Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Buying a 4k TV - need advice.

maflynn

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
Original poster
May 3, 2009
73,698
43,770
So I'm thinking of getting a 55+ inch 4k TV and any advice on what to avoid and/or what to get would greatly be appreciated.

I'm not sure if I should wait for Black Friday or get one before the Thanksgiving - getting one now has the advantage of using it at thanksgiving as the food is cooking.

So far here's what I found:
CostCo $400 - Samsung 58" - TU700D Series - 4K UHD LED LCD TV
CostCo $360 - Vizio 58" Class - V-Series - 4K UHD LED LCD TV

Walmart $326 - SAMSUNG 50" Class 4K Crystal UHD (2160P) LED Smart TV with HDR UN50TU7000 2020
Walmart $278 - TCL 55" Class 4K UHD LED Roku Smart TV HDR 4 Series 55S421
Walmart $469 - LG 55" Class 4K UHD 2160P NanoCell Smart TV with HDR 55NANO81UNA 2020 Model

BestBuy $477 - Samsung - 65" Class 7 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Tizen TV
BestBuy $377 - Samsung - 55" Class 7 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Tizen TV
BestBuy $400 - Samsung - 58" Class 7 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Tizen TV (looks to be the same as Costcos).

I am NOT going out to a store on Black Friday, and in all truthfulness I'm not sure if BB and Walmart TV sales will be in person only - you know show up at 4:00am or even 12:01am and wait in line for the off chance you'll snag a low priced TV.

Also I'm not all that comfortable about TCL, though googling them they seem to be a major supplied.

All in all I'm leaning towards Costco's Samsung but I've not made any decisions yet
 
  • Like
Reactions: max2
I would be very interested to know whats the best TVs out there by someone who is more into A/V. I used to believe in the Samsung displays but after buying an expensive one and having display issues like within a year, they seem to have dropped the ball on quality control and got too snobby. It doesn't help that they have been caught recording screenshots of what their tvs are running and whatever data collection they do.

I wonder if Sony is better?
 
  • Like
Reactions: max2
@maflynn

Here’s my take on this:

When I don’t know about something, I’ll reach out to a connections that has more knowledge than I, and when it comes to TVs, there’s Enough research that you could spend a day if you wanted to find out ‘what’s the best TV’.

In the past, I reached out to a decent source that I knew who works in the ‘tech sector‘ and I asked him specifically if I wanted to choose between what manufacturer would produce a quality picture with little to hardware technical issues, he immediately told me Samsung. Of course I asked why. What he told me was (Unbiased), consumers are generally attracted to companies like Visio, TCL, Magnavox, because they offer such cheap prices on such large displays. So consumers generally are Under the mindset that we’re getting a ‘great deal for the money’, but little do they know, the quality on those TVs is subpar in some ranges. He went on to say that these displays from said Manufactures above have displays experiencing light bleed, clusters of dead pixels, dust behind the displays, green hues that can’t be adjusted or repaired, shoddy speakers which affect the sound disruption, etc. He went on to tell me that Visio was actually doing really well for years, and then they changed chipset manufacturers, which apparently was a lesser-there-of- quality, and their TV lifespans suffered and was shorting out considerably early, so if that is something to consider.

But, let me get to the point, he told me the most important thing when it comes to a smart TV isn’t just a quality picture, he said all it’s about the ‘chip sets‘ they are using in the TV. He said if they’re using garbage chipsets, the longevity of the TV will be shortened and the picture quality suffers. Not to mention, the integrated software these other off-brand smart TVs use stutter and lag.

Now, that’s not to say that Sony, Samsung, Phillips, don’t have issues either, but they use quality chipsets that have a more decent, calibrated display that produces a wider color gamut, accurate colors, brighter displays, ect.

I have a Samsung 4K 60” QLED in my theater room and it’s amazing. It’s not just about the picture quality, I received continual updates for software patches, it’s just a better TV all around, Decent sound, (Albeit I’m using a JBL Sound system that will cause an earthquake.😁) ect. Samsung has been in the industry for a long time, they have great hardware.

I have another Samsung 50” LCD in my living room, and that’s at least five years old and has been flawless. (Also, I have the same model in my bedroom that also has had zero issues, outstanding picture quality.)

In the end, if you’re looking to save money and that’s your priority, then obviously you have a lot of cheaper brands that you can choose, but you have to accept the trade offs the picture quality and chipsets might pose issues if you’re somebody that’s particular [Which I think We all are on a tech site to a degree], when you can spend the extra money on a better brand/more premium model and put yourself in a situation that you won’t have to make an exchange, When it’s likely in your better interest just to spend the extra money for manufacturer that’s using higher quality parts.
 
  • Like
Reactions: maflynn
maflynn said:
So I'm thinking of getting a 55+ inch 4k TV and any advice on what to avoid and/or what to get would greatly be appreciated.

I'm not sure if I should wait for Black Friday or get one before the Thanksgiving - getting one now has the advantage of using it at thanksgiving as the food is cooking.

So far here's what I found:
CostCo $400 - Samsung 58" - TU700D Series - 4K UHD LED LCD TV
CostCo $360 - Vizio 58" Class - V-Series - 4K UHD LED LCD TV

Walmart $326 - SAMSUNG 50" Class 4K Crystal UHD (2160P) LED Smart TV with HDR UN50TU7000 2020
Walmart $278 - TCL 55" Class 4K UHD LED Roku Smart TV HDR 4 Series 55S421
Walmart $469 - LG 55" Class 4K UHD 2160P NanoCell Smart TV with HDR 55NANO81UNA 2020 Model

BestBuy $477 - Samsung - 65" Class 7 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Tizen TV
BestBuy $377 - Samsung - 55" Class 7 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Tizen TV
BestBuy $400 - Samsung - 58" Class 7 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Tizen TV (looks to be the same as Costcos).

I am NOT going out to a store on Black Friday, and in all truthfulness I'm not sure if BB and Walmart TV sales will be in person only - you know show up at 4:00am or even 12:01am and wait in line for the off chance you'll snag a low priced TV.

Also I'm not all that comfortable about TCL, though googling them they seem to be a major supplied.

All in all I'm leaning towards Costco's Samsung but I've not made any decisions yet
Click to expand...
Look at refresh rate. When I bought my 65” the Vizio had the biggest refresh rate for the price, I want to say 240 or something like that. This purchase was 18 months ago and it cost $850. Prices have fallen a bit since then. ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: maflynn
Relentless Power said:
consumers are generally attracted to companies like Visio, TCL, Magnavox, because they offer such cheap prices on such large displays. So consumers generally are Under the mindset that we’re getting a ‘great deal
Click to expand...
My concern is why are they so cheap and what corners did they cut, while I'm a little intrigued by TCL, I'm hard pressed to seriously consider them
 
  • Like
Reactions: max2
Huntn said:
Look at refresh rate. When I bought my 65” the Vizio had the biggest refresh rate for the price
Click to expand...
I think my budget is going to be on the low-ish side, so the models that have some sort of hybrid 120 refresh rate is a bit higher, but I'll be reviewing the specs between a 55" and 58" Maybe I'll get a better 55" tv that costs the same as the Costco 58" model.
 
I'm also looking into 4K TVs at the moment, 65", but probably in a lower end of the market.

I've more or less gotten it down to 2 2020 models:


The latter having an LG display, as far as I can tell.

I'm leaning towards the latter, but are (well up) on the fence to see it any will be on sale for Black Friday.

Also waiting - more and more impatiently - for a new Apple TV 4K, to replace my old Apple TV 4 HD. :)
 
I'm still googling and researching, for something that started off as a lark / impulse its now turning into more indepth :p


So far as what I've found is for "budget" 4k TVs they're using VA panels, with the exception of LG, which uses IPS. I've been waffling between the following:

Samsung 55" - TU850D Series - 4K UHD LED LCD TV For 479
Samsung 55" - TU700D Series - 4K UHD LED LCD TV for 379
Samsung 58" - TU700D Series - 4K UHD LED LCD TV for 399
LG 55" Class - UN7300 Series - 4K UHD LED LCD TV for 379

There seems to be a general consensus that the series 8 Samsung has some better bells and whistles like voice activation. Better gaming modes, and supposedly faster pro-motion refresh rates. The reviews state 240, but all of the documentation states 120, which is the same as the series 7. The funny thing is the Samsung remote for the series 8 is devoid of nearly all buttons, you are almost required to use bixby, that sort of turns me off.

The viewing angles seem good, and because its VA panels, the contrast is better then the LG. I can see myself spending 400 dollars, I am struggling at 500. My living room tv (which this is replacing) is an ancient 34" Samsung with no features, and I paid 800 new waaaaay back in the day.

My point is, will I notice the added features of the series 8 over the 7 when I have such an old TV now? I play my PS4 on a 5 year old 50" TV in my bedroom, and my goal is to get a PS5/Xbox X so the Series 8's enhanced modes for game playing is maybe the only draw but I'm sure the 7 won't be horrible.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 44267547
Here's remote I was talking about while I generally don't use a TV remote because of the age of my Tvs, I think with the built in apps, we'd be more willing too, and in all honesty I'm not liking what I see. No way to easily type in numbers and what not.
1605795988713.png
 
I wouldn't worry so much about built in apps - you should be hanging an AppleTV/Roku/Fire device off it anyway (or a gaming console). The integrated software interface tends to be garbage in comparison, and you'll be able to upgrade the streaming device several times over the life of your TV.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MacNut, D.T., maflynn and 1 other person
You mentioned you were looking at Walmart in your OP. Two years ago we got a 55" SCEPTRE 4K from Walmart. Cost us $250. They are still selling it for that: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sceptre-...ID181X40GcYESB_HF2v74SQKGqSBhIwhoC6bwQAvD_BwE

The 50" (still 4K) is $200 and they have a couple Smart TVs for a a bit more. I've found the brand to be pretty decent, although like most flatscreens the sound sucks. We ended up buying that brand's soundbar. I use the TV from time to time as a sixth display for my MacPro. Makes playing movies and videos off the HD of the Mac to the TV easy.
 
Just to update this thread, I opted for LG 65" Class - UN7300 Series - 4K UHD LED LCD TV.

Based on some recommendations from friends, I decided to spend a little more and get the 65, which sadly meant that I needed to get a new TV console, as my old one was only 54" long. So that just means my savings account took a bigger hit then I really wanted.

The plus for the 65 is given my living room size, and orientation, the 65" is a better option. The new tv stand is another needed item, my current one is in horrible condition, with the doors coming off (to be fair, those cabinet doors fell off on day 1). Now with the new cabinet the entire living room will look less trashy ;)

As for the TV itself, I decided on the LG, based on the reviews, more positive ones then the Samsung, which surprisingly had a noticeable amount of bad reviews. Secondly its running webos, it that seems to be better received then what Samsung rocks with. The remote has actual buttons as opposed to Samsungs, as noted above. But most important is that its an IPS panel instead of VA, and while the blacks won't be as black as a VA panel, I'm getting a larger viewing angle. My living room is oddly shaped and having a larger viewing angle and still able to see the TV image was something high on my list.

Sadly by the time, we got everything, I'm too tired to do anything, so I'll break down the old falling apart tv stand, and then set up the new stand. Then maybe for Monday Night football, I'll be able to watch on my new TV :D
 
  • Like
Reactions: max2
The LG CX series TV sets support Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync as well as variable rate refresh (VRR) for the new game consoles (Xbox X & S, PS5).

The 55" model has been in my wishlist for months, someday I will pull the trigger.
 
maflynn said:
So I'm thinking of getting a 55+ inch 4k TV and any advice on what to avoid and/or what to get would greatly be appreciated.

I'm not sure if I should wait for Black Friday or get one before the Thanksgiving - getting one now has the advantage of using it at thanksgiving as the food is cooking.

So far here's what I found:
CostCo $400 - Samsung 58" - TU700D Series - 4K UHD LED LCD TV
CostCo $360 - Vizio 58" Class - V-Series - 4K UHD LED LCD TV

Walmart $326 - SAMSUNG 50" Class 4K Crystal UHD (2160P) LED Smart TV with HDR UN50TU7000 2020
Walmart $278 - TCL 55" Class 4K UHD LED Roku Smart TV HDR 4 Series 55S421
Walmart $469 - LG 55" Class 4K UHD 2160P NanoCell Smart TV with HDR 55NANO81UNA 2020 Model

BestBuy $477 - Samsung - 65" Class 7 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Tizen TV
BestBuy $377 - Samsung - 55" Class 7 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Tizen TV
BestBuy $400 - Samsung - 58" Class 7 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Tizen TV (looks to be the same as Costcos).

I am NOT going out to a store on Black Friday, and in all truthfulness I'm not sure if BB and Walmart TV sales will be in person only - you know show up at 4:00am or even 12:01am and wait in line for the off chance you'll snag a low priced TV.

Also I'm not all that comfortable about TCL, though googling them they seem to be a major supplied.

All in all I'm leaning towards Costco's Samsung but I've not made any decisions yet
Click to expand...
Best Buy just had a great deal the other day, I got a 4K FireTV 55 inch for like $270. I think it’s amazing and paired up really well with my Bose sound bar. I was able to go from three remotes to one (tv, Bose, fire stick before). Depends on what yo7 looking for, I’d go for that. 65 Samsung for $477 out of your list but I didn’t need something that big when I bought mine.
 
For the record, both Vizo and TCL makes very good-to-incredible sets, compare them at any price level and they're easily competitive (if not exceeding the competition on various metrics, even in the higher-ish end, ex: TCL Series 8). TCL just revised their Series 6 for 2020, now using Mini LED, getting spectacular reviews. This is a consumer marketspace, it's not like Sony or LG are boutique or ultra exotic (it's not like the loudspeaker market for example ...), there's lots of tech/component sharing (the new Vizio OLED sets use an LG panel), and have roughly matching features in the same price category.
 
  • Like
Reactions: wlisik
i would consider a wall mount for wahtever you get.

stores like Costco have a liberal return policy. Frequent the local costCo store that is expecting the most post holiday returns. Buy an out of box unit.
 
jeyf said:
i would consider a wall mount for wahtever you get.

stores like Costco have a liberal return policy. Frequent the local costCo store that is expecting the most post holiday returns. Buy an out of box unit.
Click to expand...
With sizes 50” up, wallmount is a must-have
 
StayWhatYouAre said:
Jumping on the band wagon , best Sony LED anyone say 50-55 ? not sure i want to go OLED yet
Click to expand...

There are more expensive models, but the X900H (also sold as the X90CH through Costco, X95/X950 in the UK), 55" is the smallest size for that model. Full array, supposed to be pretty stunning PQ, and do an outstanding job of upscaling (even decent sound if you were limited to the TV speakers). There was some dings on it for not shipping with HDMI 2.1, but that's apparently been updated through a firmware download.

The only other major negative marks I've seen are on the "smart features", I guess the Android based UI is craptacular. I don't factor that into any of my TV assessments as we only use external media devices (AppleTV, game consoles).

FWIW, we're skipping OLED on the soon-to-be replacement set for main TV room, not cost related, light/brightness in that room, a few other factors. We still own a Panasonic Plasma as one of our sets, so we're OK with non-LCD based tech, but I think the next major development post OLED will resolve its shortcomings.
 
  • Like
Reactions: StayWhatYouAre and max2
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back