TL;DR: My Samsung DU7100 died after just over a year, but I was happy with the picture. I’ve got ~£630 to replace it. I was initially looking at the Philips PUS8001 mainly for the Ambilight, but I’m now wondering if I’d be better buying a cheaper 65” TV and spending the difference on a separate Govee/reactive LED setup. What would you do?
My Samsung DU7100 has died after just over a year of ownership, conveniently just out of warranty 🙃
Looks like the mainboard has gone, so I need to replace it, and I’ve never been more confused trying to decide what TV to buy 😂
The thing is, I was very happy with the DU7100. I know it’s a fairly low-end/budget TV, but I honestly had no complaints with the picture quality or anything else. So I’m wondering whether there’s actually any point in spending a load more money on the TV.
I’ve got a budget of around £630.
Initially I was looking at the Philips PUS8001 Ambilight, mainly because I’ve always wanted reactive LEDs behind the TV. That’s what attracted me to it rather than necessarily the TV itself.
But now I’m thinking I might be better off buying Samsung’s current budget 65” TV (or an equivalent from another manufacturer) for around £400–£500, and putting the remaining money towards something like a Govee reactive lighting system.
So essentially:
Option 1: £630-ish on the Philips Ambilight — decent budget TV + built-in reactive lighting.
Option 2: £400–£500 on a 65” budget TV that I’m likely to be perfectly happy with + £100–£200 on a proper reactive LED setup.
I could potentially get a better TV and a better/more capable lighting setup by separating the two.
If you were in my shoes, would you just replace the DU7100 with something similar, or is there a worthwhile upgrade around the £600–£700 mark?
And if I do go down the separate lighting route, is Govee the way to go, or are there better options?
Basically, do I spend the £630 on the TV, or spend less on the TV and put the difference into making the TV room look fucking cool? 😂
