Speaker 1: So you're looking to buy a new 4k TV, but you're wondering which one do you get? Not a problem. Let's help you out
Speaker 1: First. I'll tell you about what you should know about 4k TVs in general. Then I'll let you know about some picks as chosen by the editors of CNET. If you wanna jump to the recommendations, just go to this time code. Otherwise let's learn about what we need to know about televisions. So we're not confused by all kinds of fancy TV terms. First up display technologies. [00:00:30] There's LCD TVs also called L E D TVs and OED TVs also called O L E D TVs. That means you're just spelling it up. OED stands for organic light emitting diode. Each pixel provides its own illumination. There is no separate backlight, L C D stands for liquid crystal display. These days, all the pixels you see on LCDs are lit up. Thanks to an L E D powered backlight system. L E D stands [00:01:00] for light emitting. Do I, if someone says something is an L E D TV, that means they're talking about the back light in an LCD TV.
Speaker 1: If you remember the early days of flat screen TVs, you may remember they were kind of thick compared to today's TVs. Part of that was due to the type of backlight. Older TVs used cold CA fluorescent amps or CCS, the switch to LEDs as the back lighting tech allowed TVs to get thinner, depending on how many [00:01:30] LEDs are in that TV. And a few other things you can get blooming. That's where bright area leaks into an adjacent dark area. You don't want blooming. If you've heard of QED, it's a Samsung ending term, which stands for quantum dot L E D TV. What's a quantum dot. It's a tech that promises more lifelike color. However, what QED is not is ed Q L E D is a variant of the L E D L C D Q L E D and O L E D [00:02:00] are two very different technologies.
Speaker 1: Q L E D back light O L E D no back light Q L E D little bar in the O making a Q O L E D no little bar, which one is better if you're looking for a picture that delivers pure black that's O L E D. Since each pixel in an Ola display can be illuminated individually. You can turn off a pixel to create true. Black led D tech is getting better, [00:02:30] especially with the introduction of many LEDs. Like the name suggests they are smaller than LEDs. So there are a lot of many LEDs providing the back light. That means the TV has more control over what gets dimed and what doesn't. Also, since many LEDs are smaller, you can pack more of them in than traditional LEDs. So if you're looking for a TV, they can get really, really bright a TV with many LEDs may be the way to go onto 4k.
Speaker 1: 4k used to be a way to sell expensive TVs and make you feel bad about [00:03:00] your measly. HDT enough to upgrade, but times have changed. If you're looking at a TV at around 43 inches or larger, that TV will likely have 4k resolution as standard. If you're looking at a TV over 50 inches, good luck finding a non 4k version. Next image quality is the not all about 4k. 4k is a resolution that almost always means the TV has 3,840 pixels by 2,160 pixels. Four comparison. [00:03:30] HD is 1920 by 10 80. So that means you could fit four HD images within one 4k display image is not just about the resolution. You'll have to consider things like contrast dynamic range, peak brightness, and HDR performance. Let's highlight a couple of those terms. In simple words, contrast is the difference between the brightest, the TV can be.
Speaker 1: And the darkest, if something has low contrast, the images may look washed out because [00:04:00] the darkest and brightest parts of the image don't vary greatly. If you look at something like an ed screen, the difference between light and dark can be great. The darkest part of the screen are black because the individual pixel is off. If you really want to get an education about TV, contrast ratios, check out what is TV contrast show on CNET? Let's talk about HDR. HDR stands for high dynamic range, and it expands the range of both contrast and color significantly. [00:04:30] When compared to HDTVs bright parts of the image can get much brighter. So the image seems to have more depth colors, get expanded, to show more bright blues, greens, reds, and everything else in between. You may have heard of HDR when it comes to photos. And that is a different thing.
Speaker 1: HDR photos combine multiple images with different exposures to make a single image, to mimic a greater dynamic range. TV HDR actually expands the contrast ratio and color palette beyond [00:05:00] what you'll see HDTVs even more fun is that there are multiple HDR formats that your TV would have to code. If you wanna get into the weeds with that, check out Doby, vision HDR, 10 technic color, and H LG HDR formats explained on CNET for our purposes know that there are multiple HCR formats and multiple HD formats can coexist on a single TV. Now there is stuff beyond picture quality when it comes to TVs, too, if you like to [00:05:30] game, you might wanna know about a TV's input. Lag input. Lag is a term for the delay in milliseconds, between a TV receiving a signal, and the result of this signal appearing on the screen. In this case, a lower number, me that there's less lag.
Speaker 1: What about built-in apps? If you haven't bought a TV in a long time, you should know that the built-in apps and TVs have gotten a lot better. Depending on the TV. You could be seeing the Roku or Google TV interface built right in. Those are pretty mature and have a great deal of apps. [00:06:00] Not every TV company. These days tries to make their own smart TV ecosystem. Speakers look to be nice. Most built in speakers on televisions. They're not great. We suggest you get yourself a sound bar or other speakers to system. Okay? With all of that said, let's get to the recommendations. If money is no object, we suggest the L G O led G one series. LG made this thing incredibly thin and slim. [00:06:30] The G one is meant to be hung on a wall, and it comes with a Mount once hung the G one sticks out from the wall, whopping eighth of an inch, or a little over three millimeters.
Speaker 1: If you wanna place the TV on a cabinet or something else, the feet will cost you an extra a hundred dollars. This TV had the best picture quality we have ever tested. The G one features a panel exclusive to this TV in LGS lineup. It gives you better color and better brightness. [00:07:00] Although the improvement is subtle compared to other LG O led TVs. So if the style of the G one didn't hook, you take a look at the LGC one series to save a few bucks. As for smarts, LG does have its own smart TV interface. The remote lets you mouse around to different apps. Both Google, Google, and Amazon voice assistance are available. There's also a game optimizer mode with picture presets, just for gaming. The LG one series comes in three sizes and costs. Some [00:07:30] money. 55 inches will cost you $2,200. 65 inches will cost you $3,000 and a 77 inch G one will cost you $4,500.
Speaker 1: Okay? So what's the best ed alternative. The Samsung QN 90 a has the best picture of any non ed TV we've tested and the best bright room picture full stop inside. You're going to get a mini L E D powered backlight. It features [00:08:00] full array, local dimming, local dimming improves LCD image quality by making certain areas of the picture dimer or brighter in reaction to what's on the screen, which significantly boosts contrast. One of the keys to this TV's performance was the excellent black levels. You get minimal bloom in this picture. It gets very close, very close to OED quality. As for the design, the Samsung Q N 90 a is sleek with a small central stand. The TV [00:08:30] has channels for cables on the back. Like the LG mentioned the Samsung is not as thin as an OED. So if that bothers you, you know that now Samsung included a solar panel on the remote that should be rechargeable in normal household conditions.
Speaker 1: Otherwise you can use USB to recharge the device. You also get a choice of three voice assistants, Alexa, Google assistant, and fix B the Samsung Q Y 90 a is the best non Ola TV CNET has ever tested. Retail [00:09:00] pricing starts at around $1,300 for a 43 model and all the way up to $5,000. But that is for an 85 inch model. If you're looking at a 65 inch, it retails were around $2,600. What out what's the best 4k for the money that has to be the TCL six series. It did come out in 2020, but it's still hard to beat for the price re retailing. At $1,300, you get a 65 inch 4k TV with many L E D tech inside. [00:09:30] There are two variants of the six series. These days. One is powered by Rokus platform. The others powered by Google. We've only tested the Roku version.
Speaker 1: Anyway, those many LEDs maximize brightness leading to better images in bright rooms. And with HDR, local dimming manages to keep black levels, dark and overall contrast superb, although it's not perfect and gamers will appreciate the new th certified game mode, which serves up fast response time with minimal [00:10:00] lag and excellent image quality. Now new models of televisions come out all the time. So browse around seeing that.com for more information, we've got so many tips to help you get the most out of your TV. We'd even got suggested picture settings for some ease. If you like tinkering with your tech, a Maya Zach tire, and I'll see you online.
