Suggestions for a new TV?

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Suggestions for a new TV?

peejayw

1913 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 123

#323406 29-Nov-2025 10:18

I need to replace my ageing 55" TV but totally confused by the terminology, mini-led, qled etc etc. I am just looking for a mid-range one that is bright enough for daytime viewing and with reasonably good picture quality. Budget around $1000, any suggestions?

I'm supposed to respect my elders, but it's getting harder and harder for me to find one now.

1 | 2

2647 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1139

#3438436 29-Nov-2025 11:25

for brands i suggest samsung.

whats your tv audio? most tv's speakers suck. sound bar with woofer is a must upgrade. just be aware that new tv may not play nicely or operate in the same way with your audio as your old tv did. so if you have a sound bar you might want to upgrade that as well. personally i think upgrading the audio is much better than going for the better quality picture. of course you may have excellent sound system and this is all irrelevant.

gehenna

8667 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3883

Moderator

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3438443 29-Nov-2025 11:56

If contrast ratio is not important, any standard LCD TV will be fine.

Traditional LCD panels use back lighting or side lighting that has to cover the entire screen. This is why blacks look more grey than truly black. LED screens offer more flexible lighting options. If you imagine the screen divided into many small squares, each of those areas can be lit at different levels - that's how QLED does it. These are Local Dimming Zones, and they improve contrast compared to basic LCD lighting.

OLED sits at the top of the range. Every pixel creates its own light and can switch off completely. When something is black on an OLED display, it is because that pixel is not lit at all. This gives OLED its very high contrast and deep black levels.

If you want a simple, good picture at the lowest price, LCD is the best choice. If you want a step up in image quality and contrast without going all the way to OLED, mid tier options like QLED are worth considering.

Audio is also something to think about. As long as the TV can pass audio through to a soundbar or receiver, you will be fine. If you want Dolby Atmos, DTS or other advanced audio formats, check that the TV includes an eARC HDMI port. Most TVs since around 2020 do. The TV sends audio through the eARC port to your soundbar or receiver. Your other devices connect to the other HDMI ports, and their audio is sent onward through the eARC connection.

There are some other considerations like viewing angle and HDR/Dolby Vision - whether those are important to you will depend on the sort of content you want to view. Dynamic range is another thing you'll want to view in person to really understand the differences.

TVs and audio can seem complicated, but once the fundamentals are clear it becomes much easier to choose the right setup. Retailers can also show you real examples so you can see and hear the differences.

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
80658 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 41071

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#3438455 29-Nov-2025 12:59

It's hard to distinguish high resolution panels on high-end TVs. Either LG, Panasonic or Samsung will be great.

In terms of sound, I vote Panasonic.

Referral links: Quic Broadband (free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE) | Samsung | AliExpress | Wise | Sharesies

Support Geekzone by subscribing (browse ads-free), or making a one-off or recurring donation through PressPatron.

Tinkerisk

4800 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3660

#3438456 29-Nov-2025 13:23

I only judge TVs based on picture quality, as the sound and controls are reproduced via HDMI eARC through the digital audio system anyway, which is also better than any weak soundbar and is already available.

Qui nihil scit, omnia credere debet.
Firewalls do NOT stop dragons.
In effect we have everything to hide from someone, and no idea who someone is.

Dynamic

4016 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1853

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3438462 29-Nov-2025 13:53

We've got a 7 year old Veon TV at home that I've been wanting to replace for a few years, as when a solid colour is displayed (e.g. a very dark scene where most of the picture is black, the patchy-ness of the backlight is really obvious. I'm not passionate-enough about this to spend moonbeams on an OLED, but have been waiting for a mid-range tech model to hit a good price point.

With this year's Black Friday specials I did some comparisons (including using ChatGPT and my own reading) between half a dozen $700-$1000 models in the 55-65" size range. I settled on the TCL 55C6K (55"), which is available for a little under $950 at lots of different retailers. I choose local ownership wherever possible and ordered from local Noel Leeming who happened to have a free delivery offer. The special ends on 2 December, but it is not likely to arrive with us until around the 5th so I won't be able to give you a review while the special pricing is on.

The TCL TV will be paired with an existing sound bar. Not sure if we'll use the Smart features on the TV or continue to use our SmartVU SV11 dongle.

“Don't believe anything you read on the net. Except this. Well, including this, I suppose.” Douglas Adams

peejayw

1913 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 123

#3438512 29-Nov-2025 14:07

Thanks for all the helpful advice. I actually looked at that TCL model but lots of people suggest Samsung and there was mention of Dirty Screeen effect what ever that is, so confusing with all the choices. So much easier when they were all B&W 21" 😁

I'm supposed to respect my elders, but it's getting harder and harder for me to find one now.

Dell

Shop now for Dell laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

Dynamic

4016 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1853

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3438522 29-Nov-2025 14:34

I understand that sentiment!

Perhaps take a trip to your local Noel Leeming and see if they have any of the C6K's on display to compare against other models in store. Westgate/Northwest was very busy this morning when the shops opened, but hopefully it's settled down by now.

“Don't believe anything you read on the net. Except this. Well, including this, I suppose.” Douglas Adams

Linux

12188 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 8480

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3438523 29-Nov-2025 14:41

Philips K9

peejayw

1913 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 123

#3438524 29-Nov-2025 15:00

Ah, the good old K9.

I'm supposed to respect my elders, but it's getting harder and harder for me to find one now.

lxsw20

3689 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2175

Subscriber

#3438610 29-Nov-2025 19:14

freitasm:

In terms of sound, I vote Panasonic.

The problem with Panasonic is that some of their TVs are rebranded TCL with the most infuriatingly slow UI. If you get an actual Panasonic TV that is made by Panasonic then they are fantastic.

peejayw

1913 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 123

#3438611 29-Nov-2025 19:16

How do you tell if it's real Panasonic or rebranded?

I'm supposed to respect my elders, but it's getting harder and harder for me to find one now.

Geekzone support

Support Geekzone with one-off or recurring donations Donate via PressPatron.

Behodar

11101 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 6092

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3438613 29-Nov-2025 19:37

I got a Panasonic a couple of years ago and I can't get over how buggy it is, and I'm certainly not buying another one. I had no idea that some of them were rebranded, and now I'm wondering whether this is one of them.

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
80658 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 41071

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#3438615 29-Nov-2025 20:17

The best sound are on the new Panasonic with fire TV built-in. These are definitely not TCL and not using the old Panasonic OS.

Referral links: Quic Broadband (free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE) | Samsung | AliExpress | Wise | Sharesies

Support Geekzone by subscribing (browse ads-free), or making a one-off or recurring donation through PressPatron.

timmmay

20859 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 5350

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3438618 29-Nov-2025 20:22

I have two Samsung TVs, one 40" that's 15 years old, one 55" that is probably 10 years old. Both still work fine. I've been happy with their reliability, so when I need a new TV I'll buy another Samsung based on what looks good in the store plus a bit of light searching on an AI. I keep the smarts out of the TV, currently I have a Google 4K streamer.

lxsw20

3689 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2175

Subscriber

#3438619 29-Nov-2025 20:27

I think the Panasonic made ones are fire tv where as the tcl rebrands are android tv

1 | 2