New TV: OLED vs QLED

[WhitePuma]

I'm looking to purchase a new 55" TV for my living room, which has what I would call normal lighting (although most of my TV viewing is late at night when it's dark out).

OLED or QLED -- which is recommended and why/under what circumstances?

Also, between the "big 3" - Samsung, Sony, and LG - any recommendations (or a brand to avoid)?

[jebmke]

Just made the jump from our vintage 26-inch LG (2011) to 32-inch Samsung QLED. Pleased so far with image. 99% of the features are either unfathomable or irrelevant. Took me a bit of time to get the ROKU connected but eventually I was able to get through the setup screens.

edit: I should add that I am not a heavy user of TV. Outside of baseball season, I probably use it 1-2 hours per week on average.

[muffins14]

We got a Samsung frame and I really don’t like the Samsung operating system. I never thought that would be a thing I would say about a TV.

However:

1) we see the audio and video (lips) getting out of sync pretty often and have to turn it off and on
2) there are way too many apps on the Home Screen. It’s cluttered
3) Sometimes Netflix just doesn’t load, but Netflix works fine on our Roku player

It does look great with the flush mount to the wall though

[quantAndHold]

QLED is a Samsung marketing term for a LED screen. OLED is different, better technology. If you want to spend the money for an OLED TV, they’re amazing. We love ours. But there are also perfectly fine LED TVs for less money.

[crinkles2]

After 3 years with a Samsung 65” QLED, we are unfortunately quite disappointed. When you have a white, grey or beige background, there are several dark blotches in certain locations on the screen, about the size of one’s hand.

Also, in dark scenes there is significant blur when objects move.

Yeah, quite disappointed and don’t feel like dropping more money so soon after buying what was supposedly an excellent tv.

[tomcam]

I bought a 75" LCD from Costco for $500 a few months ago. It totally rocks.

The OLED displays make more sense if you do something like edit video all day and are super sensitive to color palettes, and especially crave the deep blacks.

[Zdex]

OLED is the superior display technology. Infinite contrast and the fastest pixel response time by far. Regular LED or LCD isn’t even close.

Once you go OLED, you’ll never go back to LCD or LED.

[KeepingEyesOpen]

We got a Samsung frame and I really don’t like the Samsung operating system.
...
2) there are way too many apps on the Home Screen. It’s cluttered
3) Sometimes Netflix just doesn’t load, but Netflix works fine on our Roku player ...

I highly recommend disregarding the "smart" features and apps on so-called "Smart TVs". Instead, use an external streaming device such as a Roku, Apple TV or Chromecast. Don't even connect the TV screen to the internet; just use the TV as a monitor connected to a streaming device of your choice.

The "computer" portion of smart TVs (apps and operating system) is inferior to that of the external streaming devices. Smart TV apps are usually slower, have fewer features and are updated less frequently than the apps in the major streaming devices mentioned. The "smart" functionality in today's TVs is used to gather data on you and your viewing habits. In fact, many (if not most) TV manufacturers derive more profit from sale of customer data to data brokers than from actual hardware sales.

Your TV screen will probably function well for many years, much longer that the usability of the apps built in to the TV set. When using a separate streaming device, you can simply replace the streaming device for $50 to $100 when it becomes outdated or slow. The latest versions of the streaming apps (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, Hulu, Disney+, Fubo TV, Sling TV and others) are updated frequently for the major streaming devices, but not always for all of the hundreds of different models of TV sets.

[PottedPlant]

Get an OLED.
Ignore the “smart” features. Apple TV box for us.
We have 2 LG OLED TVs and are very happy with them.
The one in the living room has been fine no matter the time of day.

[mcraepat9]

Samsung OLED is great
We use a NVIDIA Pro shield streaming device, far superior to Samsung Smart TV

[llin]

LG C2 OLED is a great buy since the C3 series has pushed prices down, the 65" model can be found for ~$1500. Even though the usual knock on OLED is less peak brightness I've found it fine in the daytime.

Technology marches on and the next display technology to get excited about is microLED. Still at least 10 years from widespread commercialization so enjoy a OLED in the meantime.

[FrugalInvestor]

The last TV I purchased in 2021 is a Samsung Neo QLED. It's our primary TV and is great for our needs. But your needs may very well be different than ours. We have a large picture window directly behind our viewing area which has seating off to the side as well as in front.....so we need a TV that is both bright and handles reflections well and also has a very wide viewing angle. But your needs are probably different than ours.

I like using the RITNGS.com site to choose a TV because it provides a lot of objective ratings based on your speicifc viewing environment as well as what you typically watch (i.e. sports, movies, video games, etc.).

I have a preference for Samsung TVs but there are other excellent brands. The most important thing is to pick a TV that's going match your specific needs.

[Kagord]

My 2 cents, OLED is obviously better, if you're comparing things side by side and spending a lot of time on the popular avsforum, avforums, rtings and YTubers research sites.

I own a very high end OLED and a few various grades of LED, IMHO, and as long as you're not analyzing and wrapped in the details of how great the blacks and details in those blacks are, or the plethora of other things people look at comparing them, running test patterns, running perfect spec'd content......I mean, once you're actually absorbed in content created for entertainment, I tend to think it makes little difference between the LED and OLED technology out today, and you'll likely be quite content either way, with anything in the 55" class, say over $500, I'd want a good warranty with any brand.

Sure, if you have money to burn, buy the OLED. Also, 65" is kind of the budget model sweet spot these days, 75" is around the corner.

[Ependytis]

I bought a 75" LCD from Costco for $500 a few months ago. It totally rocks.

The OLED displays make more sense if you do something like edit video all day and are super sensitive to color palettes, and especially crave the deep blacks.

+1

The days of me paying significantly over $500 for a TV are done. The quality for $500 is just too good to justify paying significantly more. Plus, the technology seems to change so often that before you know it, your TV is obsolete after five years.

[biscuit5]

I highly recommend disregarding the "smart" features and apps on so-called "Smart TVs". Instead, use an external streaming device such as a Roku, Apple TV or Chromecast. Don't even connect the TV screen to the internet; just use the TV as a monitor connected to a streaming device of your choice.

^^this

[illumination]

I made a similar comparison and went with OLED. I don't think I'll now ever go back.

I liked that the QLED was brighter, but ultimately I think the black levels are more important. I also had several bad experiences with Samsung TV's, to the point I go out of my way to avoid now.

My understanding is Sony uses LG's OLED screens, but their own scalers. I think LG is better bang for the buck, especially as OLED prices have dropped.

[Broken Man 1999]

We got a Samsung frame and I really don’t like the Samsung operating system.
...
2) there are way too many apps on the Home Screen. It’s cluttered
3) Sometimes Netflix just doesn’t load, but Netflix works fine on our Roku player ...

I highly recommend disregarding the "smart" features and apps on so-called "Smart TVs". Instead, use an external streaming device such as a Roku, Apple TV or Chromecast. Don't even connect the TV screen to the internet; just use the TV as a monitor connected to a streaming device of your choice.

The "computer" portion of smart TVs (apps and operating system) is inferior to that of the external streaming devices. Smart TV apps are usually slower, have fewer features and are updated less frequently than the apps in the major streaming devices mentioned. The "smart" functionality in today's TVs is used to gather data on you and your viewing habits. In fact, many (if not most) TV manufacturers derive more profit from sale of customer data to data brokers than from actual hardware sales.

Your TV screen will probably function well for many years, much longer that the usability of the apps built in to the TV set. When using a separate streaming device, you can simply replace the streaming device for $50 to $100 when it becomes outdated or slow. The latest versions of the streaming apps (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, Hulu, Disney+, Fubo TV, Sling TV and others) are updated frequently for the major streaming devices, but not always for all of the hundreds of different models of TV sets.

We have noticed the app difference s also.

What I have done is install Amazon Firesticks on all our TVs, including the smart ones. Amazon seems to keep the apps updated much better than LG and Samsung. Not only that but all TVs work the same. Same type remote for all.

We love our 77inch LG OLED, though I saw an 86inch OLED TV in a recent trip to Sam's I really liked. DW saw my desire, and is discouraging me, but I'm pretty sure she would enjoy it if I bought one. Maybe a "Merry Christmas to me" purchase.

Broken Man 1999

[WhitePuma]

What are folks’ opinion about buying a TV from Costco?

I understand the warranty (extended when using their branded Visa card), but I’ve had so many horrible experiences buying items from Costco in the past. I want quality, not crap with a good warranty.

It’s also my understanding that products are “tweaked “ especially for Costco, so the same Samsung TV at Best Buy differs slightly at Costco.

Should I just get at Best Buy?

[dcdowden]

Totally depends on your room setup. We have a couple plasma displays (Panasonic and Samsung) that work great for us since we have very wide viewing angles in our family room and bedroom. Unfortunately, nobody makes Plasma anymore, so OLED seems like the best option now for people looking for widest viewing angles. For straight front on viewing, I would just go cheap LCD - they are all very good. And don't pay anything for a Smart TV since it is typically included anyways, and your best bet is just to add a cheap streaming device.

[illumination]

What are folks’ opinion about buying a TV from Costco?

I understand the warranty (extended when using their branded Visa card), but I’ve had so many horrible experiences buying items from Costco in the past. I want quality, not crap with a good warranty.

It’s also my understanding that products are “tweaked “ especially for Costco, so the same Samsung TV at Best Buy differs slightly at Costco.

Should I just get at Best Buy?

Most of that is so stores don't have to compete against each other with price matching. It's not a lower quality than say Best Buy. I bought a TV several years back that "was" a Samsung flagship like 2 years prior, but it had a slightly different model number.

Personally, I prefer buying things at Costco, they're good about returns. I've had mostly negative experiences with returns to places like Best Buy and they also don't give you as long for returns. It's just Costco for in-store purchases tends to be more in that middle grade and lower when it comes to most electronics. For most people, that's all they want anyway, and Costco wants products that sell in volume. Usually, they don't have the latest and greatest flagship electronics (but sometimes they do).

[PatrickA5]

We have two 65 inch Sony OLEDs. Love them. Before the Sony, we had a 55 inch LG OLED. It was nice too, but got some significant burn-in. No such problems so far with the Sony's. Having said that, the LG was one of the first OLEDs to come out, so I imagine it's not as much of an issue with the newer models.

[Mattman25]

I’ve always wondered how is it possible to stream 4K content over internet speeds of less than ~18 Gbps? The HDMI 2.0 standard for 4k@60 Hz, 4:4:4 chroma requires 18 Gbps. Is it the audio that they are sacrificing on? Or maybe some sort of caching mechanism?

[Kosh976]

What are folks’ opinion about buying a TV from Costco?

I understand the warranty (extended when using their branded Visa card), but I’ve had so many horrible experiences buying items from Costco in the past. I want quality, not crap with a good warranty.

It’s also my understanding that products are “tweaked “ especially for Costco, so the same Samsung TV at Best Buy differs slightly at Costco.

Should I just get at Best Buy?

Really? You know Costco will refund your membership, right?

I'm sort of a Costco fan, so maybe not the best to answer, but I've bought two AV receivers, a 5.1.2 sound system and a 77" LG OLED at Costco over the last few years. I don't see any reason I wouldn't get the next TV there too. Probably a 65" LG OLED (B3 or C3) sometime in February.

The model numbers for a 55" LG C3 OLED vary between the retailers, but you'd have to go line by line through the specs to find out the actual differences.

[rich126]

We got a Samsung frame and I really don’t like the Samsung operating system.
...
2) there are way too many apps on the Home Screen. It’s cluttered
3) Sometimes Netflix just doesn’t load, but Netflix works fine on our Roku player ...

I highly recommend disregarding the "smart" features and apps on so-called "Smart TVs". Instead, use an external streaming device such as a Roku, Apple TV or Chromecast. Don't even connect the TV screen to the internet; just use the TV as a monitor connected to a streaming device of your choice.

The "computer" portion of smart TVs (apps and operating system) is inferior to that of the external streaming devices. Smart TV apps are usually slower, have fewer features and are updated less frequently than the apps in the major streaming devices mentioned. The "smart" functionality in today's TVs is used to gather data on you and your viewing habits. In fact, many (if not most) TV manufacturers derive more profit from sale of customer data to data brokers than from actual hardware sales.

Your TV screen will probably function well for many years, much longer that the usability of the apps built in to the TV set. When using a separate streaming device, you can simply replace the streaming device for $50 to $100 when it becomes outdated or slow. The latest versions of the streaming apps (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, Hulu, Disney+, Fubo TV, Sling TV and others) are updated frequently for the major streaming devices, but not always for all of the hundreds of different models of TV sets.

I was wondering about that. To put things in perspective my main 2 tvs are both Panasonic Plasma TVs and are both 15-17 years old. I'm not looking for a smart tv but if most of them are, then I wanted to know if using a firestick, roku, chromecast in an HDMI port, I can completely bypass all of the "smarts" and just do my thing?

Back in the DVDs days I recall some of them started to put "smart" stuff on them but it always seem slow compared to a "stick".

I wanted to pick up a 65" tv but the "smart" stuff was keeping me away from it but with the holiday deals I might buy one if I can just continue to do my thing with a firestick.

Thanks.

[Afty]

Count me in the OLED camp. 2 years ago I bought a 77” LG C1, and it has spoiled me for all other displays. I can no longer tolerate LCDs and their grayish blacks.

[Afty]

I’ve always wondered how is it possible to stream 4K content over internet speeds of less than ~18 Gbps? The HDMI 2.0 standard for 4k@60 Hz, 4:4:4 chroma requires 18 Gbps. Is it the audio that they are sacrificing on? Or maybe some sort of caching mechanism?

Both the audio and video are compressed using lossy compression. Even 4k Blu-rays are compressed, though to a lesser degree than streaming 4k.

[adamthesmythe]

I’ve always wondered how is it possible to stream 4K content over internet speeds of less than ~18 Gbps? The HDMI 2.0 standard for 4k@60 Hz, 4:4:4 chroma requires 18 Gbps. Is it the audio that they are sacrificing on? Or maybe some sort of caching mechanism?

The magic of compression (signal processing). Virtually the entire bandwidth is used for video, audio is nothing by comparison.

[rockstar]

Count me in the OLED camp. 2 years ago I bought a 77” LG C1, and it has spoiled me for all other displays. I can no longer tolerate LCDs and their grayish blacks.

Same. Once you watch OLED, it hurts to go back. Whenever I travel for business and watch TV in a hotel room, it always looks awful now.

[WhitePuma]

Thanks everyone. I’ll be focusing my research on OLEDs and ignoring the Smart TV function.

[KeepingEyesOpen]

... I'm not looking for a smart tv but if most of them are, then I wanted to know if using a firestick, roku, chromecast in an HDMI port, I can completely bypass all of the "smarts" and just do my thing?
...

Thanks.

Absolutely. And that's the point - bypass all of the "smart" functionality and internet connection of the "smart" TV set. Don't even connect the TV to your home network (wifi or ethernet). Contrary to the admonitions of the TV manufacturers, you will probably never need to "update" your TV set. I own and use 4 TV sets of various types and vintages and have never connected any of them to the internet and have never "updated" any of them (including LG OLED, Sony, Samsung and Hitachi).

Simply connect your streaming device to the TV's HDMI port (HDMI 1, HDMI 2 ... whatever is available). Use the remote control of the streaming device to control the apps within the streaming device (Fire stick, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast ...). You probably can "teach" your streaming device remote control to power on/off the TV and adjust sound volume, so you may not need the remote control for your TV at all.

There is nothing smart about a "Smart TV". The smart move is to use the TV as a simple monitor that displays the content from your real smart device - the external streaming device of your choice.

[PottedPlant]

We have a couple plasma displays (Panasonic and Samsung) that work great for us …Unfortunately, nobody makes Plasma anymore, so OLED seems like the best option now ...

Plasma 1080p
OLED 4K

We have 2 OLED TVs which replaced plasmas.
We have 1 plasma.

[chance]

Thanks everyone. I’ll be focusing my research on OLEDs and ignoring the Smart TV function.

Definitely don't ignore the smart TV function - I used to think that too but after buying a Sony A75L OLED (55 inch) today at Best Buy and setting it up I think that's bad advice.

First of all, every single OLED TV is a high end expensive product. The Sony I purchased is their least expensive model and was $1200 at Best Buy on Black Friday special. All OLED TVs are going to be smart TVs with no need for a supplemental streaming device (eg, Roku). On my older LED TVs I used Rokus and they were great. However, what makes the Sony (and other top of the line TVs) so good is the high end processing and upscaling in the chips they use. My understanding is that by using a Roku or other streaming device you are neglecting the costly processor you paid for and turning your high end TV into an expensive monitor.

The interface and functionality of Smart TVs has improved dramatically over the years. The Sony makes the Roku seem clunky and unrefined by comparison. It's also a lot simpler to set up and more customizable. So I would definitely compare the smart TV streaming interface across the TVs you are considering. This is one reason I chose Sony over the Korean brands.

[hunoraut]

I'm looking to purchase a new 55" TV for my living room, which has what I would call normal lighting (although most of my TV viewing is late at night when it's dark out).

OLED or QLED -- which is recommended and why/under what circumstances?

Also, between the "big 3" - Samsung, Sony, and LG - any recommendations (or a brand to avoid)?

I researched very extensively for my recent purchase (2022 LG C series OLED).

1. When looking at similar prices, the final picture qualities are comparable, regardless of underlying tech. (efficient market and all). e.g. Samsung has a sort of joint flagship with one TV using their in-house QLED, and another using 3rd party OLED panels, and both are similarly positioned, price, and "good", with just very minor differences in characteristic. Too esoteric in detail for most people to care about.

2. A consensus description for the 3 brands:

Sony: the most premium brand. At any price point, no matter the tech (OLED, MiniLED) or apparent underlying specs (e.g. # dimming zones), they usually have the best tuning and calibrating to pump out high performance. Cost a bit more than others but can't go wrong.

LG: OLED was widely seen as leading tech, and LG was its main flagbearer, so an LG OLED tv was the safe best bet for picture quality.

Samsung: tons of models hitting every price point. they push the tech in all directions and their leading models always have some sort of bug that has to later be corrected in software updates. what people don't like about the brand is their inhouse software.

If you're buying at mid-range and up, you can flip a coin and get any of them. I'm not a fan of the samsung products and very happy with my LG. It gets positioned next to a huge window... looks completely fine in the middle of the day.. and in the evening (90% of my watching time) it can get searing bright... and its nowhere near the brightest of the high end TVs right now.

[zlandar]

I have two LG OLEDs (48" and 77"). The contrast/picture quality vs a non-oled is very noticeable.

The LG apps work fine and most of the major streaming apps support it. You can try them out before deciding whether you need a dedicated streaming box.

For a living room I would get a 65" or larger.

[onourway]

Definitely don't ignore the smart TV function - I used to think that too but after buying a Sony A75L OLED (55 inch) today at Best Buy and setting it up I think that's bad advice.

First of all, every single OLED TV is a high end expensive product. The Sony I purchased is their least expensive model and was $1200 at Best Buy on Black Friday special. All OLED TVs are going to be smart TVs with no need for a supplemental streaming device (eg, Roku). On my older LED TVs I used Rokus and they were great. However, what makes the Sony (and other top of the line TVs) so good is the high end processing and upscaling in the chips they use. My understanding is that by using a Roku or other streaming device you are neglecting the costly processor you paid for and turning your high end TV into an expensive monitor.

The interface and functionality of Smart TVs has improved dramatically over the years. The Sony makes the Roku seem clunky and unrefined by comparison. It's also a lot simpler to set up and more customizable. So I would definitely compare the smart TV streaming interface across the TVs you are considering. This is one reason I chose Sony over the Korean brands.

Picture quality makes no difference IF you have a good streaming box (ie. AppleTV 4k, Nvidia Shield, etc.) configured correctly (ie. frame rate and dynamic range matching turned ON). It's possible for their to be minor app differences tv interface vs. streaming box, but barring that, a good streaming device will provide the same, or better picture than the built-in TV apps, and generally provide a much better user interface.

[SubPar]

Damn, I shouldn't have read this thread, ha. A year after moving into our new home, DW and I are finally getting around to outfitting the basement for a second living space/media room and are taking advantage of some Black Friday pricing this week.

We were pretty much set on a relatively basic Samsung QLED (70" Q60, which is $900 right now). Admittedly, you can definitely tell the picture difference when looking at an OLED and "normal" LED TV side-by-side, but that's not a realistic viewing experience in one's room and I've been fine with the Samsung LED TV in our main living room, which is now 6-ish years old. But these responses have me second guessing myself...and my wife will probably divorce me if I up our budget any more, heh.

I've always held the opinion that sound makes for a more immersive media experience relative to visual/TV. And for that reason, I splurged more on that side of the equation...some nice bits from Focal and Onkyo are in transit.

[onourway]

Damn, I shouldn't have read this thread, ha. A year after moving into our new home, DW and I are finally getting around to outfitting the basement for a second living space/media room and are taking advantage of some Black Friday pricing this week.

We were pretty much set on a relatively basic Samsung QLED (70" Q60, which is $900 right now). Admittedly, you can definitely tell the picture difference when looking at an OLED and "normal" LED TV side-by-side, but that's not a realistic viewing experience in one's room and I've been fine with the Samsung LED TV in our main living room, which is now 6-ish years old. But these responses have me second guessing myself...and my wife will probably divorce me if I up our budget any more, heh.

I've always held the opinion that sound makes for a more immersive media experience relative to visual/TV. And for that reason, I splurged more on that side of the equation...some nice bits from Focal and Onkyo are in transit.

I think it's worth it to stretch for the OLED. Make sure it's 120Hz. The picture quality is so astonishingly good that it often catches my attention even if I'm just walking through the room.

[zlandar]

Costco has a 65" LG B3 for $1299 through BF. The B series is a small step down from the C series (less powerful processor).

The LEDs are so much cheaper. 70" barebones Samsung for $249?! It's sold out though.

[1hotjava]

QLED is just marketing jargon, its LED backlight / LCD display, albeit the best of the LED/LCD technology

OLED is a totally different technology using Organic LEDs as the actual display pixels. OLED is superior when side by side given that you have a true high quality 4K signal being fed to both displays. OLED can also have "true black" where as LED/LCD may look black but its really dark grey.

We have two OLEDs, one a 55" Vizio and the other a 65" Sony. Both rock in the picture department. I like the software on the Sony better. The Vizio every once in a while freezes up and have to unplug it to reset it, but then again it was less than half the cost of the Sony

[fogalog]

Thanks everyone. I’ll be focusing my research on OLEDs and ignoring the Smart TV function.

Like many others on here, I purchased an LG OLED screen a few years ago and it is excellent, particularly if you are coming from a plasma.

Since no-one else has mentioned it: wirecutter has reviewed OLEDs and their reviews are worth a read. Their top pick is usually pretty reliable. You can read the latest here. I notice that for the first time in quite a while LG is not their #1 pick but instead runner up to the newer Samsungs.

Regarding Costco, I would not hesitate. They have their own sub-model of the LG C3 but it is the same panel and is cheaper.

Good luck!

[jabberwockOG]

LG C2 OLED is a great buy since the C3 series has pushed prices down, the 65" model can be found for ~$1500. Even though the usual knock on OLED is less peak brightness I've found it fine in the daytime.

Technology marches on and the next display technology to get excited about is microLED. Still at least 10 years from widespread commercialization so enjoy a OLED in the meantime.

We purchased latest top of the line LED Samsung, disappointed, we took it back, and switched to OLED LG C3. The LG OLED picture is a level of magnitude better than the nano LED Samsung - no comparison. We have our LG in a fairly bright room and its picture is bright, even 10 months after purchase, the resolution and almost 3d style clarity can still amaze us.

[PottedPlant]

Damn, I shouldn't have read this thread…, DW and I are finally getting around to outfitting the basement for a second living space/media room

We did that. There was this Covid thing.
$8K.
LG OLED TV 77-inch. I would buy 83-inch today.
KEF speakers. 5.1 with left/right mounted in front wall and 2 rear mounted in ceiling.
Yamaha receiver.
Logitech remote- waste of money.
Professional installation. Excellent. $1200. No visible wires.

[retireIn2020]

Damn, I shouldn't have read this thread…, DW and I are finally getting around to outfitting the basement for a second living space/media room

We did that. There was this Covid thing.
$8K.
LG OLED TV 77-inch. I would buy 83-inch today.
KEF speakers. 5.1
Yamaha receiver.
Logitech remote- waste of money.
Professional installation. Excellent.

I must be a tightwad I installed mine myself.
Sony 77" Bravia OLED XR A80K $2800
Sony HT-A5000 Dolby Atmos Smart Soundbar with 200W Sub and rear speakers. $1375

Total cost with tax if I remember correctly was around $4500ish.

I did get open box like new on the sound system to save some money at Best Buy.

I would also have gone for the 83" if it was available at the time.

[hunoraut]

Damn, I shouldn't have read this thread, ha. A year after moving into our new home, DW and I are finally getting around to outfitting the basement for a second living space/media room and are taking advantage of some Black Friday pricing this week.

We were pretty much set on a relatively basic Samsung QLED (70" Q60, which is $900 right now). Admittedly, you can definitely tell the picture difference when looking at an OLED and "normal" LED TV side-by-side, but that's not a realistic viewing experience in one's room and I've been fine with the Samsung LED TV in our main living room, which is now 6-ish years old. But these responses have me second guessing myself...and my wife will probably divorce me if I up our budget any more, heh.

I've always held the opinion that sound makes for a more immersive media experience relative to visual/TV. And for that reason, I splurged more on that side of the equation...some nice bits from Focal and Onkyo are in transit.

My replaced "basic" Samsung 4K LED was great in 95% of viewing and scenarios. If you asked my spouse or most other human beings what's the difference between that and the newer OLED, without viewing them side-by-side, they'd tell you they're the same.

The 5% that reviewers nitpick about has to do with extremely dim scenes, ultra high contrast scenes, and how the TV handles the subtle gradations in the dark, or the transition edge between bright on dark. And a little bit about super fast motion handling too. Generally speaking, the OLED stuff handles this better. But also generally speaking, Sony tunes their products so well the 'inferior' tech will perform just as good in the final results.

If you're watching most sports, most shows, etc, you won't notice anything unless you're conditioned to look for it. I upgraded mine mostly to get access to pass-through Atmos.

[SubPar]

Damn, I shouldn't have read this thread…, DW and I are finally getting around to outfitting the basement for a second living space/media room

We did that. There was this Covid thing.
$8K.
LG OLED TV 77-inch. I would buy 83-inch today.
KEF speakers. 5.1
Yamaha receiver.
Logitech remote- waste of money.
Professional installation. Excellent.

I will be setting everything up myself, which I find to be a fun mini-hobby. I have ~$5K just in audio gear. That's making this TV upsell a little more difficult with the missus, haha. She doesn't place much value on tech and couldn't understand why I wasn't buying a $250 AVR rather than the $1,600 AVR.

Our area isn't that large (viewers are ~10 ft. away from TV), so I think something like 77"+ is too large. I liked 70" because it's a nearly identical width to the 60" entertainment center upon which it sits. But we may need to go down to a 65", since the typical increments are 55"/65"/75"/85" for the TVs with nicer specs. I'm torn, but need to make a decision this week. I think we'll probably end up in the middle ground with a 65" Samsung Q80 LED. Better processor, color, refresh rate, etc., and only $100 more expensive than the 70" Q60 LED we were initially sold on.

To OP -- sorry, didn't intend to hijack your thread, but since there's already a relevant discussion going on...

[SubPar]

My replaced "basic" Samsung 4K LED was great in 95% of viewing and scenarios. If you asked my spouse or most other human beings what's the difference between that and the newer OLED, without viewing them side-by-side, they'd tell you they're the same.

The 5% that reviewers nitpick about has to do with extremely dim scenes, ultra high contrast scenes, and how the TV handles the subtle gradations in the dark, or the transition edge between bright on dark. And a little bit about super fast motion handling too. Generally speaking, the OLED stuff handles this better. But also generally speaking, Sony tunes their products so well the 'inferior' tech will perform just as good in the final results.

If you're watching most sports, most shows, etc, you won't notice anything unless you're conditioned to look for it. I upgraded mine mostly to get access to pass-through Atmos.

Thanks for the sanity check. I like techy stuff, but only casually. Way more into audio than video. I'm not a big gamer, nor does my schedule allow for watching hours upon hours of sports. Those were the two main use cases for fully-spec'd, ultra-nice TVs.

At this point, we're just looking for a solid movie setup where I can watch some spirited action flicks, or more likely, blast Frozen I & II with my 3-year-old over and over and over and over

Probably will end up with a "nice" LED. I promised DW it'd be under $1K, so will likely have to sacrifice size/spec a bit.

[PottedPlant]

Our area isn't that large (viewers are ~10 ft. away from TV), so I think something like 77"+ is too large.

Sony says 85-inch for you - https://www.sony.com/electronics/suppor ... s/00008601

[DTalos]

Damn, I shouldn't have read this thread, ha. A year after moving into our new home, DW and I are finally getting around to outfitting the basement for a second living space/media room and are taking advantage of some Black Friday pricing this week.

We were pretty much set on a relatively basic Samsung QLED (70" Q60, which is $900 right now). Admittedly, you can definitely tell the picture difference when looking at an OLED and "normal" LED TV side-by-side, but that's not a realistic viewing experience in one's room and I've been fine with the Samsung LED TV in our main living room, which is now 6-ish years old. But these responses have me second guessing myself...and my wife will probably divorce me if I up our budget any more, heh.

I've always held the opinion that sound makes for a more immersive media experience relative to visual/TV. And for that reason, I splurged more on that side of the equation...some nice bits from Focal and Onkyo are in transit.

My Samsung LED TV is also around 6 years old as well. I know that technology improves and prices decline over time commensurate with the technology improvements. I am usually one to keep a television until it no longer works and that's when I purchase another one. That may not necessarily coincide with Black Friday weekend when there are great promotions. I am happy with my Samsung LED and was wondering if there is any value $ wise in your opinion to upgrading to a QLED or OLED Samsung TV in the 55" to 65" range, if my current Samsung LED TV works well? Is the picture quality difference worth the $? How much better will a football game, Blu-Ray movie or streaming networks look sharpness and picture quality wise on an LED TV vs an QLED or OLED TV?

[SubPar]

My Samsung LED TV is also around 6 years old as well. I know that technology improves and prices decline over time commensurate with the technology improvements. I am usually one to keep a television until it no longer works and that's when I purchase another one. That may not necessarily coincide with Black Friday weekend when there are great promotions. I am happy with my Samsung LED and was wondering if there is any value $ wise in your opinion to upgrading to a QLED or OLED Samsung TV in the 55" to 65" range, if my current Samsung LED TV works well? Is the picture quality difference worth the $? How much better will a football game, Blu-Ray movie or streaming networks look sharpness and picture quality wise on an LED TV vs an QLED or OLED TV?

The value is definitely relative, like most other things.

We went to Costco & Best Buy over the weekend to look at some TVs in person. As expected, the OLED's picture is markedly better. DW earnestly agreed. Also, as expected, the OLED's better-ness did precisely nothing to assuage her distaste for spending ~$2.5k+ on a TV, haha.

We currently have a 2016-ish vintage 60" Samsung 1080p LED. It's fine; we're not hardcore TV users. The fact that it's not the newest OLED offering doesn't suddenly ruin the viewing experience for us. During our shopping escapade, we both came back to the conclusion that a new 4K LED (non-OLED) was a noticeable improvement over our current Samsung, and we settled on one of those models that had nicer specs than the one we were initially set on.

To answer your question, though -- but for needing an additional TV in the basement, I wouldn't have felt a strong urge to upgrade the ol' 1080p Samsung until it gave up the ghost. However, back to value being relative, I made a very conscious decision to spend on a high-end AVR & speakers when many would argue a soundbar does a perfectly adequate job. So, your "value" mileage may vary. The picture quality (color, sharpness, etc.) on current era TVs is objectively a whole lot better.

[cvn74n2]

I would add to remember how the TV / AVR interact with the source material (streaming, DVD, Blu-Ray, etc). If the material and /or player is at a lower resolution than the TV, then viewing it outside its native resolution will potentially introduce noticeable artifacts through the up-scaling processing. Also, chasing studio quality resolution is a never ending cycle that can cause addition (ask any Stereophile reader).