Which 4K TV?

Posted by: nickpeacock on 30 January 2017

Recent purchase of Oppo 203 and flat move in two weeks' time might justify upgrade to 4K TV. House-warming present to self if you will...

Richer Sounds told me current 4K models may come down in price between now and April, when new models and price increases are expected.

So, the question is - which TV?

(Looking at 40" max - I really baulk at oversized models...)

Posted on: 31 January 2017 by Ravenswood10

I saw my LG OLED before (lived it for a couple of weeks) and after calibration and there's a very real difference and for the better. Most settings are very artificial out of the box and are that way to impress in electrical retailers where sets are competing against each other to grab attention. The ISF Dark Room setting is closest to the ideal but clearly benefitted from ISF calibration (not those set-up discs btw). Perhaps some like flesh tones on the morning after the night before side but I don't

Of course it all depends on the quality of the calibrator and after three TVs with the same chap that must say something. Open you mind and take a chance - you might just like the result BTW - I've never booked myself a professional photographer but owned one of those last best Panasonic Plasmas also calibrated - sold it in 1 day to a chap 150 miles away who was more than delighted and loved said flesh tones and blacks when compared to an uncalibrated reference on the sam set - buff said.

Posted on: 31 January 2017 by Clay Bingham

 

Here in the US none of the latest high technology sets are available in 40 inch. That may be different in Europe but if you possibly can, consider 55 inches and above. The result is breathtaking and worth moving some furniture.

Posted on: 31 January 2017 by Dozey

I still have a 26 inch set. Lowe. Very nice. Not 4k obviously! 

Posted on: 31 January 2017 by BigH47

Unfortunately if I choose a TV over 1.1m wide it will really restrict access to the garden.

So about 50 inch is the max without a complete reversal of the room.

So unless we move small(ish) TVs are the norm for us.

Posted on: 01 February 2017 by Don Atkinson
BigH47 posted:

Unfortunately if I choose a TV over 1.1m wide it will really restrict access to the garden.

So about 50 inch is the max without a complete reversal of the room.

So unless we move small(ish) TVs are the norm for us.

So, when are you moving ?

Posted on: 01 February 2017 by Mike-B
BigH47 posted:

Unfortunately if I choose a TV over 1.1m wide it will really restrict access to the garden.  So about 50 inch is the max without a complete reversal of the room.   So unless we move small(ish) TVs are the norm for us.

I'm with you on TV size.    I'm fussy about the way I like a room to look;   Its not a "TV room" & much the same as my audio & the reason I downsized to 3 visible Naim boxes,   I don't want a TV to dominate the room.   I have however just replaced a 10 y.o. 32inch flatscreen with a 4K 43inch,   but the TV is not 11 inch's bigger,  with the very narrow screen edges these days it has a bigger screen but only slightly bigger (wider) than the old model & most pleasing & why i chose this one is it still stands nice & discreetly on the TV cabinet.

Posted on: 01 February 2017 by hungryhalibut

We have a 42" Panasonic which is quite big enough for us. It's only used for a few hours a week anyway. 

Posted on: 01 February 2017 by rackkit
Hungryhalibut posted:

We have a 42" Panasonic which is quite big enough for us. It's only used for a few hours a week anyway. 

Ours is wall mounted between the main speakers which are about 3m apart so nothing less than a 65" 4k when it comes to replacing the current 50" Kuro Plasma. Real shame that Pioneer got out of the tv business, can only imagine what their Tv engineers could do with the current 4k OLED HDR tech. 

Posted on: 01 February 2017 by Finkfan

I had heard that the pioneer tv engineers went across to Panasonic, any truth in that? 

Posted on: 01 February 2017 by Innocent Bystander
TOBYJUG posted:

Our last screen was a 32 Panasonic plasma on a wall mounted moveable job positioned near a corner in a small room. New Sony 60 4K instead almost seems smaller due to thinner chassis and bezel.   Try and be more open minded regarding size v distance given out from manufacturers a few years ago. 

I use a 37" TV for general purpose TV and a projector to 160" for films (screen doubles as a window blind). I don't see any point and so no value for 4k on the 37" as I really think the visible difference compared to HD will be minimal, if evident at all (viewing distance 8-9ft). The projector, screen viewed from about 11ft, is another matter! However too pricey and not enough content to contemplate yet, even if I had to replace the projector now.

Posted on: 01 February 2017 by Ravenswood10
Finkfan posted:

I had heard that the pioneer tv engineers went across to Panasonic, any truth in that? 

That's what I heard too which is why the last Panasonic Plasmas were so good. They built a brand new factory to support plasma panel manufacture only to close it down not long after - the panels were just not economic enough to produce.

Posted on: 01 February 2017 by Ravenswood10
rackkit posted:
Hungryhalibut posted:

We have a 42" Panasonic which is quite big enough for us. It's only used for a few hours a week anyway. 

Ours is wall mounted between the main speakers which are about 3m apart so nothing less than a 65" 4k when it comes to replacing the current 50" Kuro Plasma. Real shame that Pioneer got out of the tv business, can only imagine what their Tv engineers could do with the current 4k OLED HDR tech. 

I don't think you'll have long as it looks as if Panasonic, Sony and Samsung are doing more with OLED. Sony are said to be addressing brightness which is a current OLED weakness - or so we're told!

Posted on: 01 February 2017 by Bananahead
Ravenswood10 posted:
said to be addressing brightness which is a current OLED weakness - or so we're told!

I turned the brightness of mine right down. I think it depends on whether you want a realistic picture or an LSD substitute.

Posted on: 01 February 2017 by Finkfan

I find that during usual daytime watching the contrast needs to be set high on my plasma. When I get chance to watch of an evening i find it too bright, so I usually just switch it to THX mode which calms everything down. 

Posted on: 02 February 2017 by count.d
Ravenswood10 posted:

I don't think you'll have long as it looks as if Panasonic, Sony and Samsung are doing more with OLED. Sony are said to be addressing brightness which is a current OLED weakness - or so we're told!

There are no brightness problems with the current LG oleds, no matter what you read. I've reduced the brightness, as it was far too intense. I have as pure white as can be expected from a screen and my colour temp is a good neutral, unlike most of the people on av forums (and reviewers) who insist on a far too warm temp, making whites yellow and skin tones all looking like David Dickinson. Of course, they'll try to convince you that all movies should be shown with a magical standard "warm" appearance, but they don't have a clue. Sheep.

Panasonic and especially Sony have had their day. They're no longer the leaders in the industry. LG have come from nowhere and produce stunning tvs with superb quality control. My tv has no banding, no dead/stuck pixels, no colour casts in the whites and somehow they've made a down-pointing tiny built-in speaker design actually sound very good. Well done LG. Oppo is another company to have risen to the top. 

Posted on: 02 February 2017 by Ravenswood10

I couldnt  agree more. LG stole the march  with OLED and I wonder who makes the OLED panels for the others? I've have Oppo players too so a combination made in heaven when I'm not listening to audio which I do most of the time 

Posted on: 02 February 2017 by rackkit
Ravenswood10 posted:
Finkfan posted:

I had heard that the pioneer tv engineers went across to Panasonic, any truth in that? 

That's what I heard too which is why the last Panasonic Plasmas were so good. They built a brand new factory to support plasma panel manufacture only to close it down not long after - the panels were just not economic enough to produce.

I heard that Panasonic took some engineers but Pioneer  kept hold of the tech patents that gave their screens the edge on the competition. 

 

Posted on: 02 February 2017 by rackkit
count.d posted:
Ravenswood10 posted:

I don't think you'll have long as it looks as if Panasonic, Sony and Samsung are doing more with OLED. Sony are said to be addressing brightness which is a current OLED weakness - or so we're told!

There are no brightness problems with the current LG oleds, no matter what you read. I've reduced the brightness, as it was far too intense. I have as pure white as can be expected from a screen and my colour temp is a good neutral, unlike most of the people on av forums (and reviewers) who insist on a far too warm temp, making whites yellow and skin tones all looking like David Dickinson. Of course, they'll try to convince you that all movies should be shown with a magical standard "warm" appearance, but they don't have a clue. Sheep.

Panasonic and especially Sony have had their day. They're no longer the leaders in the industry. LG have come from nowhere and produce stunning tvs with superb quality control. My tv has no banding, no dead/stuck pixels, no colour casts in the whites and somehow they've made a down-pointing tiny built-in speaker design actually sound very good. Well done LG. Oppo is another company to have risen to the top. 

LG do seem to be right at the top the game now. Are you using the new Oppo 203 UHD player with yours? It's getting very good reviews. 

Posted on: 02 February 2017 by Ravenswood10

I am indeed. I also kept my 105D. I was going to sell it but think it still has the edge sonically. It's also built like a tank!

Posted on: 03 February 2017 by count.d
rackkit posted:
count.d posted:
Ravenswood10 posted:

I don't think you'll have long as it looks as if Panasonic, Sony and Samsung are doing more with OLED. Sony are said to be addressing brightness which is a current OLED weakness - or so we're told!

There are no brightness problems with the current LG oleds, no matter what you read. I've reduced the brightness, as it was far too intense. I have as pure white as can be expected from a screen and my colour temp is a good neutral, unlike most of the people on av forums (and reviewers) who insist on a far too warm temp, making whites yellow and skin tones all looking like David Dickinson. Of course, they'll try to convince you that all movies should be shown with a magical standard "warm" appearance, but they don't have a clue. Sheep.

Panasonic and especially Sony have had their day. They're no longer the leaders in the industry. LG have come from nowhere and produce stunning tvs with superb quality control. My tv has no banding, no dead/stuck pixels, no colour casts in the whites and somehow they've made a down-pointing tiny built-in speaker design actually sound very good. Well done LG. Oppo is another company to have risen to the top. 

LG do seem to be right at the top the game now. Are you using the new Oppo 203 UHD player with yours? It's getting very good reviews. 

No Rackkit, not yet. There's no 4K discs out yet, so I'd be wasting my money atm. I have seen the results from the 203 and it appears to be very good.

Bought some Assos cycling gear instead and a new helmet. Better than watching The Revenant every night.

Posted on: 03 February 2017 by Ravenswood10

Last time I checked there were more than few with several new releases over the next month or so. Slow build but it was the same with DVD and Bluray. The same is also true of 4K TV unless you watch sport and want yo pay through the nose for it. I still think it's funny that the BBC still broadcasts reguional news in SD. Perhaps they'll skip the whole lot and go for 8K

Posted on: 03 February 2017 by IanG

OLED is without doubt very good but at present is very expensive. I recently bought a 65" Sony for the same price as a 55" LG OLED. The 65" OLED was out at reach at more than 1K more than the Sony.

Admittedly not at home, but side by side in John Lewis, I could tell very little difference between the images on the two TV's.

Posted on: 03 February 2017 by Innocent Bystander
Ravenswood10 posted:

Last time I checked there were more than few with several new releases over the next month or so. Slow build but it was the same with DVD and Bluray. The same is also true of 4K TV unless you watch sport and want yo pay through the nose for it. I still think it's funny that the BBC still broadcasts reguional news in SD. Perhaps they'll skip the whole lot and go for 8K

BBC rightly has to broadcast for the lowest common denominator, and as it i only about 10 years since HD became mainstream on new TV, with an average TV life of maybe 10 years it will be a few years yet before it is reasonable to assume that virtually everyone can receive HD and so switch off SD. 'Twas the same with the change from 405 to 625 line, also digital but to a much lesser extent as a supplementary box could be used to ennable it on older TVs.

Always a chicken and egg with equipment vs content, but I for one don't see the point in equipment before significant available content, if only because equipment prices will continue to fall relatively rapidly as content and take-up increases, and in a couple of years prices will be very considerably cheaper than now, while on the meantime there will have been little benefit from having the 4k machine. But that's just my way of viewing it (pun intended!).This principle doesn't necessarily hold with hifi as audio is different because even a small amount of content could be enjoyed for considerably longer than would be a small amount of video content.

Posted on: 04 February 2017 by tonym

Some hints on getting the best picture quality from your TV -

Samsung TV picture settings - In the picture settings menu select Standard mode - this does a decent job of setting the brightness. Turn off Dynamic Contrast, as it tends to reduce detail in the darker parts of the picture. Next, reduce Auto Motion Plus (ie motion compensation) – it’s best to use a custom setting so nudge Judder Reduction to five and Blur Reduction to eight. Finally, set the Colour Space to ‘native’ and Flesh Tone to zero.

LG TV picture settings -  First, select Standard mode under picture settings and turn off Dynamic Contrast. Next, reduce TruMotion (ie motion compensation) via custom mode – set De-judder to five and De-blur to eight. LG TVs tend to have slightly over-emphasised colours, so put Dynamic Colour to medium or low to compensate (you can keep the Colour Gamut as ‘wide’).

Panasonic TV picture settings  - Select Normal mode - there are different settings for basic and high-end models but this adequately sets the brightness on both. Turn off Dynamic Contrast and Adaptive Backlight as it can cause brightness levels to fluctuate erratically. Reduce the Intelligent Frame Creation motion compensation tool to mid or low. Colours on Panasonic’s can often appear overly yellow, so go into the advanced colour settings (temperature or tint) and increase the Red slightly – just a tweak so it looks comfortable to your eye.

Sony TV picture settings  - Sony has different menus and settings for its high-end and basic TVs but select Standard mode on either to set the brightness accurately. Switch off Dynamic Contrast and Adaptive Backlight . Leave Motionflow on as it does a good job of handling on-screen motion. Colours on Sony TVs can seem vibrant to the point of gaudy, so put Live Colour to‘low’. Just as with Panasonic, everything can look a bit yellowy at times, so to compensate raise the Red tint in the advanced colour settings menu.

I always had my projectors and displays set up by an ISF professional, but then I found I'd end up tweaking the settings to suit my own taste. If you really want the ultimate picture quality then invest in a video processor such as a Lumagen. 

Posted on: 04 February 2017 by Finkfan

I've tried the 'native' colour space setting on a low end Samsung we have and it's aweful. Turns skin colour very red and all colours turn luminous. Only 'auto' is watchable. I'm sure on more expensive screens that isn't the case. When my office is finished I'm going to try and sneak the Pana plasma in there for now