New screen that'll play nicely with a Logitech Z-5500 5.1

Funtycunk

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Hello!
I’m looking to replace my 12-year-old 42” LG LCD screen with a new 55” and I’m happy to spend about £1000.

Whatever I get I’d like to hook up to my aging Logitech Z-5500 5.1 system, which only has one optical input and the only formats it supports are Dolby Digital and DTS...I think this will prove to be a bit of a limitation.

I currently take an optical out from my PS4 straight into the Z-5500, which works ok but it's very slightly out of sync with the TV (which I can't adjust)...I was hoping I could get a new TV which could send an optical out to the Z-5500 from whatever content it’s showing....I’d like a TV with built-in apps like Plex & Disney+ and I’ll keep using my ps4 for Blu-rays and games, probably upgrading this to a PS5 in a couple of years.

I was all set to go for an LG OLED55A16LA but I understand LG have removed support for DTS on their recent models and I’m wondering if there are any options which tick all the boxes.

Any advice gratefully received!
 
I don't think you'll have a problem, there's no way the Z-5500 also won't support 2.0 PCM which, together with Dolby Digital and DTS is all TVs can support via optical anyway.
Every TV has an optical output still, although some don't decode DTS audio any more if you intend to use integrated apps for playback of DTS titles.
 
Thanks for your reply, the biggest issue I can foresee is with blurays.

Pretty much all the blurays I own are encoded in DTS audio only.

When I play them on my ps4 in 5.1 the Z-5500's display says that the source is DTS and it's happy with that.

If I were to play a blu-ray on my ps4 through a TV that doesn't like DTS then I won't get 5.1 from the TV's optical out and into my Z-5500.

I've tried changing the PS4 audio output settings to Dolby Digital instead, but Bluray playback overrides these and it drops back to DTS. The Z-5500 doesn't seem to like Linear PCM as it comes through as 2 channel only.

I get the feeling that I'm looking for a screen that will pass through DTS in order to be safe.
 
Yes you can't do 5.1 LPCM via optical, if you want to use the TV as a switch to return all audio to your speaker system you will want one with DTS support.

Otherwise titles with only DTS will not play unless there's a secondary dolby digital soundtrack, or you revert only to stereo.

Generally no DTS support is not a big problem for internal apps since DTS audio isn't used at all for streaming, nor is an issue if you can plug sources directly into your speakers but it becomes an issue if you're wanting to switch audio via the TV.

Looking at OLEDs you basically want to avoid LG and Panasonic since neither support DTS, others still do though.
With LCD TVs its only Samsung, LG and Panasonic who don't support DTS.
 
Brilliant, thanks for clarifying so comprehensively!

Now I have to consider whether its a good idea to let the ownership of a 10 year old 5.1 system drive the selection process for a new TV or actually if there are more important factors!

Thanks again
 
Brilliant, thanks for clarifying so comprehensively!

Now I have to consider whether its a good idea to let the ownership of a 10 year old 5.1 system drive the selection process for a new TV or actually if there are more important factors!

Thanks again
To be fair, there are people who buy sound systems with DTS support today who have the same issue.
If you did end up going the AVR+speaker system route though you would never have an issue since you can just plug your sources into the AVR, rather than the TV.

I fear we are going to be inundated with people with similar predicaments now Sonos have planned on bringing DTS audio to their soundbars, they only have a single HDMI so its not even possible for people to plug anything directly into those.
 
It does seem weird for manufacturers to foresake DTS when its still so widely used.

Setting aside the 5.1 and optical factors, there still one thing I don't understand: if for example you play a DTS Blu-ray on a ps4 into a 2021 LG OLED screen via HDMI what happens to the audio on the TV?
 
It does seem weird for manufacturers to foresake DTS when its still so widely used.

Setting aside the 5.1 and optical factors, there still one thing I don't understand: if for example you play a DTS Blu-ray on a ps4 into a 2021 LG OLED screen via HDMI what happens to the audio on the TV?
The PS4 will probably revert to decoding the DTS stream into 2ch PCM.
 
Thanks again Dodgexander, you've been so helpful!

As much as I'd love to go down the route of a dedicated AVR package I can't justify it or make it work with the room layout and the already separate sizeable hifi set-up.

I suppose I could still go for an LG OLED and keep on sending the optical direct from the PS4 to the Z-5500 but I've always been wary about sync issues....is it a valid concern that this might introduce a picture lag from image processing?
 
Probably the issue with lag is down to the TV taking longer to draw the picture than your speakers with the sound. So by having a TV with very low input lag you'll probably reduce that, maybe even to the point of it being indistinguishable.

In some circumstances routing audio through the TV can actually increase lag, rather than reduce it.

Do you have any idea what the input lag of your current TV is? Does it have a game mode?
 
This has prompted me to do some testing of various settings to get my head round what's lagging and where, but I've not got very far as it's hard to find some time to do this fully without disrupting the family!

What would simplify all of this would be a screen with a simple +/- control to adjust AV sync....do any TV manufacturers provide this?
 
This has prompted me to do some testing of various settings to get my head round what's lagging and where, but I've not got very far as it's hard to find some time to do this fully without disrupting the family!

What would simplify all of this would be a screen with a simple +/- control to adjust AV sync....do any TV manufacturers provide this?
That's normally done by the receiver or soundbar
 
I don't think any TVs do. Some will let you adjust it if they're the ones switching the audio. Although that's usually via HDMI.
 
It's funny that th
I don't think any TVs do. Some will let you adjust it if they're the ones switching the audio. Although that's usually via HDMI.
It strikes me as funny that they don't, especially when there are so many in-built streaming service apps these days, if the TV is outputting the sound to something else there's more likely to be a lag in the sound and no way to correct it.

I'm now seriously looking at the Philips 55OLED706, I've been following some threads on user forums and it seems to tick my boxes. I've been looking through the user manual online and I can see it handles DTS which will keep my poor-man's 5.1 happy. It also has ambilight which I like the idea of.

Richer Sounds are doing it for £999 as an online pre-order with a 6 year warranty. It just feels weird to consider making a purchase without seeing a set in the flesh. From what I understand, their returns policy is generous, but it's not the way I'd normally like to do things.
 
It may feel bizarre, but in all honesty viewing TVs in the flesh won't give you an idea how they perform anyway. Judging picture quality in the shop is one of the biggest mistakes you can make when shopping for a TV...and salesman are often there to persuade you into purchasing a different model.
 
It looks like it's a choice between the Sony KE55A8BU from Costco and the Philips 55OLED706 from Richer Sounds....both are pretty much a grand.

I've read and watched a few reviews of each and it looks like the Sony edges it on motion handling which is quite high in my priorities, whereas the Philips has HDMI 2.1 (but 4k120 limitations, which will probably never bother me)

I'm edging towards the Sony but I'd rather purchase from Richer Sounds...However a well informed comment or two could well swing it either way....

Thanks in advance!
 
If I were you, I'd aim to go for the LG C1 or Sony A80J, its worth spending a bit extra for some bells and whistles on these models, which will also mean you make less compromises with features in the long term.

If not, I'd go for the Philips OLED since its a year younger and has HDMI 2.1.
 
I'd be all over the C1 if it wasn't for the lack of DTS.
The A80J is pushing my budget too far, so it's looking like the Philips.

Thanks again!
 
Looks like I spoke to soon.
I've just got back from Richer Sounds with a 55" A80J in the boot of my car.
They price-matched Costco's warehouse deal of this weekend...£80 over my £1000 budget but I think it'll be worth it....I'll soon find out!

Thanks for all your advice Dodgexander.
 

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