Team-BHP - The TV Thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by saket77 (Post 4457251)

So, the flash sale for MI TV4 55" TV was there today and I managed to get one for myself before it went out of stock in a matter of minutes! Wasn't really scouting for a TV actively, but the great value for money option got the better of me :D

Lets see how the stuff performs. :)

Best of luck on your acquisition. :thumbs up Although I am not too sure about the VFM stuff considering the issues, some practical ones, some design related ones etc. that it has.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WindRide (Post 4458479)

Can anyone suggest a good 49 (or even 43) inches LED TV that upscales SD content reasonably fine? 85% viewing time will be SD only. Budget no constraint.

Try LG UHD series.

I have the 43UJ632T model, it's the 43" one, there are newer models available now. I got it for a steal deal with around 22K as discount only, on retail price of 70K. The TV comes packed with all the features you will need and the magic remote is fun to use. The app switching is butter smooth and does not lag at all. Coming to the picture quality, I have viewed SD, HD and 4K content and the quality is superb and it handles upscaling very well.

It also has HDR, so you can watch Amazon Prime videos in 4K HDR. The only downside is Hotstar app is not available yet, but it'll be available by this year end.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sachinayak (Post 4459448)

Can you please share any details of this? Am considering getting the 55 inch Mi TV as well?

It's a ultrathin screen with no support at the back till about 2/3rd of the way down. But due to this the screen is also highly prone to damages. The level of blacks is extremely poor on this screen and real dark areas show more as gray rather than black. It has some prominent color bleeding issues as well. Given its iffy viewing angles that exacerbates the picture quality (or rather the color) even more from anything other than a straight on angle (or maybe a little bit here and there). The TV uses a customized OS and limits you from adding anything of your own choice (there are conflicting reports on whether sideload really works on this TV) but then this is a problem with most TVs unless you are buying a pure android one. Even the sound quality is not something very great.

Although on paper Xiaomi has all the checkboxes ticked with HDR, Dolby... you name it and the TV has it. And yet on the ground performance leaves some identifiable gaps in my opinion. At 45k or thereabouts I would say you have better options available. Go have a look first. If you still like the Mi TV after that you can anyhow buy that.

After using the MI TV 4 for about a week, my observations would be:

1. Good build quality and looks great with that thin screen. Although there is a aluminium panel behind it to support, better to wall mount this TV as it still feels fragile. Though in the manual, Xiami states that the display has been tested for toughness and impact withstanding capabilities and it should be able to bear all of them under normal circumstances, but still, better to err on the side of safety. However, all TVs are being imported from China and delivered to your doorstep through courier, and being delivered safely does impart a some amount of confidence.

2. Downloaded 4K HDR videos and they look absolutely stunning. Mammoth file size was handled without any lag by the TV. Normal DTH HD content will satisfy most viewers while SD is at the brink of being unacceptable, esp with low budget telecast/ channels.

3. Patchwall OS is fast & uncluttered. Downloaded youtube and hotstar and they are working flawlessly through home wi-fi. Have not used any Android TV before hence can't compare.

4. Ports: There are lot of connection options, but my grudge is that after wall mounting, they are almost inaccessible. I have plugged in extenders wherever possible and it is highly recommended.

5. No audio out! Yes, except for SPDIF, there is no audio out option. I haven't tried bluetooth audio, which I expect to work but not providing a simple 3.5mm audio out is a bummer.

Most of the observations are subjective, as we know.
Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zappo (Post 4462594)

The level of blacks is extremely poor on this screen and real dark areas show more as gray rather than black. It has some prominent color bleeding issues as well.

I've had similar experience with 32 inch Mi TV which I got a chance to see at one relative's place. Before seeing that, I was highly enamored by the value offered by Mi. We have LG 32 inch TV at home and difference between both is day and night. Colour reproduction, black levels, viewing angle in LG is far superior to Mi. Yes, LG is expensive but now I firmly believe that the extra price is worth it.

In fact, I went ahead and bought an LG 32 inch smart TV for parents as well, after contemplating of getting them a Mi TV.

Roamed far and wide , in rain and shine, armed with a USB stick containing videos starting from 360p to test the flat beauties, in the hope of finding a TV that appeals to both heart and mind.

Alas, from my research on 55 inch TVs, have come to the conclusion that spending anything less than a lac will result in compromised all round picture quality (including upscaling tech), unless one wants to be brave/reckless and test their luck with chinese/indian products with non-existent/questionable A.S.S.

Sony as expected remains king of picture quality/accuracy. Their low-end of the range matches mid-range of the koreans. Sony's mid-range is awesome and high-end is spectacular (and iam not even talking of their OLEDs here!), but at prices that make you want to kneel down and cry.

So there ends my plan to upgrade from the trustworthy CRT warhorse, atleast for now. Need time for my heart to convince the brain that it does makes sense to throw away that much money on a top-draw TV viewing experience.

I have a Sony X9000E 55Inch. Everything is amazing about this television except the Android version still not updated by Sony. Also I have a Nvidia Shield which is recently updated to latest .I think TV should be bought only on basic of picture quality and connectivity options .All other feature set can be added on with reputable hardware.

At the same time manufacturers must support there television with software updates else time is not far when Apple and Googl enters this domain and provide updates for life.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WindRide (Post 4462966)

Good for you. Nothing is better than having a clear, decisive action point. :) However if you still want to explore some more at the price range that you were looking for I suggest do check if you can get access to the VU ltdn55xt780xwau3d model before you close that chapter. But be sure the model is the one mentioned above.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WindRide (Post 4462966)

Sony as expected remains king of picture quality/accuracy. Their low-end of the range matches mid-range of the koreans. Sony's mid-range is awesome and high-end is spectacular (and iam not even talking of their OLEDs here!), but at prices that make you want to kneel down and cry.

I agree with your views. The picture quality of Sony (& Samsung too) is very good. However had a bitter experience with Sony, twice not once. We had a Sony 32" LCD from 2009. Within 4 years wrinkles started appearing on the display. The polarizer film started coming off the panel and it started increasing on daily basis. Something like the below picture; though mine was much much more than this as it had spread to the entire display. Though TV was running, but it became almost unwatchable due to patches showing up on the entire display panel. :(

Before than than, we had a CRT Sony TV (made in Tokyo) which was quite expensive by 1995 standards; but it ran into troubles regularly and had to be serviced by Sony ASC almost 4-5 times in its 10 year run with us. I believe I have had a bad run with Sony TVs by sheer bad luck; although both these TVs are still with me and they both run if they are made to. :) Bought a Sansui along with the Sony CRT which runs fine till date without any issue in between.

Hence decided not to spend too much on a TV and even if it runs well for 5-6 years, it is my money's worth. I'm good with the picture quality on my buy. With tech changing so fast, it is simply not clever to spend over a lakh on a TV; my take on this.

Accepted that I'm no video buff, but I have a projector set up for my movies on a 100" screen.

Regards,
Saket