Entertainment & Music Has anyone tried picking a new tv these days?

Trying to choose a tv is a nightmare.

Oled, suhd, triluminous, quantum dot, uhd, 4k, 100hz, 200hz, hdr, hdmi 2.0, curved, codex for netflix 4k streaming, 3d, active 3d vs passive 3d, 60fps 4k, etc.... etc... etc....

How the hell can you pick a tv these days that will be reasonably future proofed. At a good price. And a large 75inch plus screen.

There are just too many options. And as soon as you find one that looks good you find out it doesnt have hdmi 2.0 so you wont be able to watch 4k from a player, or it only runs 4k at 30fps or it doesnt have the new codex to run netflix 4k, or its refresh rate sucks, or its response rate lags for gaming, etc...

Its bloody exhausting.

 

DTV forum is a great reference for that stuff.
I always go there when looking to upgrade to a new system.

 

As I only use my TV for watching TV and DVD's 'twas easy ... big enough but not overwhelming and cheap ... ended up with a 110cm Hisense, that seems to do about everything, for under $500 (under $200 with altitude rewards vouchers).

At that price, if it's obsolete in a few years time, tis not the end of the world

 

We recently bought a Hisense too, really happy with it. But, we don't watch much TV so a TV is a TV in my books. We just wanted to upgrade to a smart tv so didn't have to plug in computers all the time to watch netflix.

 

Let me know what you decide is best. I 'need' a new one too, but I've never, ever paid for a tv so not in a huge rush

 

You can't future proof this kind of technology, @Bran

It will be out of date before you get it home.

 

I prefer being given the ones that don't do what others want them to do. I would like one of those slimer profile ones though. mine sticks halfway out into the room.

 

Specs really mean nothing, best to go in store and see them for yourself. You can see the colour variations between brands and also if there is a jittery picture.
We just bought a 55inch Samsung, love it.

 

Oh boy, the big ones look pretty good, and they've come down in price heaps.
Makes my 50" look little.

 

...and I can play my Samsung phone media on the big screen too.

 

Android in general works great with smart tvs. Plex is your friend. Also you can cast your phone directly to the tv. No need for DVDs anymore.

 

As with most consumer products out there, new TVs are available with a swag of seemingly tatalising, but generally useless or way under utilised, features. Most digital TV is transmitted at less than DVD quality, so if you are happy with the quality when watching your favourite TV shows, then you don't need ultra/3D/curved/codexed/smart anything. Just pick the right size TV for your room (generally how far you sit from the screen divided by 2.5) and one that looks good with a normal TV picture. The rest of the specs are fluff.

 

3D is the most overrated gimmick around.

 

I remember back in 08/09 I purchased a Sony Bravia 55 inch tv...paid $8900 for it...thought I was bad arse....people don't even put 55 inch in sheds these days!

 

3d done well is good. But the problem is there have been so many dodgy implementations of it that people are just sick of it now.

 

The thing is, I use a lot of the features.

Things like quick refresh rates, low motion blur, quick response rates are all important for gaming. A bright screen is important because its in a well lit room. No chance of burn in is important because I use it as a computer monitor (apparently oled can burn in). Hdmi 2.0 is important because Ill be running it to a new Pc with a gtx980ti for 4k movies that I download. The new netflic codex is important because I stream netflix and would like it in 4k with 60fps.

So Ive got lots to consider.

I was considering this one: R.T.Edwards: 78" UHD LED TV

Its 20% off today. But Id rather wait until I have my new loan money before spending money I dont have yet. So Ill miss out on that sale.

But then Ive read that that tv can have clouding or some rubbish at the bottom of the screen plus its edge lit, and for that money youd be wanting direct lit for brightness uniformity. And then it doesnt have the quantum dot tech that sony tvs have at that price. So your colour reproduction isnt going to be as good. Plus sony is apparently better at upscaling hd to 4k. But my experience has been, that sony tvs are rubbish quality. And from memory the samsungs looked better in real life.

I think Ill wait until something goes on a really good sale and the price makes the decision for me.

Does anyone know when the shops start trying to run out old models to make way for the new 2016 models?

 

My current tv is only 50inch. So all these years later you are still beating me