My best value TVs, 2019-2020 Edition

Hi @Dodgexander ,
Can you confirm that the only difference between the LG 65SM8500PLA and 65SM8600PLA is the stand.
They're really nagging at me with the 15% TopCashback (applied to the pre-VAT price).

It's really annoying that the one with the central stand is more expensive!
I know you mentioned previously about the stands that screw into the VESA mount, I may have to look at one of those.
Thanks,
Matt

Only difference is cosmetic, so stand and possibly bezel colour/finish.
 
Hi @Dodgexander ,
Can you confirm that the only difference between the LG 65SM8500PLA and 65SM8600PLA is the stand.
They're really nagging at me with the 15% TopCashback (applied to the pre-VAT price).

It's really annoying that the one with the central stand is more expensive!
I know you mentioned previously about the stands that screw into the VESA mount, I may have to look at one of those.
Thanks,
Matt


lg_tv-lineup_chart_2019-jpg.1172359


Apparently it's just the stand. Crescent on the SM8600 and 2 pole on the SM8500.
 
Managed to pick one up the H55U8B from Currys earlier :)! Topcashback used for 15% off so the final price looks to be just over £424 - surely unbeatable at this price point in the UK?

Have heard a few mixed reviews despite the bang for buck praise given by @Dodgexander.

Vincent Teoh from HDTVTest doesn't seem to think too much of it, but then he does readily admit that he usually reviews top end and doesn't have much of a mid-range reference point. Also, I feel like it's a different proposition at £699 (which I believe is the price point he's given) compared to £424.

It's also frustrating that the better H9F model is only available in the US. I can only find it on Best Buy and they do not ship to Europe. If there are US sites who will ship to the UK, I would really appreciate a heads up.

Was very tempted by the £999 deal for the B9 but I just can't justify spending that much right now. Hopefully OLEDs will go down the price in years to come!
Brilliant! Have you got it yet or was it a Web order? If you've got it, what's it like? Dead intrigued for mine! Can't wait. Mainly to go up from 49 to 55 too.
 
After much indecision, I held firm and went for the XG950 in the end; looking forward to receiving it :)
Thanks again to @Dodgexander for all the help and advice provided, not just to me, but to others who's questions and answers helped me to make my decision. :smashin:

Did you find anywhere cheaper than £999? I've held out til today for a price drop but not seen one, so I'm going to the local Currys to pick one up tomorrow.
 
Hi all, a noobie here

Thanks @Dodgexander, some fantastic advice today which made my buying decisions easier.

Plumped for the Samsung QE55Q70R from Currys, with cashback - a great price!

Cheers and hello all
 
Did you find anywhere cheaper than £999? I've held out til today for a price drop but not seen one, so I'm going to the local Currys to pick one up tomorrow.

No mate, - I didn't, but I was always comfortable at that price unless a good deal came along. The Samsung deals were good and the Q90 was impressive, but when I reflected, I think the Sony will meet 95% of my needs, the biggest being accuracy and motion out of the box,
I've just watched "The Irishman" on my 50" W829 and the tone and detail were excellent, so I'm looking forward to the new set, which can only be a step up.
 
Glad to see so many people finding even better deals, the Hisense U8B, Samsung Q70R and Sony XF9005 price drops I've seen are great. Those who missed out, don't worry so much. Whilst it may be the prices temporarily raise again, seeing these TVs get this low already, they will drop again. If no stock returns on current pricing there should be similar deals around the boxing day/jan sales.
Hisense H55U8BUK is down to £499 on AO.

How much of an upgrade is it on the H55B7500?

Is it worth shelling out an extra £99 for it?
Its always hard to answer because what may be worth it to one person, could be different to another.
Its definitely worth it for most people. I listed both in my guide before this price drop happened, the U8B in a higher "range" category.
First post on the forum, so my first words are for Dogdge and it's a massive THANK YOU for making this guide, and for all the insightful posts you've made in the past 2 months, since I started lurking around the forums.

I decided earlier in the year that it was time to retire my 32LG 720p TV and enter the brave new world of 4k. By reading this forum and searching these past months, I pretty much have a good idea of the technologies involved and the advantages and handicaps of the various features.

I'm currently sitting around 9 ft from my TV, and given the distance, the room itself and obviously the pricing I'm looking in the 55 range.

I've had my sights on the U8B for a while now, as it fits my usage needs, it has the 120Hz pannel wich seems a requirement for sports (Netflix and soccer are 90% of my viewing), and I was expecting it to be on a nice price bracket by Black Friday.

Problem is BF came, and threw a spanner in my plans.
- The U7B is currently @600€ here in Portugal.
- The Q60R is @700€
- The U8B is @800€
- The Q70R is @850€ (and getting sold out, really awesome deal)

I had envisioned a max budget of 700€, and was expecting the U8B to land near that. Unfortunately that's really not the case, and I find it impossible to justify spending so much on a new TV (I spend most of my time at home, on my PC and not watching TV).

At this point my real options are the U7B or the Q60R.
Is the 100€ premium worth it for the 120Hz pannel of the Q60R? I know it has better peak brightness than the U7B, but neither is decent at HDR content... and it lacks the Dolby Vision support that the U7B has...
I'd say the Q70R is a lot, lot better value than the others. The Q60R is the next best value..but there's no RU8000?
Oh dear, thought I was decided, but then saw the 55" U8B above for £499.... HELP :D

65B7500 for £599 -Amazon and AO +4% TCB
65B7100 for £499 -RS and AO +4% TCB
55B7500 for £399 -Amazon
H55U8BUK for £499 -AO +4% TCB
You're making life a bit harder on yourself comparing different sizes. Are the gains made by going with the U8B worth you going down a size? Also, its not out of question there's also going to be a price drop on the 65" U8B. Well worth waiting for.
I done it! Finally bit the bullet 🙈

1x E9.. £1379
1x B9.. £989
1x Q70.. £749

From RS
Wow, those are some crazy deals. Congratulations! Enjoy the new TVs!
Sorry if it's been asked already. But how do you get the Samsung student discount? I saw it mentioned in the OP
I think the bonus discount may have ended on Black Friday but here's a link that should help Samsung Student Discounts & Deals with UNiDAYS
@aoaaron knows more about it than me.
Haha no mate
The Q70 is for my nan/grandad
B9 for my mum/dad living room
E9 for my bedroom

Just realised the E9 also comes with 18 month Free Sky UHD!

@Dodgexander
So hopefully now with that sky package, and if I get Netflix.. I might actually be able to make use of these televisions.. Instead if just watching standard SD free view 🙂
Wow a Q70R for nan and grandad! You can tell them they probably have a better TV than the Queen!
Yes, never to be overlooked is your sources, always pair these TVs with the highest source quality you can to get the most out of them! :)

Managed to pick one up the H55U8B from Currys earlier :)! Topcashback used for 15% off so the final price looks to be just over £424 - surely unbeatable at this price point in the UK?

Have heard a few mixed reviews despite the bang for buck praise given by @Dodgexander.

Vincent Teoh from HDTVTest doesn't seem to think too much of it, but then he does readily admit that he usually reviews top end and doesn't have much of a mid-range reference point. Also, I feel like it's a different proposition at £699 (which I believe is the price point he's given) compared to £424.

It's also frustrating that the better H9F model is only available in the US. I can only find it on Best Buy and they do not ship to Europe. If there are US sites who will ship to the UK, I would really appreciate a heads up.

Was very tempted by the £999 deal for the B9 but I just can't justify spending that much right now. Hopefully OLEDs will go down the price in years to come!
I'm a keen admirer of Vincent and his reviews, even before his recent foray in to YouTube. I think its good to take away the weaknesses of each TV he reviews and use them when considering how much money you want to spend. The Hisense U8B really, for the money (even before the recent 55" discount) is a lot more TV for the money. You could instead pay more to get a more well reviewed TV such as the Panasonic GX800 but you are looking at spending more money for a TV that has worse motion. Value is always relative to price and I think we already saw this with his recent LG B9 review.

At the time he reviewed both Hisense 55U8B (600) and Panasonic 50GX800 (700) around the same time and commended the Panasonic, despite being smaller and lacking a 120hz panel because there are lot of things the TV does right, however he did not grant it his best value award as he does with the recent LG B9 suggesting he took into consideration despite the things it does well its price point.

Being a calibrator, I think he focuses on picture accuracy a lot, which is one of the reasons he marks the Hisense down, but I feel like he didn't really consider that the Hisense can get a lot brighter and even, like the Panasonic now supports HDR10+ together with dolby vision.

The main selling point for the Panasonic is its tone mapping feature, but I feel there's no room for it in the market when for so little extra you can now get TVs that actually have good HDR capabilities such as the Q70R or Sony XG9005/XF9005 for relatively little more. If someone wants a TV for HDR, then it makes sense to spend more money for actual HDR hardware than it does to spend more for a feature that compresses HDR (albeit to a good standard) to lower peak brightness. HDR is all about spectacular highlights and enhanced contrast as a result of that, so I see no gains really other than less compatibility problems having the tone mapping feature on such an expensive TV.

It would be different, and I hope eventually if it becomes the norm that its something that is included on much cheaper TVs. But the Panasonic is nothing more than a low range model with good picture accuracy and this tone mapping feature, at mid range prices. I hope he reviews the Hisense B7500 or U7B to compare!
 
Glad to see so many people finding even better deals, the Hisense U8B, Samsung Q70R and Sony XF9005 price drops I've seen are great. Those who missed out, don't worry so much. Whilst it may be the prices temporarily raise again, seeing these TVs get this low already, they will drop again. If no stock returns on current pricing there should be similar deals around the boxing day/jan sales.

Its always hard to answer because what may be worth it to one person, could be different to another.
Its definitely worth it for most people. I listed both in my guide before this price drop happened, the U8B in a higher "range" category.

I'd say the Q70R is a lot, lot better value than the others. The Q60R is the next best value..but there's no RU8000?

You're making life a bit harder on yourself comparing different sizes. Are the gains made by going with the U8B worth you going down a size? Also, its not out of question there's also going to be a price drop on the 65" U8B. Well worth waiting for.

Wow, those are some crazy deals. Congratulations! Enjoy the new TVs!

I think the bonus discount may have ended on Black Friday but here's a link that should help Samsung Student Discounts & Deals with UNiDAYS
@aoaaron knows more about it than me.

Wow a Q70R for nan and grandad! You can tell them they probably have a better TV than the Queen!
Yes, never to be overlooked is your sources, always pair these TVs with the highest source quality you can to get the most out of them! :)


I'm a keen admirer of Vincent and his reviews, even before his recent foray in to YouTube. I think its good to take away the weaknesses of each TV he reviews and use them when considering how much money you want to spend. The Hisense U8B really, for the money (even before the recent 55" discount) is a lot more TV for the money. You could instead pay more to get a more well reviewed TV such as the Panasonic GX800 but you are looking at spending more money for a TV that has worse motion. Value is always relative to price and I think we already saw this with his recent LG B9 review.

At the time he reviewed both Hisense 55U8B (600) and Panasonic 50GX800 (700) around the same time and commended the Panasonic, despite being smaller and lacking a 120hz panel because there are lot of things the TV does right, however he did not grant it his best value award as he does with the recent LG B9 suggesting he took into consideration despite the things it does well its price point.

Being a calibrator, I think he focuses on picture accuracy a lot, which is one of the reasons he marks the Hisense down, but I feel like he didn't really consider that the Hisense can get a lot brighter and even, like the Panasonic now supports HDR10+ together with dolby vision.

The main selling point for the Panasonic is its tone mapping feature, but I feel there's no room for it in the market when for so little extra you can now get TVs that actually have good HDR capabilities such as the Q70R or Sony XG9005/XF9005 for relatively little more. If someone wants a TV for HDR, then it makes sense to spend more money for actual HDR hardware than it does to spend more for a feature that compresses HDR (albeit to a good standard) to lower peak brightness. HDR is all about spectacular highlights and enhanced contrast as a result of that, so I see no gains really other than less compatibility problems having the tone mapping feature on such an expensive TV.

It would be different, and I hope eventually if it becomes the norm that its something that is included on much cheaper TVs. But the Panasonic is nothing more than a low range model with good picture accuracy and this tone mapping feature, at mid range prices. I hope he reviews the Hisense B7500 or U7B to compare!

As this busy time of year comes by, with many on the hunt for new tvs.
All i have to say is for me anyway and I'm sure many others will agree...

You @Dodgexander
If their was a person of the year award, would have my vote mate.
The patience it must take to answer 100s of questions per day, some being repeated answers.
But you never fail to answer, no matter how busy, you can count that you will reply to someone in need of an answer and help.
Mate seriously, Thank you 🏅
 
Could anyone give their opinions on the Currys deal of the
PHILIPS Ambilight 75PUS6754/12 for £899 its specs seem reasonable for the price
 
Could anyone give their opinions on the Currys deal of the
PHILIPS Ambilight 75PUS6754/12 for £899 its specs seem reasonable for the price
Its a risk which panel type you get on the TV, if you are happy taking the risk then its well priced.

The first decision to make, at least my opinion when choosing a TV is which panel type a TV comes with. Its most crucial factor that determines the image quality you'll see with a TV.

So if neither panel type sounds better or worse for you, then there's no harm trying it.

I'd personally go for the ones in my recommendations, based on the panel type you want in a TV. That way you will know what you are getting before buying the TV. If you don't need wide viewing angles the Hisense B series at 75" may currently be more expensive, but it comes with a wide colour gamut and without android TV, which probably makes it a better acquisition, especially if you are a Netflix user. If you feel its currently too expensive, it will no doubt in time be reduced farther.

As this busy time of year comes by, with many on the hunt for new tvs.
All i have to say is for me anyway and I'm sure many others will agree...

You @Dodgexander
If their was a person of the year award, would have my vote mate.
The patience it must take to answer 100s of questions per day, some being repeated answers.
But you never fail to answer, no matter how busy, you can count that you will reply to someone in need of an answer and help.
Mate seriously, Thank you 🏅
Thankyou, this is very kind!

I really appreciate everyone for the kind words, it makes me happy to have helped.
 
After deciding on the TV, the hunt for a new soundbar now begins:D
Hopefully there's someone as helpful and knowledgeable as Dodge in that part of the forum:thumbsup:
 
Currently the Hisense H65U8BUK is £799.00 on JL (5 year warranty) and elsewhere.
Dodgexander....would you regard that price as a good deal for that television?
 
I'd say the Q70R is a lot, lot better value than the others. The Q60R is the next best value..but there's no RU8000?

@Dodgexander
I lost my head and went ahead on the Q70R, I managed to get it for 860€.
It's a little above what I wanted to spend, but it really was a great opportunity to get a TV that is head and shoulders above what I was considering.

Really appreciate your help!
I wonder how many people like me lurk these forums, reading all your insightful posts and are helped immensely by your contributions... glad I have the opportunity to say: Thank you!
 
Its a risk which panel type you get on the TV, if you are happy taking the risk then its well priced.

The first decision to make, at least my opinion when choosing a TV is which panel type a TV comes with. Its most crucial factor that determines the image quality you'll see with a TV.

So if neither panel type sounds better or worse for you, then there's no harm trying it.

I'd personally go for the ones in my recommendations, based on the panel type you want in a TV. That way you will know what you are getting before buying the TV. If you don't need wide viewing angles the Hisense B series at 75" may currently be more expensive, but it comes with a wide colour gamut and without android TV, which probably makes it a better acquisition, especially if you are a Netflix user. If you feel its currently too expensive, it will no doubt in time be reduced farther.


Thankyou, this is very kind!

I really appreciate everyone for the kind words, it makes me happy to have helped.

I have to agree too. The knowledge and money you have saved for people is fantastic.

I was hoping to get a tv yesterday

My top choice was a 55u8b, but the wife kicked up a fuss because she hasn't heard of hisense before.

We had a budget of about 500 so the only samsung we could afford would be the 55ru7400, cant quite stretch to the 8000.

Is there a massive difference between the samsung and the hisense so i can keep fighting my corner, or do I just give in and go for the samsung ru7400. Can get it on amazon 449

We will be viewing straight on and mostly watch sky q netflix (dont have 4k account yet)

Many thanks
You could be helping a marriage out 😂
 
Currently the Hisense H65U8BUK is £799.00 on JL (5 year warranty) and elsewhere.
Dodgexander....would you regard that price as a good deal for that television?

It’s a good deal, as long as view mainly head on.
 
Yes, we view mainly head on
Thank you
 
A list min scour of the internet revealed HiFi Confidential doing the 55XG9505 for £945, and Currys price matched no problem (inc 5 yr warranty). Picked it up (well 2 of them actually as my Dad has bought the same) and now home with them.... the fun begins!

To echo the sentiments of others, big thanks to Dodge for his tenacious devotion to giving us all our TV help! :thumbsup:
 
Currently the Hisense H65U8BUK is £799.00 on JL (5 year warranty) and elsewhere.
Dodgexander....would you regard that price as a good deal for that television?
Yes, its fantastic.
@Dodgexander
I lost my head and went ahead on the Q70R, I managed to get it for 860€.
It's a little above what I wanted to spend, but it really was a great opportunity to get a TV that is head and shoulders above what I was considering.

Really appreciate your help!
I wonder how many people like me lurk these forums, reading all your insightful posts and are helped immensely by your contributions... glad I have the opportunity to say: Thank you!
That is a crazy price for such a good TV. The Same TV in the UK sells for 100 more than you bought it for. Congratulations!
I have to agree too. The knowledge and money you have saved for people is fantastic.

I was hoping to get a tv yesterday

My top choice was a 55u8b, but the wife kicked up a fuss because she hasn't heard of hisense before.

We had a budget of about 500 so the only samsung we could afford would be the 55ru7400, cant quite stretch to the 8000.

Is there a massive difference between the samsung and the hisense so i can keep fighting my corner, or do I just give in and go for the samsung ru7400. Can get it on amazon 449

We will be viewing straight on and mostly watch sky q netflix (dont have 4k account yet)

Many thanks
You could be helping a marriage out 😂
The onus on your purchase/warranty is with the store mainly, not the manufacturer. If you are worried with Hisense as a brand, buy from a reputable retailer you can return the TV to if you have a problem.

I'd personally have more hesitations at this end of the market buying from the usual brands like Samsung, LG, Panasonic etc as their build quality is a lot worse than Hisense.
 
A list min scour of the internet revealed HiFi Confidential doing the 55XG9505 for £945, and Currys price matched no problem (inc 5 yr warranty). Picked it up (well 2 of them actually as my Dad has bought the same) and now home with them.... the fun begins!

To echo the sentiments of others, big thanks to Dodge for his tenacious devotion to giving us all our TV help! :thumbsup:

Good find. Do they have bricks & mortar shops? Will try to get JL to pricematch.
 
Yes, its fantastic.

That is a crazy price for such a good TV. The Same TV in the UK sells for 100 more than you bought it for. Congratulations!

The onus on your purchase/warranty is with the store mainly, not the manufacturer. If you are worried with Hisense as a brand, buy from a reputable retailer you can return the TV to if you have a problem.

I'd personally have more hesitations at this end of the market buying from the usual brands like Samsung, LG, Panasonic etc as their build quality is a lot worse than Hisense.
Many thanks Dodgexander
 
Good find. Do they have bricks & mortar shops? Will try to get JL to pricematch.
They do, however it says by appointment... Also be aware there BF deals end today (Sunday).

I've got it pretty much setup how I want now, it's awesome! Picture and motion is excellent, there's no blooming that I can see on HDR, and only a tiny amount of a subtle light grey in the letter box bars when you have a dark scene with say a bright light right up against the edges. If you knock the backlight down from 50(max) to 40, and set the local dimming and contrast options down to medium, then it's perfect.
I don't quite know what all the fuss in some of these reviews has been, unless there has been a firmware revision from Sony?
But a quick test of Blade Runner 2049 was superb, which is a frequently dark film with bright lights and it looks faultless. - I'll watch the whole thing tomorrow :)
 
They do, however it says by appointment... Also be aware there BF deals end today (Sunday).

I've got it pretty much setup how I want now, it's awesome! Picture and motion is excellent, there's no blooming that I can see on HDR, and only a tiny amount of a subtle light grey in the letter box bars when you have a dark scene with say a bright light right up against the edges. If you knock the backlight down from 50(max) to 40, and set the local dimming and contrast options down to medium, then it's perfect.
I don't quite know what all the fuss in some of these reviews has been, unless there has been a firmware revision from Sony?
But a quick test of Blade Runner 2049 was superb, which is a frequently dark film with bright lights and it looks faultless. - I'll watch the whole thing tomorrow :)

That sounds really promising Rich; glad you got a good one :smashin:
I put a request in last night anyway as there's nothing lost; fingers crossed. My TV doesn't arrive until Friday but I'm looking forward to getting it set up and your pointers will be useful.
 
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Yes, its fantastic.

That is a crazy price for such a good TV. The Same TV in the UK sells for 100 more than you bought it for. Congratulations!

The onus on your purchase/warranty is with the store mainly, not the manufacturer. If you are worried with Hisense as a brand, buy from a reputable retailer you can return the TV to if you have a problem.

I'd personally have more hesitations at this end of the market buying from the usual brands like Samsung, LG, Panasonic etc as their build quality is a lot worse than Hisense.

Thanks
Think my wife is just a brand snob, have seen the 55ru8000 for 569.00, which I thought was a very good price.

Do u think you would definitely see a difference in picture quality from the ru700 and the ub8?
would it be worth spending the extra 100 pound and going for the ru8000, to keep her happy or would it be worth staying with 7400 (if I have to go for samsung)
If there is a big difference in picture quality with the hisense might be enough to try and persuade her.
Thanks again
Lee
 
Thanks
Think my wife is just a brand snob, have seen the 55ru8000 for 569.00, which I thought was a very good price.

Do u think you would definitely see a difference in picture quality from the ru700 and the ub8?
would it be worth spending the extra 100 pound and going for the ru8000, to keep her happy or would it be worth staying with 7400 (if I have to go for samsung)
If there is a big difference in picture quality with the hisense might be enough to try and persuade her.
Thanks again
Lee
There's no one way to answer this question. If its regular every day stuff you watch that isn't in HDR then the Samsung will be just as good.

If however you use HDR, especially titles in Dolby Vision HDR like those on Netflix then you'll notice the Hisense will be a big improvement due to increased peak brightness and Dolby Vision HDR support.
 

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