bassbikemike
Standard Member
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2009
- Messages
- 19
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 4
Our Panasonic TX-P42S20B is on the blink... just in time for Christmas! Yay!!
So, having read and digested as much highly useful info on here regarding all the permutations... I'm feeling a little overwhelmed! Found the helpful requirement template written by @Dodgexander so my criteria following that format are below.. and my absolute top budget is £750... However, given that we watch no 4K content currently and I don't see that changing very soon, I've been looking amongst the few rare FHD sets still available. As such I'd rather spend considerably less than my maximum and buy a stopgap until 4K becomes mainstream and we end up watching it by default... In the short-medium term I'd rather spend my money on a good quality FHD set, which meets my requirements better. Freeview Play has to be on my list, as well as ideally reasonable HDR capability - which I would prioritise ahead of 4K (if it's possible to have reasonable HDR capability on a non-4K TV??)
Any help greatly appreciated!!
My TV Criteria:
Which external devices do you plan to connect to the TV?
Our smart functions currently come from the EETV box. I find the smart TV features on our LG 32LK610BPLB in the kitchen slow and sometimes instrusive - not a fan. Freeview Play looks superb, so would want a set with that on it
Will you use internal or external apps or tuners for the following? If external, via which device?
So, having read and digested as much highly useful info on here regarding all the permutations... I'm feeling a little overwhelmed! Found the helpful requirement template written by @Dodgexander so my criteria following that format are below.. and my absolute top budget is £750... However, given that we watch no 4K content currently and I don't see that changing very soon, I've been looking amongst the few rare FHD sets still available. As such I'd rather spend considerably less than my maximum and buy a stopgap until 4K becomes mainstream and we end up watching it by default... In the short-medium term I'd rather spend my money on a good quality FHD set, which meets my requirements better. Freeview Play has to be on my list, as well as ideally reasonable HDR capability - which I would prioritise ahead of 4K (if it's possible to have reasonable HDR capability on a non-4K TV??)
Any help greatly appreciated!!
My TV Criteria:
Which external devices do you plan to connect to the TV?
- Arcam AVR280 Receiver
- HD Blu-Ray Player?
- EE TV (and if that ceases to work in ~March when EE closes it's TV service down, we'll bring the Humax Foxsat PVR back out of retirement for recording duties!)
Our smart functions currently come from the EETV box. I find the smart TV features on our LG 32LK610BPLB in the kitchen slow and sometimes instrusive - not a fan. Freeview Play looks superb, so would want a set with that on it
- What streaming services do you plan to use? ~20% of viewing
- SDR Netflix (basic package for box sets etc - rarely movies)
- Amazon Prime occasionally (don't have a consistent prime subs - just now and again)
- Catch up TV apps, ~20% of viewing
- iPlayer mostly, ITV Hub/All4/5OD occasionally
- Broadcast TV ~ 60% of viewing usually series linked recordings
- Have Freeview and Freesat connectivity options. Watch mostly HD channels.
SD | 30% |
HD | 70% |
UHD | 0% |
- DVDs - occasional (probably ~90% of our collection)
- FHD Blu-Rays - occasional (probably ~10% of our collection)
- No gaming (separate "den" with Optoma FHD proj for that)
Broadcast TV shows | 55% |
Broadcast Sport | 5% |
Broadcast Movies | 5% |
Streaming TV shows or Movies | 30% |
DVDs | 2.5% |
HD Blu-Rays | 2.5% |
UHD Blu-Rays | 0% |
Games | 0% |
Will you use internal or external apps or tuners for the following? If external, via which device?
- Broadcast TV - EETV / Humax FoxSat HDR (ideally new TV will be dual tuner and equiped to be PVR ready just needing a USB storage device adding)
- Streaming services (will use the new TV for this)
- Catch up apps (will use the new TV for this)
- What TV are you currently using and what are expecting to see upgrading to a new TV?
- Panasonic TX-P42S20B plasma. Hoping for no noticeable difference to contrast or blacks. Better daylight performance, hopefully as good performance with dimmed lighting in the evening. Perhaps be able to do away with the EETV/Humax altogether and simplify our setup (although recording functionality on EETV is going to be very hard to beat)
- Are you a tweaker or set and forget kind of person?
- BOTH! I will tweak in depth initially but I don't want to have to go back and keep fiddling with it
- What is your viewing distance?
- ~3.5m max in the room BUT the max our room will accommodate is a modern slim-bezel 55"
- If you place yourself in the position of your TV facing towards where you watch, at what angle from the centre is each integral seating position? (Tip, use a protractor to measure angles).
- primary positions are straight on but a secondary position sofa (usually used by our teenage kids) is @38-40 degrees
- When will you use the TV and what kind of lighting will be in your room? Some examples:
- Bright conditions during the day - Yes. TV is in a south-facing bay window, with venetian blinds needed often esp with Plasma
- Dark movie nights in the evening - Yes, but never VERY dark. Dimmed side lighting and uplights probably sort of level get in a cinema BEFORE/AFTER screening.
- Would your usage of an OLED TV put you at risk of permanent burn in?
- No, but OLED is above budget
- Do you need any legacy connections like composite or component?
- Need composite for AVR setup menus
- If using planning to use an internal tuner will you use satellite or free to air?
- Either
- HDR Picture quality
- SDR Picture quality
- Smart TV ease of use
- Blacks
- Value
- Cost
- Smart TV app selection
- Viewing angles
- Picture accuracy out of the box (without pro calibration)
- Shadow detail
- Sound
- Panasonic TX-49GS352B (Freeview Play but not HDR as far as I can tell... single core processor concerns me. Argos have a few left)
- Sony KDL50WF663BU (HDR but no Freeview Play and no twin-tuner. John Lewis in stock with 5yr warranty)
- Had also considered the Panasonic TX-58HX800B 4K TV (At top of my budget AND may well make our viewing media look worse than on FHD despite the HCX processor - seemingly good at upscaling. Larger panel. Has Freeview Play. Not sure if it has twin tuners)