Good LED TV? Any Recommendations

[Manuel Bachmann]

Hi Guys

 

Im searching for a new TV, and there are so many to choose from, what can be a bit difficult. I watch images on the TV (my own shots), and play from time to time on my PS.

 

Here are some of my wishes:

- LED TV size about 46" not much bigger

- HDR (not necessary)

- Good color reproduction ( i watch mi images on the TV and they have to be accurate, im a photographer)

- 4k would be fine

- dark blacks

- if possible prce under 1500 Dollars / US (1200 Euros)

Thank you very much for your help

 

[IPD]

Just get whatever TCL or whatnot is available.  Honestly, that's not too discriminating, and I'd just opt for cheap.  Price is only an issue if you live in somewhere bizarrely remote.

[Commodus]

On 1/14/2022 at 7:25 AM, Manuel Bachmann said:

Hi Guys

 

Im searching for a new TV, and there are so many to choose from, what can be a bit difficult. I watch images on the TV (my own shots), and play from time to time on my PS.

 

Here are some of my wishes:

- LED TV size about 46" not much bigger

- HDR (not necessary)

- Good color reproduction ( i watch mi images on the TV and they have to be accurate, im a photographer)

- 4k would be fine

- dark blacks

- if possible prce under 1500 Dollars / US (1200 Euros)

Thank you very much for your help

 

One of Samsung's new 4K Neo QLED sets might workif you can afford to wait a while (possibly a few months). They're mini-LED sets that should offer good image quality and relatively deep contrast. The main catch, other than not knowing the price and sizes at this stage, is that they don't do Dolby Vision HDR.

 

If you can't, I'd look at the 50-inch Samsung QN90A if you can live without Dolby Vision and the Hisense U6G if you can't. Just be ready for a bigger set than you were expecting — the 43-inch QN90A has a worse panel, and it's really hard to find a good LED set below 50 inches as a general rule.

 

If it were me, I'd get an OLED TV instead and spring for a 48-inch LG C1. Great colour (you may need to use Filmmaker Mode or similar for that), the very deep blacks you'd expect from OLED, Dolby Vision, and great for gaming. The catches are simply the ones inherent to OLED: there's a slight risk of burn-in if you leave a static image up for a long time (I haven't had a problem with games over four-plus years of LG OLED ownership), and the brightness isn't great if you frequently watch in strong sunlight.

[dalekphalm]

On 1/14/2022 at 7:25 AM, Manuel Bachmann said:

Hi Guys

 

Im searching for a new TV, and there are so many to choose from, what can be a bit difficult. I watch images on the TV (my own shots), and play from time to time on my PS.

 

Here are some of my wishes:

- LED TV size about 46" not much bigger

- HDR (not necessary)

- Good color reproduction ( i watch mi images on the TV and they have to be accurate, im a photographer)

- 4k would be fine

- dark blacks

- if possible prce under 1500 Dollars / US (1200 Euros)

Thank you very much for your help

 

For that price, you can likely score an OLED like the LG C1 or Sony A80J (I own the latter), especially at the size you’re looking for. 
 

However, OLED does have potential image retention/burn-in issues if used with static images or elements for hours on end. Granted, these issues are far less of a problem now. 
 

You can also opt for a QLED or even a NEO QLED (has a micro LED array that closet mimics a proper OLED). 
 

Both options will have superior visual quality, but the OLED is still pretty much the best. 

[Colty]

OLED! If you want deep blacks, there's nothing else to consider.

Burn-in is... not a big deal - https://www.rtings.com/tv/learn/real-life-oled-burn-in-test

Get the OLED, you'll never go back. Anytime you watch another TV, you'll notice that the blacks are just grey. My OLED (55" LG CX) is a better viewing experience than a movie theater.

[IPD]

1 hour ago, Colty said:

OLED! If you want deep blacks, there's nothing else to consider.

Burn-in is... not a big deal - https://www.rtings.com/tv/learn/real-life-oled-burn-in-test

Get the OLED, you'll never go back. Anytime you watch another TV, you'll notice that the blacks are just grey. My OLED (55" LG CX) is a better viewing experience than a movie theater.

If you like blackout curtains and living in a cave....sure.

 

I'd go for size over "deep blacks"--at least up to a point. 

[dalekphalm]

3 hours ago, IPD said:

If you like blackout curtains and living in a cave....sure.

 

I'd go for size over "deep blacks"--at least up to a point. 

You definitely don't need total blackout with Modern OLED's. Yes LED's are still brighter, but each year they're improving the brightness levels on OLED's.

 

I have an A80J, and we can watch TV during daytime without blackout curtains. Granted, we don't have any direct daylight glare on the TV - and that can make a difference, but it's really not that hard with modern OLED's to use them without pitch darkness.

 

With that in mind, if the OP's intended location is really bright (multiple windows, at least one of which has direct sunlight on the TV), and they can't control the lighting (eg: no blinds or curtains on the windows), then yes, they should definitely consider something like an LG LED with a Nano Array backlight, or a Samsung Neo QLED, etc.

 

For me? The minor issues with brightness are easily not a problem, and the increased image quality and contrast levels.

 

Besides all of that, the OP clearly listed "46" and not much bigger" as part of his requirements, so your last point is not very relevant to this topic.

[Stahlmann]

9 hours ago, IPD said:

If you like blackout curtains and living in a cave....sure.

 

I'd go for size over "deep blacks"--at least up to a point. 

People underestimate OLED in that regard. They can still do around 150 nits in fullscreen white. But how often do you look at a full white picture? Any real content will be a lot brighter.

 

And even if you're looking at high-APL content, even something as "dim" as 150 nits is perfectly useable at daytime. My displays are all calibrated to 100 nits for SDR and i have no visibility issues no matter the time of day.

 

I second going OLED for OP. A C1 - or the soon to be released C2 - will deliver overall better picture quality than any LCD.

But if you really want LCD then go for a Samsung QN90A or QN95A depending on what model is available to you.

[Colty]

19 hours ago, IPD said:

If you like blackout curtains and living in a cave....sure.

 

I'd go for size over "deep blacks"--at least up to a point. 

I'll take it you don't own an OLED...

It's not just the perfect per pixel black level, it's a lot of things that go with that. No bloom/bleed from the backlight. With this, the increased contrast between pixels makes it look much sharper. That is why my old Plasma (per pixel lighting, great blacks, but not perfect blacks) still looks sharper than most budget 4k displays.

It is true, with any TV, the blacks are only as deep as your environment allows. Since that's OLED's biggest strength, it won't be at its best in a store display with overhead lights and whatnot. It's when you get home, close the curtains, and watch something. The curtains don't need to be drawn 24/7 to enjoy it. My OLED is right across from my patio door, I still use it with all the curtains open. But, if I want the full experience, I close the curtains and watch something. And it's incredible. It's lifelike. Like a floating window to another world. 

If you want something that will only be used in a living room to watch sports ball and the news- don't get an OLED. If you want to have a proper home theater/kickass gaming setup, and you're willing to close the curtains to get the full experience, there's no better option than OLED.

It isn't horrible in a bright environment. Practically all the top-end cell phones for the last few years are OLED, so obviously, they're plenty good even in direct sunlight. 

[IPD]

You said it yourself.  A regular TV will have more universal applicability than OLED.

 

p.s.

I'm not willing to take out a mortgage so I can buy a 100"+ OLED.

[Colty]

21 minutes ago, IPD said:

You said it yourself.  A regular TV will have more universal applicability than OLED.

 

p.s.

I'm not willing to take out a mortgage so I can buy a 100"+ OLED.

That's not what I said at all. The TL;DR of what I said is this.
If you want a TV with "universal applicability", you want to get an OLED. They look great in bright rooms and rooms with no light.

All TV's look best in low light. OLEDs even more so. If you never intend to run the TV in a dimly lit room, you won't notice the full strengths of an OLED. Though other things (viewing angles, motion clarity, ect) might still  persuade you.


Also, OP already said his budget is $1500 and he's looking for around 46". There's a lot of OLED offerings in that range. Nobody is discussing a 100" display besides you. 

[dalekphalm]

26 minutes ago, IPD said:

You said it yourself.  A regular TV will have more universal applicability than OLED.

Don't put words in his mouth - we've clearly outlined the pros and cons for both LED and OLED styles of TV's. The OP can look over the differences and if they need more help, they can ask more questions.

26 minutes ago, IPD said:

p.s.

I'm not willing to take out a mortgage so I can buy a 100"+ OLED.

Why are you even talking about 100"+ OLED's?

 

If you're going to talk about things that are off-topic, please make a different thread.

 

You've already been told, and can clearly see in the OP's post that he is looking for 46" sizes and not much bigger. With his stated budget, he can probably afford an OLED in his size.