If you're thinking of getting a TV...

Rich on Tech

It’s official - Rams are headed to the Super Bowl along with the Bengals… and it’s happening in our backyard… if you live in Los Angeles.

Every year around this time, lots of people are thinking about upgrading their big screen TV. Recently, I was in Costco and the TV section was filled with folks trying to figure out HDR and Dolby Vision, 8K and OLED.

I’ll make it easy for you - nearly every single TV reviewer I’ve talked to in the past few years has recommended two sets: the TCL 6 Series on the value side of things and the LG C series OLEDs for the high end of things.

The TCL 6 Series has a fantastic mix of features and price, plus you can get it with Google or Roku software built in, so there’s one less box to attach.

Personally, I prefer connecting an Apple TV or Amazon’s Fire TV Stick Max, but it really depends what ecosystem you’re in.

The TCL 6 Series is $1100 right now at various retailers, which is $200 off the standard price.

The LG is $1800 when I saw it at Costco the other day.

These are for 65 inch sets, which seems to be the new norm.

So, what about all the buzzwords you see floating around?

There are a few main things to know.

Anything that’s LCD, LED, MiniLED or QLED are variations on the same technology. A bunch of pixels that are backlit by a light panel. The smaller the lights on the panel, the better the picture, hence the proliferation of MiniLED tech.

OLED is entirely different, each pixel lights up by itself. This means when you’re looking at a dark, starry sky, just the pixels that are showing stars are lit up. This gives a more realistic look - and you’ll pay for it in the price.

There are a ton of TV’s out there and even brands like VIZIO, Sony and Samsung have high end sets and low end sets. Keep in mind, the more budget you go, the more potential for a frustrating experience. A picture that never looks right, software that’s slow, buggy and rarely updated along with video that generally looks washed out.

Also, don’t forget to adjust the picture when you get your TV home. Cinema mode seems to be best for everyday viewing, and be sure to turn off motion smoothing in the settings - unless you’re watching sports.

You can skip 8K sets for now, the content just isn’t there. Even the Super Bowl won’t be available in 4K, which is a bummer.

For more information, check TV review guides from CNET, Wirecutter and PC Mag.

One final note - if you’re looking for the best deal on a specific TV, just Google the name of the TV along with word deal, then hit the News tab to see results bloggers are talking about. Example.

Here’s my TV buying guide segment from KTLA.

That’s all for now. Hope you enjoy these more frequent updates. If you do, hit that heart below so I know!

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Have a great day.

Rich

@richontech