Ethen Kim Lieser
Technology,
TVs do seem to be getting bigger and bigger as each year passes. Within five to 10 years, it wouldn’t be that surprising if most American family rooms have a TV that’s 85 inches or larger.
As TVs of these gigantic dimensions are still relatively rare in the market, it’s indeed difficult to pick the right one. So, for starters, here are three solid options manufactured by three brands we all know and trust.
Leading off is LG’s 86-inch Nano 9 Series. LG is better known for its awesome OLED TV offerings, but those TVs really haven’t entered the waters of the 85-inch-plus market. You could take a gander at LG’s OLED88Z9P, but this will set you back $30K – obviously not a reasonable price point for most consumers.
The Nano 9 Series, which comes in at a more wallet-friendly $3,000, uses LG’s enhanced LCD display technology called NanoCell. Previously called Super UHD, NanoCell employs a light-absorbing filter that removes unwanted wavelengths of light to offer more precise color reproduction. This has positioned NanoCell as a direct competitor to Samsung’s QLED line.
The 9 Series boasts outstanding 4K-image quality via its full-array LED backlight with local dimming. What really separates itself from competitors is that it has amazing wide-viewing angles, so if you have seating arrangements that wrap around the TV, you’ll surely see the difference.
LG’s archrival, Samsung, is up next with its 85-inch QLED TV offering that can be had for $3,300. The Q70R model is a little pricier than the Nano 9 Series but Samsung has proven over the years that it can deliver picture qualities that are right behind what can be seen on the much-vaunted OLED panels.
The Q70R is no different, as it taps into its QLED technology to provide excellent overall image quality with plenty-deep black levels. The high light output and full-array local dimming work wonderfully well with HDR, and you’ll surely enjoy the accurate colors and solid video processing, which will be a boon for hardcore gamers out there and lovers of intense action films.
Samsung employs its own built-in digital assistant Bixby, and many have shared their frustrations with this. Bixby, unfortunately, doesn’t come close to the skills of Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, which can be found on rivals from LG to Sony.
In at No. 3 is Sony’s 85-inch 800H Series. If you desire vibrant, on-target picture quality but don’t want to clean out your bank account, this could be the perfect choice. With a price tag of $2,300, that’s a full grand less than the Samsung Q70R.
Despite its affordability, the 800H Series delivers crystal-clear 4K images and supports HDR10 format, which has become a must-have for Ultra HD Blu-ray movies and streaming 4K content. The TV also comes with the 4K HDR Processor X1 that can analyze the color in individual objects and adjust the contrast accordingly.
The 800H Series makes use of Android TV with Google Assistant to provide a smarter viewing experience. The platform boasts about 5,000 apps on a clean layout and it is quite user-friendly. It is also compatible with Google Home and Amazon Alexa, so you can use your voice to control the TV.
Ethen Kim Lieser is a Tech Editor who has held posts at Google, The Korea Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, AsianWeek and Arirang TV.
