Great deals on 55" LG & Panasonic OLEDs! Help me choose the best TV?

Laurenish

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TL;DR - Buying our first OLED TV, torn between a clearance 55" Panasonic HZ1500, a 55" LG CX6 and a new 55" LG A1. Which would you buy?

Hi all, first time posting here! I need your help. My partner and I just bought a new house and are upgrading to a 55" OLED TV. I work at Currys (not in sales) and I'm fortunate enough to have these exclusive deals to choose from...
  1. LG 55" A1 OLED (2021) £780
  2. LG 55" CX6 (2020) £810
  3. Panasonic 55" HZ1500 (2020) £600
The first is new/current stock which is on a promo offer, and the second is last year's stock currently on sale, and the third is a clearance model, also from last year's stock that was sold and returned unused. All come with a 5 year warranty. I've researched the specs and looked into the reviews, but seem to have just confused myself further!

I was recommended the LG A1 by the store colleagues, and was impressed by the demo. I really like the look, the OS and the Magic Remote on the it, and the fact it's 60hz apparently won't affect me because I'm not gaming on it.

The LG CX6 appears to be just a generally better TV than the A1, only with last year's magic remote and software etc. It seems like a better deal considering it's only £30 more than the A1, but I've also been advised to get newer models when possible.

On the other hand, from a technical standpoint the Panasoic HZ1500 seems to be the superior model, and was definitely the more expensive option before being on clearance, so it looks like the better deal. However, because it's boxed up and old stock, I've not seen the TV on display or a demo, and the store colleagues were unable to advise me about it, so I'm a little hesitant.

Do you own either TV, or can you offer any advice to help me decide? All comments, opinions and suggestions are welcome.

Thank you for reading and helping me!
 
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A bit of background context:
The TV will be wall mounted in a cosy 14'×12' living room and our sofa directly faces it. There's a large bay window to one side but we predominantly watch TV in the evenings, so this doesn't really impact. We don't game, but like to watch movies and stream content from all the popular apps. Last year we purchased an LG SL8YG soundbar which we'll also be wall mounting and using with the TV
 
Just my opinion as a owner of a 65inch panasonic gz950 I'd go for the panasonic most cinematic and best out of the box picture but the LG's a great tv as well both are great
 
I normally recommend people buy from John Lewis or Richer Sounds, and avoid Curry’s like the plague but those look v good prices!

Remove the A1 from the list: 60hz is also an issue with sports and with those prices, easy decision on this.

A newer/more recent tv is better in the sense of more up to date hardware, firmware, chips, etc; but it isn’t a deal breaker. If you can get a new 2021 TV, it could be worth looking at a few dependent on the price: this guide is good place to check:


I personally prefer Sony, but £600 for a 55” Panasonic with 5 years seems incredible deal, even if a open box: £810 for a 55” CX is also very good, as I think it has HDMI2.1 (bit of useful future proofing) but also very well regarded.

Lastly, I would recommend considering 65”; might seem very big but you soon get used to it and with a new house = perfect time to install a tv you will keep for many years. If in doubt, stick some tape to a wall and see what the 65” would look like in situ.

Hope that helps.
 
I normally recommend people buy from John Lewis or Richer Sounds, and avoid Curry’s like the plague but those look v good prices!

Remove the A1 from the list: 60hz is also an issue with sports and with those prices, easy decision on this.

A newer/more recent tv is better in the sense of more up to date hardware, firmware, chips, etc; but it isn’t a deal breaker. If you can get a new 2021 TV, it could be worth looking at a few dependent on the price: this guide is good place to check:


I personally prefer Sony, but £600 for a 55” Panasonic with 5 years seems incredible deal, even if a open box: £810 for a 55” CX is also very good, as I think it has HDMI2.1 (bit of useful future proofing) but also very well regarded.

Lastly, I would recommend considering 65”; might seem very big but you soon get used to it and with a new house = perfect time to install a tv you will keep for many years. If in doubt, stick some tape to a wall and see what the 65” would look like in situ.

Hope that helps.
Firstly, thanks so much for taking the time to reply. I appreciate your help and advice! I've been reading through the 'Best TV' guides on both LCD and OLEDs, and found them to be immensely helpful.

Based on your advice, I've ruled out the LG A1. I've also spoken to the store today and discovered that the Panasonic HZ1500 was actually an ex demo. With it being an OLED I'm a little cautious about this? So the LG CX6 is currently my first choice.

I've double checked to see if there are any other offers and deals available on other brands like Sony that meet my needs, but unfortunately there's no other OLEDs on deals this good. If we start to consider LCDs however, I get a pristine Sony 55" XH9505 for £400 if that's a worthwhile consideration? Based on the 'Best TV 2020/21' it seems like a really good model, especially when it's half the price of the OLEDs.

Unfortunately I'm not confident I'll fit a 65" on the wall, otherwise I would love to! We don't move in until after Christmas so I can't test it now, but to give you an idea I've attached a picture of the wall with a 55" TV up (the fire is mostly ornamental). If we did somehow squeeze it in, a 65" OLED would push us over budget, so we would have to look at LCD. That said, I can get a Sony 65" XH9505 for £550, which seems like a good deal too?

Thanks again for your help!
 

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Just my opinion as a owner of a 65inch panasonic gz950 I'd go for the panasonic most cinematic and best out of the box picture but the LG's a great tv as well both are great
Thanks so much for taking the time to reply! Appreciate your input and advice, the Panasonic definitely seems like an incredible piece of kit. I've just discovered it was out on demo for a while though, so I'm a little worried about that and would probably rather something new in box like the LG A1 and LG CX, or even the curveball of a Sony Bravia XH9505 LED for half the price!
 
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The prices you have for the XH95 are great, I'd have no hesitation with those. The bigger, the better. 55" is small for a TV nowadays. OLEDs are perhaps not the best idea ex-demo since they've been playing demos in a loop over and over.

Also, consider re-doing your room layout if the TV is the centrepiece. I know older homes don't suit it, but ideally you want your TV at, or just below eye level. Not to mention having a fire beneath the TV (especially if it's in use) can cause to a TVs long term life.

I used to have mine above our fireplace, but it's so much better now its not.
 
The prices you have for the XH95 are great, I'd have no hesitation with those. The bigger, the better. 55" is small for a TV nowadays. OLEDs are perhaps not the best idea ex-demo since they've been playing demos in a loop over and over.

Also, consider re-doing your room layout if the TV is the centrepiece. I know older homes don't suit it, but ideally you want your TV at, or just below eye level. Not to mention having a fire beneath the TV (especially if it's in use) can cause to a TVs long term life.

I used to have mine above our fireplace, but it's so much better now its not.
Hi, thanks so much for your input. After reading your really helpful posts and guides (this year and last year, OLED and LCD etc.), I'm much more tempted by the Sony XH95, despite previously believing I needed to get an OLED to get the best quality. It seems it's now a choice between a 55" LG CX6 for £810, a 55" Sony XH95 for £400 or a 65" Sony XH95 for £550 (if I can fit it in the space).

I know what you mean about the living room, but unfortunately the size and layout means we are limited. I'll play around with different options, and we can definitely lower the height of the wall mount to be more like eye level, but I'm not sure there's an alternative layout which works well with the space. And I agree, I was also concerned about the fire, but this is electric and will very rarely, if ever, be used as it's not needed..

PS: I've been so impressed by your comprehensive guides, reviews and advice. Thank you so much for all your hard work! It's most appreciated.
 
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Glad I have helped and thanks for the kind words!
I think it's hard to turn down the deals you have there for an XH95. Whilst I'd say the LG CX is a better TV, it's not worth 50% more.

The one thing an OLED will do better though is viewing angles, and whilst the XH95 has a wide viewing angle filter, it will not look as good as an OLED on your sofa closest to the fireplace. I expect that may not matter so much though, since if you're like me, you'd always be viewing in front anyway.
 
Hi, thanks so much for your input. After reading your really helpful posts and guides (this year and last year, OLED and LCD etc.), I'm much more tempted by the Sony XH95, despite previously believing I needed to get an OLED to get the best quality. It seems it's now a choice between a 55" LG CX6 OLED TV for £810, a 55" Sony XH95 for £400 or a 65" Sony XH95 for £550 (if I can fit it in the space).

I know what you mean about the living room, but unfortunately the size and layout means we are limited. I'll play around with different options, and we can definitely lower the height of the wall mount to be more like eye level, but I'm not sure there's an alternative layout which works well with the space. And I agree, I was also concerned about the fire, but this is electric and will very rarely, if ever, be used as it's not needed..

PS: I've been so impressed by your comprehensive guides, reviews and advice. Thank you so much for all your hard work! It's most appreciated.
For 550£???
Just buy the 65" XH95 no questions asked .

Then you think about how to make it fit 😉😉

I've been enjoying Netflix HDR titles for almost a year (thanks to @Dodgexander advice).
Best purchase I've made for a long time at 1250€.

550 is a steal .
Just throw the rest of the budget in a decent sound system.
 
As the guys above said a 65inch tv makes a difference and a typical oled tv at 65inch is 221mm wider and 267mm higher when wall mounted it hardly takes any more space up but makes a big difference in viewing. I went from 55 to 65 myself and it was the best decision I made
 
For 550£???
Just buy the 65" XH95 no questions asked .

Then you think about how to make it fit 😉😉

I've been enjoying Netflix HDR titles for almost a year (thanks to @Dodgexander advice).
Best purchase I've made for a long time at 1250€.

550 is a steal .
Just throw the rest of the budget in a decent sound system.
I got the measurements for the wall and it would just fit with 5cm spare on either side. So I followed everyone's advice and went to the store today to buy the 65" Sony XH95 - surprise surprise it was gone! A colleague had reserved it earlier that day. I'm going to see if any other stores have one left, but its not looking promising. I'm gutted!

There are no other 65" TV options on deals anywhere near as good as the ones I've mentioned, so now it feels like I'm right back to the drawing board.
 
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Good to hear that the log burner isn't a real one. A friend of mine has one and it puts out an incredible amount of heat when it's going - there's no way I would want a TV above it or anywhere near it ! If yours is electric, then it should be much less of an issue.

If you do want to be able to watch the TV from the sofa on the left, then I would have thought your only option would be an OLED at that angle.
 
I got the measurements for the wall and it would just fit with 5cm spare on either side. So I followed everyone's advice and went to the store today to buy the 65" XH95 - suprise surprise it was gone! A colleague had reserved it earlier that day. I'm going to see if any other stores have one left, but its not looking promising. I'm gutted!

There are no other 65" TV options on deals anywhere near as good as the ones I've mentioned, so now it feels like I'm right back to the drawing board.
Real shame about that XH95 but I am sure other options will come up, esp with your Curry’s link.

On the good side, looks like you have settled on getting a 65”; that will help refine your options and make it a lot easier. I would keep looking at what comes up: you can use @Dodgexander guides to help you, both this years and also last years.

As you have kinda said above, stay well clear of any ex-demo OLED; not worth the risk. Ex-demo LCD should be fine, as long as you get 5yr warranty.

And January tends to result in some cracking deals on 2021 TVs , so with a bit of patience and luck, reckon you will get a great tv.

Cheers
 
Quick update, I've been checking regularly for new offers to come up on 65" TVs following your helpful advice! A couple of options available at the moment which I wasn't sure about...

1. 65" Samsung Frame LS03T - £750 (Open box / returned unused. Warranty included)

2. 65" LG CX OLED - £1,100. (Ex display, sometimes on but not always. Checked over, great condition and no signs of image retention or damage etc. 5 year warranty included)

3. 65" LG W9 OLED - £1,250. (Ex demo. Boxed up so have been unable to check condition. Warranty included)

From past experience I know I need to move extremely fast if I have any hope of getting my hands on these, so any guidance would be greatly appreciated. I know it's generally advised to avoid ex demo but for the price and with a 5 year warranty, is it worth the risk? If not, is the Samsung Frame any good?
 
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PS: I also managed to buy a brand new 43" Sony XH95 for £200, which is a neat upgrade from the 32" LG in my bedroom, so that's a small win! Thank you.
 
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Quick update, I've been checking regularly for new offers to come up on 65" TVs following your helpful advice! A couple of options available at the moment which I wasn't sure about...

1. Samsung Frame LS03T - £750 (Open box / returned unused. Warranty included - not sure if 2 year or 5 year)

2. LG CX6 OLED - £1,100. (Ex display, sometimes on but not always. Checked over, great condition and no signs of image retention or damage etc. 5 year warranty included)

3. LG W9 OLED - £1,250. (Ex demo. Boxed up so have been unable to check condition. 5 year warranty included)

From past experience I know I need to move extremely fast if I have any hope of getting my hands on these, so any guidance would be greatly appreciated. I know it's generally advised to avoid ex demo but for the price and with a 5 year warranty, is it worth the risk? If not, is the Samsung Frame any good?
Pretty certain the Samsung Frame are all about the look of the tv, but actually a crap tv: so remove that to start.

CX seems good value, but ex-demo is still a concern for me: esp as 5yr warranty from curries won’t cover burn in. could you check how many hours it has been used for? That should quickly show if it is ex-demo (high number) or return (low)?
 
Quick update, I've been checking regularly for new offers to come up on 65" TVs following your helpful advice! A couple of options available at the moment which I wasn't sure about...

1. Samsung Frame LS03T - £750 (Open box / returned unused. Warranty included - not sure if 2 year or 5 year)

2. LG CX6 OLED - £1,100. (Ex display, sometimes on but not always. Checked over, great condition and no signs of image retention or damage etc. 5 year warranty included)

3. LG W9 OLED - £1,250. (Ex demo. Boxed up so have been unable to check condition. 5 year warranty included)

From past experience I know I need to move extremely fast if I have any hope of getting my hands on these, so any guidance would be greatly appreciated. I know it's generally advised to avoid ex demo but for the price and with a 5 year warranty, is it worth the risk? If not, is the Samsung Frame any good?
CX for me out of those. But absolutely check a full red field first to see if it has any burn in. And a 5% grey slide to check uniformity. The issue with demo units is burn in but also whether they’ve been able to do compensation cycles. Getting an OLED with hundreds of hours on it but no compensation cycles can be problematic for near black uniformity.
 
Yeah, ex-demo can be dodgy. They have been looping sales material for 8h+ a day in the shop. If that material has static elements, it will degrade the pixel life of the TV. Generally, advise people to stay clear of demo OLEDs for this reason.
Buying refurbished would be a better idea.
 
So, possibly against some of your advice, I decided to take the risk and got the 65" LG W9 Wallpaper TV! It was £1,125 in the end, and since I didn't really need it, I also sold my LG SL8YG sound bar to a colleague for £150, which brought the TV down to £975. A bargain really.

I was really tempted by the 65" LG CX but it actually worked out over £200 more expensive when factoring in wall mount / sound bar. And since both models were ex display and had been on demo at some points, I went for the best for features and value for money. I got the store team to set the TV up for me and we ran a few tests (mentioned above) on the screen before I went ahead, so I was confident it looked good.

In the end, I just couldn't resist the W9's ultra-thin design, up-firing speakers and the whole signature look! Now I can't wait to get it up on the wall! Thanks to everyone who helped, and for encouraging me to consider a 65" in the first place. I'm extremely grateful.
 

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