# Sticky  10 Things to Consider When Shopping for a TV



## Scott Wilkinson

As we approach the holiday shopping season, many people will be searching for a new TV. I am often asked what's important to think about in that search, so I thought it would be helpful to list 10 things to consider in order to narrow your search for the best possible TV for your budget.

*1. Seating Distance and Screen Size*

- The first thing to consider is the distance you will be sitting from the TV, which determines the optimum screen size. Warning: it's probably larger than you think. 

- For HD (1080p), the optimum screen size (measured diagonally) is roughly 0.67 times the seating distance; for a seating distance of 10 feet (120 inches), the optimum screen size is about 80 inches diagonally. 

- For 4K/UHD, the optimum screen size for a given seating distance is twice as large; for a seating distance of 10 feet, the screen should measure 160 inches diagonally!

- Clearly, these sizes are too large for most homes and budgets. The point is, do the math and get a TV that is as close to the optimum size as your room and budget will allow.

*2. 4K/UHD or HD?*

- These days, it's difficult to find a TV that isn't 4K/UHD.

- Only low-end models are 1080p anymore, so unless your budget is extremely tight, 4K/UHD is the way to go. 

- There isn't all that much 4K/UHD content yet, but it's growing and will continue to do so; it's now available via streaming, DirecTV satellite service, and UHD Blu-ray. 

- Over-the-air terrestrial broadcasting will add 4K/UHD when ATSC 3.0 is launched in a year or two, and cable providers will probably offer it when the installed base of 4K/UHD TVs is large enough.

*3. HDR or Not?*

- High dynamic range (HDR) and its inseparable cousin, wide color gamut (WCG), are still in their infancy and, in some ways, not fully baked. 

- There are currently two main HDR formats: HDR10, an open, free-to-implement standard, and Dolby Vision, a proprietary, licensed system from Dolby. (HLG is a third format that could become important in broadcast content, but it's not really available much right now.) 

- Many argue that Dolby Vision is ultimately better because of its backward compatibility with SDR displays (depending on how it is created) and dynamic metadata, but it costs manufacturers additional money to license it to use in their products.

- Both formats can be used with streaming, and most such content uses HDR10. A couple of services, most notably Vudu, use Dolby Vision, but they now offer a choice of either format. 

- UHD Blu-ray can use both; HDR10 is required, while Dolby vision is optional, and no UHD Blu-ray titles have been released with Dolby Vision up to now.

- It's important to understand the difference between "HDR-capable" and "HDR-compatible." A TV that is HDR-capable can reproduce an HDR video signal with its increased dynamic range, while an HDR-compatible set can accept an HDR signal, but it is displayed in standard dynamic range, so you lose the real benefit of HDR. Of course, many manufacturers obfuscate this difference, so do your best to read between the lines in the specs.

- Even though the HDR landscape is not yet completely settled, I strongly recommend getting a TV that can accept and display HDR if you can afford it—that is, get an HDR-capable set, not one that is merely HDR-compatible. 

- Virtually all manufacturers implement HDR10 in their HDR-capable TVs, while a few—such as LG and Vizio—include both HDR10 and Dolby Vision. 

- I think having both is a good idea; HDR10 is most important right now, but who knows if Dolby Vision will become more widespread in the future? 

- If a TV does not have Dolby Vision, it cannot be added with a firmware update—it requires special hardware that must be installed during the manufacturing process.

*4. Flat or Curved?*

- I have a strong preference for flat TVs, and most manufacturers that have tried the curved approach are now moving back to flat designs.

- Curved screens distort any reflections—points of light become lines—and viewing from off axis (away from dead center) causes apparent geometric distortion. Plus, wall-mounted curved screens jut out from the wall on the sides. 

- Curved screens are wonderful for the one person sitting dead center.

*5. LCD or OLED?*

- LCD can be much brighter than OLED, making it better suited to environments with high ambient light, but its blacks are not as deep. And to be fair, OLEDs do just fine in rooms with some ambient light. 

- All LCD TVs tend to look washed out with less contrast when viewed from off axis—some more than others, but they all suffer from this problem to one degree or another—while OLED TVs do not. 

- OLED TVs can exhibit a slight color shift when viewed off axis, but in my opinion, it's not nearly as much of a problem as the off-axis performance of virtually all LCD TVs.

- OLED TVs are generally more expensive than comparably sized LCD TVs, though one can come up with exceptions.

*6. FALD or Edgelit LCD?*

- I'm a big fan of FALD (full-array local dimming) over edgelighting because of its better screen uniformity and potential contrast. 

- Vizio is the only company I know of that makes only FALD LCD TVs; Samsung, Sony, and most other brands use FALD only in their top-tier sets, implementing edgelighting in their step-down models.

- It's important to have as many FALD dimming zones as possible. For example, the Vizio M series has up to 64 dimming zones (depending on the model), while the P series has 128 zones, which results is less haloing and more precise control of the contrast. In the Sony Z9D, each individual LED in the FALD backlight is independently dimmable, providing many hundreds if not thousands of zones. (Sony will not reveal how many LEDs are used in its FALD backlight system, but it's a lot.)

*7. Refresh Rate*

- This is among the most confusing aspects of TV specs. 

- Refresh rate is how often the image on the screen is refreshed or redrawn, which roughly corresponds to frame rate. 

- Movies are almost universally at 24 frames per second, while video is essentially at 60 fps. All TVs can refresh the screen 60 times per second (which is referred to as "60 Hz"), but many can now do 120 or even 240 Hz.

- Higher refresh rates allow the TV to play 24 fps movies at 72 or even 96 fps, displaying each frame three or four times, just like triple-flashing at commercial cinemas, which is a good thing. 

- Higher refresh rates also allow the TV to synthesize new frames and interleave them with the incoming frames, a process called frame interpolation. This sharpens the detail in moving objects, but it also causes the "soap-opera effect" (SOE), because it makes movies look like they were shot on video. Many videophiles hate SOE, so they make sure to disable frame interpolation in the TV, preferring to live with motion blur.

- Manufacturers often obscure the refresh rate by specifying an "effective" refresh rate. If the backlight is flashed on and off during each frame, that can help sharpen motion detail as well, so some companies might specify a refresh rate of 240 up to 960 Hz, which is a combination of the LCD panel's native refresh rate and the effect of backlight flashing to achieve motion sharpness that exceeds either one alone.

- I recommend getting a TV with a native refresh rate of 120 Hz—and turn off frame interpolation if you don't like SOE. 

- If money is tight, a 60 Hz TV will work plenty well.

*8. Pay for Calibration?*

- A professional calibration can cost several hundred dollars, so if your TV cost less than $1000, it's not worth it. Simply adjust the basic user controls using something like Disney's WOW disc, and the TV will look as good as it can without a pro calibration—which is often pretty darned good. For more on how to do this, click here.

- If the TV is over $1000, a pro calibration becomes more worthwhile, because it occupies less of the total budget. 

- I'm a big advocate of viewing content as the creator intended, so a full calibration is important to me.

*9. Don't Base Your Decision Solely on What TVs Look Like in a Big Retail Showroom*

- A retail showroom is nothing like the environment in your home, making it nearly impossible to judge how a TV will look in your home.

- TVs on display in most stores are set up to be as bright and blue as possible to grab your attention, but this is not how they should look in your home.

- Some retailers have home-like demo areas, which are much better than a brightly lit showroom. Seek out these retailers.

- When you find a retailer with a home-like demo area, make sure the TVs are calibrated or at least have the basic user controls adjusted properly. Ask to do it yourself if they won't.

- Bring along Blu-ray or UHD Blu-ray discs you are familiar with and watch them on the TVs you are considering.

*10. Budget & Recommendations*

- When shopping for a primary TV, I recommend spending at least $1000 to get one that is fairly large and has reasonably good performance. 

- At the low end of this budget scale, I generally recommend the Vizio P series of FALD LCD TVs ($1000 for the P50, $1300 for the P55, $2000 for the P65, $3800 for the P75). The M series models are a few hundred bucks less; both series use FALD and both do HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR, but the P series has at least twice as many FALD zones. Still, if your budget is really tight, I would definitely consider the M series.

- If your budget is in the $3000-$5000 range, the LG B6 OLED is worth a serious look. The 55B6P lists for $2300, while the 65B6P lists for $3500. (The curved-screen C6 models are the same price, but as I mentioned earlier, I don't like curved screens.) 

- Other good options among LCD TVs in this price range include the Sony XBR-75X940D FALD LCD ($4500) and Samsung UN65KS9800 FALD LCD ($3500, see our review here), though the Samsung has a curved screen.

- If money is no object, the flagship LG G6 OLED offers a super-cool industrial design and the same superb picture quality of all OLED TVs. The 65G6P lists for $6000, while the 77G6P is a whopping $20,000. 

- Another good option is the Sony Z9D FALD LCD TV, which represents the pinnacle of LCD performance. The XBR-65Z9D sells for $5500 directly from Sony, the 75Z9D is $9000, and the massive 100Z9D is a budget-busting $60,000!

I'm sure that AVS Forum members have many opinions about all of this, so I invite you to share them in the comments. What are your most important considerations when shopping for a TV? What models do you recommend at different price points?

_Please do not click on the Quick Reply button at the bottom of this article, which will quote the entire article in your comment without you knowing it. Wading through the entire article in the comments is quite annoying! If you want to quote a portion of the article, click on the Quote button and delete everything that does not pertain to your comment. Otherwise, use the Quick Reply comment editor at the bottom of each page, which does not quote the original post. Thanks!_


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## Blacklightning

#1 should always be "Do your our research" as the sales staff are not much help, will led you down the wrong path or worse just make stuff up if they do not know the answer.


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## Phrehdd

I know it isn't easy to limit things to a small list because some items end up of course being left out and everyone has different priorities.

Somehow, if would have value to include somewhere inputs and outputs to look for and also, a mention about "smart tvs" and what to look for given that other devices may do the same and which probably does a better job.


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## sage11x

Nice article but I think I'd leave off section 1 and just say: get as large a screen as you can fit within your budget and space.


Fact is, no flatscreen is ever going to be _too_ big. My screen is 100" at 1080p resolution and I sit right around 9-10 feet away. That feels about right to me. It's big enough to be immersive but not so big that watching less-than-pristine content is an issue. You're never going to get close to that with a flatscreen so I say don't worry about getting too big a screen-- worry about getting too small a screen!


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## proufo

I wonder what I'll do when my bedroom 42" Panny plasma reaches its useful life (it's nine years old now, doing great). I'd hate to get a LCD and also going larger than that.

Maybe at the time sanity would have prevailed and there will be 40-42" 1080p OLED TVs.


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## kleenex

proufo said:


> I wonder what I'll do when my bedroom 42" Panny plasma reaches its useful life (it's nine years old now, doing great). I'd hate to get a LCD and also going larger than that.
> 
> Maybe at the time sanity would have prevailed and there will be 40-42" 1080p OLED TVs.


If you see OLED that small it will be 4K at the very least.


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## Brian Hampton

kleenex said:


> If you see OLED that small it will be 4K at the very least.


At the least ? ... So this 8, 16, 64K stuff is coming ?


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## Scott Wilkinson

Phrehdd said:


> I know it isn't easy to limit things to a small list because some items end up of course being left out and everyone has different priorities.
> 
> Somehow, if would have value to include somewhere inputs and outputs to look for and also, a mention about "smart tvs" and what to look for given that other devices may do the same and which probably does a better job.


You're right, it isn't easy to pick the items that will be included in any such list; also, everyone does have different priorities, and it would be impractical to include them all. But I was hoping that folks like you would point out other things to consider, and you did; thanks!

To your points here, virtually all TVs in the $1000+ price range have multiple HDMI inputs, no HDMI outputs, one component-video input with associated audio, and one optical digital-audio output...no S-video, no composite video. So I didn't include that in my list of things to consider, though the specific number of inputs might be important to some, especially if you're using the TV as the source switcher (which I generally don't recommend).

Also, I think that virtually all TVs in the $1000+ price range have "smart" features—i.e., streaming apps—with lots of overlap (Netflix, YouTube, etc.), so again, this did not seem to be a big deal to me, especially since you can get whatever streaming apps the TV doesn't have from another device like a streamer or disc player. As to which streaming device does a better job, I think that's much less of an issue than the user's downstream bandwidth.

Then there are other "smart" features like voice and/or gestural control, content recommendations based on past viewing, etc. I consider these to be secondary features, which is another reason I didn't include smart features in my list here. My main concern is picture quality.


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## adrummingdude

Good read, but you forgot #11 (after the sale).


11. NEVER throw a giant TV box away in your trash cans/on your curb before cutting it up thoroughly. Better yet, burn it. It may sound silly, but people who throw 65" OLED TV boxes out on the curb with the rest of the garbage are looking to get robbed, no matter how safe they think their neighborhood is.


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## kleenex

Brian Hampton said:


> At the least ? ... So this 8, 16, 64K stuff is coming ?


8K is 1000000% coming. I say this decade.

Look for possible 16K TV sets next decade, but I do not see any benefit for 99% of home users at any screen size.


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## Brian Hampton

kleenex said:


> 8K is 1000000% coming. I say this decade.
> 
> Look for possible 16K TV sets next decade, but I do not see any benefit for 99% of home users at any screen size.


That settles it. If Commodore is making the 64K then I'm officially waiting for that.


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## Brian Hampton

adrummingdude said:


> Good read, but you forgot #11 (after the sale).
> 
> 
> 11. NEVER throw a giant TV box away in your trash cans/on your curb before cutting it up thoroughly. Better yet, burn it. It may sound silly, but people who throw 65" OLED TV boxes out on the curb with the rest of the garbage are looking to get robbed, no matter how safe they think their neighborhood is.


You could add keep the packaging material. It's very useful for warranty service. It's very useful if you have to move. It's very useful if you ever decide to sell the unit or give it away.


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## adrummingdude

Brian Hampton said:


> You could add keep the packaging material. It's very useful for warranty service. It's very useful if you have to move. It's very useful if you ever decide to sell the unit or give it away.


I'm going to take a guess that you don't live in the SF Bay Area. Space is at a premium here. I wish I could keep boxes.


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## Brian Hampton

adrummingdude said:


> I'm going to take a guess that you don't live in the SF Bay Area. Space is at a premium here. I wish I could keep boxes.


I did live and rent in mission district for over a decade. 

I escaped though and now I own a home 🏡


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## Blacklightning

adrummingdude said:


> I'm going to take a guess that you don't live in the SF Bay Area. Space is at a premium here. I wish I could keep boxes.


 Just flatten the box and place it under your bed. You will just need to find a place for your magazines and your wife's toys. 


...I forgot in this day and age no one buys magazines.


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## Deepthough

Please update the prices for Budget & Recommendations as the prices you have listed are out date. The Sony XBR-65Z9D lists for $7000 (old price)(new price is about $5500) which is now close to your budget recommendations.

If you go to Tom's Hardware site, their reviews and informative articles now use a green Amazon button that lists current pricing for that product. This is a good way to keep articles up to date. And I am not saying that you should use the Amazon site per say, just a site that you like and can get the current pricing from.


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## kleenex

Blacklightning said:


> Just flatten the box and place it under your bed. You will just need to find a place for your magazines and your wife's toys.
> 
> 
> ...I forgot in this day and age no one buys magazines.


Hang them from the ceiling:laugh:


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## Scott Wilkinson

Deepthough said:


> Please update the prices for Budget & Recommendations as the prices you have listed are out date. The Sony XBR-65Z9D lists for $7000 (old price)(new price is about $5500) which is now close to your budget recommendations.
> 
> If you go to Tom's Hardware site, their reviews and informative articles now use a green Amazon button that lists current pricing for that product. This is a good way to keep articles up to date. And I am not saying that you should use the Amazon site per say, just a site that you like and can get the current pricing from.


Actually, I generally use only MSRPs, not street prices, unless otherwise stated. On Amazon, the MSRP of the XBR-65Z9D is listed as $7000, which is why I used that price. However, other sources have different MSRPs; for example, Crutchfield says the MSRP is $6000, and Sony's own online store sells it for $5500. So I guess I'll go with $5500 in this case.

BTW, the XBR-75X940D now sells for $4500 from Sony's online store, so I changed that price as well.


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## harsh

Scott Wilkinson said:


> - Over-the-air terrestrial broadcasting will add 4K/UHD when ATSC 3.0 is launched in a year or two, and cable providers will probably offer it when the installed base of 4K/UHD TVs is large enough.


What leads you to believe that ATSC 3.0 is going to become a widely deployed USA standard within "a year or two"?

If ATSC 3.0 is coming on the schedule you offer, should you not be advocating mightily for user-replaceable tuner modules?

The ability to offer UHD is not the same thing as widespread availability of same. I submit that it is folly to assert that UHD programming will be an immediate result of deploying any UHD capable broadcast television modulation scheme.


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## harsh

proufo said:


> Maybe at the time sanity would have prevailed and there will be 40-42" 1080p OLED TVs.


Is there a point to OLED without some manner of HDR and WCG driving it?


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## Scott Wilkinson

harsh said:


> What leads you to believe that ATSC 3.0 is going to become a widely deployed USA standard within "a year or two"?
> 
> If ATSC 3.0 is coming on the schedule you offer, should you not be advocating mightily for user-replaceable tuner modules?
> 
> The ability to offer UHD is not the same thing as widespread availability of same. I submit that it is folly to assert that UHD programming will be an immediate result of deploying any UHD capable broadcast television modulation scheme.


My guest on next week's Home Theater Geeks podcast is Rich Chernock, one of the chairs of the working groups for ATSC 3.0. I will certainly ask him what he thinks the rollout timetable will be. 

User-replaceable tuner modules in TVs would be great, but I suspect there will first be outboard tuners. Yeah, I know, who wants another set-top box? But designing and building a user-replaceable tuner module seems very unlikely, since it would probably cost manufacturers more to implement.

UHD is already available via streaming and UHD Blu-ray, and the amount of such content is growing. Adding UHD terrestrial broadcasting will contribute to that growth—perhaps not immediately, but steadily.


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## LoudDad

Hey Scott,
I disagree with the way you have been quoting "optimum screen size" ever since the coverage of 4k has started.
I believe what you are talking about is only concerned with visual acuity. What is the closest you can sit to a certain sized screen before the ability of the average human eye to discern individual pixels.
You also need to worry about viewing angle. You don't want to have to move your head in 3 or 4 different directions to be able to see the entire picture.
I believe with 4k content, the optimum viewing distance will be between 2.0x to 2.4x screen height depending on how much in-your-face you like the movie.
Personally I like sitting very close, so I would choose 2.0xscreen height, which for a 16x9 aspect ratio basically works out to the diagonal width of the picture.

So, for me, a 100" TV would be perfect for sitting 100" away (if I could find one and afford one). I don't think you can really go higher than that without compromising field of view.
Most people would probably prefer an 85" TV max from 100" away, but most people will probably buy a 55" TV and sit 100" away and they are missing out on the big picture (pun intended).

Bill.


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## doretta

adrummingdude said:


> Good read, but you forgot #11 (after the sale).
> 
> 
> 11. NEVER throw a giant TV box away in your trash cans/on your curb before cutting it up thoroughly. Better yet, burn it. It may sound silly, but people who throw 65" OLED TV boxes out on the curb with the rest of the garbage are looking to get robbed, no matter how safe they think their neighborhood is.


Mine went straight to my local recycling facility. It was quicker and a lot less trouble than cutting it up and there was no sign of it anywhere at my house.


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## NintendoManiac64

Scott Wilkinson said:


> For HD (1080p), the optimum screen size (measured diagonally) is roughly 0.67 times the seating distance


Could you elaborate on what defines a screen size as being "optimum"?


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proufo said:


> Maybe at the time sanity would have prevailed and there will be 40-42" 1080p OLED TVs.





Brian Hampton said:


> At the least ? ... So this 8, 16, 64K stuff is coming ?


PC monitors.

At price-points above $500 and sizes below 50 inches, there are many more 4k PC monitors than there are 1080p TVs.


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harsh said:


> Is there a point to OLED without some manner of HDR and WCG driving it?


Perfect blacks?


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## harsh

NintendoManiac64 said:


> Perfect blacks?


Can there be anything close to "perfect blacks" without HDR? With HD, there isn't a whole lot of detail near 0 or 100 IRE. To get that detail, some manner of HDR needs to be in place.


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## NintendoManiac64

harsh said:


> Can there be anything close to "perfect blacks" without HDR? With HD, there isn't a whole lot of detail near 0 or 100 IRE. To get that detail, some manner of HDR needs to be in place.


I was more referring to the concept of blacks that actually look, you know, black (rather than a dark grey).


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## harsh

NintendoManiac64 said:


> I was more referring to the concept of blacks that actually look, you know, black (rather than a dark grey).


It seems to me that bright happens much more than black in nature so why chase after something we don't really need to the exclusion of something that we do?


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## motoman

Thanks for the tips Scott. I'm still watching my Samsung UN55B8500 FALD set (7 yeas old ) I have just started looking at 65" sets so it was nice to read some pros and cons. Like you I will not buy a curved screen. I looked at some edge lit sets last year and did not like those. So now I have lots of reading to do on OLED and LCD sets. Would like another FALD set but like you mentioned choices are pretty limited. Not sure if I want to dip my toes in the OLED pool yet. Hope to buy something the week after Thanksgiving.


Thanks again for the tips.


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## NintendoManiac64

harsh said:


> It seems to me that bright happens much more than black in nature so why chase after something we don't really need to the exclusion of something that we do?


As a fan of sci-fi, outer space says hi.


But even if your content never contains absolute black, it still has an effect on those tones that are lighter than black.

As an example, consider that 3bit color has 8 levels of lumination - 0 through 7 where 0 is pure black and 7 is pure white.

On a display that cannot display pure black, a lumination level of 0 may actually be displayed at a level closer to 1 (dark grey). So then what happens when you actually try to display content that uses a lumination level of 1? It gets displayed at a lumination level of 1.875.


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## bikerneil

I am torn............. I currently own a 58" Plasma and I like it, but I want a larger screen. The set is 10 years old, so I feel like I got my money's worth from it and I am ready to upgrade to the newest and best 4K technology. The challenge / decision I face is: 

- Do I upgrade to the very *BEST PICTURE QUALITY* and purchase the 65" LG OLED65B6P, or do I go for the *LARGER SCREEN SIZE* and go with one of the best 75" LED TV's (like the Sony 75XBR940) on the market???
*
BEST PICTURE vs. LARGE SCREEN SIZE??????????*

Some facts:
- My viewing distance is: I sit at 11', and my wife usually sits at 6' (at an angle)
- I don't have much ambient light, as we usually watch TV at night only.
- Most viewing content is TV shows, with only limited use of Blu-Ray, or movies
- I am willing to spend the money for best solution.

At this point my plan is to wait for CES and hope that some manufacturer reveals a ground breaking, no-brainer and I will pull the trigger. I need a 75" OLED for < $10K. 

Thoughts???


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## harsh

NintendoManiac64 said:


> But even if your content never contains absolute black, it still has an effect on those tones that are lighter than black.


Are there really?


> As an example, consider that 3bit color has 8 levels of lumination - 0 through 7 where 0 is pure black and 7 is pure white.


Going on about the ideal versus what compressed HD can deliver is not reasonable. Everything HD video we buy is compressed and crushes three stops or more of black at the low end. This is true even of compressed HDR video to some extent. The people who designed the compression schemes knew that these "perfect blacks" weren't carrying their weight and took significant advantage of it. If the black detail has been squeezed out of the source as a stage in the compression process, the blackest TV isn't going to restore it.

Surely there is great importance in technologies like OLED and FALD that can do a lot to protect dark spots from adjacent bright areas but the dynamic range at the low end is largely academic when it comes to compressed video.


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## NintendoManiac64

harsh said:


> Going on about the ideal versus what compressed HD can deliver is not reasonable.


As a gamer and heavy PC user, I beg to differ.



harsh said:


> Everything HD video we buy is compressed and crushes three stops or more of black at the low end


If that was true, then the conclusions at the Value Electronics panel shootouts that OLED has the best near-black detail was all a lie?

And this doesn't change the fact that outer space is supposed to be pure black.


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## harsh

NintendoManiac64 said:


> As a gamer and heavy PC user, I beg to differ.


But are these sources representative of the content that most are viewing on their big screens? I'm betting no.


> If that was true, then the conclusions at the Value Electronics panel shootouts that OLED has the best near-black detail was all a lie?


Not a lie, just not something you're likely to be talking about with run-of-the-mill HD video content.


> And this doesn't change the fact that outer space is supposed to be pure black.


If you're outer space is starless, you've got bigger problems than dark blacks.


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## video_analysis

There is a void between the stars. For example, I wouldn't have watched Dark Matter S2 on anything but an OLED. An accurate representation of those vacuums of light draws you in as much as, if not more so, than the brightness provided by HDR from a roaring fire.


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## JJkizak

That's all very nice for a 16 x 9 TV. All I want is a 21 x 9 with all the same stuff at 65" or 75" with the new 3.0 tuner. How long should I wait?


JJK


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## videobruce

adrummingdude said:


> Good read, but you forgot #11 (after the sale).
> 11. NEVER throw a giant TV box away in your trash cans/on your curb before cutting it up thoroughly. Better yet, burn it. It may sound silly, but people who throw 65" OLED TV boxes out on the curb with the rest of the garbage are looking to get robbed, no matter how safe they think their neighborhood is.


.
This should read: *Never throw out the box in the first place*, especially if you had it shipped. 

Something goes wrong and it has to be shipped (or even just transported somewhere locally) it needs the original box AND packing to do it properly! These don't take up that much room since they are flat. I'm sure you can find room somewhere for it..


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## videobruce

Something else that should be added towards the top of the list is; *Viewing Angle* (or lack of with LCD sets).


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## teachsac

*Thread cleanup. Keep on the topic of the thread.*


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## HuskerHarley

Scott Wilkinson said:


> *10. Budget & Recommendations*[/I]


Would like to see yer Recommendations for the 2017-18 TV's-->


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## videobruce

You will have to wait for the usual 4-6 or more months of speculation here as to what the latest & greatest (so the consumer electronics con artists claim) have to offer.


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## Cyclnz

*User Interface*

I'm always interested in the user interface. I have positive and negative experiences with different models. I hate the menu structure and interface of my Samsung. I really like the interface of the two LG's that I own. I also have a Visio and don't have many complaints about the user interface but the remote control is temperamental and frustrating that it misses a lot of button pushes. I suppose I am more critical of the Samsung because of it's PIP feature. The number of button pushes to accomplish anything is ridiculous. To change the sound from one picture to the other takes a minimum of 6 button pushes. I had an early HDTV that took 1 push.


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## Cyclnz

*Oled*

I was looking at TV's at Best Buy and an employee said the OLED displays have a burn in problem when displaying a static picture for a long period of time. He then proceeded to show me that flaw on one of their LG models. That kind of cooled my excitement for OLED. Can anyone comment on whether this is a potential problem with these displays? I thought we had gotten away from that issue. The tickers they have on news and sports stations could be a problem.


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## video_analysis

It will always be a potential problem with emissive. Tickers can be a problem (apparently MSNBC dumped theirs, haven't watched to verify for myself). No way would I recommend an OLED if cable "news" at even an hour a day is your intended usage scenario. It's the banners/logos that have been the most damaging, but every year LG is making the TVs more resistant to the majority of usage scenarios.


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## tommyy2

One more thing you might want to consider before spending thousands of dollars on a TV:

Manufacturer's Support. If you are spending thousands of dollars for "the best" it is very important.

I bought a 2016 LG OLED 65B6P which received a firmware upgrade last year that raised the blacks and slowed down menu response (there's a ton of posts about this here). Sadly there has not been another firmware upgrade since. There has been new issues with Dolby Vision over HDMI and I've read Dolby released a fix for it and LG is working on new firmware fixes for other sets, but nothing mentioned for the B6P. It would appear that the B6P was made in 2016 and LG dropped their support for it in 2017. I'd expect this if it were a cheap TV but I really expected more when I paid several thousand dollars for my set. 

Everyone must make their own decisions but I really don't know if I would trust LG enough to buy another of their top tier TVs because of their lack of support..


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## wd44

I currently have a Mit 73738 and maybe looking to purchase a new 75". With a budget of $3k, what is the best in the market and is anything better on the horizon?


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## luckydriver

i think another great addition to this thread would be 'once you get your new tv home, how best to ensure your screen is ok'

other than a newbie looking to see obvious lines on the tv am i supposed to be looking for anything else? dead pixels? is there a video out there that tests new oleds

newbies need to know  

thanks


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## jazzycat

I have a question and I'm not sure where to ask it. I'm looking to buy a large TV for my sister. She's disabled and bed-ridden, so all she does is watch TV. So it's on literally almost all the time. I want to get as good/large a screen as possible (maybe 72-85") that will take long hours being on. I can spend probably $3000 for the TV and a sound bar/system, maybe a little more. I'd maybe like to find a 2019 model because I can probably get a better deal so a better TV for less money. Her room has a lot of light during the day (large south facing window). Suggestions? QLED or OLED or something else? Thanks bunches.


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## rajendra82

jazzycat said:


> I have a question and I'm not sure where to ask it. I'm looking to buy a large TV for my sister. She's disabled and bed-ridden, so all she does is watch TV. So it's on literally almost all the time. I want to get as good/large a screen as possible (maybe 72-85") that will take long hours being on. I can spend probably $3000 for the TV and a sound bar/system, maybe a little more. I'd maybe like to find a 2019 model because I can probably get a better deal so a better TV for less money. Her room has a lot of light during the day (large south facing window). Suggestions? QLED or OLED or something else? Thanks bunches.


Your sister will likely be very happy with a 75” TCL 8 series, which retails for $3000 but is on sale frequently for $2500. Find a good deal on the TV and spend the rest on the sound bar, about which I know very little.

Due to the amount of light coming into the room, and the chance she might leave the TV on all day on a channel with static logo, I would avoid OLED in her use case. They work better as a dark room TV.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk


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## rajendra82

Just found out the on Friday May 8th, Best Buy will have TCL 8 series 75 inch TV on sale for $1799.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk


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## wco81

Anyone know if any store is still offering white glove delivery options given the pandemic restrictions?

When you get a larger screen, delivery and then installation to a wall mount requires two men?


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## BIGmog

A new feature that should be considered is support for ATSC 3.0. Also known as Next-Gen TV, this is a new broadcast standard that is rolling out to major US cities in 2020 / 2021. If you watch television OTA (Over The Air), the broadcast resolution supports 4K. Without this new tuner built into the TV, you'll have to buy an external tuner.


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## CMPMERIDIAN

On the issue of size, I disagree with people who say a larger LED is better than a smaller OLED. Or the other I here is, always go bigger. This has more to do with content you watch and how critical your Eyes are.

If all you watch is 4K bluray movies, go big and even go to the next size up.
If you still watch a lot of cable tv at 720p or 1080i, IMO, the attached chart by PC Magazine is perfect. I have 20/15 vision and when watching low resolution on a 65” from 7 feet, I see all kinds of noise and issues. Especially when watching on a QLED, I see banding and DSE, both annoying.

So when someone says, always go bigger, it is not true for everyone. IMO, if you are at a point to go quality over size and are on the edge of the chart, I would go smaller and keep picture quality, especially, If you still watch cable tv. 4K tv no matter how good the up conversation is not a miracle for 720P.

Example: You sit 5-7 feet away. If you watch a lot of cable still, I would only purchase Oled and I would keep it at 55”.
Same situation and you watch only 4K movies and never watch regular cable. I would stick with OLED and consider a 65” especially at 7 feet.

8-9 feet: I would stick with OLED and minimum I would go is 65”, I would stay OLED and If I was on the 9 feet side, I would go 77” OLED.

Past 10 feet: I would go as large as I could afford and now I would probably purchase the Samsung QN90A and not an OLED. At this distance, you want punch and size for effect. At this distance I would go 75” on up and go QLED or another top end LED. The picture quality advantages of OLED and the negative issues on LED are not very distracting from 10-14 feet.

Summary, don’t listen to a tv salesman who says “always go bigger”. And don’t listen to a person who says OLED a is always better. IMO, at 12 feet, a super bright LED a is a better choice.


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## Tatts4Life

I've been dreaming of getting an OLED for years. Now that I finally have the money saved up I was looking and now I'm worried that with our viewing habits burn in might be an issue. Weekdays we watch probably 5 hours of content a night. On weekends it can be close to double that. We don't watch too much regular tv like Discovery channel, News channels, etc that would have a logo in the corner. But I have noticed that on Hulu they do have a logo in the corner for some shows that air on FX or Fox. I also like to play video games on our tv. Can I go with a 65" OLED or should I go with something else because of my viewing and game habits? My requirements would be a 65" or larger tv that supports HDR10 AND Dolby Vision. If an OLED won't work for my situation what kind of tv would that gives me the deep blacks like an OLED?


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## luckydriver

Tatts4Life said:


> I've been dreaming of getting an OLED for years. Now that I finally have the money saved up I was looking and now I'm worried that with our viewing habits burn in might be an issue. Weekdays we watch probably 5 hours of content a night. On weekends it can be close to double that. We don't watch too much regular tv like Discovery channel, News channels, etc that would have a logo in the corner. But I have noticed that on Hulu they do have a logo in the corner for some shows that air on FX or Fox. I also like to play video games on our tv. Can I go with a 65" OLED or should I go with something else because of my viewing and game habits? My requirements would be a 65" or larger tv that supports HDR10 AND Dolby Vision. If an OLED won't work for my situation what kind of tv would that gives me the deep blacks like an OLED?


i dont do gaming but can give data with my sony a8g oled 65. bought in nov 2019 because my samsung plasma died (insert moment of silence). normal watching just evening. but starting march 2020 and working at home the tv is on 14 hours a day usually 7 days a week. i had to refresh the screen 2x so far. unsure how many hours that is but it's a lot. i have zero issues with the screen or any bugs. t


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## Loreee333

sage11x said:


> Nice article but I think I'd leave off section 1 and just say: get as large a screen as you can fit within your budget and space.
> 
> 
> Fact is, no flatscreen is ever going to be _too_ big. My screen is 100" at 1080p resolution and I sit right around 9-10 feet away. That feels about right to me. It's big enough to be immersive but not so big that watching less-than-pristine content is an issue. You're never going to get close to that with a flatscreen so I say don't worry about getting too big a screen-- worry about getting too small a screen!
> [/QUOTE
> 
> 
> sage11x said:
> 
> 
> 
> Nice article but I think I'd leave off section 1 and just say: get as large a screen as you can fit within your budget and space.
> 
> 
> Fact is, no flatscreen is ever going to be _too_ big. My screen is 100" at 1080p resolution and I sit right around 9-10 feet away. That feels about right to me. It's big enough to be immersive but not so big that watching less-than-pristine content is an issue. You're never going to get close to that with a flatscreen so I say don't worry about getting too big a screen-- worry about getting too small a screen!
> 
> 
> 
> ]
Click to expand...


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## Loreee333

Thank Yahweh for that!


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## Loreee333

doretta said:


> Mine went straight to my local recycling facility. It was quicker and a lot less trouble than cutting it up and there was no sign of it anywhere at my house.


That big chunk of cardboard was waaay handy at my house. I know people who’ve shipped or moved bicycles in big TV boxes. Wast not want not-also the battle cry of disgusting hoarders every where!


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## Steven Ron

In this modern tech blessings era, you can't think better than a Smart TV. You might already plan to throw away your old basic TV and are highly interested in having a slim, modern featured, stylish-looking smart TV for your bedroom. But before investing in a TV, you must need some basic ideas to judge the best one for you. I will give some basic tricks that I felt were essential for new smart TV buyers. So, let's begin!










*Resolution*

Many will think about the budget first of all. That's fine! You need to lock a budget range that helps to select your machine more easily. But I always try to cross-check the resolution then I move into considering the price. I am sure you don't want to get an oldish 1080P enabled TV as 8K has already been launched in many TV brands. Consider at least having 4K enabled TV for better picture quality that can improve your visual experience.

*Refresh Rate*

Well, many people won't give this as their consideration. Even they don't know about it or they don't care about it. Most smart TV enables up to 120Hz refresh rates that are less lagging and produce ultra-clear video output. Try to get something with a 120Hz refresh rate. But don't go below 60Hz.

*LED, LCD, or OLED?*

If you know a bit about all those 3 I mentioned, generally you will go for OLED. If yes, you have selected the correct one. I don't suggest picking LED or LCD that can save some money for you. But in the end, you will be a looser. for sure.

*Brand Value*

I know many people are careful on this matter. Each and every responsible buyer gives brand value into one of the most considerations. There are many brands like Sony, Samsung, LG, VIZIO, TCL, and many others that keep producing quality smart TVs with upgraded features. Maybe you can go with Sony or Samsung if you really want some quality TVs, but they cost a lot.

*Flat or Curved?*

Basically, it depends on your test. for example: maybe most of the person will love to have a curved TV but personally I like slim flat TV. So that I can easily mount on the wall without facing mounting troubles. So I personally recommend getting a flat one. But it's always up to you and your test.

*HDR Enabled*

High Dynamic Range (HDR) is a technology that is used to produce more realistic and vibrant colors that enhances your visual experience. Most of the mid-range smart TV included this technology. I suggest your to get at least HDR10+ version for the best ever output.

*Connecting Ports*

Many people won't think about it more. But I think you should think about this part. The most important part is to have multiple HDMI ports. My suggestion is to choose a TV with a minimum of 3-5 HDMI ports for multiple using freedom. Also, try to get the updated version of HDMI like 2.1. Make sure to check if there are other ports available in multiple counts or not.

*Sound Quality*

Last not least, sound quality can play a vital role while selecting a smart TV. If the sound quality is not good, you won't feel jolly while watching TV. As a result, you might need to invest in a speaker. Especially in a soundbar. Take a note if the TV comes up with the latest Dolby audio technology. If yes, you can go with it.

Is there anything else you want to add? You can add I think. If I missed something or some importation you think needed to be changed, you can comment. I won't mind at all!

Cheers!


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## heatherann556

When ever I go, I checked for Panel, Resolution and response time. 
Oled are the best panel with 4k native resolution.


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## Varadero xl100v

Good morning from Greece. 
Very nice article! 

I will totally agree with everything described by the author of the post, as 2 years ago I bought the Sony KD65 "AF 8, Oled tv. And, of course, it was adjusted by a professional calibrator. The result is simply amazing.

I do not regret the money I gave Very important to me, in addition to the capabilities of the panel, is the type of operating system, as well as the capabilities of the processor, and this is because I use Kodi / RD, and many other web streaming services (Qwest tv, Berliner Philarmoniker Digital concert, Qello tv, Netflix, you tube MUSIC, internet TV), and much more. 

Therefore: in addition to the modern technologies of a panel, the operating system / processor (powerful) is equally important.

Finally, I would like to say that the functional android tv can offer the flexibility, as well as the ability to install almost anything we want. I prefer!


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## beerhunt

Best TVs of 2022 - Consumer Reports


Check out Consumer Reports' list of the best TVs of the year for performance and price. Selections are based on tests of hundreds of TVs that we conduct each year.




www.consumerreports.org


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## hziemba

Tatts4Life said:


> I've been dreaming of getting an OLED for years. Now that I finally have the money saved up I was looking and now I'm worried that with our viewing habits burn in might be an issue. Weekdays we watch probably 5 hours of content a night. On weekends it can be close to double that. We don't watch too much regular tv like Discovery channel, News channels, etc that would have a logo in the corner. But I have noticed that on Hulu they do have a logo in the corner for some shows that air on FX or Fox. I also like to play video games on our tv. Can I go with a 65" OLED or should I go with something else because of my viewing and game habits? My requirements would be a 65" or larger tv that supports HDR10 AND Dolby Vision. If an OLED won't work for my situation what kind of tv would that gives me the deep blacks like an OLED?


I got an LG OLED in 2017, and never ran it in a "torch" mode - like VIVID. We watch a fair amount of CNN. Sure enough, two years later, at about 10,000 hrs, plenty of burn in of the CNN logo and those breaking news bold red bands. Turned to LG, and they had a "good will" one time free replacement of the screen. Absolutely beautiful video was back!! Short lived - another 2 yr./10,000 hrs, and we were back in the same situation. I've given up on OLED and am looking now at QLED like Samsung QN95BA, which is supposedly close to OLED PQ, but without the burn-in issue.


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## hziemba

I'm looking for replacement for my 55" LG OLED - burn in on both original panel, and the replacement LG provided for free. Thanks for nothing..CNN. 

I'm looking at a 65" Samsung QN95BA and find most prices at about $2400, like Amazon or BestBuy, but ielectrica (eBay) has it for $1649. Would that be legit? What might I be missing? I want a genuine product with the full USA warranty from Samsung.


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