Have always bought my TVs from Richer Sounds, but the outgoing Samsung models usually. So long as they tick the boxes I require; 4k and handle the streaming services and catch-up channels I use. Big saving and can't really be arsed with the 'latest and greatest' competition. The only issue I've had is the browser not being able to cope with the MotoGP player for the last couple of years. Plugged in a laptop for that but recently got an Amazon FireTV stick which works brilliantly for this plus handy when I'm away from home (only tried UK so far obvs).
+1 for Richer Sounds. I have always found the staff helpful and knowledgeable, and that was true long before many of them became shareholders in the business. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48269171 Otherwise, it is certainly worth taking time to be shown the user interface - a matter of taste, but I am getting on fine with LG ("WebOS" derived from the now extinct Palm)
I presume your Humax recorder is FreeviewHD? If not then you’ll probably want to upgrade that too? Having said that with most stuff now available on demand is there any need to record anything anymore? As said already your new tv will come with a freeview HD tuner built in and if you get one with Freeview Play built in then you can scroll backwards into the past on the TV guide to watch stuff on catch-up (make sure you have an unlimited broadband contract)
Oled hdr10. Lg is the only onwijs producing them. Sony is using them of lg. Long story though. Got an lg 65 oled with 5 speaker soundbar. Works great for me.
True...but not as clear as nanoled or microled. Oled is still the brightest. Best for movies. Dont think qled is oled...samsung spoilers
A couple of things, your picture quality will be limited by the quality of the input, ie Blu ray, Sky HD or just normal signal ? If the former isn’t that important then just get something that’s in your budget and as waddy says has a decent warranty ie 5 years .I’d also suggest getting a slightly bigger screen than you think you want or you’ll probably regret it later, and for decent sound you will need a sound bar / speaker and that’s a whole different subject !
Depending on your budget, the main difference will be the back lighting. Samsung have 3 from basic, side lit, better, side lit with light bars to channel the light over the whole screen and best, fully back lit. LG OLED are reputed to have the better back lighting which affects the intensity of blacks and the transition boundary between colours. Homework, homework, homework Good luck Andy
S Slight correction here, OLED doesn't have back lighting, the LED's are like pixels and emit the colour directly, hence they called "Organic" LED. What is the difference between OLED and LED? The main difference between an LED TV and an OLED TV is that the pixels of an OLED TV are self illuminating, whereas the LEDs in an LED TV are used to light an LCD display. ... OLED TVs feature a wider viewing angle than do LED TVs. With OLED, the colors do not get washed out when viewers watch from extreme angles.
If you do go physically shopping for a new tv don’t get too swayed by the wow performance of the ones you see in the shop, they look amazing with their saturated library shots of neon city scapes and Amazon rain forests but as soon as you get it home your be toning all that back to achieve a natural realistic look. where are you going to put it, on the wall or on a unit using the TVs stand? Some stands are in the centre of the tv so you can angle it on the unit easily, (some even swivel on the stand) some are feet at the edges of the screen making placement more of a challenge so take that into consideration. On the flip side feet at each end of the display makes it easy to hang or place a soundbar underneath, a stand under the centre doesn’t? I think as said Richer Sounds is your best bet, just pop in tell them what you’ve got now, what you want from the tv (connecting your humax box and if you’d like to use on demand/catch-up services) but don’t tell them your budget is a grand otherwise that’s all they’ll show you. You don’t need to spend a grand to get a cracking tv nowadays. You could walk out with one you are happy with for less than half that?
Thanks for the advice Ackers. I’m an old git, so do not intend to wall mount it, it would remind me to much of sitting in the cheap seats in the pictures. It’ll be placed in the corner of the room on a cabinet, with a window alongside it. I don’t intend getting Sky, Netflix etc., only interested in Freeview so it’ll be probably be a waste of money even to get a 4K tv. Apparently I can also get a Scart to HDMI cable, so now not worried to much about the Humax. Any make recommendations ? But I will be getting a sound bar as well.
I think you want to be budgeting £200-300 for the soundbar, I’ve got a Yamaha YAS-207 which I’m very happy with and is £300 and connected through the HDMI(ARC) port means the tv remote controls the volume and power on the soundbar which once set up is the only buttons you’ll use so no multiple remotes to lose down the sofa. I can’t comment on the tv brands own soundbars, never tried any. On the TV front you usually can’t go far wrong with Sony, LG or Samsung, (says the man who’s just bought a Hisense ) I’m guessing as your are upgrading from your crt and not wall mounting it you’ll be looking for something sub 50” maybe 43”-47”? I think your budget rules out OLED (LG, Sony) or QLED (Samsung) you can’t get an OLED below 48” anyway and they only brought out that size display this year so they are all over a grand, I think the QLED’s go down to 43” so you may find an older 2020 model on offer, as long as your not bothered about the latest and greatest, which I don’t think you are. You’ll get a cracking 4K HD TV for under £500 in the 43-47” size range. 4K is the norm now anyway so you’ll struggle to find one that isn’t, they will all have wifi built in to connect to the tinterweb and the streaming/catch services, I know your not interested in the likes of Netflix etc but I highly rate the catch-up from the terrestrial channels and would consider this a big bonus for me, I often pick up a series after it’s started and so go back to catch up to watch from the start or as is common now they offer the whole series to stream straight after the broadcast of the first episode so I can binge watch the whole lot. If you think you’ll be interested in that then Samsung offer all the terrestrial channels catch up services, historically LG and Sony don’t? Either that or look for one that offers FreeviewPlay app, the “what to watch” app is great for finding stuff to watch from the main 1 to 5 channels when there’s fuck all on.
Just a thought You might want to try out the remote from each to see which you prefer the picture differences may possibly be minor between sets but you are reminded by the annoyance of a PITA handset daily. I swapped from Panasonic to Samsung and find the new remote a right PITA by comparison. The Samsung TV has a much much better quality picture but the actual handset controlled ‘on screen’ guide structure etc is nowhere near as intuitive. For example (and not everyone uses these but..) just putting subtitles on Pananasonic = 1 button press Samsung = @12 button presses
Once again Ackers, thanks for your advice, and your spot on with the size of TV I’m thinking of getting. I’ve measured the distance I’m viewing at and it’s around 9ft so around that size is what Which recommend. Looks like it’ll be Samsung then. Once again cheers Ackers
Eventually bit the bullet and taking @Ackers advice got myself a smart tv for catch up tv stuff. Anyway my question now is, do I get a VPN or not, is it worth it and how easy is it to install on a tv and use, and if so any recommendations.
