Television technology - where are we?

     I bought a Panasonic VT60 series 65" plasma 1080P hdtv in 2014 knowing Panasonic was exiting the plasma hdtv market due to manufacturing costs of producing plasma 4K hdtvs likely causing them to be priced out of the market.
     I'm so glad I did and, knock on wood, this plasma has been awesome and is still going strong with no issues at all.  Of course, I'm restricted from moving to 4K but, at my 12-14' viewing distance, I don't think I'm missing too much except possibly the HDR.
     However, I realize it won't last forever.  Currently my plan is to purchase a 65" or larger OLED hdtv when my plasma kicks the bucket.  I've seen the latest 65" LG 4K models and they're the first hdtv I've seen that beats my plasma, even brighter and with awesome black levels and contrast levels.  They remind me a lot of what I imagine a 4K Panasonic plasma might have looked like. 
       If I get real lucky, maybe my plasma will hold out until even better technology emerges and becomes affordable.
      But for dawgbyte, I'd suggest he take a look at someplace like BestBuy where he might be able to view the Samsung QLED and the LG or Sony OLEDs in close proximity and judge for himself.  There's also the enjoyment factor that comes with shear size, especially with sports and given very good motion performance.  I know a 70" plus OLED might be prohibitively expensive but I don't think a Samsung QLED would be.
       Actually, I find the whole experience of purchasing a new tv very exciting and pleasurable except, of course paying for it.  It's an extended pleasure, too, since you get a thrill every day you turn it on for the first time and begin watching.

Enjoy,
 Tim

dawgbyte,

+1 for LG OLED.
     The Samsung QLED 4K  hdtvs are very good but, when seen side by side with an LG OLED, it'll be obvious to you that the OLED is clearly superior.  The Samsungs are Transmissive, meaning they use a backlight shining through a grid of tiny red, blue, yellow and red sections of Samsung patented crystals to represent the color in each of the 4K pixels.  OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) technology is Emmissive, meaning that it uses no powerful back lighting or tiny crystals and light is emitted directly from each individual pixel.  Each of the 4K pixels contains an organic carbon based material that emits its own light individually from each pixel in the color directed.  Each individual OLED pixel can also be turned off for excellent black levels and contrast ratios.  The Samsungs and other LED hdtvs do not have the capacity to turn off individual pixels and therefore cannot match OLED hdtvs black levels and contrast ratios.

     Prior to 4K, Panasonic and Samsung plasma 1080P hdtvs were considered the best hdtvs.  They were considered superior to other LCD  (Liquid Crystal Display) hdtvs because of similar differences in technology. The LCD hdtvs used a powerful backlight shining through a grid of 1,080 tiny red, blue, yellow and red liquid crystals to represent the color in each pixel.  Plasma used no powerful backlighting or tiny liquid crystals.  Instead, each of the 1,080 pixels contains neon and xenon gas that emits its own light individually from each pixel in the color directed. Each individual plasma pixel can also be turned off for excellent black levels and contrast ratios.  The LCD hdtvs do not have the capacity to turn off individual pixels and therefore could not and cannot match plasma hdtvs black levels and contrast ratios.

     The main point is that QLED is closer to regular old LCD than it is to OLED, which most experts consider a distinctly different type of television, much like plasma was before it.  
    Here's a CNET article that does a good job of explaining in more detail the differences between QLED and OLED.

https://www.cnet.com/news/qled-vs-oled-samsung-tv-and-lg-tv-2019-comparison/

Tim

teo_audio,

     I didn't know that about 4K scans of 2K movies.  It reminds me of redbook cd transfers of 16bit/44.1KHz content to 24bit/96KHz FLAC and WAV files, without a master provenance history, that some companies like HDTracks scam consumers with.


Tim

dawgbyte:"Tim good suggestion! I plan to visit Best Buy to do some comparison shopping and then buy online for less."

Hello dawgbyte,

     I went to Best Buy, too,  to check out my Panasonic plasma before buying online.  I think it was about $4,500 at BB but got it for about half that online.  I felt a bit guilty but that's too big of a discount to ignore.
     Going from 55" to 65" is a bigger increase then you might think since they're measured diagonally.  Measured in non-diagonal terms, the size difference is better understood:
 
A 55" has 1,293.3 sq. inches of viewing area.
A 65" has 1,808.7 sq. inches of viewing area, which is 39.9% larger.  
A 55" is 47.9" wide x 27" high. 
A 65" is 56.7" wide x 32" high. 

     I highly suggest opting for the larger screen, even if you currently believe a 55" screen would be sufficient, to prevent future buyer's remorse.  
     If you need to save some money and are considering a 2019 model LG 65" hdtv, you should carefully compare current 4K model year prices and features to previous model year 4K models that may be discounted by some sellers.  Here's a link to start your research:

https://www.cnet.com/news/lg-2019-oled-tvs-start-at-2500-just-like-last-year/

     Have you made any decisions thus far?

Tim

     
 

Hello dawgbyte,

     If you're looking for the best deal on an LG 65" OLED 4K hdtv,  I'd be looking at the LG OLED65B8PUA model. It's a 2018 model and you'll need to look closely at the features to make sure it has everything you want/need but you can get one now for well under $2,000 if you shop around.  That's about $1,000 less than the 2019 model will be when it comes out later this year.  
     Just an FYI  I just saw it at www.newegg.com for $1,599 which is a great price and will likely be out of stock soon.  It looks to me like they're clearing out the 2018 model stock before bringing in the 2019 model. I'm thinking about buying one at that price. 


Tim

Hello nonoise,

     I'm wondering if the picture quality of 8K vs 4K is worth it, anyways.  I've seen 4K but not 8K yet.  My guess is any significant pq improvements would be dependent on viewing distance and screen size.  I know OLED looks great even in 1080P and I need to view the 4K within about 6' from the screen to notice the quality improvement over 1080P.


Tim

Hello nonoise,
     
     Yes, that Samsung Micro-LED technology does look very promising.  I think each pixel being emissive is a big deal that's really the core reason that OLED and plasma have such clearly superior picture quality along with the capacity to turn off each pixel which allows excellent black levels and contrast levels.  
      Interesting you mention the new Pioneer 4K Bluray players, I was just looking at the Pioneer, Panasonic and Sony top 4K models and they all look promising, too.  I was trying to buy an Oppo -205 just when they announced they'd be leaving the market and I wasn't able to get one. I've been looking for a comparable 4K player similar to the Oppo just out of curiosity right now.  I'm currently using an Oppo-105 now with one of the last 65" Panasonic 1080P plasmas they made that I was fortunate to buy back in 2014.  
      My Oppo and plasma are still functioning flawlessly but I realize they won't last forever and it's good to know there'll be some good technology available when the time comes. Maybe a Pioneer 128K player with an emissive 128K 100" HDTV?


Later,
Tim 

     

     Ditto mi amigo.

Tim