• Light/Dark
  • Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.

After 10 years, I think it's time to upgrade. What TV do I buy?

  • Thread starter Deleted member 16908
  • Start date

Deleted member 16908

Oct 27, 2017
9,377
I've been cruising by with my 22-inch 720p TV with a crack in it for many years now, but with the next-gen consoles coming I figure I should probably get one of those 4K HDR TV things.

Which one would the TV folks here recommend? My budget is $500 max, but preferably well under that. I want low input lag for gaming, smooth stutter-free motion, and HDR that doesn't look terrible. As for size, I'm quite comfortable using smaller TVs so I'd say no bigger than 55 inches.
 
Last edited:
Deception

Deception

Member
Nov 15, 2017
8,420
What size are you looking at? Realistically, you aren't going to get any of that for less than $500. With next-gen consoles, you should really be looking for TV's that have HDMI 2.1 for all the new tech that will bring.
 
SoleSurvivor

SoleSurvivor

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,016
My advice as someone who used to sell TVs is to finance one that costs more than your budget interest free on a store card. Spread the $500 around for the first few payments and put money aside for payments down the line. No way you're getting the features you want at "500 max, but preferably well under that." Assuming you want to keep it another 10 or more years, it's best to future proof as much as possible and go for both size and quality.
 
Goldenroad

Goldenroad

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Nov 2, 2017
9,475
No matter what TV you go with, there is always some correlation between cost and quality. TCL is your best bet, but you're going to need to be pretty thrifty to pick one up for under $500. Maybe wait for the 2020 models to launch and then check your local listings to find someone selling their older (2018ish) models.

I've been looking for the last 18 months or so, and now I'm pretty settled on getting the TCL 625 series when it comes to Canada, or, if they are impossible to pick up I might get a Samsung Q70 next time they go on sale. So long as I pull the trigger on something before XSX is released.
 
alr1ght

alr1ght

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,047
it's probably the worst time to upgrade right now, with HDMI 2.1 right around the corner.
 
OP
OP

Deleted member 16908

Oct 27, 2017
9,377
What's the big deal about HDMI 2.1?

SoleSurvivor said:
My advice as someone who used to sell TVs is to finance one that costs more than your budget interest free on a store card. Spread the $500 around for the first few payments and put money aside for payments down the line. No way you're getting the features you want at "500 max, but preferably well under that." Assuming you want to keep it another 10 or more years, it's best to future proof as much as possible and go for both size and quality.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

www.rtings.com

TCL 5 Series/S525 2019 Review (43S525, 50S525, 55S525, 65S525)

The TCL 5 Series is a good budget 4k TV with good picture quality, a great response time, and outstanding low input lag. It has an excellent contrast ratio and g...
www.rtings.com www.rtings.com

Rtings says this TV has what I want, and it's $260 at Best Buy. I'm not expecting a top of the line set here, I just want 4K 60Hz with HDR support that isn't total trash.
 
Outlaw

Outlaw

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,110
Texas
I've had the same 40inch 1080p Samsung since 2008, still works fine although lately it does seem to be raising the temp in room slightly when its on.

When the time comes for me to upgrade (possibly Black Friday 2020), I'm definitely going with a Samsung.
 
krae_man

krae_man

Master of Balan Wonderworld
Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,594
OP
OP

Deleted member 16908

Oct 27, 2017
9,377
krae_man said:
OP is rocking a 22" 720p screen with a crack in it and has a $500 budget. A TV with VRR is not in the budget right now.

OP grab a TCL.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

The 2019 TCL 6 series 55-inch does look good. Does anyone here have one that can attest to its quality? It's $550 at the moment but I'm sure the price will drop more as the 2020 models approach.
 
hoserx

hoserx

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,172
Ohio
Robinson said:
The 2019 TCL 6 series 55-inch does look good. Does anyone here have one that can attest to its quality? It's $550 at the moment but I'm sure the price will drop more as the 2020 models approach.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
The TCL 6 series 2019 is definitely the best TV in the $500 range. It's comparable to sets that cost much more. Last year's version was a bit of a "cult classic' if you will...this years is just fantastic, improved in many ways, and it's getting more publicity and becoming more of a mainstream choice.
 
Darknight

Darknight

"I'd buy that for a dollar!"
Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,791
I'd you want HDR on a budget, your only choice is a TCL 6 Series. Anything less isn't going to be decent HDR. That's the entry level cost for decent HDR. Any set less than that isbt offering real HDR despite what the spec sheet and box says.
 
Iolo

Iolo

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,896
Britain
The TCL 6 looked great until I saw the two feet are 48 inches apart... ridiculous deal breaker, needs a huge table. They should've had a single center foot instead of one foot on each side.
 
Garou

Garou

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,620
Don't go cheap on something that you'll use for another decade and will spend thousands of hours in front.

The new 4K OLED Sony models they just announced at CES look really nice, check those out.
 
The Albatross

The Albatross

Member
Oct 25, 2017
38,958
Iolo said:
The TCL 6 looked great until I saw the two feet are 48 inches apart... ridiculous deal breaker, needs a huge table. They should've had a single center foot instead of one foot on each side.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Agreed its so bizarre. Vizio does the same thing, or did when my parents got one of those. I think it might be a cost saving measure, 2 cheap small feet screwed in rather than a really solid, but more expensive, center base with balance.
 
Book One

Book One

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,813
Robinson said:
The 2019 TCL 6 series 55-inch does look good. Does anyone here have one that can attest to its quality? It's $550 at the moment but I'm sure the price will drop more as the 2020 models approach.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

It and the HiSense are probably the two best at that price range. There will always be some tradeoffs at the budget level, but those TVs offer a hell of a lot for the price.
 
gozu

gozu

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,312
America
Get an HDMI 2.1 compatible set. Vizio or LG Oled are good values. Other Oleds from Sony and Panasonic are more costly.
 
Ryuelli

Ryuelli

Member
Oct 26, 2017
15,209
Robinson said:
What's the big deal about HDMI 2.1?



www.rtings.com

TCL 5 Series/S525 2019 Review (43S525, 50S525, 55S525, 65S525)

The TCL 5 Series is a good budget 4k TV with good picture quality, a great response time, and outstanding low input lag. It has an excellent contrast ratio and g...
www.rtings.com www.rtings.com

Rtings says this TV has what I want, and it's $260 at Best Buy. I'm not expecting a top of the line set here, I just want 4K 60Hz with HDR support that isn't total trash.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I have the 50" of this, it's great for the price. Couldn't be happier with it. :)
 
molnizzle

molnizzle

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
17,695
LG OLED or wait for the 2020 sets that are being announced right now.

If you only by a TV once every 10 years, your new TV must have HDMI 2.1.

PeakPointMatrix said:
This is a dumb question, but what does variable refresh rate actually mean? Like, changing framerates or something?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Most displays have a fixed refresh rate of 60 hz. So the screen shows 60 unique frames every second no matter what. That's why games have generally been 60fps or 30fps. 60fps has a unique frame ready for the display at every refresh, and 30fps has one every other. Since 30fps is perfectly divisible by 60, it appears smooth (or as smooth as 30fps can be) since every frame is simply doubled. This is why if when games drop frames from 60 you get "judder." The TV is displaying 60 frames no matter what, but now you're not sending it a perfect 60, so some frames are being doubled and others not, making it choppy.

Variable refresh means the display can change its refresh rate every second. It's not locked at 60hz anymore. If you're playing a game that hovers around the 45fps mark, the display will change to 45hz. Next second maybe the game sends the full 60 so the display adjusts again. It can change on the fly to match the content. No more judder, regardless of frame rate.

Of course, higher is still better, but VRR can make variable 50-60 fps look extremely close to locked 60. The tech is going to be a big deal for the next consoles.
 
Last edited:
Iolo

Iolo

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,896
Britain
The Albatross said:
Agreed its so bizarre. Vizio does the same thing, or did when my parents got one of those. I think it might be a cost saving measure, 2 cheap small feet screwed in rather than a really solid, but more expensive, center base with balance.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Hmm. If they made an optional center stand that attached I'd consider that. Wall mount doesn't work in my case, and my table's about a foot too short. My 2008 Panasonic plasma will probably last several more years, even though picture quality is showing its age, but you just never know.

I guess they assume most people will just mount these.
 
Kung Fucius

Kung Fucius

Member
Jun 28, 2019
700
Iolo said:
The TCL 6 looked great until I saw the two feet are 48 inches apart... ridiculous deal breaker, needs a huge table. They should've had a single center foot instead of one foot on each side.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
The feet are detachable. So you can actually reverse them so that they point inwards instead of outwards.
iuybiriobbbvnrn1krns.jpg
 
Deleted member 21339

Deleted member 21339

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
13,691
molnizzle said:
LG OLED or wait for the 2020 sets that are being announced right now.

If you only by a TV once every 10 years, your new TV must have HDMI 2.1.


Most displays have a fixed refresh rate of 60 hz. So the screen shows 60 unique frames every second no matter what. That's why games have generally been 60fps or 30fps. 60fps has a unique frame ready for the display at every refresh, and 30fps has one every other. Since 30fps is perfectly divisible by 60, it appears smooth (or as smooth as 30fps can be) since every frame is simply doubled. This is why if when games drop frames from 60 you get "judder." The TV is displaying 60 frames no matter what, but now you're not sending it a perfect 60, so some frames are being doubled and others not, making it choppy.

Variable refresh means the display can change its refresh rate every second. It's not locked at 60hz anymore. If you're playing a game that hovers around the 45fps mark, the display will change to 45hz. Next second maybe the game sends the full 60 so the display adjusts again. It can change on the fly to match the content. No more judder, regardless of frame rate.

Of course, higher is still better, but VRR can make variable 50-60 fps look extremely close to locked 60. The tech is going to be a big deal for the next consoles.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Bro what? His budget is under $500
 
molnizzle

molnizzle

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
17,695
Iolo said:
Hmm. If they made an optional center stand that attached I'd consider that. Wall mount doesn't work in my case, and my table's about a foot too short. My 2008 Panasonic plasma will probably last several more years, even though picture quality is showing its age, but you just never know.

I guess they assume most people will just mount these.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
You can get third party center stands. They connect just like a wall mount would.

TV manufacturers do it this way to cut costs. Some premium sets still have nice center stands... but you pay a premium for them.

JB1981 said:
Bro what? His budget is under $500
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
...so he should wait for the 2020 sets being announced right now.
 
Deleted member 21339

Deleted member 21339

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
13,691
molnizzle said:
You can get third party center stands. They connect just like a wall mount would.

TV manufacturers do it this way to cut costs. Some premium sets still have nice center stands... but you pay a premium for them.


...so he should wait for the 2020 sets being announced right now.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
You recommended a fucking OLED. The dude has a 720p tv with a crack in it and a budget of $500
 
Felt

Felt

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
3,210
Robinson said:
The 2019 TCL 6 series 55-inch does look good. Does anyone here have one that can attest to its quality? It's $550 at the moment but I'm sure the price will drop more as the 2020 models approach.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I have a TCL 65 inch 4k, I can attest to its quality. Well worth what you pay for basic streaming in 4k.
 
Soda

Soda

Member
Oct 26, 2017
8,853
Dunedin, New Zealand
Since this turned into a general TV suggestion thread, what would be a good option if I were to buy a TV in the next month and I want the following specs:

-60-70"
-4K
-HDMI 2.1
-OLED
-As few smart features as possible / able to keep the TV disconnected from the internet without it hindering overall usage

I'm mainly wondering what this would cost for a TV with these specs.

Side-note: what would the above cost if I went with a QLED instead of OLED?
 
Lump

Lump

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,957
At around the $500 price range, the TCL is going to be the best value. TCL 6-series can and will go on sale, and is as solid as an investment can get for the price. TCL also just announced today at CES that they're updating 2019 "select" 6-series Roku models with VRR. If one were on the fence about TCL before, that should be the thing that tips someone completely to its side at the pricepoint.

That HiSense is also good for that price, but it's a little harder to find (especially with the deals one can find for TCL models) and I'd be very surprised if to see it also get updated with VRR.

Vizio M-series just doesn't beat out those two at that price point in terms of brightness/input lag. I really like Vizio's top-end (P-series) stuff, but honestly, TCL really eats them for lunch when it comes to sub-$800 budget sets.
 
Last edited:
Book One

Book One

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,813
Lump said:
At around the $500 price range, the TCL is going to be the best value. TCL 6-series can and will go on sale, and is as solid as an investment can get for the price. TCL also just announced today at CES that they're updating 2019 6-series Roku models with VRR. If one were on the fence about TCL before, that should be the thing that tips someone completely to its side at the pricepoint.

That HiSense is also good for that price, but it's a little harder to find (especially with the deals one can find for TCL models) and I'd be very surprised if to see it also get updated with VRR.

Vizio M-series just doesn't beat out those two at that price point in terms of brightness/input lag. I really like Vizio's top-end (P-series) stuff, but honestly, TCL really eats them for lunch when it comes to sub-$800 budget sets.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

nice
 
Darknight

Darknight

"I'd buy that for a dollar!"
Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,791
Soda said:
Since this turned into a general TV suggestion thread, what would be a good option if I were to buy a TV in the next month and I want the following specs:

-60-70"
-4K
-HDMI 2.1
-OLED
-As few smart features as possible / able to keep the TV disconnected from the internet without it hindering overall usage

I'm mainly wondering what this would cost for a TV with these specs.

Side-note: what would the above cost if I went with a QLED instead of OLED?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

You really should just wait a week so that we'll have a clearer picture of what gets shown off at CES. All this talk about what TV to buy is super premature right now given CES has barely started.
 
MazeHaze

MazeHaze

Member
Nov 1, 2017
8,574
Robinson said:
What's the big deal about HDMI 2.1?



www.rtings.com

TCL 5 Series/S525 2019 Review (43S525, 50S525, 55S525, 65S525)

The TCL 5 Series is a good budget 4k TV with good picture quality, a great response time, and outstanding low input lag. It has an excellent contrast ratio and g...
www.rtings.com www.rtings.com

Rtings says this TV has what I want, and it's $260 at Best Buy. I'm not expecting a top of the line set here, I just want 4K 60Hz with HDR support that isn't total trash.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
A 6000:1 contrast ratio, no local dimming, and 300 nits brightness in HDR is not really HDR. Rtings scores can be a little misleading, but as far as HDR goes, you need to look these specs to determine it's hdr performance, in this case quite poor. The TCL 6 series is currently the cheapest TV available with decent HDR, it gets super bright, and has good contrast and local dimming as well. All essential components for good HDR peformance.
 
MazeHaze

MazeHaze

Member
Nov 1, 2017
8,574
Soda said:
Since this turned into a general TV suggestion thread, what would be a good option if I were to buy a TV in the next month and I want the following specs:

-60-70"
-4K
-HDMI 2.1
-OLED
-As few smart features as possible / able to keep the TV disconnected from the internet without it hindering overall usage

I'm mainly wondering what this would cost for a TV with these specs.

Side-note: what would the above cost if I went with a QLED instead of OLED?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
You will most likely pay $2-3000 dollars for a 65 inch OLED depending on the brand and model
 
Anustart

Anustart

9 Million Scovilles
Avenger
Nov 12, 2017
9,037
Here on era you don't ask about budget TV's. You either spend 2k+ or you're a rube.
 
TheDestructiveSquirrel

TheDestructiveSquirrel

Member
Oct 25, 2017
27,733
I want a new TV for the new consoles but I doubt I can afford to buy both this year if I get a 2020 TV, may have to wait for 2021 to get the TV

I'm amazed that my 40" Samsung 1080p not-smart TV is still going strong after more than 10 years (And I can't believe how much it cost back then compared to 4k smart TVs now of similar size :P)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.