Low-end UHD vs High-end FHD TV (1 Viewer)

I'm in the market for a new TV and am having difficulty choosing one. I'm looking for a a 55" that will be used for gaming, full HD movies, HD / SD series & DSTV (cable). I would also enjoy one with excellent Smart features. I'm from South Africa so it's a bit difficult to provide prices, but I would say my price would be mid-range.

I was looking at the Samsung H6400 55" and was also considering a smaller version of the H7000. But when I went through to a store, I saw a number of amazing looking LG TVs for the same price and these are UHD, namely the UF 770T.

Now, I know that 4K content is not available at the moment - for gaming, programming or bluray, and streaming this content is joke unless you have fibre (which I won't for a while). But is it worthwhile getting a UHD to future proof myself? My concern is that if these are the same price, surely the LG has lower specs in other areas, like latency (for gaming) / refresh rate, but I can't see any specs that stand out as worrying. I'm also worried that my 1080p content will look worse on the 4K screen than on a FHD screen.

And to reiterate on the title of this post, would it be best to buy a low-end Ultra HD TV or a mid to high-end Full HD TV?

Please advise

Thanks,
Amy

If I was in the market to buy a replacement, I'd probably spend my money on a mid-range 1080p set and then wait until 4K sets that have incorporated the new colour depth standards become affordable. Resolution-wise a 55" inch 4K set isn't going to be more noticeably detailed than a standard 1080p set at typical home viewing distances. Where 4K is going to be an improvement is in colour depth which will help in the elimination of banding that can occur at certain times with1080p sets that use the old colour depth standards. Unfortunately, most existing (if not all) 4K sets use the same colour standard as 1080p sets, so issues with colour banding can still occur. The new colour standards that are being adopted for 4K sets will help alleviate that issue considerably.


If you decide to go with the 4K set then I wouldn't worry about your existing Blu-rays looking worse. Most 4K sets will upconvert standard 1080p content to the native display resolution, similar to how upconverting DVD players used to do prior to the advent of Blu-ray and HD-DVD.


Edit: I should add that since you say prices are similar then it may make sense to buy the UHD panel just so long as the specs are close or exactly the same. Ultimately, the best way to decide is to take content that you are intimately familiar with and play it on the sets that you are looking at. The one that looks best to your eye is the one you should probably go with.

Well said Edwin. It doesn't make sense for most people to go nuts on a top end 4k TV today and buying a fully loaded 1080p TV in 2015 seems like a waste of dough when you will be pining to upgrade Real Soon Now (TM) for resolution and color depth and full array back lighting and more.

Thanks very much for the responses


Yes, the prices are exactly the same actually, which made me concerned that the UHD panel would be lacking in vital areas. But I'm struggling to find detailed specifications for the LG UF770T and can't find the refresh rate. What are other key specs that I should keep on eye on before making my decision?


In terms of Samsung vs. LG, do either of you have a preference, and if so, why?


How long would I be waiting if I were to wait for colour depth, etc.? This also sounds like it may be out of my price range when it becomes available. My husband and I just got married and are buying everything from scratch, so not sure we can wait very long before buying a TV

If you can still find one, I'd get a solid 1080p plasma for now and hold out for a 4K OLED with P3 or Rec. 2020 colour and HDR (in all its various incarnations). Though it's going to be some time until that's even remotely affordable.

If you are going to buy 4k in 2015 the only thing I can recommend is the Samsung 8500 series or higher with HDR support, and my preference is for flat not curved so that takes their highest tiers out. YMMV but I wouldn't personally spend serious dough on a TV without HDRcsupport and I say that as someone with color deficiencies and near sightedness

Thanks for the advice!

So in my price range, I think I'm going to choose between the Samsung H6400 and LG 55UF770T for now. Please can you guys advise on which specs look the best and the differences between the two that may make the choice between one and the other? To me, it looks like the LG is the better TV, but I'm not expert Also not sure which other specs are completely relevant, there are so many.

Samsung H6400

1920 x 1080
Clear Motion Rate 480
Quad Core
Micro dimming

LG 55UF770T

IPS 4K
Picture Mastering Index 1400
Local dimming

Not sure how these CMI and PMI specs translate into refresh rate?

No, I really can't comment on those models. If your heart and Budget are set on those two my recommendation is to go to the store, play with each for a good 20 minutes, see what YOU like the best and then never read another review.

Amy if you can go to $1,500 I would recommend this:


http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-UN55JU7100-55-Inch-Ultra-Smart/dp/B00T48CVVK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1437976043&sr=8-2&keywords=samsung+55+4k&pebp=1437976049932&perid=1EZTGDCTK9MYGG8987H6


Unbelievable picture quality that also has the best 3-D I have seen in this size/price. And you would also future proof yourself in case 4K really does take off late this year. Just a suggestion.

Bryan^H said:

And you would also future proof yourself in case 4K really does take off late this year. Just a suggestion.

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Not really, though. That set won't be able to take advantage of HDR and some of the other features in the upcoming UHD disc spec.

Agreed, you are much better off with the JS8500 if budget allows. If budget doesn't allow get a decent 1080p set and wait with the rest of us for fully HDR capable 4k sets to drop in price.

Ah, those do look amazing. Unfortunately, neither the JU7100 nor the JS8500 are available in South Africa


We have a different model number system here, and I'm not at all sure how it translates to the American model numbers. Perhaps our JS = HU? Because I do see the HU8500, but that is way out of my price range.


We do have the Samung 55" UHD 4K Flat HU7000 available and affordable for me. Any idea if this is any good? It looks the same as the UN55HU6950 on Amazon. If it is the same one, it appears to be the model down from the JU7100, suggested by Bryan.


Most of you seem to recommend Samsungs, are they generally better than LGs?

Oh, and just a side note - I can really live without 3D. Not really a fan at all.

Samsung CMR and LG PMI are "the same thing". But both companies use different math. The two numbers have no relation.

Personally not a fan of Samsung(never have been). Others disparage LG(the only thing certain is they've both killed Japan's major players...and more are dying).

I have not checked either as far as edge-lit or back-lit.

Buy whichever is back-lit...if the other is edge.

(both are apparently edge-lit...

More confusion. Apparently some sizes of the H6400 are back lit. Anyway, back lit "FALD" is better than edge-lit. More manufacturers are going back to FALD. Which edge should never have existed in the first place.

Back lit is also called Full Array, which is where FALD comes from...Full Array Local Dimming.

My ultimate recommendation. Buy the least expensive set you can really live with. OLED is on the horizon with next gen color specs at prices mere mortals can afford. 2 years out. Sooner if Kateeva can make waves)

OLED has been 2 years out for 10 years now

HU is 2014 model year description in the U.S. For whatever that's worth, not sure how that translates for you

I found this useful model number thing:





After all this discussion, I'm still not sure I understand the recommendation to get a 1080p over a UHD set when these are the same size and same price. As far as I can see, the UHD TV still makes use of superior technology to the 1080p set? I mean yea, the 4K doesn't have HDR (and it will be an age before that will be affordable), but neither does the 1080p set.

Worth said:

Not really, though. That set won't be able to take advantage of HDR and some of the other features in the upcoming UHD disc spec.

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I know that, I was just suggesting a 4k tv at a reasonable price. A friend owns the set, and I was very impressed at the up conversion of Blu Ray content.
It puts my Sony which is a high end 1080 set to shame.


Sadly, since plasma died There are no more visually stunning 1080P sets available from most retail chains. I did happened upon this though:

http://www.amazon.com/LG-Electronics-50PB6650-50-Inch-PLASMA/dp/B00KQRFLZQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438829603&sr=8-1&keywords=lg+plasma

LED sets of any sort still cannot touch a good plasma.

amecily said:

After all this discussion, I'm still not sure I understand the recommendation to get a 1080p over a UHD set when these are the same size and same price.

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It's personal preference. I'd prefer to buy nothing and buy a quality set from Sony or Samsung with the features I want out of 4k, but I have the luxury of having a panel in my living room already and a PJ in my basement. I don't need to buy today. You do. You will have to decide if holding out for a manufacturer you prefer is more inportant than sheer pixels. It's a hard call but only you can make it. If I was in your position I'd probably go for the closeout 4k but there would be this little worm in my lizard brain crying out that if I had just waited or spent a little more I could have gotten what I wanted all at once. That's how my techie brain works, you might not be so inclined!