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4k TV Review

ATL96Steeler

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I know some of you guys already have a 4K TV, but I thought I would post a review for those that don't.

I bought the Sony XBR65X900C, for a recently finished sunroom. It was a great closeout bargain compared to comparably featured TVs, but this review is more on the 4K genre.

Picture Quality...That's what 4k is all about...I have a 5 yr old 60" Samsung 1080P Plasma that I considered my reference TV.

Once you start researching, eventually you will hear the term "upscaling". Meaning a 4k will take TV content formatted for something less than 4k and make it look better than the TV it was formatted for. I've found this to be true...a 4k TV will show 1080 content better than a 1080p TV...if you have 720 content, it will show it better than a 720 TV.

CBS, NBC, ESPN, ABC, etc...1080HD football games look brighter and a little more detail than my plasma showing the same game, but not so much so that I would run out and buy a 4k TV.

4k content...you may have gone into a Bestbuy and seen the 4k demos running. The pictures are near live like.

That said, don't expect to see the major networks broadcasting in 4k anything soon. They were dragged kicking and screaming into the 1080HD era...there's no ROI waiting for them if they invest tens of millions into new 4k cameras. There are a few sources for 4k content Netflix, Amazon, etc. but it's something you will be seeking for a number of years.

Summary...At least within the next decade, 4K (or UHDTV) will probably never be a main stream format on par with HDTV...Why buy it? Largely because the TV manufacturers are practically forcing the new technology onto us by bringing the prices down very close to HDTVs. Secondly, most manufacturers have cut back on HDTV production so the selection is pretty limited compared to 4k TVs.

Verdict...I'm happy with the new set...I can stream content directly from the TV, watch You Tube videos, and the picture quality is very good. That said, I wouldn't replace my HDTV with a UHDTV, but if you're adding a TV...it makes sense.
 

4down20

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4k TV isn't worth it because there isn't enough content for it right now.

I have one, waste of money.
 

BTSBuckeye

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I just want augmented reality tv ....

I'm looking at you HoloLens.
 

Roy Munson

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good as a computer monitor... but TV content doesn't use it yet.
 

ATL96Steeler

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4k TV isn't worth it because there isn't enough content for it right now.

I have one, waste of money.
And their probably won't be any time soon...If you bought it for 4k content...yes I agree.
 

TP76

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4k TV isn't worth it because there isn't enough content for it right now.

I have one, waste of money.

I have one as well - but you should have an arm 4 core processor on board that scales the HD signal to UHD. I Love the picture on my Samsung UN60JU7100 (had it about a year). Football looks amazing on it - but you're right, native 4K programming adoption has been slow... I have directv 4k capable equipment with little to no programming to show for it. Thankfully I have a decent processor in this Samsung that scales the picture nicely.

When buying a 4K TV you should focus on one with a decent ARM processor because it will be responsible for scaling HD--->UHD. That will be one of the most important features until native 4k kicks in.
 

Lions=TeHsUcKs

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You need lots of bandwidth to stream 4k content all the time anyways. It will be hard with the hard caps being announced from Comcast recently.
 

ATL96Steeler

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I have one as well - but you should have an arm 4 core processor on board that scales the HD signal to UHD. I Love the picture on my Samsung UN60JU7100 (had it about a year). Football looks amazing on it - but you're right, native 4K programming adoption has been slow... I have directv 4k capable equipment with little to no programming to show for it. Thankfully I have a decent processor in this Samsung that scales the picture nicely.

When buying a 4K TV you should focus on one with a decent ARM processor because it will be responsible for scaling HD--->UHD. That will be one of the most important features until native 4k kicks in.



The 7000 series Samsung seems to be a good value...a notch a above the price point 6000 series and features similar to the 8000 without the quantum dot screen.

Good point...The X1 processor in the Sony was rated pretty high. I got the closeout X900c with this processor. This set got bashed for light bleed, and it does have some light bleed, but it only matters on a black or blank screen, you can't see it with a picture showing...so for $650 less than the street price on the new X850D...I jumped on it.

The problem I see is many people think upscaling will deliver true 4k quality and that's not the case...better, but not 4k.
 

Rockinkuwait

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I have a 1080p projector on a 120" screen in my basement for the man cave.

I have been looking at 4k TV's but the content seems a bit thin right now.

Are the normal channels in 4k? I currently am netflix/amazon prime only and half the shows they have on there I've already watched and of what's left I am not that interested in. I went HD years ago because of football. With my move am thinking of maybe starting up satellite again. Is the NFL 4k yet?
 

night

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I'm probably going to get a smaller one in the 40" range on Black Friday. You're right about the 4k content being thin but I plan on having the TV for years and it will only be a matter of time until 4k is the standard. The picture on them is amazing to the point that it almost seems 3D.

I have a 1080p projector on a 120" screen in my basement for the man cave.

I have been looking at 4k TV's but the content seems a bit thin right now.

Are the normal channels in 4k? I currently am netflix/amazon prime only and half the shows they have on there I've already watched and of what's left I am not that interested in. I went HD years ago because of football. With my move am thinking of maybe starting up satellite again. Is the NFL 4k yet?
Direct TV has sports and some movies in 4k. There isn't much out there right this minute but the new video game consoles are already 4k compatible. It's just a matter of time. That being said I don't think anybody should be in a rush to get it. I'm only in the market for a TV because the one in my bedroom is on its last leg.
 

ATL96Steeler

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I have a 1080p projector on a 120" screen in my basement for the man cave.

I have been looking at 4k TV's but the content seems a bit thin right now.

Are the normal channels in 4k? I currently am netflix/amazon prime only and half the shows they have on there I've already watched and of what's left I am not that interested in. I went HD years ago because of football. With my move am thinking of maybe starting up satellite again. Is the NFL 4k yet?

Killer 120" 1080 screen btw...I had a 100" and when we sold the house the lady was so in awe of it, she paid us cash (about 2/3 of the purchase price) at closing to keep it.

Everything 4k content is mostly movies...Netflix premium has a few and Amazon prime as well. Directv has a full-time 4k channel as Night mentioned. They have some sports on in it, MLB I know, maybe soccer, but no NFL games yet. Of course there is another pricing tier to get it.

To be honest, the picture quality is at another level which I never saw coming after 1080, but it's not about the content yet and it probably won't be for several years before it's a mainstream medium...with HDTVs finally reaching a critical mass about 10 yrs ago, everyone that I spoke with don't see the big networks changing over anytime soon....I'm curious to see how aggressive the streaming industry gets with 4k content.
 

Hank Kingsley

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I've got 4 Panasonic plasmas ranging from 42" to 60". Age, 8 years to 10 years.

My wife would shoot me if I went and bought a new TV unless one packed it in.

But none of the TVs I have show an signs of failure.

Not a fan of projection, really don't like the "sweet spot" on the current LED TVs. I can sit at a very oblique angle to my big TV and still clearly see what's on it. I use the fire place for a "fume hood" so I am frequently off to one side.

Technology is always changing and as soon as 4K is affordable and content is there, there will be something else coming.

That won't stop me from buying one if one of my current sets fail, but I know it is inevitable.

I normally get things early in a run. I purchased ($4500!!!) a 36" CRT Sony Wega XBR 12 years ago that currently sits in my parent's recroom doing nothing. Moved on to the plasma units. Almost $4000 for the big plasma unit when I purchased it in late 2007.

I paid $600 for my Panasonic BluRay unit in 2008. But I've had it for 8 years sso seeing them for sale no for $100 with Smart features doesn't bother me. It still works perfectly and has never not played a disc. Do I want to have to buy a 4K BluRay unit? Nope. Will I? Probably after I buy another TV if it's 4K.

I like my TV, it's what I do. But I'm holding off on this, probably for the first time in my life.
 

Rockinkuwait

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Killer 120" 1080 screen btw...I had a 100" and when we sold the house the lady was so in awe of it, she paid us cash (about 2/3 of the purchase price) at closing to keep it.

Everything 4k content is mostly movies...Netflix premium has a few and Amazon prime as well. Directv has a full-time 4k channel as Night mentioned. They have some sports on in it, MLB I know, maybe soccer, but no NFL games yet. Of course there is another pricing tier to get it.

To be honest, the picture quality is at another level which I never saw coming after 1080, but it's not about the content yet and it probably won't be for several years before it's a mainstream medium...with HDTVs finally reaching a critical mass about 10 yrs ago, everyone that I spoke with don't see the big networks changing over anytime soon....I'm curious to see how aggressive the streaming industry gets with 4k content.

Yup I'll wait for NFL. lol

When I got it the setup was about the same at the time of a 60" 1080 TV for the projector and screen. Already had the surround sound and the basement was set up perfectly for it to work. Best move I ever made when it comes to in home entertainment.
 

ATL96Steeler

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Yup I'll wait for NFL. lol

When I got it the setup was about the same at the time of a 60" 1080 TV for the projector and screen. Already had the surround sound and the basement was set up perfectly for it to work. Best move I ever made when it comes to in home entertainment.

Yeah...admittedly the 1080 feed upscaled with a 4k TV does look better, especially sports imo, but I wouldn't uproot a perfectly good working 1080 TV to buy one.

The 100" I had in our basement was a sweet set up too, ceiling mounted projector, wet bar, with beer fridge...it really closed the deal the house we were told...the lady already like the property but we had it on when it was shown to her and the minute she walked down there she said this is it...woman cave she called it...single mom truck driver bought the house. I told her agent it was coming with us, but she could buy it separate if she wanted it....woman brought cash.
 

Rockinkuwait

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Yeah...admittedly the 1080 feed upscaled with a 4k TV does look better, especially sports imo, but I wouldn't uproot a perfectly good working 1080 TV to buy one.

The 100" I had in our basement was a sweet set up too, ceiling mounted projector, wet bar, with beer fridge...it really closed the deal the house we were told...the lady already like the property but we had it on when it was shown to her and the minute she walked down there she said this is it...woman cave she called it...single mom truck driver bought the house. I told her agent it was coming with us, but she could buy it separate if she wanted it....woman brought cash.

So behind my tv room in my basement is another bedroom, and it has a little closet up against the TV room wall that I framed out and cut out a hole through, and put up a shelf so that the projector shoots through behind and above where you sit. ran all the sound cables through the walls, and got it pretty clean. Plus can hardly hear the projector since it's really in the other room.
 

ATL96Steeler

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So behind my tv room in my basement is another bedroom, and it has a little closet up against the TV room wall that I framed out and cut out a hole through, and put up a shelf so that the projector shoots through behind and above where you sit. ran all the sound cables through the walls, and got it pretty clean. Plus can hardly hear the projector since it's really in the other room.

Sounds like a really clean install...I finished a lot of the framing in my basement and I knew we were going to do a projector so I recessed a 18"x18" section where it was going so when they drywalled it, the projector only hung down about 4" into the room and it was a 9' ceiling down there..

I will say, that room was perfect for a 100" screen...because if you're too close it was blurry even in HD...front row seating was about 16' and the back row was 20' or so from the screen.

Now...we're on 1.5 story with a loft, bedroom and bath up and vaulted ceilings everywhere on the main so in a way it's good she bought it because the install would not have been nearly as good in this house.
 

Rockinkuwait

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Sounds like a really clean install...I finished a lot of the framing in my basement and I knew we were going to do a projector so I recessed a 18"x18" section where it was going so when they drywalled it, the projector only hung down about 4" into the room and it was a 9' ceiling down there..

I will say, that room was perfect for a 100" screen...because if you're too close it was blurry even in HD...front row seating was about 16' and the back row was 20' or so from the screen.

Now...we're on 1.5 story with a loft, bedroom and bath up and vaulted ceilings everywhere on the main so in a way it's good she bought it because the install would not have been nearly as good in this house.

That's what I am looking at in the new home I am moving into next month. Was house shopping a couple weeks ago and got the place we wanted but the basement will make it tough to work. Has a walkout basement which I love, but makes it tough to find a good spot for the projector. So I am thinking if I do need a new big screen (I do, the best one I have is a 32" 1080p I got for 1100 bucks back in like 2007... ) that maybe go 4k.

This shot is from the stairs going down. I can put in blackout blinds on the french doors. My screen rolls up automatically so I could put it on that spot to the left where the ceiling drops for the AC ducting, but then would have to keep rolling it up. The other walls have that track lighting stuff, so I'd need to move that to use them...

newhome.jpg
 

ATL96Steeler

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That's what I am looking at in the new home I am moving into next month. Was house shopping a couple weeks ago and got the place we wanted but the basement will make it tough to work. Has a walkout basement which I love, but makes it tough to find a good spot for the projector. So I am thinking if I do need a new big screen (I do, the best one I have is a 32" 1080p I got for 1100 bucks back in like 2007... ) that maybe go 4k.

This shot is from the stairs going down. I can put in blackout blinds on the french doors. My screen rolls up automatically so I could put it on that spot to the left where the ceiling drops for the AC ducting, but then would have to keep rolling it up. The other walls have that track lighting stuff, so I'd need to move that to use them...

newhome.jpg

Nice! But I see what you mean...Kind of like our situation...really only one wall large enough for that size screen and the ceiling is like 18' vaulted.

I'm actually very happy with the 65" 4k...outstanding TV for about $1100 buck as a close out...'15 model...the '16 was $1800 with the '17 coming out in spring/summer they said so bestbuy was anxious to move it.
 

jvett77

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I watched an upscale of the blue ray Ben-Hur disc on a 70 inch UHD set at Best Buy and the picture was horrible, like pasty. Why don't they show HD TV programs on UHD sets at Best Buy? People want to see what they're in for. Might be motion problems also. I'll keep my 10 year old 50 inch Panasonic plasma a little longer.
 

DetroitDevil

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good as a computer monitor... but TV content doesn't use it yet.
Not good as a computer monitor. high input lag. No display port. limited to 60hz even on high end pc gaming monitors. All 4k is good for right now is 4k hd blu rays... which is fine by me.
 
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