TV question - 4K or no?

[Teppanyaki]

I am finally going to upgrade my television from a 28" CRT from . . . a while back.

The current (temporary) space is 46" wide, so I can fit a 48-52" LCD screen in there. I'm leaning towards Samsung (Costco carries them, and Consumer Reports rates them highly), and plan on having it be wi-fi capable to be able to stream movies and such from the 'net.

The question . . . is 4K worth it? My understanding is that, for a screen that is 52" diagonally, you would need to sit 3' or closer in order for the 4K difference to be apparent compared to a standard 1080p picture. My current couch sits 9' away.

My inclination is to not spend the money on 4K, but rather to get a potentially bigger screen (or save money). However, I don't want to miss out on something that I will regret later.

Any advice or recommendations? Thanks in advance!

 

[morgantruce]

I made the upgrade to 4K and enthusiastically recommend it.

 

[Go West Young Man]

There's little 4k programming available right now, so you'd be taking a gamble that over the next 3-4 years that format actually takes off (like HD)/and doesn't fade away (like 3d or curved TVs).

That said, the quality improvement should be noticeable on that size TV at pretty much any distance once y start getting native, not upscaled, 4k programming.

 

[Edcculus]

Also, consider skipping the wifi enabled tv and add on a roku, fire Tv or Apple TV.

 

[dpm802]

There's little 4k programming available right now, so you'd be taking a gamble that over the next 3-4 years that format actually takes off (like HD)/and doesn't fade away (like 3d or curved TVs).

That said, the quality improvement should be noticeable on that size TV at pretty much any distance once y start getting native, not upscaled, 4k programming.

+1 ... the availability of content would be my main concern.

I generally like to buy new gear on the TRAILING Edge of Technology. Once the next generation comes out, let's say its 6K TVs, then the 4Ks will drop significantly in price as they are clearanced out.

But you want a new television NOW ... so that would mean get a 1080p set.

On the other hand, the prices of 4K TVs are only a couple hundred dollars more than a 1080p. So it might be worth the gamble to get it now.

Yes, definitely get a Samsung. They have been in the lead in the TV market for a long time. LG is another good brand. I have an LG 32" that I'm very happy with, but when I get ready for an upgrade, Samsung is the brand that I want, regardless of the exact model or specs or price.

 

[BigFoot]

I went through that debate 6 months ago. I ended up buying a Sony 60" 1080P. There is still a lot of programming that is not even full 1080P let alone 4K. I do not have any regrets, not in my den, nor in my pocketbook.

 

[BSAGuy]

I'd wait on 4K. Prices will drop in near future.

 

[hydro-magic]

Another vote for just going with 1080p for now. It'll be a massive improvement over what you've got now and good enough for all the content currently available. My next computer monitor will be a 4K but for TV, just not worth the money IMO.

 

[MicBaldy]

Also, consider skipping the wifi enabled tv and add on a roku, fire Tv or Apple TV.

I'll second this suggestion. It's just one more internal component that can go wrong. Plus you should be able to get a non-wifi enabled TV and a roku, apple, or fire TV for less money combined than a TV with wifi included, and those devices have much better streaming capability and better user interface than a TV that is wifi-enabled.

As for 4k, I don't really see a reason to buy it now.

 

[Commander Quan]

^ yeah what he said.

We have 2 smart TVs, an LG and a Vizio. The LG's software is one step above awful. Check the prices between comparable Smart and non TVs and consider whether a streaming media player like a Fire Stick would be more useful to you.

 

[dpm802]

We have 2 smart TVs, an LG and a Vizio. The LG's software is one step above awful. Check the prices between comparable Smart and non TVs and consider whether a streaming media player like a Fire Stick would be more useful to you.

I bought an LG 32" about 3 years ago ... and the outboard Smart Box to give it additional capabilities.

The LG software is awkward and confusing to say the least. Their remote control doesn't work well for these functions, making it even more frustrating. I even bought an LG-brand "Smart Remote" that was little better than what I got with the box.

All told, I'm out an additional $140 for the LG add-ons, and I can't use either of them.

Next time around, I'm going with Google Chromecast and an Amazon Prime subscription.

 

[Chapinahat]

Not seen it in action, but my company has a live 4k sports channel in the UK. Reading comments about it, it's a step above HD.

 

[luvmysuper]

Was in the market for a new big screen TV and looked at all the 4k ones. Not all that impressed really. Programming just isn't there. Maybe at some point in the future.

What we would up doing is buying the Epson Home Cinema 3500 projector for less money and we now have an 150" HD TV, (with 3D) that has an absolutely stunning picture, even in daylight. NFL games have never been so much fun to watch.

Turn off the lights and load up a movie, and it's theater time baby!

 

[_Brad]

Just echoing what others have said, but Samsung is a good brand, and I'd wait on the 4k.

If it's at all possible I would hardwire your TV to your router instead of wifi. You'll get better performance that way over wifi.

 

[mike_the_kraken]

4K needs a large content commitment to really enable it to take flight, and that just hasn't happened. If OLED tvs were even close to being affordable, the 4K interest would quickly fade - as OLED adds a significant improvement to picture quality on existing 1080p content.

RE: Samsung - I have one (plasma), like the picture quality. It's wifi enabled, but the only time I use that is when downloading a firmware update. This is because there is so little processing power and memory in these tvs - they'll never compete with an apple tv, fire stick, or chromecast.

If I were to buy a new tv today, I'd focus on the best picture quality for the $$$ I was willing to pay. No offense to consumer reports, but you don't want to make a purchase decision based solely on their recommendations. Have a look here: http://www.avsforum.com/forum/40-ol...-electronics-flat-panel-shootout-results.html

 

[alex2363]

I'd wait on 4K. Prices will drop in near future.

Agreed...I seen 60 inchers in 600 dollars range

 

[dpm802]

Just echoing what others have said, but Samsung is a good brand, and I'd wait on the 4k.

If it's at all possible I would hardwire your TV to your router instead of wifi. You'll get better performance that way over wifi.

+1 ... I have my laptop hardwired to my router and the connection is at least 20% faster than over Wifi. More secure, too.

 

[doofus]

Wait on the 4k for reasons above. Also do not do a smart tv. I bought an LG smart only 3 years ago and amazon just stopped supporting it. So I think I paid an extra 300 at the time for smart and just had to buy a stick now anyway for 40.00 and the stick interface is waaaay better than lgs anyway, probably better than samsungs too.

 

[esswun]

I disagree that a display in the 46"-55" range has much of a visible difference in image quality (especially to an average consumer and not an enthusiast) unless you sit only 3-5 feet away. Even then, the difference is MUCH less than the jump from standard definition to HD. Additionally, regardless of a 4K or 1080p display, if it's a bargain basement model it won't look that good anyway.

Go to avsforums like someone linked a few posts back and try to determine the best picture quality model within your budget. A lot of the people on there are true enthusiasts and you can really narrow down the best you can afford with a little help and time from them. Yes, some picture quality aspects are subjective, but when certain sets have widespread acclaim, there's usually a reason. Don't listen to anything the salespeople say at stores like Best Buy, etc. Costco is still a good place to buy though due to liberal return policy; if the image doesn't satisfy you, you can try again.

TL;DR: Get a 1080p TV. At 9 feet where you sit, you'd probably need a 70" or bigger to notice a difference. Use the extra money for a Roku or audio (the speakers on these TVs are all crap due to being so small on modern, ultra thin TVs).

 

[mretzloff]

Get the 4K. Most people who argue against it probably have not owned one. It is 100% worth it. Even if there is little 4K content available, 4K TVs upscale current content and make it look a lot better.