32" tv- to 4k or not to 4k

adolf hamster · 27 May 2021 at 09:52

currently mulling over getting a new tv, something a bit bigger in the 32" range.

main priorities are smart apps for amazon prime/youtube (don't use conventional tv so any freeview/sat tuners are irrelevant).

currently looking between the sony KDL32WD751BU and samsung LS32AM700UUXEN

both about the right size, similar price.

the samsung appears to have voice control (for the 0 times i will ever use that feature) and is a 4k screen where the sony is 1080.

given most of the content is probably gonna be 1080 anyway, would the screen quality (colours, contrast, blacks etc) be better on the sony? i do a lot of night watching so the ability to turn down the brightness to being pretty dark would be preferable.

krooton · 28 May 2021 at 09:53

4k on a 32" screen being used at TV distance is kinda pointless, but if the prices are similar, go for whatever meets your viewing requirements more (viewing angles, black levels, motion, etc)

The Sony is edge-lit IPS.
The Samsung is VA, which means better blacks, but worse viewing angles.

I'm all about the VA panel, my monitor is VA, my 65" main tv is VA, and our bedroom 32" is VA.

adolf hamster · 28 May 2021 at 11:40

thanks for the info.

better blacks methinks would be the priority, it's £20 between them so reckon i'll go with the samsung.

lucid · 28 May 2021 at 14:16

A £50 Amazon Fire TV stick will give you an output compatible with 1080p TVs and 4K UHD TVs, plus voice control, plus all the catch-up and streaming stuff you can run for free, plus support KODI and PLEX. Speaking of support, it's far more likely that the apps on a Fire TV stick will still be working long after the Samsung ones have stopped being supported.

With all this in mind, and considering that the Samsung is £300-ish, if you switched plans to a Fire TV stick + monitor, could you get something better in a monitor than this Samsung with the remaining £250 balance?

Merlin5 · 28 May 2021 at 14:21

Apologies for gatecrashing, but I wanted a Samsung or Sony 32" but amazingly neither of them do a bluetooth tv in that size, unless anyone knows of one.

adolf hamster · 28 May 2021 at 14:57

lucid said:
A £50 Amazon Fire TV stick will give you an output compatible with 1080p TVs and 4K UHD TVs, plus voice control, plus all the catch-up and streaming stuff you can run for free, plus support KODI and PLEX. Speaking of support, it's far more likely that the apps on a Fire TV stick will still be working long after the Samsung ones have stopped being supported.

With all this in mind, and considering that the Samsung is £300-ish, if you switched plans to a Fire TV stick + monitor, could you get something better in a monitor than this Samsung with the remaining £250 balance?

a cursory glance suggests 4k monitors in the 32" range aren't any cheaper, let alone by enough to make up for the cost of the fire stick.

plus, given i watch a lot of youtube i remember the last spat between amazon and google when they dropped the app from the fire stick, so support isn't guaranteed there either.

Merlin5 said:
Apologies for gatecrashing, but I wanted a Samsung or Sony 32" but amazingly neither of them do a bluetooth tv in that size, unless anyone knows of one.

the samsung i'm looking at has bluetooth listed under it's connections? although it doesn't specify what it's using the bluetooth for (apart from wifi all my screen stuff is still done with cables)

decided to go for the samsung.

Merlin5 · 28 May 2021 at 15:20

adolf hamster said:
a cursory glance suggests 4k monitors in the 32" range aren't any cheaper, let alone by enough to make up for the cost of the fire stick.

plus, given i watch a lot of youtube i remember the last spat between amazon and google when they dropped the app from the fire stick, so support isn't guaranteed there either.

the samsung i'm looking at has bluetooth listed under it's connections? although it doesn't specify what it's using the bluetooth for (apart from wifi all my screen stuff is still done with cables)

decided to go for the samsung.

Actually, I see business currys have a 32" Samsung LS32AM700UUXEN 4K Ultra HD HDR LED smart tv with 'Bixby' whatever that is, and with bluetooth, for £319.98. I could buy that. But the bluetooth is only 4.2 and my LG is 5.0. I don't know if 4.2 would degrade the bluetooth AV sync?

lucid · 28 May 2021 at 15:24

adolf hamster said:
a cursory glance suggests 4k monitors in the 32" range aren't any cheaper, let alone by enough to make up for the cost of the fire stick.

plus, given i watch a lot of youtube i remember the last spat between amazon and google when they dropped the app from the fire stick, so support isn't guaranteed there either.

Fair comment regarding Amazon/Youtube. To counter though, given the history of Smart TVs, I still think the apps aren't that well supported in the medium term. So.to buy one principally for its apps seems to me like building on shakey foundations. Still, you can always add some kind of external media streamer device if/when it all goes Pete Tong

adolf hamster · 28 May 2021 at 15:58

Merlin5 said:
Actually, I see business currys have a 32" Samsung LS32AM700UUXEN 4K Ultra HD HDR LED smart tv with 'Bixby' whatever that is, and with bluetooth, for £319.98. I could buy that. But the bluetooth is only 4.2 and my LG is 5.0. I don't know if 4.2 would degrade the bluetooth AV sync?

that's the same one i'm looking at, i think bixby is voice control? not that i care about voice control.

could try the bluetooth once i get it? although not sure what bluetooth version my phone has.

lucid said:
Fair comment regarding Amazon/Youtube. To counter though, given the history of Smart TVs, I still think the apps aren't that well supported in the medium term. So.to buy one principally for its apps seems to me like building on shakey foundations. Still, you can always add some kind of external media streamer device if/when it all goes Pete Tong

i get what you mean in terms of losing support, although my current lg has been pretty solid for functional updates over the years.

as you say if/when app support becomes an issue can always plug in something more current and continue.

Merlin5 · 28 May 2021 at 16:08

adolf hamster said:
that's the same one i'm looking at, i think bixby is voice control? not that i care about voice control.

could try the bluetooth once i get it? although not sure what bluetooth version my phone has.

Ah cool, I thought it might be the same one you're looking at. I'm popping into my local currys in a bit and will see if they have it in the shop. But they're a bit useless as they can never locate remote controls to test TVs with. Do you have bluetooth wireless buds that you'd be testing with the sound from the tv?

adolf hamster · 28 May 2021 at 17:20

Merlin5 said:
Ah cool, I thought it might be the same one you're looking at. I'm popping into my local currys in a bit and will see if they have it in the shop. But they're a bit useless as they can never locate remote controls to test TVs with. Do you have bluetooth wireless buds that you'd be testing with the sound from the tv?

ahh yes, a fellow earphone user.

my current setup i'm running wired with the jankiest setup of a long optical cable and amazon special DAC.

i do have a bluetooth speaker, could certainly see if audio over bluetooth works but both the speaker and my ears are unlikely to be a good judge of audio quality?

Merlin5 · 28 May 2021 at 18:40

adolf hamster said:
ahh yes, a fellow earphone user.

my current setup i'm running wired with the jankiest setup of a long optical cable and amazon special DAC.

i do have a bluetooth speaker, could certainly see if audio over bluetooth works but both the speaker and my ears are unlikely to be a good judge of audio quality?

Actually adolph, I just came back from Currys and discovered that 32" Samsung we're interested in is just a pc monitor with wi-fi and smart features but doesn't have a tv tuner or aerial socket.

I've got not choice so will stick with my LG 32". I wish I liked the picture as much as my Samsung but it's fine and has bluetooth.

Anyone know how much I could sell a 32" 2009 Samsung LCD 1080p in perfect condition with a Manhattan T1 HD box?

adolf hamster · 28 May 2021 at 19:15

Merlin5 said:
Actually adolph, I just came back from Currys and discovered that 32" Samsung we're interested in is just a pc monitor with wi-fi and smart features but doesn't have a tv tuner or aerial socket.

possibly, mans doesn't have a tv licence nor does he know where the hell the aerial port is, so online only is fine by me.

adolf hamster · 2 Jun 2021 at 16:41

well picked it up today.

out of the box impressions seems to be a nice boost over my old tv, although given that's pushing a decade old probably not too surprising.

as has been said it is very much a monitor masquerading as a tv, the main thing is the outputs or lack thereof.

you get a couple of hdmi, a usbc and that's it. so looks like audio is gonna be a fun one to figure out.

my current setup is a long optical cable, but that's not gonna do now. i guess my best bet is gonna be finding a bluetooth reciever of decent quality, so many of these kinds of devices buzz like mad if you use them plugged in.