Very confused, need help with which 55" to buy

[Bennie Boy]

i may have been dreaming slightly but I have been keeping an eye on prices of the LG55EG960V and The Samsung UE55JS TVS. I'm ready to purchase now but I'm struggling with the idea of paying out that sort of money (£2300 and £1800) when there are plenty of 4k leds for much more reasonable prices.

I went to currys today and the guy in there suggested the Sony KD55X8509C for £899. He talked about natural refresh rates and how great the TV is which to be honest is a bit over my head. I just want to watch the footie and a few films on a very nice screen.

I guess my question is this. Is he trying to sell me this Sony TV because it's part of a promotion or is it genuinely a great TV for half the price of the other two? I would also be interested if anyone can recommend any other TVs at the £900-£1000 price.

I'm more confused than ever!

Thanks in advance, Ben

 

[Old Bones]

The Sony is a great TV, but think about the price of the other two. Think in levels, and the cost of that level. The Samsung 55 is top of the tree - its got HDR, nano crystals, the best refresh rate, etc. The OLED is...the OLED. Your paying a lot for that, but those blacks are wonderful.

The more you pay, the better (normally) something is. You dont get a Ferrari for the price of a Fiesta. And thats fine - the first is overkill for popping down to Sainsburys and getting in the weekly shop. But you shouldn't buy one expecting the other - if you buy the best that you can reasonably afford/justify, that fits your needs, thats fine.

Your always buying the best blacks and best movement you can, and the trick is to get the one that you like for what you want to spend.

So if the Samsung 55 you looked at is at the top of the tree, the Sony x85 is going to be nearer the bottom. Now I think it punches above its weight, and although not quite in the middle, is excellent at what it does. I use the phrase decent to describe a set which does what I expect it to do considering its price, etc - the Sony x85 certainly does that.

The chap in Currys - did he work for Currys or Sony? Reps obviously love to sell you their stuff, although if you were looking at the first two TV's, then the Sony x9 (about £1799) would have been the one to show you. The 800hz number is just that - a number. Think levels instead - above entry is where I'd place it.

The best way to think about this is if you want a 55 4K (and its worth thinking about both those decisions), where do you want to be? If you want the top, then the first two would suit very well, and I'd throw in the Sony x9 and possibly the Panasonic 852, which is very well priced.

If your in the £900-1000 range, then I'd be looking at the Sony x8, and if you can get a really good deal on the Samsung 7000, then thats mid-level or above. The Panasonic CX680 would be the other main choice at that price. However, its the Panasonic 852 that does best on price to value - £1299 (or was) for a top level panel - very decent indeed. LG does some decent stuff as well, and the JL 9100 is a LG set, but with a better panel for about the same as an actual LG.

Hope that helps.

 

[deantown]

I'm no expert and still looking for a tv myself, but wouldn't the Panasonic cx802 be better than the "852". It certainly gets better reviews that I can see and one reviewer even names it the best tv of 2015.

 

[Old Bones]

If you look at the spec, you'll see that the 852 and 802 have the same specs, but one is curved, and rather cheaper. Why that should be, I have no idea, but its currently available for £1199, whereas the 802 is currently £1699. The 802 is a very nice panel, so I dont think anyone would go wrong by looking at the 852. The lack of reviews could be that its come out later, or simply there are fewer around.

 

[jefferys77]

i may have been dreaming slightly but I have been keeping an eye on prices of the LG55EG960V and The Samsung UE55JS TVS. I'm ready to purchase now but I'm struggling with the idea of paying out that sort of money (£2300 and £1800) when there are plenty of 4k leds for much more reasonable prices.

I went to currys today and the guy in there suggested the Sony KD55X8509C for £899. He talked about natural refresh rates and how great the TV is which to be honest is a bit over my head. I just want to watch the footie and a few films on a very nice screen.

I guess my question is this. Is he trying to sell me this Sony TV because it's part of a promotion or is it genuinely a great TV for half the price of the other two? I would also be interested if anyone can recommend any other TVs at the £900-£1000 price.

I'm more confused than ever!

Thanks in advance, Ben

Samsung has taken Sony's mantel as the best led tv manufacturer. See my post under ju7000 review for more info. My suggestion would be a j-series or ju-series if you are dead set on UHD.

 

[zAndy1]

Hisense k720 £699, owners seem to be very happy in the owners thread overall and it's a bargain (the 65" is only £999 from amazon if you have room btw!)

 

[MJH1962]

i may have been dreaming slightly but I have been keeping an eye on prices of the LG55EG960V and The Samsung UE55JS TVS. I'm ready to purchase now but I'm struggling with the idea of paying out that sort of money (£2300 and £1800) when there are plenty of 4k leds for much more reasonable prices.

I went to currys today and the guy in there suggested the Sony KD55X8509C for £899. He talked about natural refresh rates and how great the TV is which to be honest is a bit over my head. I just want to watch the footie and a few films on a very nice screen.

I guess my question is this. Is he trying to sell me this Sony TV because it's part of a promotion or is it genuinely a great TV for half the price of the other two? I would also be interested if anyone can recommend any other TVs at the £900-£1000 price.

I'm more confused than ever!

Thanks in advance, Ben

Sony Android TVs have been beset with problems, that is why this model is selling so cheaply. If you care to Google the Sony community Forum and look at the thread under the Television section you will find 400 pages of posts from disgruntled customers. I bought and returned one of these sets, as although the panel is quite good I found it a complete nightmare with various software bugs. Despite claims from some people to the contrary, these issues have yet to be fully sorted some 7 months after these sets hit the shops.