Premium segment 2018: TOP 5 OLED and QLED TVs
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A convenient comparison table shows prices, characteristics and functions of
In 2018, only one reputable manufacturer, Samsung, did not refuse TVs with a curved screen. Moreover, it also offers them in the premium segment.
In addition to bending with a radius of curvature of 4200R, the QE-55Q8CNA model stands out with a thin frame and a stylish T-shaped stand in which the network cable is hidden. Other wires do not need to be connected directly to the device, since it is equipped with a proprietary One Connect remote unit with interface ports.
Another feature of the model is the support of the Ambient interior mode. It will allow you to display news or weather, beautiful screensavers, uploaded photos of family members or wallpapers instead of a black screen. The latter will allow the display to "merge" with the interior.
Samsung QE-55Q8CNA is equipped with a 55-inch 4K screen with QLED backlight, which is a special thin film with quantum dots. This technology of the model provides an increased brightness level (up to 1500 cd/m2 according to tests) and the widest colour coverage (100% of the DCI-P3 space). The picture looks rich, but natural and soft, regardless of the lighting in the room. The Q HDR Elite technology allows you to reveal all the advantages of content with an extended dynamic range.
The disadvantage of the picture is the small viewing angles: when they increase, the brightness decreases, and the colours are significantly distorted. This is due not only to the curved screen, since a similar minus exists in a related model with a flat panel — Samsung QN-55Q8FNA 55 " .
The Samsung QE-55Q8CNA TV does a good job of reproducing dynamic scenes in movies and games. The smoothness of the video sequence is provided by a frame rate of 120 Hz and hardware acceleration up to 200 fps (Motion Rate).
To output images from various sources, the model is equipped with 4 HDMI and 3 USB. The built-in media player supports playback of HDR content with a resolution of 3840x2160 pixels even from a local DLNA network.
The model is equipped with an audio system with four speakers and a subwoofer. The total sound power is 40 watts. The smart shell is represented by the Tizen 3.0 platform, which is fast, intuitive and rich in various multimedia services. The multimedia remote control with voice control is responsible for the convenience of interacting with it and the TV as a whole.
The real competitors of Samsung QE-55Q8CNA in terms of image quality are only Samsung QE-55Q9FNA 55 " and more expensive models.
Debuted in 2018, the 55-inch 4K TV along with its predecessor LG OLED55B7V 55 " is among the sales leaders among OLED models.
The LG OLED55B8 OLED matrix with Ultra HD resolution support reproduces the perfect black colour, due to the complete disconnection of the necessary pixels. Thanks to this, the TV is characterized by infinite contrast and is perfect for viewing content in a dark room.
The picture has good viewing angles, so that the viewer, who is on the side of the screen, is also guaranteed a pleasant viewing experience.
The matrix of the TV has a wide colour coverage and accurately conveys any colours and shades. The image looks especially impressive when playing HDR: the model supports all current standards (HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG and Advanced HDR).
A lower-quality input signal is "pulled up" to a high level of HDR Effect and Upscaling 4K technology.
The TV perfectly handles with fast motion in the frame thanks to a refresh rate of 120 Hz, which fans of games and action movies will appreciate. And the lack of brightness in LG OLED55B8, which is traditional for OLED matrices, is not as pronounced as in 2017 models.
The TV turned out to be very thin: its thickness does not exceed 4.7 cm in the thickest lower part of the case. The narrow metal stand will fit even on a small table. Most of the interface slots "look" sideways, which simplifies the connection even when placing the model on the wall, which requires a VESA 300x200 mm mount.
Gallery mode is designed to make a switched-off TV a more significant part of the interior. You can replace the boring black screen by showing photos of popular tourist places and famous paintings with musical accompaniment.
The power of the LG OLED55B8 audio system is 40 watts: it is represented by two speakers and a pair of subwoofers. The effect of volume sound is created by Dolby Atmos technology used in modern cinemas.
The "omnivorous" media player is complemented by the proprietary Smart TV webOS 4.0 shell. Its interface is simple and clear, the work is fast. The Magic Remote pointer with support for ThinQ AI voice commands helps to use the platform.
LG OLED55B8 is one of the most affordable OLED TVs on the market, which has all the current advantages of devices with organic light—emitting diodes.
The most affordable flagship in the line of Panasonic OLED TVs in 2018 is the 55-inch model TX-55FZR800 on a narrow metal stand. The traditional set of device interfaces is complemented by the presence of two Cl slots, which allows you to use a pair of subscription packages to encoded channels simultaneously without constant rearrangement of CAM modules.
The TV is equipped with a 4K Master HDR OLED panel, the potential of which is revealed by the proprietary HCX image processor. This tandem, in addition to excellent contrast, perfect black colour and large viewing angles, provides a wide colour coverage and accurate colour reproduction. The picture is bright enough, as natural and deep as possible in terms of reproducing various shades and semitones. The advantages are noticeable both when viewing HDR content (HDR10+ standard) and lower-quality content.
The Panasonic TX-55FZR800 processor handles well with the reproduction of dynamic scenes, including due to the 120 Hz screen scan frequency.
The TV is equipped with a 40-watt four-channel speaker without a low-frequency speaker. Cinema Surround Pro technology creates a clear, embossed and voluminous sound. If the proposed sound level does not seem enough, then you can connect additional audio equipment wirelessly — via Bluetooth Audio Link. Higher sound quality "out of the box" can be provided by the older model Panasonic TX-65FZR950 65 " black , equipped with a subwoofer.
The My Home Screen 3.0 platform helps to reveal the "smart" functions of the TV. It is characterized by a simple and easily configurable menu, high speed and no errors in operation. But the choice of multimedia and other applications in the shell is much inferior to the Smart TV of the main competitors. Another disadvantage of the TV is the usual remote control, whereas most premium devices offer a multimedia version with voice control.
Otherwise, the Panasonic TX-55FZR800 deserves the attention of those who are looking for an OLED TV with impeccable picture quality and need additional advantages, like two Cl slots.
The 65-inch OLED TV that replaced Philips 55POS9002 55 " silver , made in frameless design and has a thin body (maximum thickness less than 48 mm). A neat and rather narrow U-shaped stand acts as a support for the screen.
The signature feature of the model is the Ambilight background illumination. LEDs located on three edges of the case paint the wall behind the TV in the tones of the reproduced picture, enhancing the effect of immersion in what is happening on the screen. The backlight can dynamically change to music, project static colour, work in tandem with branded LED lamps that support Hue technology, for example, Philips Livingcolors Bloom .
The 65-inch OLED panel with 4K resolution demonstrates high image quality. In addition to the infinite contrast, Philips 65OLED873 has an increased peak brightness (up to 900 cd/m2), which is a high indicator for organic LED TVs.
Excellent visibility will please connoisseurs of collective viewing of sports broadcasts or films. And the colour rendering parameters, which initially may seem too saturated and unnatural, are easily adjusted to the individual preferences of the viewer.
The powerful P5 Perfect Picture processor is designed to cope with smooth reproduction of dynamic scenes, approximation of SD content quality to HDR parameters and other image processing tasks.
The Android TV 8.0 smart platform offers convenient access to in-demand media capabilities. The choice of additional applications and services is almost limitless thanks to Google Play. But you will have to get used to the shell menu: the interface looks overloaded and not the most intuitive. Partially solves this problem by having two remote controls included at once: a multi-button with a qwerty keyboard, and a multimedia with voice control support (Google Assistant).
The TV's audio system is represented by a pair of 10-watt speakers and a 30-watt subwoofer. A more impressive acoustic potential without the purchase of special equipment can give the model Philips 65OLED973 65 " , equipped with a soundbar. But it also costs significantly more.
Philips 65OLED873 impresses not only with the excellent picture quality characteristic of OLED models, but also with a special atmosphere for viewing, which is provided by the Ambilight branded backlight.
Sony's 65-inch flagship 2018 has received a new X1 Ultimate image processor. It enhances the main advantages of the OLED matrix model. The picture is characterized by impeccable contrast, rich colours and reference colour accuracy.
The increased colour coverage allows you to demonstrate the smallest details and shades of any object. Everything that happens on the Sony KD-65AF9 screen looks as natural and plausible as possible, and for all viewers, not just those who are right in the centre of the display.
The TV, thanks to a frequency of 120 Hz and hardware acceleration, Motionflow XR quickly reacts to any movement in the frame, excluding blurring, trembling and other artifacts of the dynamic picture. If there is no HDR and/or 4K content at hand, then image enhancement technologies (4K X-Reality, Live Colour and Pixel Contrast Booster) will be able to offset the lag of less high-quality content.
The appearance of the TV largely duplicates the solution that was first tested in Sony KD-55A1 55 " . Instead of the usual stands, a non-removable, folding support is used here. It provides a slight tilt of the screen and the feeling that the device is simply "floating" in the air, without any supports.
In the Sony KD-65AF9 support there are the main interface slots, holes for VESA mounting 400x200 mm and the Acoustic Surface Audio+ speaker system. It is represented by three pairs of 13-watt low-frequency speakers and two 10-watt subwoofers. The total power of the 6.2 format audio system is 98 watts, which no other TV on the market boasts.
The proposed acoustics of the TV can be used as the central speaker of a multi-channel system in tandem with an amplifier.
Sony KD-65AF9 offers an updated version of Android TV 8.0. The shell works faster than its predecessors, has a simple, user-friendly interface and an abundance of multimedia applications available for installation. The most popular pre-installed services and online cinemas are initially located at the beginning of the menu, which simplifies their search. Minor shortcomings in the work still remain, but in general, Sony's smart platform is getting closer to the usual leaders: webOS and Tizen.
The multimedia player is represented by the popular "omnivorous" Chromecast development, and the multimedia remote control provides voice control of Google Assistant.
Sony KD-65AF9 is a wonderful premium TV in which an impeccable picture is complemented by excellent sound and a functional Smart TV. The only drawback is the high price even for OLED models.
The 65-inch model represents the 2018 LG Signature line. This is a wallpaper TV, which is divided into two parts: actually an OLED panel with a thickness of 4 mm and a soundbar. The latter acts as the base in which the entire hardware of the device is located (processor, interface slots, etc.).
LG OLED65W8 assumes only wall mounting. A special mounting plate is attached to the wall, and the panel itself is attached to it with magnets. The screen is devoid of frames, practically merges with the wall, only one flat, inconspicuous wire goes from it to the base.
The gallery mode complements the design: instead of a black rectangle in the off state, photos of various corners of the world can be displayed on the display to a pleasant musical accompaniment.
The TV is equipped with a matrix with a frame rate of 120 Hz and a resolution of 3840 by 2160 pixels. The clear video sequence smoothly changes even when playing dynamic scenes. The device supports the main standards of extended dynamic range, including Dolby Vision and HDR10. The corresponding content looks as impressive as possible on the screen: the colours are juicier, and the colour accuracy is higher than that of the 2017 model LG OLED65W7V 65 " . This improvement is due to the use of a more powerful Alpha 9 image processor. The "engine" qualitatively scales lower-quality content.
The contrast of LG OLED65W8 tends to infinity: the viewer is waiting for a natural black colour without highlights, at the height of the depth of the picture and visibility. The only drawback of the image is the loss in brightness to the leading QLED TVs, for example, Samsung QE-65Q8CNA 65 " .
The soundbar of the model has a 60-watt speaker system, represented by four speakers and a pair of subwoofers. Such acoustics, together with the support of Dolby Atmos technology, provides a very deep, rich and powerful sound.
The fourth version of webOS is used as a Smart TV. Its simple interface and a variety of multimedia features complement the popular Magic Remote with a microphone for voice input and control. The LG TV Plus mobile application can partially replace it.
In terms of image and sound quality, the model has only one competitor — Sony KD-65AF9 65 " . In terms of design, LG OLED65W8 surpasses all opponents, but the same is true in relation to the cost of the TV.
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