Denster presents: The 4K/8K HDR HDTV Thread

jamcc wrote:

KK wrote:The TV doesn't appear to be listed on the Samsung website or stocked anywhere else but Argos. It's probably what is known as a Warehouse version. Same TV but with a few cosmetic tweaks (such as the bezel or stand). It also makes comparing prices difficult.

God that's weird. Sod that, I'm gonna go and get the 6100 from Curry's now. Thanks so much! :wub: :wub: :wub:

Was going to point out that Eurogamer recommended the MU6400, its £589 from John Lewis...

https://www.johnlewis.com/samsung-ue49m ... r/p3215475

If you've not already bought it that is definitely worth considering the extra for, also worth buying from either John Lewis or Richer Sounds over somewhere like Curry's or Argos for the extra free warranty (5 years from JL and 6 from Richer Sounds).

HSH28 wrote:

jamcc wrote:

KK wrote:The TV doesn't appear to be listed on the Samsung website or stocked anywhere else but Argos. It's probably what is known as a Warehouse version. Same TV but with a few cosmetic tweaks (such as the bezel or stand). It also makes comparing prices difficult.

God that's weird. Sod that, I'm gonna go and get the 6100 from Curry's now. Thanks so much!

Was going to point out that Eurogamer recommended the MU6400, its £589 from John Lewis...

https://www.johnlewis.com/samsung-ue49m ... r/p3215475

If you've not already bought it that is definitely worth considering the extra for, also worth buying from either John Lewis or Richer Sounds over somewhere like Curry's or Argos for the extra free warranty (5 years from JL and 6 from Richer Sounds).

Bloody hell, that's a good price.

I'm trying to wait another year, but that is testing me.

KK wrote:Make sure to check if it is the cheapest - John Lewis price match Currys and will also give you a 5 year guarantee.

Ah yes, good point. I did look on Google and it was equal cheapest with Amazon and one other store I think but I have Curry's across the road so I got it there.

Compared to my 9-year old 40" Sony LCD it's massive. The picture (watching England on ITV HD) doesn't look perfect - it's a bit bright and not all that sharp to be honest. Is it just that I need to calibrate it or am I sitting too close (1-2m away )?

Thanks a lot for your help guys.

How much better is the 6400?

It will need calabrating. Turn the backlight down.

If you don't want to mess about with menus, changing to the cinema setting is the easiest and usually best option. For consoles, the TV should always be set to Game mode.

Tempted to upgrade my 2014 Samsung Evolution Kit (SEK-2500?) to the 2015 SEK-3500 version as all 4 HDMI ports are HDCP 2.2 and HDMI 2.0 as opposed to my existing 1 (HDMI4).

But it's around £340/£350 'just' to get 4k on all HDMI ports.

Don't suppose anyone has an SEK-3500 and care to share their views please?

jamcc wrote:

KK wrote:Make sure to check if it is the cheapest - John Lewis price match Currys and will also give you a 5 year guarantee.

Ah yes, good point. I did look on Google and it was equal cheapest with Amazon and one other store I think but I have Curry's across the road so I got it there.

Compared to my 9-year old 40" Sony LCD it's massive. The picture (watching England on ITV HD) doesn't look perfect - it's a bit bright and not all that sharp to be honest. Is it just that I need to calibrate it or am I sitting too close (1-2m away )?

Thanks a lot for your help guys.

How much better is the 6400?

These picture settings are not for the same model, but they ought to give you a better picture than the default. If you want to tweak further then it's probably a good starting point.

Is it worth getting a 4K set if I'm only going to be using it to watch stuff in up to 1080p at the moment? I've been doing a bit of reading about, and I've seen that apparently a 4K set can make a lot of non-4K, especially sub 1080p stuff, look worse. Is this correct? I'd have thought some upscaling might have made standard 1080p and sub HD broadcasts look better still on a 4K screen. Is that not the case?

Very much depends on the set quality, its upscaling ability and its size. I'm watching on a 55'' and everything bar standard definition (which begins to pixelate and wash out quite badly) looks as good or better than a 1080p TV.

The source of the content also makes a difference. For example watching satellite connected directly through my TV is better than through a SkyHD box.

KK wrote:The source of the content also makes a difference. For example watching satellite connected directly through my TV is better than through a SkyHD box.

At the moment, I just watch Freeview, or stream stuff through Chromecast/Firestick via HDMI.

OK, so I think I've managed to convince myself I don't need 4K, as I currently have no access to anything to provide 4K content.

How's this for a 1080p set?

LG 49LJ594V 49 Inch

If you're getting a 1080p set, stick with Sony as they're the only ones offering HDR (High Dynamic Range) compatibility for PS4 and Netflix (other services and devices may work but Sony can't guarantee it). It's not true HDR, but it's a step on the ladder.

KK wrote:If you're getting a 1080p set, stick with Sony as they're the only ones offering HDR (High Dynamic Range) compatibility for PS4 and Netflix (other services and devices may work but Sony can't guarantee it). It's not true HDR, but it's a step on the ladder.

The Sony 1080p HDR screens are almost as expensive as 4K sets though. Not sure if they have local dimming on them (something the cheap 4K HDR sets don't), but it doesn't really seem worth buying a 1080p set unless you are going for a cheap 40" or less sized TV.

Oh I wouldn't pay full price for it in a million years. The best 1080p set for 2017 (https://www.johnlewis.com/sony-bravia-4 ... k/p3215642 ) is currently about £150-£200 over what I'd want to pay for it. Thanksgiving through Christmas should see that price tumble dramatically.

It comes down to personal preference as to whether you'd rather have a good 4K TV for £450 or a great 1080p TV. You might not want 4K now but come a year down the line you don't want to be sitting there going 'Oh gooseberry fool, Freeview/Freesat 4K has just launched and now I can't jump in'.

KK wrote:If you're getting a 1080p set, stick with Sony as they're the only ones offering HDR (High Dynamic Range) compatibility for PS4 and Netflix (other services and devices may work but Sony can't guarantee it). It's not true HDR, but it's a step on the ladder.

What's that do, then? Is not like other dynamic range tricks I've seen on TVs that just change the brightness based on whether the message on screen is dark or bright, is it? Because I always turned that gooseberry fool off in the past.

KK wrote:It comes down to personal preference as to whether you'd rather have a good 4K TV for £450 or a great 1080p TV. You might not want 4K now but come a year down the line you don't want to be sitting there going 'Oh gooseberry fool, Freeview/Freesat 4K has just launched and now I can't jump in'.

Realistically, how likely is it there'll be Freeview 4K rolling out in the next 2/3 years? There are barely more than a dozen channels in HD at the moment, and I thought they were mostly still broadcasting in 720p rather than full 1080p anyway.

Buying a tv that's not 4k now to Save a bit of money is a false economy. You don't know how long you'll have this new one and the chance are you'll end up 4k content coming to you sooner than you'd think. I got my 1080p set and was told at the time I didn't need more than 720p because there want enough content. About a month in to buying it I then got a free ps3 so was watching bluray etc and when I bought the tvi had no HD sources or content. Fast forward to now and I'm all using the same tv and there's nothing i own plugged in that's not full hd.

Future proof a bit, you'll regret 1080p only very quickly imo.

You, a few pages ago...

Ad7 wrote:4k at 43 inches is probably pointless thh. Can you afford a bigger screen?

If I get a 4K telly, it's going to need to be smaller to get something actually affordable, at which point it surely becomes pointless anyway?

Buy my 1080p set then . 40 inches

Knoyleo wrote:What's that do, then? Is not like other dynamic range tricks I've seen on TVs that just change the brightness based on whether the message on screen is dark or bright, is it? Because I always turned that gooseberry fool off in the past.

HDR basically offers a much wider range of colours and contrasts.



Done properly, it's very technically demanding. The TV needs to get extremely bright and extremely dark, and that brightness needs to be independently controlled in different parts of the screen. These televisions tend to cost in excess of £1000 and aside from Sony are always 4K. Done well, 4K and HDR is a big leap over conventional 1080p. But at the moment it's very much targeted at gamers and those with Ultra Blu Ray players. There is currently no HDR content over-the-air from BT, Sky or Virgin Media. Netflix, Amazon and YouTube however offer 4K HDR streaming on certain programmes.

Knoyleo wrote:Realistically, how likely is it there'll be Freeview 4K rolling out in the next 2/3 years? There are barely more than a dozen channels in HD at the moment, and I thought they were mostly still broadcasting in 720p rather than full 1080p anyway.

Freesat 4K compatible boxes are coming in 2018 (manufacturers and partners to be announced later this year), Freeview likely in 2019 or 2020. BBC is first but it'll be via iPlayer and over the internet. Debut programme will likely be Planet Earth 2 (available now on Ultra Blu Ray). No idea when an actual 4K channel will arrive as even Sky don't have one yet, it's all through the red button or on-demand. And yes, most broadcast HD is either 720p (sport) or 1080i. And can also be heavily compressed on top of that (leading to obvious pixelation and artifacts).

KK wrote:Done properly, it's very technically demanding. The TV needs to get extremely bright and extremely dark, and that brightness needs to be independently controlled in different parts of the screen. These televisions tend to cost in excess of £1000 and aside from Sony are always 4K. Done well, 4K and HDR is a big leap over conventional 1080p. But at the moment it's very much targeted at gamers and those with Ultra Blu Ray players. There is currently no HDR content over-the-air from BT, Sky or Virgin Media. Netflix, Amazon and YouTube however offer 4K HDR streaming on certain programmes.

So it's a niche within the existing niche of 4K?

Cool.

If not buying 4K is such a false economy, what's the verdict on something like this?

Hisense H50N5300 50 Inch 4K

£30 more for a screen the same size as the LG 1080p set, but some funny Hisense brand stuff.

Or £50 more for 4K, but 43", and a decent brand?

LG 43UJ635V 43 Inch Smart 4K Ultra HD TV with HDR

Get a decent brand ffs