[harry10]

Originally Posted by dragonfire

So now the final question: Which is the best TV at the moment in terms of picture quality and reliability and would not break the bank? 50K would be my sweet spot, but can go up to 75K. Although a repeat of the same 55 inch is in order, am willing to sacrifice a few inches in favour of price and picture quality.

Samsung Frame and Sony X80J.
Both are fantastic TV's.

Another Sony Google Tv they launched recently is X74k. It's cheaper than X80J.

Once you are used to of 55 inch TV it's tough to watch anything below it. You will certainly regret downgrading the size so I will suggest to stick with 55 inch itself.

[vsrivatsa]

Sony Bravia XR X90K series smart TVs with hands-free voice control, Bravia Cam, Dolby ATMOS launched at a starting price of Rs 1,29,990

Sony has launched the XR Processor based K Series Models in India. Hopefully we should see nice deals on these TVs in the Dasara-Diwali timeframe!

Link

[sai_ace]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

Go for this one
https://www.amazon.in/Samsung-inches...79&sr=8-4&th=1

If the room where you watch TV does not have any harsh sunlight sources that fall on the screen, then this TV will exceed your expectations.

For the sake of understanding - what makes the Samsung superior to the Hisense U6G (https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/hi...-test-compared)

Asking because I am considering the Hisense u6g 65 inch (https://www.flipkart.com/hisense-u6g...me1eeb2f2e113c )

Also the samsung is LED while the hisense is qled. hence asking.

Thanks!

[harry10]

Originally Posted by sai_ace

For the sake of understanding - what makes the Samsung superior to the Hisense U6G (https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/hi...-test-compared)

Asking because I am considering the Hisense u6g 65 inch (https://www.flipkart.com/hisense-u6g...me1eeb2f2e113c )

Also the samsung is LED while the hisense is qled. hence asking.

Thanks!

This Samsung isn't superior to Hisense U6G. It's competition is in fact Hisense Tornado/A73f. Hisense Qled in PQ is way ahead of this one. Only thing is Samsung may provide better service.

[dragonfire]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

Go for this one
https://www.amazon.in/Samsung-inches...79&sr=8-4&th=1

If the room where you watch TV does not have any harsh sunlight sources that fall on the screen, then this TV will exceed your expectations.

Originally Posted by harry10

Samsung Frame and Sony X80J.
Both are fantastic TV's.

Another Sony Google Tv they launched recently is X74k. It's cheaper than X80J.

Thank you sagar and harry for your recommendations.

I looked up The Frame and the first feeling I got was "I want this". Separating the panel and the electronics is a smart move. And now I wonder why other manufacturers don't make similar TVs.

Only thing that I don't like about it is the VA panel. My iFFALCON has a VA panel too and it doesn't look good when I sit in the side sofa. Colors seem to shift which was not a problem with the LG I had previously.

I guess, except LG nobody uses IPS on TVs today. Wish LG made a "Frame" with OLED.

A funny thing is that if I buy a Samsung or an LG, I'd have to add a Chromecast (I have the Ultra 4K) to get Android - which I can very well do with my current iFFALCON and keep my money.

PS: Am taking it slow and maybe wait for the Diwali sale for the new TV buy.

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by sai_ace

For the sake of understanding - what makes the Samsung superior to the Hisense U6G (https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/hi...-test-compared)

I do not know mate. I am not technically so well versed to compare the TV technologies.

At the time of purchase of the Samsung TV, I shortlisted a few from reputed brands and then went with the Samsung after some basic comparison. It is a VA panel. For our usage, it has not disappointed.

One of the consideration was Samsung service backup in case something goes wrong. Also took 3 years extended warranty from Samsung for around 9K.

[fast_elegance]

Just booked a Sony X80K 55 inch at Reliance digital and expecting delivery by tomorrow. Also, got 2 year extended warranty which gives me 1 year insurance as well. Total was 89,924 after discounts and some cashback. I got a sony Bluetooth headset free worth 2990. Found this to be great value. This was much cheaper than croma and amazon. Looks like a fast moving model and they have a big stock as per the salesperson.

Now looking to get a UPS, any recommendations?

[JithinR]

Originally Posted by dragonfire

Thank you sagar and harry for your recommendations.

I looked up The Frame and the first feeling I got was "I want this". Separating the panel and the electronics is a smart move. And now I wonder why other manufacturers don't make similar TVs.

Please keep in mind that the Frame uses a proprietary connector between the screen and the One connect box. This connector which allows the TV setup to have a clean look was prone to failures abroad. You can see multiple threads on the subject online.

I had booked the Frame sometime in 2021 and then cancelled the order when I realized this. Using a proprietary connector rather than something which is standard would only benefit the manufacturer.

The cost for extending the warranty for the Frame was also too high at the time. In fact, If I remember right the cost of the extended warranty pack for Samsung QLED TVs was quite a bit higher than OLEDs from LG.

[neeraj0272]

Originally Posted by dragonfire

My 55 inch iFFALCON TV has suddenly started displaying pixelated video when viewing online content (Youtube, Prime, Hotstar). No issues if I play a local mkv file. I tried resetting everything with no avail.

I don't intend to get it fixed anyway as after sales support is known to be bad for these "frugal" brands. I could use it for some more time with a Chromecast, but I am already on the look out for replacement.

May I ask how old is your Iffalcon tv?
I have both TCL and Iffalcon and both are almost 3 years old and both running fine as of now. I am satisfied with these TVs.

Originally Posted by dragonfire

Anyway, no more frugal brands for me.

Can you elaborate why?

[carboy]

Originally Posted by dragonfire

Anyway, no more frugal brands for me. I have to decide between the big three - LG, Samsung, Sony. Sony is the only one with Android OS, but is horribly expensive.

I have an LG (I think 7-8 years old) which after first 3-4 years started giving issues. Since then I have replaced the backlights twice, one of the circuit boards once & the TV also has 2 vertical lines. The last problem was around a year back. Have decided to replace it with a Samsung or Sony when the next problem happens.

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

If the room where you watch TV does not have any harsh sunlight sources that fall on the screen, then this TV will exceed your expectations.

Any reason why sunlight affects this TV more than other TVs?

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by carboy

Any reason why sunlight affects this TV more than other TVs?

Since the TV has VA panel and the panel brightness is average even at max settings, any sunlight falling on the TV screen will hamper the viewing experience.

Many TV's face this issue. Not just this one

[dragonfire]

Originally Posted by dragonfire

I looked up The Frame and the first feeling I got was "I want this".

The Frame 2021 it is.

The TV is on the way from Flipkart warehouse as I type this and should reach me tomorrow. Got 8K for the old TV in exchange and another 5K as ICICI card discount. 18 months of no cost EMI and the EMI discount brings the final price to 63K. This is due to some promotion, maybe due to the frame 2022 coming in a few weeks/months. So I didn't have to wait for Diwali.

Originally Posted by JithinR

Please keep in mind that the Frame uses a proprietary connector between the screen and the One connect box....
The cost for extending the warranty for the Frame was also too high at the time.

This one comes with 2 years extra warranty from Samsung - again some limited time promotion.

Originally Posted by neeraj0272

May I ask how old is your Iffalcon tv?
I have both TCL and Iffalcon and both are almost 3 years old and both running fine as of now. I am satisfied with these TVs.

The iFFALCON is 3 years old. I got it for a song (19K) exchanging an 9 year old LG 42. It works fine for the most part, but small small niggles are there. Its slow to boot up, interface is painfully laggy and the backlighting is not even. I never felt at home with it, so did not even care to wall mount it.

Can you elaborate why?

Am a bit too old to be adventurous with frugal brands. I'd rather buy something that provides good service and channel my worries elsewhere. Also, being in a small town has its disadvantages when it comes to service. When I saw the TV was misbehaving, the first think that came to my mind is to shop for a new one, not call customer care.

Originally Posted by carboy

I have an LG (I think 7-8 years old) which after first 3-4 years started giving issues. Since then I have replaced the backlights twice...

My LG lasted me 9 years with zero issues. Eventually a loose contact issue with the power cable came up and I felt it's time to let it go.

[GTO]

My 2014-build Sony 55 is working flawlessly. But I'm waiting for it to conk off so I can indulge in a 65 or 75 inch TV.

[dragonfire]

Originally Posted by dragonfire

The Frame 2021 it is.

And there it is.



24 hours with the TV and the feelings are mixed, but mostly on the positive side. Picture quality is amazing and leagues ahead of the iFFALCON with similar specs. Now am wondering how an OLED would have looked.

Art mode is fine, but they just have 23 free artworks out of which 10 are useable. Subscription is 299 a month - but I don't think I'd spend money on that. Am yet to figure out how to do a slideshow. Now I have to change the pic manually and have to select the mount type every time - very frustrating.

Wall mounting it makes it sit about a feet above where the iFFALCON used to sit when on the TV stand. No deal breaker, but does not feel natural. Also the cables and the switchboard are now visible. Have to find a way to cover it up.

Thanks harry10 for suggesting this TV.

[dragonfire]

Originally Posted by dragonfire

24 hours with the TV and the feelings are mixed, but mostly on the positive side.

7 days has passed and a review is in order.

Picture quality is amazing OOB with excellent blacks with some greying out when viewed from the sides. The picture degradation is not as bad as the iFFALCON so will excuse that. This is my first TV with motion smoothening and that has a negative effect on me. The resulting soap opera effect troubles me as even well shot movies appear like home video to me. I watched most of the episodes of Night Sky on the TV and most of the action (there are not many) appear like a bunch of kids playing with toy guns. To disable motion smoothening I have to enable film maker mode - but to access that option I have to disable intelligent picture mode. Now, intelligent picture mode disables a host of automatic adjustments the TV does to the picture based on surroundings - including auto brightness. A bummer, if you ask me. Disabling intelligent mode immediately resulted in a washed out picture, but setting the picture mode to Cinema saved the day although the picture is now a bit warmer than I like. I guess I have to continue with me experiments with picture settings to get the best out of it.

Sound is another surprise. Amazing clarity unlike the iFFALCON - I don't need to switch on the AV receiver to understand speech. There is very little bass, but what is there sounds really good. Can even enjoy random music in this. Its amazing that they managed to put good speakers into the thin frame. I was thinking that I will have to invest in a soundbar, but I ended up saving that money. For music and movies, I can switch on the receiver.

Tizen is horrible. Well, it boots up fast, but navigation is not stutter free. But once inside the apps, things are slick. Youtube, Prime Video and Hotstar perform well. Also cannot access settings menu while watching content. You have to exit the app, navigate to settings and then adjust picture, sound etc. That's too limiting, so am wondering whether I am missing something - I definitely must be.

The remote is a beautiful piece of equipment - small, lightweight and only has a handful of buttons. The buttons have a nice clicky feel and the volume joystick is a joy (no pun) to operate. It is rechargeable via USB and has solar panel on the back. The TV can also be controlled by the SmartThings mobile app - not a well designed app in my opinion. We can upload photos to the TV using the app - although the process is not very intuitive.

Art mode is good and am using it to display a few pics of our family, but am not sure how long we will use it. But then I did not buy it to view art - just wanted a TV that would look good in the living room. The art mode config interface is too slow and unintuitive. You have to set the mount for each picture and that is a turn off. I hope they fix it in a software update.

The OneConnect box is an black plastic box designed unimaginatively. I think it is designed to be tucked away than kept on a desk/stand. And the cable is some 15 ft long. Since my box sit right below the TV all 15ft of it lies coiled up below the TV. I have put it inside another black paper box and have kept beside the OneConnect box making the stand even uglier. I'll have to invest in new furniture, I guess.

Overall am satisfied with the purchase but a tad sad that I didn't go all the way and get an OLED TV. If only LG had an OLED Frame in their lineup.

ps: Our home is a Samsung zoo now - TV, refrigerator, washing machine and microwave.