Best TVs & Projectors to Buy Right Now in 2020
Like it not social distancing is real and happening at an unstoppable pace that will only get worse with each passing day as more schools, gyms, restaurants, you-name-it close. What better time to stay at home and binge on a TV series or watch a movie or two? Dust off a timeless classic you haven’t watched in eons: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Back to the Future, or maybe Young Frankenstein. Watch that series you’ve been meaning to dig into, and watch it from start to finish. Who cares if it takes a week or two? Of course, you will need a nice big screen to deliver all that movie and TV magic so may we be so bold as to suggest 11 Top Pick TVs and projectors for your consideration. All are 2019 models, in many cases available at greatly discounted prices, and presented here in ascending price order.
Vizio M658-G1 M-Series Quantum LCD Ultra HDTV: $670 (original price $1,000)
If you’re new-TV budget is tight, you need to check out Vizio’s 65-inch M658-G1 — a 2019 Top Pick of the Year that’s now available for $700. The M-series set combines full-array local dimming with quantum dot illumination to achieve excellent picture quality. At this price, you’ll be sacrificing some HDR pop and won’t experience the blackest black but you will get best-in-class performance that left veteran TV reviewer Tom Norton impressed: “The brilliant colors on the animated Trolls jumped off the screen. The same held true for The Great Wall, the reds and greens of the army uniforms billowing brilliantly in the sun.”
AT A GLANCE
Plus
Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG support
Great post-calibration performance
Low price
Minus
Limited HDR brightness
Poor off-center picture uniformity
No useful motion-smoothing options
BenQ Cineprime HT3550 4K DLP Projector: $1,499
If price has been holding you back from making your move into the world of video projection with its movie-theater-like screens, today might be your lucky day. BenQ’s HT355 DLP projector uses rapid pixel shifting to achieve a “4K” image with vivid color and excellent detail that you’d be hard pressed to distinguish from a true Ultra HD image — and it does so at a price that makes it a slam dunk for our Top Value designation. If your 65-inch screen seems small, you owe it to yourself to take the HT355 for a spin.
AT A GLANCE
Plus
Extended color
Good brightness
Great value
Minus
Blooming
Contrast could be better
Difficult to access HDR adjustment
Samsung QN65Q80R LCD Ultra HDTV: $1,800 (original price $2,800)
Apart from putting up an invitingly bright 4K image with excellent color rendering and superb high dynamic range (HDR), the 65-inch QN65Q80R is extraordinarily well equipped for a 2019 Top Pick of the Year TV that can be had for $1,800. The set offers a full complement of features — including numerous picture adjustments, an Ambient Mode that displays photos and art when the TV is not in use, and a wealth of smart TV features, including voice control. Summarizing his impressions, veteran TV reviewer Tom Norton praised the QN65Q80R for its “excellent brightness, impressive blacks and shadow detail, and crisp, noise-free image.”
AT A GLANCE
Plus
Brightness to spare
Good off-center viewing
Superb HDR
Minus
Blooming
No Dolby Vision
Small, non-backlit remote
- Log in or register to post comments