Time for a TV upgrade...

Cunning Plan · May 18, 2015, 12:59:10 PM

Quote from: FUBAR on May 18, 2015, 07:31:17 AMI find that it helps as watching a bright screen in darkness can make your eyes ache sometimes (i find) so the small amount of ambient light helps, and because it's behind the screen & diffused it doesn't reflect or detract from darker sections of the film.

Sounds like a good idea, I might have to copy it. I agree that a small amount of light other than the TV is needed to make it easier to watch.
:thumbsup:

Roadkill · May 18, 2015, 03:37:48 PM

Quote from: FUBAR on May 18, 2015, 12:05:03 PMon that note Dean, i'm ready when you are with the coffee table now BTW

Noted. I'll look into its replacement this week. :chiny:

Roadkill · October 26, 2015, 07:41:32 AM

Ryan, I'm looking to upgrade our T.V as part of the lounge re-decoration . . . . have my mind set on a 48" 4K Samsung (Flat screen) but am considering a sound bar thingy . . . . .

My question - which the lovely lady in John Lewis couldn't answer - is : Can I plug in a iPod / iPhone into it and play music off that via the USB (or other connection) - when the T.V is not in use ??

I have and iPod dock that is now obsolete so was looking at getting rid of that in the process . . . .

Roadkill · October 26, 2015, 07:50:50 AM

FYI - I'm looking at this telly :

http://www.johnlewis.com/samsung-ue48ju6400-led-4k-ultra-hd-smart-tv-48-with-freeview-hd-and-built-in-wi-fi/p1929338

and this sound bar :

http://www.johnlewis.com/samsung-hw-j550-wireless-soundbar-with-bluetooth-and-separate-subwoofer/p1913265?colour=Black

EDIT -

After being quoted £30 just for someone to LOOK at my current BluRay player (that's acting up) I think I'm gonna go with this, too :

http://www.johnlewis.com/samsung-bd-h6500-smart-3d-4k-blu-ray-disc-dvd-player/p1351944

I do love my wall-mountable BluRay player but I think it'll always have inherent issues. :(

FUBAR · October 26, 2015, 02:30:41 PM

Quote from: Roadkill on October 26, 2015, 07:41:32 AMMy question - which the lovely lady in John Lewis couldn't answer - is : Can I plug in a iPod / iPhone into it and play music off that via the USB (or other connection) - when the T.V is not in use ??

I have my iPod is connected to my soundbar via a 3.5mm headphone-to-2 phono connection, the soundbar then purely treats this as an incoming audio signal and you control the volume etc from the Yamaha remote. The Downside? - You can't skip tracks from the remote, you have to tap the ipod to do this.

I'm not sure if the soundbar has USB inputs then you may be able to control the ipod from the soundbar remote but I'm not sure if this is possible (Mine won't do this) the best thing to do is take your iPod into the shop and test it on their display model if they have one.

FUBAR · October 26, 2015, 02:51:36 PM

The bits you've chosen there look spot on, its worth remembering that you'll need new HDMI cables to support any 4k video signals. DO NOT buy them from John lewis, it's £50+ for a 2m cable from there and I needed two 5m ones!!! , I bought my ones from this guy:

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/hdmihq/
The cables are spot on, look cool (even though you won't see them :P ::)) and they're far cheaper than any shop in town.

Its also worth noting that the only 4K broadcasts available at the moment are from things like Netflix premium services and you need a 45Mb internet connection to stream them. There are no true 4K Blu-rays yet and for some reason these seem a while off. But you're future proofed and when you get a new PC or any 9th Generation consoles (whatever is after the Xbox One and PS4) you may buy in the future it'll look awesome right from day 1. (Just remember to run in a second cable in the wall to accommodate this)

Incursus · October 26, 2015, 04:29:57 PM

Quote from: Roadkill on October 26, 2015, 07:41:32 AMMy question - which the lovely lady in John Lewis couldn't answer - is : Can I plug in a iPod / iPhone into it and play music off that via the USB (or other connection) - when the T.V is not in use ??

"Your HW-J550 SoundBar can be easily used to enjoy your favourite playlists too. Simply connect your Bluetooth enabled phone or tablet to your soundbar and start streaming music stored on your phone or music services such as Spotify or Deezer.".

Use your phone as the "remote".

Downside the sound quality may not be as good as using an Aux input though we're not talking premium sound system here so probably be fine.

I went with Sonos but it's rather pricy especially when you start to expand. :-/

Roadkill · October 26, 2015, 08:40:00 PM

So, yes, then.

Cool.

I'm going shopping .....

Incursus · October 27, 2015, 03:38:20 AM

Yeah basically. If you're just looking for a satisfying boom when the death star explodes then it should be awesome, if you're looking for a great audio system for music then do a little research. In not saying the one you've chosen won't do the job, I know nothing about it other than the JL website blurb, but I'd check your 100% happy with it before splashing out. 😊

In my experience Bluetooth streaming isn't all that reliable or convenient.
From what I remember you listen to more music than you watch TV 😉

Roadkill · October 27, 2015, 05:40:00 AM

Ah, O.K.

I should've specified . . . when I say connect an iPod / iPhone I do mean the good ole' fashion "plug it in". I've no interest in playing music via Bluetooth. The sound bar has a USB input but I wasn't sure if the sound bar would just play the music off the iPod / iPhone or see it as a device and try to talk to it (i.e. be too clever for what I want).

Also, no, I'm not looking for a sound-perfect surround sound system . . . In my experience the ideal set-up can only be achieved in the "perfect" sized room, the "perfect" shaped room, with no furniture, no windows etc, etc . . . Unrealistic. Plus I hate seeing an army of speakers dotted around the room.

I just want something that'll sound better than the T.V speakers as I'll be playing music through them . . . . to be honest I probably won't even play the T.V through the sound bar (except on special occasions) as I'm sympathetic to my neighbours and would end up getting carried away (!!!)

Incursus · October 27, 2015, 06:00:29 AM

Ah ok, as Ryan says take your iPod / iPhone to the store and try it out (don't forget your cable). 😊

I wasn't talking about a surround sound setup, not sure that's why good for music anyway, just ease of use and a good enough audio...err..range? for music.

Saying that I've set mine up with surround sound :sofa: Though it knows when I'm playing music or watching TV.

Roadkill · October 27, 2015, 06:28:16 AM

I listen to probably 45% of my music in the back office in the garage (while I'm doing stuff in the garage or on the P.C), 54% via headphones (I tend to stay up much later than everyone else) and only 1% through the current iPod dock (which the sound bar will be replacing) so although important, I'm not gonna get too worried about sound quality . . .

In a nutshell I'll be looking at it a lot more than listening to it, so aesthetics are more important in that respect.

I don't think JL has that model in stock to demo - but I may go back and find a suitable spotty nerd to quiz about it before buying.

Incursus · October 27, 2015, 07:05:36 AM

http://org.downloadcenter.samsung.com/downloadfile/ContentsFile.aspx?CDSite=UNI_UK&CttFileID=5986105&CDCttType=UM&ModelType=N&ModelName=HW-J550&VPath=UM/201503/20150314163143266/AH68-02821B-HW-J550-J551-XU_ENG-20150307.pdf

Doesn't specifically mention ipods but does say you can connect mp3 player to the usb port. Can get an Android app to act as a remote control.. At worst get a large capacity USB drive and jobs a good.

Incursus · October 27, 2015, 07:10:46 AM

P.S there is an AUX input

Roadkill · October 27, 2015, 07:07:30 PM

Costco had a very similar (maybe the same) sound bar in when we were down earlier so I checked if it had an Aux - which it did. Think I'll be fine.

art b · November 02, 2015, 08:24:54 AM

We have not changed our TV for 7 years. :tongue:

Tbh
were lucky and only watch an hour a day on average,

Some days it does not get switched on.. :confused:

We have the 100 inch projector..which has been used for Gladsto..
And a dozen films in 5 yrs..

Roadkill · November 02, 2015, 09:33:54 AM

I don't watch that much telly these days (it's mainly Sammy :smirk: )

art b · November 02, 2015, 02:27:28 PM

Quote from: Roadkill on November 02, 2015, 09:33:54 AM
I don't watch that much telly these days (it's mainly Sammy :smirk: )

its where the advertisers do their stuff....

how else are shops going to get em in spending money .... ::)

Roadkill · November 02, 2015, 04:44:55 PM

Quote from: art b on November 02, 2015, 02:27:28 PMhow else are shops going to get her in spending my money

Corrected.

:smirk:

Roadkill · January 08, 2016, 09:48:03 AM

Still haven't upgraded my T.V as I'm still pondering what to do with the lounge . . . I did buy the Samsung Blu Ray, though as I got pi$$ed of with our old one.

The new one's awesome. I'm not keen on the "smart" stuff but have to admit the options are handy. No complaints so far.

Think I'll look into Sonos (or similar) speakers if the T.V stays in its current position but we'll see. :chiny: