New HD Television 46-55inch LCD/Plasma- Lets hear your expierences/advice

[smokey99]

Chaps,

After months of trawling the market I've reached analysis paralysis point and would be keen to hear of others real experiences of buying recent model HD/4k TV's.

I'm in the market for a 46-55 inch TV with the larger option only coming into play in the past week when we realised we could move the lounge around (including moving a radiator) to make way for a 55 incher. I'm not big on size for size sake but with this orientation it could be 10-12 feet away so this feels like the right size.

Currently a Sky HD subscriber but think that with the advent of Netflix and Amazon Prime etc and the likely to be packaged Freesat tuner in the TV that I'll drop Sky and just plug into the old cables for Freesat signal.

So the budget is say £1000-1500. No.1 requirement is Picture Quality. Room is generally dimly lit. Viewing is split between Football/Golf and action drama on Sky/Atlantic and then the obvious movies.

Short list so far is

1. Sony KDL46W905A or KDL55W905- Was £1700 now £899 (£1200 for 55inch). Multi award winning picture quality but old Smart tech and worried it might feel a bit dated and therefore not enough of an upgrade. Also cheap feeling remote control.

2. Samsung UE46F8000 (or 55 inch version) - Was £2000 now £1279. Top of range Samsung with great Smart functions and best set of apps and catch up channels. Seems a great all rounder is it really worth £400 more than Sony? But does have nice brushed steel Smart remote.

3. Panasonic TX-L47DT65 (also in 55 inch) - Was £1600 now £899. Great looking TV (IMHO) and wife loves the shiny V pedestal. Mixed reviews on some sites but was a What Hi Fi 5 star award winner. Middling Catch up TV but great Swipe and Share facility to watch the TV on your Ipad or vice versa.

4. Break the bank and go for one the outgoing Panasonic Plasma with the P55VT65b. Reference class Plasma screen with Richer Sounds doing the 55" version for £1700. Come with the same great looks as the smaller LCD TV but with better sound and one of the best pictures on the market. Expensive but it might save me having to buy a sound bar as the bigger frame produces better sound than the smaller TV's above?

5. Do nothing for 9-12 months. Stick with the 32 inch Philips for now and buy a 4K TV at the same time next year because the £2200 4k TV's will fallen in price to £1500?

Really interested to hear your thoughts and experiences and if anyone is in the same boat.

Cheers.

Chris

[Fitzer]

I have the previous Samsung in 46 and am really pleased with it, I think the 8000 has twin Freesat & Freeview tuners so it can be a PVR with the addition of a hard drive, no idea whether the Sony has that.

I'm not a 'TV head' so don't fully understand all of the variables regarding picture quality etc. the Samsung appears plenty good enough for me though. BTW the snazzy smart remote got relegated to only being used if you need a pointer/cursor when using the web browser, the 'dumb' remote actually offers more real world use, the voice control we found to be a waste of time/effort.

[Captain Morgan]

Option 4 or 5,

I brought a TX-P55VT65B last year at around £2.2K, cracking tv very happy with it and can se it changing for years, great blacks and super motion control so good with sports too.

or buy a early 4K set, had a look at few 4k sets and I think they aren't quite as good as the panasonic when up scaling dvd/blurays but cracking when fed 4k material but that is distinctly thin on the ground and a current 4k set could be outdated by the time 4k materials are widely available.

Also I seem to remember reading that the 4k standards haven't been fully agreed yet thought I could be wrong - if true it could lead to an expensive vhs vs betamax experience.

[craig1912]

Just bought a Sony 50" 829. Superb tv

[fishman307]

I have a 50" Samsung and cant fault it, One of the other two mentioned Sony/Panasonic are stopping doing TVs so could be a problem later. Can't remember which one it was though.

[robcuk]

Samsung, we've just done a similar exercise, and decided on a Samsung after becoming TV purchasing bore :-).

the smart remote is great, especially when used to control the Sky box and Blue-Ray too.

[craig1912]

I have a 50" Samsung and cant fault it, One of the other two mentioned Sony/Panasonic are stopping doing TVs so could be a problem later. Can't remember which one it was though.

Don't think it's either of them- Panasonic are stopping making plasmas

[KurtKlaus]

Just bought a Sony 50" 829. Superb tv

Same here. And I picked it over the W905, which is better on paper.

[Tokyo Tokei]

I have a 50" Samsung and cant fault it, One of the other two mentioned Sony/Panasonic are stopping doing TVs so could be a problem later. Can't remember which one it was though.

Sony are selling their PC business, but continuing with televisions. Their TV business hasn't turned a profit for 10 years, but they must see a future in it. Panasonic have stopped making plasma televisions. If there are any deals on these, I'd get a Panasonic plasma set without hesitation if image quality is important.

Paul

[Skier]

Another here who has just bought a Sony 50" TV to replace a 37" Panasonic. Didn't bother with 3D. Superb picture quality and now that I've replaced and re-sighted the antenna in the attic I have reliable Freeview HD channels.

I can't compare across brands as no shop I've ever found has a large enough selection on view with the same programme/film playing.

[IAmATeaf]

One important thing to bear in mind if thinking of a 4k set is what will non 4k content, content that you'll be watching the most look like. Normally when running an lcd tv at its non native resolution it looks crap.

[cmcm3]

I've got the 55vt65 and it is superb. I'm no connoisseur but there is literally nothing I would change about it. The menus are speedy, the remote inputs quick and responsive and the picture through the in-built freesat/freeview, netflix etc is superb.

i much prefer the more natural picture typically produced by plasma so went for one of these for my main screen despite the price and weight penalties.

At £1,700 you can't go wrong.

[bobdog]

Bought your no. 2 choice the samsung F8000 46" about 3 months ago and it is a cracking set looks fantastic even when its off and the sweeping stand just makes it. I wish I had bought bigger though, my previous set was a 40" sony and because of the heavy surround on the sony it was physically the same size as the samsung with no surround although obviousely the picture looks a little bigger. Because they dont have a surround and are so thin they dont take over the room like the old ones used to, in fact when its off you hardly notice it, if that makes sence. My vote would be go bigger.

[craig1912]

Panasonic have stopped making plasma televisions. If there are any deals on these, I'd get a Panasonic plasma set without hesitation if image quality is important.

Paul

That's what I always thought but the sony replaced a 5 yr old panasonic plasma and it's as good. The bigger screen size obviously makes a difference 39" to 50"

[mactrack]

Bought two Panasonic Plasma TVs and whilst the picture quality is indeed very good there are too many issues with them. The first one suffered from image retention, fortunately JL replaced it even though the warranty specifically excludes it, and the second has developed a whole vertical line of pixels stuck on blue. Waiting to hear what JL want to do as the repair guy said it would need the panel replacing and therefore may well be uneconomical to repair. Wouldn't have another and no wonder they stopped making them. Also Panasonic UK were useless as well.

[Alex L]

I've got the above Samsung in 55inch, great TV, voice command is annoying so disabled that but otherwise all good.

[guinea]

I had the same top three when I made my choice in December.

In John Lewis they had the Sony and the Samsung side by side and it took about 1 second to realise there was no way I'd want the Samsung. The skin tone colours were too cold and the majority of scenes seemed over processed.

In the end it was a toss up between the Panasonic and the Sony, but for me the "correct" colour reproduction of the Sony sealed the deal.

I had a previous version (5 years old) and that differs from slow performance, but this one is fine, although to be honest, the TiVo box does most of the processing.

[fishman307]

I honestly think most showroom comparisons are worthless, My Samsung has a showroom setting! Apparently to improve picture in bad lit sales conditions, But no two TVs are ever set up equal ( or correct) so not really poss to compare, Nowadays there are professionals offering to install and set up picture etc, After loads of messing ( with different makes) I would say it could be worth it if not expensive, But individual taste can vary as well.

[Harbuzi]

I bought a Panasonic tx-l47et60b a few months ago. Very happy with picture quality and the swipe and share function is great when viewing stuff from an ipad.

My only regret is not buying bigger! You always think a TV will look too big when you are upsizing (had a 40" before), but within a week you always wish you had gone for the next size up. In this case, I should have bought the 50" instead of the 47".

[smokey99]

Thanks for all the replies, really interesting to hear. Although all it really does is reinforce what I already knew, that I could buy any one of these options and be perfectly happy. But am seriously tempted by the Panasonic p55vt65 which although a little over budget seems to something a little special, which for a once ageneration purchase is what I should be buying. Or the Samsung F8000....Aaaaarrgghhh.

[Cynar]

I've just ordered an LG 55LA970W 55" 4k/UHD set.
I've always been a big plasma fan but was blown away by the picture quality on this.
Although there's practically no 4k content, the up-scaled HD picture is very impressive.
It's feature packed including 3D, all the smart gubbins, full LED backlighting, voice control, built in Skype camera,motorised drop down speaker bar for improved sound, two remotes etc etc.
It's around 2.2k at most retailers but Selfridges have it on offer at the moment for £1,599 incl 5 year warranty and free delivery.
Thats very little more than most similarly specced non 4K sets and a genuine 5 or 6 hundred quid discount.
At over £2k I wouldn't have considered it, but at this price it's a steal especially considering it was £3.5k last year.
In short, I'd go option 5 without the delay as you can get your £2.2k 4k TV for £1500 now.
You also get a free LG G Pad 8.3 tablet that you could flog for £150.

[smokey99]

I've just ordered an LG 55LA970W 55" 4k/UHD set.
I've always been a big plasma fan but was blown away by the picture quality on this.
Although there's practically no 4k content, the up-scaled HD picture is very impressive.
It's feature packed including 3D, all the smart gubbins, full LED backlighting, voice control, built in Skype camera,motorised drop down speaker bar for improved sound, two remotes etc etc.
It's around 2.2k at most retailers but Selfridges have it on offer at the moment for £1,599 incl 5 year warranty and free delivery.
Thats very little more than most similarly specced non 4K sets and a genuine 5 or 6 hundred quid discount.
At over £2k I wouldn't have considered it, but at this price it's a steal especially considering it was £3.5k last year.
In short, I'd go option 5 without the delay as you can get your £2.2k 4k TV for £1500 now.
You also get a free LG G Pad 8.3 tablet that you could flog for £150.

No that is an interesting looking deal......I knew there was a reason I posted on here!

In fact that it was so interesting a deal that I told my wife I was working late and wandered up to Selfridges to take a good look......... ... after staring long and hard at both the LG and the Panny VT its difficult to compare in terms of Picture Quality as one was a 4K demo and the other a HD demo. Clearly the 4K option is stunning but I do need to be realistic in that most of what I'll watch will be Sky HD or NetFlix HD. The Panansonic VT still wowed me with its strength and depth of colours and didn't look overawed in the 4K company. Also I have to say I still prefer the overall look of the Panasonic VT range.

But getting a proper 4k TV with an extra 5 inches, an integral drop down Soundbar for the same £1599 and a free Tablet is pretty compelling.

But I still haven't made a decision. Hopefully everyone will sell out of the P55VT65 and that 4k LG and then I'll have nothing to buy.

[sdb123]

IMO, unless there's an urgent need for it right now, I'd hold off a 4k screen due to the lack of content.

I have seen demos of 4k (albeit on a projector not plasma/lcd) and been very impressed....saying that, I am very happy with my Sony HW50 projector and until enough true 4k content is available, have no desire to upgrade anytime soon.

For day to day viewing, I'm still running a Pioneer Kuro (50") which has been calibrated and the performance is astounding. Blu-ray and HD satellite images excel though lower quality content can become quite apparent.

Whichever display you get, make sure you feed it the best source(s) possible and if practical, get it calibrated to look its best.

[Kinky]

I was in a similar position at Christmas, and eventually went for the Sony KDL55W805. And have not looked back since.

[robcat]

I'm in a similar position where I've had my 40" HD set about 4+ years, so it's performance is certainly not as good as current models (the newer 32" set we have in the bedroom is noticably superior). I think 46-50 will be about optimum at the viewing distance we use. One thing about going really large for close viewing distances, is that non-HD stuff starts to look very blocky. Untill everything is at least 1080, I probably wouldn't go about 50" - obviously it depends on viewing distance though.

I can't help thinking it's about 2/3 years too early to buy a 4k TV. I agree there's not much content, I suspect quality will improve even more as the technology matures, and they'll definitely come down in price significantly. There's still an early-adopter-premium to pay, compared with regular HD sets having pretty much leveled off.

I'll probably pick up something similar to the ones you're suggesting, and go 4k next time.

I'm a fan of Samsung, but different makes seem to have different "looks" in terms of picture quality. What I would say though, is once you turn off most of the processing, and tone down the colours etc, you can get a much better/more natural picture from any of them.

[The Hack]

...so good choice below. Cinematic quality picture. They have also incorporated the best of Pioneer's plasma technology. Pioneer used to be the best of the best - until they stopped making TV's as they were losing money on each set (the build quality and technology was THAT good)! Panasonic then bought them out. I used to have the quite stunning Pioneer KRP500a - still miss that plasma.

4D will go the same way as 3D. Marginal and niche. Nice to have but not essential, with limited content available. When I see a 4d film at the cinema, the picture quality looks amazingly clear initially and then just starts to look too clinical and cold.

Any TV can develop faults - as long as you have a full 5 yr warranty, you'll be fine. :)

Thanks for all the replies, really interesting to hear. Although all it really does is reinforce what I already knew, that I could buy any one of these options and be perfectly happy. But am seriously tempted by the Panasonic p55vt65 which although a little over budget seems to something a little special, which for a once ageneration purchase is what I should be buying. Or the Samsung F8000....Aaaaarrgghhh.

[smokey99]

I'm in a similar position where I've had my 40" HD set about 4+ years, so it's performance is certainly not as good as current models (the newer 32" set we have in the bedroom is noticably superior). I think 46-50 will be about optimum at the viewing distance we use. One thing about going really large for close viewing distances, is that non-HD stuff starts to look very blocky. Untill everything is at least 1080, I probably wouldn't go about 50" - obviously it depends on viewing distance though.

I can't help thinking it's about 2/3 years too early to buy a 4k TV. I agree there's not much content, I suspect quality will improve even more as the technology matures, and they'll definitely come down in price significantly. There's still an early-adopter-premium to pay, compared with regular HD sets having pretty much leveled off.

I'll probably pick up something similar to the ones you're suggesting, and go 4k next time.

I'm a fan of Samsung, but different makes seem to have different "looks" in terms of picture quality. What I would say though, is once you turn off most of the processing, and tone down the colours etc, you can get a much better/more natural picture from any of them.

All wise words..... As much as I like the idea of the £1599 LG 4K I think I'm buying 'the deal' more than the TV itself. So yes I might miss out on a bit of 4K in the short term but when the alternative is a Reference level plasma then I shouldn't feel short changed.

During the last 24 hours have also found a Panasonic dealer (TPS) who will now do a 7 year warranty and interest free credit so I feel I could be on my way to a decision.

[Kiloman]

I purchased a number of TV`s over the last year.

After some research I purchased Panasonic. And a mixture of Plasma and LCD.
I got 2 plasma`s (55VT50 and 65VT65) and an LCD (47DT50).

Both of these plasma`s wipe the floor with the LCD. The picture quality on pre-sets is good and can be bettered with some tweaking.
Colour is strong and vivid and black is surprisingly black. Motion is massively better. I will at some stage get it calibrated.

With all inputs the plasma picture is good. SD and HD cable are clear and sharp. The better the feed the better the picture(obviously) Blu ray is spectacular, espically with modern animations.

The points to consider for plasma(other than picture quality) is weight and location relative to sunlight.
I did not realise how heavy they are and if wall mounting ensure that you have good grounds for the mount. A mate and myself mounted the VT65 and at a bit over 40kgs it was a beast to hang.
Sunlight and other lights can reflect on the plasma screens, not as bad as previous plasmas but still noticeable. LCD now have a glossy screen and they can also reflect but not to that extent.

The smart TV side of things on the Panasonic is ok and I use both You Tube and the media player all the time.

I sent back a LCD as there was an issue to my eyes with light bleed which was particularly noticeable on dark scenes at night, this was replaced with a plasma
4K is too early into its lifecycle and my view would be to hold out for OLED vs 4K to play out and prices to come down. Early adopters have no content of any significance for 4K and OLED are still too expensive.

The only downside that I have with the VT65 is fan noise. Panasonic implemented a production fix mid year in 2013, however I can still hear the fans whenever it is quiet and at low volume. This is compromise esp given the picture quality

If you have a desire for plasma get the Panasonic, but get it now as stock is very limited. Also get as big as you are allowed and or can afford. After a day or two you will not notice the size only when you visit someone that has a smaller one!!

[smokey99]

Thanks Kiloman, that's really helpful. There is a display P50Vt65 at my local John Lewis I could buy but do wonder, as you say, whether I'll regret not spending the extra £300 on the additional 5 inches if I'm going to have it for a few years.

I'll be about 3.50-4.00m away from the screen so 55"-60" would probably be optimum size but I still don't want to be too much of a feature (too late for that!)

Interesting to hear your thoughts on the fan noise but I did wonder whether it was really a problem for the reasonable user. We currently use a PS3 for the Iplayer/Netflix functions and whilst I can hear the fan on that at times its not a real problem and not generally audible when we have the TV at regular volumes.

I can feel which way this is heading.......still its cheaper than a watch!

[Captain Morgan]

Get the 55 you will regret it otherwise, I should have got the 60 but couldn't justify the £1300 difference at the time.

Fans can be heard on low volume moments but not a real issue IMHO and I'm about 3.5m away

[bonzo697]

I'm another late adopter to Panasonic plasma and picked up a GT model a couple of months ago. Like others have said the improvement in colour and motion over LCD is huge. The only downside for me has been ghosting. Despite following every bit of advice I could find about run-in, using a low contrast setting and pixel orbiter, I've now had logo and banner burn on two occasions, and am currently on day three of scrolling bar and a pixel shifting disc.

[mactrack]

I've now had logo and banner burn on two occasions, and am currently on day three of scrolling bar and a pixel shifting disc.

It never went in my experience unfortunately.

[burton]

I also have a Panasonic 50" Plasma, 4 years old now with the Pioneer tech for the 'blacks' I find that Samsung products are nice to look at but seem to be over sampled when it comes to colours.

[scrog10]

I have recently bought an LG le55 740V

I was looking at the lesser models like the 620V but found this one at Richer advertised at £999 so thought I would go for it.
My previous tv was a Toshiba 42 lcd. This 55 is actually the same physical size but obviously the screen is much bigger.
Its a great tv though all the extras I paid for were turned off to get a better picture quality. I'm not in a particularly good reception area but having the motion sensors on reduced the picture quality.

One the review I read said the same thing. So maybe I could have saved a few quid by having the cheaper model.

Still happy with the set with all its smart features and connectivity.

[smokey99]

Well, I've done it! After nearly 8 months of on off searching I've finally bought a new TV.

I very close to buying the Panasonic VT65 range but became increasingly concerned about the potential for image retention/screen burn. Richer Sounds advised me this morning if my main TV watching was via Sky HD and the kids often paused the TV and left it then it would not be the best choice. They may be right, they may be overstating it but at £1800 I didn't want to take the risk.

So my choice was based on what I felt had the best picture for the money now that I was targetting 55 inches. And the the winner is the Sony KDL 55W905A.

I paid £1250 with a 5 year warranty which was almost half its original RRP of £2300. I did one last comparison today agains the VT65, the Samsung F8000 and the Sony. Its not got Freesat, its not got lovely a brushed stainless steel 2nd remote and its not got 4oD etc. but with a good HD or Blu Ray feed the picture is stunning with beautiful colours.

No buyers remorse yet, as mine is still in the box as the wife has been on the phone since I got back. I think she's doing it on purpose because she wanted the Panasonic DT65!

Thanks for all previous replies, much appreciated.

[mactrack]

To be fair to Richer Sounds I personally think they have advised you well given my IR problem. Also remember IR is excluded from all TV warranties although JL were as good as gold and replaced our set as it was only a matter of weeks old (i.e when IR is most likely to happen).

Been looking at 4K sets today and this year's models are coming in much cheaper than even discounted last year's models. A couple of early contenders are this 55" Samsung for £1,499;

http://www.simplyelectricals.co.uk/s...tra-hd-tv.html

but if you want 3D and a 5 year warranty then for a couple of hundred pounds more there's this 55" Philips;

http://www.simplyelectricals.co.uk/p...rt-led-tv.html

[Fords]

The Picture quality on my Samsung using Netflix SHD through VM Tivo is absolutely superb, so I may move to a bigger screen now the quality of picture from providers is improving.

[Cynar]

Or or you could get this one
http://www.simplyelectricals.co.uk/5...elevision.html
for £1,599 at Selfridges.
Mine arrived on Friday and the picture quality is absolutely stunning with amazing 3D.
I could never be arsed with the Active 3D on my last Samsung TV, but the passive 3D on this is something else.

Been looking at 4K sets today and this year's models are coming in much cheaper than even discounted last year's models. A couple of early contenders are this 55" Samsung for £1,499;

http://www.simplyelectricals.co.uk/s...tra-hd-tv.html

but if you want 3D and a 5 year warranty then for a couple of hundred pounds more there's this 55" Philips;

http://www.simplyelectricals.co.uk/p...rt-led-tv.html

[mactrack]

Or or you could get this one
http://www.simplyelectricals.co.uk/5...elevision.html
for £1,599 at Selfridges.
Mine arrived on Friday and the picture quality is absolutely stunning with amazing 3D.
I could never be arsed with the Active 3D on my last Samsung TV, but the passive 3D on this is something else.

Looks like a good deal. Does it have an HDMI 2 input?

[Cynar]

Looks like a good deal. Does it have an HDMI 2 input?

No. That's the only thing it's lacking. There's conflicting reports as to whether LG will offer an upgrade path.
Having said that, as there are no 4k discs or players, and HDMI 1.4 will work with movies when they do come out as they're 24fps, I decided it wasn't really an issue.

[smokey99]

To be fair to Richer Sounds I personally think they have advised you well given my IR problem. Also remember IR is excluded from all TV warranties although JL were as good as gold and replaced our set as it was only a matter of weeks old (i.e when IR is most likely to happen).

Been looking at 4K sets today and this year's models are coming in much cheaper than even discounted last year's models. A couple of early contenders are this 55" Samsung for £1,499;

http://www.simplyelectricals.co.uk/s...tra-hd-tv.html

but if you want 3D and a 5 year warranty then for a couple of hundred pounds more there's this 55" Philips;

http://www.simplyelectricals.co.uk/p...rt-led-tv.html

Bugger.......I'll be quite honest if I had seen Samsung 2014 4k TV for £1500 on sunday I probably would have bought it. Especially now I'm having trouble withe Netflix App on the Sony which seems to quite a popular problem. I've been on the phone to Netflix and Sony Customer services and despite loads of system refreshes, software updates etc no joy. Quite annoying as the Sony only really has two Apps that I'd use Iplayer and Netflix. Seriously tempted to take it back and get a TV that is slighty better connected even if it means a slightly lesser picture.