LG 43UJ6300 okay if I'm not big into 4K? Or just go for 1080p?

cpmackenzi

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Jul 11, 2014
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I'm looking to get a new TV under $500, and preferably no more than $400. I read that the LG 43UJ6300 is a fake 4K because of the white subpixels, so it's not as sharp as a real 4K screen. Here's the thing, though. My current living room TV is a 32" 720p (1080i) TV that's 7+ years old. We just bought a PS4, but not the Pro version that can do 4K. We don't have a 4K Blu-ray player or DVDs (yet). I feel that because we're not going to be doing a lot of 4K stuff in the near future, that won't matter much to me. I could just go with a 1080p TV then, but the price difference is mostly neglible to me. (I see a LG 1080p, the LJ5500, for $280, vs. the LG "4K" for $340.)

Then again, one review site (rtings) said the lowest score for LG was in movies, and we watch a lot of movies and Netflix/Amazon Prime. But maybe that score is for the 4K feeds?

I see a Samsung 40" MU6300 for $390, and it scores better across the board, so I could do that. There's also a 1080p 43" Samsung (UN43M5300AFXZA) for $300, and although it's the best 1080p on rtings, it scores worse than the LG 6300 and is also bad for movies.

I was trying to future-proof myself by going 4K, but because I'm not likely to overhaul all my other stuff, do I just go for the best 40-43" 1080p I can find and save a few bucks? Recommendations for 1080p TVs if that's the case?
 
Solution
4k would be the best option for future proofing. Many of the TVs feature upscaling to convert content from 1080p to 4k. So they actually tend to improve the viewing experience vs 1080p.

I've not heard of this fake 4k white subpixel thing before. That sounds super weird.

Really anything you buy will be a pretty substantial improvement over the 720p display you have now. My best advice is to go to a brick and mortar and check them about. It's one thing to read reviews but you'll get a much better idea by going to a store and looking at them for yourself.

grimfox

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Jun 2, 2009
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4k would be the best option for future proofing. Many of the TVs feature upscaling to convert content from 1080p to 4k. So they actually tend to improve the viewing experience vs 1080p.

I've not heard of this fake 4k white subpixel thing before. That sounds super weird.

Really anything you buy will be a pretty substantial improvement over the 720p display you have now. My best advice is to go to a brick and mortar and check them about. It's one thing to read reviews but you'll get a much better idea by going to a store and looking at them for yourself.
 
Solution

cpmackenzi

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Jul 11, 2014
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Whoops, didn't mean to pick best answer. I often do that. Anyway, thanks for replying. I'll be taking a trip to Target or Best Buy soon. The issue is what feed they get. If I'm honestly not using 4K at home, I'm not sure viewing all their TVs at that level will help me as much. And because I'm willing to do $400, it makes sense to get the Samsung 40" 4K. We don't need/want a huge living room TV, and we'll still get what seems to be the best rated picture for the size/price.
 

grimfox

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Looking through the Rtings reviews real quick I think you are on the right track with the MU6300. I don't think there are a lot of gimmicks going on with TVs that really skew the prices. The more you can spend, generally, the more you'll get. There are of course exceptions. You may also want to look at sony and particularly Vizio sets. I haven't shopped Vizio personally but I have heard good things about their performance to value ratios. You might find some other "value" brands that compare favorably to the set you are looking at.
 

cpmackenzi

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Jul 11, 2014
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A long time ago, I used to work at Best Buy and Circuit City, and Vizio TVs were awful. I realize times change (look at LG leading the OLED wave), but it's hard to convince myself to look at them. But I can take a look a the two stores and see.

I assumed Sony would price themselves out of my range for 4K, and that's partly the case: $500 at Best Buy right now for a 43". They have a KDL40W650D there that's just 1080p, for $379. I kind of figure the Samsung 4K may be the better option for about the same price. But via rtings, that 1080p Sony does score decently, better in Movies and the HDR stuff.