40-43 inch TV

[neonplanet40]

Hi folks,

Looking for a TV for my summer house. It really can't be bigger than 43 inches.

It seems that smaller tv's are priced more expensive in comparison to the bigger variants. Annoying.

I don't want to overspend. Looking at no more than £600

I've been looking at the Hisense e77hqt and the Samsung Q60B. But I'm not set on these.

Main uses:
Watching Football

Needs to be bright to combat any glare etc and preferably 4K.

I don't keep on top of tv tech etc, so I've no idea what to get. The Hisense looks superb value for a QLED, but unsure if just guff or not.

Advice please, thank you

[AGTDenton]

When I last looked, it annoyed me that even though you're buying within the same range, smaller sizes have features removed or downgraded from their bigger brothers.
Just something to watch out for when looking at reviews & spec sheets especially with regards to brightness, contrast & motion processor for sports (unless you're only watching bowls).

Sadly it's been a while since I've been TV shopping so I couldn't recommend a particular model.

This is a really good review on the Q60B, it might highlight some features of interest.

[Jonatron]

I've been looking recently, and it's annoying because it can be tricky to find out what panel type a TV is. I want good viewing angles, so I want to avoid VA panels, but no brands seem to actually give you this important bit of info. If you know you're going to be sitting directly in front instead of an angle, that's one less thing to worry about.

[Jonj1611]

I am selling one of these, only had it 1 day. Its too small for my lounge, got rid of a 55" and thought the 43" would be find but messed up my measurements and its far too small but as a TV it's amazing, picture is top notch, loads of apps etc - https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/t...2k-x73k-series

[neonplanet40]

Thanks, Jon, I'll bear it in mind. I am thinking I will need something brighter. Currently looking at the Samsung QN90B

[Jonj1611]

Funnily enough I am looking at a Qled TV. Though at a lower price point than the Samsung, at that price wouldn't Oled be a better choice?

[neonplanet40]

I am looking at an official Samsung refurbished one for a bit cheaper. ALthough they do say the QLED is better if you need brightness

[Jonj1611]

I have been looking at both Qled and Oled recently. Oled seem to produce a better picture but Qled as you said can be brighter.

Still not sure what to go for myself yet

[MrJim]

Now that I have an OLED tv, I don't think I could go back to a conventional LCD screen (unless perhaps it's miniLED). 42" OLEDs are available, but probably a bit out of the price range of the OP. The earlier OLED TVs did suffer from not being particularly bright, but the latest tech from Samsung & LG have greatly improved on that limitation.

[Jonj1611]

I got a 55" Hisense QLED in the end. It's ok, does the job though the speakers are shockingly poor so getting a new sound bar to go with it

[Saracen999]

I got a 55" Hisense QLED in the end. It's ok, does the job though the speakers are shockingly poor so getting a new sound bar to go with it

It seems to me that most, if not all, modern (i.e. very thin) TVs have shockingly poor sound. The problem, I guess, is shockingly thin speakers are a challenge. We bought a decent LG OLED 55 a year or so back and, initially, thought the sound was .... okay. But, full movie sound it certainly isn't. No shock in that. But the killer aspect is simple dialog, and the number of times we find ourselves saying "Huh? What'd he say?" It's okay if characters speak clearly, but all it needs is a whisper or mumble and, well, it's damned annoying.

So, we have our eye on a POLK Audio Signa S4.

Soundbars seem to be a bit of an art, to buy. You can get cheap but, ummm, well, cheap-sounding. A friend has a superb sound bar but at £1500 it ought to be. I'd want it to cook my dinner, run my bath and wash the car at the weekends for that.

That Polk gets good reviews but, well, assessing online reviews is an art form in itself.

Got any better suggestions? That Polk is about £300 and is as far as I really wanna go but I'm open to better at that price, and very open to as good, but cheaper.

Oh, and Richer warranties were referred to earlier. I haven't needed to call on one for a few years but when I did, they were utterly outstanding. They are still on my personal "preferred supplier" list for exactly that reason and will stay there if they don't try to screw me over. They're also usually at least competitive on pricing and often have great (probably EOL, but who cares) deals, too.

[Jonj1611]

That's funny you mention that model as that is the one I am looking at. Primarily because it has Dolby Atmos. I didn't really want to go above £300. I am not an audio connoisseur. I will be getting it at Amazon (when they have Amazon stock back in) as it easy for returns if any issues.

The other one I looked at was the £250 Sony soundbar with Atmos, reviewed well so it will be between the two but leaning towards the Polk at the moment

[Saracen999]

That's funny you mention that model as that is the one I am looking at. Primarily because it has Dolby Atmos. I didn't really want to go above £300. I am not an audio connoisseur. I will be getting it at Amazon (when they have Amazon stock back in) as it easy for returns if any issues.

...

Also watchng Amazon. You might find this interesting ....

I was looking a few weeks ago, and it suddenly dropped to £250. So I thought about it, went and discussed it with 'domestic management' and once I got across what a sound bar was (as I hadn't mentioned it) and she thought about it, I went back to order. And it was back at £300. This was, dunno, maybe 18 hours later. I don't know how long it was discounted for, or why. Polk promotion, maybe. But it happens. If it had happened again since, i'd have ordered. We probably will soon anyway.

Oh, and yeah, when it'll actually be Amazon I'm buying from. That is my biggest personal gripe with Amazon - "We've changed blah-blah- ". No, you utter morons. WHO I buy from is critical to whether I buy or not, and you changing the deal for me is incredibly aggravating. Which is why I may end up just going straight to Richer - at least they don't mess me about, making the buying experience feel like tip-toeing through a herd (if that's the right collective noun) of sleeping but hungry dragons .... or an active minefield.

I am a bit of an audio connoisseur, though. Or to be more accurate, my head still thinks it is but my ears moved on to "hmmm, hearing aid??" a few years ago.

Okay, I exagerrate a bit but high-end hifi would be a bit f a waste these days, which is damned annoying, now that I can finally afford it without eating beans on toast for dinner for a month to pay for some bit of kit.

[MrJim]

It seems to me that most, if not all, modern (i.e. very thin) TVs have shockingly poor sound. The problem, I guess, is shockingly thin speakers are a challenge. We bought a decent LG OLED 55 a year or so back and, initially, thought the sound was .... okay. But, full movie sound it certainly isn't. No shock in that. But the killer aspect is simple dialog, and the number of times we find ourselves saying "Huh? What'd he say?" It's okay if characters speak clearly, but all it needs is a whisper or mumble and, well, it's damned annoying.

So, we have our eye on a POLK Audio Signa S4.

Soundbars seem to be a bit of an art, to buy. You can get cheap but, ummm, well, cheap-sounding. A friend has a superb sound bar but at £1500 it ought to be. I'd want it to cook my dinner, run my bath and wash the car at the weekends for that.

That Polk gets good reviews but, well, assessing online reviews is an art form in itself.

Got any better suggestions? That Polk is about £300 and is as far as I really wanna go but I'm open to better at that price, and very open to as good, but cheaper.

Oh, and Richer warranties were referred to earlier. I haven't needed to call on one for a few years but when I did, they were utterly outstanding. They are still on my personal "preferred supplier" list for exactly that reason and will stay there if they don't try to screw me over. They're also usually at least competitive on pricing and often have great (probably EOL, but who cares) deals, too.

The poor audio quality of flatscreen TVs is a bit of a gripe of mine too! I've got a pretty ancient plasma TV in my bedroom, which I should really 'upgrade', but the best thing about it is that the audio from the built-in speakers is actually incredibly good. It's only plain old stereo, but because the bezel surrounding the screen is huge (about 3 inches!), Panasonic actually managed to fit some decent speakers into the unit. I don't really have space for a separate sound bar, so for the moment I'm sticking with what I've got.

In my living room I've got a 48" LG OLED, & I agree - the audio is okay, but not great. I ended up buying a Sonos Beam gen 2 sound-bar to improve the audio, which is great in many ways...but quite annoying in others.

https://www.richersounds.com/sonos-b...n-2-black.html

Although it supports Dolby Atmos, in order to fully set up the 'pseudo' surround, you HAVE to use an the Sonos app on an Apple iPhone. Android phones aren't supported. And of course, I don't have an Apple mobile. I've got a mate who said he's put the app on his phone to finish the audio setup...but a year later, & we still haven't gotten around to it! The thing I like about the Sonos system is that you can add rear wireless speakers for the surround channels as well as a subwoofer at a later date, should you wish to do so.

[Jonj1611]

I looked at the Sonos but was out of my price range unfortunately. Though for others it may well fit in with what they needed. I wanted Atmos, for several reasons at the time which I can't for the life of me remember now but I knew I "had" to have it. Some soundbars came with rear speakers but the reviews were a bit hit and miss. The Sony and the Polk have had solid reviews so going to be between them I think.

But I have to say again, whoever made the speakers for this Hisense needs to be dragged out in the street and publicly flogged. Highs are too high, lows are non existent and half the time seems like I am listening to the TV with a fishbowl on my head.

[Saracen999]

I thought about Sonos too, and have been looking at their new speakers for a different room. For the TV, our main purpose is really just trying to get clear voices. Even the Polk is irritatingly expensive on top of a £1000+ for the TV. If I go up to £500 for Sonos .... well, where do I stop?

For listening to music, I can kinda stomach spending on good speakers and, as I relax to music laying on the bed a lot, there I might indulge. But the soundbar is really about clear dialog. The wife isn't hugely bothered about surround anyway, and I don't watch that much in the way of films in the lounge.

It's hard to explain why apparently contradictory motivations actually make sense, but they sorta do.

I think it's the Polk for the lounge, but those music-focussed speakers in the bedroom? Hmmm. Maybe KEF LSX-IIs? At least the voices on the bedroom TV should be damn clear.