Need Advice on Buying a New 65" Smart 4K Television

[EagerBeaver]

I have begun the process of buying a new TV. I need a 65" for the area I want to put it in. This past weekend I looked at the 3 big guns, Samsung, Sony and LG. Samsung has the brightest picture, LG the darkest and Sony in between with the best colors to my eyes. Here are my questions:

1. I need to buy a TV stand rather than mount the TV on the wall to store components, including my cable and cellular modems. I noticed that Best Buy and PC Richard don't have a great selection. Is a furniture store a better bet?

2. I am looking at the smart Ultra HD 4K units. These come with Wifi. Do I need to buy a keyboard to stream online content onto the TV?

3. For sound, I am looking at a soundbar and a subwoofer. I listened to the Bose soundbar and subwoofer with the Sony TV and it was awesome. I am prepared to spend $$$$ as I want good sound let me know your thoughts on any other sound bars and subwoofers. It seems like the TV manufacturers are making crappy soundbars from what I read, especially Sony's are said to be crap.

4. The Sony I looked at was $1399, the soundbar and subwoofer another $1400, and a TV stand anywhere from $300-$400 so I am looking at dropping $3000-$3500 and understand this is the nature of the beast. I am prepared to do it but want to get my money's worth.

5. Does it make sense to go from Netflix DVDs to streaming with this new setup and just use a DVR instead of a DVD player? I have an old DVD player and get disks but if I have a DVR I assume I can just stream movies and tape them as desired? How does it work?

6. If you are aware of any reviews please post links- any review you think is reputable

7. Any other tips and advice welcomed.

 

[cigarmax]

I Trust CNET Reviews for in-depth information on TVs ,Soundbars,Subwoofers,personally,I go for TVs with darker blacks which delivers a picture with better "Pop". Also you want accurate Greens for Sports.

 

[westwoody]

Most boxes or disc players have all the functionality of smart tv's. Don't pay extra for "smart". As a geek I run my tv off my computer, which has all that stuff onboard.

I was going buy a 65 inch 4k on Boxing Day but there is not much 4k content to watch.
The Best Buy store I was at only had a few 4k discs.
I am waiting until there is enough content available to make 4k worthwhile.

I have Paradigm 5.1 speakers powered by a Sony receiver and a 12" Paradigm sub. Not a fan of soundbars, nobody I know has one. Bear in mind they can sound different at home than in the store, so you might have to return a few.

 

[transatlantic]

Samsung comes preloaded with apps for Netflix/Amazon Prime/HBO among others. You can download Plex from their App Store. It's also DLNA compatible if you want to stream from NAS or PC. Don't really need a keyboard. I would imagine other vendors have similar setups. TV can do WiFi or Ethernet.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Thanks for all the replies.

Westwoody, how much for the Paradigm speakers and subwoofer? Would I need a receiver?

I am looking to put the TV in my living room which has a sofa, loveseat and bookcase and porcelain tile floors. I thought I could put the soundbar under the loveseat where I sit and watch the TV and feel like I am in the movie theater! Not sure yet where I would put the sub.

I am open minded on other technologies but it looks like the 4K TVs are de riguer at this time.

 

[westwoody]

Paradigm speakers approx $1500. I spent too much.
Denon has a very nice system with a receiver and speakers for half that. I like Denon and recommend them.
You will need an HDMI 2.0 cable to go from your box to your tv for 4k. Sony or Philips from walmart are fine. Do NOT get sucked into buying fancy cables those are all scams.
You need a 4k disc player.
Finally if you buy with Visa you likely get an extra year of warranty coverage. Do not buy store extended warranty.

 

[westwoody]

Soundbar goes under the tv, sub goes almost anywhere.

 

[Doc Holliday]

I have a 55" Panasonic Viera LED smart hd tv. I got it for free three years after my plasma blew out while it was still on extended warranty. I'm very happy with it, but next time i'll get a 60-65" 4K.

When i got it, i insisted on getting it with the 'smart' tv features. The store wanted to give me one without it and told me i didn't need it since the features i had with it were already on other devices i used. They were correct since i've never used the smart tv features. I already have ROKU and MLB TV on my other devices such as iPad, iPhone, ROKU, PS4, Xbox, Chromecast, Apple TV and my regular blu ray player. In other words, i find 'smart tv' useless in my case.

I bought a high quality tv stand from Home Furniture. I got it on sale for $400. Regular price was about $700. However, i'm sure prices are much cheaper in the States.

Most of the stuff i watch are shows/movies i recorded via PVR. I have an external hard drive connected to my satellite dish receiver and my programming is HD quality.

I'm also not ready to convert to 4K yet since i own hundreds of blu ray movies/tv shows and i'm more than satisfied with 1080i/1080p quality. I actually find it hard to believe you can get a sharper picture. I'm also quite aware that i'll need a 4K disc player if i'm willing to invest in a 4K tv since that's the only way i'll get to appreciate it's higher definition.

For sound, i have a 7.1 Panasonic home theatre system. However, i purchased a Panasonic soundboard two years ago since i was extremely impressed with the sound quality and the fact i simply put on on my tv stand with the tv lying on it. I've yet to take it out of the box since my current 7.1 sound system is doing the job. Soundbars are also acceptable depending on the quality. For Xmas i bought a SONY soundbar for a family member since the sound coming from his 80" Sharp tv wasn't loud enough, which is normal in today's televisions due to their thinness.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Soundbar goes under the tv, sub goes almost anywhere.

Some people put it on the wall just above their tv.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Doc,

Are you saying the soundbar is sufficient without the subwoofer? What about the bass tones? Especially for movies I think a subwoofer is necessary to enjoy the full range of lower bass tones. How much for a Panasonic soundbar and subwoofer?

I will look at some Blu Ray players with 4K and price them.

 

[Sol Tee Nutz]

I agree with Cigarmax that CNET is the best place for reviews, also with Grendal2000 about plasma TV's being the best at the time and still are excellent but were phased out.
I have a at the time top if the line Panasonic plasma which I will not replace until it dies, Onkyo amp and Kilpsch speakers, after many weeks of research I found this to be what I liked. You do need to go out and view and listen for yourself what you like. This was 7 years ago and all still look and sound fantastic.

Now, present day.
My son was looking for a 4K TV, after lots of research he ended up getting a VISIO P series. See the link below. If he had the extra money he would have bought an OLED TV ( see link below )
https://www.cnet.com/topics/tvs/best-tvs/best-4k-tvs/
https://www.cnet.com/news/what-is-oled-tv/

I will always stick with Onkyo for receivers, recommended to many friends who bought and were pleased, not the best but the best for the money spent. See link below
https://www.cnet.com/au/search/?query=onkyo&page=1

Speakers, not a fan of soundbars as you do not get full 5.1 theatre sound ( soundbars go below the TV not under your seat ), good budget system is the Energy Take classic 5.1, my son bought this and was very impressed ( see link below )
https://www.cnet.com/topics/speakers/best-speakers/home-theater/
If you are set on a soundbar Kilpsch has a very good one at a reasonable price, features are not top notch but sound is amazing. Not meant for blutooth music off your phone but great for direct TV hookup. ( see link below )
https://www.cnet.com/products/klipsch-r-10b/review/

Sound is a personal choice, each individual would have their own taste, same as how each individual sees beauty, listen to systems in a sound room, not in the middle of a BestBuy store.

Good luck and take your time as you will want someting you will enjoy for years.

EDIT: For your decision on a TV stand, why? You can mount it on the wall ( looks much better than a stand ) and either drill a hole for the wires to run behind the wall ( which I did ) or you can get cable runners ( covers you can tuck your cables into, paint the color you like and stick them to the wall ( what my son did, he used 2 they are about 2 inches wide and 1 inch thick, painted them black and look like a TV support ). Both of us bought a nice wooded units we converted to stereo racks, fit under the wall mounted TV and look great, space saver over TV stands.
https://www.google.ca/search?q=ster...=vf6AWKW2HoifjwT_gq7ABw#imgrc=gg7qXKkwAYHB4M:

Also, if you have Netflix they have 4K programs, many actually and the cost is $11.95 per month, looks better tha 1080p

 

[spacecadet]

Hey guys.. I wanted to chime in on this.

I'll make it brief cause im at work. Eager, my recommendations for a 4k tv is as follows. Your best choice right now is OLED and I think you should go with LG for that. But those tv's are much pricier than your average 4k tv set. If you don't go with OLED, Your best bang for your buck right now is an M-series Vizio but only the M-series. They have a better picture quality than Samsung or Sony and are cheaper. 2nd choice is Samsung but make sure its a model that supports HDR as it's the newest 4k format.

As far as soundbars, i really , really loved the Sonos soundbar. It has 9 built in speakers and you won't need a subwoofer. I think it's about 700$ . Other than that, i'd stay away from Bose cause they're not the same quality as they used to be. I'm more of an AV receiver + surround speakers kinda guy. But Klipsch is always a great brand.

If you want a great deal on a tv set in Montreal, check out www.refurbished.ca . They're on Henri Bourassa. It's a warehouse but they sell to the public. Every 3 months they do a huge sale and you'll get really fantastic deals on tv's . In november i picked up a Samsuing 60inch 4k tv for 600$ !!!!

Anyhow, let us know what you chose to get once you do!

 

[EagerBeaver]

Space cadet - thanks for all the information. I live in the USA and will make my purchase here. I will definitely post with my decision and what I have purchased. As I have mentioned I am a very deliberate shopper and will spend a lot of time and research on this project. I hope to have all items purchased within 3 weeks.

Thanks to STN and everyone else who posted. I will definitely look at the Klipsch and Sonos products you guys have mentioned. I was very duly impressed by Bose soundbar and subwoofer. But Panasonic is another possibility.

I might even look at IKEA to see if they carry TV stands although I will probably save that and the Blu Ray player for last. TV and sound system must be selected first.

 

[EagerBeaver]

This is from one of the review links posted above by STN, and it is one of the Sony models I looked at, so it corroborates what my eyes were telling me. This baby is one of my leading contenders at the moment:

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_15865X930D/Sony-XBR-65X930D.html?tp=60890

 

[rollingstone]

Probably not an issue anymore, but early adopters of 4k had issues because they were not HDCP 2.2 compliant. You should look out for this since you might not be able to stream from amazon or netflix...etc. CNET explains it here.
https://www.cnet.com/news/hdcp-2-2-what-you-need-to-know/

 

[westwoody]

That's another reason to wait, there is still too much going on with various standards and interfaces between devices.

 

[EagerBeaver]

That's another reason to wait, there is still too much going on with various standards and interfaces between devices.

There always will be. If I were to adopt this analysis I would be paralyzed by the evolution of electronics which is continual. I would simply never be able to buy anything due to fear of obsolesce in a year or two. I have a very old 51" Sony which does not have much life left and it owes me nothing. There is no more waiting. The decision is coming soon.

 

[EagerBeaver]

The wirecutter agrees with spacecadet http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-soundbar/

Thanks. Grendel2000 and Space Cadet, do you think I should enhance the Sonos soundbar with a subwoofer? Does Sonos make a matching subwoofer? What about those low bass tones I like to hear? Keep in mind my ears are not like a dog's - I need enhancements.

 

[jalimon]

I bought a 66'' Samsung Plasma a few years ago, just as plasma were being discontinued. I got it for 600$ !!! The same was 3k the year before. I recently bought a soundbar. It's just perfect, I pretty much only watch Netflix and sports.

In technology, you pay for most best and recent stuff, or you go for the best bargain

Cheers,

 

[Sol Tee Nutz]

EB, get a subwoofer, make sure it matches your sound bar, do not just buy and 10" sub and expect it to sound correct, these component speaker systems are matched to work with each other.
Also, for the TV, after 100 hrs of viewing get it calibrated for your room. My son had this done ( cost was $200 ) but there is quite the difference, a tech will come to your place and fine tune the TV to the room contitions.