Agonizing TV Upgrade Decision-Advice needed

[wcladley]

I've recently been researching upgrades to my Samsung HLT5087S Rear-Projection DLP TV, which I really love. My goal was to find a set that matched it in vibrant, highly-saturated color.

So far, I've looked at the following:

Samsung UN65JS8500-65 inch SUHD if I want go all out.

Samsung UN55JS8500 vs. LG OLED 55EC9300 if I want forgo screen size in favor of quality and, in the case of the latter, 4K.

Sharp Aquos LC70UH30U 70" if I want to sacrifice some quality and high-end features for good color intensity at a larger screen size.

In the process of considering these options, I started to wonder whether or not we are in a kind of transitional period with TV technology. It seemed like the industry pushed 3D around 2010 because they simply needed something new, but consumers saw through it and it failed. 4K offers a quantifiable difference that can be marketed, but the lack of content really makes you wonder if this is not just another placeholder tech until the industry has settled on a 4K standard for screens and content delivery. I am now wondering if Samsung's SUHD branding is yet another attempt to delay things while they wait and see if OLED will be viable for LG.

So, from a buyer's standpoint, I am not sure if now is the time to buy a new set. I've had my current TV for 8 years and would definitely like an upgrade, but I am not seeing a truly compelling product at a reasonable price, and feel like if I do buy something now, I may regret it next year or the following year when the 4K standard is more settled. Of course, we always have buyer's remorse when the latest and greatest supplants what we buy, but it seems like this effect is amplified in transitional periods....if in fact we are in such a period.

What do you guys think?

 

[Shazamy]

I can't recommend a specific TV, plus it seems like you've done a good amount of research already and good conclusions.
What I can say is this, I've been to CES the last two years and have been following it for longer and it seems like TV manufacturers really hurt from investing all that money into 3D tech and nobody buying it. The plan is to avoid that with 4K, there's even a 4K alliance or UHD alliance that's been formed and it includes practically every big TV manufacturer in the world. 4K is here to stay in my opinion so investing in it wouldn't be a waste of money.
Netflix, Amazon, Roku, Apple and even cable companies are pushing for 4K as well.

 

[americanaudiophile]

The lack of 4k content is not as important as the fact that unless you are very close to an overly large screen your eyes can't pick up the additional pixels. Few people sit that close to a big screen except gamers. What you can see is not the 4k but the new wide range of brightness - contrast (darkest black to whitest white) and the expanded range of colors that the newest 4k sets have. You probably won't see any content with this noticeable improvement until UHD Blue Ray discs start coming out next year. When streaming content will have this is any ones guess.
The best picture quality you can buy todya in a flat screen today is OLED. The problem is that 4k OLED TVs are really expensive right now. The FHD sets have come down in price and look great.
You mention screen size and not knowing your room set up I might suggest that you could move to a 1080p projector and screen, Once you get used to a 100" screen it is really hard to watch a 65". The other advantage is you can get an excellent projector for $1k or less. A retractable screen allows placement you could never do for a flat screen TV. Just throwing out an option for you.