AT A GLANCE Plus
Black levels
Superb color
Affordability Minus
Menu ergonomics
Remote control
THE VERDICT
Even before calibration, this Sony produced superb images. But calibration truly brought out the best from it in both HDR to SDR. Our samples offered slightly less luminance in HDR than expected, but that was quickly forgotten once the lights dimmed and the viewing began.
For several years now OLED has been king of the HDTV hill, offering the best available HDTV performance. This isn't to say that it has been free of issues; no technology is perfect.
AT A GLANCE Plus
Screen size
Black levels
Price
Minus
Limited off-center viewing
Cluttered remote
THE VERDICT
The TCL 85QM8 has a few annoying ergonomic issues, and like most LED/LCD sets its off-center viewing won't challenge an OLED. But its performance is impressive, and its price unexpectedly affordable. Properly adjusted, and on source material ranging from the routine to the awesomely difficult, its performance was consistently irresistible.
One significant difference between building a home theater around a video projector or a conventional flat-screen television has been image size. Projector fans will point to the immersion that big-screen projection offers, with the screen size limited mainly by your available space, imagination, and budget. Until recently, however, TVs bigger than 65-inches were priced beyond the means of most consumers.
AT A GLANCE Plus
One of the brightest TVs you can buy
Deep gaming functionality
Relatively wide viewing angles
Mounts flat on a wall
Excellent cable management Minus
65" model is pricey
Still no Dolby Vision
Quantum-dot OLED has its own charms
THE VERDICT
This sublime ultra-premium multi-use 4K TV has a modern minimalist design and delivers impressive imagery thanks to the use of mini-LED, quantum dots and advanced picture processing. Its premium performance comes at a price but it delivers the goods when it comes to image fidelity.
For the past ten years we've watched 4K LCD and OLED TVs compete in the wake of plasma's demise. There was the death of 3D. And for a while, we even had curved screens to contend with. At first OLED had a distinct picture quality advantage over LCDs, thanks to its use of emissive pixels that can fully shut off individually and deliver true blacks. However LED-lit LCD keeps evolving and keeping pace while offering a different set of benefits.
Samsung's name for mini-LED FALD LCD panels featuring quantum dots is Neo QLED. And the QN95C is king of the 4K Neo QLEDs.
AT A GLANCE Plus
State-of-the-art graphics
Great for gaming and productivity
Statement-making design
Packed with smart features
Factory calibrated Minus
Pricey
Needs a powerful PC for gaming
THE VERDICT
With its combination of quantum-dot OLED display tech and a 32:9 aspect ratio, 49-inch screen Samsung's latest ultra-wide monitor is a gamer's delight while also serving as a reference-quality productivity tool.
The Samsung OLED G95SC is a genuine "world's first" with a 240 Hz 49-inch QD-OLED screen. The result is an ultra-thin profile and light weight that make it surprisingly easy to assemble and adjust despite its epic dimensions. Its $2,200 MSRP may be high but is a reflection of the cutting-edge technology found within.
AT A GLANCE Plus
Stunning brightness
Excellent color
Outstanding blacks
Minus
Cluttered WebOS
Little else
THE VERDICT
Today’s best HDTVs are sure to more than satisfy even the most critical buyer. That goes double for 2023 LG’s G3. Despite a few ergonomic quirks (a personal call, to be sure), it makes a strong case for itself as it jostles for the top of the hill as the best 4K HDTV on the market.
This is the third edition of LG's Gallery Edition OLED, replacing last year's 65-inch G2.
AT A GLANCE Plus
Very bright
Deep blacks
Excellent contrast
QLED wide color gamut
Easy to use
Stylish Minus
Limited viewing angles
THE VERDICT
The combination of high contrast, brightness, and excellent color accuracy right out of the box make TCL's 65R655 a great choice for a main living room TV and many other applications.
It is amazing how rapidly TVs have grown in capability while their prices have dropped, defying inflation. I am very familiar with TCL's 6 Series and remember its first U.S. market iteration. It was an affordable 55-inch 4K TV that turned out to be great for both movies and gaming, thanks to its ease of use and nice, contrasty screen.
AT A GLANCE Plus
Impeccable HDR
Outstanding contrast
Wide viewing angle
Highly accurate
Minus
No Dolby Vision
Pricey for a 77-inch TV
THE VERDICT
The 77-inch S95C delivers a potent combination of quantum dot OLED vibrance, reference-level color accuracy, and hyperfast gaming.
The 2023 Samsung S95C offers unparalleled picture quality, owing to quantum dot OLED technology. Its pure RGB emissive pixels enable the delivery of remarkable brightness, contrast, and color, providing a viewing experience that truly honors the source material.
AT A GLANCE Plus
Superb HDR
Outstanding contrast
Wide viewing angle
Minus
No Dolby Vision
Frustrating menus
THE VERDICT
An appealing price for what is essentially a new and ground-breaking application of OLED is almost as much of a surprise as how much Samsung has upped the ante on what we can expect from an OLED HDTV.
We've become so accustomed to what an OLED TV can do that we risk reciting its benefits in our sleep. Great black levels, check. Viewable with little picture change from as far off center as you might want to sit, double check. Bright enough for modestly lit to very dark rooms (but not a sun porch!), check. High prices? That too. But in the past few years, nothing dramatic has muscled its way into the OLED world, though prices have slowly become less intimidating—until now. Samsung, which for years resisted joining the OLED TV parade, has developed a relatively radical way to build an OLED display with Quantum Dot Technology.
AT A GLANCE Plus
Peerless sense of immersion in video games
Like having your own private IMAX theater
One Connect box eliminates cable clutter
Matte screen coating eradicates reflections
Minus
Expensive for a 55" display
Might be too large or heavy to place on some desks
Need to sit in sweet spot for full visual benefit
Requires two people to assemble and to move
THE VERDICT
Samsung's over-the-top gaming monitor is beyond compare. It puts you in the action with a huge curved screen and pumps out some of the most jaw-dropping visuals I've seen, thanks to the optimal close-range viewing experience. It is the most badass gaming monitor I have ever used.
When it comes to 4K gaming displays, the Samsung Odyssey ARK monitor doesn't just push the envelope, it bursts right out of it. The massive 55" curved, rotatable screen is unique among displays of its type. If you enjoy total visual immersion, this outrageous gaming monitor offers next-level performance.
AT A GLANCE Plus
Full P3 color
Inky blacks
High brightness
Minus
Cluttered WebOS
eARC usability inconsistent
THE VERDICT
With its upgraded evo technology and new heat sink, the G2 Gallery Edition punches through the brightness limitations associated with OLED displays while retaining the vivid color, stunning blacks, and off-center viewing that have long been the prime appeals of OLED.
LG's new G2 OLED evo Gallery Edition is the replacement for last year's G1 and the flagship offering in LG's 2022 OLED lineup—excluding the $100,000 OLED R(ollable) model, which sits in a class all by itself. Like the G1, the G2 is designed to hug the wall and features a Gallery mode that, if selected, can display a revolving range of still images and artwork when it's not being used as a television. The set ships with only a slim wall-mount bracket but LG offers a conventional tabletop stand for $100 and, if you want a full-on Louvre vibe, an easel-like Gallery Stand for an extra $350.
AT A GLANCE Plus
High peak brightness for an OLED
Unrestricted viewing angle
Vivid color and powerful contrast
Minus
Remote control can be confusing
Cluttered smart TV home screen
THE VERDICT
Featuring an upgraded OLED panel, LG's new G1 “Gallery” model sets a new standard for OLED peak brightness while otherwise maintaining the company's traditionally impressive overall video performance.
LG's G1 "Gallery Design" TVs are the company's flagship OLED models for 2021, replacing last year's GX series. The now-discontinued WX models excepted, the G1 series comprises the slenderest Ultra HDTV line we've yet seen.
AT A GLANCE Plus
Good image contrast
Crisp picture detail
Affordable price
Minus
Limited off-center viewing angle
Limited HDR brightness
Cluttered screen interface
THE VERDICT
When it comes to TVs, Vizio has always been serious about keeping the quality high and the prices low. That program continues with the company’s new M-Series Quantum, making this set worthy of serious consideration.
Veteran videophiles will recall the days when flat-panel TVs were almost impossibly expensive. But bigscreen set prices have dropped dramatically in recent years. We might "blame" Vizio for that, as it was among the first companies to challenge the status quo. Today it's not the only one offering affordable TVs, but its newest M-Series Quantum models make a strong case for the company's continued design and marketing savvy.
AT A GLANCE Plus
Standard-setting HDR performance
Wide viewing angle for LCD
Deep blacks and strong shadow detail
Minus
Lacks Dolby Vision
Occasional blooming artifacts
THE VERDICT
The price for Samsung's latest sets may be up from last year's equivalent models, but if you're in the market for a new TV, the improvements to be found in the new QN90A series make it worth serious consideration.
In 2020, Sound & Vision tested Samsung's 65-inch Q90T series TV, an LCD model that lacked some of the features and refinements found in the company's flagship sets from the previous year. But at $1,900, it also struck us as a solid deal given the overall price-performance ratio and received a Top Pick. Samsung's new Neo QLED QN90A series LCDs, available in 55-, 65-, 75-, and 85-inch screen sizes, are pricier than the Q90T models they replace, though the higher prices in this case come with marked performance upgrades.
AT A GLANCE Plus
Crisp resolution from Cognitive Processor XR
Ultra-wide viewing angle
Impressive shadow detail
Minus
Picture setup menu limitations
Minor black level issues with HDR
THE VERDICT
Sony's 65A80J delivers top-shelf video performance, HDMI 2.1 connectivity, along with many of the same features found in the company's flagship A90J OLED models at a significantly lower price.
Sony's new XR-65A80J OLED TV isn't a member of the company's Master Series—that designation belongs to its XR-A90J OLED models, which are spec'd to deliver higher brightness than the XR-A80J sets. And while we haven't yet tested those pricier Sony OLEDs, the XR-65A80J is far from being a second-class citizen.
The A80J's physical design is solid and well-executed. If you opt for a conventional installation instead of a wall-mount, its feet can be installed either 40 inches or 27.3 inches apart to accommodate a wide range of TV stands or cabinets, and they can also be slightly elevated to make space for a soundbar.
AT A GLANCE Plus
Effective, 160- zone local-dimming
App-based color calibration
Affordable price
Minus
Image quality reduced at off-center seats
Some green push with HDR content
THE VERDICT
TCL's 6-Series UHD Roku TV brings the benefits of Mini-LED backlighting to a very affordable price point.
In late 2019, TCL flew me to the company's U.S. offices in California to spend an afternoon with its new flagship, the 75Q825 8-Series UHD Roku TV, a 75-inch 4K LCD model. Not all of the set's firmware was complete, but we took advantage of the opportunity to give our readers a sneak preview. The 75Q825's signature feature was TCL's use of mini-LEDs for backlighting, and at its then price of $3,000, it was something of an outlier for a brand associated with budget TVs.