Help with Garage Conversion TV & Sound

[thisisthecount]

I could really do with any advice, as I'm getting a bit stressed about it now.

So, a decision has been made to just fill the room with adequate sound for the occasional movie on an 85" TV.

I'm going to go for a budget 85" of around £1500, and hopefully I will find something I will be happy with.
Soundbar-wise too, I'm thinking around the £600 mark if that's possible, but with a separate Bluetooth base in the corner?

I think I am considering something simple and cost-effective. I don't have the possibility of putting a shelf for a sound bar under the TV as I want the 85" TV to rotate towards either the left or right on a really slim strong bracket which I am yet to find anything suitable which pushes back slim enough - any ideas?
The soundbar needs to pack a "bit" of punch

(I can use headphones for the treadmill but how would I connect Bluetooth IF watching from the firestick on the TV? ), but I've never purchased one before.

I'm at first fix with the builders for another couple of days, so I could, in theory, plug in a power cable and an optical cable too, for sure. I think that would be sufficient.
Can a sound bar be installed and "does" it need to rotate with the TV? OR simply leaving it in situ against the wall is good enough?

I need to find a good enough soundbar where I could;

Bluetooth from a phone Select optical so the TV comes through it?
Amazon Firestick hopefully can play through the sound bar?


Thanks for any advice

 

[thisisthecount]

Yeah I agree with hornetstinger. How big is the garage? Get the tv sorted first then build up your audio system. Use ebay for some cheap avr (I recommend yamaha) denon's and Onkyo's are a plentiful. Look out for a good sub and center. Monitor audio bonze has some lowish resale value. I got silvers for front and center with a crossover at 60hz and love them.

@sg0 its only about 5mx5m

 

[thisisthecount]

I wouldn't use Optical between the TV and sound bar for a few reasons.

1. Although it still does a good job sound-wise, as a standard, it is being phased out. HDMI (with the ARC or later eARC feature) is where things are heading. If in 5-7 years you come to change either the TV or sound bar then it's likely that your product choices will be very much more limited if Optical is the only connection provisioned for in your installation. Some may respond that there are optical to HDMI ARC audio extractors - and they'd be completely correct. But it's not an elegant solution when you can just go straight for ARC/eARC with the HDMI connection
2. Your system and needs appear to be quite simple. There's not a tonne of extra hardware sources or a complex AV pre-amp/power-amp set-up, so why not benefit from the hardware control that HDMI provides? Turn your TV on and your sound bar comes on. Change the volume with the TV remote or any set-top box such as Virgin / Sky / Freeview PVR where the remote is programmed to work the telly remote and you'll find that the sound bar changes. What's more, you won't need to mute or turn down the TV speakers. They'll automatically silence because sound is redirected to the sound bar. Finish your gym session or movie night, and one power button for the TV turns everything else off
3. HDMI ARC (and eARC) supports Dolby Atmos. Optical does not. With a £600 sound bar budget, you're going to come across a large proportion of sound bars that include Atmos upfiring speakers. You'll be curious. but with optical you'll have no opportunity to explore this

Standards change. Trying to second-guess what might be coming in the next 5-10 years is a waste of time. Trying to cable for standards that aren't here yet is a complete fools errand. By the same token, installing some cable now that's already a fading standard isn't a great plan either. The best you can do is install for what's foreseeable (HDMI ARC and, more so, eARC), then have a plan to make cable changing easier in the future.

ARC and eARC doesn't need anything fancy from the cable. For a 3-5m lead something from Amazon's Basics range will do just fine. It's only carrying audio, not 4K or 8K video, and so £7~£10 will kill it.

What you should do though us have the spark install some conduit in-wall. A piece of 38mmx25mm Mini Trunking will allow you to pull a new HDMI-sized plug end through without too much trouble. Have the spark finish the upper and lower faceplate positions with brush plates. These are like the bristles on the draught-excluder on some letterboxes. This will allow you to hide some surplus cable in-wall, and also give you a much flusher finish than a plug end with cable tail sticking out at 90 degrees from some HDMI wall socket because it 'looks neat' but ends-up being impractical.

BT Headphones: You'll connect these to the TV. Something to be aware of those is the features of the TV. When you buy a huge TV at the lower end of the 85" price range you'll need to doublecheck that all the specs important to you are covered. This includes having a TV that can act as a BT transmitter. In an ideal world you'll have the options to choose if the TV is a BT receiver or transmitter, and then when it's a transmitter, whether the sound goes just to BT or to the sound bar too.

"The soundbar needs to pack a "bit" of punch" - I understand what you're getting at, but it doesn't really mean much in a quantitative sense. The sound bar wattage figures won't help you much either. Much of what's claimed is a work of fiction. You'll probably need to listen to some sound bars playing at the sort of level you anticipate using and in a size of room as big or bigger than the one you plan. You need to hear if the sound hardens as the volume increases. If it does, then the amps are struggling. Change model.

Sound bar rotating or staying as-is: Sound does spread. You can sit off axis to a degree. How much though depends on the size and shape of the room, and where the gear is installed relative yo where you want to be. Put some dimensions and angles down and we can advise better from there.

Your Amazon Fire TV stick doesn't need to be connected to the sound bar. Plug it into the TV. Let the TV deal with pictures in up to 4K res with Dolby Vision and yadda yada yadda. Let the TV pass audio to the sound bar via HDMI ARC. It will be sending stereo PCM (with/without Dolby Stereo Surround), Dolby Digital in all of the channel variants from mono (1.0) through to 5.1 with or without Atmos. DD+ /DDplus is 5.1DD with Atmos enhancement. That's as good as it gets from a Fire TV or any streaming stick/box at the moment with the main streaming services. There is talk of the Marvel films getting DTS, but last time I checked there was still nothing better than DD+.

Bluetooth to the sound bar: That's a pretty standard feature now, and it won't be affected by the TV sending BT to your headphones.

thanks @lucid
Thanks a lot for your guidance here, some of it I totally get.

Just so I am thinking straight here, I think I’m going to run a HDMI 2.1 cable then, maybe a micro HDMI 2.1 as I noticed one of the Samsung soundbars seems to have this in the back of it.

So, I’m thinking these are a good price for what I could get - it’s only a 5m x 5m room?

Right now, the builder is pressuring me so I know where the HDMI cable and power cable needs to go for the soundbar as I’d be mounding it on the wall and don’t want to see any holes behind it, so positioning is key if that makes sense.


The 85 will just go straight now, I’ve decided and agree that the room isn’t big enough to warrant being able to rotate it I think. Same with the bar. The Samsung S800B looks very nice and slim and will look better underneath the screen, as the Samsung Q930B seems to look more like a shelf as its a lot deeper? But would you say its way less inferior than the Q930B?

I could research forever but the pressure is based on having to commit to where the holes are behind the soundbar and each soundbar will have its sound/power ports so I guess by narrowing down to these two with yours or others’ recommendations then it might help?

You mention HDMI (with the ARC or later eARC feature - what should I be checking when doing a final check on these and an 85” TV to make sure

Guess these should be sufficient?

(These both seem to state and mention a couple of things you said I should future-proof or “current proof - Dolby Atmos DTS + HDMI eARC” )

(any 2.1 hdmi cable right? - don’t have to be specific )

Samsung Q930B - £630

https://amzn.eu/d/fvENE53

Or the

Samsung S800B All In One Soundbar? £369

https://amzn.eu/d/4mVgHAO

It seems like the slim one is so cheap?

Won’t it be good enough to

You mentioned “38mmx25mm Mini Trunking” nothing will be visible so I’m struggling with this - I guess there might be something flexible and maybe use a rod-type solution.

 

[thisisthecount]

EDIT - found this on John Lewis on offer - Guessing its better than theQ930B?

 

[thisisthecount]

For Sale - 4x Dali Spektor 1s and 1x Dali Zensor Pico Vokal

Hi I'm selling the below 5 speakers which were used through a Denon x3400h in an atmos 5.1.2 system. I'm keeping the sub and biking speakers. The Pico vokal was used as the centre and was wall mounted below the TV. 2 of the Spektor 1s we're wall mounted next to the TV, please see rubber...

www.avforums.com

Don't waste your time and money on a soundbar. They're ok for bedroom not main cinema room

Good idea for some, for me I just want something mediocre, simple instal, no more extra cabling etc etc

I’m not clear whether this is a dedicated cinema room or a gym/other space.

I’d buy some half decent 100% copper speaker cable and run it around the room at the same time as your first fix. Also get your HDMI and trunking in at the same time as suggested by @lucid. Having the option of a surround sound system would be great and would be a shame not to take the opportunity for the sake of a roll of cable. You don’t have to use it and could easily plaster over the cable if you decide not to (run it into back boxes so it’s easier to find).

hi there, thanks

It’s really a hybrid - gym but with a cinema sometimes when the kids have friends over. Nothing major though.

What cabling would you say and what runs do you think as I have not done this before. Would you say one in each 4 corners next to the power sockets?

 

[thisisthecount]

@thisisthecount Have a look at the sound bar reviews at the rtings web site LINK They are comprehensive and give useful short summary comparisons between the most likely choices at similar price points. It's worth spending a bit of time noodling through and drilling down for the extra info.

IMO your £600 budget is better spent in a sound bar for a few reasons.

There isn't a huge choice in 5.1 AV receiver + speaker packages any more. Sound bars have nibbled away too much at that market. Anything that is available new will be significantly compromised in the speaker department compared to the sort of system level that @hornetstinger would like to see you install. That's nothing against hornetstinger. He's doing what he thinks is best, and yes, if the budget was more or you were willing to buy used (a whole other can of worms) then no doubt you could improve the performance, but I don't see that as your priority.

There are significant manufacturing economies made when nearly all the speakers and electronics inhabit a single box. Sound bars don't yet pip amp and speaker set-ups for audio fidelity, but they might just be good enough, and that's what's more important to you.

If you can afford better then do spend the extra. £600 might be a figure you've research, or it could have been pulled out of the air, we don't know. We only have the info that you provide. The more you tell us then the better able we are to help you narrow down the choices.

I think I could be persuaded to spend a couple of hundred more if its a no brainer to go from this £630 to an £800

Samsung Q990B Soundbar Speaker (2022) - 11.1.4ch
£865.00

https://amzn.eu/d/doaVDYp

or the original modest

Samsung Q930B Soundbar Speaker (2022) - 9.1.4ch
£629

https://amzn.eu/d/dBd6TPm

The Q930B seems like a bargain but would I really hear the difference in your opinion @lucid

 

[thisisthecount]

For example I used e-arc but I was having issues with losing lock and pops, even though the TV supports all formats, TV supports e-arc, and so does my avr. TV had four inputs.

So I put all my devices into my avr then onto my TV.

If I had a soundbar I'd be screwed. A hdmi switch would possibly sort it but it would have to have two hdmi outputs , one for the TV and one for the soundbar. Those won't be cheap and that also means another remote, more cabling, and needing macros on a remote.

take your point totally. Just can't afford to go to that level. So are you saying the more expensive =Soundbar for (me) isn't worth the price difference by the sounds of it?

 

[thisisthecount]

Just picking up on some point's I missed from this reply, @thisisthecount



There isn't really a 'HDMI 2.1' cable, but think there should be. It bugs me that the circuitry behind the ports (sockets) are referred to by the various numbered HDMI standards e.g. 1.3, 1.4, 2.0a, 2,1b, but the cables are simply High Speed, Premium High Speed, and Ultra High Speed. There's no natural synergy between the two naming systems. No wonder resellers started slapping on HDMI X.Xx

The audio signal doesn't need anything fancy. A High Speed cable should be enough, but anything labelled 'HDMI 1.4' or higher should nail it.




For sound, going too slim is not your friend. Slim means limited space for speakers, and that in turn means speakers that produce very little of the midrange frequencies, mostly just the higher frequencies. When that happens, then either the sub is used to try and fill in, but then you get the effect where part of the dialogue sound is coming from the sub and a bit coming from the sound bar, or they just leave a hole where a chunk of the midrange should be.

The Q930 is significantly better than the S800B. It's worth the extra.




Any TV with a HDMI 1.4 or higher HDMI spec should support ARC. It has been out since 2009, so that's well over a decade.
HDMI 2.1 is the standard where eARC started to be supported. Officially it has been available for about five years, but it took a little while for it to trickle down from the higher end models to the midrange products. Because of licencing costs, there are some budget products that only support ARC, so this one is worth double checking.



Think "lift shaft between floors" - It's a vertical shaft with entry/exit points at different floor levels. You don't see the shaft because it's hidden behind the wall, but it makes it easy to travel from one floor level to the next. 'Travel' in this instance means pulling the old cable out whilst pulling a new cable through. The shaft has to be large enough in width and depth to accommodate the HDMI plugs plus allow them to pass through what is effectively a 90 degree bend at the lower and upper access points as they're being pulled.

thanks, this is all very useful...
So today, I popped into my local Currys and found a few items on display which I could compare;


First off, there were three of the Samsung soundbar sets (none had rear speakers)
Original one I am considering as I liked the idea of rear speakers -

Samsung HW-Q930B​

Samsung HW-Q930B Bluetooth Wi-Fi Cinematic Soundbar with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Wireless Subwoofer & Rear Speakers, Black

Buy Samsung HW-Q930B Bluetooth Wi-Fi Cinematic Soundbar with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Wireless Subwoofer & Rear Speakers, Black from our Soundbars range at John Lewis & Partners. Free Delivery on orders over £50.

www.johnlewis.com

So on their floor, I tried the demo

SAMSUNG HW-Q800C/XU 5.1.2

https://www.currys.co.uk/products/samsung-hwq800cxu-5.1.2-wireless-sound-bar-with-dolby-atmos-and-amazon-alexa-10248392.html

SAMSUNG HW-S800B/XU 3.1.2

https://www.currys.co.uk/products/samsung-hws800bxu-3.1.2-wireless-sound-bar-with-dolby-atmos-and-amazon-alexa-10238530.html

SAMSUNG HW-Q600C/XU 3.1.2

https://www.currys.co.uk/products/samsung-hwq600cxu-3.1.2-wireless-sound-bar-with-dolby-atmos-10248397.html

My test basically concluded as the S800B was very tinny. Yes nice and slim but no depth and sounded high pitch and just terrible IMHO.

The Q600C was second best for the price too, it wasn't bad and I could probably be happy.

The Q800C was noticeably better from a bass POV - the Bass box was bigger and sounded much better.

My question would be whether there's an old version of the HW-Q800C and whether or not it would sound as good?
I do wonder why it sounds much better? could it be the bass and the fact its got 11 speakers instead of 9 of the Q600C?


Next, I took a look at the TV options in the Samsung range




I compared the entry-level 85" since I don't have the budget for anything more than at a push... £1700 (and I really only wanted to spend around £1300)

After speaking to a Curry's sales guy, It seems they are waiting for the 2023 models to hit the floor but they do have the newer Samsungs on their website.

This one was pointed out =.

SAMSUNG UE85CU7100KXXU 85" Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV with Bixby & Alexa

https://www.currys.co.uk/products/samsung-ue85cu7100kxxu-85-smart-4k-ultra-hd-hdr-led-tv-with-bixby-and-alexa-10249054.html

I saw this on the floor and it wasn't too bad picture wise? But its the older one he said =

SAMSUNG UE85BU8000KXXU 85" Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV with Bixby, Alexa & Google Assistant

https://www.currys.co.uk/products/samsung-ue85bu8000kxxu-85-smart-4k-ultra-hd-hdr-led-tv-with-bixby-alexa-and-google-assistant-10238203.html

Then I was told about the fact that 60 Hz isn't that great? and I'd need to go to over 100 Hz?

Probably is its now getting to the £1699 level and I've already gone over my £1300 limit!

So this is the 120 Hz:

SAMSUNG UE85CU8000KXXU 85" Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV with Bixby & Alexa

https://www.currys.co.uk/products/samsung-ue85cu8000kxxu-85-smart-4k-ultra-hd-hdr-led-tv-with-bixby-and-alexa-10249058.html

I guess if I could get it for around the £1500 I'd probably push to the 120 Hz if it really is going to be that much better?

Any guidance - I realise many out there would probably be more inclined to go to much more expensive ones but I really don't have the budget

 

[thisisthecount]

Sound bars: Q600C vs Q800C; the 800 is the superior range between the two. The main bar is thicker which means more space for the drivers to develop a deeper richer tone compared to the 600. The sub on the 800 has an 8" driver versus 6.5" with the 600.

I'm puzzled why you wouldn't go for the Q930?

Okay, it's a 2022 model and not a 2023 model, but it comes from a higher range than all the other bars in your list. That means not only does it do 5.1.4 Atmos with proper rear speakers (the others don't, or has them as optional items which makes the whole thing a lot more expensive), but you also get superior tuning (it's tweaked better for sound as part of the design) and there's the room EQ feature and possibly slightly better amplification since rtings mentions less compression at higher volumes vs the 2022 Q800B.

Incidentally, the 2023 Q800C is a fraction better than the Q800B, but still not as good as the Q930B. My advice to you on this is clear: Buy the Q930B while you still can. You'll be kicking yourself you missed the deal once this stock is all sold through.

TVs - Crystal is Samsung's basic range. The 85" version of the CU8000 is a 100Hz/1200Hz set. UK TV is based on our mains frequency which is 50Hz. A TV which is 100Hz is able to draw twice as many pictures per second than one which is 50Hz. (50Hz = 50 pictures per second. 100Hz = 100) This helps with image clarity in fast motion. There's less motion blur. 60Hz and 120Hz comes about because we have a lot of US-sourced streaming content. Their mains frequency is 60Hz, so their base refresh rate is 60Hz too (60 images per second). Their better level sets do 120Hz.

Digital TVs bought in the UK can handle 60Hz too. a 100Hz set will scan at 120Hz as well.

Image processing plays a part with TVs too. Image processing doesn't change the number of images a panel can display per second, but it can do a better job of rendering the incoming image. In this respect the CU7100 has a slight advantage over the 8000 despite only being a 50Hz/60Hz set. The image processing is working more effectively with the 50Hz screen whereas it struggles to keep up with the 100Hz screen. the 7100 is better for gaming (faster response time).

The Achilles Heels with the Crystal sets are a lack of image brightness (too few LEDs behind the screen), and limited or no dimming features.

The brightness issue rears its head when comparing HDR versus standard dynamic range (SDR). The sets are sort of okay on SDR brightness. But there's nothing left in reserve to give the HDR images the extra pop they require to make those Marvel 4K streaming films really zing off the screen. These screens also struggle with the ability to dim all or some of the screen area to enhance the contrast.

I think what's crucifying you here is the drive to get a huge screen. The change in cost between a 75" and an 85" screen is disproportionate to the screen area increase. The 75" CU7100 is £849 at Currys. The 85" version is £1449. The 85" is 28% more screen area, but you're spending over 70% extra to get it.

If it was me, I'd buy a much better TV at 75" rather than stretching the budget too thin just to get 85". I'd give serious thought to the Sony XR75X90K at £1499. This ticks a lot more boxes. It's 100/120Hz, and adds full array local dimming (all the LEDs are behind the screen, and they can be dimmed in segments to enhance the screen contrast. The images are much brighter in both SDR and HDR. The motion processing is excellent compared to the Samsungs. You get far better clarity with fast motion and it's a great TV for gaming (low lag). There's also full support for variable refresh rate (VRR) if your console has that. Finally, Sonys can work with HDR10 and Dolby Vision. Samsungs don't support DV (it's political.) A smaller but far more vibrant screen is more eye-catching than a bigger dull one.

The Sony isn't perfect. Viewing the screen off axis results in the colour losing some impact. This is due to the VA panel and it's a trade-off for the far better contrast that these produce. The alternative would be a TV with an IPS panel (LG mostly) where you get a better viewing angle but the blacks look grey. The Samsungs are likely to use VA panels too, so you're no better off with them as they lose colour saturation too.

@lucid this is great, thanks for this.

So Q930B looks to be your recommendation and gives me rear speakers which kind of sounds awesome! I haven't heard one but based on listening to the HW-Q800C which sounded pretty punch to me in Currys and didn't have rear speakers, are you saying in theory the Q930B should sound the same or better perhaps? its only £629 here : https://www.reliant.co.uk/samsung-hwq930b-black-1000010470

Regarding 85" - I've had to commit to the calling already so that ship has sailed so I would like to still commit to 85"
What do you think? bearing in mind, it's not going to be a TV which will be scrutinised by a professional - just my teenage kids and adults partying and drinking half of the time?

 

[thisisthecount]

Save the £250 and get the 7100. Despite being 50Hz it's not that far off the 8000 performance and is actually a bit better than the 8000 for gaming.

The rear speakers on the 930 are wired, so while the walls are still open you should run the speaker wire for them.

Like the idea of the £250 saving, so this is fairly good price? https://www.samsung.com/uk/tvs/uhd-4k-tv/cu7100-85-inch-ue85cu7100kxxu/
Regarding the 930 - Oh damn, ‍ I can't see any reference here to them being wired when this guy unboxing? are you sure?

 

[thisisthecount]

If you know anyone with a Costco membership, the Samsung UE85CU7110KXXU, which appears to be all but identical to the UE85CU7100KXXU as far as I can tell, is available for £1369.99 at the moment (possibly online only)

I think I"m starting to warm to the UE85CU7110KXXU. (Amazon have it for £1,449) The research I've done points out the main differences in this 2023 version vs the 2022 UE85CU7100KXXU =

https://amzn.eu/d/adkSQ1a. (£599)
Why would the ZF be that much more? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-Q930B-Soundbar-Speaker-Built/dp/B09VQPPKZG/ref=sr_1_1

Both the Samsung UE85CU7110KXXU and the Samsung UE85CU7100KXXU have a native refresh rate of 60Hz. However, the UE85CU7110KXXU can support a variable refresh rate (VRR) of up to 120Hz, while the UE85CU7100KXXU can only support a VRR of up to 60Hz. This means that the UE85CU7110KXXU can display smoother motion when playing games that support VRR.

• Processor: The UE85CU7110KXXU has a newer processor, the Quantum 4K Processor Lite, while the UE85CU7100KXXU has the older Quantum Processor 4K.
• HDR: The UE85CU7110KXXU supports HDR10+, while the UE85CU7100KXXU only supports HDR10.
• HDMI ports: The UE85CU7110KXXU has four HDMI ports, while the UE85CU7100KXXU only has three.
• Price: The UE85CU7110KXXU is slightly more expensive than the UE85CU7100KXXU.

Regarding the soundbars, since the Q930B is completely wireless + you get rear speakers, and I would "hope" it sounds as good as or better than the Q800C/XU? but also I'd be gutted if it wasn't better than the : SAMSUNG HW-Q600C/XU 3.1.2

https://www.currys.co.uk/products/samsung-hwq600cxu-3.1.2-wireless-sound-bar-with-dolby-atmos-10248397.html

Here's my justification for the Q930B:

 

[thisisthecount]

You might want to doublecheck the user manual on this. Download the e-Manual in pdf format, then search for VRR, then follow the link to 'Using FreeSync'

This is a bit sly of Samsung, but they've included reference to features that are only supported in other models. If you look at the manual as I've described then this is what you'll read:



These are all models with a native 100Hz/120Hz refresh rate panel. The 'CU'-series isn't listed. Sorry, but there's no point pretending that a 60Hz max refresh rate panel can be pushed to support 120Hz. It can't.

Sorry this is getting out of my knowledge realm - are you saying neither of these then based on no VRR?

 

[thisisthecount]

Not at all.

You gave some justifications for buying the 7110 instead of the 7100. One of those points was support for VRR up to 120Hz. I'm not sure what you've seen or read or been told, but when I read your comment my immediate thought was 'how can a native 60Hz panel support 120Hz in game mode, and if it can do 120Hz, then why wouldn't it be able to do 120Hz with video?" The numbers didn't add up. Knowing how manufacturers play fast and loose with product descriptions to make it seem like you're getting more than you really are I thought I'd check into this.

When I read up, I found what I expected. VRR isn't fully supported, either in FreeSync or GSync variants. In fact, Samsung's own specifications pages for the 7100 and the 7110 both have 'No' next to FreeSync and GSync.

Just to be absolutely clear then, neither of the 85" TVs support VRR. That's not a reason to dismiss them. It's just that on this particular point the information you might have got from some source other than Samsung direct looks to be in error.

Whilst we're here clearing things up, you said in post #50 that the 7110 has four HDMI ports. According to Samsung's spec web page there are three ports. Also, you listed HDR10+ mode as a spec difference too. Both the 7100 and the 7110 support HDR10+. It also appears that the CU7000 supports HDR10+ too.

None of this means that you shouldn't choose the 7110 over the 7100, particularly if you can get it via Costco at the price that @Kenai mentioned in post #47.

I'm still of the opinion that the Sony 75" XR75X90K for £1,500 is a substantially better TV all round, but you wrote "I've had to commit to the calling already". I've still no idea what that actually means, but I'm guessing you've told someone you're having an 85", and it's too late to back down even with some strong picture quality and gaming justifications, so c'est la vie as the French say.

that's right, on the 85" - all the cabling is already done for the 85" so I have committed and I really don't want to mess them about...

So I think... sounds like the 7110 won't be a disappointment?
Amazon isn't far off:

https://amzn.eu/d/faetHzQ

Same price for a ue85bu8000? What would you choose out of the two? Since they are roughly the same - put aside the fact John Lewis will give me a better warrantee?

Samsung UE85BU8000 (2022) HDR 4K Ultra HD Smart TV, 85 inch with TVPlus, Black

Buy Samsung UE85BU8000 (2022) HDR 4K Ultra HD Smart TV, 85 inch with TVPlus, Black from our View All TVs range at John Lewis & Partners. Free Delivery on orders over £50.

www.johnlewis.com

 

[thisisthecount]

I think I mostly wanted a 85” really

 

[thisisthecount]

Just an aside, if you've never installed a TV of that size before I'd either pay someone to do it for you or make sure you have a person or two to help.

Modern TV's are very thin and quite fragile, while being light weight they can be very unwieldy due to the size, the last thing you want is for the thing to snap or buckle on you.

Honestly if I was going to that size I'd be tempted to install a projector instead.

Hi @Gray2233 - yep, hoping the electrician might help me that said, I really want to get the strongest slimmest to the wall as I don’t want it too proud to the wall but don’t know where to start as there seems to be soooooooo many brackets out there!

 

[thisisthecount]

They charge a lot for the brackets because they undercharge for installation. It's heavily subsidised out of the profits from the TV & Audio Dept or business as a whole. There's no way that £50-ish per job is enough to cover wages, employee costs, a vehicle, the various insurances, tools, fuel etc.

I'm likely to purchase either of these and get my guy to install - just can't make my mind up

https://amzn.eu/d/faetHzQ

Same price for a ue85bu8000? What would you choose out of the two? Since they are roughly the same - put aside the fact John Lewis will give me a better warranty?

Samsung UE85BU8000 (2022) HDR 4K Ultra HD Smart TV, 85 inch with TVPlus, Black
Buy Samsung UE85BU8000 (2022) HDR 4K Ultra HD Smart TV, 85 inch with TVPlus, Black from our View All TVs range at John Lewis & Partners. Free Delivery on orders over £50.
www.johnlewis.com

 

[thisisthecount]

Not in the same budget range but nice for some who can afford it. I’m looking at the two I put in the previous link. Not sure you spotted them?

 

[thisisthecount]

Appreciate the response. I wasn't trying to be awkward. Just wanted a certain simplistic look for the space. I value the input which has genuinely helped me to understand the pros and cons which is why I used this forum in the first instance I am sure I'm not the only one on the planet that has an opinion as to why going bigger is a personal preference and wants to look at things in different ways before installing. I get the quality aspect but balancing out what I'm trying to get from an aesthetics point of view and the fact I'm not a 100% purist in terms of sound and vision. I used to sell home systems for one of the main electronics chains in the mid 90s for 5 years selling Sony TVs, Aiwa, Kenwood, Pioneer, Panasonic, Hitachi, Philips and Sharp, but of course in the mainstream, these were not for the elite but they did give me an idea of the good, bad and ugly at the time. Everything moves so fast.