Need a nice pair (of large TVs)… advice please!

[squanch]

Time to get rid of my Pioneer Kuro 60” Plasma (2009 vintage) and I’m in the market for two new TVs… what do you recommend?

TV1: A large screen to go in the sitting area of my new kitchen diner (dimensions of room 8m x 7m but sitting area more like 3m x 3m). It will be near a 7m window and so I wonder if going OLED would be a mistake from a brightness perspective. I think 75” would look good here.

TV2: A large screen to go in a dedicated ‘cinema’ / ‘media’ room (dimensions of room 3.5m x 7m but TV going towards one end of long wall, so seated distance about 3m away). As this room is specifically for movies etc then it will suit darkness and OLED etc. I’d love to go bigger than 75” but I think 83/86” TVs might be a bit crazy at this viewing distance…. shame… but what do you think?

I was thinking LG 75” QNED 91 for TV1, and LG 77” G1 for TV2.

The kids playroom has an LG 43” at the moment and I’m pretty impressed with the user interface compared to some of the complaints (lag wise) I’ve heard about Samsungs and Sonys. Are these fair though?

 

[Dodgexander]

I don't think LGs LCD TVs are very good value if I'm being honest. Especially the QNED ones. You'd be better off going for something cheaper in the kitchen if HDR isn't really on the agenda there. Provided you don't need good viewing angles something like the Sony X89J would give you good motion, but without all the bells and whistles not usually needed for a secondary TV.

LG have some lower range LCD TV models too like the Nano86/Nano85 if you want those instead, these will be using IPS panels at 75" instead of VA on the Sony.

LG G1 has improved HDR picture quality and built in sound compared to the C1 but in a dedicated room with separate sound even the cheaper C1 may suffice.

Panasonic JZ1500 would be a good balance between getting a better picture, but without also paying for improved built in sound. Panasonic's OS is more basic though.

In terms of smart TV Sony aren't what they used to be. Google TV runs better than it did a few years back. Some feel LG took a step back with the new 2021 WebOS which doesn't quite run as smoothly now as it used to on last year's models. Panasonic OS isn't slow, but also isn't very modern with worse app choice.

Generally, a bad idea to purchase a TV on its built-in smart credentials when you can always add a separate smart stick to it. If you care about picture quality, then you can end up with something that has a worse picture for the sake of it.

 

[squanch]

Thanks @Dodgexander you’ve given me quite a bit to think about there.

For my kitchen, viewing angles are going to be relatively important as it’s a large room and the TV is in the corner. I can’t see 178 degrees being necessary, but I’d still want to maximise this to cover 150+ degrees. Also, the kitchen is an open-plan kitchen/diner/lounge and so we do want the TV to be impressive… it’ll be the one that gets used the most (so not really a secondary TV).

I’d happily take two LG OLEDs across the two rooms but I’m a bit concerned that with such a bright room/location, I’d be better of seeking something independently backlit / non-OLED.

I saw from CES that LG may have revamped their OS for 2022 (as well as brightened up the G-model 20% with the G2).

 

[Dodgexander]

For the kitchen if you're wanting something premium and bright, I'd look at the Samsung QN85A over LGs QNEDs. You can dip cheaper and go for the LG Nano86 too, may be okay with it as long as you're not going to use HDR. The QNED models unless you're going for the very top end QNED95/97 are a waste, and not really good value since they are still not great with HDR despite being more expensive.

For viewing angles above everything else, the Sony X80J or even Hisense A6G or A7G.

There's always the question of how bright. TVs now, even OLEDs are usually plenty bright in all but the brightest of rooms, especially in the UK, which let's face it is 99% pretty overcast! TVs now, even the cheaper ones can be 2-3x brighter than TVs of old.

 

[squanch]

@Dodgexander thanks - took delivery of the 75” QN85A today and very happy with it.

Have decided I want to go bigger than 75” for my dedicated movie room so might wait for LG G2 83” before deciding