Is this a good TV?

[Hugo Stiglitz]

I'll be honest £600 is my max really. We have a 9yr old Sony 55inch and it freezes every so often etc- seems to be getting on abit


https://www.johnlewis.com/samsung-ue65du8500-2024-...

The DU8000 reviews say that one is "Dim"

[119]

I'd be spending at least double that for a decent 65".

And it wouldn't be on a Samsung either.

[sahajesh]

LG or go home, or a Phillips.

[OutInTheShed]

My mate had a similar problem a few months back.
The smart functions of his geriatric telly were creaking.
So, he upgraded his satellite box, now that does the smart bollux, and the TV lives on as a dumb display.

If the TV freezes when it's just being a dumb HDMI display, I guess it's terminal.
A decade and a half ago, I used a Firestick to compensate for my TV's shortfall in the 'smart' department.

[Road2Ruin]

The TV is fine. I have an old 'Crystal screen model and the picture is great. I am sure you could do better, but you would have to spend more. Samsung is not the market leader for nothing, despite the naysayers.

[dontlookdown]

If it is the smart operating system/interface that freezes rather than the picture, a firestick might well give your Sony a new lease of life.

Had this problem with an old Samsung a few years ago, got a firestick to bypass the smart OS so the telly is just a telly. Worked fine.

Upgraded last year to an LG OLED, but the old telly/firestick is still going strong in my daughter's student house.

[mike9009]

dontlookdown said:

If it is the smart operating system/interface that freezes rather than the picture, a firestick might well give your Sony a new lease of life.

Had this problem with an old Samsung a few years ago, got a firestick to bypass the smart OS so the telly is just a telly. Worked fine.

Upgraded last year to an LG OLED, but the old telly/firestick is still going strong in my daughter's student house.

Agree with this comment. Get a fire stick if money is a little tight.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

Ah! Looking at the options of a 4K or HD stick - I'm guessing that i can't run a 4K as the tv is not 4K or would it still upscale somewhat?

Money - it's a tv. It feels 'wrong' to spend £££ money on a tv.

EDIT - A 4k will not upscale it'll play at the operating definition.

The tv is fine - its the operating system - thank you.


So s Firestick and .. a wifi router signal booster.

Edited by Hugo Stiglitz on Sunday 22 December 09:13

[Baldchap]

sahajesh said:

LG or go home, or a Phillips.

.
Genuinely this. Samsung does so much communication with base. I don't trust them

[FlossyThePig]

I'm not going to search for it now but i recently watched a YouTube video made by a TV repair man. He gave his opinion on which brands are good, no longer so good and some he would avoid.

[Digger]

This is the one . . .

https://youtu.be/bYpuILVtmfQ?si=LcWjq74yY6T5MyV5

[cerb4.5lee]

sahajesh said:

LG or go home, or a Phillips.

I'm not a fan of LG, because my father in law has one and it didn't even come with all the catch up TV apps built into it. So want is the point of that? I presume that the newer ones have them all on them now though.

[OutInTheShed]

Road2Ruin said:

.... Samsung is not the market leader for nothing, despite the naysayers.

Being cynical, I'd say Samsung are the market leaders because the majority of people are chavs who buy the biggest brightest thing showing the cartoons in Curry's.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

Fire stick and booster ordered.

Thanks guys.

When the tv goes pop I'll be back looking at the links AND I'll avoid Samsung.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Road2Ruin said:

The TV is fine. I have an old 'Crystal screen model and the picture is great. I am sure you could do better, but you would have to spend more. Samsung is not the market leader for nothing, despite the naysayers.

Exactly this. Just because the latest most expensive stuff is better, doesn't mean older cheaper tech is useless. In 2034, the stuff we're raving about today will be 25% of the price and people will be saying "how can you watch that crap".

[Hugo Stiglitz]

Exactly. I don't want to bin what was a decent tv. It still works! Just the software seems to be slow.

The firestick will solve

[Bonefish Blues]

Digger said:

This is the one . . .

https://youtu.be/bYpuILVtmfQ?si=LcWjq74yY6T5MyV5

Is that the chap who does similar on AVForums?

[Defcon5]

The 55in version of the TV in the OPs link is £350 here

https://www.rgbdirect.co.uk/product/samsung_ue55du...

[Tye Green]

Defcon5 said:

The 55in version of the TV in the OPs link is £350 here

https://www.rgbdirect.co.uk/product/samsung_ue55du...

and the 50" version at £329 from Argos / Currys has resided in my back room for 3 days!

it's better in every way than my 65" living-room based high-range Sony (£2k??? at the time) & even comes with 2 remotes!

[Hugo Stiglitz]

Ah remotes. We have a resident in our house that moves the one that came with the tv and replacement but that's another topic!