55" budget tv - Can't decide

marmil

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Hello guys. Been cracking my head for days now and really can't decide. I want to but a new tv - Mostly I watch netflix and hbo go, some sport streams and (not very often) I play ps4 (maybe ps5 in distant future, but gaming is not priority).
I don't have enough money for oled tv's so these are the models I'm considering:

samsung ue55tu8502 (560e, 2y warranty)
lg 55sm8050 (580e, 2y warranty)
hisense 55a7500f (540e, 5y warranty)
hisense 55b7500 (460e, 5y warranty)
hisense 55u7b (530e, 5y warranty)
samsung qt60t (640e, 2y warranty. this one would be a bit over my budget but if it is worthy I can probably stretch).

Cheers guys
 
There are some steps to take when buying a TV before picking out specific models. They should be covered in the opening post of my guide here:

Two of the TVs in your list are also listed in my guide; the Hisense U7B and B7500, so they represent the best value for money.

Samsung TVs at 55" aren't included, because the panel type of the TVs are unknown, you should decide on the panel type you want from your TV before picking out models.

The LG in your list is the only one to certainly use an IPS panel, if that is more suited than VA for your situation.

3 of the models in your list are 2019 models, and thus are at the lowest end of their price range, whilst two are 2020 models, and are sold currently for more than they are worth.

2019 - LG SM8050/Hisense B7500, U7B
2020 - Samsung Q60T, TU8500, Hisense A7500

If you decide you want a more up to date model, you have to pay extra for it now. I'd suggest waiting until Black Friday or later to buy, but its up to you if you are happy to spend a little more to get a more up to date TV or not. The new Hisense U7Q is quite the upgrade over the U7B, so it may be worth waiting for.
 
@Dodgexander Thank you for answer mate, brilliant guides as well!
Must admit I'm a little bit in hurry to buy a new TV, but I know it's currently a rip-off on the market in this lower segment. I don't think I can wait for Black Friday but I won't rush it either.
So, If I decide to buy, I will probably opt for 55b7500 because of dolby vision as you suggested in your guide. I could also stretch for 55a7500f as it is only 70 pounds difference, if it is a better model?
I did some research on the LG you suggested as well, and currently there is some discount on LG tv's and I can get LG 55UM7400 with 5 year warranty for 440 pounds.
 
You are best saving the money going for a 2019 model in my opinion, but you first need to decide on IPS vs VA. Hisense models use VA, LG IPS.

The UM7400 you found is indeed a 2019 model, which is why its price is so good compared to 2020 counterparts.

As for the B7500 and A7500 I'd expect them to be very similar, the A7500 is newer so its up to you if you want to pay the extra for a TV that is a year younger. With that you will get supported software for longer, but at the same time since the TV has only been in the market for a couple of months then you will get more bugs with that.
 
It will be an older model then, probably Hisense b7500.
I think I'm better of with VA panel then as I will mostly watch TV in a dark and I usually position myself centrally in the room.
But I don't think it matters that much in my case as I'm really a casual user.
 
If you are more interested in general usability than the type of panel/picture quality. Go for the LG. It has a better smart platform. The SM8050 isn't worth the extra over the UM7400, but you may want to pay the extra if you want the smart remote instead of a standard one.

The SM8500 or SM8600 is worth the extra though if you can still find one.
 
@Dodgexander Yeah I guess I will go with LG then.
Found the latest two (sm8500 and sm8600) but they cost way too much :)
I also found 55um7050 really cheap (under 400 pounds). how is he compared to 55um7400? I tried to compare them and couldn't find significant difference?
Might even go with 50" display now as my living room is not that big. Gotta check your thread again to see what do you suggest in that category
 
The UM7050 should be the same, the only risk is whether it comes with an RGBW panel or not. I'm not completely sure if LG are still making the lower tier ones with RGBW or not.

But even so, RGBW is only an issue really if you use the TV up close and for computer usage.

LG also make TVs at 49" that use IPS panels. They make 50" models too. There 50" TVs use VA panels so may be more suited to you. Bigger is better with UHD though, you need to view very, very close to even a 75" TV if you want to make the most of the resolution alone.

If you are still watching a lot of HD or SD still though, going smaller isn't a bad idea.
 

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