Differentiate TV Brands
Tom Power Jun 7, 2023 12:36 PM
Nowadays, with hundreds of TV models to choose from, it can be hard to know where to start. There are a variety of TV brands for you to choose. So which one is right for you? We have put together a brief beginner's guide to the top TV brands, their similarities, and their differences.
So, let’s Differentiate TV Brands.
LG is the perfect example of a "brand isn't everything": Its top-of-the-line TVs are some of the absolute best you can buy today, while the mid-range and budget models are a bit less appealing (in most cases).
LG's CX OLED TV is considered by many to be the Best TV you can buy today, even though it was last year's model. It boasts perfect black levels that snap images right off the screen (with incredible clarity when gaming, to boot). If you can't afford it, it's hard to go too wrong with this self-illuminating OLED.
The mid-range TVs of LG use a different type of panel than most other brands' LED TVs. These panels offer better viewing angles at the expense of poorer black levels. Therefore, they are not ideal for movies in dark rooms. However, for watching daytime shows with lots of friends sitting around the TV, this is a decent option. And that lower price doesn't stop LG from coming with some nice perks, like compatibility with smart assistant devices like Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Apple AirPlay 2.
All of Samsung's TVs are well made, but like LG, their flagship models are home to good quality, and their mid-range models offer less value than competing brands.
Samsung is famous for its QLED panels, which use Quantum Dots for excellent color performance. Its blacks aren't as deep as those of OLED competitors, but it has a much brighter picture to be ideal for rooms with a lot of sunlight coming through.
Samsung has also caught the eye with unique TVs like The Frame, which act as a TV when on and art when off. Like other smart art frameworks, it offers a handful of small canvases (several hundred, according to my count) and a larger selection for a $4.99 monthly subscription. / month. (I personally own this TV, and I'd love to have something other than a black slab to look at on the wall when the TV is off.)
Sony offers some of the most color-accurate TVs with good HDR performance, a solid smart TV interface (Google TV), and incredible processing power. Thanks to upscaling software, powered by the 4K HDR Processor X1 Extreme, which aims to chart objects in the picture on your TV and adjust their contrast in real-time, Sony TVs do a better job of "enhancing" low-quality video than other brands.
While LG, Samsung, and Sony all make great high-end sets, their low- and mid-range sets often outperform the high-end TCLs, offering great picture quality for the price, and the built-in Roku media player.
Over the past few years, the TCL 6 series has been considered by many to be the best TV you can buy for your money. It has great colors thanks to the QLED panel, along with excellent brightness and black levels for HDR movies.
Series 5 is a slight step down from series 6, with less impressive brightness and motion, and no gaming features - albeit at an even more attractive price point. You still get 4K UHD. You still get a QLED panel. You still get Dolby Vision HDR and, of course, Roku TV built-in for a relatively large discount.
If you're watching movies on Blu-ray or via a separate streaming box, the Vizio sets are great for the price. Vizio's P-series offers lackluster smart apps. Besides, its motion smoothing isn't as good as Sony's, but if you're not using these features, why pay extra for them? The console's Quantum Dot technology promises enhanced colors, and the TV has Chromecast built-in, too.
The brand is not as important an indicator of quality as you might expect. Sure, there are some budget-focused brands that are significantly lower in quality than well-known names such as Samsung, LG, and Sony. However, each of those famous brands has low-end models and high-end models, and the TV you choose may have more to do with the features of each set than the name on the frame.
