I've never purchased a TV before. The one we have now came with the house. It's at least 10 years old and has a dusty little box with 3D glasses in it. The Mrs wants a new one to go with the living room revamp. (This was all started by a bloody leak!)
Now I don't know my OLED's from my QLEDS or even Q-NEDS now apparently. Everything is labelled Smart AI. All I need a dumb monitor.
We have a Virgin box and a Firestick. What does the TV itself actually have to do? Will it listen to our conversations and show us adverts for the things we talk about?
When we go to relatives houses they sit there with 3 remotes in their hands because one does the telly, one does the box, one does the volume etc. I need to avoid this.
Anything wrong with Samsung? I'm brand agnostic but I can get 20% off everything on the website with a student card.
LG OLED in a size of your choice.
Accept no substitute. 😉
TCL TV in your size and price range? I recently bought a pk7? TCL for £239 and I'm impressed with the picture and features. Should I have spent twice as much and picked up a mini led version? Possibly but probably not worth the extra for the limited TV viewing I do.
I think that Sony and LG have some of the strongest privacy policies. That's a thing with modern TVs where you log in to access "features".
Don't ignore returned products. I got a massive discount on one with a faulty volume control. I couldn't turn it down
First question is size and budget.
I got a 65" LG OLED, when we moved house a couple of years back and the old 43" LCD telly looked tiny in the living room.
Very happy with it still.
Oh budget for a soundbar unless you have one already.
Also buy from Richer Sounds or John Lewis as they provide a 5 year warranty as standard.
Have a gander here.
https://www.whathifi.com/best-buys/best-tv
The absolute dumbest, un-smart thing you can find in the size you want. 3 remotes is good, when one of their associated boxes goes to ratshit you just get a new version - when the smartTV version of it starts going to ratshit you're just going to have to live with it.
If multiple remotes bother you that much get a universal remote and chuck everything on one of them.
SmartTVs are basically the same as the shitty manufacturer versions of an in car entertainment system which get ignored in favour of apple/android auto.
And breathe....
^^ I doubt your can get a decent TV without smart features to be honest though.
SmartTVs are basically the same as the shitty manufacturer versions of an in car entertainment system which get ignored in favour of apple/android auto
That's a good analogy actually. Our TV's home screen and built-in features are garbage.
I should have said we want a 55 or 65 inch. Current one is 55 but we sit at opposing ends of a long rectangular living room so we could go massive if we wanted. 65 is reasonable I think.
As for budget I was thinking absolute maximum of 1k we needed to. Hopefully less. We already have a soundbar and sub.
LG OLED, simples.
Will follow this with interest. Our current 55" Samsung is gradually becoming dumber as some apps are no longer supported due to the age of the TV's operating system - none have bothered me apart from Red Bull TV stopping working recently, only found that out when I went to watch Hardline.
With audio/visual stuff I tend to go with what WhatHiFi suggests generally, then with whatever's on an offer.
What do you want from this new telly (other than at least four remotes)?
How big do you want it to be?
Do you care about picture quality beyond being at least as good as your old one (which pretty much anything modern outside the lowest tier should be)?
Do you care about sound quality? (New tvs generally have rubbish sound due to being so thin - if so you could do with a sound bar - sticking with the same brand would give the best chance the to and sound bar talk properly meaning the to remote controls both.)
We went for a Samsung, mid price from John Lewis.
Wasn't much in it, don't use it for gaming etc. so no need for anything fancy.
Some smart features are nice. We watch through the internet. Use the various channel apps. But about half the time it is as easy to browse on your phone and then cast. So not much more advanced than the old tv we had with a chromecast shoved in the back.
I've just spent a whacking £239 on a 43" Hisense QLED with Freely.
Coming from a 20 year old Panasonic that was £50 off Gumtree, it's all the shizzles.
Great picture, good sound, no aerial needed, streams everything, no adverts or 'recomended' algorithm going on. Easy remote and navigation.
I'm impressed.
I'm sure I could have spent £000's more on all the latest and greatest, but I'm more than happy with a TV that Just Works and isn't so big my neighbours across the square can watch it...
Look up a tv size guide. There’s recommendations for how big the screen should be in relation to your distance from it. Then get the LG one in that size/budget.
We aren't into tech but came home with an LG Oled. They had brought a new version out so it had a big old discount on it.
Picture is very good compared to our much older and much smaller Sony. We haven't bothered with a soundbar, if I want a movie experience, I'll go to the cinema.
Look up a tv size guide. There’s recommendations for how big the screen should be in relation to your distance from it. Then get the LG one in that size/budget.
https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/by-size/size-to-distance-relationship
new TV, it’s been said already, LG OLED in your size.
It’s pretty common for apps and OSs to lose support so I can accept the reluctance to buy in. But it’s usually quite a few years that things are supported for. And when they’re not there a quite a few fairly cheap, compared to a TV, sticks or boxes like Roku, Firestick, and Apple TV that can take the place of the TV’s deprecated apps.
LG OLED again inc sound bar and woofer as a manager special ex display. They took in off the shop floor and re-boxed it.
Connect to a M1 mac mini which is a lot smarter than the TV which seems over complicated imho.
LG OLED in a size of your choice.
Accept no substitute. 😉
From richer sounds
Was replace my broken plasma screen. My wife just wanted the cheapest one in a given size. I've been very happy having paid the extra.
One unexpected benefit is it has a clear voice sound setting. My wife's hearing is not bad enough for hearing aids but she always wants the TV significantly louder than me. The clear voice setting means it can be lower volume and we can both hear what's being said
LG OLED - accept no substitute.
And remember the correct answer to no “what should I buy” question has ever, in the history of humanity, been “Samsung”.
SmartTVs are basically the same as the shitty manufacturer versions of an in car entertainment system which get ignored in favour of apple/android auto
We use the apps on our LG all the time they work brilliantly
We got a 43" Aiwa from Richer Sounds just before Christmas, I think it was £230, they are now £179. After the initial "it's different, I don't like it" reaction and a play with the settings, I'm very happy with it. It uses LG software and it has all the apps we need apart from Now but we still have a Now stick for that. Only minor issue is that the freeview play thing doesn't work, it would be nice to have a guide for live TV, so I don't have to Google what app the rugby is on. But I don't know if that is something Freeview play should cover.
OLED without a doubt.
I would consider 2nd hand - the upgraditis is strong in the TV geek community. Maybe look at avforums classified section
So, i was looking a month or so ago, as an upgrade from my 2020 mid tier Sony LCD
I kinda like a good display, within pricing range, and i thought OLED would've been my go to, but i actually decided Mini LED would be my choice, I think.. from memory, that Mini LED offered the greater contrast, at the expense of true pixel by pixel illumination.
Obviously, just an opinion of my own
what i would say is, determine your realistic budget, and the correct size screen for your location, then look at the models that meet those requirements, the big players being LG and Sony IMHO (not sure why the Samsung hate in here?) and others like Panasonic and Philips IMHO are also worth looking at, and then the less premium brands like TCL
My TV hasn't had any external boxes for years, everything is available via apps, my 6 year old Sony is still fine with its software, my 10? year old Panasonic in my bedroom is starting to feel a little clunky but i can still watch everything on it
I thought the answer was go to Richer Sounds or John Lewis and choose the one that is the right size and budget but more importantly the one that looks the best to your eyes ?
An LG TV remote can be set up to control a Firestick (I would imagine other brands will do the same), thus negating multiple controllers.
Echoing what has already been said, buy from Richer Sounds or John Lewis for better warranty - I had 29 days left on a JL warranty, and got a new TV out of it. And a soundbar, the new TV will sound great, but plug in a sound bar and it'll sound like a biscuit tin in comparison.
Pick size and how it looks to your eyes; we felt Samsung picture looked far too processed and artificial. We went with Sony when making the decision a couple of years ago. Then added soundbar which improves the sound on all programmes. One aspect which made it win out over LG was, from memory, we wanted to stand the TV on a unit rather than fix to a wall and LG set-up was less good in that mode. Much of the TV software is google powered, which might concern those of us (including me) regarding privacy but you can switch off a lot of the interactivity ie what google can learn from you, in the settings.
I bought the tv at Christmas and did ended up with an OLED. But I’m not sure it was really worth 3 times the price of a basica tv. If you do buy an OLED tv then I’d use the built in apps. I started with our Chromecast but if i pause then the image is persistent, which could lead to burn in. The native apps all go to a screen saver after a minute of being paused.
The interface in our Samsung is great and contains no adverts. Unlike the horror show of my sisters LG interface
PS very happy to have one remote for everything. It even has a solar panel
Really impressed with my partner's Hisense. Picture is spot on, menu simple and a fair bit cheaper than OLED. It's this one - 65U7NQTUK
My Samsung, in comparison is a piece of junk. Crap menu screens and a picture I keep feeling I need to adjust. I'd replace it with the same Hisense if it would fit in my lounge 😛
Regarding apps & the longevity of smart TV stuff, we bought an LG TV in Jan 2017 so it's now over 9 years old & every app that it came with still works fine & is easy to access.
From the top of my head, we have iPlayer, ITVX, 4, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Disney+ & Spotify.
There's NowTV, Rakuten & a few others on there, but we've never used them. Assume they work though.
Look up a tv size guide. There’s recommendations for how big the screen should be in relation to your distance from it. Then get the LG one in that size/budget.
Naaaah - you need to get the biggest f-off size that will fit through your door and mount it near the ceiling.
Then get a corner sofa so big it barely fits in your room.
Job jobbed! 🙂
Been looking at this for a while, our Sony LCD is knocking on for 15 years! it was a top tier model at the time and Im amazed how well its lasted, comparing to newer tech its not as bright but shows none of the pixelation or ghosting you see on even some modern panels.
If youve got the money go Sony, their newer MiniLEDs probably best vfm and offer betetr lengevity than OLED but top OLED models are king.
If youre not going for the most expensive then its really hard to argue against TCL theyve recently overtaken LG in the premium TV market lately.
rtings are good for tv and monitor reviews - really in depth testing.
https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/best/brands
If you want some recommendations, what's your budget and approx room size/viewing distance?
I bought the biggest, most discounted telly I could find during Covid lockdown which happened to be a Philips Ambilight - was fairly sceptical of it as a gimmick but was quickly converted as it adds so much immersion to the viewing for movies etc. Less so for watching Traitors 🤣. But having had one I couldn't go back so that would be my criteria!
Personally I've always used it with an Apple TV so haven't touched in inbuilt "smart" features (would do the same with any brand telly) so they are not relevant IMO.
If you want some recommendations, what's your budget and approx room size/viewing distance?
I've already said above, I'd like to spend less than a grand.
According to the room size calculators we should have 75" which seems excessive. I think I need to visit a shop to see these things in the flesh.
Our living room is a rectangle of about 5.5 x 3.5m we sit at opposite ends. No fireplace or chimney breasts or anything in the way. The TV has the end wall all to itself.
After work I'll have a look at John Lewis and Richer Sounds.
The best place right now for bargains is the Richer Sounds Clearance sale with -20% VIP promo. It's where I got my last TV.
They do refurbished and open-box, with open-box carrying the better condition/warranty.
https://www.richersounds.com/panasonic-tv-55z95beb-in-store-clearance/
If you click the 'Check store availability' there's quite a few shops around the UK with them - if you wanted to view in person beforehand.
For example, Panasonic TV-55Z95 is £1055 in with that promo vs. £1699 at John Lewis.
If you were going OLED I'd suggest a Tandem panel for improved brightness.
If you want some recommendations, what's your budget and approx room size/viewing distance?
I've already said above, I'd like to spend less than a grand.
According to the room size calculators we should have 75" which seems excessive. I think I need to visit a shop to see these things in the flesh.
Our living room is a rectangle of about 5.5 x 3.5m we sit at opposite ends. No fireplace or chimney breasts or anything in the way. The TV has the end wall all to itself.
After work I'll have a look at John Lewis and Richer Sounds.
Everything's a compromise really... if you want to turn your front room into a cinema, and it be dominated by the TV that's fine.
I have a 48" LG OLED as it fits perfectly into my chimney stack hole where a fireplace was, once upon a time. It also means the TV is near as dammit at perfect eye level when sat on the sofa.
Please don't be one of those people that puts the telly half way up the wall 😆
My living room is about 4.5x5m and I find it great without taking over the room, it's a living room with a TV in it, rather than a TV viewing room.
According to the room size calculators we should have 75" which seems excessive. I think I need to visit a shop to see these things in the flesh.
All the sales folk claimed we "needed" a 55". Transpires the 43" I bought was a) significantly bigger than the 36" old TV and b) great for viewing and also not dominating the room.
My brother in law has a 26" TV, his desire for 9 of us to sit round the TV at Christmas and watch a film has never caught on. And his insistence on only watching films that they have on dvd.
We cut a piece of cardboard to size to try and picture the end result
Please don't be one of those people that puts the telly half way up the wall 😆
That's where it was when we moved in. For no apparent reason as I said there's nothing else on the wall or in the way.
The first thing I did was drop it down into a stand on a TV unit.
It's currently eye level ish. It could go up a bit.
Two things to add to the above.
1) You shouldn't need multiple remotes, that's user error.
2) Costco give a free a 5 year warranty on all televisions. I've just had cause to test this on a 4.5 year old TV which developed a fault - which is probably a thread in itself - and couldn't be happier with the process. Full refund, I bought a replacement from Costco again without hesitation.
I've just had cause to test this on a 4.5 year old TV which developed a fault - which is probably a thread in itself - and couldn't be happier with the process. Full refund, I bought a replacement from Costco again without hesitation.
I've had cause to use the Costco warranty on a TV before - even though it was actually outside of the warranty period they still gave me my money back!
Other benefits are they allow you to try a TV for 60 days or something and if you don't like it you can simply take it back. I did this recently - bought an LG OLED 55" and decided within a few days it was too small - took it back and got the 65" which is lovely.
Another thing they do is price match themselves - if they reduce their price within 30 days of purchase they will give you the difference - I did this with the new LG.... got about £200 back!
If you're a member it makes complete sense to buy from them.
Also don't overlook sound quality... The LGs have seriously impressive built in speakers to the point you don't really *need* additional audio gubbins if it's going to spoil the aesthetic of the room.
That said I use my TV as a center speaker, and have an amp and sub and stereo speakers doing the heavy lifting.
So I clearly don't take my own advice, but the point is, don't overlook the audio when choosing, it makes a huge difference and I'm not talking about total volume, more the general quality, stereo seperation & sound stage etc.
I have a Panasonic OLED and it's a thing of beauty. It was a factory return off ebay so x00 cheaper than new, a minor risk, but the address of the seller on ebay was the same as the Panasonic reseller on ebay. Is probably ~4 years old now and will likely last a good while longer still I'm sure.
Picture quality is ace (all AI and auto creation of picture things switched off), sound, I never use, apps, I never use.
A TV in a shop will look nothing like it will in your front room. They have the settings maxed out to be bright and shiny in a showroom, but for normal TV use these settings are incredibly harsh. Plus the "biggish" screen in a shop will be massive in a front room!
I also do as @mattyfez said - TV speakers are fine for most things, but for films I fire up the A/V receiver, external speakers & sub.
I've already said above, I'd like to spend less than a grand.
Get the Hisense. You won't regret it. If you do I'll buy it off you 😀
We cut a piece of cardboard to size to try and picture the end result
We were decorating, I drew a rectangle on the wall the size of a 55" TV. We both agreed that was the right size, no bigger. I bought a 65" instead, it is long forgotten - you soon get used to the bigger size.
I have a Panasonic OLED and it's a thing of beauty. It was a factory return off ebay so x00 cheaper than new, a minor risk, but the address of the seller on ebay was the same as the Panasonic reseller on ebay. Is probably ~4 years old now and will likely last a good while longer still I'm sure.
Picture quality is ace (all AI and auto creation of picture things switched off), sound, I never use, apps, I never use.
OLED is definitely the biggest upgrade since 1080p resolution (HD).
Everything else is just tinkering around the edges.
Along with HDR can really give you night blindness when exiting a dark cave into the sunshine in a computer game, for example... It's really a game changer...
... More so than going from a lower resolution to 4k.
In fact when I'm gaming I usually force the resolution down to 1440p so my graphics card isn't getting hammered quite so hard.
OLED plus HDR at 120fps is just a joy to behold.
Edit.. That's another thing.. Forcing a 4k oled down to 1440p works flawlessly too, unlike some LCD panels that can't really cope with anything but the default resolution.
My next TV will be a bigger LG OLED. 55---->75.
When we go to relatives houses they sit there with 3 remotes in their hands because one does the telly, one does the box, one does the volume etc. I need to avoid this.
This is one of the reasons I went for the Freely Hisense. No external speaker needed. All apps and Freely just work. Everything in one place on one remote (plus my phone can double as a spare remote when someone walks off with the one we have!).
No adverts. No listening in. Viddaa OS just works.
Also buy from... John Lewis as they provide a 5 year warranty as standard.
My experience with John Lewis was significantly less than optimal - I had issues with ghosting/shadowing around the edge of the screen (Samsung LCD) which was apparently due to faulty backlights. They wouldn't replace, instead I was left with a crappy little TV for about two weeks whilst it was repaired (it was less than a year old IIRC). About four weeks later the fault developed again, I had the same response, being left with a crappy little TV whilst they repaired it again. When it went for the third time, and I was fobbed off with another repair, I want into the shop (Leeds city centre) and kicked up a fuss until they agreed to refund me in full so I could choose another set (an LG, which I got from AO as it was much cheaper than JL, and it has been faultless).
This is one of the reasons I went for the Freely Hisense. No external speaker needed. All apps and Freely just work.
Can you tell more about this – we're trying to find a true 'one remote' solution for my elderly in-laws – something they can just switch on, choose a channel, and watch with minimum fuss (and obviously be able to easily switch channel, pause, alter volume etc).
On the subject of needing to use returns etc., I would avoid ebuyer at any cost. I still regret not taking them to small claims court.
I bought a Samsung TV from them, and less than 2 years later the remote stopped working. They initially said "talk to Samsung not us" so I tried that, but they said "12 month warranty, talk to the retailer". ebuyer then wouldn't accept any evidence that the remote was faulty except for an ethereal professional report (which obviously they wouldn't pay for). Technically the onus was on me to prove that it was faulty, but that was easy to do any number of ways that they wouldn't accept. The remote was in perfect condition except that it stopped working.
Then ultimately they took an even better stance, which I quote directly from their complaints handler: "The remote is a free accessory, therefore this isn’t something we can assist with."
When I offered them a chance to reconsider that insane statement, they stopped talking to me.
A new remote was only about £20, but holy moley!
Anything wrong with Samsung? I'm brand agnostic but I can get 20% off everything on the website with a student card.
Just get a Samsung, there's far less than 20% difference between an LG, Samsung, Panasonic or Sony at a given price point.
As for budget I was thinking absolute maximum of 1k we needed to. Hopefully less. We already have a soundbar and sub.
To be honest I'd get the ~£400 Samsung range, in the last couple of years I've bought two 55" Samsungs, one was ~£350 for the shed, the other ~£850 for the living room. The living room one does do blacks better (it's still LED/LCD but has the fancy dimming), but unless I told you that, you'd probably not notice they were different TV's unless they were side by side.
Please don't be one of those people that puts the telly half way up the wall
I've never had a problem with ours right up above the fireplace.
I really don't understand why you'd want to give over floorspace to a TV since CRT's went extinct.
Hisense
I bought a Hisense when our old Samung was retired, I figured that technology would have trickled down and now cheaper brands would be great.
I took it back to Costco under their no quibble returns after a few days of trying to get a decent colour balance. It was a genuinely awful picture.
I know some people are in different positions on the spectrum of being picky about these things, some would turn their noses up at the difference between the £400 and £800 LED's or the £800 LED's and cheaper OLEDs. But the difference between the <£300 Hisense and £350 Samsung was massive. For TV studios we actually used the equivalent ~£400 LG's TV's simply because they boot up into the last used input rather than a horrible menu.
Before you buy, try out the smart interface and see if you like it or whether it's slow etc.. we have an LG and its hateful on ours , my MiLs Panasonic is much nicer so over time you notice this more than the panel
Spend time browsing AV forums - there are far more knowledgable people (geeks) on there than a biking forum.
There's nothing wrong with a Samsung if it's the right model set up right and Dolby Vision isn't the end of the world - most people in a blind (ironic when discussing a visual product) test probably couldn't tell the difference between a DV and HDR10+ TV.
Our last two TV's have been Samsung - using settings recommended on AVF, they've had stunning PQ for their time and the UI/OS/Apps have been fine. I'm not against an LG OLED for our next TV, but they aren't without flaws.
Samsung has the bonus of phone integration and the best soundbar available too if that's a consideration.
Get a Hisense if you're prioritising cost over quality.
Don't ever buy a Samsung washing machine though
Don't get caught up on brand... its just a never ending bun fight...
1. Decide what size you want
2. Decide if you can afford OLED or not
Read reviews
MOST IMPORTANT! don't be fooled into thinking if you already have a functional TV at the size you want and you're happy with it - you'll just be dissapointed unless it's on old 1080 screen with no HDR, VRR etc.
Don't ever replace a functional TV that you are happy with, they are terrible investments in terms of depreciation.
And then buy an LG OLED 😉
I've never had a problem with ours right up above the fireplace.
I really don't understand why you'd want to give over floorspace to a TV since CRT's went extinct.
What height are your eyes at sat on the sofa? A horizontal line to the middle of the screen is the optimal height/angle for your tv, not a 10-20 degree angle up on the wall somewhere
Just to throw another spanner in the works, have you considered a projector? I hadn't, but am now thinking about it for when the TV gets hoofed from the lounge finally and moves into the kitchen.
Please don't be one of those people that puts the telly half way up the wall
I've never had a problem with ours right up above the fireplace.
You do you, brother. Live, laugh, love etc. ❤️
I took it back to Costco under their no quibble returns after a few days of trying to get a decent colour balance. It was a genuinely awful picture.
Was it a MicroLED in the nnU7 range. Cos if it was there is genuinely something wrong with your eyes! If it wasn't dismissing a whole brand on a crap one you bought is nonsense
Just to throw another spanner in the works, have you considered a projector? I hadn't, but am now thinking about it for when the TV gets hoofed from the lounge finally and moves into the kitchen.
Shite in bright rooms, even the expensive ones...you need a dark room. And a special screen to project onto if you want any kind of decent image quality. And you need space to mount the thing, unless it's ceiling mounted, so thats extra work.
They have thier uses, but theres a reason OLED TV's are becoming the defacto standard unless you want super size.
That distance graph suggests that I should be just under five feet away from our 43” tv. I have just tried that and it’s uncomfortably close. I also find it funny that our tv is now considered a small unit. Oh, and it’s an LG
Perfection 🤣
That distance graph suggests that I should be just under five feet away from our 43” tv. I have just tried that and it’s uncomfortably close. I also find it funny that our tv is now considered a small unit. Oh, and it’s an LG
It's technically good advice for the 'best cinematic experience'.
The thing is most living rooms are multi-purpose rooms, rather than dedicated cinema/listening rooms, so bigger is not always better - it needs to fit in with your lifestyle & asthetics.
Just to throw another spanner in the works, have you considered a projector? I hadn't, but am now thinking about it for when the TV gets hoofed from the lounge finally and moves into the kitchen.
Shite in bright rooms, even the expensive ones...you need a dark room. And a special screen to project onto if you want any kind of decent image quality. And you need space to mount the thing, unless it's ceiling mounted, so thats extra work.
They have thier uses, but theres a reason OLED TV's are becoming the defacto standard unless you want super size.
Yeah, I'll seek professional advice to ensure I understand the compromises. I think I'd prefer to have a small proj and pull down screen than a big wall mounted TV. Plus room is pretty dark. I'll see if I can borrow a decent one before taking the plunge.
Can i just say on remotes and complexity
Previous tv. Knackered Samsung loads of apps not working. Tv connected to sound bar. Everything run from a chromcast. Press power button on chromcast remote and everything turns on. Simple interface to choose what i want. Side buttons for volume
Posh new Samsung has one remote. Press the on button, tv and sound bar turns on. Remote controls everything. Even soundbar settings as that is Samsung too
I have done nothing clever to achieve this
Yeah, I'll seek professional advice to ensure I understand the compromises. I think I'd prefer to have a small proj and pull down screen than a big wall mounted TV. Plus room is pretty dark. I'll see if I can borrow a decent one before taking the plunge.
Fan noise too.. if you enjoy high quality sound, a noisy projector is not gonna be welcome. OK in a cinema, not so much if it's 5 feet away from your head on the ceiling.
Just get one of these:
LG OLED in a size of your choice.
Just be aware that you cannot use the OLED as a monitor. There is a thing called 'burn in' where icons etc, task bar being in the same spot unchanging can leave a ghosting where whatever's on the screen, you will always see the ghosting of those icons etc left on the screen.
Next thing is DSE or Dirty screen effect. This can be lines running top to bottom on the screen and issues with the LED's that go around the edge of the screen that do whatever those leds do that brighten it.
I've just had the entire screen on my Samsung 'the frame' 65". I had this issue and according to the technician, its if these leds are set at high. This can cause them to become damaged and not work properly, leaving streaks of bright white marks along the lower edge.
I went for the QLED because it has lesser problems with burn in than OLED, mainly because i use my TV as a computer monitor too.
The dirty screen effect can affect both OLED and QLED, and its just a case of making sure you have a long guarantee so if the issue presents itself, you can have the screen replaced.
I'm feeling well happy i went with an extended guarantee so the new screen cost me nothing, and the entire operation was carried out in the front room, done and dusted in under an hour.
Google 'dirty screen effect for some examples and FFS make sure you have an extended guarantee even if you pay extra for it.
I bought a Hisense when our old Samung was retired, I figured that technology would have trickled down and now cheaper brands would be great.
I took it back to Costco under their no quibble returns after a few days of trying to get a decent colour balance. It was a genuinely awful picture.
This is my experience of HiSense also.
If as you say you're on a budget, consider TCL. You've never heard of them but they're majority shareholders in Sony's TV division.
Before you buy, try out the smart interface and see if you like it or whether it's slow etc.. we have an LG and its hateful on ours
I hate LG's WebOS, yet when I replaced ours recently I bought another because my partner's used to it and if I ended up with something worse I'd never hear the last of it.
It is possible to root the TV and install an open source version of the firmware, though I'm not quite sure I'm brave enough to do that...
It is possible to root the TV and install an open source version of the firmware, though I'm not quite sure I'm brave enough to do that...
I wouldn't bother doing that.. just plug an android box into the back of it (or a hacked firestick or whatever)and run what you want, or just hook it up to your PC.. job jobbed.
Yeah, but anything 'clever' has to be technophobe-partner-friendly.
If as you say you're on a budget, consider TCL. You've never heard of them but they're majority shareholders in Sony's TV division.
I just looked at AV Forums to see if there was anything about my new TV and tripped over an article for this:
Don’t do what my dad does and go out and buy the cheapest never before heard of brand that he could find. It is something truly truly awful.
I like my dad but he’d buy an old black and white thing if it’d save a few quid!
I watched aghast over Christmas when we’d sit through films etc that to me looked like they’d been filmed by the studio and then forgotten to do any processing or special effects. Truly, truly terrible.
Our LG oled is fantastic - but as others here have said - the interface is hateful.
It's so bad that if I was going to have to use it, I would have picked a different brand. It's not unusable - but it's close.
I use an appleTV box to "drive" everything, even live TV can be handled by the apps now, so you really don't need the TV to be anything more than a display - I've even turned it's Wi-Fi off now to stop it wanting to update itself every 5 minutes, and alleviate any privacy concerns.
Wall mounting it was a royal pain in the arse too - I think I've done a post in a previous thread about that - so I'll spare you another rant.
You do need a soundbar - but a relatively cheap one will be fine - just make sure it does HDMI CEC so it works with the rest of the system.
The other advantage to the apple TV is that the remote is small, and works with everything - so it's all you need.
What’s all the hate for LG software?
Its just 1 click on the remote to open YouTube, prime, Netflix etc or run an app from my phone and it sends straight to the tv .
What am I missing that’s so bad about it?