4K UHD TVs

Remove this Banner Ad

dav3

Brownlow Medallist
May 1, 2009
20,800
26,731
Adelaide
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Given the state of our network infrastructure I'd say the thing that'll really push 4K in Australia would be when "next-gen" consoles catch up with the real world, either way I'm happy with 1080p for the time being.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Pacman82

Premiership Player
Oct 24, 2011
4,434
4,682
Earth
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
SMFC | Celtics
I'm considering making the leap to a 4K UHD TV & Disk Player.

I've only just begun strictly purchasing Blu Rays & started to fully embrace the difference in quality although I've had the Full HD setup for many years now.

I'd like to know if the down scaling to lesser resolutions looks inferior as someone earlier suggested & also just see where people are at with it all 4 years on from when this 4K UHD thread started..?
 
Jun 25, 2011
26,795
37,643
Victoria
AFL Club
Richmond
I'm considering making the leap to a 4K UHD TV & Disk Player.

I've only just begun strictly purchasing Blu Rays & started to fully embrace the difference in quality although I've had the Full HD setup for many years now.

I'd like to know if the down scaling to lesser resolutions looks inferior as someone earlier suggested & also just see where people are at with it all 4 years on from when this 4K UHD thread started..?

TVs and players have pretty good upscalers now. My house is 100% 4K now (besides PC). In my lounge room I am running a “55 Samsung NU8000 but I’ve still only got Foxtel IQ2 which doesn’t support 4K but the image is still fine, not blocky or blurry or anything that upscaling used to look like. Naturally looks mint when I flick it over to the TV’s Netflix or Prime Video app for 4K and HDR streaming.

I was briefly running a “55 LG C7 OLED in the loungeroom with the same setup and didn’t have any issues running 1080i Foxtel. Fox Footy HD and the other HD stations all looked great.

If you’re after some fantastic TV reviews then check out RTings.com. They’re really in depth and a great guide to help you make an informed purchase.
 

Pacman82

Premiership Player
Oct 24, 2011
4,434
4,682
Earth
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
SMFC | Celtics
Cheers mate. The salesman reckons OLED is the best but you reckon the regular LED would do the job? Fair price difference between them.

The 4K Ultra disks are Region Free atm too.
 
I consume no 4k content and only use my TV to watch Netflix via a Roku box and regular free to air programming.
I have an Akai AK502017UHDS that I couldn't pass up for only $488 around 6-8 months ago.
50inch UHD resolution which is consumer 4k (not true 4k).
The picture is great and it handles sport really well with minimal ghosting. It still exhibits ghosting in certain situations, but you need to be close and looking for it in a critical manner.
The UI is slow but I don't flick around channels so it doesn't matter & Roku handles Netflix and YouTube for me better than any inbuilt app.
It's slim, satisfies all my FHD usage requirements and is probably 80% of want a $2000 TV gives at 1/4 of the cost.
 
Last edited:
Jun 25, 2011
26,795
37,643
Victoria
AFL Club
Richmond
Cheers mate. The salesman reckons OLED is the best but you reckon the regular LED would do the job? Fair price difference between them.

The 4K Ultra disks are Region Free atm too.

OLED is fantastic even for non UHD and HDR content. Best colours, viewing angles and you will find and because of the technology it uses where each pixel emits its own light you get true blacks. What it pretty much comes down to is OLED vs IPS (LED) vs VA (LED). For a difference between the two types of LED panels then check this https://www.rtings.com/tv/learn/ips-led-vs-va-lcd.

Short generalised summary:
IPS LED TVs which is more common among the Sony TVs like their X85f get a bit brighter and have better colours than a VA LED TV, however the blacks don't get as deep and bet a bit washed. They have wider viewing angles than VA These TVs are better suited if you have a light filled room, a large or wide viewing room, or an outdoor setting or something like that.

VA LED TVs are more common, generally have better blacks than their IPS counterparts but have narrower viewing angles and don't get as bright so the colours won't 'pop' as much (depends on the model). Samsung are probably the leaders in this field with the NU7100, NU8000 and Q6F as currently their most popular. Sony's top LED option, the X90f, is also a VA panel I believe.

Being LED both of these share a lighting technique. Either edge lighting or back light array. This means either the light that illuminates the image comes from the edge or from an array of lights behind the image. Edge lit panels generally get a bit brighter but have weaker local dimming which can further affect black levels and causes something called blooming or halo affect. This is best explained by having a black background with a white object somewhere on the screen. Depending on the quality of the local dimming will depend on how much glow you will see around the edge of the white object. Arrays are better at this because it has lighting, or dimming, zones so it can cut the light from areas it isn't as required. Back light arrays typically don't get as bright as edge lit panels though. Every review on RTings.com demonstrates this so you can see for yourself.

OLED have none of these draw backs. It has no back light as every pixel emits it own light. Therefore they have no blooming and no washed colours. Generally the image can appear a little darker than LED TVs as their deeper shades aren't illuminated as much. The colours and image quality don't change regardless of viewing angle. The fear of OLED TVs though are like the old plasma TVs where they can be susceptible to image retention and burn in. This was an issue with very early OLED models but doesn't seem to be an issue anymore. My LG C7 is from the second half of 2017 and have had no dramas. When I first got it and it was still 'bedding' I was playing video games on it and got slight retention from the game but the LG TVs have a 'pixel refresher' function that does just that. I ran it over night and the next day it was fine. After that I used the TV in the lounge room for a while watching footy where the score box sits on the screen for hours and had no issues. Same with other Foxtel channels with water marks. I've since moved my NU8000 to the loungeroom and while 4k HDR content still looks great, it's just not as fantastic as it was on the C7.

I'm not sure what size you are after so these prices might not help. but using 55" as they're the most popular and have the best sales for these recommendations. Apparently 65" will be more popular this year so there might be more sales on them as the year goes on. Firstly, don't pay full price. JB and Good Guys regularly have sales, and if they don't, try and get their usual sale price.

Samsung LED. The letters change. 2017 was MU, 2018 NU, they will have something different again this year but the following 4 numbers should remain the same each year
NU7100 - VA panel, mid range of their mid range. If it's purely for watching TV, 4K and HDR content and you're not going to plug a gaming console or anything else in then these are great bang for buck. 55" is usually around $1300 but now around $1000 I guess because new models will be out this year. https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/samsung/nu7100

NU8000 - VA panel. Top of their mid range. Very similar to the NU7100 with some slight improvements. Usually their price is around $1900 for 55". I got mine for $1500 but I saw them for $1300 recently. https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/samsung/nu8000

Q6F - VA panel but this comes under Samsung's QLED branding. It's their high end models. Prior to the 2017 MU models they had the KS models which were their top end. But since 2017 they split their top range between QLED and the upper/mid range MU (2018's NU). These were built and marketed to compete with LG's OLED TVs but despite the name they still use LED technology so it's deceptive. Q6 is the entry model and it goes up Q7 and Q8. Q6F look fantastic. Very similar to the NU8000 feature wise but get brighter and have better colours. Usually around $2600 for 55" but recently I've been seeing them for sub $2000. If I was choosing between the NU8000 and Q6F again for today's prices I'd go the Q6 in a heartbeat. Great TVs. https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/samsung/q6fn-q6f-q6-2018

Sony LED. If looking up reviews then add a 0 after the last number to find the US models. x90f becomes x900f.
x85f - IPS panel. One of Sony's most popular. Great colours but darks aren't that great. Even when viewing in store when they use the most complimentary video to showcase the panel they can look washed. Last time I looked at one in JB it was showing slow motion aerial footage of the Australian outback and the dark shades of green of the trees looked a little washed. However the blue sky and red dirt looked amazing. They're around $1200 for 55" at the moment but IMO you would be better off with a Samsung for that price. https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/sony/x850f

x90f - VA panel. Top Sony LED TV. I could be wrong but this is one of the first times that Sony use a VA panel for their top offering. I don't know much about them as I wasn't really looking at getting one when I was hunting last year. Currently priced well at JB at just under $1700 and it reviews really well on RTings. Definitely worth checking out in that price range if you're looking at getting a LED TV. https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/sony/x900f

LG OLED
B8 - Current entry model, but by entry that means it's not their hugely expense high end like the E8. First letter is the model, second is the year. So this year you will see B9, mine is from 2017 so therefore it is a C7. OLEDs used to be priced out of everyone's budget but not anymore. Currently the B8 55" goes for around $1900 which is great. I got mine for about the same. In a couple months that should come down by another $200-300 until the 2019 models but that's while stocks last. If you miss the boat then the new ones will be back up around $2600. Even the 65" I can see at JB at the moment is $2995 which is nuts. Honestly, if your budget permits then I recommend when you walk into a store then head straight for the OLEDs. Particularly LG. https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/lg/b8-oled
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Pacman82

Premiership Player
Oct 24, 2011
4,434
4,682
Earth
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
SMFC | Celtics
OLED is fantastic even for non UHD and HDR content. Best colours, viewing angles and you will find and because of the technology it uses where each pixel emits its own light you get true blacks. What it pretty much comes down to is OLED vs IPS (LED) vs VA (LED). For a difference between the two types of LED panels then check this https://www.rtings.com/tv/learn/ips-led-vs-va-lcd.

Short generalised summary:
IPS LED TVs which is more common among the Sony TVs like their X85f get a bit brighter and have better colours than a VA LED TV, however the blacks don't get as deep and bet a bit washed. They have wider viewing angles than VA These TVs are better suited if you have a light filled room, a large or wide viewing room, or an outdoor setting or something like that.

VA LED TVs are more common, generally have better blacks than their IPS counterparts but have narrower viewing angles and don't get as bright so the colours won't 'pop' as much (depends on the model). Samsung are probably the leaders in this field with the NU7100, NU8000 and Q6F as currently their most popular. Sony's top LED option, the X90f, is also a VA panel I believe.

Being LED both of these share a lighting technique. Either edge lighting or back light array. This means either the light that illuminates the image comes from the edge or from an array of lights behind the image. Edge lit panels generally get a bit brighter but have weaker local dimming which can further affect black levels and causes something called blooming or halo affect. This is best explained by having a black background with a white object somewhere on the screen. Depending on the quality of the local dimming will depend on how much glow you will see around the edge of the white object. Arrays are better at this because it has lighting, or dimming, zones so it can cut the light from areas it isn't as required. Back light arrays typically don't get as bright as edge lit panels though. Every review on RTings.com demonstrates this so you can see for yourself.

OLED have none of these draw backs. It has no back light as every pixel emits it own light. Therefore they have no blooming and no washed colours. Generally the image can appear a little darker than LED TVs as their deeper shades aren't illuminated as much. The colours and image quality don't change regardless of viewing angle. The fear of OLED TVs though are like the old plasma TVs where they can be susceptible to image retention and burn in. This was an issue with very early OLED models but doesn't seem to be an issue anymore. My LG C7 is from the second half of 2017 and have had no dramas. When I first got it and it was still 'bedding' I was playing video games on it and got slight retention from the game but the LG TVs have a 'pixel refresher' function that does just that. I ran it over night and the next day it was fine. After that I used the TV in the lounge room for a while watching footy where the score box sits on the screen for hours and had no issues. Same with other Foxtel channels with water marks. I've since moved my NU8000 to the loungeroom and while 4k HDR content still looks great, it's just not as fantastic as it was on the C7.

I'm not sure what size you are after so these prices might not help. but using 55" as they're the most popular and have the best sales for these recommendations. Apparently 65" will be more popular this year so there might be more sales on them as the year goes on. Firstly, don't pay full price. JB and Good Guys regularly have sales, and if they don't, try and get their usual sale price.

Samsung LED. The letters change. 2017 was MU, 2018 NU, they will have something different again this year but the following 4 numbers should remain the same each year
NU7100 - VA panel, mid range of their mid range. If it's purely for watching TV, 4K and HDR content and you're not going to plug a gaming console or anything else in then these are great bang for buck. 55" is usually around $1300 but now around $1000 I guess because new models will be out this year. https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/samsung/nu7100

NU8000 - VA panel. Top of their mid range. Very similar to the NU7100 with some slight improvements. Usually their price is around $1900 for 55". I got mine for $1500 but I saw them for $1300 recently. https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/samsung/nu8000

Q6F - VA panel but this comes under Samsung's QLED branding. It's their high end models. Prior to the 2017 MU models they had the KS models which were their top end. But since 2017 they split their top range between QLED and the upper/mid range MU (2018's NU). These were built and marketed to compete with LG's OLED TVs but despite the name they still use LED technology so it's deceptive. Q6 is the entry model and it goes up Q7 and Q8. Q6F look fantastic. Very similar to the NU8000 feature wise but get brighter and have better colours. Usually around $2600 for 55" but recently I've been seeing them for sub $2000. If I was choosing between the NU8000 and Q6F again for today's prices I'd go the Q6 in a heartbeat. Great TVs. https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/samsung/q6fn-q6f-q6-2018

Sony LED. If looking up reviews then add a 0 after the last number to find the US models. x90f becomes x900f.
x85f - IPS panel. One of Sony's most popular. Great colours but darks aren't that great. Even when viewing in store when they use the most complimentary video to showcase the panel they can look washed. Last time I looked at one in JB it was showing slow motion aerial footage of the Australian outback and the dark shades of green of the trees looked a little washed. However the blue sky and red dirt looked amazing. They're around $1200 for 55" at the moment but IMO you would be better off with a Samsung for that price. https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/sony/x850f

x90f - VA panel. Top Sony LED TV. I could be wrong but this is one of the first times that Sony use a VA panel for their top offering. I don't know much about them as I wasn't really looking at getting one when I was hunting last year. Currently priced well at JB at just under $1700 and it reviews really well on RTings. Definitely worth checking out in that price range if you're looking at getting a LED TV. https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/sony/x900f

LG OLED
B8 - Current entry model, but by entry that means it's not their hugely expense high end like the E8. First letter is the model, second is the year. So this year you will see B9, mine is from 2017 so therefore it is a C7. OLEDs used to be priced out of everyone's budget but not anymore. Currently the B8 55" goes for around $1900 which is great. I got mine for about the same. In a couple months that should come down by another $200-300 until the 2019 models but that's while stocks last. If you miss the boat then the new ones will be back up around $2600. Even the 65" I can see at JB at the moment is $2995 which is nuts. Honestly, if your budget permits then I recommend when you walk into a store then head straight for the OLEDs. Particularly LG. https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/lg/b8-oled
Great info, I wasn't aware of IPS vs VA either. 55" should be ample for the lounge. I've got a mate at JB who looks after me on price too
 

Pacman82

Premiership Player
Oct 24, 2011
4,434
4,682
Earth
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
SMFC | Celtics
There's a Soniq 65" running Android & it's 100 hz for the same price at JB, seems a bargain. I'm keen on a higher spec telly myself
Except for the fact it's still running Kitkat and may have compatibility issues with current Android apps

With CES over with there should be a few old models getting run out shortly, should be some decent bargains.
What does CES mean?
 
Jun 25, 2011
26,795
37,643
Victoria
AFL Club
Richmond
There's a Soniq 65" running Android & it's 100 hz for the same price at JB, seems a bargain. I'm keen on a higher spec telly myself

What does CES mean?

That ‘100hz’ will actually be 50hz, it’s an advertising thing. Don’t worry about it though because regardless if a TV advertises 50, 60, 100 or 120hz it will (well should, maybe the really cheap ones don’t) display whatever the source is. The terminology is a throw back to the old days where TVs refreshed at the rate of the mains supply. Here that’s 50hz and 60hz in the US for example. I’m not sure about Foxtel IQ4 which does 4K but I know my IQ2 and I think the 3 is the same, only transmit 1080i at 50hz. However the TV will still display content at 60 if that’s what the source is such as a bluray or Netflix or something. Movies are usually something like 24fps anyway. With current HDMI technology 4K 60fps is the max so don’t get caught up if they advertise 120 or whatever else.

CES is Consumer Electronics Show, an annual event (this year’s was just on) where electronics companies showcase all their snazzy new stuff coming out.
 

Pacman82

Premiership Player
Oct 24, 2011
4,434
4,682
Earth
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
SMFC | Celtics
That ‘100hz’ will actually be 50hz, it’s an advertising thing. Don’t worry about it though because regardless if a TV advertises 50, 60, 100 or 120hz it will (well should, maybe the really cheap ones don’t) display whatever the source is. The terminology is a throw back to the old days where TVs refreshed at the rate of the mains supply. Here that’s 50hz and 60hz in the US for example. I’m not sure about Foxtel IQ4 which does 4K but I know my IQ2 and I think the 3 is the same, only transmit 1080i at 50hz. However the TV will still display content at 60 if that’s what the source is such as a bluray or Netflix or something. Movies are usually something like 24fps anyway. With current HDMI technology 4K 60fps is the max so don’t get caught up if they advertise 120 or whatever else.

CES is Consumer Electronics Show, an annual event (this year’s was just on) where electronics companies showcase all their snazzy new stuff coming out.
Ah ok, I've been checking out the Sony's particularly the X85F & X90F..

I assumed the 200 Hz would be better for watching sport, minimizing ghosting etc. Is that not the case due to the broadcast quality? And if so would I be better off settling for a 100 Hz X7500F?
 
Jun 25, 2011
26,795
37,643
Victoria
AFL Club
Richmond
Ah ok, I've been checking out the Sony's particularly the X85F & X90F..

I assumed the 200 Hz would be better for watching sport, minimizing ghosting etc. Is that not the case due to the broadcast quality? And if so would I be better off settling for a 100 Hz X7500F?

Those refresh rates advertised won't make a difference. For some reason the TV manufactures advertise the positive and negative cycles. So when they say 100hz all it means is 50 full cycles. If it's advertised 120hz then it's actually 60 cycles. What 200hz means is a frame is being inserted every second frame (disable this option though, it's awful). So 200hz is really down to 100hz which is again 50 full cycles. But again this is just a throw back to the old days and it shouldn't matter. You feed 60fps content into a modern TV advertised at 100 or 50hz then it should still output at 60.

For example I'm watching the tennis at the moment on 9HD through Foxtel on my Samsung NU8000. My Foxtel box is an IQ2 which ouputs HD content at 1080i 50hz and that's the highest refresh rate I'll see content at even though my TV is advertised as 200hz. For the record though, footy and soccer and crystal clear in HD at 50hz. I don't know if Foxtel's IQ4 box outputs at 60fps (or 60hz, terminology is interchangeable here) but even if your TV was only advertised as 50, 100 or 200hz it should still output at 60. It's a throw back to the old days and honestly it's far too confusing for most people and they should be made to be clearer.

As for those TVs I would probably personally lean towards the x90. The x75 may meet your needs as many of the higher end models have features that more suit people who are plugging in a games console, but generally they will also just do the little things slightly better that you may or may not notice like uniformity and colour gamut (colour range). Just my preference but I'm not a fan of IPS panels for TVs either (my preference for computer monitors though) which is why I would prefer the x90 which is VA. But an IPS may suit your scenario and you just may like the image more.
 

Pacman82

Premiership Player
Oct 24, 2011
4,434
4,682
Earth
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
SMFC | Celtics
Those refresh rates advertised won't make a difference. For some reason the TV manufactures advertise the positive and negative cycles. So when they say 100hz all it means is 50 full cycles. If it's advertised 120hz then it's actually 60 cycles. What 200hz means is a frame is being inserted every second frame (disable this option though, it's awful). So 200hz is really down to 100hz which is again 50 full cycles. But again this is just a throw back to the old days and it shouldn't matter. You feed 60fps content into a modern TV advertised at 100 or 50hz then it should still output at 60.

For example I'm watching the tennis at the moment on 9HD through Foxtel on my Samsung NU8000. My Foxtel box is an IQ2 which ouputs HD content at 1080i 50hz and that's the highest refresh rate I'll see content at even though my TV is advertised as 200hz. For the record though, footy and soccer and crystal clear in HD at 50hz. I don't know if Foxtel's IQ4 box outputs at 60fps (or 60hz, terminology is interchangeable here) but even if your TV was only advertised as 50, 100 or 200hz it should still output at 60. It's a throw back to the old days and honestly it's far too confusing for most people and they should be made to be clearer.

As for those TVs I would probably personally lean towards the x90. The x75 may meet your needs as many of the higher end models have features that more suit people who are plugging in a games console, but generally they will also just do the little things slightly better that you may or may not notice like uniformity and colour gamut (colour range). Just my preference but I'm not a fan of IPS panels for TVs either (my preference for computer monitors though) which is why I would prefer the x90 which is VA. But an IPS may suit your scenario and you just may like the image more.
Thanks for clearing that up. I just watched the rt ratings review of the of the current Sony line too, like you said it'll just boil down to what I'm using it for & how fussy I am regarding the color spectrum. TBH after learning that I'd say the X75 would do the job, I've been viewing the tennis on my Full HD 100 Hz Samsung and it looks good as gold..
 
Jun 25, 2011
26,795
37,643
Victoria
AFL Club
Richmond
Thanks for clearing that up. I just watched the rt ratings review of the of the current Sony line too, like you said it'll just boil down to what I'm using it for & how fussy I am regarding the color spectrum. TBH after learning that I'd say the X75 would do the job, I've been viewing the tennis on my Full HD 100 Hz Samsung and it looks good as gold..

That's spot on. RTings is the best resource around I reckon for TV reviews. I spent weeks going over them with a fine tooth comb before making my last two TV purchases haha. Can't go wrong with Sony anyway. If you're leaning towards the x75 then before you commit I recommend just having one last look at the Samsung NU7100. Same price and quality range and just see how you prefer IPS to VA. The x75 will probably look brighter which better colours and of course better viewing angles (important if you have a wide lounge room), but the NU7100 being VA should display HDR better. Can't go wrong with either Sony or Samsung anyway and you can't go wrong so it's just down to preference.
 

Pacman82

Premiership Player
Oct 24, 2011
4,434
4,682
Earth
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
SMFC | Celtics
That's spot on. RTings is the best resource around I reckon for TV reviews. I spent weeks going over them with a fine tooth comb before making my last two TV purchases haha. Can't go wrong with Sony anyway. If you're leaning towards the x75 then before you commit I recommend just having one last look at the Samsung NU7100. Same price and quality range and just see how you prefer IPS to VA. The x75 will probably look brighter which better colours and of course better viewing angles (important if you have a wide lounge room), but the NU7100 being VA should display HDR better. Can't go wrong with either Sony or Samsung anyway and you can't go wrong so it's just down to preference.
With Sony running Android I can scrap foxtel & start streaming foxsport thru Kayosports, it's only $25 a month in HD. I think you'd need to screw around with a chromcast dongle to run it thru a Samsung at this stage so leaning towards the Sony
 
Jun 25, 2011
26,795
37,643
Victoria
AFL Club
Richmond
With Sony running Android I can scrap foxtel & start streaming foxsport thru Kayosports, it's only $25 a month in HD. I think you'd need to screw around with a chromcast dongle to run it thru a Samsung at this stage so leaning towards the Sony

Yeah that's a point. Samsung use their own proprietary OS and I don't think Kayo is available yet. I've looked into ditching it a few times but for now we'll stick to Foxtel. The missus watches heaps of reality s**t and cooking shows, where as I live on the doco stations, BeIN and Fox Sports so it would be too many subs all over the place to replace the content we watch and then would probably miss a few. Samsung has Netflix and Amazon video built in which we watch for their original content and Stan is there if needed. But you could get all of those apps on Android anyway.
 
Feb 23, 2009
32,142
45,745
Melbourne
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
New York Jets
Recently bought LG C8 65" for $3995.
It's great, but 4k isn't as good as what I expected, it never looks as crisp as the images they have running when it's playing in the shop.
Also, there's a heap of setting adjustments and features possible but I don't know how to use any of them so not sure if I am getting my monies worth.

I am just watching everything on the default APS (Auto Power Save) mode.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Back