Want a New TV - When to Buy?

mrrodge

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Been looking for a new set for a while now. Went to Currys just after the shops were allowed to open and all seemed normal. Saved some £££ and went back today, plus browsing around the web and it seems prices have only gone up and stock is flying off the shelves. Currys literally looked like it'd been robbed.

What's going on? Christmas? Lockdown made everyone want a TV? Short supply due to the inability to manufacture during pandemic?

I'd more or less settled on a slightly older model OLED (65 inch, Sony or LG) but they're all gone. I'd had it in my head that buying a TV sooner than it's needed (won't be ready to install it until December at best) was madness and if I decided on a particular set the price would only go down so buy at the last minute. Things don't look like they're panning out that way!

Anyone else experiencing similar, or got some wisdom they can share?!
 
Mid-range and high end models are released at high prices in the spring and drop over the course of the year, then the cycle is repeated.

The cheapest prices are generally either in the pre-christmas sales from late november onwards or when the older models go on clearance in the spring.

So December is a good time to buy a TV and you'll find there are deals on the 2020 models that are in the same ballpark as the 2019 clearance prices - assuming the current government doesn't totally destroy the economy and exchange rates by then.
 
Mid-range and high end models are released at high prices in the spring and drop over the course of the year, then the cycle is repeated.

The cheapest prices are generally either in the pre-christmas sales from late november onwards or when the older models go on clearance in the spring.

So December is a good time to buy a TV and you'll find there are deals on the 2020 models that are in the same ballpark as the 2019 clearance prices - assuming the current government doesn't totally destroy the economy and exchange rates by then.

That's what I thought, but I didn't expect Currys to look like a scene from Contagion today! I'm hoping stocks/reduced production don't keep the prices higher. I've had the issue so far with a mattress and working in construction we're finding getting hold of plaster a nightmare also.
 
I too had to buy a new tv about 6-8 weeks ago as my then current tv developed a fault that was not fixable. It was covered under warranty by Currys so they gave me back most of what the set cost 4yrs previous. Obviously the refund was via a voucher so had to buy from them which was fair enough.

Currys had just opened their stores after lockdown so went down there and it was like a ghost town. I wanted a specific set (Panasonic OLED 65GZ950) and whilst they had no stock were expecting some in within a few days so bought it.

Stock in general for the 2019 sets was starting to get scarce so any bargains were few and far between and the newer 2020 models were quite a bit more expensive. 2019 models now are virtually gone where ever you look to buy and like has already been said black Friday or around xmas should see better prices.

I see you wanted a 65" OLED and the Panny I got is superb and a fantastic picture, if you wanted one of these Crampton and Moore seem to have stock and with 5 yr warranty.

 
I am a newby and a novice to this site but am so impressed with the knowledge and how helpful you all are. I will post a question about my LG tv when I dig out the model no. It has to be retuned every time it is switched on!
 
I am also looking. Based on my research it's between the 75 inch Sony xh950 or the Lg 75NANO916NA or 906NA for the 75inch size. If you are happy with the 65 inch size I would go with the LG OLED65CX5LB.

I have seen comparison on YouTube between the LG nano cell and the LG OLED and for the price per size the 75 inch nano cell is a good deal. At £2000 not bad I might be able to sell my Samsung ks7000 for £400 or so.

There is still a lot of uncertainty in the job market though so may not be the best time to buy a new TV. Will see if Richer Sound can get the 916 as I prefer the stand.
 
I am also looking. Based on my research it's between the 75 inch Sony xh950 or the Lg 75NANO916NA or 906NA for the 75inch size. If you are happy with the 65 inch size I would go with the LG OLED65CX5LB.

I have seen comparison on YouTube between the LG nano cell and the LG OLED and for the price per size the 75 inch nano cell is a good deal. At £2000 not bad I might be able to sell my Samsung ks7000 for £400 or so.

There is still a lot of uncertainty in the job market though so may not be the best time to buy a new TV. Will see if Richer Sound can get the 916 as I prefer the stand.

Mind sharing the comparison? Interested in that.

Thanks!
 
This is not the best camera or demonstration and I believe it is the 2019 models. I am still waiting for one of the main testing channels to test nano cell vs OLED.



This is a good one of OLED vs Sony new full array LED xh950.



With a lot of these new TV are excellent and comparing them tends to be one scene one TV is better than the other. They all have their positives and negatives. The OLED have better blacks but tend to show less dark detail in some areas, while the LED has better brightness but can show less light detail and experience blooming. Now the IPS has the best colour accuracy but can suffer from bad blooming, at least the 2019 models did. The OLED of course is the best all around TV with its near perfect black levels and pixel level dimming but it can be dull at times and some people have reported pixel blurring and low detail at times. While IPS I have had for years on my desktop monitors and I know it is superior to VA panels with its deep colour accuracy. Once we start seeing some more detail reviews of the 2020 IPS we can then compare better with the OLED. The Sony LED is excellent as it has the best local dimming around, so does not suffer from high blooming. The main downside to the Sony LED is dark detail compared to the OLED and IPS.
 
VA is superior to IPS for black uniformity, colour accuracy, brightness, possible higher refresh rates, and contrast.

IPS are better for wide viewing angles, although higher end VA panels have filters to assist this.
IPS can also be better for computer monitor use.
If you don't need wide viewing angles, you'd be better for overall picture quality getting a VA panel (or an OLED)

I've never seen the point of filming 2 screens side by side as it's too influenced by the camera and what you're watching on. You're not seeing deep inky blacks if your own TV or monitor isn't capable of reproducing them.
 
VA is superior to IPS for black uniformity, colour accuracy, brightness, possible higher refresh rates, and contrast.

IPS are better for wide viewing angles, although higher end VA panels have filters to assist this.
IPS can also be better for computer monitor use.
If you don't need wide viewing angles, you'd be better for overall picture quality getting a VA panel (or an OLED)

I've never seen the point of filming 2 screens side by side as it's too influenced by the camera and what you're watching on. You're not seeing deep inky blacks if your own TV or monitor isn't capable of reproducing them.

I disagree only on that VA has better colour accuracy but we can disagree on that.

If you have the money then LG OLED 8k 77inch is probably the best you can buy at the 75 inch size.

If you don't have the money then a 75inch nano cell is a fantastic buy whether using it for Cinema, Sports or Gaming.

For gaming I recommended the 75inch Sony XH900. At the 75 inch size.

The only major downside to the nanocell/IPS is the backlight blooming, if you can live with that then you will happy with it in my opinion.

 
best time to get a tv is after black friday as the prices are generally at the lowest they are going to get. after xmas they will still be at those prices but the tvs may run out of stock so dont wait too long after xmas
 
Hi I am looking to buy a Q85R range Samsung or similar by Samsung but a 2019 model. Looking for 82 or 85 inch. Any idea where to buy one?
 
2019 models, which the Q85R is, a 2020 model would be the Q85T, are very thin on the ground.

Unfortunately you've left it a bit late for a 2019 model. If you can't find what you're looking for by searching on the web, I'd recommend calling a few dealers as they may have limited stock.
 

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