It just works.

I won’t re-open the HD vs. UHD debate again, but regarding the telly: yes you will need better speakers. Flat TV speakers are rubbish (without exception). On that score you need to simply decide if you want full surround sound or not. If not a decent soundbar plus sub option is good – if you don’t want a sub, then get a beefier (and more expensive) soundbar to make sure you get decent sound (false economy to buy cheap and get sound that is only marginally better than the TV).

Regarding TV, if you’ve got a satellite dish then make sure your TV has a Freest HD decoder – alot don’t. I have no idea why – what’s the point on having an HD TV without the HD tuner? without both you don’t have HD. Not an issue if you’re going down the Sky/PVR box route, but Sky is an expensive way to watch free TV unless you’re going to watch the channels you can only get on Sky. The only other benefit to Sky over other options is that they offer more HD channels that Freesat HD/PVR box options.

On recording: if you want the Sky+ record and play/rewind/fast forward/pause functionality you have a number of options. Again, Sky+/Freesat PVR. If your new TV has the USB external HDD option, then you can have limited functionality e.g. you cannot record one channel while watching another simultaneously, but you can pause, rewind and fast forward to catch up with live TV, and you can record while you are out (one channel at a time). However some TV’s (not many when I was looking, but things may have moved on) had twin tuners, If so then you can get all the Sky+ Live Pause functionality.

Then you’re into the internet broadcast options. If your TV is a Smart one, they you’ll have some internet apps available, but you’re probably better off with one of the many internet TV boxes out there. They essentially do the same thing, but might have differing content – just look into it to see if they’ve got all the content you want.

My brother has quite a nice simple and compact setup. A half decent 55″ Panasonic HD LCD Freesat HD SMART TV, a Sonos Playbar (no sub but gets away with it, the Playbar is pretty meaty) and a Blu Ray Player. It’s a very effective setup – he gets all the freest HD channels, the usual internet content, Netflix, iPlayer, ITV player etc. so doesn’t feel the need for recording functionality as he uses the catch up applications on the SMART TV. Obviously he has a BR player, can stream media and view photo’s from his computer. The Sonos Playbar, though a bit on the pricey side, works great and obviously doubles up to play music.

On recording: if you want the Sky+ record and play/rewind/fast forward/pause functionality you have a number of options.

Of note is that Sky+ requires a dual cable feed; an old box may only have a single cable. If the dish is ancient you may need a new LNB (receiver) on the dish, most (all?) modern Sky installations are quad channel, depends on the vintage though.

(I thought Sky+ also required a subscription?)

I got that very same TV a couple of weeks ago. Not sure about the uhd vs HD thing, but used the picture settings from avforums and the picture on HD is brilliant, really good blacks and great detail. The apps are decent with Netflix amazon and you tube built in. All of these have some 4k content that is really impressive if you have the broadband speed. It is an improvement on the Panasonic plasma it replaced in my opinion, which I really didn’t expect

Sound is surprisingly good for a flat screen.

Xbox one looks superb on it as well.

Chris

Thanks for the responses guys, lots to digest.
Especially wobbliscott, very thorough, thank you.