TV Help/Guidance Please!!

[seyisanmi]

Hi,

I am trying to buy a new smart TV for my living room and I'm looking at getting a 2014/2015 model TV with a screen size between 40 and 50 inch, although I've been looking at 43" and 48" tvs primarily

There are just soo many different options to choose from and after hours of analysing and comparing TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic, i'm still not able to make up my mind so i need some TV Help please.

I've made a shortlist of the following TVs with the lowest prices i've seen on them:

Panasonic TX-47AS650B - 450
Panasonic VIERA TX-40CS620B - 350

Samsung UE48H6400 (loads of websites seem to have good opinions of this one)
Samsung 48H6200 - 479
Samsung Series 6 JU6400 - 499
Samsung Series 6 J6300 - 455
Samsung UE43j5500 - 370
Samsung UE43J5600
Samsung UE48J5500A - 395

SONY KDL -40W705C - 400(Don't know if this TV is any better than the W705B from 2014)
Sony KDL-43W805C - 479
Sony KDL-42W829 - 370
Sony KDL-43W755C - 470

LG 43LF630V - 380
Lg 42LF652V - 351


Optional features:
1). Good sound.. I don't see myself buying a sound bar till next year, but my living room isn't massive so I don't need super loud speakers yet
2). 3D? It'll be good to have and i'll use if it's there but it's really not that important
3). Smart remote + relatively child friendly OS. If my 4 year old is able to use it, good for her but again it's not really that important.
4). TV with camera if poossible? But i thinks that's just a fantasy with my budget haha

TV should ideally not exceed £400 because i plan to change it within a year or 2 but I can push myself to spend up to £500 for a 2015 model TV (Sony's Android TV's look particularly good) because I will probably be able to use those for about 4 or 5 years before needing to change it. I don't mind getting a refurbished TV but whatever TV I get needs to be a great value TV.

So could I please get input from what everyone's top 5 choices would be and/or any tips or suggestions that could be helpful for me in choosing a TV?
And could I also get everyone's no-no's so i can reduce this massive list!

Many Thanks in Advance

 

[seyisanmi]

Hello?
A bit of help please

 

[vickster]

John Lewis had a deal on the H6400 for under £500, sold out online v quickly but you could try in store today

Best TV for the cash I'd say especially with 5 year cover. I'm happy with my AS650, I would have had the Samsung but much preferred the looked of the Panasonic

 

[seyisanmi]

John Lewis had a deal on the H6400 for under £500, sold out online v quickly but you could try in store today

Best TV for the cash I'd say especially with 5 year cover. I'm happy with my AS650, I would have had the Samsung but much preferred the looked of the Panasonic

I saw the deal but no -one had replied yet so I wasn't sure whether to go ahead with it or not.
What's your AS650 like? Is it a 2015 model with Firefox OS?
And what makes the H6400 so special? Why is it so highly rated by review sites?

 

[seyisanmi]

I've just read a couple of posts talking about how LG TVs weren't great due to their lack of contrast and black levels or something like that. Can anyone shed light on this? Is it safe to remove LG from this short list?

 

[vickster]

I don't use any of the smart stuff so I don't know to be honest. I go it earlier this year

The viewing angles are good though and the picture and sound are more than adequate for Sky TV and BR.

The Samsung will have deeper blacks due to the panel type, probably better sound (if my other samsungs anything to go by), it has better catch ip TV functions too (I just use sky myself)
If the h6400 had had a silver bezel , a nicer stand and came in 50, I would have had that. Been happy with previous and current samsungs

JL have excellent returns policy if require. However, I'm sure you'll be happy with what you choose, after all you won't be comparing side by side in your lounge

I'm not really that fussy as long as it works ok and looks decent! I use my TV for watching TV or films, and my iPad, laptop or phone for the Internet!

 

[seyisanmi]

Hi, can anyone give some advice please? Looking to order it in over the weekend

 

[vickster]

Go to the shops and look for yourself, see what you prefer

Also read through other recent similar threads and the owner discussions in the main LCD forum, e.g

Any Awesome Deals Out There For 40" to 50" Sets? | AVForums

People get a little blasé about answering the same question in multiple threads

 

[seyisanmi]

Go to the shops and look for yourself, see what you prefer

Also read through other recent similar threads and the owner discussions in the main LCD forum, e.g

Any Awesome Deals Out There For 40" to 50" Sets? | AVForums

People get a little blasé about answering the same question in multiple threads

I understand what you mean about answering the same question in multiple threads, but for me, starting a new thread is potentially much, much faster than going through the thousands of threads to see what people have said in the past. But again, I've barely had any answers on here so I might resort to doing that.

I've been to the shops but all I saw was grainy pictures(probably sd content) and they didn't have half of my shortlist in stock.

And i've also gone through the thread before, but I'll see what's up on there now.

Cheers

 

[Old Bones]

If you were a customer talking to me this weekend, this is what I'd tell you.

Firstly, a lot of your shortlist is gone - the Panasonic 650 is last years model, and although there is actually one in our dept, which is demoing a sound system, its basically gone. I didn't even know there were any 48H6400's left in the warehouse (there are 40's), so I'd now regard that has gone as well.

Start with the size. You've got 40-43in and 47-50in, so thats needs to get pinned down. If you've had your TV 5 years or more, go up one size. If your 8-11 feet away, 40-43in is probably fine, but 11-12ft, then its the 47-50 range. Its up to you, but thats the basic stuff.

Your not going to get really decent sound out of any of them, so dont worry too much. If they are OK, great. At a 40-43in you might be fine anyway. If not, you can add it later. Same for smartness - most people use little more than Iplayer and You Tube, and the software always gets patched anyway. And there is Chromecast, Apple TV, bLu-ray players etc as well to supply that.

I'm looking for the best panel I can get, with a decent remote, with 3 or 4 (even better) HDMI's and other nice connections to make you life easy. If its looks good, and is easy to use, them I'm happy.

Buy once, buy right. I assume your not going to change your TV for at least five years, so get the best you reasonably can in the size you want. TV's go in levels. A very basic TV is the kind of no brand thing you'll find in supermarkets, and then a branded TV from the big 4. This will hopefully have Freeview HD and at least 2 HDMI's. Decent entry is what we mostly sell (although one or two wont be smart, becuase not everyone needs that). The Sony 705, the Samsung 5500 and the LG 630 will all be decent entry TV's. Roughly 100hz screen, Full HD, HD tuner, 3 HDMI's, smart and with wifi. I'd expect to pay roughly £399-450 in a 40-43in.

The H6400 got cracking reviews because its such great value. Its a midlevel TV - 400hz, 3D, and 4 HDMI's. Your paying for the better panel, not the 3D. But at the same time, not a silly amount of money. If your after a 40-43in TV, then I'd snap one up now - I've been selling them for the past couple of weeks, but they are going to run out. At £429, great value. And you could add a Skype camera into one of the USB's.

If they've gone, then its the new 6300 - curved, not flat. £579 for a the 48in, £499 in a 40on. The Sony W8 is the same level (mid range), and is £499 in a 43in, and £699 in a 50in. I've no problem recommending the Sony, and I'm sure the Samsung is fine, although I havn't seen it in anything other than a 32in.

If your after a 48-50in for less than £500, then your going to have to go 2D/100hz. The LG 630 is a really nice panel (good blacks and refresh thats better than I'd expect for 100hz), and is much better value than the Panasonic equivalent. Whats strange is that Panasonic's use LG panels...

Seyisanmi - Vickster is right - you need to look. Nobody should buy shows or a suit or a bed without looking at it, trying it on, etc. Measure up your room, then go to a proper shop and ask questions. Be realistic about price, and ask to look at them on the same feed. Your looking for the best movement and the best balck levels, and there is nothing wrong with looking at it in SD and HD.

Hope that helps.

 

[vickster]

Pretty much all TVs will play material from a USB. Download some stuff that you might watch onto one and ask them to let you play. If they say no, go elsewhere

And buy with a free 5 year warranty, so on those TVs that probably saves you a trip to Currys, Argos, Tesco. John Lewis and richer sounds are the places to start for me

For me, Panasonic are a premium brand, less so LG and you have to pay for that. LG TVs at least in the past have always seemed plasticky and cheap at the lower price levels. My AS650 looks and feels well designed and well made. If it's not and goes pop, then john Lewis will sort me out no quibbles

 

[Old Bones]

To be fair, Panasonics all use LG panels, so software as much as hardware makes a difference. Glad to hear your 650 is doing well, and it was a very decent TV last year, especially at the end price!

LG are pretty good at the lower level, and although I'm not convinced they are quite at the top yet, there is a lot of value there. JL's own brand are made by...which I'm glad to see.

Brands wax and wane. What was a great brand in a niche one year might be disappointing the next. 4 year ago I didn't think much of Sony, but now doing very well. Panasonic has basically abandoned the HD market, and the Turkish TV's make their range look really cheap. Apparently they had gaps in their range, and had to fill them. I'm not that bothered about brands, although there are one or two I've never liked, but if it looks right, it probably flys right.

Good idea about the USB - film credits are really useful for testing, but you might get a hassle if the USB is formated one, way, and the TV likes another. However, we've normally got an aerial feed.

 

[vickster]

I had more of an issue with the cheap look and feel of LG. I'm not that picky when it comes to the other stuff. As I said, I would have gone for the H6400 having good smart stuff and also good experience with other Samsung TVs. However, I couldn't live with the ugly stand and preferred the silver bezel on the Panasonic, but that's a personal thing. I also looked at the silver w829, but I was concerned about the chunky rear in case it goes on the wall at some point

The Panasonic cost me £549 on a price match, can't complain

 

[Old Bones]

I've had customers buy the 6740 version (which was £100 more expensive) just because of the stand. To be fair, if your going to have to look at it for the next five years, buy the one you like!

 

[seyisanmi]

@Old Bones @vickster

Thank you so much for all the help, I'll take a USB into store with me when I go to pick a TV.
By Tuesday, I'll be sure of the screen size i'm going for and I'll probably pop by JL when I pass by on Thursday.
I see your point about picture quality being the most important since I can always pick up like an Apple TV or Roku TV or whatever if I need to spruce up the functionality of it.

But when I take the USB in store, what exactly do I look at for comparison? I imagine certain videos or scenes will be better for testing than others?
Am i looking at the blacks or the contrast or the colours vividness? Not even sure the last one is a real term but it sounds correct

 

[vickster]

A picture that you like you need to enjoy watching it. You aren't a pro reviewer looking for the good, the bad and the ugly

 

[Old Bones]

Something with lots of movement, etc, and lots of blacks/whites. Film credits are good - five minutes of just that. And bring in a Blu-Ray or even DVD - the dept network might have a player attached, so you can just watch bits of a film.

You want good/black white levels, and movements to check the refresh - thats what your buying.