New TVs to watch the Jets!

[Dinamite]

Any opinions from the board on new TVs (55-65 range)? It is time for an upgrade and there are some interesting models out there.   I know @SAR I used to be partial to Sonys from his days at JI.   Others have discussed LED vs OLED.

Thanks in advance

[joewilly12]

5 minutes ago, Dinamite said:

Any opinions from the board on new TVs (55-65 range)? It is time for an upgrade and there are some interesting models out there.   I know @SAR I used to be partial to Sonys from his days at JI.   Others have discussed LED vs OLED.

Thanks in advance

Samsung 65" OLED 

[jetstream23]

10 minutes ago, Dinamite said:

Any opinions from the board on new TVs (55-65 range)? It is time for an upgrade and there are some interesting models out there.   I know @SAR I used to be partial to Sonys from his days at JI.   Others have discussed LED vs OLED.

Thanks in advance

lol...awesome that somebody remembers that.  I recall have Plasma vs. LCD discussions with SAR in 2007....but I didn't go with a Kenmore.  

[SAR I]

1 hour ago, Dinamite said:

Any opinions from the board on new TVs (55-65 range)? It is time for an upgrade and there are some interesting models out there.   I know @SAR I used to be partial to Sonys from his days at JI.   Others have discussed LED vs OLED.

Thanks in advance

Sony XBR90E 65" is the highest rated non-OLED TV.  It's just been replaced by a very similar XBR90F.  You can get a great deal on the 90E, it's a great TV. 

Note that if you haven't yet gotten a 4K TV that for live sports and cable TV it's a step back from the 1080p panel you currently have.  It's fantastic for streaming content either via Apple TV or built-in apps but it amplifies the imperfections from your set top box.

SAR I

[SAR I]

1 hour ago, jetstream23 said:

lol...awesome that somebody remembers that.  I recall have Plasma vs. LCD discussions with SAR in 2007....but I didn't go with a Kenmore.  

Twas our starter home.  Strictly Bosch now.

SAR I

[Kleckineau]

Sony Samsung LG Panasonic I don't believe you can choose a bad TV from these companies.

I think OLED is where its at. The curved screen seems to be a waste and is being rejected by consumers like the 3D was.

Buying from Costco automatically doubles the mfr warranty no charge.

[chirorob]

3 hours ago, Kleckineau said:

Sony Samsung LG Panasonic I don't believe you can choose a bad TV from these companies.

I think OLED is where its at. The curved screen seems to be a waste and is being rejected by consumers like the 3D was.

Buying from Costco automatically doubles the mfr warranty no charge.

I used to do give aways at my office, we'd give away 60+ TV every year.   Costco, always the best price for what you are getting, best return policy, best warranty.   That's where I buy all my electronics now.

[SAR I]

3 hours ago, Kleckineau said:

Sony Samsung LG Panasonic I don't believe you can choose a bad TV from these companies.

I think OLED is where its at.

It's all a matter of what you watch.

If you're someone who spends 80% of their time watching Bluray's, Netflix, Prime, HBO Go, 4K streaming, and video games then OLED is definitely the way to go, no question.

But....if you're someone who spends 80% of their time watching broadcast TV on the likes of cable, satellite, or fios, it's more challenging.  You have to spend some big money on a very serious OLED with outstanding processor scaling in order to be happy.  4K is amazing for YouTube and 4K of course, but for cable TV it's a step back in picture quality, you'll see imperfections you've never seen before with your old HDTV.  And OLED being top of the food chain for lighting and panel detail brings those things out.

They don't tell you this in the stores when you're buying your new TV.  You think, hey, it's been 8 years since I got my 55" 1080p HDTV and I heard all this great stuff about how clear the 4K TV's are, so I'm going to go up a screen size to 65" and it's win-win.  Only it's lose-lose if you watch live sports.  You'll see the grass vibrate on Yankee broadcasts, you'll see pixelation on crowd shots on NFL on CBS, and FOX NFL looks like trash.  Stay at the same screen size.  Or, if you go up (I did) make sure you are getting the very best TV that can scale 1080i and 720p broadcast cable effectively.

So....if the OP is spending 80% of his time gaming and streaming, yes, go up a screen size and go OLED.  But if he's spending 80% of his time watching MSG, YES, SNY, CBS, FOX, ESPN, FS1 for all the typical sports we tend to watch, different story, I'd avoid OLED and go for the Sony 900E or 900F which is highly rated for non-4K non-streamed content.

SAR I

[MDL_JET]

LG OLED or bust. I got a 55, wish I went at least 60. But all depends the size of your room and distance of where you're sitting. I think a 55" goes for about $1,500 now, which is pretty good. 

I love it, looks great just for watching cable TV and even better if you're watching 4K/HDR movies or streaming. The picture and colors are amazing. I tried and returned the Samsung's and Vizio TV's and ended up with the LG. It blows them out of the water. 

[joewilly12]

11 hours ago, Kleckineau said:

Buying from Costco automatically doubles the mfr warranty no charge.

Yes and they sell the latest model TV's not older models like many say they do. 

[Dinamite]

This is all very helpful, thanks.   I did like the OLEDs at the store (LG and Sony), but @SAR I raises a good point about cable tv and sports (which I do more than streaming) and that the SONY 900XF or samsung may be even better (and better value).

 

 

[adb280z]

On 5/22/2018 at 6:58 PM, joewilly12 said:

Samsung 65" OLED 

Samsung doesn't make an OLED.  Their TV is a called QLED which is basically a nonsense term.  It's an LED set.

The OLED sets are the best you can get right now.

[joewilly12]

 

10 minutes ago, adb280z said:

Samsung doesn't make an OLED.  Their TV is a called QLED which is basically a nonsense term.  It's an LED set.

The OLED sets are the best you can get right now.

Yes 

Samsung 65" Class (64.5" Diag.) Curved 4K Ultra HD QLED LCD TV

[SAR I]

10 hours ago, Dinamite said:

This is all very helpful, thanks.   I did like the OLEDs at the store (LG and Sony), but @SAR I raises a good point about cable tv and sports (which I do more than streaming) and that the SONY 900XF or samsung may be even better (and better value).

 

 

Happy to help. 

If you make your purchase from a retailer with a good return policy with no restocking fees you can try out the new TV for a week and make sure the size and technology are working for you. 

If you do go the Sony route I can provide calibration settings that make the TV look terrific for live cable sports from my own experience.  My TV for reference.

SAR I

 

 

[Thai Jet]

On 5/23/2018 at 6:42 AM, Kleckineau said:

Sony Samsung LG Panasonic I don't believe you can choose a bad TV from these companies.

I think OLED is where its at. The curved screen seems to be a waste and is being rejected by consumers like the 3D was.

Buying from Costco automatically doubles the mfr warranty no charge.

Thanks that's great to know. Supposedly there's one coming to WNY .

[Thai Jet]

On 5/23/2018 at 6:42 AM, Kleckineau said:

Sony Samsung LG Panasonic I don't believe you can choose a bad TV from these companies.

I think OLED is where its at. The curved screen seems to be a waste and is being rejected by consumers like the 3D was.

Buying from Costco automatically doubles the mfr warranty no charge.

We have a 55" Toshiba LED model for the past 3 years.  It's OK but it's a good step below the others you mention as far as picture quality.

[The Crusher]

On 5/23/2018 at 10:03 AM, SAR I said:

It's all a matter of what you watch.

If you're someone who spends 80% of their time watching Bluray's, Netflix, Prime, HBO Go, 4K streaming, and video games then OLED is definitely the way to go, no question.

But....if you're someone who spends 80% of their time watching broadcast TV on the likes of cable, satellite, or fios, it's more challenging.  You have to spend some big money on a very serious OLED with outstanding processor scaling in order to be happy.  4K is amazing for YouTube and 4K of course, but for cable TV it's a step back in picture quality, you'll see imperfections you've never seen before with your old HDTV.  And OLED being top of the food chain for lighting and panel detail brings those things out.

They don't tell you this in the stores when you're buying your new TV.  You think, hey, it's been 8 years since I got my 55" 1080p HDTV and I heard all this great stuff about how clear the 4K TV's are, so I'm going to go up a screen size to 65" and it's win-win.  Only it's lose-lose if you watch live sports.  You'll see the grass vibrate on Yankee broadcasts, you'll see pixelation on crowd shots on NFL on CBS, and FOX NFL looks like trash.  Stay at the same screen size.  Or, if you go up (I did) make sure you are getting the very best TV that can scale 1080i and 720p broadcast cable effectively.

So....if the OP is spending 80% of his time gaming and streaming, yes, go up a screen size and go OLED.  But if he's spending 80% of his time watching MSG, YES, SNY, CBS, FOX, ESPN, FS1 for all the typical sports we tend to watch, different story, I'd avoid OLED and go for the Sony 900E or 900F which is highly rated for non-4K non-streamed content.

SAR I

LOL. I thought I was losing my mind. I have a new OLED television in my study that I stream content on. But always go into the den to watch sports on my 8 year old sony TV. Too funny. Thanks buddy.

[Larz]

I use 20% of my tvs capability 

It's a nice LG

I think you get used to the picture no matter how good it is so I wouldn't go crazy deciding 

[SAR I]

3 hours ago, Larz said:

I use 20% of my tvs capability 

It's a nice LG

I think you get used to the picture no matter how good it is so I wouldn't go crazy deciding 

But really good NFL HD looks incredible. If you're settings are correct you can at least get the most out of your panel. No need to settle. 

SAR I

[RutgersJetFan]

34 minutes ago, SAR I said:

But really good NFL HD looks incredible. If you're settings are correct you can at least get the most out of your panel. No need to settle. 

SAR I

Yeah, this. Streaming 4K NFL looks amazing. There is a lag on the stream sometimes with sports, usually around 15-30 seconds behind cable, but the convenience and quality make it worth it in my opinion.

[Pac]

I researched for many months before settling in on a TV last year.

I bought a 75 inch Sony 940E which had 4K, HDR, highly rated, etc etc..  It lasted about 2 weeks in my house before I called Best Buy and told them to haul it out of here.  4K looked ok but everything on DirecTV looked like dog sh-t.  I tweaked settings, enlisted the help of guys at the AVS forum, googled etc but there was no solution.  Perhaps asking for a 75 inch TV to produce the same kind of picture as the 55 inch Plasma it had replaced was too much to ask...

Anyway I wound up going with a 65 inch LG OLED C7 and right when they hooked it up and I turned it on I new I had my new TV.  4K Blu Rays via the Oppo player I have look incredible..  Netflix looks awesome...  Amazon Prime awesome.. Playstation 4 Pro is mint.. and DirecTV looks very good to great. 

I think the Samsungs are a bit overpriced and the picture looks a little unnatural. 

Buy an OLED, bring the lights down in the room, throw in a 4K blu ray, and thank me later.

You can probably find the C7 or B7 (Costo's version - same TV) for near 2G's.  Instabuy.

[jetrider]

On May 24, 2018 at 4:05 AM, SAR I said:

Happy to help. 

If you make your purchase from a retailer with a good return policy with no restocking fees you can try out the new TV for a week and make sure the size and technology are working for you. 

If you do go the Sony route I can provide calibration settings that make the TV look terrific for live cable sports from my own experience.  My TV for reference.

SAR 

Funny how the only sports action in the video is deliberately blurred for a "copyright issue" but WB movie scenes were okay. LOL

The 900 series is a good poor man's compromise for those on a budget but for fast action/sports Sony's A1E and A8F OLEDs are rated higher and perform great right out of the box. 

 

 

Updated Apr 27, 2018 By RTINGS.com 

The 4 Best 4k TVs for Watching Sports - Spring 2018 

 

Product	Year		Type	Resolution	Sports	Our Reviews
LG C8	2018	55" 65" 77"	OLED	4k	8.7	See Review
Sony A8F	2018	55" 65"	OLED	4k	8.6	See Review
Sony A1E	2017	55" 65" 77"	OLED	4k	8.6	See Review
LG C7	2017	55" 65"	OLED	4k	8.4	See Review
LG E7P	2017	55" 65"	OLED	4k	8.4	See Review
LG B7A	2017	55" 65"	OLED	4k	8.3	See Review
Samsung Q7FN	2018	55" 65" 75"	LED	4k	8.2	See Review
Samsung Q8FN	2018	55" 65" 75"	LED	4k	8.2	See Review
Samsung Q9FN	2018	65" 75"	LED	4k	8.2	See Review
Sony X900F	2018	49" 55" 65" 75" 85"	LED	4k	8.1	See Review
Samsung Q8C	2017	55" 65" 75"	LED	4k	8.1	See Review
Sony X850F	2018	65" 75" 85"	LED	4k	8.0	See Review
Samsung Q7F	2017	55" 65" 75"	LED	4k	8.0	See Review
Samsung Q9F	2017	65" 75"	LED	4k	8.0	See Review
Sony X900E	2017	49" 55" 65" 75"	LED	4k	8.0	See Review
Sony X930E	2017	55" 65"	LED	4k	8.0	See Review
LG SK9000	2018	55" 65"	LED	4k	8.0	See Review
Sony X850E	2017	65" 75"	LED	4k	7.9	See Review
Samsung MU9000	2017	55" 65" 75"	LED	4k	7.9	See Review
Sony Z9D	2017	100" 65" 75"	LED	4k	7.9	See Review
LG SJ9500	2017	65"	LED	4k	7.8	See Review
Samsung NU8000	2018	49" 55" 65" 75" 82"	LED	4k	7.6	See Review
LG SJ8500	2017	55" 65"	LED	4k	7.6	See Review
Samsung MU8000	2017	49" 55" 65" 75" 82"	LED	4k	7.6	See Review
Sony X940E	2017	75"	LED	4k	7.6	See Review
TCL R617	2018	55" 65"	LED	4k	7.5	See Review
Vizio P Series 2017	2017	55" 65" 75"	LED	4k	7.5	See Review
Samsung MU8500	2017	55" 65"	LED	4k	7.5	See Review
Sony X800E	2017	43" 49" 55"	LED	4k	7.4	See Review
Samsung M5300	2017	32" 40" 43" 49" 50"	LED	1080p	7.4	See Review
Sony X720E	2017	43" 49" 55"	LED	4k	7.4	See Review
LG UJ7700	2017	49" 55" 60" 65"	LED	"4k"	7.4	See Review
LG UK6300	2018	43" 49" 55" 65"	LED	"4k"	7.3	See Review
Samsung MU6100	2017	58"	LED	4k	7.3	See Review
Sony X690E	2017	50" 60" 70"	LED	4k	7.3	See Review
LG UJ6300	2017	43" 49" 55" 65"	LED	"4k"	7.2	See Review
TCL P607	2017	55"	LED	4k	7.2	See Review
Samsung MU7600	2017	49" 55" 65"	LED	4k	7.2	See Review
Samsung MU7000	2017	40" 49" 55" 65"	LED	4k	7.2	See Review
Vizio E Series 2017	2017	43" 50" 55" 60" 65" 70" 75" 80"	LED	4k	7.2	See Review
Samsung MU6300	2017	40" 43" 50" 55" 65" 75"	LED	4k	7.2	See Review
Samsung NU7100	2018	40" 43" 50" 55" 65" 75"	LED	4k	7.2	See Review
LeEco Super4	2017	43" 55" 65"	LED	4k	7.1	See Review
Samsung MU6500	2017	49" 55" 65"	LED	4k	7.1	See Review
Vizio D Series 1080p 2017	2017	24" 32" 39" 40" 43" 48" 50" 55"	LED	1080p	7.1	See Review
Vizio M Series 2017	2017	50" 55" 65" 70" 75"	LED	4k	7.1	See Review
TCL D100	2017	32" 40" 49"	LED	1080p	7.1	See Review
Samsung MU6290	2017	40" 43" 49" 55" 65" 75"	LED	4k	7.1	See Review
TCL S405	2017	43" 49" 55" 65"	LED	4k	7.0	See Review
Element Fire TV	2017	43" 50" 55" 65"	LED	4k	7.0	See Review
TCL S517	2018	43" 49" 55" 65"	LED	4k	7.0	See Review
TCL S305	2017	28" 32" 40" 43" 49"	LED	1080p (except 28", 32")	7.0	See Review
TCL C807	2017	55" 65" 75"	LED	4k	6.9	See Review
LG LJ5500	2017	43" 49" 55"	LED	1080p	6.9	See Review
Samsung M4500	2017	24" 28" 32"	LED	720p	6.8	See Review

[SAR I]

4 hours ago, jetrider said:

Funny how the only sports action in the video is deliberately blurred for a "copyright issue" but WB movie scenes were okay. LOL

The 900 series is a good poor man's compromise for those on a budget but for fast action/sports Sony's A1E and A8F OLEDs are rated higher and perform great right out of the box. 

 

 

Updated Apr 27, 2018 By RTINGS.com 

The 4 Best 4k TVs for Watching Sports - Spring 2018 

 

Product	Year		Type	Resolution	Sports	Our Reviews
LG C8	2018	55" 65" 77"	OLED	4k	8.7	See Review
Sony A8F	2018	55" 65"	OLED	4k	8.6	See Review
Sony A1E	2017	55" 65" 77"	OLED	4k	8.6	See Review
LG C7	2017	55" 65"	OLED	4k	8.4	See Review
LG E7P	2017	55" 65"	OLED	4k	8.4	See Review
LG B7A	2017	55" 65"	OLED	4k	8.3	See Review
Samsung Q7FN	2018	55" 65" 75"	LED	4k	8.2	See Review
Samsung Q8FN	2018	55" 65" 75"	LED	4k	8.2	See Review
Samsung Q9FN	2018	65" 75"	LED	4k	8.2	See Review
Sony X900F	2018	49" 55" 65" 75" 85"	LED	4k	8.1	See Review
Samsung Q8C	2017	55" 65" 75"	LED	4k	8.1	See Review
Sony X850F	2018	65" 75" 85"	LED	4k	8.0	See Review
Samsung Q7F	2017	55" 65" 75"	LED	4k	8.0	See Review
Samsung Q9F	2017	65" 75"	LED	4k	8.0	See Review
Sony X900E	2017	49" 55" 65" 75"	LED	4k	8.0	See Review
Sony X930E	2017	55" 65"	LED	4k	8.0	See Review
LG SK9000	2018	55" 65"	LED	4k	8.0	See Review
Sony X850E	2017	65" 75"	LED	4k	7.9	See Review
Samsung MU9000	2017	55" 65" 75"	LED	4k	7.9	See Review
Sony Z9D	2017	100" 65" 75"	LED	4k	7.9	See Review
LG SJ9500	2017	65"	LED	4k	7.8	See Review
Samsung NU8000	2018	49" 55" 65" 75" 82"	LED	4k	7.6	See Review
LG SJ8500	2017	55" 65"	LED	4k	7.6	See Review
Samsung MU8000	2017	49" 55" 65" 75" 82"	LED	4k	7.6	See Review
Sony X940E	2017	75"	LED	4k	7.6	See Review
TCL R617	2018	55" 65"	LED	4k	7.5	See Review
Vizio P Series 2017	2017	55" 65" 75"	LED	4k	7.5	See Review
Samsung MU8500	2017	55" 65"	LED	4k	7.5	See Review
Sony X800E	2017	43" 49" 55"	LED	4k	7.4	See Review
Samsung M5300	2017	32" 40" 43" 49" 50"	LED	1080p	7.4	See Review
Sony X720E	2017	43" 49" 55"	LED	4k	7.4	See Review
LG UJ7700	2017	49" 55" 60" 65"	LED	"4k"	7.4	See Review
LG UK6300	2018	43" 49" 55" 65"	LED	"4k"	7.3	See Review
Samsung MU6100	2017	58"	LED	4k	7.3	See Review
Sony X690E	2017	50" 60" 70"	LED	4k	7.3	See Review
LG UJ6300	2017	43" 49" 55" 65"	LED	"4k"	7.2	See Review
TCL P607	2017	55"	LED	4k	7.2	See Review
Samsung MU7600	2017	49" 55" 65"	LED	4k	7.2	See Review
Samsung MU7000	2017	40" 49" 55" 65"	LED	4k	7.2	See Review
Vizio E Series 2017	2017	43" 50" 55" 60" 65" 70" 75" 80"	LED	4k	7.2	See Review
Samsung MU6300	2017	40" 43" 50" 55" 65" 75"	LED	4k	7.2	See Review
Samsung NU7100	2018	40" 43" 50" 55" 65" 75"	LED	4k	7.2	See Review
LeEco Super4	2017	43" 55" 65"	LED	4k	7.1	See Review
Samsung MU6500	2017	49" 55" 65"	LED	4k	7.1	See Review
Vizio D Series 1080p 2017	2017	24" 32" 39" 40" 43" 48" 50" 55"	LED	1080p	7.1	See Review
Vizio M Series 2017	2017	50" 55" 65" 70" 75"	LED	4k	7.1	See Review
TCL D100	2017	32" 40" 49"	LED	1080p	7.1	See Review
Samsung MU6290	2017	40" 43" 49" 55" 65" 75"	LED	4k	7.1	See Review
TCL S405	2017	43" 49" 55" 65"	LED	4k	7.0	See Review
Element Fire TV	2017	43" 50" 55" 65"	LED	4k	7.0	See Review
TCL S517	2018	43" 49" 55" 65"	LED	4k	7.0	See Review
TCL S305	2017	28" 32" 40" 43" 49"	LED	1080p (except 28", 32")	7.0	See Review
TCL C807	2017	55" 65" 75"	LED	4k	6.9	See Review
LG LJ5500	2017	43" 49" 55"	LED	1080p	6.9	See Review
Samsung M4500	2017	24" 28" 32"	LED	720p	6.8	See Review

Rtings.com is a Canadian enterprise and Canada leads the world in 4K live sports programming; their review criteria content is 4K live sports, not 1080i and 720p which is what we are discussing here.

SAR I

[Pac]

1 hour ago, SAR I said:

Rtings.com is a Canadian enterprise and Canada leads the world in 4K live sports programming; their review criteria content is 4K live sports, not 1080i and 720p which is what we are discussing here.

SAR I

The OP's budget should determine what the recommendation should be.  If he can afford 2G's then recommending a 900E at around $1500 instead of an OLED is a mistake.  The OLED is significantly better.

It's only a matter of time before games start being broadcast in 4K and hopefully HDR.  If he wants a TV that is relatively future-proofed and doesn't want to wonder if he should have gotten an OLED in a couple years, then the LG is the only choice.

The only Sony LCD that comes close the the OLED in overall performance is a Z9D which is about $1,500 more than the LG C7.  The OLED is still better but the Z9D at least comes close.

 

[ComfortablyNumb]

Any opinions from the board on new TVs (55-65 range)? It is time for an upgrade and there are some interesting models out there.   I know [mention=9488]SAR I[/mention] used to be partial to Sonys from his days at JI.   Others have discussed LED vs OLED.
Thanks in advance

Do yourself a favor. Spring for the OLED TV’s from LG. You won’t regret It


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SAR I]

6 hours ago, Pac said:

The OP's budget should determine what the recommendation should be.  If he can afford 2G's then recommending a 900E at around $1500 instead of an OLED is a mistake.  The OLED is significantly better.

It's only a matter of time before games start being broadcast in 4K and hopefully HDR.  If he wants a TV that is relatively future-proofed and doesn't want to wonder if he should have gotten an OLED in a couple years, then the LG is the only choice.

The only Sony LCD that comes close the the OLED in overall performance is a Z9D which is about $1,500 more than the LG C7.  The OLED is still better but the Z9D at least comes close.

 

As I said earlier in the thread, spending big money on a very high quality OLED would be better than non-OLED. But you are talking about a cheap OLED which will have a cheap upscaling processor and thus non-4K content will look bad, particularly high motion sports like football. 

The advice here in 2018 for a 4K TV that is new and has the best potential for serving up high-quality 1080i/720p NFL games is to buy the TV with the best processor at the budget you can afford, not the best backlighting.   Top of the line non-OLED like the Sony has exceptional processing and upscaling. 

As for future-proofing, that’s ridiculous, there are no plans on the horizon for the NFL networks to convert to 4K. FOX and ESPN are still broadcasting in 720p for cripesakes.  

SAR I

[jetrider]

9 hours ago, SAR I said:

Rtings.com is a Canadian enterprise and Canada leads the world in 4K live sports programming; their review criteria content is 4K live sports, not 1080i and 720p which is what we are discussing here.

SAR I

Not at all. If you click the "see review" link for each model you'll see they bench test all input resolutions (along with everything else imaginable). 

Doesn't matter if Rtings is in Canada. Sony is Japanese. LG and Samsung are Korean, etc. The Rtings review chart above is the most comprehensive, unbiased, and most useful buyer's guide you'll find.  

 

[SAR I]

22 minutes ago, jetrider said:

Not at all. If you click the "see review" link for each model you'll see they bench test all input resolutions (along with everything else imaginable). 

Yes, they test all input resolutions for lag and blacks but in none of their reviews do they specifically call out performance for Live Sports at HD resolutions, and they talk about football and hockey both of which are broadcast in Canada in 4K.  I think I'll email them and ask them to clarify.  Would be interesting to find out.

22 minutes ago, jetrider said:

Doesn't matter if Rtings is in Canada. Sony is Japanese. LG and Samsung are Korean, etc. The Rtings review chart above is the most comprehensive, unbiased, and most useful buyer's guide you'll find.  

It matters because "live sports" in Canada means 4K, not good ol' HD which is what we're stuck with here in the USA.

I agree and am a fan of Rtings, it was their review of the 900E as the best non-OLED for Live Sports that made me choose that model:

https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/best/by-usage/sports

OLED's are not as bright and they enhance imperfections for non-4K sources like Fios.  With no 4K live sports on the horizon for the next 5 years at least I wanted the best picture for 1080i and 720p Jets football, Rangers hockey, Yankees baseball, etc. and my primary viewing room is bathed in sunlight all day which is why I didn't buy an OLED.

SAR I

[jetrider]

1 minute ago, SAR I said:

Yes, they test all input resolutions for lag and blacks but in none of their reviews do they specifically call out performance for Live Sports at HD resolutions, and they talk about football and hockey both of which are broadcast in Canada in 4K.  I think I'll email them and ask them to clarify.  Would be interesting to find out.

It matters because "live sports" in Canada means 4K, not good ol' HD which is what we're stuck with here in the USA.

I agree and am a fan of Rtings, it was their review of the 900E as the best non-OLED for Live Sports that made me choose that model:

https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/best/by-usage/sports

SAR I

Canada made a splash with 4K in 2015 (after DirecTV in 2014) but it's not like all live sports there is 4K. 

That's why Rtings bench-tested and graded all input resolutions (480, 720, 1080, 4K). The grades are sports specific as mentioned on the chart.  

 

[jetrider]

32 minutes ago, SAR I said:

I agree and am a fan of Rtings, it was their review of the 900E as the best non-OLED for Live Sports that made me choose that model:

https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/best/by-usage/sports

SAR I

Oh, now you relied on Canadian reviews after all? ... lol 

[SAR I]

2 hours ago, jetrider said:

Oh, now you relied on Canadian reviews after all? ... lol 

No one reviews 4K TV's on performance for HD cable and specifically live sports unfortunately, so I did research in the AVS forums, a few YouTube reviewers, and rtings.  All were in agreement that the Sony 900E was tops for non-OLED so I figured it was as close as I was going to get to my answer. 

The experts on the AVS forums were the ones who steered me away from OLED due to my bright room and the fact that 90% of what I watch is cable box content and low to mid end OLED's lacking the processing horsepower to do a superior job.  There seems to be an assumption that if one is a 4K OLED buyer they eschew all 1080/720 content or are prepared to live with the consequences of the very worst HD in exchange for the very best 4K.  I'm not in that group.

SAR I

[jetrider]

On May 29, 2018 at 9:13 AM, SAR I said:

No one reviews 4K TV's on performance for HD cable and specifically live sports unfortunately, so I did research in the AVS forums, a few YouTube reviewers, and rtings.  All were in agreement that the Sony 900E was tops for non-OLED so I figured it was as close as I was going to get to my answer. 

The experts on the AVS forums were the ones who steered me away from OLED due to my bright room and the fact that 90% of what I watch is cable box content and low to mid end OLED's lacking the processing horsepower to do a superior job.  There seems to be an assumption that if one is a 4K OLED buyer they eschew all 1080/720 content or are prepared to live with the consequences of the very worst HD in exchange for the very best 4K.  I'm not in that group.

SAR I

Rtings.com tests and reviews everything if you pay attention. Forums are generally the worst place to go for accurate info. There's a misinformed crowd that still doesn't get how 720p is better than 1080i for action sports and is the prime reason ESPN, FOX, FSN, MLBN, etc. chose the 720p format. They simply think 1080 lines is more than 720 lines therefore it's better.

On May 29, 2018 at 6:11 AM, SAR I said:

OLED's are not as bright and they enhance imperfections for non-4K sources like Fios.  With no 4K live sports on the horizon for the next 5 years at least I wanted the best picture for 1080i and 720p Jets football, Rangers hockey, Yankees baseball, etc. and my primary viewing room is bathed in sunlight all day which is why I didn't buy an OLED.

SAR I

All six OLEDS scored exactly the same for all input resolutions (720, 1080, 4K) as the Sony X900E LED.

I agree too much sunlight in a tv room is terrible. That's a bad situation. While the 900 series compared to the OLEDs scored best on SDR and HDR brightness, it scored lowest on reflection reduction and motion response, hence the lower grade for sports (compared to OLED).

I'm a Sony fan just like you. In recent years LG made strides in tv technology while Sony was caught snoozing. There are still many great flatscreens to choose from, Sony and Samsung included. The important thing is you're happy with your 900 series. Eventually OLEDs will be the new normal and prices will drop to fit your budget. And we'll have this discussion on a Jets board again next year and the year after ... 

 

[IndianaJet]

I've got a 65 inch LG OLED C7P and a 65 inch OLED E7P.  Both are out of this world and I would swear by them even for the exorbitant price.

SAR is somewhat right when it comes to broadcast sports, but it essentially comes down to the quality source your provider is getting the signal from. For whatever reason, my ABC looks like sh*t for sports but the other networks are very good.  Watching NBA on TNT vs. ABC is 1000 times better for whatever reason.

The other thing to consider is that the vast majority of broadcast sports is not broadcast in true 4K HDR.  Direct TV has three 4K HDR dedicated channels.  One is a PPV movie channel, the other has lots of nature type content and the last is a special event channel that usually broadcasts one or two random games per week in true 4K HDR, including at least one college football game per week.  (No NFL games though).  So watching sports in true 4K HDR is limited. 

As for other content, any true streaming content that is 4K HDR is also out of this world.  I have two X-Box One Xs on both TVs and streaming 4K HDR is off the charts as well as 4K HDR DVDs.

If you do take the plunge, look for deals on websites like Massdrop.  I got my 65 inch E7P last summer (retail $3999.99 at the time) for $2600.

When you spend that much for a TV, you should also consider spending the extra money to have it professionally calibrated once you have it installed.  That could set you back a few hundred dollars more....but well worth it.

 

[SAR I]

15 hours ago, jetrider said:

Forums are generally the worst place to go for accurate info. There's a misinformed crowd that still doesn't get how 720p is better than 1080i for action sports and is the prime reason ESPN, FOX, FSN, MLBN, etc. chose the 720p format. They simply think 1080 lines is more than 720 lines therefore it's better.

I know who the smart people are on AVS, no issue with misinformation there.

I went up a size from my 1080p to my 4K and at the same viewing distance I expected some degradation. 

1080i channels (NBC, CBS, NFL, RedZone, NHL, SNY, YES) look very good on a 4K TV, still a step back from a 1080p HD panel, but very good just a tad off.  720p channels however (FOX, ESPN, ABC, FS1, MLB) look brutal, no other way to say it, there is pixelation, motion blur, smearing, screen-dooring, the works.  I've got my Fios box set to native and let my Sony handle all the processing, it's a mess.  When I see that a Jets game is on FOX my heart sinks.  720p is brutal on Fios and a 4K TV, at least in my experience and the experience of others on the Fios forum. 

15 hours ago, jetrider said:

I'm a Sony fan just like you. The important thing is you're happy with your 900 series. Eventually OLEDs will be the new normal and prices will drop to fit your budget. And we'll have this discussion on a Jets board again next year and the year after ...

Yes, the 900E has me thrilled, took me a few months to get the settings just right for cable but I'm in a very good place right now-  except for the aforementioned FOX NFL and MLB games. 

As for OLED, it's not really about price for me but rather waiting on Fios to do something about the issues on their end with compression and bandwidth which (I'm guessing) are the true culprits here.  But since all of us are watching the NFL and half the games are 720p this is likely a problem for a large percentage of us.

SAR I

[Dcat]

Thanks to everyone for this thread, especially SAR because Scott knows his sh!t... he really does.  I'm in the market for a new big screen as my old one is just about a diansaur.   Most of what we watch is from Direct TV (I know, I know...)  and also Netflix.  Movies and television with some sports, mainly NFL.

So I don't want the level of HD to actually lessen our viewing experience.  I'm not so tech savvy, and I'll be asking the same questions again, because the new set is not in our plans for at least 3-4 months.