No frills Bedroom TV - £300

[techville]

I'm looking a bedroom tv for about £300 - Obviously, at this budget, you're not going to get much, comprimises will have to be made.

I dont really care about Smart TV feastures (I'll be using Sky TV & Firestick). Although I'd prefer Roku, just because I imagine it performs better at budget end.

I'm looking for VA Panel (viewing direct on, from bedroom), screen not too reflective and with a DVB S2 tuner - it means I can run the TV from a satelite cable without using a SKY box (which I might get rid of).

I have a soundbar, so TV audio is not that important.

In summary, 43" ish VA Panel, I dont care for sound or smart features much, it should have a DVB S2 tuner and not be painfully slow to navigate. Strip back the extras and give me reasonable picture quality.

I can get the Samsung 43" TU7020 for £300 but looks like lower end Samsungs dont have DVB S2 tuners?

There is the TCL 43P615K, which is £265 (including £15 membership fee) but it's android - I imagine the OS to be super slow on this

Costco

www.costco.co.uk

Any alternative suggestions please ?

 

[Dodgexander]

With Samsung it's hard to know what panel you'll get pre-purchase. TU models at 43" should be VA, but it wouldn't surprise me if they have IPS specimens too. TU is their 2020 low end name, replaced now by AU in 2021 which may be why you're seeing that TV cheaper.

Tuners and Samsung model numbers can be like navigating a maze. Looking at the 2020 lineup sheet it seems that only the TU7172 model includes a satellite tuner, but there may also be other model numbers for the same TV sold exclusively in certain stores like Currys. They have deals to sell specific model numbers with small differences that aren't sold elsewhere.

From 2021 again it looks like only the AU7172 models and higher have sat tuners.

You also have to be a bit careful when buying TVs for Freesat in the UK, because its plausible that a TV has a satellite tuner, but without Freesat firmware. That will mean you don't get a guide for TV, may miss some channels and only get now and next info. So, make sure when you buy a Freesat TV, that its actually advertised as including it. If in doubt, ask the shop pre-purchase to be sure.

Don't think the OS on the TCL will be much slower than the Samsung models. It uses the same chip inside that the latest smart devices use like Fire TV, Google TV etc. It's cheap because its Chinese and they run on lower margins, not that its necessarily worse than Samsung TVs at the same price.

Bear in mind also, something I always say to people buying cheaper TVs - Do not expect to use HDR on the TV, despite marketing HDR with every TV it will not work properly on cheaper/smaller models and you'll want to have a plan in place if you stream to disable it. With a fire stick its possible if you're using that as your smart TV because youc an disable HDR on the HDMI port it connects too. If using internal apps though, you sometimes will get HDR whether you like it or not.

All about HDR (High Dynamic Range)

One of the major decisions to make when purchase a TV, especially an LCD TV is based on HDR. So what is HDR, how will you use it and do you need it on your TV? Major points to understand HDR HDR (High Dynamic Range) in the TV tech world is a means to add data to a video source which contains...

www.avforums.com

 

[techville]

HDR is pointless at the cheap end so best to disable. However, which TV brands allow you disble HDR for native apps (and for the in built tuner) - Reading around abit, it seems not (m)any, - Hisense, TCL. Samsung ?

If you cant disable HDR, then a built in DVB S2 is a moot point. Then the ony way would be to disable HDR would be on the HDMI input setting - therefore I would need to use a Sky box anyway.

If thats the case, I'll just buy the 43 " TU7020 (fingers crossed, its a VA Panel).

 

[Dodgexander]

It should be. Same with the new AU7xxx:

Lost in confusion....

OK so with a ps5 on the way, and a desire to upgrade....I've a philips 75" 75pus6754 at present. Mostly we stream or watch through a virgin box. Loved the ambilight at first but novelty has worn off and whilst there's nothing wrong with it, I find myself wanting better. I want 75 or 85" and...

www.avforums.com

No brands let you disable HDR. You can avoid it if you choose the HD version rather than UHD programming/subscription depending on the service.

Broadcast TV won't have HDR readily for some time I think, if at all. It will probably be always delivered over the internet by broadcasters.

 

[techville]

It should be. Same with the new AU7xxx:

Lost in confusion....

OK so with a ps5 on the way, and a desire to upgrade....I've a philips 75" 75pus6754 at present. Mostly we stream or watch through a virgin box. Loved the ambilight at first but novelty has worn off and whilst there's nothing wrong with it, I find myself wanting better. I want 75 or 85" and...

www.avforums.com

No brands let you disable HDR. You can avoid it if you choose the HD version rather than UHD programming/subscription depending on the service.

Broadcast TV won't have HDR readily for some time I think, if at all. It will probably be always delivered over the internet by broadcasters.

Thanks for the info.

So broadcast TV most likely wont be ever HDR, so an a freesat tuner might be usefull after all

As for streaming options/apps - No brands let you disable HDR per se, but there are ways around ?

For example, you mentioned some TVs allow you to disable HDR at the HDMI input level

I guess thats what this thread is about, disabling 'input signal plus' ?

Dark HDR Content - Samsung TV

Hi I have had a 55TU8500 since last Sept and this has been an issue since I have had it to be honest. Every time I watch HDR content on either my Sky Q box, the Netflix app on the TV or the Sky box or on the Amazon Prime app, the screen is so dark, is it virtually unwatchable. I have my...

www.avforums.com

I have seen that for some TCL Roku tvs, theres a secret menu, which allows you to disable HDR, not sure how accurate that is. Moot point, as I cant see any



Million dollar question is then , which brands/models allow you to disable HDR either via a secret menu or at the HDMI input level ? - Its a minefield trying to buy a lower end tv !

 

[gibbletts]

Buy a firestick and use that for apps, you can disable hdr on the stick and still keep 4k.

 

[techville]

Buy a firestick and use that for apps, you can disable hdr on the stick and still keep 4k.

Unfortunatley, its only available on the newest Firestick Max at the moment. I have 3 Firestick 4K. If I can do it at the TV level, that would be my preferred option - disabling it on HDMI level if possible

Fire TV Stick 4K Max finally has the option to disable HDR entirely

High dynamic range, or HDR, video is great. Well, until it isn't. Sometimes you just want to turn it off entirely for one reason or another, so, it has been frustrating for many people that Fire TVs have only had the option to force HDR on all the time or let the device decide when to turn it on...

www.aftvnews.com

 

[Dodgexander]

Never heard of a secret menu, and I own a Roku TV!
I think that toggle in the secret menu many mean the TV differentiate between HD only models, and UHD HDR models. As they say themselves, disabling it meant they instead only got the HD stream and not the UHD stream sans HDR.

That could well just be down to the way streaming services deliver their video. Its plausible Disney don't carry 4k SDR streams and knock you down to HD when you watch the SDR version.

Same with Amazon, it's a choice of 4k HDR, or HD SDR.

I honestly don't think you'll find a way to disable HDR on the TV.

If you wanted to try with a Roku TV Hisense sell some in Argos, but they are not the same models as those sold in the US so the toggle may not work.

As for disabling via HDMI, every brand supports his.