As the title says got about £7-800 to spend on a TV and sound bar would like 49ish inch just wondering what people would recommend?

Cheers dc

For me there is nothing or very very little in 4k,the delivery is tough, the bandwidth to stream it too wide and the physical media not ready for it. Get the best HD TV you can.
Got the last non smart for a great deal considering how nice the screen is, compared to a lower quality with smart added.
Wait until 4k or whatever is next settles down

I think my next TV will be a high end 1080p as opposed to a 4k primarily for the reasons mentioned above, 4k is okay but its still developing really.

HDR should be coming in which will benefit 4K also so worth seeing what take of that is like.

I have a Samsung F8000 from a couple of years ago.

The picture quality is fantastic and the bezel is tiny.

I took the view that the range of smart features was probably more use to me than 4k capability.
So I went for a decent 55″ Panasonic as there were plenty of good deals around on non-4k tellies.
Shouldn’t need to spend more than £450 for top-notch non-4k at that size.

OP, probably depends how long you intend to keep the tv.

+1 on Panasonic. Had our 3d Panasonic for a few years now and it’s superb! Freeview HD and freesat HD all built in as well

Hmmm, I don’t know – I bought a HD TV in 2007ish, HD TV was all but non-existent, Bluray and HD-DVD (remember that?) existed but they were £1000 a player and discs weren’t exactly everywhere. Everyone said – “what’s the point if you can’t watch anything in HD”.

But within months PS3 made Bluray players mainstream, Bluerays were everywhere and Sky launched most of their HD channels.

I’ve still got the TV, it’s been downgraded from Lounge to Bedroom box, but it’s still happily doing it’s thing, bloody wants to though, it cost £900 for a 32″

I’m needing a new TV and I’m also torn on going smart or not too as tbh bang a chrome cast stick in a dumb TV and add a TV box with YouTube and Netflix and it’s all I need with less to go wrong. I’ve a smart TV in kids bedroom for them to watch Netflix and I can’t see why I’d need another one tbh they don’t seem to add anything else

I’ve got a cheap 50″ 4K Panasonic going cheap if anyone is interested? Only around 4 months old.

4k Panasonic here, tiny bezel, definite increase in picture quality from 1080p to 4k, netflix 4k streaming no issue on sky fibreoptic even when both kids streaming xbox live.

if you have a passive 3D then 4K makes sense but other than that no real point for the most part

I got a Panasonic 39″ for 250 on last year’s black Friday.

Got a Sony 4k, a major improvement over the Sony 1080p it replaced.
Don’t forget that the pic source is upscaled if its of lower quality..

4k videos are amazing..

Some food for thought regarding screen resolution on here . If it’s features you value, that may be different

Similar budget around 9 months ago. Went to John Lewis and looked at loads, bought a Samsung 48 inch Smart one plus Samsung SoundBar and Bluetooth subwoofer. Very pleased with it. Great on SkyHD and with BT Infinity, Amazon Prime movies stream seamlessly.

More food for thought.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/4k-up-scaling

1080p.

Also, what Drac said, we’ve discussed this at length over several threads in the last few weeks.

I’ve just gone through this. I ended up with a 43″ Sony 1080p ‘Smart’ TV. It cost £480 from Richer Sounds. Whilst the picture is as good as I’ve ever seen, the sound was poor until I got a soundbase and the ‘smart’ features are largely pointless (Full catchup is due to go live next week – that should be worthwhile). It’s virtually impossible to find a ‘dumb’ TV with an excellent picture. IMHO.

But within months PS3 made Bluray players mainstream, Bluerays were everywhere and Sky launched most of their HD channels.

4k Panasonic here, tiny bezel, definite increase in picture quality from 1080p to 4k, netflix 4k streaming no issue on sky fibreoptic even when both kids streaming xbox live.

How much stuff is in 4k rather than sent in 4k? From Netflix’s own stats the 4k feed is near 10gb/hr which is nice if you are unlimited and it’s actually a 4k feed.

P-Jay – Member
But within months PS3 made Bluray players mainstream, Bluerays were everywhere

PS3 won Sony the format war for an HD optical disc, but hardly everywhere. Roll on 2015 and still DVD sells far more but they are in decline also.

That’s not to say HD hasn’t taken off, but I’m seeing a lot of people with HD TVs and watching DVDs on them, and they’re perfectly happy with it.

In answer to the original question though I’d say for the money, buy the best 1080p you can. Don’t buy a budget 4K.

Remember, digital TVs need pixel to pixel mapping to look their best. If it isn’t 4K then it will be upscaled, which means the quality is down to the upscaler. I’ve never been impressed with in-built upscaling in a 1080 TV, and the best way to upscale is closest to the source, i.e. the player. Not many, if any, upscaling players for 4K.

I bought a top 1080p 60″ on sale from John Lewis.

Glad I didn’t spend loads, suits my PS4 and media.

4K TV’s are coming in but I don’t have 4K media.

If you’re a heavy user/couch potato then go 4K.

I started to film in 4K using a Sony A7S2 and 4K is awesome.

PS3 won Sony the format war for an HD optical disc, but hardly everywhere.

Blu-ray were outselling HD DVD before PS3 came along.

Can you buy a 4K 49 inch tvand soundbar for £800 ? I’d have thought not. 1080 would be my choice and with a decent soundbar you’ll have to shop around a bit I think

PS3 won Sony the format war for an HD optical disc, but hardly everywhere.

Nothing to do with the PS3. Sony won the HD disc war by throwing money / propaganda at film studios to release films on Blu-Ray. At the time, HD-release films were almost exclusively either BD or HD-DVD, and thanks to Sony pimping the format there was considerably more BD content. Eventually shops stopped selling HD-DVD, at which point it was game over.

Unless you are going to get a screen that is 80″ or more the human eye simply cannot tell the difference between 1080 and 4K. Fact. Screen smaller than 80″ ish also don”t have the pixel density for you to be able to tell the difference.Fact.

But if you “need ” a new telly, go on! treat yourself.

Drac – Moderator
Blu-ray were outselling HD DVD before PS3 came along.

HD DVD was virtually nowhere and Blu Ray still hardly anywhere after that even though it was clearly outselling. I think today Blu Ray averages about 30% of the market with DVD the rest. Add in downloads and it’s even less.

How many PS3 owners actually used their players for Blu Ray films I wonder, regularly?

I bought HD DVD as the better / less restrictive format, got burnt obviously. Bought Blu Ray eventually. I barely buy Blu Ray. I barely buy DVD either but still buy some old TV shows.

All about download now, and I’m not really that fussed about HD quality except for a few things. Really not fussed about 4K, just the same as I don’t care at all about 3D even though I have a 3D TV, the glasses and even a 3D capable Blu Ray player plus Sky with the 3D channel.

It’s all niche stuff. I see 4K being best used in pubs with huge screens to show Football matches. It’ll probably do well with nature documentaries also, but it’ll be the same kind of people who obsess about audio quality and buy relatively defunct stuff like SACD/DVD-A or even vinyl! 😉

How many PS3 owners actually used their players for Blu Ray films I wonder, regularly?

I’d wager it’s fewer than the number who go “buy a PS3” every time someone asks for Blu-Ray player recommendations. (-:

I see 4K being best used in pubs with huge screens to show Football matches.

We must go to different pubs. Unless they’re going to use it as a “Hey Hey 4K!” gimmick selling point on sandwich boards I suppose.

4K is the future no doubt. Netflix’s own guidelines stipulate all original programs to be delivered in 4K. Most features (and TV originals) are now shot in at least 2K+ 4K or 6K. So it’s road mapped.

However as a consumer you can simply look up the reviews in something like which/avforums and make decisions based on your delivery medium priority.

If there was still a glut of 1080 plasmas I would say plasma as picture quality is defined by more than resolution.

I’m still with high end Plasma, when that dies it will be 4K but not a budget one

I have two PS3s for mainly BD use. They offer great picture and fast disc access. As well as good Netflix integration. They were miles ahead of their time.

As for TVs needing to be more than 80″ to see the difference between 1080 and 4K. No it’s not a fact at all. We have production monitors that can show 4K at 32″ and you can clearly see the difference. If the production has been originated at 4K you will see an improvement that appears much smoother and sharper at the same time. I work with 4K most days. If you can’t see a difference at all is be because the 4K TV is poorly implemented.

It is BS that the human eye cannot tell the difference between HD and 4k. Just go down to your local retailer and look at a 4k screen on demo playing a true 4k demo. 4k is in a whole other league and your eye can definitely tell.

I also think those screen size vs. viewing distance charts are useless – just get the biggest screen you can fit in the space you’ve got for a TV and be done with it. You can buy a screen that is too small. You can’t buy a screen that is too big. Even watching a large HD screen playing HD content at close range provides superb picture quality.

4k is definitely the future but my argument has always been that it will be so long before any true 4k content is widely available it’s not a necessity yet – why go UHD if your going to mostly watch upscaled SD or HD? Netflix will have 4k on a handful of features and anyway you get into the quality of your broadband – i’ve noticed that netflix continually adjusts content quality/resolution on the fly to suit your broadband speed to avoid buffering, so unless you’ve got a rock steady high speed broadband connections you’re not going to get it (i haven’t and the exchange box is just at the bottom of my road).

Jumping to 4k now might not be a decision you have to make as it is the way all screens are going so is less of an issue. Just buy a decent telly (which will probably be 4k anyway) not an HD or UHD one.

However I think that by the time there is alot of 4k content to watch there will be a whole other screen technology that will be a step change improvement over LED & OLED and then we’ll be into the even higher resolution screen that are currently being developed. For my my Panasonic HD Plasma will be good for another 5years at least before it is ‘necessary’ to move to UHD, and i’ll leapfrog screen technology when I do change it. It’s a moving target, you can’t win.

Just go down to your local retailer and look at a 4k screen on demo playing a true 4k demo. 4k is in a whole other league and your eye can definitely tell.

If you want a TV that’s good at playing demos in an unnatural environments when you’re stood six inches from the screen, fill your boots.

£4000 is a lot I’d go with £10.80 but then again I’m from Yorkshire 😉

I got one of these a month or so ago… http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/tv-and-home-entertainment/televisions/televisions/sony-bravia-kd49x8309cbu-smart-ultra-hd-4k-49-led-tv-10124057-pdt.html

Great TV (although I’m no expert on AV). As for a soundbar and 4k TV for £800. The TV above is £750 (I paid £800). I got a Sony soundbar (HTCT80) for £65 from their outlet website which has now closed down – cost £99 elsewhere.

Unless you are going to get a screen that is 80″ or more the human eye simply cannot tell the difference between 1080 and 4K. Fact. Screen smaller than 80″ ish also don”t have the pixel density for you to be able to tell the difference.Fact.
But if you “need ” a new telly, go on! treat yourself.

Ironically, there isn’t one single fact in your post, you are talking crap

Everyone knows adding after a sentence makes it fact. FACT.

Cougar – the whole point is what is the format of the source signal. The demo’s you see in the shops are native 4k format. The whole point of a demo is that it show’s off the screens best capability. If and when we have a significant amount of 4k format piped into our homes then 4k will be awesome and the demo’s you see in the shops will be what you get in your home.

And that is the whole issue i’m trying to get across. for a 4k picture you need 2 things 1. a 4k screen and 2. a 4k source signal. Without both of these things you’re not watching 4k. 1080 upscaled to 4k is not 4k. But it is all ultimately irrelevant because soon, for TV over a certain size, 4k will the the only option.

So i will fill my boots as soon as 4k content is widely available. Until then i’m happy with my 1080 set.