Need a new TV. Any tips or advice would be appreciated! - Blu-ray Forum

rexcrk · 11-01-2019, 09:35 PM

So I purchased my TV back in early 2017 and it needs to be replaced. A line going across the entire screen just appeared and everything above the line is fuzzy. At first I thought it was just on the Hulu app that I happened to be watching at the time, but I see it with every app and video mode.

This is the model I have: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's alright, but I think I bought it too hastily. My main concern at the time was getting a 3D TV and this was the ONLY 3D TV sold by a first party at the time (if I remember right), and I considered it having 4K to be a bonus. Funnily enough, I actually didn't like watching 3D at home, because it gave me a headache and that "seasick" feeling, so I'm not looking to replace the 3D (I'd be shit out of luck anyway lol).

I don't know if I just never quite figured out the calibration or what, but I felt like that TV just didn't display 4K as well as I was expecting it to. Bright / outdoors scenes looked amazing, but anything dark just looked washed out for the most part. Not to mention, my TV had a really bad "dirty screen effect"- there was a nice 4-inch block that went across the entire screen, among other bits too. The worst part was that that had looked its worst while watching a 4K disc, so what's the point of having a 4K-capable TV if I can't even enjoy it? I had been going back and forth on replacing it soon anyway, despite just trying to "deal with" the dirty screen effect, but this new horizontal line is something I can't just ignore.

So anyway, this time I want to do it right, since I'm not trying to rush myself into getting a certain feature like 3D or anything. I would love any tips or suggestions or anything (or even to be pointed in the right direction) of what kind of specs I should look for in a TV.
Thanks!

JohnAV · 11-02-2019, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rexcrk

So I purchased my TV back in early 2017 and it needs to be replaced. A line going across the entire screen just appeared and everything above the line is fuzzy. At first I thought it was just on the Hulu app that I happened to be watching at the time, but I see it with every app and video mode.

This is the model I have: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's alright, but I think I bought it too hastily. My main concern at the time was getting a 3D TV and this was the ONLY 3D TV sold by a first party at the time (if I remember right), and I considered it having 4K to be a bonus. Funnily enough, I actually didn't like watching 3D at home, because it gave me a headache and that "seasick" feeling, so I'm not looking to replace the 3D (I'd be shit out of luck anyway lol).

I don't know if I just never quite figured out the calibration or what, but I felt like that TV just didn't display 4K as well as I was expecting it to. Bright / outdoors scenes looked amazing, but anything dark just looked washed out for the most part. Not to mention, my TV had a really bad "dirty screen effect"- there was a nice 4-inch block that went across the entire screen, among other bits too. The worst part was that that had looked its worst while watching a 4K disc, so what's the point of having a 4K-capable TV if I can't even enjoy it? I had been going back and forth on replacing it soon anyway, despite just trying to "deal with" the dirty screen effect, but this new horizontal line is something I can't just ignore.

So anyway, this time I want to do it right, since I'm not trying to rush myself into getting a certain feature like 3D or anything. I would love any tips or suggestions or anything (or even to be pointed in the right direction) of what kind of specs I should look for in a TV.
Thanks!

The Sony 950G would be a good choice. It is Full Array LED, and supports 4K with all HDR variations. If you want a step up then OLED is the way to go. The LG OLED C9 is a beautiful set for a little more and would recommend that if you can afford a bit more. Its on sale now, so don't wait too long.

samlop10 · 11-02-2019, 12:31 AM

If you consider the Sony 950G, I would recommend up to the 65" model. The 75" and 85" models have wide angle technology that severely reduces the contrast and raised black levels, compromising how HDR should look.

My first recommendation would be the LG OLED C9. Pixel-level dimming means you'll get one of the best if not the best HDR, assuming you can watch it in darker conditions. If you're likely to watch it in bright room conditions then I would recommend a bright LCD.

If you're looking for something cheaper I'd recommend the TCL 6 series or TCL 8 series. The 8 series has the highest number of dimming zones which really helps create a better HDR impact. Previously, the accuracy of the HDR was compromised, but they actually just released a firmware update today which fixed it in the HDR Dark Mode mode, which is the most accurate mode for HDR10. It also has Quantum Technology which gives really wide color gamut and volume (more than the Sony). And it gets plenty bright. The specs of the 6 series are lower but they are also considerably cheaper. I'd actually recommend either of these over the Sony.

Noremac Mij · 11-02-2019, 12:42 AM

Any LG OLED. How can this even be debated?

docmoejones · 11-02-2019, 02:00 AM

If you were getting a new set, then you're probably throwing the old in the dumpster. my suggestion is, if you are willing, and are interested, might want to check out some youtube video/tutorials on fixing similar TV problems (google works too). Worst case scenario you will burn your house down and electrify yourself during the course, I kid, of course. Worst case scenario you will make the broken TV that was heading the dumpster completely useless, so what's the harm? I've picked up a lot of handyman tips and tricks over the years from Youtube that saved me thousands of $ in repair bills around the house.

rexcrk · 11-02-2019, 11:25 AM

OLED is tempting, but I’m not sure I should be spending THAT much on a TV right now.

Thanks for all the suggestions, definitely given me something to think about.

cgpublic · 11-02-2019, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rexcrk

OLED is tempting, but I’m not sure I should be spending THAT much on a TV right now.

My advice is to ID a Black Friday price for the cheapest OLED, 55 LG B8/ B9, then the ID the price for best budget 55” or up from Hisense/TCL. Both deliver terrific bang for the buck including DV.

OLED is hands down worth every penny, but not everyone has the pennies to spare.

What you want to avoid is spending close to an OLED, but end up with an LCD or QLED, especially if you are most interested in film as opposed to gaming or sports.

rexcrk · 11-02-2019, 02:47 PM

Some of the OLEDs I looked at don’t seem to have inputs for composite / component cables. I do like to game on older systems, so how would I work around that?

Noremac Mij · 11-02-2019, 02:53 PM

My LG C8 does. And I assume others do as well. It’s a 3.5mm mini jack. And it comes with a mini jack to RCA (red, white, yellow) adapter. That’s how I watch laserdiscs at home.

SoundFlyk · 11-02-2019, 03:42 PM

The Costco in my area has 2018 LGOLEDC8 for $1499.97, new. Still maybe too high priced for some, but a good deal anyway.

phobicsquirrel · 11-02-2019, 06:28 PM

I got a new c9 for like 2g and I'm loving it. I had a vt30 plasma before, still have it, and it's great but 4k has been a nice upgrade. Then again I got a new Denon receiver too.

rexcrk · 11-02-2019, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noremac Mij

My LG C8 does. And I assume others do as well. It’s a 3.5mm mini jack. And it comes with a mini jack to RCA (red, white, yellow) adapter. That’s how I watch laserdiscs at home.

I’ve seen those little jacks for composite (red, white, yellow) cables, but what about component cables?

rexcrk · 11-02-2019, 10:33 PM

Did a little research actually, and saw that they have those component-to-HDMI converters, so I might go with the OLED and get one of those. Anyone here use those? Do they actually work?

JohnAV · 11-02-2019, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rexcrk

Did a little research actually, and saw that they have those component-to-HDMI converters, so I might go with the OLED and get one of those. Anyone here use those? Do they actually work?

Looking at one on BB says they work. The 55" C9 was $1599 reduced from $2499, this is the best time to buy, any BB willl match as a example.

rexcrk · 11-03-2019, 12:44 PM

Said “screw it” and decided to go with the OLED. Figure I might as well treat myself to something top of the line instead of getting something lesser now and getting something better in a couple years.

As long as this one doesn’t crap out on me, I don’t plan on getting a new TV for a long time. My old Samsung HDTV that I got a decade ago still works perfectly lol.

Jay Mammoth · 11-03-2019, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rexcrk

Said “screw it” and decided to go with the OLED. Figure I might as well treat myself to something top of the line instead of getting something lesser now and getting something better in a couple years.

As long as this one doesn’t crap out on me, I don’t plan on getting a new TV for a long time. My old Samsung HDTV that I got a decade ago still works perfectly lol.

Congrats, oled is amazing.

rexcrk · 11-03-2019, 05:07 PM

Yeah honestly what really did it for me was hearing about its “perfect blacks” and realizing how unhappy I was with my current TV’s black levels and the really awful dirty screen effect it developed. I feel like I haven’t really gotten to appreciate 4K to its full extent.

Noremac Mij · 11-03-2019, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rexcrk

Yeah honestly what really did it for me was hearing about its “perfect blacks” and realizing how unhappy I was with my current TV’s black levels and the really awful dirty screen effect it developed. I feel like I haven’t really gotten to appreciate 4K to its full extent.

Great choice! OLED is the absolute only way to go these days. LCD/LED is horrendous.

Matthew.H · 11-03-2019, 11:42 PM

Sorry for hijacking the thread but looking for the same advice and seems more sense than making a near identical thread.

I'm planning to upgrade to a 4K TV for 4K UHD Blu-ray but will also be using it for general SD and HD TV.
The 40" TV I'm currently looking at is well reviewed but I'm a novice with 4K/HDR so could use advice on if the model will do HDR well enough or if I would be better getting a higher spec set. The model I've looked at is linked below:

https://www.richersounds.com/brands/...x40gx800b.html

I can go up to a 43" screen but larger isn't an option in the space I have.

rexcrk · 11-04-2019, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew.H

Sorry for hijacking the thread but looking for the same advice and seems more sense than making a near identical thread.

I'm planning to upgrade to a 4K TV for 4K UHD Blu-ray but will also be using it for general SD and HD TV.
The 40" TV I'm currently looking at is well reviewed but I'm a novice with 4K/HDR so could use advice on if the model will do HDR well enough or if I would be better getting a higher spec set. The model I've looked at is linked below:

https://www.richersounds.com/brands/...x40gx800b.html

I can go up to a 43" screen but larger isn't an option in the space I have.

I’d say go with an OLED. I’ve only spent a very short amount of time with mine (haven’t even watched a full movie on it yet lol) but I can already tell that it’s so much better than an LED / LCD set.

11-01-2019, 09:35 PM	#1
rexcrk Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Aug 2010 4K collection:263 Blu-ray collection:583 DVD collection:235	Need a new TV. Any tips or advice would be appreciated! So I purchased my TV back in early 2017 and it needs to be replaced. A line going across the entire screen just appeared and everything above the line is fuzzy. At first I thought it was just on the Hulu app that I happened to be watching at the time, but I see it with every app and video mode. This is the model I have: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It's alright, but I think I bought it too hastily. My main concern at the time was getting a 3D TV and this was the ONLY 3D TV sold by a first party at the time (if I remember right), and I considered it having 4K to be a bonus. Funnily enough, I actually didn't like watching 3D at home, because it gave me a headache and that "seasick" feeling, so I'm not looking to replace the 3D (I'd be shit out of luck anyway lol). I don't know if I just never quite figured out the calibration or what, but I felt like that TV just didn't display 4K as well as I was expecting it to. Bright / outdoors scenes looked amazing, but anything dark just looked washed out for the most part. Not to mention, my TV had a really bad "dirty screen effect"- there was a nice 4-inch block that went across the entire screen, among other bits too. The worst part was that that had looked its worst while watching a 4K disc, so what's the point of having a 4K-capable TV if I can't even enjoy it? I had been going back and forth on replacing it soon anyway, despite just trying to "deal with" the dirty screen effect, but this new horizontal line is something I can't just ignore. So anyway, this time I want to do it right, since I'm not trying to rush myself into getting a certain feature like 3D or anything. I would love any tips or suggestions or anything (or even to be pointed in the right direction) of what kind of specs I should look for in a TV. Thanks!

11-02-2019, 12:31 AM	#3
samlop10 Blu-ray Samurai Top contributor Member since:Dec 2010 Location:Austin TX Home Theater Gallery:53 4K collection:1041 Blu-ray collection:3901 DVD collection:9 Blu-ray reviews: 59 Trading Score:1	If you consider the Sony 950G, I would recommend up to the 65" model. The 75" and 85" models have wide angle technology that severely reduces the contrast and raised black levels, compromising how HDR should look. My first recommendation would be the LG OLED C9. Pixel-level dimming means you'll get one of the best if not the best HDR, assuming you can watch it in darker conditions. If you're likely to watch it in bright room conditions then I would recommend a bright LCD. If you're looking for something cheaper I'd recommend the TCL 6 series or TCL 8 series. The 8 series has the highest number of dimming zones which really helps create a better HDR impact. Previously, the accuracy of the HDR was compromised, but they actually just released a firmware update today which fixed it in the HDR Dark Mode mode, which is the most accurate mode for HDR10. It also has Quantum Technology which gives really wide color gamut and volume (more than the Sony). And it gets plenty bright. The specs of the 6 series are lower but they are also considerably cheaper. I'd actually recommend either of these over the Sony.

11-02-2019, 12:42 AM	#4
Noremac Mij Banned Member since:Aug 2018 4K collection:80 Blu-ray collection:80	Any LG OLED. How can this even be debated?

11-02-2019, 02:00 AM	#5
docmoejones Active Member Member since:Jun 2018 Location:Virginia 4K collection:206 Blu-ray collection:246 Trading Score:2	If you were getting a new set, then you're probably throwing the old in the dumpster. my suggestion is, if you are willing, and are interested, might want to check out some youtube video/tutorials on fixing similar TV problems (google works too). Worst case scenario you will burn your house down and electrify yourself during the course, I kid, of course. Worst case scenario you will make the broken TV that was heading the dumpster completely useless, so what's the harm? I've picked up a lot of handyman tips and tricks over the years from Youtube that saved me thousands of $ in repair bills around the house.

11-02-2019, 11:25 AM	#6
rexcrk Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Aug 2010 4K collection:263 Blu-ray collection:583 DVD collection:235	OLED is tempting, but I’m not sure I should be spending THAT much on a TV right now. Thanks for all the suggestions, definitely given me something to think about.

11-02-2019, 02:47 PM	#8
rexcrk Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Aug 2010 4K collection:263 Blu-ray collection:583 DVD collection:235	Some of the OLEDs I looked at don’t seem to have inputs for composite / component cables. I do like to game on older systems, so how would I work around that?

11-02-2019, 02:53 PM	#9
Noremac Mij Banned Member since:Aug 2018 4K collection:80 Blu-ray collection:80	My LG C8 does. And I assume others do as well. It’s a 3.5mm mini jack. And it comes with a mini jack to RCA (red, white, yellow) adapter. That’s how I watch laserdiscs at home.

11-02-2019, 03:42 PM	#10
SoundFlyk Member Member since:Aug 2017 Location:North/Central Florida USA 4K collection:644 Blu-ray collection:2327 DVD collection:251	The Costco in my area has 2018 LGOLEDC8 for $1499.97, new. Still maybe too high priced for some, but a good deal anyway.

11-02-2019, 06:28 PM	#11
phobicsquirrel Banned Member since:Jan 2011	I got a new c9 for like 2g and I'm loving it. I had a vt30 plasma before, still have it, and it's great but 4k has been a nice upgrade. Then again I got a new Denon receiver too.

11-02-2019, 10:33 PM	#13
rexcrk Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Aug 2010 4K collection:263 Blu-ray collection:583 DVD collection:235	Did a little research actually, and saw that they have those component-to-HDMI converters, so I might go with the OLED and get one of those. Anyone here use those? Do they actually work?

11-03-2019, 12:44 PM	#15
rexcrk Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Aug 2010 4K collection:263 Blu-ray collection:583 DVD collection:235	Said “screw it” and decided to go with the OLED. Figure I might as well treat myself to something top of the line instead of getting something lesser now and getting something better in a couple years. As long as this one doesn’t crap out on me, I don’t plan on getting a new TV for a long time. My old Samsung HDTV that I got a decade ago still works perfectly lol.

11-03-2019, 05:07 PM	#17
rexcrk Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Aug 2010 4K collection:263 Blu-ray collection:583 DVD collection:235	Yeah honestly what really did it for me was hearing about its “perfect blacks” and realizing how unhappy I was with my current TV’s black levels and the really awful dirty screen effect it developed. I feel like I haven’t really gotten to appreciate 4K to its full extent.

11-03-2019, 11:42 PM	#19
Matthew.H Power Member Top contributor Member since:Dec 2018 Location:Norwich, England 4K collection:68 Blu-ray collection:210 DVD collection:33 Trading Score:1	Sorry for hijacking the thread but looking for the same advice and seems more sense than making a near identical thread. I'm planning to upgrade to a 4K TV for 4K UHD Blu-ray but will also be using it for general SD and HD TV. The 40" TV I'm currently looking at is well reviewed but I'm a novice with 4K/HDR so could use advice on if the model will do HDR well enough or if I would be better getting a higher spec set. The model I've looked at is linked below: https://www.richersounds.com/brands/...x40gx800b.html I can go up to a 43" screen but larger isn't an option in the space I have.

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