43" TV recomendations?

[whatknot]

I am tasked with obtaining a replacement 43" TV for the present Panasonic (TX-43D302B) which has got gradually darker and no amount of fiddling with settings can make it brighter

So has anyone and recomendations for a replacement

It has to be said I do not watch the TV very much, its my wifes domain, there are so many variables I simply do not know enough about with the modern sets

There are some as cheap as £180 right up to as much as you want to pay, budget is not so much the problem as a good set that is watchable and preferably easy to set up and use

I have read reviews and best of reports but am as confused as ever (or more so)

Any advice appreciated

 

[paulrbarnard]

LG are a solid cost effective option. Sony tend to be the ‘quality’ option. There are multiple versions in each range though so you need to decide what features, resolution and display quality you want.

 

[Doug71]

If you have a Richer Sounds store near you pop in and see them, I have always found them very helpful and knowledgeable.

https://www.richersounds.com/?gad_s...3XrcP2HC3tTeJAQN89jSB1k8Lu-QWSG4aAkQaEALw_wcB

 

[Agent_zed]

Something to bear in mind are things like startup time (my tv is incredibly slow and annoying) and TV guide (again my TV has a very slow TV guide).
Even things like very slow volume change can be infuriating.

All first world problems of course but it's probably worth visiting an actual store and playing with the controls etc.

 

[Sideways]

LG OLED have an impressive picture. This tech was proprietary to LG until just a year or two ago when the patent expired. It's strength is deep blacks that create a high contrast if you watch mostly in the evening with the lights dimmed.

 

[Amplidyne]

Another vote for LG. Seems OK. Good pic but needs the soundbar we have for decent sound IMO.
Starts up and runs well. Bought in the Summer of 2023. It's a 50" UR91.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

Last year we bought an LG 43" TV - excellent but a search shows the model as currently unavailable.

It replaced a smaller stop gap 32" TV bought during house renovations which was poor - mainly as the processor/software was very slow when watching online rather than through an ariel. It was tried in the kitchen (which had no ariel socket) eventually replaced with another 32" LG.

Although tempting to go for cheap - in this case it may be better to pay a little more for good.

 

[Rhossydd]

You won't go wrong with a Panasonic OLED. Great picture and sensible menu structure.

 

[whatknot]

Thank you for the replies so far, much appreciated, sound isn't generally a problem
(apart from my wife having it to loud ;-)
So sound bar is unlikey to be needed

One thing that was mentioned is the slowness of the modern sets, and simple things like a brightness control, all older sets had a volume and brightness control on the remote, my older bedroom set had an easily adjustable setting for daylight and night time, which effectively dimmed the brightness which was ideal for night viewing when I can't sleep, the modern replacement has no such setting, in fact you have to jump through a myriad of hoops just to change one small thing like brightness which is very frustrating

I had to read what OLED was, so am now a little more informed ;-)

With such as the LG, Sony and Panasonic mentioned, how fast are they to react to the remote buttons

Do any have a brightness control? preferably one you can use from the remote without going through 79 menus ;-)

The bedroom replacement set is a JVC and its so slow its like back to the 1950s

 

[whatknot]

Something to bear in mind are things like startup time (my tv is incredibly slow and annoying) and TV guide (again my TV has a very slow TV guide).
Even things like very slow volume change can be infuriating.

All first world problems of course but it's probably worth visiting an actual store and playing with the controls etc.

That is a particular bug bear I find with modern sets, they are annoying slow, you press a button and wait (and wait)

As you say 1st world problems

 

[AJB Temple]

Go bigger.

 

[whatknot]

If you have a Richer Sounds store near you pop in and see them, I have always found them very helpful and knowledgeable.

https://www.richersounds.com/?gad_s...3XrcP2HC3tTeJAQN89jSB1k8Lu-QWSG4aAkQaEALw_wcB

I confess I have never heard of them, I doubt there is one in Cornwall , ah just found one which seems the nearest but its Plymouth so 50 miles away

 

[whatknot]

Go bigger.

But why when the present 43" is okay ?

 

[whatknot]

Well I have also learned that OLED trebles the price ;-)

And is the most expensive to run

Cheapest I found was £699

ALso tripped over QLED which is described as being best for bright daylight viewing, OLED is better for darker room viewing

Why is so difficult to just buy a TV the wife will enjoy watching :-( without the need for a degree in quantum physics ;-) ?

 

[AJB Temple]

Bigger is better.

 

[whatknot]

Bigger is better.

Well I guess it would be if it doesn't dwarf the room, the 43" is fine size wise, any bigger just looks daft, its not a small room but not huge either

 

[Ollie78]

Another factor is what "operating system" it runs.
I can only fit a 43 inch tv in the place where our tv lives and have been looking at a 4k Roku tv because we have been using a little Roku box for years since ditching Virgin and quite like it.
Unfortunately my 20 year old Samsung 1080p telly will not die.

My parents bought one of the Samsung frame tv`s because my Mum hates the black screen when a tv is off. It displays any picture or painting or whatever so when its off it just looks like a painting. It is really brilliant actually.

 

[woodieallen]

Thank you for the replies so far, much appreciated, sound isn't generally a problem
(apart from my wife having it to loud ;-)
So sound bar is unlikey to be needed

One thing that was mentioned is the slowness of the modern sets, and simple things like a brightness control, all older sets had a volume and brightness control on the remote, my older bedroom set had an easily adjustable setting for daylight and night time, which effectively dimmed the brightness which was ideal for night viewing when I can't sleep, the modern replacement has no such setting, in fact you have to jump through a myriad of hoops just to change one small thing like brightness which is very frustrating

I had to read what OLED was, so am now a little more informed ;-)

With such as the LG, Sony and Panasonic mentioned, how fast are they to react to the remote buttons

Do any have a brightness control? preferably one you can use from the remote without going through 79 menus ;-)

The bedroom replacement set is a JVC and its so slow its like back to the 1950s

Curious about the need to change the brightness as we've never changed ours on our Samsung 55". Another thing to think about is streaming services if you're into that as most TVs these days have the ability to instal streaming apps.

 

[Spectric]

Bigger is better.

For a given room size you can get to big, think of looking at a billboard from a distance and then getting really close.

 

[paulrbarnard]

Curious about the need to change the brightness as we've never changed ours on our Samsung 55". Another thing to think about is streaming services if you're into that as most TVs these days have the ability to instal streaming apps.

Yep same here. Our LG does that automatically