New TV - how big?

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Proto

Legendary Member
Following on from my ‘Simplifying TV setup‘ post, I’ve decided to buy a new TV. Currently got a 8 year 40” Samsung thing.

We moved into our new house and I can’t stand all the spaghetti on the floor behind the TV - router, Firestick, Freesat digi box, DVD player - not to mention the three remotes to control the fecking thing. So I need a new telly with everything built in.

Layout of room dictates a viewing distance of 10-12ft and various guides suggest I need a 60” tv, or bigger if watching in 4K (is anything broadcast in 4K?). I’ve got delusions of being posh so there’s no way I’m have anything that big in my house.

So, in the real world, what have you got and how far away do you sit?

And whilst your at it, what brand do I buy? What size? LED, QLED, OLED, HDR ?!?!?!? And it’s got to have built in Freesat, Netflix and Amazon Prime Included. I’m a tight Brummie, so not looking to spend more than £500 ish 🙀

Thoughts, please!
 
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vickster

Legendary Member
50” LED about 10 feet. Perfect 👍 No 4K as I have no content and have no plans to pay for it. That said if this one packs up, the next will be 4K as I don’t think anything else exists

Panasonic very basic Smart functions given its age. I have no intention to pay for Netflix or Amazon as I give plenty to Sky already!

The inbuilt Freesat might be the limiting factor, thought that went out of fashion years ago?

AV forums is the best place for all things ummm AV
 
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irw

Quadricyclist
Location
Liverpool, UK
We have a 32" LCD Logik TV that I bought when I was in the third year of university...2006-7ish. I've replaced the VGA/HDMI board once, a looong time ago, the power supply board a couple of years ago, and opened the remote up for a good clean last year. We sit approximately 10' away from it, and it is perfectly adequate. Given how much it cost when I bought it, I'll be keeping it going until I can no longer physically source parts/components! (ISDHATVaerial though!)
 
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Proto

Proto

Legendary Member
I’ve looked at 43” sets on the Curry’s Website with applied filters - LG, 43-49”, Freesat, £200-£699 - and amazingly they make eight 43” models that meet those criteria.

From their brief descriptions listed, some don’t have Google Assistant (I’ve no idea what that is but cant imagine I want it), but other than that they all have exactly the same features. How on earth can you choose?

PS must have Freesat as no reception over aerial here, no fibre broadband either. I’m using 4G broadband to stream Netflix and Amazon. Don’t have and don’t want Sky. We don’t want to record anything either.
 
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PaulSB

Legendary Member
@Proto - thinking about your other thread I would suggest any modern smart TV will cover your requirements.

Our room measures 17' x 13', the TV is a 42" and I sit 12' from it. The picture is great from this distance. From an aesthetic aspect I wouldn't want anything bigger than a 42". I'm sure many contributing here will have bigger, I think these huge TVs look daft and dominate relatively small rooms.

We have an LG SH4D soundbar - £139 and two years old. The TV is an LG 42LA660V which Google says is currently available for £320. Both work very well for us and I feel having the same brand avoids many issues. I think the TV is four years old.

I'm not sure built in Freesat is a thing these days. We use a standard TV aerial connection for the TV signal, everything else comes via broadband. If Freesat is essential you may have to buy a box.

I use Which? a lot for reviews, advice etc. and sometimes Best Buy guides. I find it very helpful for guidance on this type of subject and allows me to make an informed decision. I'm an annual subcriber but I believe you can get one-off access for relatively low cost especially in relation to the amount of money you intend to spend.

Enjoy!
 

Mo1959

Legendary Member
Bigger the better especially with old eyes! :laugh:

I have a Samsung 65" in the living room with sound bar and put my 55" LG oled in the bedroom. I find you get so used to having a big screen that over time, they really don't appear that big to be honest.
 
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Proto

Proto

Legendary Member
There’s not a hope in hell of my wife agreeing to a massive tv. It’s just not going to happen. And not a hope in hell of it going above fireplace either. Wall mount is out, too, not a chance, so it will sit on an old ‘hostess’ trolley we have been using for years.

Room is 15‘ x 14’ (ish), tv will sit to the right of the fireplace which is centred on the 15’ wall. Opposite 15’ span is glazed doors to garden. RH 14’ span is all window, LH side span is floor to ceiling bookshelves (or will be when they are made).

I think I’ll get a 43” tv past the finance and aesthetics committees, doubt a 49” would be approved, but I’ll try (cardboard cut to size, painted black, to test). Size would count against it, not cost.

Looks like most of the sets I’m looking at have Freesat built in, keen to ditch the Manhatten digi box I’m currently using. I need to decipher the LG codes to understand what I’m buying. Wish me luck.
 
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Mo1959

Legendary Member
This is my 65 inch. Just sits on an oak stand. I really don’t find it that big now.
525783
 

Venod

Eh up
Location
Yorkshire
40" inch Panasonic Netflix button on remote, it's about 10 ft from where we sit on the same level, it is on a swivel on the wall with a long piece of furniture below that houses all the wires, a Nas drive, router, hifi, speakers, all very neat, the one fault with our Panasonic is poor sound, but it is ok connected to the hifi.
 
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D

Deleted member 1258

Guest
We only have one TV in the house, a 10 year old 40 inch Toshiba, I wouldn't want to go bigger than that, we sit 10- 12 foot away
 

Electric_Andy

Heavy Metal Fan
Location
Plymouth
43" Digihome (Tesco own brand I think). I sit 8 or 9 feet away and it's plenty big enough. Very cheap set but the picture quality is excellent. The sound is passable but I have it hooked up to a quality amp and speakers so tv speakers are redundant. It is 4k, not that I wanted it but there's not much choice with 1080p only anymore.
The smart features are rubbish, they nearly always crash the system. So I got an Amazon fire tv stick for £25. No visible wires, connects to wifi, faultless operation, voice search if you want, access to all the BBC, Ch4, ITV channels etc and of course Prime, netflix etc.

In my experience, it's very easy now to get a good picture on a cheap set, it's just everything else that suffers (smart features, sound).
In terms of size, you will get used to anything that's in front of you over time. But I wouldn't go beyond 55 inch as you'll see every imperfection when watching SD tv
 

vickster

Legendary Member
I’ve looked at 43” sets on the Curry’s Website with applied filters - LG, 43-49”, Freesat, £200-£699 - and amazingly they make eight 43” models that meet those criteria.

From their brief descriptions listed, some don’t have Google Assistant (I’ve no idea what that is but cant imagine I want it), but other than that they all have exactly the same features. How on earth can you choose?

PS must have Freesat as no reception over aerial here, no fibre broadband either. I’m using 4G broadband to stream Netflix and Amazon. Don’t have and don’t want Sky. We don’t want to record anything either.
Just buy the one you like the look of (in terms of stand)
Just make sure it has a 5 year warranty (John Lewis, Richer Sounds, maybe Currys these days, never used to)

plenty of positive feedback on this


https://www.johnlewis.com/lg-43um74...lLlVJS2l0LmFjdGl2aXR5LkNvcHlUb1Bhc3RlYm9hcmQ=

or different feet
https://www.johnlewis.com/lg-43um75...lLlVJS2l0LmFjdGl2aXR5LkNvcHlUb1Bhc3RlYm9hcmQ=

https://www.johnlewis.com/lg-43um75...lLlVJS2l0LmFjdGl2aXR5LkNvcHlUb1Bhc3RlYm9hcmQ=

try AV forums for geeky feedback!
 
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