Podcast #926: TV Buying Guide 2019

Back in the day you had top tier TV manufacturers like Sony, Panasonic, and even RCA. Everything else was second rate. That meant the picture wasn’t very good. There really weren’t any features to speak of. It was all picture quality. Yes you could buy a cheap 20 inch TV for your den or bedroom which didn’t look that great. But who cared you were probably only watching the news or Johnny Carson before you went to bed.

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Today's Show:

News:

• Google Assistant adds topical podcast search and photo sharing via voice
• Panasonic to end production of LCD panels, LG to halve production
• HomeKit support for IKEA’s smart blinds delayed until ‘early next year’

Other:

• Check out the Home Theater Hobbyist on YouTube 
• Ara's Woodworking 
• Join the Flaviar Whisky Club and get a free bottle

TV Buying Guide 2019

Back in the day you had top tier TV manufacturers like Sony, Panasonic, and even RCA. Everything else was second rate. That meant the picture wasn’t very good. There really weren’t any features to speak of. It was all picture quality. Yes you could buy a cheap 20 inch TV for your den or bedroom which didn’t look that great. But who cared you were probably only watching the news or Johnny Carson before you went to bed. 

Today, second and third tier TVs are really good. We are not comparing them to OLEDs or top tier LEDs but compared to the Goldstar and Zenith TVs of the 70s and 80s, they are really good. So here’s our dilemma, how do you make a meaningful buying guide when everyone knows if you want the best you buy an OLED and if you are on a budget you buy a cheap Chinese brand? This year we are going to recommend the family and series of TVs since they come in multiple screen sizes. It's up to you to find one that fits in your home and budget.

Best Bang for the Buck

The TCL 6-Series is quite literally the definition of the Best Bang for the Buck! At $250 for the 43 inch and $500 for the 65 inch you can’t go wrong with this TV. They also sell 50 and 55” incase you want something in between large and small.  Our friends over at RTNGS.com give it a mixed use rating of 7.3. Actually, this puts the TV in the average category. But average in a world where we have OLED means that this is still a good TV. Think about it, if walked into a bar and said you were an average baseball player when you were in little league no one would be impressed. But if you walked into that same bar and said you were an average baseball player in the big leagues people would buy you a drink. 

Features:

• QLED

• Local Dimming

• Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR Pro Gamma

• 4K

• AIPQ - optimizes color, contrast and clarity for an unrivaled 4K HDR experience. AiPQ features three core picture quality algorithms – Smart HDR for vibrant color, Smart 4K Upscaling for sharp clarity, and Smart Contrast for dramatic depth.

• Roku Built in

Best TV Where Money is an Object

Most of us do not have unlimited amounts of money but may have a slightly bigger budget and want a little better quality than our bang for the buck selection. For you we would like to recommend the Vizio P-Series Quantum X. The Quantum X comes in two sizes, 65” and 75” and costs $1400 and $2200 respectively. You may be able to find them on sale for lower if you look online or at Costco. Make sure it's the X, Vizio sells a Quantum as well that does not have the same features. 

We like this TV because it does a great job with black levels and has exceptional color. Ara likes it because it supports Airplay 2 which eliminates the need for an AppleTV. It's a great all around TV that does really well with movies, especially those with HDR content. The only real knock against it is that it's off angle viewing is not good. 

Features: 

• Ultra Bright

• Quantum Color

• Local Dimming

• 4K UHD + Dolby Vision HDR

• Chromecast built-in

• Hands-Free TV Voice Control

Best TV Period

So you want the best TV out there and you have a few bucks to spend. Just a few years ago that meant you might break the bank. Today it won’t break the bank but will cost more than most people spend on their entire setup. Our selection, and pretty much everyone else's, is the LG OLED C9 series. They come in three sizes 55”, 65”, and 77” and cost $1500, $2200, and $5000 respectively.  What do you get for that? Perfection! We are talking perfect blacks. So black that if you make your room black and put an image in the middle of the screen it will look as though it's floating in space. 

Watching movies on this screen in a properly lit room is as good as it gets. The C9 reproduces color with a high degree of precision that does not degrade with off angle viewing. If you watch a lot of movies and want the highest quality you can get this is your TV. 

Features: 

• 4K Ultra HD Resolution

• LG ThinQ AI

• α9 Gen 2 Intelligent Processor

• Google Assistant & Amazon Alexa Support

Projector

If you want to go a little bigger than 77” and can swing a projector setup we have two recomendations for you.

Ultra Short Throw Projector

Are is extremely happy with his Optoma CinemaX P1 which goes for about $3800. You’ll need a $750 screen as well which puts you all in at $4550. A little less than the 77 inch OLED. But at this price you get 100 inches of glorious 4K entertainment. It's a little harder to set up but well worth it when you are done. Like the OLED this projector has excellent off angle viewing and blacks are very good when watching in the evening. During the day they are a little washed out for the darkest scenes. But if you watch sports you can watch in full daylight with no issues whatsoever. Just a great large format projector for less than the largest OLED.

Traditional Projector

The Sony VPL-VW295ES 4K SXRD projector is our pick for those who can put in a traditional projector. The SXRD line of projectors can be as expensive as $60000 and as inexpensive as $3000. The 295ES is much closer to the latter at $5000. Throw in $750 for a screen and it's not much more than the 77” OLED but with a 100 inch (or larger) screen. 

The 295 is true 4K UHD, HDR, and those deep blacks that SXRDs are known for. However, it only has 1500 lumens which means you will need to use this in a light controlled room. But if you have the room and ability to wire up a traditional projector this will not let you down. 

Download Episode #926

Comments

[DP - San Diego]

Based on this recommendation, I bought the LG 4K OLED C9 65" to replace a 10 year old Samsung Series 7 55" LCD. The old TV was fine, I just got tired of the wasted space taken up by the 3" bezels. OMG, what a difference! By chance, a Star Wars marathon was on this weekend, so I was able to compare the two with familiar material, from my HD DirecTV Genie. In "Return of the Jedi", I always thought the Emperor's face was badly CGI'd into his robe. There was a halo of artifacts at the transition from face to clothing. Little did I know that was just because my old TV couldn't handle the levels of near-black. In comparison, everything is now crystal clear - the Emperor's face and robe have detail I don't remember. I also thought the recreation of Princess Leia at the end of "Rogue One" was poorly done. She looked like a toy doll. I started to think this was done on purpose so people would know it wasn't really Carrie Fisher; much like how ancient buildings are reconstructed with different colored stone so future generations can tell new from old material. On the OLED TV, recreated Leia looked perfect! I can't wait to get a chance to rewatch GOT "The Long Night". THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for this recommendation. Now I feel bad that I've recommended people not get OLED TVs because of the burn-in I experienced on my phone. I know that's still an issue, turned on all of the options to save the screen, and have crossed my fingers hoping this TV also lasts 10 years.