I am going to upgrade my TV and DVD player. A -70- inch model would be ideal. Which models would you recommend for the highest quality picture and sound?
Probably the Panasonic UB 9000 is the best BluRay, sadly there aren’t that many high end players out there these days .
I have a Pioneer UDP 500, and that is very close to it , stunning pictures
If you can get hold of one , they are very good . Pioneer have had a very ropey time and are just emerging from near extinction
Haven’t a clue on TVs
TVs are a bit like hifi insofar as there are the 99% of brands you’ve heard of and can afford and 1% you javen’t and can’t.
Loewe is a premium brand simce decades ago. Personally I prefer the Sharp Quattro panels but can only afford a Sony.
Thanks, Ian. Do you reckon BluRay players deliver better quality than streaming?
Bear in mind that the sound from modern flat screen TVs is uniformly awful so factor in a decent soundbar at least when buying unless you’ve already got a good audio setup.
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There are very few specific Blu Ray music discs, but sometimes the sound is superb , for example on the Bridge At Khazed - dum in the Fellowship of the Ring it really tests my Harbeths and the results are amazing
I recently updated two AV rooms with 5.1.2 Sony systems, one with wireless Sony surrounds, the other wired with B&W for ceiling surrounds and Atmos. I have the last top Oppo disk player in the lesser room and a recent top Sony Ultra 4K player in the big room. I like both the players, but find the Sony really good considering it retails under $350.
In the big room I am pleasantly surprised at how satisfactory the 77” Sony OLED display is at functioning as the center channel. Unique feature to Sony. Early days — I do plan to test a real center speaker at some point.
I admit I care as much about synergy as absolute performance with AV. The top Sony AVR 7000 is a cracker!
Good luck.
Nick
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I have bought the 7000 soundbar plus SW5 Subwoofer and SR5S rear Atmos speakers. Nit cheap, and doubtless anathema to the purist.
However, the SQ is pretty good without the set-up dominating the room: the SW5 is hidden under a small table abd the SR5S are atop some Mission speakers either side and slightly to the rear of the settee
Our 75in Samsung TV is the cheapest part of the AV set-up *(Panasonic UB9000 DVD player), but is to our eyes excellent, even on Virgin Media 1080i. *Cost about ÂŁ750.00
However, what we are delighted with is moot: it is difficult to really ascertain what a given TV will produce in actual domestic settings. Retailers now seem to use specially produced hidef feeds which look stunning if your viewing includes watching exotic fish.
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UB820 is a great alternative. Pretty much provides everything the UB9000 does (e.g., the former lacks some of the screen types in the HDR optimizer settings, although that’s a moot point as HDR optimizer doesn’t work with Dolby Vision or HDR10+), but at a much lower cost.
From professional reviews and awards over the last few years the OLED TV’s always come out on top with LG and Sony being the two getting the best results.
Both LG and Sony have a few models and sizes to choose from to suit the best performance and price you want to pay.
Picture and sound quality is better from discs than streaming, but not as convenient and also more expensive, but if you want the best then a very good Bluray Player is the way to go.
If you dont need SACD or DVD-A playback then the Panasonic players get excellent reviews, the best is the UB9000 but not too far behind in picture and sound quality and also a lot cheaper is the UB820.
If you need SACD and/or DVD-A then Magnetar and Reavon do Universal Disc Players but they are very expensive.
So much choice for TVs and easier choice for top spec Bluray players, good luck with your research and decision making.
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Thanks, MoonDrifter. Your comments are extremely helpful.
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FYI, many, perhaps most professional monitors used for colour grading film and TV use LG panels, so if I was looking for top quality, I’d be looking at LG. If you are looking for best value, I’ve been impressed with Hisense.
Whatever you buy, don’t waste your money on expensive HDMI cables. I measured generics vs high end from an audiophile cable company using professional scopes and a calibrated grading monitor, with both test signals and actual video content — there was zero difference. The shop that gave me the cable to test didn’t like my controlled audition results and continued to insist their customers see richer blacks, less of this and better that. Yes, a consumer can see what a professional colourist can’t.
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