Topic: 4k TV Recommendations

So, with PS4 Pro coming very soon, I wondered if we could get a list together of 4k enabled TVs which would be best for gaming. I certainly have no idea, so am very much turning to the community to perhaps recommend sets in low (under £800), mid (£800-£1000) and high (£1000+) price brackets. Maybe this is something pushsquare could run a feature on? So, do you already own a 4k TV? Are there any trusted resources to help me get clued up on this?

@Shellcore: I think you need to rethink your 'tiers' as Low is most likely to be under £1k, Mid £1-2k and high - over £2K.

It also depends on size too of course. I own a Samsung 55KS8000 (55" 4k HDR TV) and would highly recommend it. The current Samsung KS line-up are all 4k HDR TV's and offer the lowest gaming lag (in game mode) than any 4K HDR TV. I don't think though you will get a 4K HDR TV at less than £1k even though the Samsung range are relatively cheap in this area. The smallest entry level 4k HDR TV from Samsung is the 49KS7000 and can be bought for about £1.1k (RRP was £1.2k). Sony themselves don't offer many UHD certified TV's - mainly because they can't get the deeper blacks or peak brightness. They make claims that they are not submitting their TV's to be tested but meet the Peak Brightness (but don't meet the black level) - its carefully worded to make you think they could but websites that have tested and reviewed them say they lack in key areas - only 1 (I think) could pass the certification process but its the most expensive too. LG offer OLEDs which look spectacular - although HDR doesn't look as great because they can't reach the same brightness levels HDR in OLEDs is a minimum of 540nits compared to 1000nits of LEDs .

I am a member of AVForums which is a great resource for finding out about HDR, what it is etc. My advice to anyone though is to go to somewhere that sells TV's and watch HDR content. As soon as you see it, you will understand.

In the above image, bell shape represents the total visible spectrum of the human eye, the smallest triangle within it represents the current limitations of the Rec.709 standard (SDR). The larger triangle represents the new Rec.2020 standard for colour, which is the maximum colour space proposed for the new 4K Ultra HD standards, and it's obviously much wider in scope than what we have been seeing up until now. The current 8-bit video standard allows for a maximum of 256 shades of any one primary colour to be displayed but under the new 4K Ultra HD standards, displays will need to be capable of handling colours at a depth of 10-bits, allowing for 1,024 shades of every primary colour. A colour for example is made up of a 'value' for Red, Green and Blue - so for example on SDR, Red could be 256 R/0 B/0 G on HDR this could be 1,024 R/0 B/0 G. The number of possible colours in SDR is 256x256x256 compared to 1,024x1,024x1,024.

Thats only part of it though as HDR also has a greater Contrast ratio - the difference between the darkest and brightest areas. In SDR, the brightest areas are around 100nits but in HDR its over 1,000 nits (on LEDs). The idea is to increase the overall dynamic range between black and white by making the dark parts darker and the bright parts brighter, whilst retaining detail when both are in the frame. So for example if the image was of the inside of a room you could see details in the dark shadows but also make out details through the brightly-lit window.

The above image shows the 'volume' of colour that HDR offers over SDR. The 'bell' shape being at the bottom with the brightness added to the graph to give a 3D representation of the first image above. Obviously I can't show you what HDR looks like, but I can show a 'representation' of it below

This is coming to gaming and why I recommend looking for a HDR certified TV. The impact of 4k alone is minimal - unless you go 'Big' with your TV. The difference between SDR and HDR though is literally Night and Day!

RTINGs (website) is another good resource stop for HDR and comparing TV's (be aware though its a US site and model numbers can be different - My KS8000 for example is the KS9000 in the US. Their KS8000 is the KS7000 in the UK and Eu - but the KS8000 (or KS7000) is one of the highest rated TV's for a 'budget' 4K HDR TV - review HERE and to quote their findings for input lag

Input Lag: 20.9ms
Great, even for competitive gaming. Not to say that this TV will make anyone's skills improve but those who like to have every little advantages on their side will enjoy that low of an input lag. The overall experience feels very responsive even for the games that requires very fast reflexes. To get that low input lag, 'Game' mode has to be enabled. When sending an HDR signal under game mode, the input lag is 22.6ms.

Even with HDR games 22.6ms beats EVERY 4k HDR TV's game mode - the best of the rest is around 35ms without HDR. Its one of the reasons I went with the KS8000 (very similar results)

Those artificial marketing images with using a normal picture and dulling it down on purpose to show the difference of HDR to SDR don't say much really. HDR CAN look nice but honestly, the "wow" factor will wear off fast and if you don't have a SDR and HDR image sitting next to each other you won't notice much. I hate the push for 4K where we barely manage to master the Full HD gaming experience. But that's just my thoughts.

You know what the most important thing for me is when buying a new TV? Avoiding ugly stands.

@BAMozzy: I think I've seen this model before. Not sure if its the same model but those stands do look familiar.

http://www.samsung.com/my/consumer/tv-av/tv/suhd/UA55KS7000KXXM

@BAMozzy: Thanks for that. Will check out your set online. There is so much to consider. I guess, for me, if I was to buy a PS4 Pro, I would need to have a 4k set to benefit the most from it. Obviously, the expense is huge, but at least your post gives me a solid starting point.

@Shellcore: It might be fun to get a Pro to use on your standard HD set before upgrading to a 4K after 6-12 months.

When I got a PS3 I played it on my SD TV for half a year. It was still a big improvement over my PS2, and then when I got a HD set I really appreciated another jump in quality.

@kyleforrester87: I guess that is a valid option, although the marginal gains from doing that would put me off buying. It's a kind of jump in with two feet or not at all situation. What will you be doing?

I wonder what would look better:

a) a PS4 Pro being displayed on a high-end 1080p TV (high-end from 2 or 3 years ago for example)

or

b) a standard PS4 (launch version) being displayed on a high-end 4K TV with upscaling

@Shellcore: I'll be getting the PS Pro sometime between launch day and Christmas, since the improvements seem pretty cool even on a standard HD set. My TV will be 2 and a half years old at Christmas but I spent about £900 on it when I got it so I am kind of galled at the prospect of upgrading already, but I reckon by next Summer I'll be happier to do so, plus the resale on my current TV should still get me a few hundred quid (also the trade in on my normal PS4 should get me a bit of a discount on a pro, so it doesn't need to cost quite so much).

@WanderingBullet: This is the particular model I have - I prefer the overall aesthetics - although mine is wall mounted anyway. It also has better 'sound' - not overall spectacular sound compared to a home theatre set-up but very good for something so slimline...

http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/tv-audio-video/televisions...

@Shellcore: The PS4 Pro will work perfectly well on a 1080p TV. Chances are you will notice a difference - especially if you keep your original PS4. RV Manufacturers bring out a new range every year (around March) so you may find this years models drop in price and could probably pick up some great deals in the Black friday sales - if not this year, the certainly next. I would advise getting an HDR TV though if you can because of the extra dimension it brings. SDR TV's can't offer the colour range and contrast ratio. HDR is more 'future proof' than SDR as well. If you can't afford or don't want to go very big, the difference in HD to 4k is negligible but HDR is significant.

I didn't get my first 1080p flatscreen TV until after I had a last gen console. The difference between gaming on a 32" CRT TV to a 46" 1080p was massive. The first time I watched HDR, I was gobsmacked - I can't wait to see what impact it will have on games like Uncharted 4 - let alone the new games... Madagascar for example, the Pirate village.... Can't wait!!!

Even if you don't upgrade your TV first, it will be like having a remastered version of these games when you finally do...

@BAMozzy: Ah, I see… I tried copying the model name "KS8000 Flat SUHD Quantum Dot Ultra HD Premium HDR 1000 TV" in Samsung's search engine but ended up with zero results. Might not be available here, I guess. It's either that or it goes by a different model name or number which could happen in different countries.

Where are you based? The model number of mine in the US for example id the KS9000 but that model in the UK is the curved version of mine. The top of the range model is the KS9500 in the UK but the same model is the KS9800 in the US. It can get a bit confusing if you are looking for reviews etc.

A list would be nice. I'm not in the market for a new TV right now, but 2-3 years from now I will. This thread (or a feature?) would be a godsend as i'm useless with everything tech.

@BAMozzy: I'm based in Malaysia but yeah, the model names can get confusing… No worries, I haven't decided on getting the PS4 Pro, yet since its a huge investment having to get the a 4K TV as well for me. I'll wait for the reviews first and then decide from there.

@Fight_Teza_Fight: The problem with lists like this is that virtually every year it would need to be updated. In 2-3 years time, the things that are relevant now could change. A lot of TV's have strengths and weaknesses too. Something like the B6 OLED for example has a great PQ for HD/4K content/movies but may not be as good for gaming (relatively high input Lag, risk of Image retention/screen burn) and HDR isn't as 'spectacular' - partly because SDR content looks great and partly because its brightness can't match LED's and OLEDs seem to suffer 'clipping' issues with HDR10 content. That could change with next years models of course. As a result, TV's are relatively personal choice and can vary depending on your preference and what usage its most likely to get used for. For example the B6 could well be the perfect TV if movies are your prime use (or the E6 if 3D is important). Samsungs KS range seem to be the best as far as Input Lag is concerned so maybe better for the gamer but don't offer 3D which maybe important for some. Panasonics DX902 has a great picture and average input lag but also has fans in the back which can be heard in quite moments.

Its no good saying 'x' TV is the 'best' when its way outside of 99% of peoples budgets and/or it doesn't fit in to your needs - might not be the best for movies. may not be the best aesthetically or offer something you want specifically - like 3D for example. Places like these forums or speciality websites (like AVForums) can give you more information about specifics - like what HDR actually is - and visiting retailers can give you some experience of these too but as to what TV is 'best', that could change and won't necessarily be the 'best' for you.

@roe: The answer is A

@Shellcore: Sony KD55SD8505BU 55 Inch 4K Ultra HD Curved TV

Usually selling for around a grand I can see these same TVs being £500/£600 in 6 months time.

@themcnoisy: Haha I got my TV 2 years ago for just under £900, now I see it for like £350. I know that's to be expected but still...c'monnnn!!