New 4k Ultra LED HD TV's ????????

[Zip-in-Z]

It's time to upgrade the T.V. .... did a quick search on here, no results.

I'm wondering if anyone has some experience or feedback on the these new 4k Ultra HD Smart T.V's. I was in Best Buy the other day and fell in love with the Samsung 4K units particularly the one's with the curved screen's. The picture quality on the video they have on a loop is spectacular, sports and action adventure movies are amazing. I understand 4K TVs deliver four times as much detail as 1080p Full HD, that's eight million pixels compared to two million pixels.

Unfortunately, from what the salesman said there are no current TV shows that come in 4k, there may be some later in 2015 or within the next 1-2 years. As well, you may need to buy a new 4k Ultra HD converter/PVR, however, he mentioned the TV can take regular HD and simulate the picture to come close to the 4K HD.

I'm currently on Bell Sat and plan to call them to find out more info on what they plan to offer or deliver this year.

Have any of you made the move to 4K HD ? or have some info to share ?


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[RedLabel]

Stay away from curved displays. They're a gimmick at best and do nothing but distort the picture unless your lucky enough to be the guy on the couch that is dead center. As for 4k, It's not worth the extra money to buy the set now. Equivalent of buying an HD TV and using bunny ears no point at the moment as there's not enough content to justify.

I have a 75" Samsung 7 series in my theatre. If you want a hook up pm me. I researched for a year and found it to be the best display on the market for the dollar

[jtiwana]

Originally Posted by RedLabel

Stay away from curved displays. They're a gimmick at best and do nothing but distort the picture unless your lucky enough to be the guy on the couch that is dead center. As for 4k, It's not worth the extra money to buy the set now. Equivalent of buying an HD TV and using bunny ears no point at the moment as there's not enough content to justify.

I have a 75" Samsung 7 series in my theatre. If you want a hook up pm me. I researched for a year and found it to be the best display on the market for the dollar

Agree with you mostly except the bunny ears part. With bunny ears you will get full HD and not a compressed signal like in cable or sat. Try it sometime and then post.

[elkhunter11]

I just purchased a new 4K television yesterday. I am moving, and my ten year old 200lb plasma TV is not going with me, so I decided to purchase a new 65" television. After looking at many televisions, I settled on the Panasonic AX900. It isn't cheap, but the picture was noticeably better than any of the other televisions that I have seen. The AX800 is also very good, and the price is also more reasonable.

[amosfella]

regardless of what the 'side by side' comparisons show on the same tv set, there are few people that can tell the difference between a 1080p set with high contrast or a 4k... Most can't tell the difference between 720p and 1080p.

[Kurt505]

True story, a couple weeks ago I was in the market for a new tv so I went to best buy. Salesman walks up to me and I tell him I saw a Sony 3D TV on sale and was interested in buying it. I asked if that was the best deal he had at the time and he directed me over to an LG 4K TV, said it was the latest and greatest. So I asked if the screen was any stronger than the one on the Sony, because my 2yr old had just smashed my other TV screen. That's when he perked up and said I need the OLED TV with the curved screen. We walked over to the OLED and the salesman proceeded to say "try this with your LED TV, and grabbed the remote and smacked the OLED screen with it twice. Smash smash! The guy cracked the TV screen with both hits!!! His face dropped and at first I thought he was gonna make a run for it. He said he had done that a hundred times and it never broke. $5k TV, smashed. I told him my 2yr old just did the same thing to my 52" sharp, I'd rather just lose $1500 than $5000 on a smashed TV.

The funniest part is right after it happened he tried to tell the other salesmen he broke the OLED TV, after the second failed attempt at convincing them that he did in fact really just smash the screen of their $5000 TV, I spoke up and said, this guy ain't lying, I just watched him smash that TV! Next thing I new my salesman disappeared and we had a new salesman working with us. He said by the time the cable providers start using 4K technology, the 4K tv's will be a lot cheaper. We bought the Sony.

[nitro]

The other thing to keep in mind is that the no sat or cable in 4k yet on tv and reg def is so pixlated as to be almost unwatchable .Not sure there is even much on the internet and if you do watch it online you better have really fast internet and no gig cap.

[Hydro1]

Originally Posted by Kurt505

True story, a couple weeks ago I was in the market for a new tv so I went to best buy. Salesman walks up to me and I tell him I saw a Sony 3D TV on sale and was interested in buying it. I asked if that was the best deal he had at the time and he directed me over to an LG 4K TV, said it was the latest and greatest. So I asked if the screen was any stronger than the one on the Sony, because my 2yr old had just smashed my other TV screen. That's when he perked up and said I need the OLED TV with the curved screen. We walked over to the OLED and the salesman proceeded to say "try this with your LED TV, and grabbed the remote and smacked the OLED screen with it twice. Smash smash! The guy cracked the TV screen with both hits!!! His face dropped and at first I thought he was gonna make a run for it. He said he had done that a hundred times and it never broke. $5k TV, smashed. I told him my 2yr old just did the same thing to my 52" sharp, I'd rather just lose $1500 than $5000 on a smashed TV.

The funniest part is right after it happened he tried to tell the other salesmen he broke the OLED TV, after the second failed attempt at convincing them that he did in fact really just smash the screen of their $5000 TV, I spoke up and said, this guy ain't lying, I just watched him smash that TV! Next thing I new my salesman disappeared and we had a new salesman working with us. He said by the time the cable providers start using 4K technology, the 4K tv's will be a lot cheaper. We bought the Sony.

I have nothing to add to the OP.
But that^ right there is funny.

[RedLabel]

Originally Posted by jtiwana

Agree with you mostly except the bunny ears part. With bunny ears you will get full HD and not a compressed signal like in cable or sat. Try it sometime and then post.

Haha all 2 channels? And how many 4k channels are broadcasted over the air? Interesting to know over the air transmission isn't compressed, but it still won't help a 4k TV at all

[Austin]

I've had my eye on a 70" Visio 4k TV. Quality is too life like

[elkhunter11]

When I was comparing televisions, there were significant differences in uniformity across the screen, the LEDs bleeding onto the screen, and halos around bright images. Some televisions also produced much more realistic colors than others, especially when the scenes changes from bright to darker. Some televisions produced colors that were so enhanced, that they didn't look real. I was actually disappointed in the picture quality of many new LED televisions compared to older high end plasma televisions. 4K sources may not be readily available right now, but you can easily see the differences that I mentioned at much lower resolutions.

[amosfella]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

When I was comparing televisions, there were significant differences in uniformity across the screen, the LEDs bleeding onto the screen, and halos around bright images. Some televisions also produced much more realistic colors than others, especially when the scenes changes from bright to darker. Some televisions produced colors that were so enhanced, that they didn't look real. I was actually disappointed in the picture quality of many new LED televisions compared to older high end plasma televisions. 4K sources may not be readily available right now, but you can easily see the differences that I mentioned at much lower resolutions.

I agree, but a lot of times, that's just a matter of adjusting the contrast and brightness settings...

[Zip-in-Z]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

When I was comparing televisions, there were significant differences in uniformity across the screen, the LEDs bleeding onto the screen, and halos around bright images. Some televisions also produced much more realistic colors than others, especially when the scenes changes from bright to darker. Some televisions produced colors that were so enhanced, that they didn't look real. I was actually disappointed in the picture quality of many new LED televisions compared to older high end plasma televisions. 4K sources may not be readily available right now, but you can easily see the differences that I mentioned at much lower resolutions.

Tks all for your feedback and opinions.

Elkhunter …… from the replies it appears you’re the only member who currently has a 4K at home. The store I visited didn’t have any live TV channels, everything was pre-recorded in 4k HD and on a loop, the video was amazing.

You mentioned you can really see the difference in live TV, I’m wondering if you can share your thoughts on what the HD picture is like on the 6:00 o’clock NEWS and sports or action movies ?

I plan to go back into Red Deer to check out a few other stores and call Bell to find out, what if any info they can provide on future 4K channels and equipment/PVR requirements.


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[Dona]

I have the Samsung 9000 4K curved. Yes it is worth the Price. Yes I can tell the difference and this was a Purchase that did surprise me with the value it gives me.

[Zip-in-Z]

I just sent Bell my question and got this response.

Jennifer S: I am sorry but for resolution, we support up to 1080i.

You: I understand that, but what about upgrades in the future ?

Jennifer S: We do not have an update yet about an upcoming upgrade however as soon as this will becomes available, you will surely get notified.

My guess 4K channels will be available within the next year or the TV mfg's wouldn't be building them now.


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[Kurt505]

Originally Posted by Zip-in-Z

I just sent Bell my question and got this response.

Jennifer S: I am sorry but for resolution, we support up to 1080i.

You: I understand that, but what about upgrades in the future ?

Jennifer S: We do not have an update yet about an upcoming upgrade however as soon as this will becomes available, you will surely get notified.

My guess 4K channels will be available within the next year or the TV mfg's wouldn't be building them now.


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I was told within the next 2yrs. What the salesmen told me was 4K tv's are good for really big screen in a small room, from a distance you won't find as much difference. Tv's only last so long nowadays so I figure once 4k is streaming the 4k tv's will be about 35% cheaper, that's why I bought 1080.

[Dona]

Originally Posted by Kurt505

I was told within the next 2yrs. What the salesmen told me was 4K tv's are good for really big screen in a small room, from a distance you won't find as much difference. Tv's only last so long nowadays so I figure once 4k is streaming the 4k tv's will be about 35% cheaper, that's why I bought 1080.

Mine is in a Big Room. 32 x 40 ft.
How many Sales Persons selling TV's own a Home with a really Big Room.
Mine is already cheaper since i purchased in the Fall.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by amosfella

I agree, but a lot of times, that's just a matter of adjusting the contrast and brightness settings...

Adjusting the contrast and brightness can't make up for a screen that isn't uniform, or colors that aren't true, and it won't eliminate halos or LEDs bleeding onto the screen. Those are problems inherent to LED televisions, and very few LED televisions don't have noticeable deficiencies in these areas. A few manufactures have done a good job on minimizing these issues on their top end models, but they are still apparent on most LED televisions, especially the lower end models.

Elkhunter …… from the replies it appears you’re the only member who currently has a 4K at home. The store I visited didn’t have any live TV channels, everything was pre-recorded in 4k HD and on a loop, the video was amazing.

Mine is in the box, where it is going to stay until I move, so I haven't watched it at home. In the store I had them switch from a few sources including bluray, and cable, and I had then change the picture settings to see what effect they had, and even with standard cable, you can easily see the differences between most of the various televisions. Most had screens that were brighter towards the edges, or that had LEDs bleeding onto the screen, and almost all had at least some noticeable halo around bright objects in the picture. Really deep blacks were rare , and many had colors that were enhanced, so that they really stood out, but they weren't at all realistic. In the end, I chose the television with the best colors, and the most uniform screen, and no LEDs that could be seen bleeding onto the screen. I looked at the Samsung and LG curved screens, and I really didn't like them at all. The Panasonic AX900, and AX800 were my favorites, with the AX900 being noticeably better in some areas. The one thing that I didn't do, was put the glasses on and watch them in 3D, as I doubt that I will be watching much in 3D at home.

[mayuan]

Originally Posted by Dona

I have the Samsung 9000 4K curved. Yes it is worth the Price. Yes I can tell the difference and this was a Purchase that did surprise me with the value it gives me.

I picked up the Samsung 8550, same as the 9000 without the curve and camera. Yes the 4K is worth it, for me. The higher end TV's will upscale the 1080P to the 4k resolution and produce a very clean picture.

As for the content on the 4K TV's don't look to the cable/satellite providers. They are unlikely to upgrade the infrastructure when losing customers weekly. Netflix and YouTube have some 4K content and will be expanding on a regular basis.

[Zulu9er]

For what its worth, we have a Samsung 58" Plasma, and a Samsung 46" LED. Thank god we purchased the warranty plan for four years. Both TV's have crapped out 3 times each. The Plasma's volume control rocketed up to full volume, and even when you get the volume back down again with the remote, as soon as you let go of the button, the volume goes back up all the way. Japan Video in Edmonton is the company thats does the warranty service and the technician said after the third time it was repaired, that I would get a new (or Newer) TV.
The 46", when turned on, would turn off and on 5-6 times before it stayed on, pixelation was choppy, and it was repaired as well 3 times.
I would stay away from ANY Plasma TV as I have noticed with our 58", that the heat generated from the back, heats up the living room so much, it fakes the furnace thermostat to think the house is warm. Plus my power bill is up by an average of $25 a month in electricity costs.
Our 46" LED is nice and cool.
We were told by the salesman that a Plasma TV is more suited for bright sunlit rooms, which is what our living room is like, so him being an excellent Hypnotist, we were talked into the Plasma.
All I can say about Samsung is DON"T!!
Just an opinion, others may have good luck. Unfortunately we didn't

[Zip-in-Z]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

Adjusting the contrast and brightness can't make up for a screen that isn't uniform, or colors that aren't true, and it won't eliminate halos or LEDs bleeding onto the screen. Those are problems inherent to LED televisions, and very few LED televisions don't have noticeable deficiencies in these areas. A few manufactures have done a good job on minimizing these issues on their top end models, but they are still apparent on most LED televisions, especially the lower end models.



Mine is in the box, where it is going to stay until I move, so I haven't watched it at home. In the store I had them switch from a few sources including bluray, and cable, and I had then change the picture settings to see what effect they had, and even with standard cable, you can easily see the differences between most of the various televisions. Most had screens that were brighter towards the edges, or that had LEDs bleeding onto the screen, and almost all had at least some noticeable halo around bright objects in the picture. Really deep blacks were rare , and many had colors that were enhanced, so that they really stood out, but they weren't at all realistic. In the end, I chose the television with the best colors, and the most uniform screen, and no LEDs that could be seen bleeding onto the screen. I looked at the Samsung and LG curved screens, and I really didn't like them at all. The Panasonic AX900, and AX800 were my favorites, with the AX900 being noticeably better in some areas. The one thing that I didn't do, was put the glasses on and watch them in 3D, as I doubt that I will be watching much in 3D at home.

Many tks for the additional info .... will have a closer look at the Panasonic's.


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[Zip-in-Z]

Originally Posted by Dona

I have the Samsung 9000 4K curved. Yes it is worth the Price. Yes I can tell the difference and this was a Purchase that did surprise me with the value it gives me.

Pleased to read your very happy with your new 4K TV.

Have you noticed a big difference in the quality of the pic in sports or action adventure movies ?

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[Zip-in-Z]

Originally Posted by mayuan

I picked up the Samsung 8550, same as the 9000 without the curve and camera. Yes the 4K is worth it, for me. The higher end TV's will upscale the 1080P to the 4k resolution and produce a very clean picture.

As for the content on the 4K TV's don't look to the cable/satellite providers. They are unlikely to upgrade the infrastructure when losing customers weekly. Netflix and YouTube have some 4K content and will be expanding on a regular basis.

Have you had the chance to watch any of the shows available on Netflix and what were they ?


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[Knownonscents]

I've always been a Samsung guy....... That being said I just bought a Panasonic viera 3d 55".

I've had my old dlp for a long time and quite liked it. Picture was nothing like these new Tvs but I think I liked it more. It crapped out last weekend finally after 8 yrs.

I went to visions in crowfoot and walked out with the above mentioned TV for $1400 even. That included the 5 year plan and a few other things.

Keep in mind I don't put lots of stock into my television. It's last on the priority list.

I wnot be wearing. The 3d glasses however it's my understanding that a 3d TV has a faster processor for action and such. From the sides. This tv kept a great picture and a true color compared to most of the others.
The screen is quite resilient and does not leave lines when touched.

Also, MOST IMPORTANTLY , I was informed that these things really are not meant to last that long any more. Big surprise! And with the technology changing GET THE PROTECTION PLAN. in 4 years when this tv cramps out I'll be upgraded to an OLED 4K which will be more the current at that time.

The bottom line is they told me not to spend my money on it now because in a short period of time it will be changing.

hopefully that is helpful.

[From The Hip]

I am sure there are more than enough members on AO that are old enough to remember having to get up and walk to the 21 inch bubble screen color TV to change the channel with that rotary dial and surf all 12 channels.Not to mention you could not mute the commercials and if you wanted to record something you had to own a VCR and know how to program the damned thing...setting the clock was major PITA LOL.

TV's these days get "outdated" so fast it is just nuts.You can literally spend $5000 on a state of the art latest and greatest product and 9 months later it sucks compared with the latest innovation.Why try to keep up with that?

Personally I have a Panasonic 60 inch plasma screen I got at Costco.It replaced a 60 inch LED TV I got from Costco 6 months prior which went VZZZT one day when I turned it on so I opted for plasma as my last one still worked when I sold it on Kijiji after I upgraded.

To the OP I suggest you wait a year and you will see the price drop on that fancy state of the art TV drop signifigantly.

FTH

[midgetwaiter]

Originally Posted by Zip-in-Z

My guess 4K channels will be available within the next year or the TV mfg's wouldn't be building them now.

Well you still can't get 1080p tv channels and how long have those TVs been available? More than 10 years. Keep in mind this is the same industry that tried to sell us magic $100 hdmi cables and super fast refreshing 240hz tvs.

You won't see OTA 4k signals probably ever and you won't be getting 4k Blu Rays until next year. As others have pointed out the only 4k content you will find now is streaming options like Netflix or Amazon. The important thing that you have to understand though is that there is no standard for 4k or UltraHD video formats yet. Right now they are plenty of devices that will work with streaming platform A but not platform B because of differences in video compression formats.

In the past it didn't really matter too much. You bought a Betamax? Oh well just get a VHS and plug it in. But now that you have a "Smart" TV with your apps and whatever you better hope that the manufacturer releases an new OS version that allows you to play that content back in the future or you are throwing out the TV and getting a new one not just a set top box.

http://www.wired.com/2015/01/everybo...-one-just-yet/

[dodger]

Thanks midgetwaiter for the link, that answered many questions for me.

Regards, Dodger.