TV Upgrade

alexisonfire · 25 Dec 2012 at 00:04

Considering upgrading my TV in the upcoming sales and was wondering what to look out for at the moment. I will be upgrading from a samsung PS50C680.

I would like to go slightly bigger, maybe 55-60", and if possible for the money, better quality. 3D is not important too me, i only got my current TV because it was the best performing for the size/money a few years ago.

One thing i love about my current TV is the contrast and blacks are fantastic, and considering i only watch my TV at night in a pitch black room, it brings a lot of depth to films. I don't want to lose that!

I have no preference to LED/Plasma, but have always thought plasma are better for films and LED for gaming. Budget is around £1000, what sets should i look at?

lucid · 25 Dec 2012 at 00:43

Two thoughts strike me...

1) the bigger the TV the more you have to spend to keep the picture looking tidy

2) are you really going to notice the size difference all that much after a week or two?

With the above in mind, and a little lateral thinking, I have a couple of alternative suggestions to throw in to the pot.

Have you thought about keeping your TV but having it calibrated? I mean professionally calibrated, not some half baked amateur attempt but the real deal. You've already said it gives great blacks and contrast. Calibration is a chunk of money; about £350. But it add superb colour rendition and astonishing depth that will make everything else you have seen seem a little shallow and plastic by comparison.

Alternatively, if you're going to get something bigger then get something bigger! Get a projector not a new TV. 72"~84"~100"... now that's a decent size upgrade. There are some fine projectors around for £700. Add a basic screen and projector ceiling mount and you'll be in business.

Broken Hope · 25 Dec 2012 at 11:56

To be fair you can get a good calibration for a fair bit less than £350, I've been quoted £250.

Mal X · 25 Dec 2012 at 16:15

Broken Hope said:
To be fair you can get a good calibration for a fair bit less than £350, I've been quoted £250.

that's a serious waste of money :eek:

just go to AV forums and find out the tvs menu settings, every thread has them

mame · 25 Dec 2012 at 16:16

Saw this one advertised on the TV. Not a recommendation as I've never seen one but it fits the size and budget that you wanted.

zakblood · 25 Dec 2012 at 16:19

if you want the best, try this, it rocks,

LG 47LM670T LED HD 1080p 3D Smart TV, 47 Inch with Freeview HD and 4x 3D Glasses

and in budget, you need to see it to understand why i have picked this for you and anyone who wants the best.

Broken Hope · 25 Dec 2012 at 16:29

Mal X said:
that's a serious waste of money

just go to AV forums and find out the tvs menu settings, every thread has them

Which doesn't get you a calibrated set at all, every single TV is different, copying settings does not get you an accurate picture. The greyscale will still be off as will the colours.

I was using copied settings for my monitor, then got a eye one calibrator, the difference was large.

Mal X · 25 Dec 2012 at 16:54

for £899 quid you can get the Panny TX- P50ST50.

alexisonfire · 25 Dec 2012 at 21:14

I've been looking at the P50UT50B, seems an absolute bargain at 599.99 on special offer. Would it be much of an upgrade to my TV though?

Broken Hope · 25 Dec 2012 at 21:52

Should have better black levels and motion handling.

You can also apply for 2 pairs of free 3D glasses too.

http://promotions.panasonic.co.uk/offer/smart-viera-3d-glasses-promotion/

Here's a review of the 42" version, the 50" version should be all but identical

http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/panasonic-tx-p42ut50b-p50ut50b-201209252218.htm

kinetic747 · 26 Dec 2012 at 09:18

alexisonfire said:
I've been looking at the P50UT50B, seems an absolute bargain at 599.99 on special offer. Would it be much of an upgrade to my TV though?

It has no anti glare coating on the screen but if this doesn't bother you then it's a bargain. :cool:

Mal X · 26 Dec 2012 at 11:13

As said in the review... ``it's better than any LED for Blacks/ motion/ screen uniformity``.

it wont be as bright as an LED, no plasma is, but at night it'll look perfect and have a way superior screen image.

all LEDs suffer from Backlight bleeding, poorer blacks and poorer response rates for gaming.

alexisonfire · 26 Dec 2012 at 14:47

So i popped down today to have a look and out of all the TV's on display, the only two that stood out (after testing them with a 1080p source) was the samsung UE55ES8000 & UE46ES8000. The 55 was out of budget (@£1800) and i didn't think the £1400 asking price for the 46" was worth it over mine. Yes it was brighter and slightly sharper, but it lacked the deep blacks and contrast of my plasma...and it was 4" smaller.

The quality of the £1000-£1200 55-60" were absolutely shocking (which im not very surprised about). So it looks like i've got my current TV for another year

Mal X · 26 Dec 2012 at 15:05

alexisonfire said:
So i popped down today to have a look and out of all the TV's on display, the only two that stood out (after testing them with a 1080p source) was the samsung UE55ES8000 & UE46ES8000. The 55 was out of budget (@£1800) and i didn't think the £1400 asking price for the 46" was worth it over mine. Yes it was brighter and slightly sharper, but it lacked the deep blacks and contrast of my plasma...and it was 4" smaller.

The quality of the £1000-£1200 55-60" were absolutely shocking (which im not very surprised about). So it looks like i've got my current TV for another year

yea i'm afraid so, THEY'RE TRYING TO SELL YOU A BIG LIE, because when you see these LED tv's they look awfall.

Currys weren't just rude, they were aggressive too, their Staff training is dreadful, as soon as i said i wanted a plasma they turned nasty

you saw two that looked ok, well to me only the Sony looked ok.....plus the two plasmas of course.

for you i'd say either the 51'' Sammy plasma (cheap) or that UT 50'' Panny, either of these plus the big PS60E530 will be better than the LEDs