Best Buy 4K LED TVs over £1K

[Steve Withers]

If you managed to hold-off buying a flagship Ultra HD 4K LED TV earlier in 2015, now is the ideal time to start looking for that high-end bargain.
Read the article.

 

[Cyprio]

Thanks for that, Steve.
I've been thinking about buying the Sony 75" for a while now, though oled has held me back from doing so, and now I fear I've left it too close to CES. I may just hang-on a while longer to see what CES has to offer - just hoping that 75" oled tv's will be a bit more sensibly priced.

 

[RomanATT]

Steve Thanks for the article.

There is still one problem which one to choose

 

[mackdaddy]

No Sony x9305?

From crowd-sourcing reviews I had that model pegged as the optimal TV in the upper-mid class. Better than the Samsung JS8500 and JS9000, no?

 

[BrightonChris]

Waiting for CES for two things. First - the Philips 9600 and if that's too expensive or too vague with a release date then hopefully by then the js9500 will be under 3 grand!

 

[Steve Withers]

No Sony x9305?

Unfortunately the X93C sample that Sony sent us arrived damaged and they were unable to provide us with a replacement.

 

[Steve Withers]

Waiting for CES for two things. First - the Philips 9600 and if that's too expensive or too vague with a release date then hopefully by then the js9500 will be under 3 grand!

It's a real shame that the Philips 9600 has been delayed, I'm sure it would have made the list.

 

[Angelsx82]

Oled is the future

HDMI 2.0a + OLED + HDR + UHD Blu-Ray (High Bitrates, no compression) + 12 bit color + DCI P3 + 18 Gbps

 

[BrightonChris]

It's a real shame that the Philips 9600 has been delayed, I'm sure it would have made the list.

After seeing the problems the Hisense 65XT910 has had then despite initially being annoyed by the delay I think waiting until the product is as good as it can be on release is the way to go. I really hope it's worth the wait.

 

[MrOpinionated]

Oled is the future

HDMI 2.0a + OLED + HDR + UHD Blu-Ray (High Bitrates, no compression) + 12 bit color + DCI P3 + 18 Gbps

Shame nothing like that is on the market yet

 

[RomanATT]

It's a real shame that the Philips 9600 has been delayed, I'm sure it would have made the list.

Or Philips would blow away all others Would it?

Unfortunately the X93C sample that Sony sent us arrived damaged and they were unable to provide us with a replacement.

Steve I tought that you are using the TV sets from some shops ... not some extra prepared TV sets for reviews

No offens please

 

[Steve Withers]

Or Philips would blow away all others Would it? Steve I tought that you are using the TV sets from some shops ... not some extra prepared TV sets for reviews

Well I haven't tested the Philips yet, so I can't really say. Although we have occasionally sourced review samples from stores, the majority come via the manufacturers and their PR companies.

 

[Steve Withers]

Oled is the future

Funnily enough that's my next article.

 

[mushroomkid]

Makes podcast about manufacturers confusing consumers by wrongly calling LCD TV's LED.
Creates thread about LCD TV's calling them LED's

 

[BrightonChris]

Makes podcast about manufacturers confusing consumers by wrongly calling LCD TV's LED.
Creates thread about LCD TV's calling them LED's

I think the horse has bolted and now that's just what they're called. I think the criticism was more for when they first came out and was deliberately misleading.

 

[kbfern]

If OLED is the future when are we going to get them without any issues, I want a new tv soon and want 65" if possible but keep looking at all the moans from folks who buy new Tv's of all makes/techs and sizes and rarely see one that I would risk my money on.

I know there is no such thing as the perfect tv but you would think by now they could get the basics right. Colour uniformity & no banding would do for starters.

Looking forward to what CES brings and hopefully 10 things your next tv should have will be a reality and at around £2-3k for 65"or are we just going to see a new false dawn.

 

[BrightonChris]

If OLED is the future when are we going to get them without any issues, I want a new tv soon and want 65" if possible but keep looking at all the moans from folks who buy new Tv's of all makes/techs and sizes and rarely see one that I would risk my money on.

I know there is no such thing as the perfect tv but you would think by now they could get the basics right. Colour uniformity & no banding would do for starters.

Looking forward to what CES brings and hopefully 10 things your next tv should have will be a reality and at around £2-3k for 65"or are we just going to see a new false dawn.

I agree. I'm searching for a 65" for around 3 grand. But the OLEDs don't seem very futureproof with limited colour space and low peak brightness, not to mention the vignetting and tinting etc. So I look at the LCDs (bought and returned a js9000) and they seem to be so inconsistent that you've got a 1 in 5 chance of getting a panel which is close to what a reviewer gets given. So I'll wait for CES and the Philips 9600 and will really need to stop procrastinating and get something.

 

[Steve Withers]

Makes podcast about manufacturers confusing consumers by wrongly calling LCD TV's LED.
Creates thread about LCD TV's calling them LED's

Like it or not, that's what they're called now but I address the issue in the second paragraph.

 

[Har-One]

I think we are all in the same train, like KBfern I just want a TV that is uniform. I am even willing to sacrifice on colour accuracy as long as it is uniform.

 

[raduv1]

Never thought I'd go back to LCD being a plasma guy for the last ten years or so but ive been very impressed with the JS9000 . I took a hit on the black levels but once calibrated it comes pretty close to what I'm used to as its a bright bugger OOTB and skin tones were way off. Yup good all rounder for movies, tv and gaming for me although my first choice was OLED .

 

[scottthehat]

I think people are being harsh on the xt910, the only meaning full review says its very good, ok theres room for emprovment but there is no mention of any of the colour banding issues. I think until be see some more reviews its hard to say 100%

 

[BrightonChris]

I think people are being harsh on the xt910, the only meaning full review says its very good, ok theres room for emprovment but there is no mention of any of the colour banding issues. I think until be see some more reviews its hard to say 100%

Hasn't everyone in the owners thread got the issue with the theatre mode and most people that have bought one are now or already have returned it?

 

[scottthehat]

Hasn't everyone in the owners thread got the issue with the theatre mode and most people that have bought one are now or already have returned it?

have they, not from what I have seen, and the only decent review which calibrates the set doesn't mention it only the wild red, that even the still comes in at under de of 3.

 

[kbfern]

Oh and I did forget to mention FLAT please, no curves for me thank you.

 

[zubeir]

Sometimes I feel like Indiana Jones, going on this adventure of finding the perfect TV instead of treasure.

 

[James C]

Thanks for the article Steve. Always nice to see prices fall at this time of year.

However, I have been doing a little looking around and I can't find the 55JS8500 for below £1,500. I'm interested to know which retailers you have based your prices on?

 

[Steve Withers]

You're right, £1,499 seems to be the lowest price. Sorry about that, I might have been looking at the wrong screen size.

 

[Hixs]

Unfortunately gents you'll all be waiting a long while for the 'perfect' TV! Why? well because all you do is go looking for faults...

You'll always find faults.

Then you have the people that keep waiting so they are at the forefront of technology, again you'll be waiting a long time (like forever). There is always something new on the horizon. CES is x months away. CES arrives, but then CES promises news on xxx TV 6 months away. 6 months arrives, faults found, then it's the wait again for another show or another release yadayadayada

Suck it up and buy something!

 

[MarcoDB]

Unfortunately gents you'll all be waiting a long while for the 'perfect' TV! Why? well because all you do is go looking for faults...

You'll always find faults.

Then you have the people that keep waiting so they are at the forefront of technology, again you'll be waiting a long time (like forever). There is always something new on the horizon. CES is x months away. CES arrives, but then CES promises news on xxx TV 6 months away. 6 months arrives, faults found, then it's the wait again for another show or another release yadayadayada

Suck it up and buy something!

Very true.

However, it would help if the manufactures didn't keep needlessly introducing faults by being quite so aggressive with introducing new features / options before they are ready for the market or indeed are what the market has asked for.

Sony got badly burned with their 2nd (or is it 3rd?) foray into Android TV and I don't believe that the whole Curved Screen fad(*) hasn't quite been the success that some vendors have been hoping for.

(*) Full disclosure: I'm a fan of 3D movies (when they're done right) and have a modest collection of 3D Blu Rays that I enjoy watching on my 3D TV so I'm mindful that one person's fad is another person's must-have!

People buying big TVs want to hang them flush with the wall so they are out of the way. They generally don't live in a massive loft style apartment whose focus is the gigantic curved screen in the middle of the room - apologies to anyone living in a massive loft-style apartment who quite like their gigantic curved screen in the middle of the room!

They also expect the TV to respond to the remote control without a several second delay.

I don't think that either of those statements are nit-picky or demonstrate an overblown sense of entitlement and that sales have been lost as a consequence of disappointed / dissatisfied customers due to these "faults".

 

[wmilner]

I agree. I'm searching for a 65" for around 3 grand. But the OLEDs don't seem very futureproof with limited colour space and low peak brightness, not to mention the vignetting and tinting etc. So I look at the LCDs (bought and returned a js9000) and they seem to be so inconsistent that you've got a 1 in 5 chance of getting a panel which is close to what a reviewer gets given. So I'll wait for CES and the Philips 9600 and will really need to stop procrastinating and get something.

Hey Chris,

Vignetting?! Is this really a by-product of using this technology... As a photographer I understand how it's induced optically by multiple lens elements. How does this happen on an OLED TV? From my albeit limited understanding, I gather that OLED pixels are their own light source due to the electroluminescent layer, which is supposed to be the benefit, right? loosing the backlight and increased control over each pixel in the panel... Forgive my ignorance and this isn't a provocative question of your knowledge... I genuinely want to know? Do manufactures employ some sort of dimming to the outer pixels to draw your focus to the centre of the panel? Seems strange. Please do correct my assumptions...

Many thanks,
Will