Looking for a new TV, looking g for advice

[BillsFan4]

7 hours ago, Bray Wyatt said:

 

Thank you for this! I have a 47" Sony Bravia in my bedroom (was older than the Samsung) and is still working fine so we are not necessarily brand loyal. Not sure if the features on this are unique to Sony or not? Like the 4k extreme processor, it says makes everything look like its 4k, is there any validity to that or is this strictly a marketing thing?

 

Most of the 4K TV's have some type of 4K upscaling. But Sony's is pretty much universally considered to be the best in the industry. Their upscaling, motion processing etc. are all considered to be the best. 

That is one reason why I recommended that x900f model with the x1 extreme chip. That is the same chip that's in Sony's Z9D TV series (which start at like 4 grand). 

 

 

I would take take a ride to Best Buy and look at Tvs yourself. Look at some models and then do your own research (sites like Rtings are great for tv comparison). I wouldn't put too much stock into what the salesmen say. Every time I go a salesman will tell me something different. Half the time I feel like I've actually done more research than them.

But go and look at these Tvs in person. See which one looks the best to you. 

 

 

Heres another one one I wanted to mention. It's an OLED tv (as opposed to an LED tv) which is most likely the next evolution in TVs. Instead of having a backlight with dimming zones, they have millions of individual pixels that turn on and off individually. So you get excellent black levels and picture quality.

 

I personally don't like LG as much as Sony, but these TVs get excellent reviews, and an OLED TV's picture is a step up compared to an LED tv. It's definitely at least worth looking at for the price, as its the Same price as the Sony I linked earlier. 

 

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-55-class-oled-b7a-series-2160p-smart-4k-uhd-tv-with-hdr/5935300.p?skuId=5935300

 

Best Buy has them both on display. Go see them in person (assuming you have a Best Buy near you). I would look at Samsung TVs too. LG, Sony and Samsung are considered to be the 3 big TV makers and all make quality TVs. I prefer Sony, since I've had such good luck with them. But I haven't owned Samsung or LG. Lots of people love them.

 

I'm not familiar with the TCL tv mentioned in this thread either. But it did get some pretty decent reviews on rtings -

 

https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/tcl/p-series-2017-p607

 

(You check this site for any TV you are interested in. They review them all) 

Edited May 16, 2018 by BillsFan4

[mrags]

On 5/14/2018 at 3:14 PM, Fadingpain said:

I realize these are very large screen sizes, but I'm surprised to see TVs costing this much in 2018! 

 

I thought they had all come down a lot in price.

 

I have a Sony 46XBR6 which is now like 8 years old I believe.

 

2 issues with it: one of the boards quit on me which surprised me.

 

The other is that overall screen brightness is "dim".  That is apparently a long standing issue with SONY TVs, but I have no idea if that has been resolved nowadays.  It does bother me, however, so if you have noticed the SONYs still being a little dim, maybe try someone else.

 

I have also heard that SAMSUNG TVs are somewhat prone to failures which has put me off that brand.  No idea if that has been resolved in recent years however.

 

 

The OLED and QLED were considered some of the best in the market. The OLED is considered by many the best TV ever reviewed, ever made. The reviews were off the charts. 

 

I ended up going with the Sony Z9D 65”. For 3 years in a row considered the best LED tv on the market. The zones and way the pixels are highlighted are y like any other tv in the LED world. Considered to produce the best blacks of any tv next to OLED but with better brightness of almost any LED tv. Only coming in 2nd to the Samsung QLED lines. All this without the “burn in” and “image retention” issues that the OLED TVs have. 

 

So yeah, I paid a hefty price at $3,500 for my tv but it’s been the best LED tv on the market for the last 3 years already. So I know I’m getting the very best picture out there. I’m also sure I won’t need to purchase another main TV for probably another 10 years before this thing becomes obsolete. 

[Bray Wyatt]

The wife came back with these that she was looking at

 

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/sony-70-class-led-x690e-series-2160p-smart-4k-uhd-tv-with-hdr/5900135.p?skuId=5900135&cmp=RMX&extStoreId=433&ref=212&loc=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuOTHn4eL2wIVx7rACh0DaQzJEAQYASABEgJRG_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-70-class-led-uj6570-series-2160p-smart-4k-uhd-tv-with-hdr/6032807.p?skuId=6032807&cmp=RMX&extStoreId=433&ref=212&loc=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuOTHn4eL2wIVx7rACh0DaQzJEAQYAiABEgIO0_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

 

Thoughts?

Edited May 16, 2018 by Bray Wyatt

[/dev/null]

On 5/15/2018 at 12:27 PM, The Jokeman said:

Valid but now I have two external Roku's one v 2.0 and one v 3.0 both HDMI compatible so think am good for a few more years.

 

Your RokuTV will outlast a Roku2 and possibly a Roku3

 

I bought a first generation Roku back around 2010ish and it ran like a champ until 2015 when I got an email saying the device would no longer be supported after a certain date.  But as an early trailblazer the email included a coupon code for like 50% off Roku3

 

Roku3 was released 2013ish so it may be coming up on End of Life in a few years

[mrags]

38 minutes ago, Bray Wyatt said:

The wife came back with these that she was looking at

 

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/sony-70-class-led-x690e-series-2160p-smart-4k-uhd-tv-with-hdr/5900135.p?skuId=5900135&cmp=RMX&extStoreId=433&ref=212&loc=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuOTHn4eL2wIVx7rACh0DaQzJEAQYASABEgJRG_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-70-class-led-uj6570-series-2160p-smart-4k-uhd-tv-with-hdr/6032807.p?skuId=6032807&cmp=RMX&extStoreId=433&ref=212&loc=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuOTHn4eL2wIVx7rACh0DaQzJEAQYAiABEgIO0_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

 

Thoughts?

Better with the Sony. 

 

You are dead set on 70”? You could have a 65” tv that gonna offer you a bit more for similar price point 

[Bray Wyatt]

28 minutes ago, mrags said:

Better with the Sony. 

 

You are dead set on 70”? You could have a 65” tv that gonna offer you a bit more for similar price point 

 

No not dead set this was just her mind set, I think she wants bigger than a 55”

[/dev/null]

3 hours ago, mrags said:

You are dead set on 70”? You could have a 65” tv that gonna offer you a bit more for similar price point 

 

2 hours ago, Bray Wyatt said:

No not dead set this was just her mind set, I think she wants bigger than a 55”

 

Yeah but at this point in her life she should be used to wanting bigger but settling for less

 

[Bray Wyatt]

11 hours ago, /dev/null said:

 

 

Yeah but at this point in her life she should be used to wanting bigger but settling for less

 

 

Lmao, I knew when I was typing that out that I was setting myself up for that!

[BillsFan4]

On 5/16/2018 at 4:47 PM, Bray Wyatt said:

The wife came back with these that she was looking at

 

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/sony-70-class-led-x690e-series-2160p-smart-4k-uhd-tv-with-hdr/5900135.p?skuId=5900135&cmp=RMX&extStoreId=433&ref=212&loc=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuOTHn4eL2wIVx7rACh0DaQzJEAQYASABEgJRG_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-70-class-led-uj6570-series-2160p-smart-4k-uhd-tv-with-hdr/6032807.p?skuId=6032807&cmp=RMX&extStoreId=433&ref=212&loc=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuOTHn4eL2wIVx7rACh0DaQzJEAQYAiABEgIO0_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

 

Thoughts?

They both look like nice TVs. 

 

Let me ask -

 

what's important to you in a new TV? What are you looking for? What type of features do you want? 

 

Also, do you game? Watch lots of movies? Mainly just watch basic tv? 

 

What devices, and how many total, will be hooked hooked up to the TV? (Ex - blue ray players, DVD players, game systems, receiver/sound system etc etc)

 

just trying to get a better idea of what you want/need. 

 

 

[Bray Wyatt]

23 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

They both look like nice TVs. 

 

Let me ask -

 

what's important to you in a new TV? What are you looking for? What type of features do you want? 

 

Also, do you game? Watch lots of movies? Mainly just watch basic tv? 

 

What devices, and how many total, will be hooked hooked up to the TV? (Ex - blue ray players, DVD players, game systems, receiver/sound system etc etc)

 

just trying to get a better idea of what you want/need. 

 

 

 

Wife seems to want to go bigger than 55" (not that I would mind that either lol)

 

We watch movies (blu rays) i have my ps4 hooked up to it which we use to stream a lot of stuff as well as play games and watch blurays. I have a receiver hooked up (via optical cord) for the surround sound we have.

 

It would be nice if, if necessary, to be able to stream from a lap top (like plug in with hdmi if possible) 

 

What would be necessary to stream from an iphone on to the TV? I havent looked into that much but have thought about how convenient that would be

[BillsFan4]

Just now, Bray Wyatt said:

 

Wife seems to want to go bigger than 55" (not that I would mind that either lol)

 

We watch movies (blu rays) i have my ps4 hooked up to it which we use to stream a lot of stuff as well as play games and watch blurays. I have a receiver hooked up (via optical cord) for the surround sound we have.

 

It would be nice if, if necessary, to be able to stream from a lap top (like plug in with hdmi if possible) 

 

What would be necessary to stream from an iphone on to the TV? I havent looked into that much but have thought about how convenient that would be

Ok. So # of HDMI ports shouldn't be an issue then. Sounds like you are only using 1 right now. Maybe 2 if you hook your receiver up via HDMI. Both of those TV's have at least 3 (not that you can't just buy an HDMI port anyway, if you needed more). 

 

I dont know th number of 4k HDMI ports those TV have. I didn't see it listed. 

 

As far as sxreen mirroring or streaming from an apple product, I don't know of any Sony, LG, Samsung TVs that do that'll hand (aony will mirror android IIRC). Apple isn't widely compatible with a lot of stuff. It's not that big a deal though. You can buy aftermarket products that will hook up to the TV.

You have to get something like Apple TV (which has Apple AirPlay), or another similar device to hook up to your TV if you want to mirror wirelessly. Or you can just buy a cheap Digital AV adaptor (for like $15-$25) that plugs into your iPhone and connects to a HDMI port on the TV. 

You may also just be able to download a (DNLA) app right on the TV but I'm not sure on that. I know it can be done, but I'm not sure if you can on every TV, or if there's an app for Apple devices).  

 

 

 

 

Personally, for the price range of the TVs you listed, I would suggest one more along the lines of this -

 

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/sony-65-class-led-x850e-series-2160p-smart-4k-uhd-tv-with-hdr/5748206.p?skuId=5748206

 

Its the same price but 65" instead of 70". You get quite a few more features though. 

 

It has a picture processor (the 690 does not) which is important because almost nothing is broadcast in 4k HD right now. What that processor does is upscale regular HD content to as close to 4K HD quality as it can. So it should make most of your TV content look better than a TV without the processor. And that is what Sony TVs are known for. They have the best processors in the industry. 

 

It also has "super bit mapping" which should give better sound quality,

and a triluminous display which will give a wider spectrum of colors, and more natural shades of those colors. 

 

It has Google Chromecast built in, as well as Alexa voice enabled. And has something called miracast which allows you to mirror certain devices (not Apple though). But the 690 has miracast too. 

 

The 850 is just a much nicer tv compared to the 690 in my opinion. 

 

 

Here is the comparable Samsung TV (to the Sony 850). It is on clearance right now since it's last year's model. Same price as the Sony.

 

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-65-class-led-mu8000-series-2160p-smart-4k-uhd-tv-with-hdr/5773800.p?skuId=5773800

 

 

best thing I can suggest is going to Best Buy or another store and comparing them in person. 

I don't suggest Walmart. I am not sure but I believe their Sony TVs are cheaper versions, or the Chinese knock offs.

 

Best Buy has all the TVs on display. You may see that 55" LG OLED TV and decide you'd rather have a 55" with that type of picture quality. Or you may love the bigger Sony/Samsung. 

 

Most of the name brand TVs all put out a great product these days, so I doubt you'll go wrong with whatever you get. 

[Bray Wyatt]

1 hour ago, BillsFan4 said:

Ok. So # of HDMI ports shouldn't be an issue then. Sounds like you are only using 1 right now. Maybe 2 if you hook your receiver up via HDMI. Both of those TV's have at least 3 (not that you can't just buy an HDMI port anyway, if you needed more). 

 

I dont know th number of 4k HDMI ports those TV have. I didn't see it listed. 

 

As far as sxreen mirroring or streaming from an apple product, I don't know of any Sony, LG, Samsung TVs that do that'll hand (aony will mirror android IIRC). Apple isn't widely compatible with a lot of stuff. It's not that big a deal though. You can buy aftermarket products that will hook up to the TV.

You have to get something like Apple TV (which has Apple AirPlay), or another similar device to hook up to your TV if you want to mirror wirelessly. Or you can just buy a cheap Digital AV adaptor (for like $15-$25) that plugs into your iPhone and connects to a HDMI port on the TV. 

You may also just be able to download a (DNLA) app right on the TV but I'm not sure on that. I know it can be done, but I'm not sure if you can on every TV, or if there's an app for Apple devices).  

 

 

 

 

Personally, for the price range of the TVs you listed, I would suggest one more along the lines of this -

 

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/sony-65-class-led-x850e-series-2160p-smart-4k-uhd-tv-with-hdr/5748206.p?skuId=5748206

 

Its the same price but 65" instead of 70". You get quite a few more features though. 

 

It has a picture processor (the 690 does not) which is important because almost nothing is broadcast in 4k HD right now. What that processor does is upscale regular HD content to as close to 4K HD quality as it can. So it should make most of your TV content look better than a TV without the processor. And that is what Sony TVs are known for. They have the best processors in the industry. 

 

It also has "super bit mapping" which should give better sound quality,

and a triluminous display which will give a wider spectrum of colors, and more natural shades of those colors. 

 

It has Google Chromecast built in, as well as Alexa voice enabled. And has something called miracast which allows you to mirror certain devices (not Apple though). But the 690 has miracast too. 

 

The 850 is just a much nicer tv compared to the 690 in my opinion. 

 

 

Here is the comparable Samsung TV (to the Sony 850). It is on clearance right now since it's last year's model. Same price as the Sony.

 

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-65-class-led-mu8000-series-2160p-smart-4k-uhd-tv-with-hdr/5773800.p?skuId=5773800

 

 

best thing I can suggest is going to Best Buy or another store and comparing them in person. 

I don't suggest Walmart. I am not sure but I believe their Sony TVs are cheaper versions, or the Chinese knock offs.

 

Best Buy has all the TVs on display. You may see that 55" LG OLED TV and decide you'd rather have a 55" with that type of picture quality. Or you may love the bigger Sony/Samsung. 

 

Most of the name brand TVs all put out a great product these days, so I doubt you'll go wrong with whatever you get. 

 

Thanks I appreciate this! We do have an Alexa so some sort of tie in would be cool. And of course I would look at them first before buying but want to get an idea of what it all means when looking at the specs and you explain it in an easy way to understand. 

[BillsFan4]

Just now, Bray Wyatt said:

 

Thanks I appreciate this! We do have an Alexa so some sort of tie in would be cool. And of course I would look at them first before buying but want to get an idea of what it all means when looking at the specs and you explain it in an easy way to understand. 

 Let me know if you have any more questions. I like discussing this kind of stuff. 

 

 

 

[bjurewicz21]

resurrecting this post a little bit as I am stuck deciding between the x900f, x930e, and the z9D and our knowledge friend @BillsFan4 said he likes to discuss this type of stuff.

 

So at my semi local store I am able to get the below pricing for the 65" models

900f - $1999

930e - $1999

z9d - $2699

 

I have been researching for the entire month of June and viewed the tvs in person, however they have never been directly side by side normally they are on different parts of the show room.

 

I am against the LG OLED for 3 reasons:

1) I feel like i loose so much detail in the blacks that are there on the LEDs, most particularly was on a black fleece that had a logo you could clearly make out on the LED tvs, but the OLED you had to know it was there in order to see it

2) the upscaling on the sony LEDs is amazing, my local shop will routinely switch between different input qualities to showcase each tvs ability to upscale the content and the LG OLED tvs just could not keep up

3) The tv will be in a living room with a window on either side of the tv (windows will be on the same wall as the tv) and since it generally is a brighter room i feel like the brighter LED tvs would work better in the space.

[BillsFan4]

2 hours ago, bjurewicz21 said:

resurrecting this post a little bit as I am stuck deciding between the x900f, x930e, and the z9D and our knowledge friend @BillsFan4 said he likes to discuss this type of stuff.

 

So at my semi local store I am able to get the below pricing for the 65" models

900f - $1999

930e - $1999

z9d - $2699

 

I have been researching for the entire month of June and viewed the tvs in person, however they have never been directly side by side normally they are on different parts of the show room.

 

I am against the LG OLED for 3 reasons:

1) I feel like i loose so much detail in the blacks that are there on the LEDs, most particularly was on a black fleece that had a logo you could clearly make out on the LED tvs, but the OLED you had to know it was there in order to see it

2) the upscaling on the sony LEDs is amazing, my local shop will routinely switch between different input qualities to showcase each tvs ability to upscale the content and the LG OLED tvs just could not keep up

3) The tv will be in a living room with a window on either side of the tv (windows will be on the same wall as the tv) and since it generally is a brighter room i feel like the brighter LED tvs would work better in the space.

 

If you can get a Z9D for $700 more than the 930e/900f, I,would probably go that route.

 

The Z9D is Sony's flagship model TV. It has the best of everything. 

 

All 3 have the same processing chip (X1 extreme) so they 4k upscaling should be pretty close. 

 

But the Z9D has way more local dimming zones (each LED backlight is controlled individually). It has 640 dimming zones compared to less than 100 on the 900f & 930e. I am not sure but I think it might have a bit brighter backlight, too IIRC (although not by that much). 

 

The Z9D is also supposed to have comparable black levels to an OLED, but with the brightness of an LED.

 

 

I havent seen the new x900f yet, but I have seen the 930e and Z9D at Best Buy, and I felt the Z9D definitely had the better picture. 

 

 

 

 

 

[mrags]

7 hours ago, BillsFan4 said:

 

If you can get a Z9D for $700 more than the 930e/900f, I,would probably go that route.

 

The Z9D is Sony's flagship model TV. It has the best of everything. 

 

All 3 have the same processing chip (X1 extreme) so they 4k upscaling should be pretty close. 

 

But the Z9D has way more local dimming zones (each LED backlight is controlled individually). It has 640 dimming zones compared to less than 100 on the 900f & 930e. I am not sure but I think it might have a bit brighter backlight, too IIRC (although not by that much). 

 

The Z9D is also supposed to have comparable black levels to an OLED, but with the brightness of an LED.

 

 

I havent seen the new x900f yet, but I have seen the 930e and Z9D at Best Buy, and I felt the Z9D definitely had the better picture. 

 

 

 

 

 

I had the 75” 930e. I traded it in for the Z9D. 

 

Ues they have “comparable” black levels to OLED but with much better brightness. 

 

The Z9D is far superior and it’s not close. 

And if you can pick up the Z in 65” for $2600, buy it in a heartbeat. 

 

I paod $3500 for line back in March. 

[mrags]

10 hours ago, bjurewicz21 said:

resurrecting this post a little bit as I am stuck deciding between the x900f, x930e, and the z9D and our knowledge friend @BillsFan4 said he likes to discuss this type of stuff.

 

So at my semi local store I am able to get the below pricing for the 65" models

900f - $1999

930e - $1999

z9d - $2699

 

I have been researching for the entire month of June and viewed the tvs in person, however they have never been directly side by side normally they are on different parts of the show room.

 

I am against the LG OLED for 3 reasons:

1) I feel like i loose so much detail in the blacks that are there on the LEDs, most particularly was on a black fleece that had a logo you could clearly make out on the LED tvs, but the OLED you had to know it was there in order to see it

2) the upscaling on the sony LEDs is amazing, my local shop will routinely switch between different input qualities to showcase each tvs ability to upscale the content and the LG OLED tvs just could not keep up

3) The tv will be in a living room with a window on either side of the tv (windows will be on the same wall as the tv) and since it generally is a brighter room i feel like the brighter LED tvs would work better in the space.

Your right about why not to get an OLED. If it’s in a well lit room the LED is a much better options. The peak brightness and colors will make the deep blacks seem pointless in a bright room. If you had a theatre in a basement or something that may be a different story. 

 

Also, don’t get an OLED if you plan to play Amy video games at all. Every single one I’ve ever seen has some burn in issues. Granted they are on loops inside the stores. But still. I’ve sat there and watched the loops al the way through and there is nothing on the screen more than a few seconds yet I see the images burned into the screens. 

[bjurewicz21]

Definitely sounds like the Z9D is the way to go.

 

My thoughts were similar all have the same processing chip, the 900f and the Z9D use full array back lighting but the Z9D has so many more zones. How long do you guys think the Z9D will stay relevant as a mid to top teir TV?

 

Now i just need to convince the wife its worth the $700

[mrags]

1 hour ago, bjurewicz21 said:

Definitely sounds like the Z9D is the way to go.

 

My thoughts were similar all have the same processing chip, the 900f and the Z9D use full array back lighting but the Z9D has so many more zones. How long do you guys think the Z9D will stay relevant as a mid to top teir TV?

 

Now i just need to convince the wife its worth the $700

It’s funny. I’ve got a friend that was looking as well. He was almost dead set on getting the OLED because every review shows that the LG OLED is the best tv ever tested. He didn’t want the LG because he would have had to change his wall mount and everything. So he was looking at the Sony OLED. Was pretty much against the Z because it is 2-3 year old technology. He ended up going with the Samsung Q9.

 

He couldn’t get behind spending all that money in a tv that is older technology. In reality, the Q is no different. It’s still just LED. The “quantum” Portion of it is just smoke and mirrors at this point and they are trying to complete the Tech. Which is probably a few more years down the line. 

 

I don’t have an answer as to how long the Z will not only be relevant but at the top of the food chain as far as TV Tech goes. But I can say this, I plan to have mine for at least 10 years in some capacity. I don’t see it being outperformed by much at all until 8k really hits the market. And that’s great and all, but 4k still isn’t mainstream yet. When DirecTV only has 4 channels of 4k out of hundreds, you know you have a long way to go before the next Tech. and 2 of them never show anything unless it’s soccor or major golf events. 

Edited July 5, 2018 by mrags

[Augie]

10 minutes ago, mrags said:

It’s funny. I’ve got a friend that was looking as well. He was almost dead set on getting the OLED because every review shows that the LG OLED is the best tv ever tested. He didn’t want the LG because he would have had to change his wall mount and everything. So he was looking at the Sony OLED. Was pretty first against the Z because it is 2-3 year old technology. He ended up going with the Samsung Q9.

 

He couldn’t get behind spending all that money in a tv that is older technology. In reality, the Q is no different. It’s still just LED. The “quantum” Portion of it is just smoke and mirrors at this point and they are trying to complete the Tech. Which is probably a few more years down the line. 

 

I dint have an answer as to how long the Z will not o my be relevant but at the top of the food chain as far as TV Tech goes. But I can say this, I plan to have mine for at least 10 years in some capacity. I don’t see it being outperformed by much at all until 8k really hits the market. And that’s great and all, but 4k still isn’t mainstream yet. When DirecTV only has 4 channels of 4k out of hundreds, you know you have a long way to go before the next Tech. and 2 of them never show anything unless it’s soccor or major golf events. 

 

Curious, which channels get it? My 4k and my DTV are in different rooms, but I might do some new things.