Confused.com on new tv

TheWelshScott

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Hi Forum Members,

I'm hoping you can help as I'm at a loss as to which tv to choose.

We've recently moved into a new home and the lounge is much bigger than our previous one.

Our tv is mounted on the wall and directly opposite is the main sofa, approximately 6 meters away.

My current set up is:
  • TV: UE55H6400AK
  • Receiver: Denon x2400h
  • Speakers: Q Acoustics 30XX 5.1
  • Sky Q
  • Netflix and prime
We watch a lot of tv, across the three inputs mentioned. We're looking to upgrade because of size more than anything else. It feels like we could do with a bigger TV. I can tell the difference between sd and hd picture from the sofa but we have no plans for uhd sources. We like having netflix, prime and sometimes iplayer on the tv and not as part of sky.

I'm confused as to which type of tv to go for. Cost wise, I'll consider anything but a couple of grand wont get past the misses.

I intend to upgrade the speakers at some point and possibly the receiver but that is way off.
There is very little seating that doesn't have a viewing angle of directly opposite.
The only other consideration is lighting, when looking at the tv from the sofa, the left hand wall is floor to ceiling glass that gets the sun from sunrise until about midday.

Any opinion or consideration would be most appreciated.
 
Last edited:
So what is it you want?

Just a bigger TV? Or a better one? :)

You say 2k won’t go past the misses but does that mean you can do 1.5k?
 
A bigger tv with the best quality picture for the input sources and installation situation.
The priority should be:
  1. Size
  2. Picture quality
  3. Cost
  4. Connectivity
  5. Features
 
6m away the sky is the limit with size pretty much, so it depends on what you want to spend versus the quality of the TV you want.

Most of what you buy into with higher end TVs nowadays is HDR, so a good compromise with value/size would be a 65" LCD like the Sony XH9505.
 
If you use Netflix and Prime then UHD is standard so I think you should consider buying a TV that is capable of HDR. The aforementioned Sony XH9505 could meet your requirements but you will need to decide quickly as it is a 2020 TV and is selling out quickly.
 
That looks like a good option, would there be any comparables? Would bigger be better? ie would a 75 inch tv over a 65 inch tv be better experience?

Secondly, having only just seen the "help with tv choice " template, our viewing breaks down as:

SourcePercentage
Sky FHD where possible live60
Sky catchup / box sets19
Amazon Prime10
Netflix Premium10
TV Apps iplayer, itv hub etc1

Would this change / impact anything?
 
Bigger the better at that distance for UHD/HD
 
That looks like a good option, would there be any comparables? Would bigger be better? ie would a 75 inch tv over a 65 inch tv be better experience?

Secondly, having only just seen the "help with tv choice " template, our viewing breaks down as:

SourcePercentage
Sky FHD where possible live60
Sky catchup / box sets19
Amazon Prime10
Netflix Premium10
TV Apps iplayer, itv hub etc1

Would this change / impact anything?
Not really, you'll be okay with HD even on a projector sized screen at your viewing distance and you'll still want to go for a TV with decent HDR capabilities for your 20% usage of Netflix/Amazon which have HDR content.
 
@TheWelshScott
I think your use of iPlayer will also increase. I am watching Wimbledon and the Euros live in UHD/HDR via iPlayer. Also it has a selection of other material in UHD/HDR that you would perhaps previously viewed in HD via Sky.
 
Ok so just to be clear, we're looking for as big as possible led tv that does hdr.
Led as I have no concerns over viewing angle. Oled / Qled provide no real benefit for the input sources either.

Due to the viewing distance size is the most important factor. Due to the time of year, its cheaper to look at 2020 models.

Have I missed anything?

Have to say thanks for all your help so far, its most appreciated.
 
Unfortunately due to the way TVs are marketed now, there's some crucial aspects that can on the outside seem like they are more simple than they actually are.
Ok so just to be clear, we're looking for as big as possible led tv that does hdr.
Every TV you can buy today will work with HDR, but in order to display it problem free, the TV needs to meet a minimum set of specifications. With LCD TVs that would be around 1000 nits peak brightness + good local dimming. In my best buy guide these models are in the high tier.

So unless you can afford one of those TVs in larger sizes, you are best downsizing to a smaller model (for example, 65") to make sure you are still getting a decent quality TV.

Some people however will place size above everything else in importance, but if you do that you make sacrifices with the TV in other areas, most notably HDR, and usually motion too. A popular choice at 75" would be the Sony XH9005, but unlike its higher tier sister that TV does not have good peak brightness for HDR.
Oled / Qled provide no real benefit for the input sources
QLED is marketing for LCD TVs.
OLED is a new display technology which has advantages over LCD TV.

As you go up in size, comparatively OLEDs usually are more expensive compared to LCD TVs. At 77" OLEDs aren't affordable to most people, and at 65" they usually cost too much compared to high tier LCD TVs.

I guess you have to really set a budget, because otherwise there's just too much choice.
 
That's a wonderful explanation and it appears I cant afford a 75 inch tv with decent hdr.

I'm off to look at the sony in real life then. Thank you all for the information, most appreciated.
 
Just a final update. We've decided on.... doing nothing.

Having looked at the size of a 65 inch compared to a 75 inch on the wall in our room, the decision is that size is more important than we would have thought.

As currently there isn't an affordable 75 inch tv with quality hdr capability then its wait until we save enough or the price comes down.

We've started a pot and have a sizeable chunk in it so if a bargain comes along we can jump on it. Can not thank you guys enough for the information provided as without it we would have gotten a mediocre 75incher and been disappointed.
 
As currently there isn't an affordable 75 inch tv with quality hdr capability then its wait until we save enough or the price comes down.

The price is unlikely to come down any further as this is the time of year when TVs, the previous model years (2020) are at their lowest and the new 2021 models are at their highest.

The only way to go cheaper now would be to look at a refurb from the likes of the Sony Centre who, for a small extra cost, will put a 5 year warranty on the TV. From looking at the Sony refurb thread, new TVs are added on a Thursday/Friday, but you have to be quick. By the time you've posted here looking for further advice and got an answer, in all likelihood, it's too late.


For example, at the time of me posting this, they have a 75" XH9505, an excellent HDR capable TV for £1399. That's about £600 off.
 

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