New TV dilemma
Discussion
I've recently been fortunate enough to buy a little holiday house which came with a 'classic' old 25" CRT TV that was probably pretty flash once upon a time, but obviously isn't much use now.
TV/movie watching isn't going to be a primary activity there so I'm not planning to set up a full home cinema or anything. It will probably be used more for casual watching of tv shows, sports and youtube etc when the weather is bad rather than serious movie watching, so probably not worth spending up on a nice OLED for that use.
I've set up a spare stereo amp and pair of decent bookshelf speakers there already, so audio is sorted.
I could fit up to about a 42-48" screen on the current TV cabinet there (which is in a corner and suits the speaker positions well enough), or there is space to wall mount up to 55" or so (in the middle of a wall and I'd have to figure out something different for speaker locations, or add a soundbar and just use the other system for music). Leaning towards a smaller tv on the cabinet to keep it simple.
I currently have a ~10 year old Panasonic 42" 1080p plasma for my main home TV, which is still nice and IMO a much more natural picture than most LED/LCD stuff - but obviously getting on now! I think I would have to go OLED for a replacement to avoid disappointment.
Its in a small lounge set up as a home cinema with 7.1 surround, where I do care more about the viewing experience. Its not a smart TV, which is fine for me in general as it has a laptop almost permanently connected to it for streaming media. Being an old plasma with huge bezels, I could fit a modern 48" in the same space easily or probably up to 55" if I move speakers slightly.
So I'm swinging between options, but thinking black friday sales might be a good time to do it...
Option A
Buy a cheapish LED or QLED for the holiday house, open to suggestions of good value options (bearing in mind that I'm in NZ so no point linking to specific deals at retailers elsewhere).
+ lower short-term cost (having just mortgaged up to buy the place!)
+ smart tv functions convenient for streaming media without having to take laptop with me, or when friends and family are staying there
Option B
Splash out on a nice OLED to replace the plasma in my main system, and move the plasma to the holiday house. I don't think I'd want to wall-mount a plasma tv but pretty sure it will fit on the cabinet in corner.
+ nice upgrade for my main home theatre (4k etc)
+ lower power consumption tv for the place where it gets used more often, and less frequent use for the more power-hungry plasma
+ the plasma is old enough that it could potentially fail and need replacing in the near future anyway (becoming a moot point), but moving it to the place with lower use might extend its life?
- looks like more than double the price for a decent OLED over a more basic LED/QLED, so more short-term cost
- the old plasma isn't a smart tv, so a bit less convenient for streaming. But no real hassle to take laptop with me for trips there, or just add a cheap streaming box
Any thoughts/advice from PH TV gurus? I'm more of an audio guy, the current plasma is the only TV I've ever actually owned so I've been a bit out of date with TV tech!
TV/movie watching isn't going to be a primary activity there so I'm not planning to set up a full home cinema or anything. It will probably be used more for casual watching of tv shows, sports and youtube etc when the weather is bad rather than serious movie watching, so probably not worth spending up on a nice OLED for that use.
I've set up a spare stereo amp and pair of decent bookshelf speakers there already, so audio is sorted.
I could fit up to about a 42-48" screen on the current TV cabinet there (which is in a corner and suits the speaker positions well enough), or there is space to wall mount up to 55" or so (in the middle of a wall and I'd have to figure out something different for speaker locations, or add a soundbar and just use the other system for music). Leaning towards a smaller tv on the cabinet to keep it simple.
I currently have a ~10 year old Panasonic 42" 1080p plasma for my main home TV, which is still nice and IMO a much more natural picture than most LED/LCD stuff - but obviously getting on now! I think I would have to go OLED for a replacement to avoid disappointment.
Its in a small lounge set up as a home cinema with 7.1 surround, where I do care more about the viewing experience. Its not a smart TV, which is fine for me in general as it has a laptop almost permanently connected to it for streaming media. Being an old plasma with huge bezels, I could fit a modern 48" in the same space easily or probably up to 55" if I move speakers slightly.
So I'm swinging between options, but thinking black friday sales might be a good time to do it...
Option A
Buy a cheapish LED or QLED for the holiday house, open to suggestions of good value options (bearing in mind that I'm in NZ so no point linking to specific deals at retailers elsewhere).
+ lower short-term cost (having just mortgaged up to buy the place!)
+ smart tv functions convenient for streaming media without having to take laptop with me, or when friends and family are staying there
Option B
Splash out on a nice OLED to replace the plasma in my main system, and move the plasma to the holiday house. I don't think I'd want to wall-mount a plasma tv but pretty sure it will fit on the cabinet in corner.
+ nice upgrade for my main home theatre (4k etc)
+ lower power consumption tv for the place where it gets used more often, and less frequent use for the more power-hungry plasma
+ the plasma is old enough that it could potentially fail and need replacing in the near future anyway (becoming a moot point), but moving it to the place with lower use might extend its life?
- looks like more than double the price for a decent OLED over a more basic LED/QLED, so more short-term cost
- the old plasma isn't a smart tv, so a bit less convenient for streaming. But no real hassle to take laptop with me for trips there, or just add a cheap streaming box
Any thoughts/advice from PH TV gurus? I'm more of an audio guy, the current plasma is the only TV I've ever actually owned so I've been a bit out of date with TV tech!
Pistom said:
I was in a similar position to you and just got an average quality, averaged price TV.
No need to over think this. You just want a TV to watch occasionally and pretty much any modern TV which fits will do the job.
This, and a Chromecast, all streaming services (apart from Sky which doesn't apply in NZ) allow you to cast from their apps. This is presuming you've got wifi available.No need to over think this. You just want a TV to watch occasionally and pretty much any modern TV which fits will do the job.
Alex Z said:
Upgrade your home tv and relocate the Plasma makes most sense.
If it was in the Uk I’d also recommend selling the CRT if it’s a good one as retro gaming fans pay good prices.
I opted for an LG OLED to replace a Pioneer plasma and have been really pleased with it. As one of the most often used items in the house, it was worth spending the extra to get something decent. If it was in the Uk I’d also recommend selling the CRT if it’s a good one as retro gaming fans pay good prices.
The plasma is still serving PlayStation duties in a spare bedroom.
Some decent black friday deals around. Question for the OLED cognoscenti...
Panasonic JZ1000 vs LZ980 - similar price in 48"
I can see the JZ1000 is a higher model from 2021 and the LZ980 is a step down but 2022, which is better? Does the 2022 model year have significant enough improvements to outweigh the JZ1000 being a better model?
Panasonic JZ1000 vs LZ980 - similar price in 48"
I can see the JZ1000 is a higher model from 2021 and the LZ980 is a step down but 2022, which is better? Does the 2022 model year have significant enough improvements to outweigh the JZ1000 being a better model?
GravelBen said:
Some decent black friday deals around. Question for the OLED cognoscenti...
Panasonic JZ1000 vs LZ980 - similar price in 48"
I can see the JZ1000 is a higher model from 2021 and the LZ980 is a step down but 2022, which is better? Does the 2022 model year have significant enough improvements to outweigh the JZ1000 being a better model?
The LZ has a newer OS. Doubt you'd notice a difference in either. Neither have a heatsink.Panasonic JZ1000 vs LZ980 - similar price in 48"
I can see the JZ1000 is a higher model from 2021 and the LZ980 is a step down but 2022, which is better? Does the 2022 model year have significant enough improvements to outweigh the JZ1000 being a better model?
I never updated the outcome of this - I went for a cheaper led tv for the holiday home, Panasonic LX800 on a good sale.
Image quality is fine, no complaints for that use and it has integrated chromecast which is handy
It runs android tv operating system (not Panasonic's interface) which is a bit of a dog though - slow and unintuitive. And audio from the built-in youtube app is irritatingly out of sync.
Image quality is fine, no complaints for that use and it has integrated chromecast which is handy
It runs android tv operating system (not Panasonic's interface) which is a bit of a dog though - slow and unintuitive. And audio from the built-in youtube app is irritatingly out of sync.
Edited by GravelBen on Saturday 25th February 01:22
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