^
this example above is why I advocate buying through a retail location with a good return policy. Costco is the gold standard in my opinion, with their branded credit card you get a 4 year extended warranty and they also have a generous 90 day return policy. During this holiday season some other stores have extended return periods, some until January.
The other day my friend was telling me about a tv he was shopping for, he found it for like $200 cheaper elsewhere online. $200 less but it only came with a 1 year mfr warranty. If he went about getting a 3rd party extended warranty it would have been roughly $350+ more. I have less confidence in LED tvs due to potential DSE (see
link here for more info on what DSE is) unless buying from a store that makes returns/exchanges hassle free. On the other hand, OLED won't be suitable for all rooms, and no technology is without weaknesses.
Anyways I feel like updating and consolidating my list of recommendations:
(LED TVs)
Samsung Qn90a: (also known as "QN9 series" at costco)
pros:
* wide angle viewing filter that helps somewhat with off angle color washout
* best anti glare filter of LED tvs
* very bright to counter rooms with lots of natural light
* currently the best LED tv for gaming
cons:
* colors "pop" and are vibrant but are inaccurate as a
* potential panel uniformity issues (DSE) inherent to many LED tvs
* colors start to wash out if sitting off angle past 30 degrees |
Sony X95j:
pros:
* more natural colors vs Qn90a
* very bright to counter rooms with lots of natural light
cons:
* currently more expensive than the Qn90a
* weaker gaming features
* anti glare filter not as good as Qn90a
* possible DSE issues inherent to many LED tvs
* colors start to wash out if sitting off angle past 30 degrees |
Tcl R646:
pros:
* currently best bargain value considering it is $600+ less vs the two above
* almost as good picture quality as the two above
cons:
* weaker in most areas compared to the 2 above but maybe an acceptable tradeoff due to price
* reviews mention software seems to be a buggy (could be fixed down the road with firmware updates)
* only available at best buy
* possible DSE issues inherent to many LED tvs
* colors start to wash out if sitting off angle past 30 degrees |
(OLED)
LG C1:
pros:
* best OLED for gaming
* best contrast & infinite blacks that are superior to LED tvs
* image & colors don't degrade with off-axis viewing as with LED tvs
cons:
*can't get as bright as LED tvs so image would suffer in rooms with lots of natural light/windows etc |
Sony A80J:
pros:
* slightly better color accuracy in movies vs LG C1
* best contrast & infinite blacks that are superior to LED tvs
* image & colors don't degrade with off-axis viewing as with LED tvs
cons:
* more expensive than LG
* lesser gaming features than LG
* can't get as bright as LED tvs so image suffer in rooms with lots of natural light/windows etc |