Help a guy out? Renovating home theater system after 10 years and have a few questions.

vasubandu,

     You have some good equipment to get started with if you want to cobble together a good ht system. 
     However,  I think you need to decide what your goal is for the final result.  Do you want a  good ht system that utilizes as much of your existing equipment as possible to save some $ or do you want a very good ht system that takes advantage of the latest technology?  No matter which route you decide on, you'll then need to give a budget estimate in order to receive useful suggestions.
     I  know I, and believe most members here, would offer different suggestions based on your goals and budget.  
     I think I can give you some useful advice no matter which method you decide on but I also need your budget to better tailor them to your expectations.

Thanks,
  Tim
     
     

gdhal,

    Technically, I believe you're correct that Samsung's QLED is the most recent technology.  IMO, however, OLED is the much more impressive technology.  The  latest 65" LG and 65" Sony (which uses an LG panel) 4K  with active HDR models clearly offer the superior picture quality.  
     Don't get me wrong,  I think your Samsung 65" QLED offers probably the best picture quality of any 4K  LED/LCD FALD hdtv on the market and Samsung's new QLED  technology could be the reason why.  But OLED panels, especially with the 4K and HDR improvements, are definitely superior.  Just view both and compare off axis picture qualities; the OLEDs pq will remain consistently unaltered as off axis viewing angle is increased while the QLED's pq will fade in brightness and resolution as off axis viewing angle is increased. 
      OLED also offers superior color, resolution and black levels since each of the multi-million pixels on a 65" OLED panel are controlled individually and emit their own light intensity and color while also being capable of being completely turned off for ideal black levels.  Samsung's QLED uses backlighting which is less precise although the FALD technology likely helps.

     For years, Value Electronics has been conducting an annual hdtv shootout in Scarsdale, NY which consists of a panel of professional video reviewers and calibrators comparing the top hdtvs and then voting on which is best.
     The OP's  60" Pioneer plasma, if it's a Pioneer Elite Kuro model, was considered by these experts to be the finest hdtv for years in the early years of this competition.
     In 2013, the 65" Panasonic VT60 plasma (with the hiring of many former Kuro engineers and in Panasonic's final year of plasma production) became the first hdtv to top the Kuros in the shootout..  This is my current tv that I've owned for the last 4 yrs.
     LG OLED hdtvs have won the top award at this competition each of the last 4 years (2014-2017).
    The only hdtvs I've seen in person that I would consider replacing my Panasonic plasma with are the LG and Sony OLEDs.
     gdhal, my intention is not to offend you but to give the OP the most complete and accurate information as possible so he can make an informed decision. Him believing that Samsung QLED technology  provides in-home pq that is similar or even within the same class as the pq that OLED  technology provides is just not accurate.
 
 Tim

     I really wish the OP would give some feedback on budget and goals since I know of a method he can build his own system using separates that will outperform any available A/V receivers as long as Atmos is not required.

     It's similar to mahler123's suggestion but with a twist.

     vasubandu, you still out there?
Tim

gdhal,

     I really don't visit the AVS Forum too often (except to view their annual coverage of the hdtv shootout) so I'm not familiar with most of the discussions there.  But I have read numerous professional reviews on both OLED and QLED models, heard the comments from A/V store employees, friends and family members and many a/v store customers that are strangers to me who have all compared the Samsung QLED and LG/Sony OLED 4K HDR hdtvs in a store setting.  I've also watched the AVS coverage on approximately the last 8 Value Electronics yearly hdtv shootout videos on You Tube  and listened to the panelists (consisting of professional A/V reviewers and calibrators) discuss their rankings,test results and general comments. There's typically a Samsung hdtv in the competition; the initial shootouts had plasma contenders and more recent shootouts usually had a QLED model. 
     You've kind of caught me by surprise by your comments since, of all the feedback I've received from those listed in the paragraph above, you are literally the first person I've encountered that hasn't noticed a stark distinction between the pq of these 2 technologies and preferred the OLED sets.  The only pro comments I can recall hearing about the Samsung QLED hdtvs was that the off axis viewing angle wasn't as bad as expected and they cost less than the OLED hdtvs. These same individuals expressed many more pro comments about the OLED hdtvs, using various superlatives that  would generally translate as different forms of 'wow!".  The common cons I recall hearing were comments such as "it's too expensive" and "let's wait til the price comes down".
     My surprise stems from your response to this obvious contrast in pq between these hdtvs being so different from all these other individuals and my own reactions.  As if you're comparing a Lexus to a Chevy Malibu and claiming  the cars are so similar you're having a hard time deciding which car you like best and just ignoring the large quality and price differences. 
    Maintaining that the Samsung QLED and LG/Sony OLED 65" 4K HDR hdtvs are somewhat similar is plainly and simply a false equivalency.  You have the right to your own opinions but not to your own facts.       
     You may want to watch the 2016 and 17 Value Electronics HDTV shootouts  below to get a better understanding of the professionals viewpoints on these hdtvs and their underlying different technologies.that result in their pq differences.

     2016: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLw0ypM4Zvo016: 
     2017: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHdqjtuE03Y

      My main point to you in my recent posts is that you're misrepresenting the difference between QLED and OLED by minimizing the differences between them.  For example, these shootouts  entail about 100  A/V industry professionals rating each hdtv on a 1-10 point system (10 is best)in 9 important performance areas.  These scores are then averaged to determine the winner.  The LG OLED won this shootout for 2016 with the Samsung winning 2nd place.  However, the OLED outscored the QLED in each of the 9 categories, interestingly including the "High ambient light performance" category (performance in a bright room).  A Sony LED/LCD actually won this category with the OLED 2nd and the QLED 3rd.  
   Even given the above evidence that the LG/Sony OLEDs thoroughly outperform the Samsung QLED according to about 100 A/V experts, you continue to spread inaccurate information such as the difference is like splitting hairs and that the OLED hdtvs perform poorly in bright rooms.

     I have no vested interest or bias in which hdtv is proclaimed the best each year, other than staying current with the latest hdtv developments, since I don't own any of the shootout contenders in the past 2 yrs -I own a Panasonic 65" VT60 plasma that was an earlier winner of a shootout in 2013 or 2014.  You, OTOH, do have a vested interest and perhaps bias since you own one of the recent shootout contenders, the Samsung QLED.  I'll leave it up to the readers of this thread to determine if that's influencing your comments.
    As I stated previously, I believe your Samsung QLED is a very good hdtv that you seem very pleased with.  However, the OLED has been judged by A/V experts to perform better in at least 9 important areas.  Please don't pretend otherwise and continue to spread misinformation.

Thanks,
  Tim

     I think the LG 86SJ9570 86" LED hdtv vasubandu is going to buy would be very impressive in any room, no matter the type.  Obviously OLED would give the highest pq compared to LED or LCD whether either is utilizing something similar to Samsung's 'QLED' technology or not. 
     I know an 86" OLED hdtv panel would be ridiculously good but would also be ridiculously expensive.  I completely understand the OP deciding to substitute hdtv panel size for panel quality and save about $10-15K. 
      The sheer visual impact of watching anything on an 86" screen of even just average quality in your home's living room would likely tend to distract from  less than optimum pq issues. Overall, I think this is a wise and frugal trade-off.

Tim
       

Obviously?

Here's a direct quote from the 'Final Thoughts' section at the end of the Samsung ks9800 suhd review you linked to above:

" The Samsung KS9800 SUHD TV with HDR is the single best LCD 4K TV we've seen in 2016. If you can afford this model's steep price tags, then go for it. Nothing except for LG's flagship OLED TVs matches the picture quality of this TV."

Obviously?  It seems like it's obvious to just about everybody except you.

Later,
  Tim   

Hi gdhal,

You stated:
 "  Hi Tim.

So by your own admission, your LG 86SJ9570 ***MATCHES*** the picture quality of my Samsung UN65KS9800.

So again, whats so obvious?"

I think we need to straighten out a few things to keep things clear:

1. Shadorne summed it up precisely when he replied:
" The LG 86SJ9570 amd UN65KS9800 are both LED TVs and both Samsung and LG are competitive - so not much difference. However the 86inch would be impressive because of the size. Great choice." 
     The LG 86J9570 is the 86" LED hdtv that the OP, vasubandu, stated that he has already decided to buy.  It is not the hdtv that I own but I too believe it's a very good choice for the OP due to its visually impressive 86" size and the fact it can be purchased for about $10-15K less than the comparable Samsung of similar size.     
2. As I've stated several times in this thread, the Samsung UN65K9800 that you own is a very good LED/LCD hdtv that has received numerous well deserved good reviews.  But, even in one of these good reviews like the 4K review you previously linked to, there is this statement:

" Only the LG G6 Signature OLED 4K TV or perhaps it’s close cousin the E6 could beat this particular Samsung model in terms of sheer overall display quality and we are definitely impressed."

     I've owned a Panasonic  65" VT60 plasma hdtv for the last 3 years but I've continued to keep current on home video developments via the internet and frequent visits to local A/V stores.  From all I've read and personally viewed,  the very best picture quality currently available is definitely provided by the latest 4K OLED hdtvs with HDR. It's considered to be superior to every other video technology in pq not just by myself,  but also by the vast majority of  professional video reviewers and calibrators.  
     It really is that obvious to the majority of humans.
     I have no idea why you are unable to recognize OLED's obvious pq superiority.  

Tim

Hi gdhal,

     " As you go on to state "It really is that obvious to the majority of humans.
I have no idea why you are unable to recognize OLED’s obvious pq superiority", can we conclude the matter then if I state that I’m proud to be in the minority?"

Yes, definitely

Thanks,
   Tim

" I'm proud to be in the minority."

Hi gdhal,

     I suggest being in the minority isn't always something to be proud of. 
     Here is The Official Top 10 List of The Most Unreasonable Things a Minority of Individuals Actually Thinks or Thought Throughout History :

10. Appeasing Hitler was a good idea.
  9. Global warming is a hoax.
  8. The earth is flat.
  7.  Humans and dinosaurs existed on earth simultaneously. 
  6.  Evolution is not true.
  5.  Enslaving fellow humans was a good idea and going to war to defend it was noble.
  4.  Donald Trump would make a good president.
  3.  Richard Nixon was innocent.
  2.  Ginger was hotter than Mary Ann.
  1.  OLED does not deliver the best PQ of any hdtv technology to date.

        As you can see from the Official #1 most unreasonable belief in the history of mankind,  you appear to be on the wrong side of history. 

 Just thought you'd want to know,
 Tim 

Hi gdhal,

     Okay,  you're correct, I did violate our agreement. 
      In my defense, I do admit your denial of OLED technology being an important contributor, along with HDR, to the pq of hdtv and this exact same denial being the #1 example in the history of mankind of a minority opinion being on the wrong side of history/truth did strike me as an ideal method to place your misguided minority viewpoint in the proper historical perspective. 
     Honestly, though, my impression that your #1 ranking on this list of disgraced minority opinions was also somewhat humorous was likely the main reason I actually disclosed this Official Top 10 List and violated our agreement.
     I had to weigh keeping my word to you versus speaking the truth and informing our fellow members about your #1 ranking on The Official Top 10 List of The Most Unreasonable Things a Minority of Individuals Actually Thinks or Thought Throughout History.   But it was my choice and, therefore, I must plead guilty by reason of truth telling.

I hope you can appreciate my decision given my dilemma,
  Tim  

Hi willemj,

     I’m in no hurry to upgrade my Panasonic plasma, either. I believe you’re in Europe from some of your prior posts I’ve read. I’m in the states and, as you may know, there’s been more and more 4K content available and we should see some HDR content soon.
     Have you seen the LG or Sony 65" OLED hdtvs with 4K and HDR yet? I’ve seen them in person and both are extremely good with 4K and HDR recorded demo content being played.
     However, if your plasma is 1080p and you watch it from over 3ft away like I do, I don’t think either of us would discern much improvement going to 4K but I had no trouble seeing the large improvement the OLEDs have over  plasmas with HDR; they both have a wider color palette and an even more vibrant color intensity capacity than my plasma. The OLEDs also seemed to be able to get slightly brighter and run cooler than my VT 60 plasma.
     The LG and Sony 4K and HDR OLED hdtvs are the only sets that I’ve seen thus far that I consider superior to our Panasonic plasmas.
     Panasonic and Samsung stopped producing plasmas because they realized a few years ago that manufacturing 4k versions of plasma panels would cost too much and they’d need to be priced much higher than the 1080p plasmas they were then making. I would think they may be back into emissive display hdtvs in the near future.
     I’m very thankful that OLED technology was able to pick up right where plasma left off. OLED has similar independently controlled emissive pixels, almost perfect black levels, high contrast levels, extremely good motion performance and beautiful picture quality just like plasma has while also being able to economically incorporate new technology such as 4K and HDR.
     It’s comforting to know that there’s now a good replacement for our plasma sets just in case something unexpected happens to them. It’s also good to know OLED with HDR is a constant option as an upgrade to plasma that only seems destined to get more attractive as their prices continue to decrease.

Tim

Where the heck did the OP, vasubandu, go? He hasn't replied since his original post.  I think we're doing okay without him but to whose benefit?

"I think he/she got wise to the fact that in the case of this particular thread, certain folks simply have diarrhea of the keyboard and other dilemmas."

Hi gdhal,
     You have a valid point that my posts may indicate a certain verbal case of the runs.
     When I read posts that in my opinion vary greatly from my personal experiences and knowledge,  I'm really not trying to pick a fight.  It's more that I feel an obligation to correct or balance postings that clearly run counter to what I have experienced or know to be true. 
     My main motivation is preventing readers of the thread from being misguided or misinformed by comments I consider inaccurate or at least misleading.  
     I'm not prone to allowing these types of comments, specifically your post that the picture quality provided by Samsung QLED hdtvs is somehow in the same vicinity as that provided by LG or Sony OLED hdtvs,  to just be proclaimed  as truth without being challenged.
     In an effort to be truthful and thorough in my challenging responses to these types of posts, I admittedly am a bit verbose.   I'm consciously trying to make my responses more succinct but, from the length of this response, I obviously have some work left to do.

Tim
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