Question Upgrading to 4K £300-700 budget

HighD3finition

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Hi all,

I'm looking to upgrade from my 10 year old LCD HDTV (purchased for around £600 when new, this was way back when HD was a new 'thing'!)

It will be a temporary measure until I move into a new place within the next 12months, so I'm not looking for an incredible Television (that will come later down the line when I get the place) then this TV I'm looking to purchase will be relegated to the bedroom.

Just really looking for something better than what I've already got, which I know will most likely be anything that I purchase as the TV is so old.

I originally was looking at the Hisense H55N6800 then I saw the Hisense H49N5500 for £379 on AO.com and am very tempted at that price. I know it wont be earth shattering but it will be better than what I've got.

I have also seen a few Samsungs (KS8000) and Sony Bravias (kd-49xd7005) and Panasonic (50EX700) mentioned on this site

I'm also a bit of a snob so the extra few inches on the 55" and the Wide Colour Gammut is tempting me to spend a couple hundred quid or so more and get the 55.

I'll be sitting 4-6ft in front of the telly and I'm upgrading from a 32" Sony Bravia KDL-32W4000

4K and HDR is what I'm looking for and something better than what I have which shouldn't be too hard as it's a 10 year old set haha!

Which should I go for?

Any help is much appreciated!
 
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As other people more qualified than me will tell you, for 4K and actual HDR you will be looking at a minimum of £1,000.

Don't be fooled by the sets that say they are 4K and HDR capable as this is borderline trading standards and is nearly a lie as most of those sets will be awful unless their HDR is switched off, defeating the object of you upgrading.
 
It'll still be a lot better than what I have at the moment no?

Out of interest why is it a lie? A lot of the reviews I've seen, such as the Hisense H55N6800 on this site said that it produces watchable 4K content, but understandably, for the price it wont be groundbreaking. I agree in the sense you get what you pay for (and 4K is best viewed close and above 50") I'm not expecting the world, but I'd also expect something half decent.

They're budget for a reason, but I'm looking for the top end of budget if that makes sense.

Something value for money and temporary that will suit a bedroom where it doesn't get much use, but you still want something half decent. That produces entry level 4K imagery, not expecting quality images that just 'pop' out of the screen as it has 1000nits etc etc, just something that is for lack of a better term a 'throwaway' set, that will get relegated in a years time.

Getting bored of my decade old tv and think that the tech has progressed a lot and even the most budgetted of tellys will look better. Just looking for the best of a budget bunch.

As other people more qualified than me will tell you, for 4K and actual HDR you will be looking at a minimum of £1,000.

Don't be fooled by the sets that say they are 4K and HDR capable as this is borderline trading standards and is nearly a lie as most of those sets will be awful unless their HDR is switched off, defeating the object of you upgrading.
 
You will probably find that a newer set will look better than what you currently have, however I was just pointing out that what you are looking for (4K and HDR) isn't something that is available unless you spend a minimum of £1,000.

It is the HDR that is basically a lie not the 4K itself. The HDR would most likely have to be switched off on a set under £1,000, which makes the extra pay out for the upgrade pointless and you may be better off staying with what you have. As mentioned I am sure there are people more qualified than me that will correct me if I am wrong.

I am in the same boat as you and was looking for something myself (4K and HDR) but the cheapest set that matches that criteria is around £1,000, unfortunately.
 
Ahh I see so the 4K and HDR doesn't go hand in hand, I can have 4K without the HDR? I was confused slightly. This makes more sense as I got a bit confused as the panels are 3840 pixels× 2160.

It is a bit of a confusing look as you can push your budget up a little bit and it goes up and up, then you might aswell spend the extra amount to get your dream set! Have to tell myself to remember what the unit is for! haha!

You will probably find that a newer set will look better than what you currently have, however I was just pointing out that what you are looking for (4K and HDR) isn't something that is available unless you spend a minimum of £1,000.

It is the HDR that is basically a lie not the 4K itself. The HDR would most likely have to be switched off on a set under £1,000, which makes the extra pay out for the upgrade pointless and you may be better off staying with what you have. As mentioned I am sure there are people more qualified than me that will correct me if I am wrong.

I am in the same boat as you and was looking for something myself (4K and HDR) but the cheapest set that matches that criteria is around £1,000, unfortunately.
 
To be honest mate it is all a bit of a minefield. I personally would love to get a 4K HDR (real HDR) set for £300 as you mentioned but it just isn't possible.

It's the other costs that would come into it for me as well, I'd need to upgrade my AV Receiver to one that is HDCP 2.2 compatible, I'd be buying the Xbox One X also so there is that cost, as you say it all adds up and the more you say oh if I stretch that little bit it just piles even more £'s on top.

Just on the 4K / HDR point, HDR is as I understand it a feature that enchances the colours that your TV will produce, so you have a 4K TV with the option of HDR.

If it is only for 12 months I think you may be better off just keeping your TV you have now, out of curiosity, what do you have now? Obviously something newer could be an improvement but if there is not much in it I would probably suggest keeping hold of it and using the money to add towards the kitty for your main upgrade in 12 months time perhaps?
 
I have a Sony Bravia KDL-32W4000, one of the first HD Tellys to come out if I remember correctly it's a 2008 set

The Hisense H49N5500 which I listed above is £379 4K/HDR but as we've discussed it's going to be budget.



To be honest mate it is all a bit of a minefield. I personally would love to get a 4K HDR (real HDR) set for £300 as you mentioned but it just isn't possible.

It's the other costs that would come into it for me as well, I'd need to upgrade my AV Receiver to one that is HDCP 2.2 compatible, I'd be buying the Xbox One X also so there is that cost, as you say it all adds up and the more you say oh if I stretch that little bit it just piles even more £'s on top.

Just on the 4K / HDR point, HDR is as I understand it a feature that enchances the colours that your TV will produce, so you have a 4K TV with the option of HDR.

If it is only for 12 months I think you may be better off just keeping your TV you have now, out of curiosity, what do you have now? Obviously something newer could be an improvement but if there is not much in it I would probably suggest keeping hold of it and using the money to add towards the kitty for your main upgrade in 12 months time perhaps?
 
4K and HDR is what I'm looking for and something better than what I have which shouldn't be too hard as it's a 10 year old set haha!
Its already touched on but you should forget any kind of HDR capability at this price.
I agree in the sense you get what you pay for (and 4K is best viewed close and above 50") I'm not expecting the world, but I'd also expect something half decent.
No, it isn't like it was before with other picture quality standards. You cannot simply get HDR or not get HDR its purely dependant on the hardware inside the TV. So much so that until you spend a decent amount of money HDR is better switched off.

Which is why you should not buy a new TV on a budget with HDR in mind, only think about SDR performance.

They market these TVs as HDR because they accept the signal, but that is about as far as they go, some TVs like the N6800 will display it with more saturated colour but its other aspects that let them down at this price point which makes HDR support more or less redundant.

Now, with that aside it seems you want a 55" TV. Best value TVs at that size on a budget are the Sony 55XE70xx series or the Hisense 55N6800.

At 50" the Hisense 50N6800, Samsung 50MU6100 and Panasonic 50EX700.

I would not consider the Hisense models lower than that but thats only because I know nothing about them. At least wth the above TVs ther are reviews and general praise. Getting anything lower in price and you start to scrape the barrel and take more of a risk in quality.

I also wouldn't discount the FHD Samsung M series TVs such as the 55M5550 as they will be better at scaling any compressed standard definition content.
 
Thanks mate! :)

Been looking at the reviews for the Sony 55XE70 Series and it seems like it's better than the Hisense 55N6800 - the over saturation of colours was slightly off putting. According to Trusted Reviewers

Think I'm going to go for the Sony in the end.

"
For starters, it has a remarkably composed picture. Sony hasn’t pushed the 55XE70 too hard or overestimated its abilities, which is something that often happens when you go for more affordable TVs. The Hisense NU6800 is an example of this, with exaggerated colours and too much sharpening. The Sony has none of that.

The clarity of the picture is very impressive. The picture is sharp and generally free of noise when upscaling 1080p sources. Step up to Ultra HD and you benefit from the extra fine detail and texture without the overly processed look that troubled the Hisense N6800. It’s a very clean performance.

"


Read more at Sony KD-55XE70 Review: Impressive 4K HDR without the premium price


Its already touched on but you should forget any kind of HDR capability at this price.

No, it isn't like it was before with other picture quality standards. You cannot simply get HDR or not get HDR its purely dependant on the hardware inside the TV. So much so that until you spend a decent amount of money HDR is better switched off.

Which is why you should not buy a new TV on a budget with HDR in mind, only think about SDR performance.

They market these TVs as HDR because they accept the signal, but that is about as far as they go, some TVs like the N6800 will display it with more saturated colour but its other aspects that let them down at this price point which makes HDR support more or less redundant.

Now, with that aside it seems you want a 55" TV. Best value TVs at that size on a budget are the Sony 55XE70xx series or the Hisense 55N6800.

At 50" the Hisense 50N6800, Samsung 50MU6100 and Panasonic 50EX700.

I would not consider the Hisense models lower than that but thats only because I know nothing about them. At least wth the above TVs ther are reviews and general praise. Getting anything lower in price and you start to scrape the barrel and take more of a risk in quality.

I also wouldn't discount the FHD Samsung M series TVs such as the 55M5550 as they will be better at scaling any compressed standard definition content.
 
The Sony doesn't have a wide colour gamut so it can't display the wide, more saturated colours that HDR sources include. It doesn't mean that the Hisense (or any TV with wide colour gamut) is over-saturated as such, its by design and it only uses its wider colour gamut when the source dictates (eg HDR sources).

I think the trustedreviews reviewer was commenting on the colour accuracy of the Sony which is also good on the Hisense. Whilst it can't show a wider arrange of colours they mentioned it tracks each colour well, which is certainly very important in its own right.

Have you seen the review of the 65" Hisense on this website or the HDTVtest youtube channel?



and

Hisense H55N6800 4K LED TV Review
 
I read the review on here and watched the HDTVtest review from Vincent I think the gentleman's name is.

Though reading your posts, I think I'm swinging back towards the hisense.

The Sony doesn't have a wide colour gamut so it can't display the wide, more saturated colours that HDR sources include. It doesn't mean that the Hisense (or any TV with wide colour gamut) is over-saturated as such, its by design and it only uses its wider colour gamut when the source dictates (eg HDR sources).

I think the trustedreviews reviewer was commenting on the colour accuracy of the Sony which is also good on the Hisense. Whilst it can't show a wider arrange of colours they mentioned it tracks each colour well, which is certainly very important in its own right.

Have you seen the review of the 65" Hisense on this website or the HDTVtest youtube channel?



and

Hisense H55N6800 4K LED TV Review
 
Yes, I remember making that comment. My concern is how they tested the TVs. I'd like to think they know what they are doing but I don't think they are professional reviewers like Steve and Mark are here on AVF...eg they don't measure the TVs colours etc..they only review by eye.

But that isn't my concern, its more that they had the wrong colour gamut selected when reviewing the Hisense or they are instead making the mistake HDR shouldn't be more saturated when it indeed should.

Nonetheless it may be that the Sony has more accurate colour, it was also well reviewed on the french website lesnumeriques.com. I don't think you can go wrong with either model, but the Hisense certainly is better value. Not only that but its got freeview play which is a boon if you are a freeview user.
 
Thank you for all your help, you have been incredibly helpful!

You make a very good point RE: Steve/Mark which has made me cement my decision, Hisense it is!

Now it's a choice of whether to go to Richer Sounds and get the Free 6 Year guarantee or go to AO and pick it up at £630 with 10% discount. haha!

Yes, I remember making that comment. My concern is how they tested the TVs. I'd like to think they know what they are doing but I don't think they are professional reviewers like Steve and Mark are here on AVF...eg they don't measure the TVs colours etc..they only review by eye.

But that isn't my concern, its more that they had the wrong colour gamut selected when reviewing the Hisense or they are instead making the mistake HDR shouldn't be more saturated when it indeed should.

Nonetheless it may be that the Sony has more accurate colour, it was also well reviewed on the french website lesnumeriques.com. I don't think you can go wrong with either model, but the Hisense certainly is better value. Not only that but its got freeview play which is a boon if you are a freeview user.
 
I would not be surprised if it drops a little more come black friday or cyber monday so I would wait for a few more days and see then.

If not, you can often get places to price match so perhaps someone who offers a longer warranty will do that for you. Richer Sounds, John Lewis, Crampton and Moore etc all offer longer warranties and price match guarantees.
 
Yes, I remember making that comment. My concern is how they tested the TVs. I'd like to think they know what they are doing but I don't think they are professional reviewers like Steve and Mark are here on AVF...eg they don't measure the TVs colours etc..they only review by eye.

But that isn't my concern, its more that they had the wrong colour gamut selected when reviewing the Hisense or they are instead making the mistake HDR shouldn't be more saturated when it indeed should.

Nonetheless it may be that the Sony has more accurate colour, it was also well reviewed on the french website lesnumeriques.com. I don't think you can go wrong with either model, but the Hisense certainly is better value. Not only that but its got freeview play which is a boon if you are a freeview user.
HI there. Been following this thread. Currently looking at a decent 4K tv. Mostly for gaming. The hisense that you shared seems to be ok. AM I correct in thinking that the Hisense H50N6800 is the same set, just the 50" instead of the 55"? You can get that for $549 online.

I was also looking at the LG 55UJ630V. Seems ok for the money. Any thoughts on the two?

55UJ630V | 55 inch | LG LED TV | ao.com
 
I wouldn't get the LG model unless you favour wider viewing angles over deeper blacks, higher contrast ratio and better screen uniformity.

Hisense N6800 at 50 and 55" are recommended as is the Sony XE70xx series at 55"+.
 
I wouldn't get the LG model unless you favour wider viewing angles over deeper blacks, higher contrast ratio and better screen uniformity.

Hisense N6800 at 50 and 55" are recommended as is the Sony XE70xx series at 55"+.

Perfect. Thank you sir.
 
I wouldn't get the LG model unless you favour wider viewing angles over deeper blacks, higher contrast ratio and better screen uniformity.

Hisense N6800 at 50 and 55" are recommended as is the Sony XE70xx series at 55"+.

Is there much difference between the N6800 and the Hisense N5700? Can get the 50" N6800 for around £550 and the 55" N5700 for the same price.
 
I haven't seen the N57xx models reviewed anywhere but the main difference from specs at least is the N6800 has a wide colour gamut.

There may be other differences but I just don't know sorry. Its always a risk buying a model when it hasn't had a single professional review anywhere. I'd say though from specs alone it looks decent.

A wide colour gamut is only beneficial when using a HDR source though..which you will probably not want to do on TVs at this price range.
 
I'm looking to upgrade as well, and I'm in about the same price bracket as the OP. Although, I could conceivably go up to ~900.

Is it best to just wait until like February-April? It's the first time I'm consciously pricehunting for a TV, I'm not actually sure if TV's like the xe900 will still drop significantly in price from this point forward. Like, are we expecting for the 49xe9005 to drop down to 900 by Spring?
 
Been having a nosey around the web and my heart is still set on the Hisense 55N6800 but is the Samsung 55MU7000 worth the extra £150 - The review on this site is exceptional and says that the picture quality is great out the box but is it £150 great?

"There are some great value alternatives available such as the Hisense H55N6800 but the MU7000 has the edge with a slightly more polished and sophisticated performance."

That being said if I can get Richer Sounds to drop it by a £100 to £700 then I'll get the Samsung haha! Then its only £50 more

I'm looking to upgrade as well, and I'm in about the same price bracket as the OP. Although, I could conceivably go up to ~900.

Is it best to just wait until like February-April? It's the first time I'm consciously pricehunting for a TV, I'm not actually sure if TV's like the xe900 will still drop significantly in price from this point forward. Like, are we expecting for the 49xe9005 to drop down to 900 by Spring?

I haven't seen the N57xx models reviewed anywhere but the main difference from specs at least is the N6800 has a wide colour gamut.

There may be other differences but I just don't know sorry. Its always a risk buying a model when it hasn't had a single professional review anywhere. I'd say though from specs alone it looks decent.

A wide colour gamut is only beneficial when using a HDR source though..which you will probably not want to do on TVs at this price range.
 
Been having a nosey around the web and my heart is still set on the Hisense 55N6800 but is the Samsung 55MU7000 worth the extra £150 - The review on this site is exceptional and says that the picture quality is great out the box but is it £150 great?

"There are some great value alternatives available such as the Hisense H55N6800 but the MU7000 has the edge with a slightly more polished and sophisticated performance."

That being said if I can get Richer Sounds to drop it by a £100 to £700 then I'll get the Samsung haha! Then its only £50 more definitely. At £150 maybe if you like to use motion plus lots, most people don't.
The Samsung is the better TV overall but the main difference between the two is more comprehensive motion enhancements. At £50 extra no doubt. At £
I'm looking to upgrade as well, and I'm in about the same price bracket as the OP. Although, I could conceivably go up to ~900.

Is it best to just wait until like February-April? It's the first time I'm consciously pricehunting for a TV, I'm not actually sure if TV's like the xe900 will still drop significantly in price from this point forward. Like, are we expecting for the 49xe9005 to drop down to 900 by Spring?

I don't think that tv being at that price by spring is unrealistic. Similar models last year sold for that.
 
Did you forget to finish your sentence? :p haha!

The Samsung is the better TV overall but the main difference between the two is more comprehensive motion enhancements. At £50 extra no doubt. At £


I don't think that tv being at that price by spring is unrealistic. Similar models last year sold for that.
 
The Samsung is the better TV overall but the main difference between the two is more comprehensive motion enhancements. At £50 extra no doubt. At £150 maybe not unless I used motion interpolation+BFI.


I don't think that tv being at that price by spring is unrealistic. Similar models last year sold for that.

Is the picture quality that much different?

I'm probably gonna have to end up waiting now anyhow Didnt get paid in time and Richer Sounds have increased the price by £100 to £899 and if I'm not paying almost a grand for a telly that's going to be relegated to a bedroom when I move out.

The only things that are teasing me with the Samsung is that really innovative connection box and the HDR performance. (Saying that I don't have much HDR content bar Netflix)

Other than that I'd be all in with the Hisense
 

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