The TV Selection Game

[Yamaki]

It's amazing how quickly TV technology has changed in the 5 years since I purchased my 70" Sony XBR.

That doesn't mean that deciding which TV to buy is any easier, it just means there is different technology to evaluate.

Recently the aforementioned XBR started displaying little white rectangles at the border of the screen. Initially only 1/4 inch high and about 1.5 inches long, they've grown a bit in the last two weeks since I first noticed them. My 5 year extended repair or replace warranty expires on 7/5. Interesting timing.

I opened claim, was directed to a "Service Provider" who was assigned the in-home repair service and, about a week later, they called to advise that there were no parts available to repair the problem and I was to call the Warranty Service.

At the end of the day the Warranty Service offered a cash out amount which I accepted. It was time to find a new TV. That is where the Game starts.

[Yamaki]

While I am a little sad that the Sony has expired, I recently "cut the cord" and am now streaming all my TV & movie entertainment. Having a new generation "smart" TV appeals to me as the Sony was a bit limited in that area.

Today's TV's either work on WiFi, hardwired ethernet or both. Since I have ethernet at the location the TV sits, plugging in will be easy and the TV app should show me most, if not all, my streamed content. It also appears that I can put the Roku box aside unless there is some content I stream that isn't available on the TV app. I doubt that this is the case but it's nice to have options, isn't it?

For me, the first part of the TV selection game is research and that almost always means a spreadsheet. Content of my spreadsheet for this year's game was:

MFGR
Model
MSRP

Size
Display Type
Display Rez
4K ?
HDR or UHD?
HDCP Spec
Backlight Type
Native HZ Refresh
Wide Color Gamut
Operating System

Inputs - Type & Number
HDMI
Ethernet
Composite Video
Component Video
USB

Outputs - Type & Number
Digital Audio
Analog RCA/Headphone

Whew...So not only did I need to list some relevant specifications I also had to research different screen types & screen technologies, differences in OS and how they operate, backlit vs. edge lit technology, OLED vs. QLED vs. LED, .... and a bunch more. Oh, and don't forget HDCP specifications, either, if you want that full 4K streamed content experience.

I had my work cut out for me...

[crwilli]

Isn’t this where you offer to send your spreadsheet to those that send you their email in a PM?

[Yamaki]

Originally Posted by crwilli

Isn’t this where you offer to send your spreadsheet to those that send you their email in a PM?

Yup.

[jzzmusician]

Put me down for your spreadsheet. Thank you!

What did you end up buying? And why?

- Bob

[Yamaki]

Originally Posted by jzzmusician

Put me down for your spreadsheet. Thank you!

What did you end up buying? And why?

- Bob

Bob,

Send me a PM with your email address and I will send it to you.

As far as what I bought and why, I'm gettin" to that.

[1KW]

Get some Ivan handles for those 501’s

[W9TR]

Need to add a line for CMS (color management system) for us tweak-o-philes.

[Yamaki]

I spent quite a bit of time reading up on current display technology and attempting to discern the differences, at least on paper, that are key as part of a purchase decision.

After some hours of reading different reviews and technical evaluation reports, I decided that for me the key criteria were:

1. Display resolution of 3840 x 2160

2. HDR capable

3. HDCP specification 2.2 or better

4. Backlighting method

5. Native refresh rate

The first three criteria are simple Yes or No ratings.

Backlighting methods are a bit more complicated. All LED TVs are really just LCD TVs that use LEDs for their backlight. This backlight creates the light that allows the LCD to create an image. However, there are multiple ways these LED backlights can be arranged, and that arrangement can have a dramatic effect on picture quality.

Many LED LCDs on the market today are edge-lit, which means the LEDs are in the sides of the TV, facing in toward the screen. Because the light is brightest nearest the LEDs, it's common for edge-lit LED LCDs to appear to have poor uniformity. This is especially noticeable on dark scenes, where areas of the screen will appear brighter than others. Corners or edges can have what looks like tiny flashlights shining on the screen. This technology is still found in quite a few screens today.

Then there is the backlit arrangement where all those LEDs face in towards the front of the screen from the back. Backlit LED arrangements began emerging into the marketplace 5 or 6 years ago. Initial versions provided plasma-like black backgrounds but, by today's standards, were not up to providing the level of color reproduction and detail we all look for.

Fast forward a few years and the backlit LED technology looked quite different and started to drop in price. This improving feature was named OLED (organic light emitting diode) and you saw all sorts of trade names pop up. Recently, an added a feature called "local dimming" came on the scene which many feel is today's ultimate LED LCD, offering performance that rivals the better plasmas. Like the "direct-lit" TVs, these have their LEDs behind the screen (the image above for direct-lit works as a visual aid for this type as well). The full local-dimming aspect means the TV is able to dim zones behind the dark areas of the screen in fairly specific areas to make the image really pop, drastically increasing the apparent contrast ratio.

All through this back lighting evolution the LEDs became smaller and smaller...and now we see QLED technology making a bid to be the big dog in TV technology. QLED, I believe, is trademarked by Samsung and they describe it as their quantum dot light emitting diode technology.

I guess it's all about how many tiny LEDs you can squeeze into the array.

[Yamaki]

It can be difficult to determine the true Native Refresh Rate.

You find such terms as "Motion Rate 240HZ", a simply stated native refresh rate of 60HZ or even something called "X-Motion" with or without a HZ rating.

The rule of thumb I applied was to look for the Native Refresh Rate specification and if it wasn't listed but they did state the motion enhancer was, let's say the "Motion Rate 240HZ", cutting the stated HZ value in half gives you a good indicator of the Native Refresh Rate.