question Help with buying a new TV

[eEmillerz]

Hello!

 

I'm currently looking to buy an entry-level OLED TV preferably 48"-55", but I'm unsure as to which features and specs are must have. So for this I have a couple of questions, and I'd love if some of you could help me out here!
 

So does refresh rate in a TV matter? (I'm not planning on using it for gaming, only Netflix, YouTube etc.)
What are some key features / specs that I just need to have and should look out for?
Anything I should avoid when picking out a TV?

HDR10, HDR10+ or Dolby Vision?

What's important to know about sound when choosing a TV? (Would be down to buy a sound bar)

 

If you have any personal recommendations that's an OLED, is 48"-55" and not too pricey, I'd love to hear them!

Thanks a lot, you all!

 

[Cyracus]

1 minute ago, eEmillerz said:

So does refresh rate in a TV matter? (I'm not planning on using it for gaming, only Netflix, YouTube etc.)
What are some key features / specs that I just need to have and should look out for?

What's important to know about sound when choosing a TV? (Would be down to buy a sound bar)

Most 120+hz refresh rate TVs insert artificial frames, causes the soap opera effect.

what ports it has, what version the ports are.

Built in sound tends to be bad.

[tikker]

20 minutes ago, eEmillerz said:

So does refresh rate in a TV matter? (I'm not planning on using it for gaming, only Netflix, YouTube etc.)

For gaming and possibly sports I'd say it matters, but the crux is your content should be delivered at that refresh rate as well, which no cable or streaming providers do to my knowledge. For Netflix or YouTube as you say it doesn't really matter, but you'll be hardpressed to find an OLED that isn't 120 Hz at the moment.

25 minutes ago, eEmillerz said:

What are some key features / specs that I just need to have and should look out for?

Does it have all the ports you need, is it compatible with devices you plan to hook up (features like ARC or eARC, HDMI 2.1) that sort of thing.

26 minutes ago, eEmillerz said:

Anything I should avoid when picking out a TV?

For OLEDs, in my opinion second hand ones or showroom models because of burn-in.

27 minutes ago, eEmillerz said:

HDR10, HDR10+ or Dolby Vision?

I don't see HDR10+ much. My C9 plays both HDR10 and Dolby Vision and I think it's pretty common now for both to be supported. Honestly the difference between HDR10 and DV isn't nearly as big as between SDR and HDR to me, so don't get too tied up on this.

29 minutes ago, eEmillerz said:

What's important to know about sound when choosing a TV? (Would be down to buy a sound bar)

Depends on your wishes for sound quality, budget, space in and layout of the room and the potential infamous wife-acceptance-factor. Personally I prefer a separate AVR with proper (bookshelf) speakers, but soundbars can sound nice as well. If you don't care or are unsure you can always start with the TV and upgrade sound later. The one commonality is that all TVs will sound mediocre at best, so it's not like you are missing out buying one model over the other.

 

Something to do keep in mind with OLEDs is:

• They don't get super bright, so if you get a lot of light in the room it might be tricky for daytime viewing unless you block some of the light with curtains or something. In return they can display perfect blacks however. If brightness something you care about, consider looking at something like Samnsung's QLED lineup.
• They are innately susceptible to burn-in. This isn't something to worry a lot about, but you should be aware that it exists. This means you should try to watch varied content and avoid bright static elements  (like news channel logos) being on for long amounts of time. This is cumulative, so displaying the same logo 1000 hours in one go is the same as displaying the same logo for 1 hour per day over 1000 days. As I said, nothing to super worry about though. Check e.g. RTINGS' reviews about it if you want to know the details, but their conclusion is also for normal  people watching varied content it's not a big concern.

For an OLED, personally I'd say take a look at the LG C1. I have a C9 and love it. If motion interpolation and image processing is important to you, then take a look at Sony's offerings. They are considered king on that front.

[Commodus]

22 hours ago, eEmillerz said:

Hello!

 

I'm currently looking to buy an entry-level OLED TV preferably 48"-55", but I'm unsure as to which features and specs are must have. So for this I have a couple of questions, and I'd love if some of you could help me out here!
 

So does refresh rate in a TV matter? (I'm not planning on using it for gaming, only Netflix, YouTube etc.)
What are some key features / specs that I just need to have and should look out for?
Anything I should avoid when picking out a TV?

HDR10, HDR10+ or Dolby Vision?

What's important to know about sound when choosing a TV? (Would be down to buy a sound bar)

 

If you have any personal recommendations that's an OLED, is 48"-55" and not too pricey, I'd love to hear them!

Thanks a lot, you all!

 

I would definitely spring for an LG OLED set in that size class; I'll echo recommendations for the C1. Skip the A1 unless you get an amazing deal, as it's a little too hobbled to be worthwhile at regular prices; it'd be better to get last year's CX in that case.

 

Refresh rate matters mainly for gaming. I'm not one of those people who rails against the "soap opera effect" (I like it for some material), but even if I were... some games can run above 60FPS on the latest consoles, and it'd be good to futureproof your set.

 

Avoid used OLED sets (unless it's merely open-box) or any TV with relatively few HDMI ports. Few things are more annoying in TV land than running out of inputs because you dared to connect more than a couple of devices.

 

Dolby Vision is superior to HDR10 and HDR10+ since it's adaptive (that is, it changes based on the scene). You'll still likely end up watching or playing a lot of HDR10 content, but you'll appreciate Dolby Vision on sets from companies like LG.

 

As for sound... the audio quality for built-in speakers isn't always terrible (my years-old C7 is surprisingly solid), but you should assume you'll need a sound bar or other external speakers if you want anything more than "good enough." Wirecutter has a few good examples, although I'd also point to the Sonos Beam if the Arc is out of your price range.

[eEmillerz]

On 8/7/2021 at 1:00 AM, tikker said:

For gaming and possibly sports I'd say it matters, but the crux is your content should be delivered at that refresh rate as well, which no cable or streaming providers do to my knowledge. For Netflix or YouTube as you say it doesn't really matter, but you'll be hardpressed to find an OLED that isn't 120 Hz at the moment.

Does it have all the ports you need, is it compatible with devices you plan to hook up (features like ARC or eARC, HDMI 2.1) that sort of thing.

For OLEDs, in my opinion second hand ones or showroom models because of burn-in.

I don't see HDR10+ much. My C9 plays both HDR10 and Dolby Vision and I think it's pretty common now for both to be supported. Honestly the difference between HDR10 and DV isn't nearly as big as between SDR and HDR to me, so don't get too tied up on this.

Depends on your wishes for sound quality, budget, space in and layout of the room and the potential infamous wife-acceptance-factor. Personally I prefer a separate AVR with proper (bookshelf) speakers, but soundbars can sound nice as well. If you don't care or are unsure you can always start with the TV and upgrade sound later. The one commonality is that all TVs will sound mediocre at best, so it's not like you are missing out buying one model over the other.

 

Something to do keep in mind with OLEDs is:

• They don't get super bright, so if you get a lot of light in the room it might be tricky for daytime viewing unless you block some of the light with curtains or something. In return they can display perfect blacks however. If brightness something you care about, consider looking at something like Samnsung's QLED lineup.
• They are innately susceptible to burn-in. This isn't something to worry a lot about, but you should be aware that it exists. This means you should try to watch varied content and avoid bright static elements  (like news channel logos) being on for long amounts of time. This is cumulative, so displaying the same logo 1000 hours in one go is the same as displaying the same logo for 1 hour per day over 1000 days. As I said, nothing to super worry about though. Check e.g. RTINGS' reviews about it if you want to know the details, but their conclusion is also for normal  people watching varied content it's not a big concern.

For an OLED, personally I'd say take a look at the LG C1. I have a C9 and love it. If motion interpolation and image processing is important to you, then take a look at Sony's offerings. They are considered king on that front.

Hey, thank you so much for your help. It was very informative and is definitely going to help me make my decision. It's highly appreciated <33 Very much worth the read!

[eEmillerz]

2 hours ago, Commodus said:

I would definitely spring for an LG OLED set in that size class; I'll echo recommendations for the C1. Skip the A1 unless you get an amazing deal, as it's a little too hobbled to be worthwhile at regular prices; it'd be better to get last year's CX in that case.

 

Refresh rate matters mainly for gaming. I'm not one of those people who rails against the "soap opera effect" (I like it for some material), but even if I were... some games can run above 60FPS on the latest consoles, and it'd be good to futureproof your set.

 

Avoid used OLED sets (unless it's merely open-box) or any TV with relatively few HDMI ports. Few things are more annoying in TV land than running out of inputs because you dared to connect more than a couple of devices.

 

Dolby Vision is superior to HDR10 and HDR10+ since it's adaptive (that is, it changes based on the scene). You'll still likely end up watching or playing a lot of HDR10 content, but you'll appreciate Dolby Vision on sets from companies like LG.

 

As for sound... the audio quality for built-in speakers isn't always terrible (my years-old C7 is surprisingly solid), but you should assume you'll need a sound bar or other external speakers if you want anything more than "good enough." Wirecutter has a few good examples, although I'd also point to the Sonos Beam if the Arc is out of your price range.

Alright, cheers man! Will definitely take this with me