Should I upgrade at all?

[Joe V]

Hi all,

Have spent the last few days really having a good look at some of the excellent guides and similar posts. Just wanted to get some opinions as I'm considering a TV upgrade .

Current set up.

I have a 51" Samsung ps51d550 plasma TV that I have probably had for around 7 years. I also have a entry level 5.1 AV unit to handle the sound. We sit around 13ft away from the TV.

The main reason I'm thinking about upgrading is to have a bigger screen. We watch mainly Netflix, blueray and stream movies and shows too, I don't really see me buying into uhd media (plus we sit way too far from the TV for it to matter from what I have been reading ).

I am hoping to upgrade for around £1000 but after my reading I have been wondering if it's worth doing at the moment. My plasma gives a great picture with nice deep blacks, am I correct in thinking if I was to upgrade to say a 65" led I would end up with an inferior picture. I also thought about dropping to a 55" and looking at oled but 4" doesn't seem like much of an increase in size.

Any thoughts / opinions would be brilliant as I seem to have got myself a bit stuck in trying to figure out what would be best. The existing TV wouldn't go to waste it would be moved to the mancave as an upgrade to a cheap Toshiba 40" led I have in there.

Thanks Joe

 

[Joe V]

Oh meant to say that I have a TV stand that matches other living room furniture which is only 110 wide so if I went for a larger screen I'd need to go for one that has a more compact stand rather than the legs at the far sides of the screen. I will post a pic of current set up

 

[Joe V]

TV looks tiny here, the stand can be moved further to the right so plenty of room

 

[michaelmoravian]

I went from a Panasonic plasma to a 4k Samsung LCD (LED backlit). The big difference is brightness. It is an improvement for most viewing (not necessarily for watching a film in near dark) but if I could have afforded it I would have got a OLED. There are some really good deals on the LG B8 at the moment.

 

[Joe V]

I went from a Panasonic plasma to a 4k Samsung LCD (LED backlit). The big difference is brightness. It is an improvement for most viewing (not necessarily for watching a film in near dark) but if I could have afforded it I would have got a OLED. There are some really good deals on the LG B8 at the moment.

Thanks Michael, how do you find the Samsung for general day to day watching? What size did you get? I had been looking at a 65" Samsung 7400 before I started looking a bit deeper .

 

[michaelmoravian]

Thanks Michael, how do you find the Samsung for general day to day watching? What size did you get? I had been looking at a 65" Samsung 7400 before I started looking a bit deeper .

For general viewing it is very good. However HDR isn't that great as it doesn't have local dimming like some more expensive TVs (OLED is self emissive so this is not an issue). I went from 42" to 49" and it was a noticeable difference in size. It is definitely worth going to see the models you are interested in before taking the plunge.

 

[Sugden]

Not sure if this is going to help as I'm giving more options but I went from a panasonic plasma to a Samsung js9000 2 years ago and I certainly didn't see it as an upgrade I was quite dissapointed.

In comparison I've just got an lg oled 65inch and it is the best tv I have owned without a shadow of a doubt major step up.

Now for more options have you considered second hand? I have seen a few 65inch lgs go for around 1k or the panasonic 902 65 inch goes for about 1k as well.

The second option if the room permits, have you considered a projector? It is a totally different experience to a TV and much more immersive. Again I'd suggest second hand if you aren't fussed about hdr or 4k a sony hw40 or hw55 with a nice screen could be done for about 1k, and it would be quite a large step up in size for you veiwing distance?

I just had an epson tw7400 and I've gone back to my sony hw55 at our viewing distance the 4k wasn't as impressive as I was hoping and the picture on the sony is just a lot better.

 

[Analysis]

I'd look at Dodge's guides full of info for your type of query:

My links & guides

Do you need wide viewing angles?

For the distance mentioned you need a 65" or even 75" model to tell the difference from FHD to UHD so something on the likes of the NU8000 or U7A for LCD, for OLED you would need to increase your budget by quite a lot more even with clearance pricing now coming for the 2018 models.

As you've said you are not buying any UHD content, the Plasma you currently have will give you the best picture quality for FHD content apart from an OLED so I'd say not to bother upgrading unless you are serious going forward for HDR and UHD content.

 

[Joe V]

I'd look at Dodge's guides full of info for your type of query:

My links & guides

Do you need wide viewing angles?

For the distance mentioned you need a 65" or even 75" model to tell the difference from FHD to UHD so something on the likes of the NU8000 or U7A for LCD, for OLED you would need to increase your budget by quite a lot more even with clearance pricing now coming for the 2018 models.

As you've said you are not buying any UHD content, the Plasma you currently have will give you the best picture quality for FHD content apart from an OLED so I'd say not to bother upgrading unless you are serious going forward for HDR and UHD content.

Thanks Analysis,

I don't really need wide viewing angles the screen won't be far off being straight ahead of us. I'm really leaning towards the 65" at the moment, I have seen the NU8000 is now going for around £1000 so was really contemplating this one. The screen size is the real reason I want to upgrade. I had also been looking at the considerably cheaper 65" Samsung nu7400 which I can get for £700. I know the NU8000 would likely be the perfect fit for me but I've also barely seen any bad reviews for the 7400 and do wonder if I would notice the difference between both as I actually don't mind the cheapo 40" Toshiba I currently have in the mancave lol.

 

[Dodgexander]

If going cheaper don't go for the NU74. The Hisense A series is a lot better value for similar specs and has a guaranteed VA type panel.

It was reviewed with high prize here on AVF, unusually good for its price.

Then around the same price there is the Hisense U7A which has a 120hz panel and is the cheapest TV to do so at 65".

The NU74 is a step down in in the motion departement compared to both the Hisense U7A and the Samsung NU8000. Not to mention you can't be sure you'll even get a VA panel on it when Samsung commonly put both IPS and VA panels on their 7 series.

Which panel type should I choose for my TV?

When I wrote this guide I took this into consideration, which is why there is a lack of Samsung models in the low range categories. Its their own fault for not making it clear what panel you get when you buy the TV: My best value TVs, 2018-2019 Edition

The guide I took the trouble to separate those TVs we aren't sure about with panels, to assure people don't assume that its going to be the same TV as another range, just cheaper..or even if its going to be comparable to the competition. In this case the NU74 certainly is a risk.

 

[Joe V]

If going cheaper don't go for the NU74. The Hisense A series is a lot better value for similar specs and has a guaranteed VA type panel.

It was reviewed with high prize here on AVF, unusually good for its price.

Then around the same price there is the Hisense U7A which has a 120hz panel and is the cheapest TV to do so at 65".

The NU74 is a step down in in the motion departement compared to both the Hisense U7A and the Samsung NU8000. Not to mention you can't be sure you'll even get a VA panel on it when Samsung commonly put both IPS and VA panels on their 7 series.

Which panel type should I choose for my TV?

When I wrote this guide I took this into consideration, which is why there is a lack of Samsung models in the low range categories. Its their own fault for not making it clear what panel you get when you buy the TV: My best value TVs, 2018-2019 Edition

The guide I took the trouble to separate those TVs we aren't sure about with panels, to assure people don't assume that its going to be the same TV as another range, just cheaper..or even if its going to be comparable to the competition. In this case the NU74 certainly is a risk.

Thank you so much dodge, I have read a lot of your guides over the weekend and I have learned a bunch as it's been years since I last looked into TV tech. It's very appreciated and must take up a heap of your free time.

I had read some recommendations and comments about the hisense..I think I was a little put off because I hadn't heard of them before last week. I'm going to go and have a look in a bit more detail. Ultimately I am kind of leaning towards the NU8000 it's already at a very good price and who knows it may drop a little more before I'm ready to buy next month with the announcements of the 2019 line up but given its its a good price now I'm not sure if it would realistically drop more .

Really appreciate everyone who has taken the time to reply to my questions so far. You have all been really helpful

 

[Joe V]

I've just done a quick check on Amazon and the nu8000 is £70 cheaper than the u7a. I'm right in thinking the Samsung would be the best out of the 2 aren't I?

Edit: I've found a cheaper one on Amazon. £1029 for nu8000 and £900 for the u7a in 65".

 

[Dodgexander]

I've just done a quick check on Amazon and the nu8000 is £70 cheaper than the u7a. I'm right in thinking the Samsung would be the best out of the 2 aren't I?

Edit: I've found a cheaper one on Amazon. £1029 for nu8000 and £900 for the u7a in 65".

The NU8000 is probably worth the extra, I made a comparison between the two here: Question - Any advice on a 55" familly TV upgrade ?

 

[Joe V]

The NU8000 is probably worth the extra, I made a comparison between the two here: Question - Any advice on a 55" familly TV upgrade ?

Thanks for taking so much time with me mate, it's really appreciated! My mind is now made up

 

[Dodgexander]

Thanks for taking so much time with me mate, it's really appreciated! My mind is now made up

No worries glad I have helped. I'm sure you made the right decision with the NU8000.

 

[Joe V]

No worries glad I have helped. I'm sure you made the right decision with the NU8000.

I will be sure to report back with some pics and thoughts I'm sure I will love it though!

 

[brewerdave]

Being cheeky -may I ask a supplementary Q.? I currently have exactly the same plasma TV as the OP. I'm thinking of an upgrade to 55" (biggest I can fit in) and had been looking at the NU8000.
I watch a lot of Sport in HD (from a standard Sky HD box) so is it worth spending more ££s for OLED or will I not notice any improvements??

 

[Analysis]

I've just done a quick check on Amazon and the nu8000 is £70 cheaper than the u7a. I'm right in thinking the Samsung would be the best out of the 2 aren't I?

Edit: I've found a cheaper one on Amazon. £1029 for nu8000 and £900 for the u7a in 65".

Try and pricematch with John Lewis or Richer Sounds as Amazon isn't a great place to buy from, you will get better warranties and aftersales service from RS and JL.

 

[Analysis]

Being cheeky -may I ask a supplementary Q.? I currently have exactly the same plasma TV as the OP. I'm thinking of an upgrade to 55" (biggest I can fit in) and had been looking at the NU8000.
I watch a lot of Sport in HD (from a standard Sky HD box) so is it worth spending more ££s for OLED or will I not notice any improvements??

Unless you are using HDR and 4K content on a regular basis the answer would be no for FHD content even though upscaling has improved, it still won't match Plasma for response time and overall motion, to be honest nothing does to be fair, OLED is a close second with top end LCD panels being 3rd e.g XF90, Q9FN.

If you just want a cheap 4K option then the NU8000 would be the 1st choice, then the U7A, for Sport it's best to go with a 120hz native panel with good motion interpolation options, for HDR you need to look at the XF90 as a bare minimum.

 

[brewerdave]

Thanks for that; fortunately the Samsung plasma is still going strong after nearly 8 years so I can hold off for a while (hopefully!!). Not looking at UHD/HDR stuff in the near future or upgrading to Sky Q. Looks like I'll have to put a few more pennies in the piggy bank to go for OLED to get the best piccies for Sports coverage.

 

[topgazza]

The OP brought up a challenging question for many people. Putting aside new tech fans who will buy the latest, nothing wrong with that of course, many have perfectly good TVs but are tempted by the latest because they think they need it. And of course they see the 4K DVDs playing in the shops and think ...wow. Forgetting that the vast majority of TV is in 1080p at best.

Having said that the extra gizmos and in built apps on TVs are worth a look although as "computers" they are universally rubbish IMO, slow, cranky and poor updates.
My 5 year old Sony 40HX753 still produces superb pictures and upscales to the best it can squeeze out of a signal and I have no incentive to give it away and get something...well, similar be it all a bigger, which I dont need, screen.

Cant say I'm not tempeted hower illogical it is for me because, as I sadi, the current picture qulaity is superb. Each to his own and I look forward to the op reporting back.

 

[Analysis]

Having said that the extra gizmos and in built apps on TVs are worth a look although as "computers" they are universally rubbish IMO, slow, cranky and poor updates.

Agreed, they really don't work as intended, the 2019 models do have double the RAM but the same SOC's are being used from the last few years, a external device is always best and the manufacturers should cut a lot of this smart stuff out and concentrate on improving the overall product.

I had my Sharp for over 10 years and was happy with it until the last day.

 

[Devonshire]

My 5 year old Sony 40HX753 still produces superb pictures and upscales to the best it can squeeze out of a signal

I'm in a similar position with my 9 year old 40hx700. Still produces great pictures with 1080p content and whilst a bigger TV would be nice I suppose, I find it hard to justify getting rid of it when there's nothing wrong with it. I also hate the way large 50"+ TVs can dominate a room.