TV Upgrade?

[mtmpenn]

Hello ASR,

I know that TVs are not a major focus, but I’m curious to see if the objectively minded folks here have opinions.

I currently have a 55” Samsung KS8000 from 2016ish.

I’m considering upgrading to 65” (largest size I can fit in the space for various reasons).

I use an appleTV as my source so don’t care much about TV operating system.

The room is a living room, has windows but most watching is morning/evening so ambient light is not a big issue.

That said, I like the brightness of the existing TV.

I’m sensitive to motion issues.

Given this and the fact that I stream most content I am drawn toward Sony, but the A95L price is a bit much to swallow.

X93L or A80L seem like a way to get Sony processing at a more reasonable cost, but they are priced comparatively to S90C which seems like it might be a better bet in some ways, even if it doesn’t have the Sony processing.

Anyone have experience with these TVs?

Thoughts/Opinions?

 

[Danaxus]

If you're sensitive to motion, then OLED is a good way to go, as the pixel response time is as close to instantaneous as you can get. The A95L uses Samsung's QD-OLED panel, which some prefer to LG's latest, but I personally think LG's is better for real-world content, at least in the G3. That said, if you want the Samsung panel and care about good processing and Dolby Vision, you don't have many options. If however you're happy with the LG panel, the LG G3 should be a no-brainer. They always do fantastic Black Friday sales, so good chance you'll see a 30%+ discount then. If the price is too steep, then you can go for the LG B3 or C3 which won't be as bright, but will let you save some cash. You could also grab a TV from last year, or the year before - those will be heavily discounted as well.

I know LG sell their panels to other companies - TCL I think uses them - you might get a good deal there.


Sony's are great - they have great electronics, and picture processing, but they're not miles better than LG - certainly not ahead enough to to justify the price difference imho. And this year, I think they erred by choosing the Samsung panel, especially when you consider that the Samsung panels seem more vulnerable to burn-in. If you really want a Sony but can't stomach the price - they used LG panels last year, and were fantastic. LG's 2023 panels with the microlensing was quite an advancement however, which is why I recommend this years panels as opposed to last.

 

[Kachda]

Whats your budget? Based on reviews from stop the fomo and digital trends, I’d say the below. Sony has the best processing, but you pay a price for it. If gaming is your primary concern, skip the Sony tax and go for other brands as processing is not a concern.

High-end, not a very bright room - sony a95l
High-end, bright room - sony x95l

Midrange, not a very bright room - samsung s90c, lg c3
Midrange bright room - sony x93l, samsung qn90c

Best value, not bright room - lg b3
Best value, bright room - tcl qm8, hisense u8k

 

[Spyerx]

I have a Sony x91J 85" LED panel that works well in a large room that is bright. I too only use ATV as interface. I also have a 65" Sony x85J (this is 2 generations behind the "L" models). These are both mid-level LED panels. The next level up has mini LED, and a big jump in price.

the x93L or the model above or lower than that for an LED tv are good starting points.

OLED you have to decide if you like that enough for the premium and if your room is dark enough.

 

[muslhead]

My Samsung 83" s90c oled arrived today and if you can stomach the cost, would highly recommend an oled.
With black friday coming, i would expect LG OLED be $1200 or lower (maybe even hit $1k). Right now, Costco has the b3 with extended warranty for $1299.

 

[mtmpenn]

Thanks all!

This would be for almost entirely TV/movies. Gaming isn’t a concern.

Budget has some flexibility but I would like to keep it under $2k. I am willing to pay for better performance, to a point, but don’t want to get crazy about it.

This is what keeps bringing me back to S90C on the OLED side. From the reviews I’ve seen it seems like it gets pretty close to flagship oled for significantly lower cost than G3/A95L.

It’s been hard to find comparisons between S90C and X93L.

 

[Danaxus]

Just bear in mind, the S90C doesn't support Dolby Vision, and, at least theoretically, is riskier in terms of burn in.

 

[DavidMcRoy]

I had a 65" Sony XR-X90J LED and it was great. We damaged its panel during a move. Sony support no longer has that panel in stock as a replacement part, so the set's cost was reimbursed by American Express. I replaced it with an 65" LG C2 OLED evo and I love it. I'll never go back to LED again. I worked in broadcast TV production for 35 years with professional CRT monitors, and I can't go back to any non self-illuminated pixel device. (I personally am not enamored with extreme peak brightness. It causes eye strain. DO turn the OLED brightness down to 50 or 60 in the menu, and engage the built-in protection feature to avoid burn-in issues and you're good.)

 

[sweetchaos]

My recommendation for TV purchase is very simple:

- Identify the size of the TV you want (55" or 65" or 77" or 83")
- Look at last 2 years of TV models. I say last 2 years since last year's models will have 95% of the performance of this years, at a fraction of the price because they're being discontinued throughout the year.
My recommendation is OLED TVs. I haven't see any non OLED TV that's worth purchasing, frankly.
- Look at the rtings.com table, to see which OLED models were released and reviewed in 2022-2023.
Here's a custom link I created just to show 2022-2023 OLED TVs, to quickly narrow down the list.

TV Table Tool

www.rtings.com

- Compare these narrowed down models against each other.
I personally use these 2 sources:
A) rtings.com (the same website I linked above)
They have a lot of technical breakdown and analysis of each reviewed TV.
B) Vincent Teoh (from HDTVTest channel on youtube).
He's very knowledgeable in all areas of TV performance and analysis, so I trust his opinion.
- Go and see these TVs in real life and start to negotiate for better prices (of course)
- When is the best time to buy TV?
Rtings answered this

updated: 2023-12-10, clearer instructions

 

[pseudoid]

Things never stand still in this sector; what was 'new' three years ago…. is… well.. 3 bleepin' years OLD!
Confusing consumers with alphabet-soup has never helped the industry from pesky sales personnel that want to sell you what they've been told to sell.
All the name-brand panel manufacturers (Sony/Samsung/LG/Panasonic/etc.) are now offering true OLED screens in various acronyms.
Forget/ignore any pitches as to how thin the one you are contemplating to purchase.
But do pay attention to panel's anti-reflective capabilities (even if you operate in all 'FX2 FightClub' dark-mode)!
You may also want to pay attention to the FOV spec [re:OLED/LCD others].

This link has a good summary of 2023 offerings and techie highlights of different technologies:

OLEDs in general have typically struggled to offer the sort of brightness that a top-notch QLED can manage, but new MLA and QD-OLED technologies have now upped OLED brightness significantly.
QD-OLED, which you'll find used in models such as the Samsung S95C and Sony A95L, combines Quantum Dots with Organic Light Emitting Diodes to improve colour vibrancy and increase contrast.
However, most OLED TVs still feature 'standard' OLED panels and are sometimes referred to as WOLED TVs on account of their use of a white sub-pixel. These are limited in terms of brightness compared with their MLA-OLED and QD-OLED counterparts – not to mention many QLEDs – but they're still bright enough for most people and home viewing environments and, thanks to their perfect blacks and pixel-level contrast control, generally produce stunningly punchy results.
Although QLED has mostly been associated with Samsung, it is worth noting that other manufacturers, such as Hisense, Vizio, TCL and even Amazon, also use the technology, though sometimes under a different name.
The problem is that the quantum dots used in current commercially available QLED TVs do not in fact emit their own light. Instead, they simply have the light from a backlight passed through them, in just the same way that an LCD layer does on standard LCD/LED TVs.
Unlike traditional QLEDs, which use a quantum dot film sandwiched between an LED backlight and an LCD panel, BOE's self-emissive QLEDs contain quantum dot nanocrystals that can produce their own light when placed in an electric field. This means that, as with OLED, it doesn't require a backlight, and each pixel can be individually dimmed.

The new LG OLED G3 is the current GOAT, and the SamsungS95C close behind.
But maybe they will invent/incorporate a 5th color in the next 6 months and call it the "OrganicInfusionLED" (OILED)!

 

[Timcognito]

IMO, Non OLED TVs are a dead technology.

Especially now that they are much brighter so get the latest model. Most use the panels from LG.

 

[Danaxus]

The new LG OLED G3 is the current GOAT, and the SamsungS95C close behind.
But maybe they will invent/incorporate a 5th color in the next 6 months and call it the "OrganicInfusionLED" (OILED)!

I'd put the Sony A95L above the Samsung - better electronics, a proper heatsink for less image retention and faster brightness switching, and support for Dolby Vision. There's an argument to be made for whether or not it's better than the LG G3, though it definitely loses in terms of price/performances.

I'd rank the 3 TVs as such:
1. LG G3 (as long as it's 77" or less)
2. Sony A95L
3. Samsung S95C (distant 3rd, due to higher risk of image retention, and inexplicable lack of Dolby Vision support)

 

[Timcognito]

Here Are the Best TVs in 2024

Here are our top picks for the best TVs of 2024, based on side-by-side comparisons at CNET's testing lab.

www.cnet.com

 

[formdissolve]

I'd definitely go for midrange or higher, and something that supports Dolby Vision. I paid $1800 or something for an LG C8 back in 2018 and still use it to this day. To be fair, I did upgrade the motherboard to a C9 version which was a HUGE upgrade, but still.. I use the TV all the time and there is no burn-in. More than made up for the cost of spending extra on a top range

 

[pseudoid]

To be fair, I did upgrade the motherboard to a C9 version which was a HUGE upgrade, but still..

You did WHAT????

 

[ryanosaur]

Funny, I just posted a similar question over at AH:

Autumn 2023 TV Advice

I'm thinking of upgrading my display pending the presumed discounts around Black Friday / Cyber Monday are worthwhile; and since they usually are the best prices of the year... ;) ...I likely am going to do just that. Upgraded budget is around $1500. 65" is the max I can do, which will be...

forums.audioholics.com

If anybody here has any thoughts to share with me and our OP here, I d really appreciate any advice!

 

[pseudoid]

...If anybody here has any thoughts to share with me and our OP here, I d really appreciate any advice!

I recommend going as big as possible/available within budget/size.
65" is about the approriate size for your seating distance.
----------
I have a hefty (600+lbs) entertainment center with LiftTV capability.
Currently an LG 55" GX series (2021) hides inside that is exactly 1448mm wide.
For years I have been eyeing to step up to a 65" but.... the 'shortest width' (the LG G3) would leave just 4mm clearance on each side, during lift-action.
I have not found a quality alternative that is much bigger than 55" but just a wee-bit shorter than a 65", due to my clearance problem.

 

[pseudoid]

I guess some charts should be provided as TMI (but definitely not OT):

Viewing distance vary quite a bit depending on the website but this graph gives a "range" (rather than an absolute distance)

Sony site has a different slant on 'viewing distance':

"Recommended distance for viewing 4K TV is 1.5times of the TV vertical screen size. Viewed from this distance, individual pixels cannot be differentiated by naked eyes. This means that pixels effectively disappear when viewing 4K images. This creates the impression of watching TV pictures with the same detail and resolution as real life." [3x for plain old HiDef

[Trying to put tables in forums is a nasty proposition! I had to delete the 'tables' and replace with screen captures]

 

[Timcognito]

I guess some charts should be provided as TMI (but definitely not OT):

but maybe OCD

 

[CapMan]

We replaced a top of the range Panny Plasma (ZT65) with their LZ1500
OLED and could not be happier. Better in every way.