Current TV is a 7 year old 42 led TV, LG 43uk6400plf
I want a 48/50 size TV, budget £800 max. We don't do any gaming and currently do not pay extra for HDR .
So would I be wasting my money looking at OLED ?
Looking in the shops the OLED TVs look incredibly vivid, too vivid IMO. Is that just a shop trick?
Current OLED favourite is this from LG https://www.richersounds.com/lg-oled48b56la/
Looking at LED TVs is off putting because of the many names, but any recommendations please.
We've just got an LG C5 OLED and it's blooming marvellous.
The apps open fast (unlike the LG LED we also have) and the picture is pretty amazing.
I believe the B5 (one you linked) is very good too.
I only buy from Costco as you get 90 days no quibble returns* as well as the 6 year warranty (and a marginally better price) but Richer Sounds would be my next choice probs.
We bought the 55" but took it back after a week and swapped out for the 65" 🤦🏻♂️
Oh they also return the difference if they drop the price within 30 days.... I got nearly £200 back a couple of weeks after I bought it 👍🏻
Looking in the shops the OLED TVs look incredibly vivid, too vivid IMO. Is that just a shop trick?
Yes, that's exactly what it is.
Modern TVs have a demo mode so they look more vivid than the one next to it which is, uh, also in demo mode..
If your family is anything like mine, no.
I fancy a 65" one to replace my Samsung 55" LED, but...
The females of the house tend to leave whatever reality show they've been watching on pause for ages while they bugger off and do something else. Tech is getting better, but OLED's suffer with screen burn in still.
When you say you're not watching HDR, do you mean actual HDR content, or are you getting mixed up with Ultra HD? Do you watch HD, or is everything SD?
If you are only watching low res content, I'd just get the best LED TV you can for your ££ as you aren't getting the best picture anyway. Both LED and OLED TVs do have better tech the more you spend. I think the LG 'C' series is accepted as the point where any gains above that are incremental though
Whatever TV you get, head to AV Forums and check how to set up your picture. You'll be amazed how good you can get it looking if done properly and get away from the out of the box settings
OLED's suffer with screen burn in still.
Maybe they do. I’ve not noticed any burn in on our aging 55” LG OLED.
Definitely agree on ‘set it up properly’. IDK why the defaults aren’t better. in particular turn off any AI/other frame smoothing/interpolation. Just. The. Worst.
OP, if you’re looking for a new TV and value contrast and brightness I’d recommend you consider an OLED. When I have to watch stuff on our couple of years older than our OLED 55” LG LCD the difference is noticeable.
as 55”->65” @sharkbait experienced, get the biggest TV you can get away with. I’d have preferred 65” but didn’t have the space available between our speakers. https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/televisions/article/what-size-tv-should-i-buy/what-size-tv-should-i-buy-aXiiB3e0zZcW
Like @cougar said, in stores the TVs are usually in demo mode with color and brightness and wotnot turned up to ‘11’. Partly to counteract the bright lighting, partly to ‘pop’ and show how vivid they can be. I expect a typical Dolby Vision home set up would look unappealing in a store environment.
We bought an OLED 2 years ago. 65" LG G2, that was discounted on black Friday.
The black levels and viewing angles are great. Picture quality is really clear. Like others says when I go back to a normal LCD TV it seems poor in comparison.
To get the full benefit you'll want a 4K source as those are the only ones that support HDR, which in my opinion is where OLED really shine.
Having said that HD stuff displays fine, you won't be disappointed, but you won't get the full benefit. Oh also budget for a soundbar or hook into into an existing hi-fi/home theater system, as modern TVs sound is piss poor as they're built so thin.
The poor young person looked bemused when I said it looks like it's brightness is turned to 11 . Too young bless.
We are definitely not on HDR or better. Eg netflix we are on the standard plan.
Size wise I'd go bigger than 50 but I am struggling to persuade mrsMcMad to go up to 50
Yes the LG C (123) series can be made reference capable. They use them in grading studios for films.
Personally I prefer a projector due to reflections but a good OLED is fantastic with awesome black detail and colour reproduction.
We have had an LG 65 OLED for about 8 yrs. Was expensive when we bought it but the quality is still up there.
The difference I think is what black looks like. I know that sounds daft but it’s absolutely noticeable that blacks are more black
We got a Samsung Oled TV back last year, and was taken back by the picture quality compared to the one it replaced.
We upgraded from a 5yr old Samsung 4k LCD to an LG OLED a couple of months ago. The 48 inch C5 model, which is smallish by current standards but suits us and fits the gap between the window and the fireplace nicely.
It’s better in every respect, and it still leaps out every time we watch something. The colour looks so much more natural, the high contrast and deep blacks mean that even very dark scenes look detailed.
Before getting rid of the old one, I tried the new and old TVs back to back on the same gloomy scene from Alien Earth, and there was so much detail missing from the LCD, e.g. including an entire cat 😆
It’s a question I’m wrestling with at the moment. OLED is many things but it’s not the brightest and our room can be quite bright. One of our problems is that we want a sub 50 inch and these aren’t cheaper. My parents mini LED is looking pretty good. To be honest our old LED tv is fine other than the back light no longer being uniform
Maybe they do. I’ve not noticed any burn in on our aging 55” LG OLED.
Our LG has a very active screensaver that kicks in after only a couple of minutes.
We are definitely not on HDR or better. Eg netflix we are on the standard plan.
Size wise I'd go bigger than 50 but I am struggling to persuade mrsMcMad to go up to 50
You keep mentioning HDR, that's a specific mode where colours & contrast are enhanced. Are you actually meaning 4k/UltraHD, they are different things. Whilst HDR @ 1080p exists it's generally 4k content that sometimes also supports HDR.
If you are sticking with Netflix Standard (1080p HD) then although the LG OLED is still a great TV I don't think it's worth paying the premium for over a LED TV. You really need 4k sources and then HDR content on top of that is where OLED really shines.
As for size, if you are sticking with 1080p content then a 50" might be fine, go up to 4k though and you really want something bigger, at least 55" but ideally 60-65" (assuming you sit several feet away from the screen when viewing) otherwise you're not getting all the benefit.
I got a Panasonic OLED, I love it. I also (as above) got it and turned off AI and frame creation features and it's far better for it. If your previous TV is 7 years old, you'll notice improvements in the processor speeds as well as picture quality I'd say.
Apologies. So at the moment we definitely don't have ultra HD. Standard netflix and prime which I believe are 1080 . Freeview again I believe is 1080 in channels 100+ and iPlayer can also be 1080.
Not sure if we would pay for the extra quality but I am thinking at the moment I might as well get a TV that gives me the choice in the future.
Timely thread for me too, looking to replace my old Samsung flat screen (its old not even 4k) and wondering why OLED/QLED seem to be twice the price of 4k. Keeping an eye on black Friday deals. Never got the MASSIVE TELLY hype though, hate it when they dominate the room, 50" is plenty for me in my average size lounge.
The females of the house tend to leave whatever reality show they've been watching on pause for ages while they bugger off and do something else. Tech is getting better, but OLED's suffer with screen burn in still.
Under normal use it's really not an issue, you really have to go to extremes to see any issues with static images - like months on 24/7 on the same news channel with static elements to see burn in. All TVs and all apps kick into screensaver mode after a few minutes anyway. It's really not an issue.
It’s a question I’m wrestling with at the moment. OLED is many things but it’s not the brightest and our room can be quite bright.
Maybe I'm not the one to comment as I completely skipped LED/LCD (as I never liked them), and so went straight from plasma to OLED. But I've never had any issues with OLED brightness. This is a LG G2 in a room that has a fair bit of natural light.
OLED contrast over LED is noticeable on 1080P.
I’d agree with folks, 4K, especially in HDR or Dolby Vision, is super. I’d not really expected 4K to be much better than 1080P. It is.
Nonetheless, because of old Blu-Rays and various stored and streamed content we watch a fair amount of 1080P and OLED still wins for me.
Again if the OP needs a new TV then I’d recommend demoing a 4K OLED. Get one and maybe you’ll want to surrender more cash to Netflix for the 4K content. It does look better than 1080P.
After our long standing Samsung LED developed bright spots, I had a good look round. LG supposedly make the best OLEDS. We didn't want a bigger TV as it wouldn't fir, so I replaced it with a 42/43" LG OLED about 6 months ago. The picture is impressive. You'll notice no wash out around the edges, and blacks are black, not dark grey. Our Disney subscription is 4k and it looks great. The LG's do upscale the HD stream, and it also looks great. The operating system is quick.
Added bonus I've just discovered, is I can bluetooth the sound out to my portable Soundcore Boom speakers for movies - we don't have a soundbar. Also supports casting, so I can cast straight from my laptop for any apps that aren't already on the TV (downloaded movie) and there is no lag.
The females of the house tend to leave whatever reality show they've been watching on pause for ages while they bugger off and do something else. Tech is getting better, but OLED's suffer with screen burn in still.
Aside from screensavers as someone else mentioned,
Pause (on mine at least) will resume after time when the storage runs low. There's an auto-shutoff if you've been watching for ages, it shows a 'press something if you're still there' dialogue. Smart homes can have presence sensors (newer Amazon Echoes have it built in) so you could rig it to power down if there's no-one watching for a period of time.
Just on the reflection/screen brightness aspect. Our old LCD TV had a matte screen, whereas the OLED has a shiny finish. It does reflect lights more, but that's the finish rather than the tech. We have ours in the living room with large windows and it's currently set to 85% brightness. So I can't say that the maximum brightness level is ever a concern. Also because it has absolute contrast i.e. one pixel can be 100% white and the one next to it 100% black the brightness/contrast is awesome. Note that lots of the specs detail peak brightness in a silly demo mode with more caveats than a car warranty.
Ours also has a screen saver which kicks in quickly and lots of tech for pixel shifting etc so you don't get screen burn from logos.
Just on the reflection/screen brightness aspect.
Bunnyhop of this parish is a specialist in curtains.
4k / Ultra HD content is available more places than you might think.
Some of the very best 4k content is on iplayer - usually the Attenborough type stuff, and lots of their headline dramas and series.
Sport too, Wimbledon etc. All the World cup matches next Spring that are on BBC will be in 4k on iplayer, even if they arent being 'broadcast' over the old fashioned TV networks in 4k.
And again - Youtube, lots and lots of the best stuff is 4k now.
Sport too, Wimbledon etc. All the World cup matches next Spring that are on BBC will be in 4k on iplayer, even if they arent being 'broadcast' over the old fashioned TV networks in 4k.
Glastonbury coverage too.
Caveat with iPlayer 4k/UHD/HDR stuff is it looks gorgeous, but is only stereo sound at best unfortunately. No 5.1, no Atmos, nuffink.
Mrs_oab and I have been discussing new telly. Ours currently is a 2007 Panasonic LCD bought for £50 off Gumtree about 12 years ago...It has good sound (because deep and proper speakers) but also has a matte screen, so reflections are not an issue.
We have a family member with a very nice, huuuuuge, Sony TV that cost £2.5k+. However it is plagued by reflections on the shiny screen, and of course needs a sound bar to have any decent sound.
I have noticed last night that Panasonic outlet on Ebay has some very heavily discounted and refurb TV's, and am very tempted...
A couple of questions:
- are the operating systems much of a muchness if we avoid super cheap? Again, some experience of really cheap hotel TV's says t hat some are really sloooow.
- Freely and streaming seems good as we have network plug straight into router, and now have a glorious 500gb internet connection. Can we do without an aerial or dish of any kind and still watch live?
- would a second hand soundbar work - seems to be a few around...
We're looking at new 4k TVs too, to replace our '09 LG 32LH3000. Really don't want anything bigger than 43".
Noticed some LGs have 10% extra off via the Argos app today, including the 42" C5 OLED, making it ~£765. Would be nice for our PS5.
But you can get a 43" QNED for ~£390.
Or a 43" Nanocell for ~£270.
Or a 43" LED for ~£220.
... Quite a price range!
I am also considering a new TV, this came in from Panasonic which caught my eye. A further £70 can be saved by using code Z6010
Very tempting!
https://store.panasonic.co.uk/55-inch-z60-4k-oled-ultra-hd-tv-powered-by-tivo-tb-55z60aeb
I bought an LG c2 oled a few years ago when they were the current model.
I liked it so much I bought another one to replace the bedroom TV too.
That's the first time I've ever bought a TV that wasn't to replace a broken one. That kind of says it all I think.
Excellent for pc gaming too as they are 120hz, think newer ones go higher, support variable refresh rate (g-sync and freesync).
Also you can run games at 1440p if 4k is too demanding and it scales perfectly.
If I do go OLED, I've been looking at this one - £100 off and get a further £250 trading in an old TV - have an old 40" Samsung hung on the bedroom wall that would get replaced with our current 55" Samsung
https://www.samsung.com/uk/tvs/oled-tv/s95f-65-inch-oled-4k-smart-tv-qe65s95fatxxu/
Paired with this soundbar to replace my Yamaha/KEF 5.1 setup
I will probably get flamed for this but I didn’t like OLED tvs when we went looking recently, they looked too bright and fake to me, yes I know they can be adjusted. After reading all the pros and cons I went with a 55” mini LED Sony Bravia 7 and am very happy with with it, feel it a more natural picture vs the OLED and it’s streets ahead of our 20year old 32” Sony LED (LCD?) plus its great to get to use the smart/app functions for Netflix etc so no more chrome casting. Did a few setting adjustments but still confused with all the various settings that I haven’t really looked at yet.
@andy4d I don't think you should be flamed at all. There are clearly plenty of fabulous non OLED TVs and probably for my case is the sensible and more wife friendly option.
Just trying to resist the pull of all the hype you get.
I went with this, but paid about £650 at Currys.
LG OLED42C44LA
It's the 55 for the 25 model, same serial except, change the 44 to 55.
We had a very good Samsung LED, but it packed in (bright spots) - had it years and a few Apps were no longer supported (Disney, ITVX, Redbull, Discovery etc couldn't be updated).
I'm impressed with the OLED, manly as the edges are the same colour as the middle - you get some bleed on LED, and the blacks are a huge difference. Can't say I've noticed them being too bright or over coloured - I didn't look at them in store at all.
Do look out for bargains as the premium wasn't too much when I looked round (you'll often see a 20% off Samsung or LG offer pop up)
Samsung
I know it's largely personal bias, but the correct answer to no 'should I buy X' question has ever been "Samsung". There is always a better option. On OLED TV's specifically, the fact that Samsungs don't do Dolby Vision, is mind boggling and should be enough to put anyone off.
There is a good reason why LG are the default choice of OLED. If you want an amazing TV go for a C series, if you really want to push the boat out, a G series. Costco usually have the best prices, John Lewis and Richer Sounds are also good options.
I will leave this here. Currently all with 20%/upto£75 off the prices there as well.
Panasonic Outlet on eBay.
Samsung
I know it's largely personal bias, but the correct answer to no 'should I buy X' question has ever been "Samsung". There is always a better option. On OLED TV's specifically, the fact that Samsungs don't do Dolby Vision, is mind boggling and should be enough to put anyone off.
There is a good reason why LG are the default choice of OLED. If you want an amazing TV go for a C series, if you really want to push the boat out, a G series. Costco usually have the best prices, John Lewis and Richer Sounds are also good options.
I know LG does have the slight edge with OLED, but the general consensus at the S95 / G5 level of panels, the difference is minimal. Most reviews have both TV's pretty much level pegging, citing Dolby Vision as the plus for the LG (Samsung does HDR 10 Plus) and the Samsungs anti glare being a winner for that set.
The 11.1.4 Q990F soundbar is pretty much the best out there, so there's the integration side of it to consider with Q-Symphony, single remote etc.
That said, we have cats. The bottom edge of our current screen is a mess from their noses - I've read the anti glare coating can be a pig to clean. So not sure if that's the way to go - or how the LG glossy screen would cope with the situation
Did the new TV purchase thing a couple of years ago. Went with Sony as (i) its picture just seemed more “natural” whereas LG and Samsung, in particular, really looked highly processed and almost cartoonish, (ii) reviewer consensus was that Sony better in bright light and it was going into a very light room, (iii) Sony stands seems much more ready to sit on top of a piece of furniture rather than wall mounted preferring LG. The Sony sound is OK (through the screen) and then you get a sound bar and realise the difference.
- are the operating systems much of a muchness if we avoid super cheap? Again, some experience of really cheap hotel TV's says t hat some are really sloooow.
- Freely and streaming seems good as we have network plug straight into router, and now have a glorious 500gb internet connection. Can we do without an aerial or dish of any kind and still watch live?
- would a second hand soundbar work - seems to be a few around...
We have two Sony Bravia (not OELD) TVs. Both run Android (I think) OS. The newer one is quicker (year old v five years old) but both are absolutely fine in terms of daily use. All the apps work well, even stuff like YT. We do cast to ours (from a Mac which works fine as Sony has airplay) occasionally and again that just works.
We don't use our aerial at all. The picture is noticeably worse than just running the appropriate streaming app. If we moved the TV, I wouldn't bother moving the aerial. We were watching The Martian last night on glorious 4k HD on our slightly vulgar 65in Sony and that was taking around 80 meg according to the dodge TP app that monitors the mesh network. So 500gb you'll be absolutely fine even if you're running lots of streams.
Soundbar. We connect a SONOS sound bar via HDMI (the newer standard is it ARC? Dunno but modern TVs all have it) and it's seamless. So as long as you have something like that both ends, shouldn't be a problem.
When we bought ours, we did look at OLED and it was subjectively "better" even with everything in retina burning demo mode. But we stuck with LED as we like Sony TVs and there was a very good offer on this one.
Love my LG C4. I use it mostly for gaming though.
Four cats here, regularly sit in front of the LG, no nose prints. I made the switch to OLED only because our older TV packed in. It's way better than the other two large LEDs in the house (Toshiba and JVC - one came from the caravan, the other MIL's as we'd bought it for her before her passing), but they weren't as good as the old Samsung LED, despite being newer. I usually go for Samsung, daughter having a small one in her room, and the previous TV at the caravan was Samsung (got damaged).
For me it's the colours and blackness right to the edge of the screen for OLED that sells it. Eg 2.35:1 letterbox movies - the black bars at top/bottom looks the same as the 'frame' - just no light from it.
Just watching the Attenborough thing on a Hisense QLED and I can’t imagine anything looking better. I will be changing my Samsung for one.
Its this one on Amazon
