ELYAS Posted January 9, 2020 Posted January 9, 2020 Hey forum, My current TV, Samsung 64" F8500, the last of the great plasma panels, is now starting to show its age. At the time, LCD/LED tech couldn't hold a candle to the flagship plasmas from Samsung, Pana and Pioneer (Kuro), that was my opinion at the time anyway... Now, after nearly 6 years of flawless ownership, I think it's time to go LED, especially given how far they have come. I want to go BIG. I have the room real estate to do so and so I'm looking for panels greater than 80 inches. I would like opinions and recommendations on what I should go for out of: LG 86UM7600PTA UM76 Series 86" ($3,500 at JB) Samsung RU8000 82" 4K UHD LED ($3,700 at JB) Samsung Series 6 Q60 82" 4K UHD QLED ($3,990 at JB) Sony X8500G 85" 4K Ultra HD Smart LED ($4,500 at JB) I only watch foxtel in HD, Netflix, BluRay movies and will start purchasing 4K. Is the Sony $1000 better than the LG? Is the Android OS that much better than LG's, whatever OS? SHould I be throwing out any of those options straight off the bat for obvious reasons I'm currently ignorant about? Would love some feedback and discussion about these, and if you want to throw another option into the mix, please do but please consider the prices I've mentioned. My budget is less than that Sony. Kindest, Elyas.
Janjuggler Posted January 9, 2020 Posted January 9, 2020 (edited) Hi @ELYAS Recently purchased the LG 86UM7600PTA UM76 Series 86" from HN with delivery and installation and setup of picture for under $3K, it has a remote which I no longer need my Logitec to control inputs and sound, I had to redo the speaker setup as went from a 59" Samsung and it required more room at the sides, but things are VG+, works well in bright light and better in a dark room. It has all of the streaming services you may need, Netflix, Stan, Prime, Disney+ and others I wouldn't need, it does not have Apple TV or TV+. JJ Edited January 9, 2020 by Janjuc 3
ELYAS Posted January 9, 2020 Author Posted January 9, 2020 Thanks @Janjuc, I'll also need to re-run my HDMI's, as they currently don't support 4K. That's going to be a real pain in the ass unless by some Lord's miracle, binding the new to the old and dragging them through actually works... And I'll need to build a shelf under my fireplace mantle top for my center speaker. Currently sits on the mantle top, but the much bigger screen will occupy that now.
ELYAS Posted January 12, 2020 Author Posted January 12, 2020 On 09/01/2020 at 5:30 PM, Janjuc said: Hi @ELYAS Recently purchased the LG 86UM7600PTA UM76 Series 86" from HN with delivery and installation and setup of picture for under $3K, it has a remote which I no longer need my Logitec to control inputs and sound, I had to redo the speaker setup as went from a 59" Samsung and it required more room at the sides, but things are VG+, works well in bright light and better in a dark room. It has all of the streaming services you may need, Netflix, Stan, Prime, Disney+ and others I wouldn't need, it does not have Apple TV or TV+. JJ Mate just a question, do you have and issues with it being a Direct Lit panel? Do you notice a lack of depth or blackness?
pete_mac Posted January 12, 2020 Posted January 12, 2020 (edited) My two cents worth, having walked the TV purchasing tightrope quite recently (and having gone down the Samsung Q75 75" path)... The LG is an IPS panel - great wide viewing angles, but poor blacks (they can only manage dark greys in my personal experience) and they often suffer from poor screen uniformity and 'dirty screen effect' which is most apparent when watching sports where you are panning across a grassy field/oval. Once you've seen it, it cannot be unseen and will bug you forever. They aren't too bad for viewing in brighter rooms and the wide viewing angles can be a plus if you have a L-shaped lounge which places some viewers at a 45" degree angle to the TV, but they are decidedly average for watching movies in dark rooms vs VA panels. Out of the two Samsungs, the RU8000 gets the nod from rtings.com over the Q60. They have largely the same feature set, and apparently the RU8000 has better black and grey uniformity over the Q60 which is quite interesting! These both have VA panels with inferior off-axis performance, but far far better blacks than the LG. The Sony 8500 is an interesting one... most reviews cover up to the 75" models which are all IPS panels (note my comments above re: their drawbacks) but apparently the 85" is a VA panel. If you can verify this, the Sony comes into contention. If it's an IPS, I'd avoid for the reasons above. The 85" does appear to be a backlit TV rather than edgelit which is a positive if implemented well. All of your proposed TVs lack full-array local dimming which is a shame. You'd need to step down to a 75" and look at TVs like the Sony 9500 or Samsung QLED Q75 which are around the $3800-4000 mark to obtain this - haggling below the marked/advertised price is certainly possible and each should come in at $3,500 or under. I was fortunate to get my 75" Q75 for $2,900 which (Black Friday sales coupled with 20% off via an ebay voucher). If you're feeling lucky/brave and can view one in the flesh before purchasing, the Hisense 85R7 with a VA panel and full array local dimming can be had for under $3k which is a lot of TV for the money. However... in my opinion and experience the Hisense offerings are not quite up to par with Samsung/LG/Sony/Panasonic on the video processing and motioning handling stakes in my opinion (I've got a Hisense 65P7 in our living area) and the interface is a bit slower to load and respond than other mainstream TV brands. That said, I'd still go the Hisense over the LG for watching movies due to the superior blacks. Have a look at rtings.com for reviews on the above models (except the Hisense) and to learn the pros and cons of the respective panel types. I don't think there's a review of the exact LG model you mention, but there's very similar models which all use the IPS panels and the comments hold true regarding the panel types and their pros and cons. Food for thought anyway! Edited January 12, 2020 by pete_mac 3
betty boop Posted January 12, 2020 Posted January 12, 2020 if one thing i have seen as a red flag for larger telly's is any image artefacts particular TV tech produces it just gets all the more noticeable the larger the screen is ! I see CES latest news that microLED is really future for this. see note below re samsung, however suspect it will still be many years till this tech becomes anywhere near affordable to make a reality. still good to see it is already ready and a goer for now... even if at a very significant cost ! https://www.zdnet.com/article/ces-2020-samsung-expands-micro-led-tv-home-line-up/ "Ahead of CES 2020, Samsung Electronics has unveiled its Micro LED TV, dubbed The Wall, which will be available in a slew of sizes. The Wall, which is aimed for use in homes, will be available in 75, 88, 93, 110, 150, or 292-inches, it said at its First Look event. The 88-inch and 150-inch models will come with an "ultra-slim design" and be bezel-less. " 1
Janjuggler Posted January 12, 2020 Posted January 12, 2020 Hi @ELYAS 12 hours ago, ELYAS said: Mate just a question, do you have and issues with it being a Direct Lit panel? Do you notice a lack of depth or blackness? This is where people with reasonable vision have a different perspective to me, having had a detached retina and surgery unable to do a 100% repair and awaiting cataract replacement to that eye, this was the television, after an afternoon of playing with different models, that to me looked best. So my advise is to go and look yourself and get hold of the remote and play with the models you are interested in, and don't listen to the bull that the store person will try to spin. As there are usually only 2 of us viewing angles are not a problem and after a week of watching have no concerns, but then that is us, and everyone is different. JJ 4
ELYAS Posted January 13, 2020 Author Posted January 13, 2020 Thanks @betty boop, I usually stay away from new tech until it’s a) tried and tested by everyone else and b) drops in price, hence why I’m only looking at uhd4k now. However, given the discussion above regarding the sizing and type of backlighting, I do think I may need to increase my budget to not fall too far behind. 2
SLE355 Posted January 13, 2020 Posted January 13, 2020 I see someone on WP got the Sony X9500G 85" for $4999, that would be a good option i think, if you were happy to up the budget a little.
pc10 Posted January 13, 2020 Posted January 13, 2020 21 hours ago, ELYAS said: Thanks @betty boop, I usually stay away from new tech until it’s a) tried and tested by everyone else and b) drops in price, hence why I’m only looking at uhd4k now. However, given the discussion above regarding the sizing and type of backlighting, I do think I may need to increase my budget to not fall too far behind. Follow Pete_macs advice above and you can't go wrong. Rule of thumb - avoid contrast poor IPS panels (LG) and go full array local dimming (FALD) if you can afford to. If you have to go edge lit due to budget constraints then the Samsung RU 8000 may be a good buy. Decent contrast and brightness despite the lack of local dimming. Happy hunting. 2
Hi-Fi Whipped Posted January 13, 2020 Posted January 13, 2020 53 minutes ago, pc9 said: Follow Pete_macs advice above and you can't go wrong. Rule of thumb - avoid contrast poor IPS panels (LG) and go full array local dimming (FALD) if you can afford to. If you have to go edge lit due to budget constraints then the Samsung RU 8000 may be a good buy. Decent contrast and brightness despite the lack of local dimming. Happy hunting. Agree with that, best allround advice I've read for a while, makes the 85 inch Hisense look like great value at around $2800.
ELYAS Posted January 13, 2020 Author Posted January 13, 2020 55 minutes ago, pc9 said: Follow Pete_macs advice above and you can't go wrong. Rule of thumb - avoid contrast poor IPS panels (LG) and go full array local dimming (FALD) if you can afford to. If you have to go edge lit due to budget constraints then the Samsung RU 8000 may be a good buy. Decent contrast and brightness despite the lack of local dimming. Happy hunting. Thank you. That's great info.
ELYAS Posted January 13, 2020 Author Posted January 13, 2020 So what FALD panels over 80" currently hover either in or over my price range? Happy to wait until June and take advantage of eofy.
SLE355 Posted January 13, 2020 Posted January 13, 2020 37 minutes ago, ELYAS said: So what FALD panels over 80" currently hover either in or over my price range? Happy to wait until June and take advantage of eofy. 14 hours ago, SLE355 said: I see someone on WP got the Sony X9500G 85" for $4999, that would be a good option i think, if you were happy to up the budget a little.
ELYAS Posted January 13, 2020 Author Posted January 13, 2020 9 minutes ago, SLE355 said: I was thrown off by the recommendation for Full Array with Local Dimming. I've been looking through specs on the JB site and most panels are noted as Edge Lit or "Direct Lit". I'm assuming that Direct lit and Full Array mean the same thing?? Or no...
pc10 Posted January 14, 2020 Posted January 14, 2020 18 minutes ago, ELYAS said: I was thrown off by the recommendation for Full Array with Local Dimming. I've been looking through specs on the JB site and most panels are noted as Edge Lit or "Direct Lit". I'm assuming that Direct lit and Full Array mean the same thing?? Or no... Just be a bit careful here. The magic words are full array local dimming (FALD). Some manufacturers such as HISENSE will try to bamboozle customers with terms such as "200 local dimming zones" but this refers to pseudo local dimming where an algorithm is used to create zones in an edge lit panel. I've probably confused you a bit more but if you are talking to a sales person just insist on seeing panels with full array local dimming. FALD tvs are usually distinguished by a thicker panel (and a higher price tag!) On 13/01/2020 at 10:10 AM, ELYAS said: Thanks @betty boop, I usually stay away from new tech until it’s a) tried and tested by everyone else and b) drops in price, hence why I’m only looking at uhd4k now. However, given the discussion above regarding the sizing and type of backlighting, I do think I may need to increase my budget to not fall too far behind. Follow Pete_macs advice above and you can't go wrong. Rule of thumb - avoid contrast poor IPS panels (LG) and go full array local dimming (FALD) if you can afford to. If you have to go edge lit due to budget constraints then the Samsung RU 8000 may be a good buy. Decent contrast and brightness despite the lack of local dimming. Happy hunting. 1
ELYAS Posted January 14, 2020 Author Posted January 14, 2020 8 minutes ago, pc9 said: Just be a bit careful here. The magic words are full array local dimming (FALD). Some manufacturers such as HISENSE will try to bamboozle customers with terms such as "200 local dimming zones" but this refers to pseudo local dimming where an algorithm is used to create zones in an edge lit panel. I've probably confused you a bit more but if you are talking to a sales person just insist on seeing panels with full array local dimming. FALD tvs are usually distinguished by a thicker panel (and a higher price tag!) Follow Pete_macs advice above and you can't go wrong. Rule of thumb - avoid contrast poor IPS panels (LG) and go full array local dimming (FALD) if you can afford to. If you have to go edge lit due to budget constraints then the Samsung RU 8000 may be a good buy. Decent contrast and brightness despite the lack of local dimming. Happy hunting. So this? https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/samsung-q75-82-qled-4k-smart-tv How do I find out if a panel is IPS? Thanks for helping, I hope this thread helps others with the same questions.
pc10 Posted January 15, 2020 Posted January 15, 2020 23 hours ago, ELYAS said: So this? https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/samsung-q75-82-qled-4k-smart-tv How do I find out if a panel is IPS? Thanks for helping, I hope this thread helps others with the same questions. An excellent choice. All Samsung TVs use a VA (vertically aligned) panel. The Q75 has full array local dimming. I expect the 82" version will have about 100 zones.
ELYAS Posted January 15, 2020 Author Posted January 15, 2020 7 minutes ago, pc9 said: An excellent choice. All Samsung TVs use a VA (vertically aligned) panel. The Q75 has full array local dimming. I expect the 82" version will have about 100 zones. Awesome. Ok, I think I know what I'm looking at now. Time to crunch. Thanks heaps.
pete_mac Posted January 15, 2020 Posted January 15, 2020 (edited) On 14/01/2020 at 11:30 AM, ELYAS said: So this? https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/samsung-q75-82-qled-4k-smart-tv Yep, that's the 82" version of what I bought. Definitely haggle on price - you can get the 82" for $4700 on ebay at the moment. I consider the Q75R range to be the 'sweet-spot' regarding performance vs price in Samsung's range. Edited January 15, 2020 by pete_mac
ELYAS Posted January 15, 2020 Author Posted January 15, 2020 41 minutes ago, pete_mac said: Yep, that's the 82" version of what I bought. Definitely haggle on price - you can get the 82" for $4700 on ebay at the moment. I consider the Q75R range to be the 'sweet-spot' regarding performance vs price in Samsung's range. I couldn't find an rtings comparison to the Q80, they don't have the Q75R, just the Q70 and Q70r. Do you know differences or was it just a maybe a mid-term "facelift" or firmware update or something?
pete_mac Posted January 15, 2020 Posted January 15, 2020 14 minutes ago, ELYAS said: I couldn't find an rtings comparison to the Q80, they don't have the Q75R, just the Q70 and Q70r. Do you know differences or was it just a maybe a mid-term "facelift" or firmware update or something? The Q70 = the Q75 - different designation for different markets. From rtings: The Samsung Q80R is better than the Samsung Q70R. The Samsung Q80R can handle reflections slightly better and has a wider viewing angle thanks to the 'Ultra Viewing Angle' layer. Its local dimming is better than the Q70R and significantly helps improve dark room performance. The Samsung Q70R, on the other hand, has a higher native contrast ratio and can deliver deeper and more uniform blacks, even though its local dimming isn't as effective. I was very happy to go with the cheaper Q75R based upon the above - it suits my purposes perfectly and is an excellent TV.
ELYAS Posted January 15, 2020 Author Posted January 15, 2020 1 minute ago, pete_mac said: The Q70 = the Q75 - different designation for different markets. From rtings: The Samsung Q80R is better than the Samsung Q70R. The Samsung Q80R can handle reflections slightly better and has a wider viewing angle thanks to the 'Ultra Viewing Angle' layer. Its local dimming is better than the Q70R and significantly helps improve dark room performance. The Samsung Q70R, on the other hand, has a higher native contrast ratio and can deliver deeper and more uniform blacks, even though its local dimming isn't as effective. I was very happy to go with the cheaper Q75R based upon the above - it suits my purposes perfectly and is an excellent TV. I thought markets might have been the answer. I like the idea of Android in the Sony X95G (x950G/X9500G [markets?]). Rated exactly the same as the Q70R on Rtings. Not sure it's stocked in Australia though... Hard to find it.
pc10 Posted January 16, 2020 Posted January 16, 2020 20 hours ago, ELYAS said: I thought markets might have been the answer. I like the idea of Android in the Sony X95G (x950G/X9500G [markets?]). Rated exactly the same as the Q70R on Rtings. Not sure it's stocked in Australia though... Hard to find it. Plenty of 950Gs in Australia. JB currently has the 65" version for $2400. Nice FALD set with a VA panel. You can't go wrong at this price. On 14/01/2020 at 10:30 AM, ELYAS said: So this? https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/samsung-q75-82-qled-4k-smart-tv How do I find out if a panel is IPS? Thanks for helping, I hope this thread helps others with the same questions. An excellent choice. All Samsung TVs use a VA (vertically aligned) panel. The Q75 has full array local dimming. I expect the 82" version will have about 100 zones.
ELYAS Posted January 16, 2020 Author Posted January 16, 2020 2 minutes ago, pc9 said: Plenty of 950Gs in Australia. JB currently has the 65" version for $2400. Nice FALD set with a VA panel. You can't go wrong at this price. An excellent choice. All Samsung TVs use a VA (vertically aligned) panel. The Q75 has full array local dimming. I expect the 82" version will have about 100 zones. I should have clarified, 950G over 80"...aaaand I just found it, curiously filed under their LED 65"-70" category, what the? X9500G 85", $6,500~. All of a sudden, Sammy's Q75R is a bargain, both rated equally on Rtings... 1
Recommended Posts