Autumn 2023 TV Advice

[ryanosaur]

I'm thinking of upgrading my display pending the presumed discounts around Black Friday / Cyber Monday are worthwhile; and since they usually are the best prices of the year... ...I likely am going to do just that.

Upgraded budget is around $1500.
65" is the max I can do, which will be significant from the existing 49". Seating distance is about 10-11' from screen. 55" may be acceptable if the quality gain from downsizing makes up for increased price (like the difference between a 65" C3 and a 55" G3, assuming it gets that affordable ).

Main TVs under consideration, all 65":
Sony X93L
Hisense U8K
TCL QM8
LG C3

Samsung is absolutely NOT under consideration unless you can convince me I should change my mind, but almost everything is seemingly Dolby Vision aligned which Samsung does not support.

Uses: Home Theater and Gaming.

My room is generally pretty dark and wide angle watching is not really a concern.

All the Rtings reviews and measurements show these TVs to almost all be pretty evenly matched for the most part. One may be stronger in one area by a little and weak in another, but where do the differences really matter these days?

I think Gaming will put more demand on the TV than Movies, and while I don't live my life with a PS5 controller in hand I do want to have a TV that won't act up when there is a lot of activity on screen.

Any experience that Friends here can share with any of these? Even older models of TCL and Hisense would be helpful as I don't really have any experience with them.
Any other advice or recommendations?

Thanks!!!

 

[Mikado463]

Ryan, I'll be watching this thread and which way you go.......

Also, FWIW I remember reading in Consumer Reports that the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl are excellent times for TV purchase

 

[ryanosaur]

Ryan, I'll be watching this thread and which way you go.......

Also, FWIW I remember reading in Consumer Reports that the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl are excellent times for TV purchase

Black Friday is usually slightly better, but yes, lead up to SB is the very close second best time to buy. One would think there are better clearance sales when new models are released but I haven't quite seen that bear out in my own research.

 

[j_garcia]

If black friday sales numbers are lower than expected, Superbowl sales end up being better. In recent years, the Superbowl sales were better, but not on every model. 65s are the most common and should be the easiest to get a deal on.

Hisense and TCL are good TVs, but they are 2nd tier manufacturers. If you are looking for lower cost, they're fine. If you want the best of the best, stick with Samsung, Sony, LG. Yes, Samsung is in there. Samsung has been making OLEDs longer than anyone, just not in TVs. For OLED TVs, I would have to say LG or Sony.

 

[Trebdp83]

I wanted to check things out for myself early last year and bought an LG C1 77" and XBOX Series S. I then upgraded my Sony UBP-X800 to the Sony X800M2 for Dolby Vision support. "How much better was the upgrade from a lower tier Samsung LED 75" TV to LG OLED?" you ask. Well... The C3 improves on the C1 and C2. There was a learning curve going to LG and there are some things that bug me but picture quality viewing 4K Dolby Vision content is not an issue. While the XBOX Series S renders in 1440p, it can output video in 4K @120Hz and games played in 4K HDR @120Hz will produce images on an OLED TV that will blow you away.

The big issue if one is using a Marantz 6012 in between devices and the TV is the lack of HDMI 2.1 support and it will cap video at 4K @60Hz. Game consoles, Macs and PCs that support 4K @120Hz will need to be connected directly to the TV and use eARC for lossless multichannel audio back to the receiver. The 6012 was supposed to receive an update to enable eARC but how well it works with a given TV will vary from setup to setup. But, given the choices in the list above, that TV would be an LG C3 if I was buying a new set. Perfect blacks and wide viewing angles can't be had by LED sets. Oh, and get the biggest TV you can afford and that will fit in the space. Bestbuy and Costco currently have the LG C3 65" TV at $1,599.99. Bestbuy purchase comes with 3 months of Apple TV+ and 1 month of FUBO. Costco's price includes additional coverage charged at $99.99 and then immediately credited at $100 at the counter. My TV also had a $100 credit from LG for selected outfits and I applied it to my Microsoft account for gaming. I'm not sure if that is also included with the C3 purchase at Costco.

 

[ryanosaur]

If black friday sales numbers are lower than expected, Superbowl sales end up being better. In recent years, the Superbowl sales were better, but not on every model. 65s are the most common and should be the easiest to get a deal on.

Hisense and TCL are good TVs, but they are 2nd tier manufacturers. If you are looking for lower cost, they're fine. If you want the best of the best, stick with Samsung, Sony, LG. Yes, Samsung is in there. Samsung has been making OLEDs longer than anyone, just not in TVs. For OLED TVs, I would have to say LG or Sony.

Ya, I was really surprised to see Rtings talk up the Hisense and TCL so much. Admittedly, the Hisense seems to have more mediocre build quality based on their metrics but didn't have a serious drawback that seemed concerning.
What surprised me more was the brightness they offer compared to the Sonys in my price range. The X93L without a discount is pushing me at ~$1700 right now. My 5 yr old 900F is a solid performer and still looks good but I know I can do better today.

Not having experienced Micro LED or OLED previously is my biggest point of curiosity.

FWIW, I know Samsung is quality. It's just that I see more stuff supporting Dolby Vision rather than HDR10+. I think Samsung got their head stuck right up their corporate as$ with that decision. Uncertain if DTS support through the TV is a deal breaker... but that Dolby Vision support feels like it to me. *shrugs

 

[ryanosaur]

I wanted to check things out for myself early last year and bought an LG C1 77" and XBOX Series S. I then upgraded my Sony UBP-X800 to the Sony X800M2 for Dolby Vision support. "How much better was the upgrade from a lower tier Samsung LED 75" TV to LG OLED?" you ask. Well... The C3 improves on the C1 and C2. There was a learning curve going to LG and there are some things that bug me but picture quality viewing 4K Dolby Vision content is not an issue. While the XBOX Series S renders in 1440p, it can output video in 4K @120Hz and games played in 4K HDR @120Hz will produce images on an OLED TV that will blow you away.

The big issue if one is using a Marantz 6012 in between devices and the TV is the lack of HDMI 2.1 support and it will cap video at 4K @60Hz. Game consoles, Macs and PCs that support 4K @120Hz will need to be connected directly to the TV and use eARC for lossless multichannel audio back to the receiver. The 6012 was supposed to receive an update to enable eARC but how well it works with a given TV will vary from setup to setup. But, given the choices in the list above, that TV would be an LG C3 if I was buying a new set. Perfect blacks and wide viewing angles can't be had by LED sets. Oh, and get the biggest TV you can afford and that will fit in the space. Bestbuy and Costco currently have the LG C3 65" TV at $1,599.99. Bestbuy purchase comes with 3 months of Apple TV+ and 1 month of FUBO. Costco's price includes additional coverage charged at $99.99 and then immediately credited at $100 at the counter. My TV also had a $100 credit from LG for selected outfits and I applied it to my Microsoft account for gaming. I'm not sure if that is also included with the C3 purchase at Costco.

The 6012 is on the upgrade list. I was hoping to do that this year but looking like early next if things go well.

I've see discussion that Burn-In isn't really an issue any more with OLED screens. That I game is one of those hang-on issues though. Watching the Static images on the Cyberpunk screen makes me wonder, though.

Is there any other aspects to the LG options you would care to comment on?

 

[Trebdp83]

Image retention can occur with really bright logos or boxes left on screen. It lasts moments. I've gamed for hours at a time without any burn in on my C1 after about 5,000 hours of use. I use it for web browsing, gaming and TV and Movie watching every single day. It is a beautiful monitor for my Mac mini M1.

Many have issues using eARC with LG TVs simply because they often are using the wrong settings for audio output in the TV and also in some receivers. LG TVs can actually re-encode signals for output over ARC but that conversion in real time can result in audio sync issues.

My biggest gripe with the TV is the Universal Remote Control function. It works with many, but not all big brands of devices and only controls those devices connected directly to it. It cannot control those devices connected through receivers like my Samsung TV. However, Simplink(HDMI-CEC) will control devices through the receiver when HDMI-CEC is ON in all of the devices in the chain provided a device allows it to do so. I'm not a fan of the Magic Remote. It does the job, but I use the Apple TV 4K remote controller more than any other in the bunch. Pressing a button on it powers on the TV and receiver and switches both to the corresponding source inputs and controls the receiver's volume.

 

[TLS Guy]

Ya, I was really surprised to see Rtings talk up the Hisense and TCL so much. Admittedly, the Hisense seems to have more mediocre build quality based on their metrics but didn't have a serious drawback that seemed concerning.
What surprised me more was the brightness they offer compared to the Sonys in my price range. The X93L without a discount is pushing me at ~$1700 right now. My 5 yr old 900F is a solid performer and still looks good but I know I can do better today.

Not having experienced Micro LED or OLED previously is my biggest point of curiosity.

FWIW, I know Samsung is quality. It's just that I see more stuff supporting Dolby Vision rather than HDR10+. I think Samsung got their head stuck right up their corporate as$ with that decision. Uncertain if DTS support through the TV is a deal breaker... but that Dolby Vision support feels like it to me. *shrugs

Don't believe them. Hisense are Chinese junk, and yes, you can put a capital J on that.

The answer is a simple one, to go for a 65" LG OLED. Those TVs are just excellent.

 

[ryanosaur]

My original pick had been the Sony X93, but I've started leaning more toward the LG C3 in the last week.

Remotes aren't a peeve of mine. I don't mind keeping my main remotes close to hand and have never liked dealing with universal remotes.

I've really liked my Sony's over time. We also have a 9-10 yr old xbr-55x850C that is her daily beast in the greatroom. That and my x900f are both really solid performers.
I know I would be happy with a new X90L but can't help but feel that I should be able to one-up on quality with that extra few hundred dollars in my budget.

 

[ryanosaur]

Don't believe them. Hisense are Chinese junk, and yes, you can put a capital J on that.

To be fair, the Hisense is a very distant 4th.

When I upgrade that 10 yr old Sony in the greatroom, I may well try a TCL, though... but hopefully I don't have to do that before 2025.

 

[davidscott]

A 60 inch would be a nice in between compromise if you can find the brand and price that you want. I went from a 49 to a 58 in my smallish living room and it was a noticeable difference. And I bought it last January before the Superbowl and got a great price.

 

[TLS Guy]

My original pick had been the Sony X93, but I've started leaning more toward the LG C3 in the last week.

Remotes aren't a peeve of mine. I don't mind keeping my main remotes close to hand and have never liked dealing with universal remotes.

I've really liked my Sony's over time. We also have a 9-10 yr old xbr-55x850C that is her daily beast in the greatroom. That and my x900f are both really solid performers.
I know I would be happy with a new X90L but can't help but feel that I should be able to one-up on quality with that extra few hundred dollars in my budget.

There is a chasm in the quality difference of OLED and any variety of LED TV, whatever lipstick they put on the pigs. I have been really happy with mine, and my eldest son has one, and so do some close friends on my recommendation. All three are really pleased with them. OLED is state of the art now and anything else is a distant second or worse.

Yes the remote is RF and not IR. However that makes a much better remote. I personally think all remotes should be RF and not IR. I have four units in the house now with RF remotes. They are much more certain and definite and EVERY button press gives you the result you want, and you don't have to accurately point it, just the arrow when navigating apps.

I don't use a lot of apps, but I do use the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Digital Concert Hall app, to get there Atmos stream via eArc. By the way that seems to have been significantly upgraded for this season, and the results are now spectacular. It really puts you in the Philharmonie. Your room feels huge, the front to back back and 3D localization is spectacular, and the ambience of the space really realistic. It was somewhat disappointed last season, but now I am an enthusiastic convert. There were also two updates to the app this year. I don't know how that played into it all. The engineers in Berlin I think have been burning the midnight oil. I should start a thread about this.

 

[Eppie]

Definitely go with the 65" if you have the space. That seems to be the sweet spot for price vs size. From what I recall, Sony can have slightly better image processing for movies but the LG does pretty much everything well, especially if you can afford the C3.

 

[snakeeyes]

49? Ya I’ve been trying to watch hockey in my Den on a 54 plasma and it’s a pain. LOL .

(My 65in 4K TV is in the living room now and it is an older model Samsung)

I have a couple home repairs on my list before a TV but I think the LG OLED C series is my best bet even if I have to wait another year or a little longer. Likely the 77in if I can swing it.

Hopefully both my Apple TV 4K remote and Firestick 4K Max remotes can do their job as far as TV on off and I won’t use the LG remote after setup of the TV.

 

[ryanosaur]

49? Ya I’ve been trying to watch hockey in my Den on a 54 plasma and it’s a pain. LOL .

(My 65in 4K TV is in the living room now and it is an older model Samsung)

I have a couple home repairs on my list before a TV but I think the LG OLED C series is my best bet even if I have to wait another year or a little longer. Likely the 77in if I can swing it.

Hopefully both my Apple TV 4K remote and Firestick 4K Max remotes can do their job as far as TV on off and I won’t use the LG remote after setup of the TV.

Its funny. Back in 2018 I'm pretty certain you were the one who said my 49 was too small. At first it was fine for me, but as my room has become the go-to destination when we want to watch things together, I find myself wishing I had at least went for the 55. A step up 55" today from what I bought 5 years ago is the same price! If I coulda bought the equivalent of the TCL I was just considering, but back then!!!
At the time I also really didn't watch much TV so I wasn't really missing anything.
Also playing fallout on a larger screen, I found myself missing some of the on screen messages warning me of other happenings. *shrugs

Now I want to go all out!

 

[snakeeyes]

Ya think your main speakers dwarfed your TV a bit in those photos.

I had to clean up my living room to incorporate my bar and keep my 5.2 system intact. So I moved the 65 TV in there where the wood stove and everything is.

Yet my new lazy boys are setup in the den in my 5.1.4 Atmos setup so the 54in plasma still gets a ton of use. A 65 or 77in LG oled would be great in there at some point.

 

[ryanosaur]

Ya think your main speakers dwarfed your TV a bit in those photos.

Oh, they do. Each of those bass cabinets is effectively 4 cu.ft!

My fantasy of upgrading the Speakers is about floor space, not sound quality. And that's still not happening for a while. I'm not planning that for another 5 years if I can help it.

 

[afterlife2]

Just posted this and saw this thread:

LG Alexa C1 Series 4K Smart OLED TV (Refurbished) **STAND NOT INCLUDED**

LG Alexa C1 Series 4K Smart OLED TV (Refurbished) **STAND NOT INCLUDED**

electronics.woot.com

Walmart sells good stands and often cheap and well made

 

[ryanosaur]

So. here's a refined question...

Depending on sales, do I go 65" LG C3 for the size, or 55" LG G3 for the better TV?

For that to even be feasible, the G3 would have to come down pretty significantly; like 40% significant. But the question remains, Screen Size and a slightly lower grade TV (still pretty exceptional, or go for the better TV if I can?