55" 4K LED TV with best contrast/blacks

Dean

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Hi I've recently sold my Sony KDL-55W905A TV with the view to get a 4K TV for xmas. I really loved the Sony but felt that blacks could be tad better, any opinions on a TV with these requirements?
 
Sony tvs are amoung the best of any of the big boys for there black levels this year in led, if you want better blacks look at the hisense k700 or the 720d, both have fald, and the k321 was just reviewed on here getting blacks around 0.02 which is amoung the best black level from led on the market.
 
Thanks for that. I am thinking of going Sony again as I pretty much have Sony everything else! The KDL-55W905A was my first LED having had plasmas for years so it's no surprise there was a noticeable difference in blacks. I really wish I could afford an OLED but I would need to save until Easter being that they are £2.5k for a 55" LG. I guess I will do a some research and come up with a short list closer to xmas.
 
Get LG 55EC930V Oled tv full hd.It's around 1500£ and the picture is amazing.Still don't need 4k because there's no enough content and I can't see this happen in the next 1-2 years.

 
I've thought about that, and it is tempting and although there is limited native 4K content available, I still think I would benefit from watching upscaled 1080P content and blu rays on a 4K screen. The last 3 TVs I've had have been 1080P, I just fancy the extra resolution now and 4K blu rays are not so far away I thought?
 
k720 hisense
 
I'd like to entertain the K720 but I think that's a curved screen? My requirement is that it must be wall mountable and preferably flat. Gutted as that would fit the bill nicely. Out of interest who else stocks the Hisense K720, I see AO and eBuyer have them but can one get a demo somewhere else?
 
If you've got a Crampton and Moore store near you they tend to stock Hisense sets. I think Euronics are starting to sell them too?

They did push the Samsungs much harder though so if you do go it may be worth downloading some demo content onto a USB drive and taking it with you so you can compare them all with the same footage.
 
Deepest black levels in LED-LCD without local dimming are generally found on Panasonic TVs in the past few years, although with these deep blacks come limited viewing angles.

Sony and Samsung TVs are fairly similar in all regards, including black levels (they're pretty much number 2 in black levels compared to Panasonic, and very good all-rounders).

Hisense have fairly deep blacks too (similar to Panasonic, as both often use Chinese-sourced CMO, etc brand Panels), although I don't think Hisense is *quite* 'there' yet in video processing vs the established brands, but they'll catch up in next to no time.

Philips have also got a lot of models with good black levels, and usually use Samsung or AUO panels (just like Sony). IMO Philips TVs are now really good bargains. You get a LOT for the money - they're the Motorola of TVs!

LG is all IPS, so everything they make apart from OLED will have poor black levels.

I wouldn't consider any other brands worthy of buying for a TV.

Word of warning about Panasonic: some of the low end 1080p and 4K sets (the CX4 series) are rebranded Vestel sets, so don't consider those! You can easily tell the Vestel set by the different remote control and menu design (no My Home Screen or Firefox OS, menu begins with 'First Time Installation' welcome screen, which is a Vestel trait).
 
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At the end of Nov. I bought a Sony XBR 55X850C US model equivalent to the UK XBR 55X8505C it's an edge lit VA panel in the 55" and has decent blacks and contrast as 4K LCD sets go .

IMO It has a very good picture with the usual excellent Sony color once you get it adjusted some and max out the backlight and contrast throughout and turn the backlight (brightness) sensor [off] in all the modes and inputs . I'm more than satisfied with it .

It's a wide color gamut 120Hz active 3D (Edge lit VA panel in the 55") Sony Triluminos set . With the recent firmware updates HDR 10/P3- DCI ready just not 600 -1000 plus NIT (cd/m2) HDR brightness but otherwise it plays genuine HDR 10 content reasonably well IMO .

FWIW in a brief test here with the Life of Pi HDR 10 demo file from my USB hdd the sets wattage use went up substantially in HDR picture mode . I suspect they are allowing higher backlight levels in HDR picture mode .

IMO it comes in close to and some like it better than the arguably decent Samsung 55JS8500 just not as bright but decently bright all in all and usually less expensive .
 
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Just to update I ended up with a Samsung PS60E6500 Plasma TV off the classified for a decent price. I figured I wanted a 60" screen more than I needed a 55" 4K one, very happy with the blacks now, and feel I will keep the Samsung for a few years. It kinda feels like I've semi gone OLED. Thanks for all the replies.
 
Just to update I ended up with a Samsung PS60E6500 Plasma TV off the classified for a decent price. I figured I wanted a 60" screen more than I needed a 55" 4K one, very happy with the blacks now, and feel I will keep the Samsung for a few years. It kinda feels like I've semi gone OLED. Thanks for all the replies.
Sounds like you made the right choice
 

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