Bang for buck home theater under 2k?

[Marco2G]

Hi everyone

 

Watched Ghostbusters: Afterlife on Friday and for the first time in a decade am interested in upgrading my home theater.

 

I currently have a ten year old 46 inch Panasonic plasma TV and no sound system. I used to have a 5.1 years ago but it was too much of a hassle with not much gain.

 

We watch mostly old tv shows and movies ripped from DVD or compression mangled torrents but I would like to see Terminator 2, Alita and aforementioned Ghostbusters in 4k. All media will be consumed off of Jellyfin.

 

So my question is whether there is a setup that actually fits my expectations:

 

Under 2k for screen and sound

No Samsung

Atmos (self calibrating. Have a sloped ceiling)

Either no satelite speakers or wireless

55 inch

Fool proof setup and use (turnkey)

No interest in subwoofers

 

HDR (not just capable but looking good) nice to have

 

Don't care if it's last years model. I am not an audiophile nor a cinematic connoisseur.

 

I don't particularly need gaming capabilities. I have no consoles and I game mostly grand strategy on PC so no requirements for my living room setup.

 

I have a small PC attached to the tv so I don't care about smart features at all. In fact, I will be making sure to not attach the thing to the internet.

 

What I'm going for is beautiful pictures, no stuttering, no smearing. Good audio immersion.

 

Is my budget too low or does anyone know of a setup that fits?

[tikker]

7 minutes ago, Marco2G said:

Under 2k for screen and sound

$2k is indeed enough for a nice TV and a decent soundbar or something.

8 minutes ago, Marco2G said:

No Samsung

Any particular reason you don't want Samsung? My go-to TVs so far have always been Samsungs and LGs.

8 minutes ago, Marco2G said:

Atmos (self calibrating. Have a sloped ceiling)

Don't get too hung up on Atmos. The "proper" Atmos experience from a 5/7.1.X setup aside, sloped ceilings are killers for upfiring things. That said, most decent soundbars will likely support it.

10 minutes ago, Marco2G said:

Either no satelite speakers or wireless

Can be done. There are soundbars with wireless satellites. If you are going for Atmos, I would definitely get something with satellites so you have something resembling surround.

10 minutes ago, Marco2G said:

55 inch

Also doable.

[King_PIN]

33 minutes ago, Marco2G said:

 

No Samsung

Good choice!  

 

I'm not going to make a suggestion on a screen because there are just way too many out there and it's something you need to do research on.  But with your budget and everything you need I would start with Hisense, Vizio and move on up from there to Sony and LG. 

 

As for audio the problem with trying to get everything at once to fit a certain budget often leads to disappointment in quality at the end.  

If I may suggest you get yourself a receiver that can at least do 5.1 or even better 5.2 to be able to add another sub in the future. Adding the cost of Atmos to a receiver IMO for someone who is not really into audio is a waste of money that can be better spent on other aspects. 

If you really want the Atmos option get a receiver capable of it but add your Atmos speakers later to focus on more important issues like your front soundstage which is way more important. 

I mean after spending $700-1000 on a tv you are only left $1k for audio which isn't much with everything you need. 

Compromises need to be made somewhere and I would do that with nixing Atmos.  

Then spend money on the 2 front channels and a good sub and run the front speakers in Phantom mode acting like a center speaker. 

Later on with more funds available add your center then surronds and Atmos.  

 

Do you have room for floor standing speakers, or do you need bookshelves and maybe stands for the front? 

How much room do you have for a sub? 

Do you know where to put the sub or have you read about how to find out like doing a crawl test? 

 

It's very easy to list components and say here you go but that doesn nobody any good in the end. 

 

Oh and to answer your last question yes I do think your budget is too small for everything you are asking for.  

For $2k I would focus on the tv, receiver, front Left and right and a subwoofer.  

[Marco2G]

1 hour ago, tikker said:

Any particular reason you don't want Samsung? My go-to TVs so far have always been Samsungs and LGs.

Uh... Samsung is evil? Granted, I will not get ad banners because no internet but it's a matter of principle.

[Marco2G]

1 hour ago, King_PIN said:

How much room do you have for a sub?

None.

 

I have no interest in subwoofers... I find base to be unnecessary at best. Besides I don't want to include my neighbors in my movie nights. I have had a sub on my old setup years ago. It was the first to go before the rear speakers.

 

Receivers... well they don't scare me, but the last one I had was just too complicated to set up and use... I had to buy a universal remote and programming it was a bitch until the setup worked even remotely reliably.

 

I have a wife and 7 year old kids. I want a turnkey solution.

If sound bars do not work on sloped ceilings, I will probably continue using built in speakers.

 

So I'm down to buying a TV... that should make life somewhat easier and cheaper.

 

The LG OLED55G19LA seems like an interesting choice.

[tikker]

1 hour ago, Marco2G said:

Uh... Samsung is evil? Granted, I will not get ad banners because no internet but it's a matter of principle.

Ok, that's fine. I would've suggested something from Samsung's QLED lineup together with one of their soundbars, but if the entire brand is out then I would say a Sony or LG. I also see good things about Hisense.

44 minutes ago, Marco2G said:

If sound bars do not work on sloped ceilings, I will probably continue using built in speakers.

Soundbars will still sound a lot better than built-in speakers. What was meant is that the upfiring part of e.g. Atmos doesn't work (well) with sloped ceilings, they need a flat surface to reflect off of. Ultimately Atmos is mainly "Atmos"pheric and you'll still get the benefit of better speakers than the built-in stuff and better sound stage from the not upfiring bits.

 

If you want the absolute best picture quality and HDR experience that would hands down be an OLED like an LG C1. That may not be the best option "burn-in" wise however since you mention strategy games, which I'm guessing will have a ton of static UI elements. That'll depend on how often it will be used for what kind of content consumption, however. For non-OLEDs maybe the Hisense U6G or U8G (linked below)?

 

Sound-wise I would normally say to go the AVR+speakers route, but since you are looking for a hassle-free setup I think a soundbar would be the best bet. For a good choice I'd have to defer to other reviews though, as I personally go with AVR+speakers wherever I can. You can also focus on a TV first and buy sound later if not satisfied by what the TV offers.

 

I would have a look at e.g. https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/best/tvs-on-the-market and https://www.rtings.com/soundbar/reviews/best/soundbar usually I find RTINGS well-written and reliable.

[IPD]

-not an audiophile

-doesn't want subs

-wants atmos

 

WAT?

 

Look, just go with whatever 55" TV you like and get a generic soundbar.  You aren't going to miss anything (taste wise) and you won't have to mess with anything setup wise.

 

"wireless satellite speakers" are a trash gimmick, imho.  Either the signal is BT (which is less than ideal), and/or they require an external power source or battery (which means charging them regularly). 

 

I use a cable channel and run both the rears + my HDMI feed, through it.  There's only about 3 feet of exposed channel between the side of my sofa and the entertainment stand, NBD.  And if it bothered me even more, I'd put an area rug or a runner over the channel.

 

P.S.

No Sub = you might as well try listening to dubstep with only 2" tweeters.

 

[Marco2G]

4 minutes ago, IPD said:

-not an audiophile

-doesn't want subs

-wants atmos

 

WAT?

 

Look, just go with whatever 55" TV you like and get a generic soundbar.  You aren't going to miss anything (taste wise) and you won't have to mess with anything setup wise.

 

"wireless satellite speakers" are a trash gimmick, imho.  Either the signal is BT (which is less than ideal), and/or they require an external power source or battery (which means charging them regularly). 

 

I use a cable channel and run both the rears + my HDMI feed, through it.  There's only about 3 feet of exposed channel between the side of my sofa and the entertainment stand, NBD.  And if it bothered me even more, I'd put an area rug or a runner over the channel.

 

P.S.

No Sub = you might as well try listening to dubstep with only 2" tweeters.

 

Who in their right mind would listen to dubstep though?

Also what is so hard to understand about Atmos without subs? You still get the immersion from sounds coming from around you.

[tikker]

2 hours ago, Marco2G said:

Who in their right mind would listen to dubstep though?

Also what is so hard to understand about Atmos without subs? You still get the immersion from sounds coming from around you.

Subs have quite the fanbase behind them The "problem" (it's really not though) with Atmos without subs is that subs arguably add more to the overall experience than Atmos will as Atmos is some fancy positional sound different from the traditional 6 channels, whereas a sub actually extends the frequency range of your setup. I will say they really add to the sound and round it out, but I enjoyed plenty of years without one even if I now never would want to go back. The sub honestly was the last thing I added to my Atmos setup.

 

However, sometimes conditions simply don't really allow for a sub, like some Nth story appartment or neighbours. Those low-frequency waves can travel far. Other times people don't care about bass and that's fine as well. Maybe get a unit that has the option for one if you think you might consider it in the future, but otherwise don't fret it too much.

[Marco2G]

11 minutes ago, tikker said:

Subs have quite the fanbase behind them The "problem" (it's really not though) with Atmos without subs is that subs arguably add more to the overall experience than Atmos will as Atmos is some fancy positional sound different from the traditional 6 channels, whereas a sub actually extends the frequency range of your setup. I will say they really add to the sound and round it out, but I enjoyed plenty of years without one even if I now never would want to go back. The sub honestly was the last thing I added to my Atmos setup.

 

However, sometimes conditions simply don't really allow for a sub, like some Nth story appartment or neighbours. Those low-frequency waves can travel far. Other times people don't care about bass and that's fine as well. Maybe get a unit that has the option for one if you think you might consider it in the future, but otherwise don't fret it too much.

Yeah, that sums up my thoughts on the topic nicely.

What I'd just like to avoid is paying extra for features I don't need or cannot use... so if Atmos is just a nogo with sloped ceilings, there is no point getting a soundbar with Atmos.

I was pretty impressed how Sony TVs and sound equipment play nice together... Is this standardized or will I potentially be out of luck if I buy brand X TV now and want to buy brand Y soundbar later?

[tikker]

45 minutes ago, Marco2G said:

What I'd just like to avoid is paying extra for features I don't need or cannot use... so if Atmos is just a nogo with sloped ceilings, there is no point getting a soundbar with Atmos.

I'd say treat it as nice to have in this case. Don't go out of your way to ensure it, but also don't go out of your way to make sure it's not there. Besides adding verticality, Atmos treats sounds as having a position in 3D space rather than a speaker channel. This can still help creating a more immersive sound even if the vertical part is not idealy due to a sloped ceiling. From LTT's videos (if you believe them) you can see that soundbars can be surprisingly good at it. Satellites will be greatly beneficial in that case.

 

51 minutes ago, Marco2G said:

I was pretty impressed how Sony TVs and sound equipment play nice together... Is this standardized or will I potentially be out of luck if I buy brand X TV now and want to buy brand Y soundbar later?

They should work, as they are speakers and use standards like ARC to transfer sound. For example, Sonos makes soundbars but no TVs. It's not as much a yes no as more of a "yes" vs. "yes, but".

 

In the case of TV brands you'll probably miss out on some brand-specific features if not matched and from reading around you might experience some ocassional bugginess depending on which bar and TV exactly are paired (usually between the major brands).

[IPD]

5 hours ago, Marco2G said:

Who in their right mind would listen to dubstep though?

Also what is so hard to understand about Atmos without subs? You still get the immersion from sounds coming from around you.

Deadpool would like to have a word with you.

 

---

 

Seriously though, those <50hz frequencies are just going to be lost.  It takes a certain size of driver to move a volume of air that will create the low frequency waves.  Immersion is fine.  But if you're still missing out on 15% of the audible sound because you skipped a sub....

 

Well....is 85% color accuracy and 85% black level accuracy "good enough" too?

[Colty]

As someone who upgraded from a plasma display earlier this year, you've gotta go OLED or it'll feel like a downgrade. I've seen QLED and LED panels, my Plasma still looks better for 1080p content. OLED was the only true upgrade where 4k and 1080p source material was better, it made it feel like a real upgrade instead of a "two steps forward, one step back" deal. 

For audio, facebook marketplace/craigslist types of deals are the way to get that done. Best Buy's "surround sound in a box" is fine, but you can get way more bang for the buck going used. I don't like soundbars, I think you can do a lot better with two bookshelf speakers, a sub, and a center. Also, you can fit a slim subwoofer under/in/beside a lot of TV cabinets.