Random Tech thread.

[shoop]

I just bought a 77 C4 after owning a 77 CX and 65 C1 before that.

I think the LG OLED is the best TV on the market right now and I'll always favor that over anything else.

The Sony A95L might be the best overall picture, but it'll cost you significantly more.

It’s always a toss up between LG and Samsung for me but the OS on Samsung is so much better than the ones I have used on LG

 

[Texas Ace]

It’s always a toss up between LG and Samsung for me but the OS on Samsung is so much better than the ones I have used on LG

The only thing I don't like about Samsung is that they don't support either Dolby Vision nor DTS surround.

And if my TV is going to be the centerpiece to my home theater setup, it has to support both of those things.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

I just bought a 77 C4 after owning a 77 CX and 65 C1 before that.

I think the LG OLED is the best TV on the market right now and I'll always favor that over anything else.

The Sony A95L might be the best overall picture, but it'll cost you significantly more.

Yeah that's my plan for my theater room. I have a 65 in LG OLED in my living room but will probably get the 77 inch C4 for my movie room soon.

The G4 is really bad ass but the price gets really pricey past the 65 inch.

 

[Bill Shatner]

After a ton of research, I think I'm going with the Samsung S90D 77 inch if I see it go on sale this season. Don't give a shit about Dolby Vision and I don't have any physical media for the best sound, so DTS isn't a concern either.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

After a ton of research, I think I'm going with the Samsung S90D 77 inch if I see it go on sale this season. Don't give a shit about Dolby Vision and I don't have any physical media for the best sound, so DTS isn't a concern either.

This TV is a really good deal right now, thinking about getting it for my movie roo..

Samsung - 77” Class S84D Series 4K OLED

 

[Bill Shatner]

This TV is a really good deal right now, thinking about getting it for my movie roo..

Samsung - 77” Class S84D Series 4K OLED

Yeah, that's their WOLED panel instead of a QD-OLED panel like the S90D. If you want the older WOLED, I'd go LG, they do those better. I think the LG equivalent would be the B4.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Yeah, that's their WOLED panel instead of a QD-OLED panel like the S90D. If you want the older WOLED, I'd go LG, they do those better.

Yeah, price wise at 1600 it's a great deal right now for a 77 in OLED

I prefer the LG C4 77 inch but it's pricier

 

[Bill Shatner]

Yeah, price wise at 1600 it's a great deal right now for a 77 in OLED

I prefer the LG C4 77 inch but it's pricier

The LG B4 is what you would be looking for. The C4 is in the samsung s90D range.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

The LG B4 is what you would be looking for. The C4 is in the samsung s90D range.

Ah didn't know that. Makes sense now. The B4 is the same price as the Samsung S84 d. I just hadn't seen any LG B4 in the 77 inch.

I've been eyeing the 77 inch C4 for awhile but not sure how to get rid of old TVs to make room.

 

[Smitty]

So when I moved in May 2024, the house we bought has a bonus room that not only came pre-wired for 5.1 surround, the owners actually left the Left, Right, Center, and two rear surround speakers mounted on the ceiling. They are wired to a closet in the side of the room and I had an AV guy out when we moved in who confirmed that the speakers work when tested from their wires in the closet. They are Klipsch speakers which, from what I know, is a reputable brand, but I assume they make higher and lower quality items, and I cannot see what model they are exactly when I climb a ladder to look at them, and I don't particularly feel like taking them down just to examine them further. They look a bit on the older side, but what do I know.

This week, I went and purchased a receiver to begin the transition to setting up a surround sound system. I'll also have to get a subwoofer, and I really want to upgrade the TV because the TV I put in there is a TCL 4 series 55". The TCL 4 series is a respectable TV and a good value, but it's not your "home theater," type TV.

Anyway, this is the receiver I bought, the Denon AVR S760H, it hasn't arrived yet. I got it on sale for $399. I'm not planning to spend $800 or $1000 on a receiver so this seemed like the best receiver in this price range:

Loading…

www.crutchfield.com

First question, anyone have any thoughts on this receiver? Did I do ok? Lots of people on reddit saying this is like the "best mid range receiver of 2021," and that the 2023 model released by Denon (the S770H) is basically the same receiver with a new UI and no other new features worth purchasing.

Secondly, and most importantly for this post.... I'm planning on mounting the new TV on the front wall, but I will put the receiver in the closet where the mounted speaker wires terminate. I will, therefore, also put my PS5 and Xbox Series X in the closet (I assume I'll have to open the closet door when playing them so that the controllers signals aren't blocked, but that's not the end of the world), to connect the consoles to the receiver. I purchased a hella-expensive 49 foot monoprice UHD certified 48 GBPS HDMI cable that my AV guy can run through my attic from the closet to the TV wall so I can get UHD signals from the receiver to the TV without signal degradation (I also have to buy shorter UHD certified cables from the consoles to the receiver, presumably).

QUESTION: I know I have to plug that UHD certified HDMI from the receiver to the TV into the (e)ARC HDMI port on the TV so that sound coming from the TV's native apps can back filter to the receiver and thus the surround sound system. DOES THE (e)ARC port need to be specified as 4k 120hz, then? Reasoning: Because I want the PS5/Xbox to display on my TV at 4k and up to 120hz (for when I play UHD 4k bluray disk on the Xbox's physical drive, for example), or for when there is a video game capable of higher than 60 fps, I want those consoles to be plugged into the 120hz port. But I also need the cable from the receiver to TV to be the (e)ARC port.

But the TV I'm looking at has 3 HDMI ports that are labeled 4k 120hz, but the (e)ARC port says 4k 60 hz.

I'm concerned the (e)ARC port being labeled 60hz means that my PS5 and Xbox, running from the receiver to the TV's 60hz (e)ARC port, will then be bottlenecked.

So do I need the (e)ARC port on a TV that I buy to be specifically labeled 120hz? And if so, does anyone have a recommendation for a TV that has this feature?

The TV I was looking at was the TCL QM8, review on CNET here: TCL QM8 (2024) Review: Mini-LED TV Gets Brighter, Richer Picture

As you can see from the picture of the HDMI panel, the (e)ARC port is labeled just 60hz. Here is the image blown up: https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/0c215f910388e484d5416ee40b1921a07785a43d/hub/2024/10/28/663b69a0-2bfa-486f-bd06-7d9912119c7b/tcl-qm851-7.jpg?auto=webp&width=768

Help please!

 

[mcnuttz]

I'm not much AV help, but can confirm that Klipsch speakers are awesome.

 

[boozeman]

I bought the exact same receiver. No issues from me.

 

[Smitty]

I guess to simplify the question, I want the receiver to pass along 120 fps signal from the PS5/Xbox to the TV.

The PS5/Xbox is capable of generating 120 fps at 4k. The Receiver is capable of handling the 4k signal at 120hz.

The TV is capable of displaying 4k 120 hz.

The TV has HDMI ports that accept 4k 120 hz.

But the (e)ARC HDMI port, where the receiver would have to be plugged into, is only 4k 60hz. Presumably that's a bottleneck and therefore any signal coming from the receiver is capped at 60hz because the HDMI port there is just 60hz.

So is this in fact the case, and if so, does anyone know of a TV with a 4k 120hz (e)ARC port?

 

[Smitty]

I bought the exact same receiver. No issues from me.

Yeah but is it plugged into your TV's (e)ARC port, and is that port 120hz or just 60hz? Are you getting a 120hz (120fps) signal when using the receiver?

 

[Smitty]

I feel like @Texas Ace or @UncleMilti will know the answer to this.

 

[Texas Ace]

I feel like @Texas Ace or @UncleMilti will know the answer to this.

Hey man.

So the Denon receiver is fine for what you're going for.

They make good home theater products and I bought one of their higher end receivers a few years ago and was very happy with it.

As for the eArc question, any new home theater-worthy TV is going to have the HDMI ports with eArc capability marked on the TV itself so you won't have any trouble identifying where to plug your eArc devices into.

 

[Smitty]

Hey man.

So the Denon receiver is fine for what you're going for.

They make good home theater products and I bought one of their higher end receivers a few years ago and was very happy with it.

As for the eArc question, any new home theater-worthy TV is going to have the HDMI ports with eArc capability marked on the TV itself so you won't have any trouble identifying where to plug your eArc devices into.

Thanks, I think my question might have been too complicated, though. I know which port the (e)ARC port is.

My issue is that I want the PS5 and the Xbox plugged into the receiver, in the closet, some 20 feet away from the TV at the front of the room. I will connect the receiver to the TV via a certified monoprice UHD 8k HDMI cable run through my attic.

But the TV I was looking at says its (e)ARC port is 4k 60hz. But the PS5 is capable of putting out 4k 120hz, and the receiver is capable of handling it. The TV's display has a refresh rate of 120hz, so it's capable of displaying it.

But since the (e)ARC port is specifically labeled 4k 60hz, that's a bottleneck, I presume. I would have to plug the PS5 directly into one of the 4k 120hz HDMI ports directly on the TV, which means I need the PS5 to be next to the TV at the front of the room... which I don't want. I want the PS5 in the closet, and run through the receiver.

So what I need is a TV whose (e)ARC is 4k 120hz, right?

 

[Texas Ace]

Thanks, I think my question might have been too complicated, though. I know which port the (e)ARC port is.

My issue is that I want the PS5 and the Xbox plugged into the receiver, in the closet, some 20 feet away from the TV at the front of the room. I will connect the receiver to the TV via a certified monoprice UHD 8k HDMI cable run through my attic.

But the TV I was looking at says its (e)ARC port is 4k 60hz. But the PS5 is capable of putting out 4k 120hz, and the receiver is capable of handling it. The TV's display has a refresh rate of 120hz, so it's capable of displaying it.

But since the (e)ARC port is specifically labeled 4k 60hz, that's a bottleneck, I presume. I would have to plug the PS5 directly into one of the 4k 120hz HDMI ports directly on the TV, which means I need the PS5 to be next to the TV at the front of the room... which I don't want. I want the PS5 in the closet, and run through the receiver.

So what I need is a TV whose (e)ARC is 4k 120hz, right?

Yes, exactly.

But if you're getting a really good home theater TV in 2024, this is pretty much standard.

You should be getting, at the very worst, an upper mid-range TV.

That's an LG C4, Samsung S90D, and the Sony A95L.

All of those TVs will have what you need.

For the price and compatibility, I'd go with the LG.

A 55 will run you about 1400 but if this is for your home theater setup for years to come, then just cough up the extra 300 and get you the 65.

Not only does it check all the boxes you're looking for (eArc compatibility, 120hz, HDMI 2.1, gaming, etc.), but another big reason why I'd choose it over the Samsung which grades a little higher than the LG C4, is because you specifically want this for a home theater setup.

Samsung TVs do not support Dolby Vision nor some of the DTS audio formats.

That's a huge strike against it if it's going to be the centerpiece of your setup.

I absolutely love the Sony too, but it's Sony which means they're going to charge you more than the other two will.

 

[Smitty]

Yes, exactly.

But if you're getting a really good home theater TV in 2024, this is pretty much standard.

You should be getting, at the very worst, an upper mid-range TV.

That's an LG C4, Samsung S90D, and the Sony A95L.

All of those TVs will have what you need.

For the price and compatibility, I'd go with the LG.

A 55 will run you about 1400 but if this is for your home theater setup for years to come, then just cough up the extra 300 and get you the 65.

Not only does it check all the boxes you're looking for (eArc compatibility, 120hz, HDMI 2.1, gaming, etc.), but another big reason why I'd choose it over the Samsung which grades a little higher than the LG C4, is because you specifically want this for a home theater setup.

Samsung TVs do not support Dolby Vision nor some of the DTS audio formats.

That's a huge strike against it if it's going to be the centerpiece of your setup.

I absolutely love the Sony too, but it's Sony which means they're going to charge you more than the other two will.

I see. Yeah, the TV I was looking at was the TCL QM8. It's a little more affordable and CNET says its their best TV of 2024. But I guess that's why it's more affordable, it has cut a corner on it's HDMI ports. Only two of the four support 4k 120hz. And specifically the (e)ARC port is only 4k 60hz.

So that TV is out for me then.

Yeah it seems like the LG is gonna be the way to go.

And I actually want a 75" I think, if not an 85". I suspect I'm gonna have to go over $2000 when I wanted to spend about $1500, dammit.

I have a 55" now and it's way too small. The wall in the room is huge. A 55" looks tiny. I suspect a 65" wouldn't be much better. I need at least 75" if not 85".

Thanks for the recommendations.

 

[Smitty]

This is the 55”. Yeah I think I need at least 75”, lol.

Please excuse my ghetto-ass racing wheel setup connected to a tiny end table, and the kids room Christmas tree that hasn't been taken down yet.

Also you can see my Rant-sent Phillip Rivers signed mini helmet on the left side stand there, its behind a hockey puck though.