Samsung 32" LCD v LG 32" LED

Merlin5

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Hello chaps. For my bedroom I've just bought an LG 32LM6300pla 32" tv to replace my 2009 Samsung 32" tv, model LE32B530P7W.

The Samsung still has a perfect and truly excellent picture in my opinion, but I wanted bluetooth capability for my wireless buds, plus wi-fi and smart tv technology, hence buying the LG. The LG is a very good tv, nice picture and the bluetooth syncs perfectly for live tv. There can be a little delay on some streaming from youtube, iplayer or netflix but a lot of it is perfect. I'm going to buy an Amazon Firestick as I can adjust the sync when streaming.

The reason for my thread is that as good as the LG is, it's still not as good as the 12 year old Samsung. Definition is a little softer than my Samsung, blacks are not as good, and skin tones are not as nice. I'm just wondering if it's just me, or if LED isn't as good as LCD, or if Samsung is just better than LG? Movies look great, but watching anything else and I crave to watch my Samsung.

We're not talking 4K, QLED or OLED, just 1080p full HD. With the Samsung, for years I've been using a Manhattan T1 set top box just for the freeview HD. I decided to connect the Manhattan to the LG and it improves the sharpness of the picture and improves motion blur compared to the built in freeview HD. I think it's a great little box. But on the Samsung, with the Manhattan T1 it's still crisper, better definition, and skin looks powdery smooth. I'd say it's almost on another level. If I try to match the brightness on the LG to the brightness I have set up on the Samsung, it doesn't look very good. It's subtle differences, and I guess to most people, they might not notice what I'm talking about.

It's a pity Samsung or even Sony don't make a bluetooth 32" tv. Any thoughts? Thanks.
 
LED is the same as LCD. They're not actual LED displays, those haven't come down in size sufficiently yet, they just started using the 'LED' term for LCDs to highlight that it has an LED light source instead of a flourescent tube one, so it's a bit thinner and uses a few less watts.

It's most likely just general quality. 32" is a size no longer found in the main TV ranges these days but relegated to specific budget models where manufacturers seem most interested in making them as cheap as possible.
 
LED is the same as LCD. They're not actual LED displays, those haven't come down in size sufficiently yet, they just started using the 'LED' term for LCDs to highlight that it has an LED light source instead of a flourescent tube one, so it's a bit thinner and uses a few less watts.

It's most likely just general quality. 32" is a size no longer found in the main TV ranges these days but relegated to specific budget models where manufacturers seem most interested in making them as cheap as possible.
Thanks EndlessWaves. Yeah, as you say, 32" seems to be budget these days. So once I get above that size, I'm more likely to get the kind of quality I get from my old Samsung?

I bought a Sharp 40" smart TV as well a few months ago, only because Tesco had reduced it a lot plus I had about £80 of clubcard vouchers, so the TV only really cost me around £50. I don't like it though, not a very good panel and going to get rid of it. Haven't made much use of it at all.

I want to buy a 43" 4K for my front room, but it won't be oled or qled. I can get LG and Samsung with bluetooth from Currys between £350 and £450. Do you think I'd get a sharper, better resolved picture and better blacks with Samsung, or LG, or would you say both the same?
 
Anything under 48" (OLED) or 49/50" (LCD) is pretty much ignored by the manufacturers now and limited to budget TV's

Even at 50" you'd be hard pushed to get any benefit from the 4K, purely from resolution terms unless you were using it like a monitor. The real benefit of 4K is HDR, but you won't get an HDR-capable 43" TV.
 
There’s a guide here. If you want better blacks, you need a VA panel (LG use IPS) but they are few and far between and low tier

As above, what you are seeking for HDR doesn’t exist in sub 48/49” (or sub £850 where the Sony 49xh9505 sits)
(Don’t buy from Currys at low price points as you’ll only get a year warranty, go to JL or RS for 5-6 years)
 
it won't be oled or qled.

QLED is also LCD. It's an even more specific marketing point with even less impact, that lets you know that the spectrum of the LED backlight is modified by a film instead of by phosphor coating individual LEDs.

It's also a Samsung trademark - which they have licenced to a couple of other companies but which is far from universally used among TVs which use that particular variation on backlight technology.
 
There’s a guide here. If you want better blacks, you need a VA panel (LG use IPS) but they are few and far between and low tier

As above, what you are seeking for HDR doesn’t exist in sub 48/49” (or sub £850 where the Sony 49xh9505 sits)
(Don’t buy from Currys at low price points as you’ll only get a year warranty, go to JL or RS for 5-6 years)
QLED is also LCD. It's an even more specific marketing point with even less impact, that lets you know that the spectrum of the LED backlight is modified by a film instead of by phosphor coating individual LEDs.

It's also a Samsung trademark - which they have licenced to a couple of other companies but which is far from universally used among TVs which use that particular variation on backlight technology.
Anything under 48" (OLED) or 49/50" (LCD) is pretty much ignored by the manufacturers now and limited to budget TV's

Even at 50" you'd be hard pushed to get any benefit from the 4K, purely from resolution terms unless you were using it like a monitor. The real benefit of 4K is HDR, but you won't get an HDR-capable 43" TV.
Thanks very much Bob, vickster and Endless Waves, much appreciated advice. I'll have a read of that guide. Regarding HDR, the two models I've seen at Currys are both HDR 43".

LG 43UN74006 43" Smart 4K, Ultra HD HDR LED TV, now reduced to a fraction under £360 when I was in my local Currys a couple of days ago. And Samsung UE43AU7100KXXU 43" Crystal UHD 4K HDR Smart TV @ £429
 
Thanks very much Bob, vickster and Endless Waves, much appreciated advice. I'll have a read of that guide. Regarding HDR, the two models I've seen at Currys are both HDR 43".

LG 43UN74006 43" Smart 4K, Ultra HD HDR LED TV, now reduced to a fraction under £360 when I was in my local Currys a couple of days ago. And Samsung UE43AU7100KXXU 43" Crystal UHD 4K HDR Smart TV @ £429
They might claim to be HDR capable (as do most TVs) but they don’t have the necessary brightness to display it well. There’s a guide on HDR too explaining this stuff
 
They might claim to be HDR capable (as do most TVs) but they don’t have the necessary brightness to display it well. There’s a guide on HDR too explaining this stuff

I'd be happy just to match the PQ on my 32" LCD Samsung, it's as sharp and well resolved as I need and I regard myself as pretty fussy. :D I've watched many demos in the shops of the highest quality tvs and I honestly don't think they look that much better, at least, not in terms of clarity and skin tones.
 
Can’t you add some sort of dongle to the Samsung that gives you functionality?
Shops are a rubbish place to properly demo TVs in reality, you need to play with the settings and the lighting is poor in stores
 
As above you'll get an HDR-compatible TV that claims it can do HDR, but it's not HDR capable.

It won't have any form of local dimming or a bright enough panel to show HDR to the extent HDR content is better avoided.
 
As above you'll get an HDR-compatible TV that claims it can do HDR, but it's not HDR capable.

It won't have any form of local dimming or a bright enough panel to show HDR to the extent HDR content is better avoided.
Can’t you add some sort of dongle to the Samsung that gives you functionality?
Shops are a rubbish place to properly demo TVs in reality, you need to play with the settings and the lighting is poor in stores

Thanks Bob and vickster. Isn't that against trades description act or something similar that they're marketing tvs with HDR capability which aren't capable? I totally believe you by the way.

vickster, you're right, and in Currys, they could barely find me a remote control to test one of the tv's! Richer Sounds is a bit more together in that respect.

Well thing is I need bluetooth and I don't think there's a dongle that would add it to my old Samsung. Also, there's no Wi-Fi on my Samsung. So I'm stuck with the LG. It's ok, I can live with it as I love being able to instantly connect my wireless buds without the hassle of having to unravel and connect my wired buds.

I'm buying an Amazon Firestick for the LG as streaming media mostly has a bit of latency, but the audio sync adjust on the firestick should sort it.

Live tv is mostly perfect sync but I can sometimes detect a smidgeon of delay. My Manhattan T1 set top box has an audio sync function for live tv. Adding 20ms adjusts the sync perfectly in my wireless buds. So I'll have the Manhattan permanently connected to the LG, particularly as it improves the sharpness too. The LG tv has its own audio sync adjust function, but for the inbuilt speakers only and greyed out for bluetooth, which is a pity.
 
Isn't that against trades description act or something similar that they're marketing tvs with HDR capability which aren't capable? I totally believe you by the way.

They're capable of receiving and decoding an HDR signal, which early 4K TVs were not. However they do it so badly, it's not worth the paper it's printed on.

I'm with you in that it shouldn't be allowed. Some TVs also claim to be capable of not just HDR but the other, higher-end, HDR formats such as Dolby Vision. A TV that isn't capable of basic HDR certainly isn't Dolby Vision capable.
It's marketing shenanigans and makes TV buying for the majority of consumers, who understandably know no better, even more complicated.
 
Thank for this thread.
As we're limited to space and so even a 40" is tight (what happened to 36" as a size?) it seemed we're going to be stuck with 32".
I've seen the newer version of this LG the 32LM637PLA, and form what I can work out it's just a firmware update from the factory over the 3600 model listed above.

We're coming from a flat screen 28" Sony Trinitron WEGA CRT (about 40" LCD dimensions across the front), that sounds great and still looks perfectly fine.

It looks like all 32" TV's are just naff now. May as well just buy second had as to pay for junk at new prices. 🤷
 
The LM6300 isn’t junk, it just doesn’t handle 4K. It’s perfectly good for HD and also adequate for SD. Very good for £250 with 6 year warranty from RS. Has all the catch up, can cast from phone too

Keep your CRT if you’re happy for HD material. But presumably a modern lcd is more energy and space efficient
 
@vickster After reading the guides here, I got the impression that all current 32" and a fair number of 43" units aren't great. The OP states that it's got a lesser quality picture than an older Samsung TV, but I get the point that the old Samsung unit may have just been targeted as a better quality device.
I've seen a few videos online of the LM6300 (applicable to LM6370 too?) and viewing angles were considerable better than a TCL and a Samsung. I have a calibrated 24" Dell IPS monitor and am aware that black isn't 'black'. Whilst this LG 32" is probably not on par with the quality of older 32" units due to design/marketing/profit, it's probably better than most 32" TVs from what I can see/read.

Apologies if I am hijacking this thread.
 
The LM6300 isn’t junk, it just doesn’t handle 4K. It’s perfectly good for HD and also adequate for SD. Very good for £250 with 6 year warranty from RS. Has all the catch up, can cast from phone too
I got one for £219 on their price promise
Bought it for Kitchen where IPS viewing angles are required.
Bit disappointing out of the box but after playing with settings HD picture is now very good. Surprisingly viewing angles are not as good as my old mancave 3D LG but good enough for Kitchen.
 
I don't think I've ever seen a TV that hasn't needed adjustment from the out-of-box state. CRTs used to be on 'melt retina' setting, over saturated and over bright. The shoddy 22" Samsung LCD I have in bedroom was similarly setup. "LOOK AT ME, I'M A NEW TELLY!" :eek:

I suppose somewhat amusingly ironic (Alanis Morrissette ironic?), the settings on the current CRT are set to borderline dull and dark. Much of the time a film comes on, the remote is frequently reached for to change the picture mode to 'movie' or something so that they can see what is happening in the dark shadowy scene. IPS and it's less-than-black blacks may cause some low tonal range crushing, I've not noticed this as a real problem for me on a monitor but hey.

The 32" is going to be the main TV in the lounge. It'll sit angled across the corner, and have to serve someone in the adjacent corner and also the sofa opposite at a straight-on and shallower angle to other way. (At this point an image is going to make so much more sense).
There is a chimney breast, and with some jiggering a larger TV could go there. But it's not my space and the TV has never been the sole focus of the room. The family don't like the cinema as the screens are too big, too high and they don't want to keep turning their head.
 
I have been trying to replace a 32" 10 year old Panasonic for months. If you need a 32 inch Freesat tv LG is the only full HD full spec tv available. However picture quality is not as good as my old Panasonic due in part to the high gloss screen and lack of brightness. The LG LMA 6300 is no longer available. I was sent a LM 631 COSA as the new updated latest replacement. Unfortunately on Freesat BBC channels the picture glitches. LG customer support claimed this is a commercial set and would not help they advised the replacement in UK was an LM637. This is only HD ready so not comparable to the 6300 or 631 which are Full HD. I have returned the LM 631 and am awaiting an LM6370 which is supposed to have the full specification for UK. Whether it will still "glitch" on BBC Freesat remains to be seen. If so it will be not fit for purpose as I do not use an aerial.
Sony, Samsung Panasonic no longer have 32 inch Freeview and Freesat Full HD Smart TV,s. The smallest is 43" and it won't fit the shelf. All TV now have high gloss highly reflective screens. SONY and Panasonic in Smart terms are really Dumb. I use Pany smart recorder to avoid ads but SMART it's not. Limited Apps poor WiFi support and a habit of dropping support on older products. Picture quality on HD Freesat is better than HD Freeview and always has been. Bring back 4 HD and I would be happy. If manufacturers listened to technically competent customers and not marketing idiots they may give customers what they want. My rooms, shelves, spaces are just not large enough for big tv,s.
 
@V Clark I have a feeling technically competent customers wanting good quality reasonable sized TV's are not the norm. I can appreciate there are many factors involved other than just what the marketing dept. wants. I mean, if a 43" is only a small amount more than a 32", who wouldn't want the bigger screen? Obviously people who don't have the room for it! But for a long time the TV has been the focus of the living room, even to the point that other stuff gets shoved out of the way to make space for it. I've seen many a large TV hoisted up near the ceiling, opposite a soft couch with a low back. To me that's a damned uncomfortable way to sit and watch anything, but the folks whose home it was in seemed happy.

32LM6300 and 32LM6370 seem like the same thing. LM367 is a 1366x768 panel.
I suppose, for TV viewing at a distance and a screen this size that lower resolution is probably OK. But it kind of limits it's use potential, like for hook up to a computer at a closer distance.

I didn't like the idea of the glossy coating. The Dell monitor I use has an anti-glare surface and it's non-distracting, and a much better surface than the very light anti-glare on the old Samsung CRT monitor it replaced. The cheapy Samsung 22" TV has a mottled surface too, makes reflections tend to evaporate somewhat. Who'd want glossy unless they have a dedicated space to cut all ambient lights?
 
@V Clark.The LM 6300 is still available in most Richer Sounds stores. depends where you are? You can check availability in your local stores on the RS website.
The latest version of Google TV on Sony TV's is great I cannot see that WebOS has any advantages?
I find most TV's out of the box when normal use rather than shop mode is selected in initial set up to be rather dim and lacking in colour brightness.
 
I tried RS no luck. They are awaiting arrival of the new model. LG claim the newer versions have improved OS and are faster. I have a 6 Series Samsung 40 inch in my front room and it is fine but in a small bungalow space is at a premium. The 32 Pany was HD Freesat but only SD Freeview. HD picture quality is still stunning but since the standard Freesat change needs to be viewed through a Hamax box. I have over the years had a few SMART boxes. Sony went dumb after months, Pany recorder was always dumb, Now tv dead only Amazon Fire stayed the distance. Virtually all updates Tuner and Aps could be done over the Web but manufacturers do not support models for more than a year. Freesat is going downhill fast but HD picture quality is noticeably better on Freesat than Freeview on my Samsung. Sony 32" has a Sattelite connection but will not pay the EPG license no BT, 5G wifi, dubious Ap support.. UHD off Prime is fine on the 40 inch Series 6 but the smallest Samsung is now 43inch much too big for my environment.
It remains to be seen if the "Sattelite glitch" is a feature of the new LG LM6370. Odd it is the same price as the HD ready LM637. The LG LM631 supports not only BT but had a headphone socket as well. Ap support was fine for my needs. It just did not work off the BBC Freesat channels and LG UK would not support it. I will know next week so keep you posted.
 
@V Clark Sorry losing the plot on your requirements? We are discussing a good specification 32" TV from what I can see is the best available (only just) to date.

Anyone that thinks that this TV will deliver a full HDR experience then forget it you need to buy at least a 49" FALD model to appreciate
 
New LG32 LM6370PLA installed today and it is a definite improvement on the the LMA631 returned BUT it still "Glitches" on BBC Freesat channels. The HD picture quality off Freesat in very good, not as good off Freeview HD. I do not expect full HDR but I do expect the basic tuners to deliver BBC HD channels. Again it is solid off the Humax Freesat box which reports 100 x 100 strength and quality off the down feed. The Samsung Series 6, 40 inch is also solid off the same LNB and dish. This is an LG feature of their tuner and would appear to be a known problem.
Awaiting call back from LG customer support. It is frustrating as LG is the only set under 40 inches with all the features. It does not deliver Freesat BBC though.
 

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