Audio Video News

We’re on a roll. In the past month we’ve reviewed three top-performing TVs from three top brands. You might call it a TV trifecta. All have 65-inch screens and all earned Sound & Vision’s prestigious Top Pick designation, reserved for the very best home entertainment has to offer. And with prices ranging from $2,300 to $3,499, each model — one OLED and two state-of-the-art LCDs — more than holds its own on the value scale. Read on and get your credit card ready.

Sony XBR-65X900F LCD Ultra HDTV: $2,300

Sony has a brilliant LCD alternative for TV buyers who love the look of OLED but aren’t ready to pay the higher price. Armed with an exceptional Dolby Vision Picture Mode and Sony’s new X1 Extreme video processor, the XBR-65X900F delivers a stunning OLED-like 4K picture for a reasonable price. Veteran reviewer Tom Norton summed it up this way: “The X900F arguably exceeds OLED when it comes to near-black shadow detail. It also equals OLED technology when it comes to color and resolution, and exceeds it with punchier HDR highlights. Combine those benefits with a price roughly a third lower than OLED for comparable screen sizes and you have an LCD Ultra HDTV well worth serious consideration, even for an OLED fan like me.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent shadow detail
Superb color and resolution
Punchy HDR
Minus
Mediocre off-axis performance
Some blooming

Full Review Here

 

LG OLED65C8PUA OLED Ultra HDTV: $3,499

If you’ve been pining for 4K OLED, LG’s new C8 series 65-incher could be your ticket to paradise. Buoyed by the brand’s latest picture technology and well-executed webOS smart TV platform, the 65C8 not only exceeds the performance of last year’s C7 series TVs but costs considerably less. The set comes highly recommended by resident video guru Tom Norton, who doesn’t mince words: “When I reviewed LG’s E7 OLED this time last year, I wondered if it was the perfect TV. Ultimately, the answer is no, because the new C8 model is even better. If your budget allows it, and you don’t require the higher peak brightness that LCD UHDTVs provide, you’d be a fool not to give the 65C8 a very serious look.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Deep black levels Extremely wide viewing angle
Supports Dolby Vision and HLG
Minus
Expensive compared to same-size 4K LCD TVs
Lower peak brightness than 4K LCD TVs

Full Review Here

 

Samsung QN65Q8FN LCD Ultra HDTV: $2,799

A step down from Samsung’s top-of-line Q9 4K TV, the Q8 uses full-array backlight with local dimming and QLED quantum dot technology to push LCD to its limits. The result is an impressive picture with striking detail and eye-popping contrast. “Samsung’s QN65Q8FN delivers exceptionally good performance when displaying both HDR [high dynamic range] and standard dynamic range programs, whether streamed or on disc,” concluded veteran reviewer Al Griffin. “Its picture is distinguished by rich, yet balanced color and sumptuous, detailed-looking shadows. The TV is priced competitively for a UHDTV that delivers mostly uncompromised picture quality. You could spend more on a higher-end set, but in this case that may not be necessary.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent color rendition
Deep, detailed-looking blacks
Full-array backlight with local dimming
Minus
Potentially confusing screen GUI and remote
Unreliable voice command feature No Dolby Vision

Full Review Here