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Which future proof TV should I get for a 9 to 10 foot viewing distance?

Go 4K or not?

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11K views 52 replies 16 participants last post by  Blacklightning 
#1 ·
I have decided to upgrade to a new display since my old 47" is much too small for my new room. I've decided to go with a 60 to 65" panel. Probably a 65.

The question is, should I get 4K or not and is it worth it, even if future proof? My viewing distance was very far at 12', but I moved my couch up to about 10' after quickly realizing how tiny my 47" looks. I could probably squeeze it to about 9' but can't go any closer. For a 65" at 9', the recommendations I see are about 8.5' to 13' as optimal for 1080p, and 8.5' being the cutoff into 4K territory. I'm using the RTINGS guide and not THX. For whatever it's worth, I also have a 4K up-converting receiver.

I'm considering the Samsung 65H7150 ($1800) or 65UH8550 ($2500) since they are reviewed as the best performing and highest value of the high end. I didn't really want to go over the $2k mark if possible, but there is some leeway.

Is 4K worth 140% the cost of 1080p?
Is 4K really even "future proof" since it pushes the boundary of the human visual system and requires unfeasibly short viewing distances?

Another option would be to go for a 70" 4K, but I would be limited to something affordable like the Vizio P-Series that doesn't have 3D and doesn't have as good of color. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about the Vizio skimping on other key features like HEVC, HDMI 2.0, and DisplayPort.
 
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#2 ·
I have decided to upgrade to a new display since my old 47" is much too small for my new room. I've decided to go with a 60 to 65" panel. Probably a 65.

The question is, should I get 4K or not and is it worth it, even if future proof? My viewing distance was very far at 12', but I moved my couch up to about 10' after quickly realizing how tiny my 47" looks. I could probably squeeze it to about 9' but can't go any closer. For a 65" at 9', the recommendations I see are about 8.5' to 13' as optimal for 1080p, and 8.5' being the cutoff into 4K territory. I'm using the RTINGS guide and not THX. For whatever it's worth, I also have a 4K up-converting receiver.

I'm considering the Samsung 65H7150 ($1800) or 65UH8550 ($2500) since they are reviewed as the best performing and highest value of the high end. I didn't really want to go over the $2k mark if possible, but there is some leeway.

Is 4K worth 140% the cost of 1080p?
Is 4K really even "future proof" since it pushes the boundary of the human visual system and requires unfeasibly short viewing distances?
I voted "Other 1080P" only because I believe the best TV still "barely" on the market is the Samsung PN64F8500 plasma. I don't believe the current benefits of 4k are there yet. However, if you're buying an LED set, it really only makes since to go 4k. Almost all manufacturers are abandoning making 1080P sets and are focused on 4k solely.
 
#4 ·
I don't want to go plasma and all I have read recently is that plasma is dead, despite the benefits.

I was going thru the same thing for several months . Yesterday I decided to pick up the Samsung UN65HU8550F. Picture quality out of the box was disapointing but using the THX optimiser made a huge difference.

Picture quality is the best I have ever seen, 3d is amazing and I could not be happier. Remotes are good but missing backlighting, 3d glasses are a huge dissapointment. Do not get me wrong they work fine but feel like they came out of a kracker jack box.

My 6 year old 55 inch Viseo had a great picture but was beginning to give me some issues. I debated the 1080 or 4k question for months but in the end I am very happy with my decision.
Thanks for the input! I am still torn. I see more people are voting 1080, but I am still feeling swayed to 4K. It seems like the most likely path of least regret :dontknow:
 
#3 ·
I was going thru the same thing for several months . Yesterday I decided to pick up the Samsung UN65HU8550F. Picture quality out of the box was disapointing but using the THX optimiser made a huge difference.

Picture quality is the best I have ever seen, 3d is amazing and I could not be happier. Remotes are good but missing backlighting, 3d glasses are a huge dissapointment. Do not get me wrong they work fine but feel like they came out of a kracker jack box.

My 6 year old 55 inch Viseo had a great picture but was beginning to give me some issues. I debated the 1080 or 4k question for months but in the end I am very happy with my decision.
 
#5 ·
^True, plasma is not being manufactured any longer - the PNxxF8500 is the last and they are almost sold out. Plasma offers better contrast, black levels and off angle viewing than LED. Also, the PNxxF8500 won the Value Electronics HDTV Shootout two years in a row. With all that said, if you want to go LED, it only makes sense to go with a 4k set. Just as Plasma sets are no longer being manufactured, LED will likely not make 1080 sets past 2015, except for low-end models.
 
#6 ·
the thing is that there is little content available for 4K TVs. sitting 10-12ft away from a 4K 60" display would yield no difference in quality over a good Plasma in my opinion. you have to sak yourself if the extra $$ for a 4K is worth it at this time.
 
#7 ·
I agree with you. The thing is, I don't want to get stuck wishing I had it a couple years down the road. It's too much hassle and too costly to upgrade TVs every few years. I want something that will last, my present tv is awesome it's just too small.

If I go 4K I am considering the Vizio 70" or Samsung 65", and would squeeze to 9' couch distance.
 
#8 ·
I think I'd go with the 4K display. It's obvious that you would regret any other decision. I'm not so sure I agree with the statement "you'll see no difference". I've seen the 4K demo at my local Best Buy and the difference was definitely apparent with the naked eye. As for the content…it's coming.
 
#9 ·
I don't believe the increase in resolution would be super apparent at your seating distance, but artifacts and other anomalies would be less visible because of the resolution. Again, I don't see much reason to purchase a 1080P set unless it's plasma, otherwise 4k should really be the only option. The Vizio sets have gotten pretty good reviews this year, and I believe they all are direct LED sets with true local dimming. I wouldn't buy anything edge lit.
 
#10 ·
I got my couch moved up so the distance is about the 9' range which will help either way. The only downer I am seeing to 4K is the price premium since in a couple years it will mature like 1080P did... So really, it might make more sense to compare a cheaper 65" (non 3D) 1080 set in the $1300 to $1600 range. $1800 of potential buyers remorse with the H7150 is a little scary. Compared to $2500 for the 4K Samsung UH8550.

Has anyone watched prices enough to know, will there be any price breaks in a couple months when the 2015 model hit the shelf or will the 2014 prices hold steady?
 
#12 ·
something about a 4K led / lcd seems to be really shady in my opinion.... i think the manufacturers are really getting the marketing dept into hyper drive snd they dont even have great PQ. I mean its "good" but no where near the PQ of a plasma which they killing off...

wait for OLED or something. i think LG is pushing the envelope here with OLED pricing and I hope they are rewarded. i say wait it out.... keep your powder dry....
 
#13 ·
^I'm concerned about the state of OLED; LG is the only company that seems to be trying to procuce, and they are doing so sparingly. I had planned to get their 65" OLED 4k set this year, but it was delayed and then the price went up significantly. Instead I moved my 65VT30 to my Master Bedroom and bought a PN64F8500 for the Living Room. I'm very happy with my purchase.
 
#14 ·
After another day of reading around I'm swaying back to 1080. 4K is a tough sell, other than it being the obvious "next-gen." Many tests out there people claim you can't tell 4K over 1080 unless you are within 6' on a 65" or bigger screen. That seems like a trivial benefit at best, then consider the limited content and absence of 4K blurays for another few years. A benefit besides 4K on the UH8550 I can see is if a future firmware update allows it to use free-sync on its Displayport input. Here's an interesting calculator that shows how 9' with 65" is just on the edge of being able to see 4K, with an "11%" improvement over 1080 (and 20/20 vision!). This statement resonates with me, especially since I have to squeeze to get to 9':

RTINGS UN65UH8550 Review said:
Unless you are siting closer than 9 feet from your TV, buy instead our #1 TV in this list (the H7150). The picture quality is exactly the same, minus the lower resolution that doesn't matter at a distance.
Has anyone seen 4K enough to know any difference? If someone could assure that with 65" it's worth it at 9' that would be a be help. Otherwise the $700 premium for 4K isn't worth it since years down the road eyes don't get any better and my viewing distance won't be any closer than 8-9'.

I have a line on a 60" Samsung plasma for <$1000 (PN60F5500) at a local shop but I'm hesitant since it wasn't reviewed that well. Doesn't seem like a good option. The only other place to get local is Costco, so I will probably be ordering one online.

I also read on the Sharp Aquos Q+ (imitated 4K) and the Toshiba 4K options, but both fail on general picture quality to even the Vizio P-Series. Not to mention they seem to be lacking in various minor features.
 
#16 ·
i really do believe 4k will be awesome, DTSX will be awesome, ATMOS will be awesome... but like in 5 years. its way to ealry to buy into this hyper marketing gimmick. like i said in other threads. these LED LCD dont have have the black levels of the original kuros's from like 8 years ago..... yet they want us to buy '4K' .... and I am someone who love to upgrade stuff myself....saying this...
 
#17 ·
I am holding off on 4K. CES 2015 will showcase 8K. see link here from cnet.

Will wait and see what the new format is that the industry settles in on. But beyond that, I will wait for OTA reception to catch up first. :)
 
#18 ·
I don't see 8K being reality anytime soon, or to be of any concern. HDMI 1.4 can only do 30fps 4k, HDMI 2.0 can do 60fps. For streaming you need 20Mbps or faster, and movie sizes are on the 50-100GB range. 8k wouldn't be very feasible for the data requirements and 4k already challenges the limits of human vision even for >65" screens :)
 
#19 ·
I've seen 4K TVs on display and of course they look better standing 2ft away from them. Even the one they had in their media room was only about 7 ft away from the seating position and they did not have a good 1080p display beside it to compare. At a normal viewing distance the benafits of the higher resolution fade. I'm waiting for a 4K affordable projector. That will be a much better investment in my opinion. In the mean time I'm enjoying my Panasonic 50" ST60 plasma in my livingroom and my projector in the theater. I just don't see the need to spend the money on 4K with little to no content still available. It's turning into another 3D scenario where almost no one cares.
 
#20 ·
Manufacturers are trying their best to generate revenue in a sluggish economy. 3d, curve, 4k, 8k, OLED, quantum dot, or whatever else they can come up with is just a means to an end (revenue).

Till OTA reception is improved, I will stay with 1080p.

:)
 
#21 ·
I went to Best Buy and another local place yesterday. The 65" UH8550 in person with the 4K demo is really impressive. I also looked at the 65" Vizio P-Series and wasn't sold, in the center of the screen it looks great but along the edges and corners it's as if the full array LEDs aren't close enough to the edge and corners so the last few inches of the screen have a halo of cloud. No thanks. The Aquos Q+ also looked nice and detailed in person but it seems too gimmicky since it's fake 4K.

Both shops were out of the 65" UH8550 otherwise I would have gotten it. The local shop offered me a Sony 65" X850B for the same price, $2500, when the going price is $2800 online. I'm tempted by this. The Sony has an IPS panel so it has typical LCD contrast of the 1000:1 range whereas the UH8550/H7150 excel with the 4000:1 range. The Sony has lower input lag and better viewing angle from the IPS, as well as the Sony "Triluminous" (formerly quantum dot) back light instead of usual the white LEDs. The reviews say the Sony has stunning PQ in lit rooms but obviously can't touch the blacks of the Samsungs so maybe isn't the best for dark rooms. The X850B also doesn't have local dimming, only frame-based.

I'm definitely going 4K after seeing it in person and seeing the amount of content available. Samsung offers a free UHD pack and the Sony has a $100 Amazon Instant Video credit. Amazon is streaming in 4K already, all they require is 15 Mbps internet or better and they will detect a 4K tv. Netflix is also doing 4K for a couple extra bucks a month.

I was sold on the Samsung due to the acclaim online but I might have to give the Sony 4K a shot for the same price. My room has floor to ceiling windows with curtains and isn't a dedicated home theater, so the black levels don't worry me as much. In person the Sony looked amazing, the blacks and contrast are definitely better than my 2011 LG Infinia's 9 zones of dimming flashlights, so it may not have the blacks of the Samsung but it's easily a league above the older LED tvs. The viewing angle is also a plus since I have side seats that are occasionally populated by guests.
 
#22 ·
I decided to get the Sony XBR 65X850B over the 65UH8550. The Sony is just stunning on 4K demos and colorful content. It may have "worse black levels" compared to others, but it's the best IPS I've seen. It blows my old LG Infinia out of the water.
 
#23 ·
I ended up returning the X850B because I ended up with a bad back light and a huge cloud in one corner (undoubtedly a defect or it was roughed up in handling). The Sony XBR was a great tv and I liked it a lot, but when I took it back to exchange I traded to the Samsung HU8550. Some notes on either, the Sony seemed to have better build quality and I liked the smart tv interface a little more, and it had a few different processing options than the Samsung. It also came with a $100 Amazon Video credit that I used to try Elysium on 4K streaming. The Samsung weighs probably 30-40 lbs less than the Sony, and the blacks are superior. In a dark room with the Sony/IPS black is limited to a dark grey and that's as good as it gets without good local dimming. However with the Samsung's VA panel and local dimming, black is always black. Also, I think the 3D is better on the Samsung, watching Avatar 3D in full 1080 is like looking through a window. It's great. In 3D the Sony had some ghosting on foreground objects. During the day time both look superb and will make you drool with 4K content. I'm really looking forward to 4K blurays, 1080 blurays are just outstanding on these mid-high end 4K LED sets.
 
#25 ·
Yeah, the Samsung has been great so far. I've been glued to it since I got it setup yesterday so there's probably less than twelve hours on it. I can't say much for comparing the panel types other than the Samsung helps the blacks, that goes hand in hand with the local edge dimming on the Samsung that the Sony X850B lacks. That Sony only whole-frame dims. I watch about 40% movies, 50% tv/streaming, and maybe 10% gaming.

Here's a apples-to-oranges comparison of the bad X850B I returned and the Samsung 8550 I just got. Pictures speak for themselves! I'm not trying to dog on the X850B, it was drool worthy in the daytime, I just had a set with the bad corner that was driving me nuts within a week of ownership since I watch most movies (letterbox) at night.
 

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