LG is pretty good, but I think Samsung is the clear leader at this point. LG would be my 2nd choice, or maybe Sony. I've been tempted to pick up a 40" Samsung or LG for the bedroom. We have the TV close enough there for the smaller screen, and we don't have room for a bigger one. Everything I've seen says the curve is a gimmick and a waste of money... I would also advise paying attention to the software built in to the TV. For the short term, you'll likely be streaming 4K content from Netflix, Amazon, and other providers. Samsung's Smart TV software looks like the best so far and has been in production for years in their HDTV line. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if all the UHD content we end up watching in the future turns out to be streamed. Consider how Apple isn't selling computers with DVD/CD drives anymore and delivers all its software over the Internet.
My family loves the curve (Samsung 8700), but it's not for technological reasons. We didn't do a side-by-side in our house with our video programming, and we haven't really taken it for a spin yet on high-powered movies or with the coming Oppo. But we did stream a 3D movie from Netflix and Mrs. FromWA stared transfixed at a damn snowboarding video for 2 hours b/c of the amazing video. But I also read all of the issues with "glare" on the 9000 and can report that, in my living room right next to an east-facing window there isn't a hint of it on the 8700. Samsung's software (in my limited usage) is less balky than Panasonic's (this TV replaced a broken ZT60).
Wow, I feel like I hit the jackpot here for home theatre geeks. Thanks for the input--sincerely. I bought a cheap Seiki 50" 4KTV almost a year ago and I regret it. Terrible processing and 30hz in 4K. Ugh. The resolution is nice but overall it's sub-par. I still miss my BenQ 3D 1080p projector and am looking to replace it with a short-throw updated version of the projector for our new home. I just love the big image more for movies. Denny--I'm with you on the curve TV thing. I feel like it's the most obvious novelty useless thing I've ever seen. It's one thing to be at an iMax dome or the old Cinerama and watch 2001: A Space Odyssey in 70mm on a humongous curved screen. It's another when it's just a TV you sit some distance back from. I don't care about any of the built-in smart TV features. I trust my Roku. These babies are tempting though! I prefer buying at Costco for the no-hassle return experience.
Roku connects to the TV via HDMI 1.x. It's not going to deliver UHD content nor is it going to deliver 60Hz. That's why I was talking about the TV"s built in software. Roku has Netflix. The TV has Netflix The Netflix client in the TV skips the HDMI connection and can work directly with the hardware (video decompressor) that's built into the TV. WiFi connection to the TV is plenty fast enough for compressed 4K streams. Wired connection is even better. I was going to mention the Sekei as a super cheap but 30Hz only TV. I'd wait for their next-gen models. I figure you don't want to buy a TV and then dump it for a better quality one later on.
Very good points, thanks. I am looking to switch to DirecTV from Cox as there are a lot of incentives and I just hate the cable company. Have to put up with them for the fastest connection and I'm sure 4K isn't hardly on their radar, unlike DirecTV which will have some 4K capability early 2015. Yeah, Netflix built-in is cool. I'm not a big Netflix lover because their library for streaming seems to be getting shittier, even if they are offering some 4K things. I pay for it because the kids like to watch terrible old TV show re-runs on it. I use Amazon Instant Video quite a bit on the Roku and I like it. Too bad Game of Thrones isn't shot in 4K but that is still the best looking Blu-rays I have. I thought I read something that the LG's are actually 10-bit panels...which would be significant.
Ah... DirecTV is good to bring up. The new Samsung TVs can talk to the DirecTV Genie DVR via WiFi. Remember what I said about software built in? DirecTV ready TV info: https://support.directv.com/app/ans...s-a-directv-4k-ready-tv-and-how-does-it-work? DirecTV already has 4K/UHD content (so does Amazon): http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...rectv-now-have-uhd-movies-and-shows/index.htm http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-UN65HU8550-65-Inch-Ultra-120Hz/product-reviews/B00ID2HJJM?pageNumber=2
That Samsung has a great review by CNET. Note what they say about the curved one below it. http://www.cnet.com/topics/tvs/best-tvs/picture-quality/
from this discussion at AVSforum. The TS01-panel 8550 (and the curved 8700 and the "flagship" 9000) is 10bit. The 8-bit panel on the 8550 is model LSF650FJ02-A,8BIT,65INCH. The 10-bit panel for the 8550 is CY-KH065FSLV1V,10 BIT. Make sure you get the 10- if you're paying for it.
Yeah, I don't know what the difference in faces are, but the 9000 has been said to have glare issues. It's not curve-related, as the 8700 doesn't. And as for the price, you can't quote prices for the 78" model for one product ($8000 for the HU9000) and the 55" for another (the 8550). Here's Amazon's latest. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=samsung 9000
Good stuff, fellas. All this talk of model #'s and bit depths is just hawwt. Denny--I understand the dithering thing can look better, but true 10-bit is just sweet for the future. What is the cheapest true 10-bit panel 4KTV on the market currently?
I'm not a fan of "cheapest." Samsung's 65" flat screen UHD TV comes in 10 bit version. See Brian's post just above.
I get that. But sometimes "cheapest" when it contains an important feature like true 10-bit hardware can be more like best "bang-for-the-buck."
My philosophy would be to spend an extra few $hundred to have a best in class picture and internals like hardware decoders and quality software than to buy something cheaper that I won't be happy with in a couple years. I'm still watching my Panasonic plasma TV that's about 8 years old, and it still rocks. It was CNET's "best picture for screen > 50 inches" when I got it. If you have great picture and adequate inputs (HDMI, etc.), you can upgrade your sound system and DVD player and so on and still enjoy the great picture.
BTW, the more I read about UHD components (receivers, etc.), the more I would stay away from them for now. The standards are not settled and what claim to be pass thru aren't what you ultimately want. I have one HDMI cable running in the wall from my TV to my receiver. All the rest of my HDMI components go through the receiver. The receiver switches its input and sends whatever (blu ray, apple TV, etc.) to the TV. This setup is not really ideal in UHD compatible receivers yet.
All good advice, Denny. The philosophy is sound, but sometimes you can only stretch so far and it's up to the consumer to get educated on what really matters in a TV set...which is obviously not for the faint of heart. "If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by." --Sun Tzu This is the best tech consumer advice of all time but a total buzzkill too.
So I finally pulled the trigger on a 40" Samsung UHD TV for the bedroom. We usually watch an hour or so of TV before going to sleep at night and the TV is 3 or 4 feet away from us so we get the full effect. I showed the TV with Breaking Bad in UHD to a couple friends and they were about 10 feet away and were raving about the picture. Between Amazon Prime and Netflix there are maybe 100 UHD programs to watch. By the end of the year, both will have many more programs. I expect the TV manufacturers won't be making many 1080P models within a couple of years - what's the point? The 4K picture is amazing. The upscaled 1080P is as good or better than a 1080P set. IMO. DirecTV installer coming out to set up the TV to get their 4K programming.
Denny, how are you enjoying the Samsung thus far? I picked up the last LG 49" UB8500 in the store at the local Fry's for $799. I've calibrated and now I am VERY happy with the picture. Serious bang-for-the-buck. Actual 10-bit panel too.
Loving it, and haven't run out of UHD programs to watch yet. It doesn't work great with DirecTV, but their gear has worked like crap sine 1st gen Genie. I dont have room for a bigger screen, but we're only a few feet away from it. The picture and sound are amazing.
