#full-arraylocaldimming

As known, the picture quality depends significantly on contrast, which is the ratio of the panel's peak brightness to the minimum black. Contrast provides image clarity and sharpness, colors saturation, etc. As a consequence, companies focus their efforts in this direction. Self-emitting LEDs in OLED and micro LED panels operate without backlit, formally delivering infinite contrast due to perfect blacks.

OLED vs LED LCD TV image quality Indeed, the LED does not emit without a control signal, providing a completely black pixel. But OLED TVs are more expensive and less bright vs LCD. Even modern premium OLED models deliver up to 800 nits peak brightness. However, the brightness of some even mid-budget LCD panels reaches 1000 nits. On the other hand, LG this year unveiled LG G1 OLED series with the innovative Evo OLED panel, which peak brightness can exceed 1,000 nits. Micro LED panels offer impeccable quality, but they are insanely expensive, and their size starts at 100 inches on the diagonal. For example, the price of presented at CES 2021 110-inch Samsung Micro LED panel reaches $ 156,000.

Samsung Micro LED panel CES 2021

LCD TVs

Until recently, models based on OLED and Micro LED technologies belonged to the premium segment, with little overlap with the segment of significantly cheaper LCD TVs. But manufacturers of LCD TVs also did not waste time, actively improving the image quality through innovative technologies. As a result, the situation is changing today. Already this year new LG OLED TVs and Samsung Neo QLED TVs with mini LED backlit was in the same price segment. Modern LCD TVs use Quantum Dot (QD) technology to increase peak brightness and expand color gamut, and Local Dimming to enhance contrast by increasing black depth. Local Dimming enhances contrast by reducing backlit intensity in different frame areas depending on the content. Until this year, FALD (Full Array Local Dimming) was the most effective technology. But at CES 2021, TCL, LG and Samsung unveiled a new generation of mini LED backlit that uses tens of thousands of miniature LEDs grouped into thousands of Local Dimming zones. In fact, the TV market has formed a new segment of LCD TVs with QD display and mini LED backlit, which today includes Samsung Neo QLED, LG QNED and TCL OD-Zero TVs.

mini LED backlit Hisense and Panasonic have gone the other way, enhancing the contrast of LCD TVs with an optional monochromatic LC layer. These technologies are named Hisense Dual Cell (ULED XD) and Panasonic MegaCon.

Hisense Dul Cell technology

Hisense Ultra LED (ULED)

Virtually all industry leaders use proprietary names for their QD models. This technology provides Wide Color Gamut, which directly affects picture quality and HDR performance. Simplistically, this a very elegant solution dramatically improved the white quality of the LED backlit and overall picture quality in LCD TVs.

Quantum Dots image quality As known, only the sun provides ideal white. In fact, the developers of QD technology have created an analogue of a small sun by generating artificial white in TV. For this purpose, an additional film is placed between the blue diodes on the backlight panel and the subpixel color filter. It has randomly deposited two types of nanoparticles, the sizes of which correspond to the wavelengths of green and red. Nanoparticles absorb blue and emit red and green. At the output, they are blended with unabsorbed blue to produce a higher quality white that is sent to a subpixel color filter.

Quantum Dots technology Today the market offers Samsung QLED, Sony Triluminos, LG NanoCell TVs with this technology. Other companies often just indicate "QD display". Most of them use QDEF (Quantum Dot Enhancement Film) from California-based Nanosys, which has confidently dominated this segment, developing quantum dot materials for displays since 2001. Hisense is no exception and also uses the ULED (Ultra LED) name for its TVs with QD. In fact, ULED models include innovative solutions based on 20 different patents and can be divided into four main subgroups: - Ultra Wide Color Gamut (QD display with Nanosys QDEF, 99.98% DCI-P3); - Ultra Local Dimming; - Ultra 4K Resolution (3840 x 2160 or 2160p); - Ultra Smooth Motion Rate (frame interpolation algorithm).

Local dimming

As known, the LCD panel uses the dependence of the light transmission on crystal polarization. In turn, the polarization depends on the electric current, the supply of which is regulated through the transistor. But initially, the luminous flux is formed by the backlit. In fact, LEDs create light, which is partially absorbed by liquid crystal layer controlled by transistors, creating a color image. Unfortunately, crystals only partially block the luminous flux from the backlit even for black LCD pixels. Some light always leaks through. As a result, LCDs have always had worse black levels and, accordingly, contrast compared to OLED. In fact, Local Dimming is the main and only way to solve this problem. It's based on reducing the radiation intensity of individual groups of LEDs (Local Dimming zones). Of course, competition is forcing industry leaders to actively improve this technology. As a result, direct backlit has been improved to FALD (full-array local dimming), which in turn has been improved to mini LED backlit.

FALD (full-array local dimming)

Mini LED local dimming The innovative mini LED backlit uses a huge number of miniature LEDs combined into thousands of individually controlled local dimming zones. Moreover, over several years, the Chinese giant TCL has developed and presented three generations of this technology. The triumphant dominance of this technology in LCD TVs has become one of the trends of CES 2021. LG QNED, Samsung Neo QNED TVs and presented in March TCL X12 8K OD-Zero Starlight Smart Screen have actually formed a new segment of LCD QD TVs with Mini LED backlit. Moreover, LG OLED & Samsung Neo QLED TVs with roughly the same picture quality, compete in the same price segment, despite different display technologies (OLED vs LCD QLED).

Hisense Dual Cell or ULED XD technology

Instead of improving the Local Dimming with LED backlit, Hisense and Panasonic have come up with an ingenious alternative solution by adding an additional monochromatic LCD layer or light-modulating cell.

Hisense ULED XD Its black areas block out excess light, dramatically increasing the black depth on the screen. In fact, Dual-layer LCD with Dual Cell technology uses a second monochromatic LC layer ("luminance" module) to predimming the light from backlit in the corresponding frame areas. Then, the modulated luminous flux is directed to RGB layer ("color" module).

Hisense Dual Cell The figure illustrates a dual-layer LCD operation principle, where local dimming backlit is displayed right, luminance-controlling LCD layer - in middle, and color-controlling LCD layer - left. Technically, this technology only requires the addition of film, and should not drastically increase their price.

Panasonic Megacon In fact, ULED XD precision-bonds two LCD modules together, one of which handles the luminance information (black and white only), second - colors. In May company presented a prototype with a monochromatic luminance module of HD resolution in combination with a 4K color module (over 2 million pixels). But Hisense promises to increase the resolution of the luminance module to 4K (3,840 x 2,160). In fact, this technology can be positioned as local dimming on the pixel level with 8.3 million zones! According to the company, ULED XD TVs will also use standard local dimming with 132 zones, which will provide an overall native contrast ratio of 1,000,000: 1! Hisense also lists the black level of ULED XD up to 0.00003 nits and a peak light output over 1,000 nits. Additionally, QD technology provides 100% DCI P3 & 84% Rec 2020, and native refresh rate for both panels is 120Hz. As known, Hisense uses Android TV OS.

Conclusion

The high-tech TVs segment is characterized by the rapid development of innovative technologies. Some of them improve, others lose competition and disappear. For example, such a fate befell the plasma TVs and 3D format. The high dynamics of these processes sometimes complicates the general understanding, causing confusion in terms and concepts. CES 2020 also showed huge diversity in the market. Assortments from market leaders included LED LCD TVs, “quantum dot” LED LCD TVs (QLED, NanoCell, Triluminos), OLED and MicroLED TVs, and TCL TVs with innovative mini-LED backlight technology. In addition, almost all companies offered models with 4K and 8K resolution. Of course, such an abundance can complicate the perception of information. But even a simplified classification can simplify this task.

TV imaging technology

Only ten years ago, LED LCD technology mainly competed with plasma TVs. As known, LCD TVs form an image by controlling the light flow that passes from LEDs backlight through polarizing filters.

Ultimately, LED LCD won the competition, including due to the high cost of plasma TVs. But monopolistic dominance did not last long. Already at CES 2012, Samsung and LG introduced the first 55-inch OLED (organic light-emitting diode) TVs. As known, this technology uses its own radiation of organic diodes, without requiring additional LED-backlight.

Its absence provides several important pros, including perfect black and, consequently, infinite contrast, and wide viewing angles. Indeed, LED LCD forms non-ideal black due to the non-ideal filtering the light output of the LED backlight. In this case, OLED simply does not apply the control voltage to the corresponding diodes, providing absolutely black. Unfortunately, the cost of producing OLED panels was quite high. Moreover, it directly depends on the screen size. And finally, the brightness of OLED panels, which also affects contrast, is significantly inferior to LED LCD. As a result, this technology has become dominant only in the top segment of expensive TVs.

MicroLED

Of course, companies continued to actively develop new directions. As a result, after a few years, the English mLED company introduced a new MicroLED (micro-LED, mLED or µLED) technology based on self-emitting gallium nitride LEDs. The miniature size of these LEDs (5 microns) is the main difference between MicroLED and OLED. Today, Samsung dominates this segment. In particular, at CES 2020, the company introduced the new MicroLED TVs.

Moreover, at CES 2019, the company demonstrated MicroLED modules and their assembly using brackets that are attached to the screen with sufficiently powerful magnets. The diagonal of one module does not exceed 13 inches.

If this technology survives, in the future you will be able to periodically buy separate modules, increasing the MicroLED panel size with the growth of your budget. The technology will also allow the user to disassemble the MicroLED panel into separate modules, turning one large TV into several small ones. Unfortunately, this is not relevant today. Moreover, according to rumors, Samsung plans to enter the OLED segment with a hybrid technology called quantum-dot OLED, or QD-OLED, which combines the idea of using organic light-emitting diodes with Samsung's quantum-dot technology.

Quantum dots

Meanwhile, having beaten off the OLED attack, companies began to actively improve LED LCD technology. As a result, in 2013 Sony already introduced the first Ultra HD 55W900 display using quantum dots technology.

This technology forms an image using an additional matrix coated with a layer of quantum dots. In fact, their production is the deposition of an additional layer using lithography on a matrix of thin-film transistors. Low cost and high efficiency have become its main advantages. Initially, the emission layer used toxic cadmium. In 2015, Samsung improved the technology by replacing cadmium with indium. The monochromatic light of quantum dots significantly improved color reproduction and expanded the color gamut of LED LCD Tvs. In the first few years, Samsung dominated this segment, introducing in 2016 the first SUHD displays based on new technology. In 2017, the company introduced its first QLED-TV.

Of course, other companies also did not ignore the promising direction. Today, LG uses a similar technology called NanoCell, Sony-Triluminos, Hisense - ULED. Thus, today companies use OLED, MicroLED and LED LCD technology. In turn, LED LCD models are subdivided into traditional LED LCD TVs and more expensive “quantum dot” TVs, including Samsung QLED, LG NanoCell, Sony Triluminos and Hisense ULED. At the same time, LG claims to be a leader in the OLED segment, focusing its efforts on reducing production costs. It must be admitted that the company has made significant progress in this direction, presenting in 2018 LG OLED B8 PLA at a price of just over $ 2,000. However, today Sony is not inferior to its competitor by presenting the excellent 4K Sony OLED A8H series at CES 2020.

LED backlight

Improving the backlight has become another direction of development for LED LCD TVs. At one time, companies actively experimented in this direction. For example, the popularity of ultrathin screens provoked the development of edge LED backlight with the placement of LEDs around the screen perimeter. As a result, companies have developed the Edge LED version with LEDs on the sides of the screen and LED Plus with the possibility of local dimming in small areas. Unfortunately, this elegant engineering solution is accompanied by uneven screen lighting. In addition, this technology does not support the local dimming function, which has become one of the main tools for increasing the contrast and color accuracy. As a result, companies focused on developing Direct LED backlight with LEDs behind the screen. Finally, in 2018 LG introduced FALD (full-array local dimming), improving the previous Direct LED backlight technology.

Soon, the company introduced the Nano Full LED version with an increased number of LEDs.

Of course, the accuracy of image formation control directly depends on the number of LEDs, which, in turn, depends on their size. Advances in the production of LEDs have ensured their miniaturization, increased service life, reduced energy consumption and heat output. Usually their sizes vary in the range of about 1000 microns (0.04 inches), but today companies produce mini-LEDs measuring about 200 microns (0.02 inches).

Mini-LED backlight

Unfortunately, Mini-LEDs have less brightness compared to conventional LEDs due to the reduction of material to create the light. Of course, an increase in voltage and current increases their brightness, but this dramatically reduces their longevity. But the improvement of mini LED production technology has allowed engineers to expand these boundaries by increasing their efficiency. As a result, TCL’s engineers developed “Quantum Contrast” mini-LED backlight technology based on them.

Of course, mini LEDs are more expensive, but their pros compensate for this aspect. Last year, the company announced TCL 8-Series Roku TV with this technology. Due to the reduced size of the LEDs, the company was able to place over 25,000 mini-LEDs the back of the TV, which are grouped into around 1,000 dimming zones.

In comparison, the 75-inch Vizio Quantum X uses only 485 local dimming zones, and the Sony XBR-85Z9G 8K TV costing about $ 10,000 has 720 zones. Today, the Chinese company continues to actively develop this promising technology. Its advanced version is called the Vidrian Mini-LED. TVs with this technology will use a control semiconductor chip and tens of thousands of microscopic LEDs directly soldered into a glass substrate. Such a panel has a longer service life, providing higher contrast and brightness. Moreover, TCL has invested $ 6 billion in a modern factory for the production of LCD panels using innovative glass cutting equipment.

Conclusion

The digital revolution has opened up enormous opportunities for engineers to dramatically improve the consumer electronics segment. Projector Mobile Phones with a projector function, pico projectors, 8K TVs and mini-led backlight technology perfectly illustrate this trend. For example, a laser projector of Blackview MAX 1 Projector Mobile Phone provides a vivid and rich image with 2160 x 1080 resolution.

Its 4680 mAh battery provides up to 12 hours of viewing. According to the company, it provides projection sizes up to 200 inches. Of course, this statement causes a great skepticism among specialists. Its real brightness does not exceed 30 Lm. Accordingly, the illumination even for a 19-inch screen diagonally does not exceed 200 lux. Therefore, in reality, a smartphone can provide a fairly high quality only in a completely dark room. And, of course, the size of a sufficiently contrast projection is unlikely to exceed even 100 inches diagonally. Nevertheless, the model rightfully pretends to the status of the first pocket TV. Of course, the high-tech TVs segment is leading in the number of innovative solutions. As known, HDR technology has become one of the main directions for improving image quality. But it requires very precise control of all the pixels on the screen. But, LCD matrices used backlight for this purpose. Therefore, its improvement has become one of the trends of recent years.

Direct-LED backlight

As a result, the development of Direct-LED backlight has dominated. Initially, Direct-LED improved to FALD (full-array local dimming), which ensured perfect uniformity across the entire screen.

Improving the GPU performance in TVs allowed engineers to separately control each array of LEDs (local dimming zone), forming the backlight level in each individual area of the screen surface depending on the content.

Of course, this technology has significantly improved image quality due to color accuracy and HDR. In particular, these models already support HDR10, HDR10 +, and even Dolby Vision. Moreover, Sony has developed an innovative Discrete LED Control algorithm that controls each LED, providing the accuracy required for 4K HDR.

Just a few years ago, TCL TVs 6-series were considered the best from this point of view, using more than 100 local dimming zones. But modern flagships already use from several hundred zones and above. But technology does not stand still. The advent of mini-LEDs has expanded the engineering possibilities. As a result, TCL has developed and already announced for 2020 the 8th series of Roku TV with innovative Mini-LED backlight technology based on the use of Mini-LEDs. Reducing the size of LEDs allowed the company to increase the number of dimming zones to 1000! But its declared price reaches $ 2,000. Thus, fierce competition forces companies to intensively improve image quality using innovative technologies. But many have a little philosophical question about the perfection limits and reasonable sufficiency.

Content

Many people remember the rise and sunset of the 3D format in TVs. Even with a large number of fans, today almost all companies have abandoned this option in their models due to the huge shortage of video content. For various reasons, it was not profitable for manufacturers of 3D content to produce it. The situation with 4K and especially 8K content, and HDR content is very similar to the story with 3D. Today, 4K HDR video content is very limited. All such content can be viewed in a few days. Moreover, the prospects for further development of the 4K HDR video content production are rather vague today. But watching traditional television video content on modern 4K or 8K TV with, for example, Mini-LED backlight, HDMI 2.1 (support for the transfer of dynamic metadata for HDR content), with an OLED or QLED or NanoCell screen, etc resembles a ride on a sports jaguar for $ 50,000 at a speed of 30 km /hour. When watching modern television content, you need to have very sharp eyesight to notice the visual difference between the mid-budget TV and the innovative flagship.

Visualization

All the advantages of innovative technologies are well visualized only when playing certain content. For example, TVs producers often show in the commercials the scenes of a night metropolis with a huge number of small details and contrasting light/shadow transitions.

In this case, the expensive 4K HDR TV really can simultaneously correctly reproduce the color gamut of various scenes. For example, it will correctly reproduce the scene with people in a well-lit cafe (minimum backlight of the corresponding dimming zones), tree branches swaying in the dark (maximum backlight of the corresponding dimming zones) and many illuminated windows in the background (requires high resolution). Medium-budget TV, depending on the settings, will correctly reproduce either the scene in the cafe and the dark background around (due to the small number of gradations of black), or, conversely, a blurry scene in the cafe (too light) and more or less distinguishable details of the surrounding space. But, of course, such complex video content (in terms of video engineer) will constitute an insignificant share in the total volume of television broadcasting.

Conclusion

Of course, the efforts of companies to improve TVs ensures the progress and development of technology. For example, at CES 2018, the 146-inch Samsung modular microLED TV impressed the most imperturbable viewers.

At CES 2019, 260 flexible OLED screens connected together to simulate a waterfall also did not leave anyone indifferent.

For several decades now, fierce competition and digital technologies stimulate innovative boom in the consumer electronics segment. First of all, it manifests itself in the segment of high-tech devices, including projectors, TVs, robotic vacuum cleaners, etc. For example, the list of innovative technologies developed in recent years for TVs includes HDR technology, HDMI 2.1 standard, 10 and 12-bit color depth, HFR (high frame rate) format, Micro LED, etc. Mini-LED Backlight technology has taken a worthy place in this list. As known, it was developed and first introduced by the Chinese TCL company at CES 2019.

Backlight TV

As known, all modern LCD TVs use LEDs for backlighting. But OLED (organic light-emitting diode) TVs use their own radiation of organic diodes and do not require backlighting. As a consequence, they provide absolutely black and, accordingly, endless contrast, which characterizes the white / black ratio. As known, LEDs emit light when exposed to electricity and are widely used in consumer electronics. Companies usually placed LEDs on the edges (Edge-LED backlight) or behind the screen (Direct-LED backlight). Each LED backlight type has its pros and cons. But modern TVs are increasingly using FALD (full-array local dimming), which is an improved version of Direct-LED backlight.

The rapid spread of this technology was due to the growing popularity of HDR (high dynamic range) technology. In this case, TV dims the LEDs behind dark sections of the image, increasing contrast between the bright and dark areas of the image. Of course, reducing the brightness of each pixel also increases the visualization of contrast. However, this task is technically very difficult for the LCD. As known, LED TV creates an image by blocking the backlight. But the LCD-matrix only partially blocks light, creating a grayer image with fewer black gradations compared to, for example, an OLED matrix. To solve this problem, engineers developed Local dimming technology, which adjusts the backlight in areas of the screen depending on the frame content.

In fact, the further development of this technology has become the basis for FALD. Today, backlight technology is one of the main specs of TV, significantly affecting image quality. Therefore, modern models use several types of backlighting, depending on the class.

Mini-LED backlight technology

Of course, each of the 8 million pixels in a 4K TV cannot have its own LED for backlighting. Actually, each group of LEDs (they are called dimming zones) illuminates tens and even hundreds of thousands of pixels. For example, their average number varies about 100 for ordinary models, and reaches several hundred for top models. Unfortunately, sizes, energy drain, heat generated and cost limits the increase in their quantity. Usually their sizes vary in the range of about 1000 microns (0.04 inches), but today companies produce mini-LEDs measuring about 200 microns (0.02 inches). Unfortunately, they have less brightness compared to conventional LEDs due to the reduction of material to create the light. Of course, an increase in voltage and current increases their brightness, but this drastically reduces their longevity. But the improvement of mini LED production technology has allowed engineers to expand these boundaries by increasing their efficiency. As a result, TCL's engineers developed "Quantum Contrast" mini-LED backlight technology based on them. Of course, mini LEDs are more expensive, but their pros compensate for this aspect.

Due to the reduced size of the LEDs, the company was able to place over 25,000 mini-LEDs the back of the TV, which are grouped into around 1,000 dimming zones. In comparison, the 75-inch Vizio Quantum X uses only 485 local dimming zones, and the Sony XBR-85Z9G 8K TV costing about $ 13,000 has 720 zones. As a result, more accurate dimming of screen areas significantly increases the overall contrast ratio due to the reduction in the diffuse lighting of dark objects. Moreover, the company can increase the brightness of LEDs without fear of artifacts, providing improved contrast in various scenes.

Conclusion

This review is updated regularly with new models Last updated: September 19, 2019 As known, fierce competition is one of the main trends in the consumer electronics segment. As a result, high competitiveness is a necessary requirement for any modern device. Of course, this criterion traditionally depends on price, quality and functionality.

Introduction

But this review does not analyze the modern pricing policy of companies. We can only mention that almost all companies set the maximum price for new products and reduce them in six months or a year, releasing the next model. Of course, practically all consumers know this aspect, often preferring past models. The quality of products from well-known companies has also reached its maximum due to the high cost of popular brands. As known, it has long exceeded hundreds of millions, and deterioration in reputation drastically reduces the brand’s capitalization. This aspect forces companies to ensure high assembling quality and use reliable components even in budget models. Already today, its further increase often significantly increases the model cost, reducing its competitiveness. Thus, the expansion of functionality has become the main tool for ensuring high competitiveness. But it, in turn, mainly depends on the use of innovative technologies. Of course, the high-tech segment of TVs is fully consistent with these trends. Therefore, almost all of its leaders annually offer models with innovative solutions and even new technologies. As a result, the market offers a huge number of different models. Of course, this abundance pleases consumers, but often complicates the choice of the optimal model. Various TOP lists partially simplify this task. Of course, the selection criteria for consumer are always individual. Some people attach great importance to new products, preferring the latest models. Other buyers are guided by the opinion of experts, who usually focus on the objective specs. In addition, many buyers prefer to form their opinions on the basis of consumer reviews, which mainly depend on the price / quality ratio. As a result, the content of these TOPs is usually different. This review offers different TOPs for modern TVs.

TOPs

Of course, this format does not imply a review of all the new 2019 TVs. This list contains only a few of the most promising models from market leaders that characterize common tendencies. It includes: - LG 4K HDR Smart OLED C9PUA TV w/AI ThinQ and LG 4K HDR Smart LED SM9500 NanoCell TV w/AI ThinQ; - Sony X950G 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV with HDR and Alexa; - TCL S425 4K UHD Smart Roku TV; - VIZIO P-Series Quantum X 4K HDR Smart TV. As a rule, the content of TOPs from experts depends on their individual opinions. However, many models are included in different TOPs, which confirms their high quality. Such a list of 2019 includes: - LG C9 (2019); - Vizio P-Series Quantum X (2019), Vizio P-Series Quantum (2018), Vizio P-Series (2018); - Sony A9F Master Series (2018); - Samsung Q8FN (2018); - TCL 6 Series (2018) Of course, Best Sellers are significantly dependent on sales volume and price. Therefore, TOPs from consumers often contain the most successful budget models. The 2019 list includes: - Toshiba 4K Ultra HD HDR Smart LED TVs; - TCL 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TVs; - Insignia 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TVs; - Samsung UN RU7100FXZA Flat 4K UHD HDR 7 Series Smart TVs with Alexa Compatibility; - Sony X800G 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV with HDR and Alexa Compatibility.

LG 4K HDR Smart OLED C9PUA TV w/AI ThinQ and LG 4K HDR Smart LED SM9500 NanoCell TV w/AI ThinQ

In 2019, LG convincingly confirmed its innovative leadership by announcing the first LG Z9 OLED TV with 8K resolution and a wallpaper-style design, and introducing the first Rollable TV. Undoubtedly, the LG Signature Roll Up R9 4K HDR OLED TV at CES 2019 made an indelible impression on the most unperturbed viewers. But the company was no less convincing in the segment of more traditional OLED and LED NanoCell models, introducing the gorgeous LG 4K HDR Smart LED SM9500 NanoCell TV, and LG 9C OLED TV. As known, LG C9 OLED has become an improved version of the most popular LG 8C OLED series 2018. The LG C9 provides an awesome OLED picture quality with unlimited contrast and huge viewing angles at a reasonable price up to $1,500 for 55 inches. Like all new LG models, the C9 uses an α9 Gen 2 Intelligent Processor and the excellent WebOS 4.5 with Alexa, supports HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG, and Advanced HDR standards, HDMI 2.1 and Google Assistant. LG 65SM9500PUA LED NanoCell convincingly demonstrated the company's success in further development of NanoCell technology. Powerful α7 Gen 2 Intelligent Processor, realistic color with Nano Accuracy, and the full spectrum with Nano Color provide excellent image quality. In addition, the model uses the improved FALD Pro, which increases contrast by improving the LED dimming control. Today its price does not exceed $ 2,000. Moreover, the company promises to announce its first LG SM99 NanoCell TV with 8K resolution by the end of the year.

Vizio P-Series Quantum X (2019)

As known, Vizio TVs have long and successfully competed in the budget segment. But over the past few years, the company has introduced a line of TVs that successfully compete in the middle and even top range . For example, today, many experts include Vizio P-Series (2018), Vizio P-Series Quantum (2018), and, of course, Vizio P-Series Quantum X (2019) in their TOP lists. By far, the P-Series Quantum X has become the best Vizio TV. But it contains 65-inch Vizio PX65-G1 and 75-inch and PX75-G1 TVs only. Today, the cost of PX65-G1 does not exceed $ 2,000. Both models claim the status of brightest TVs, providing up to 3,000-nit peak brightness. For comparison, today HDR-capable TVs with 1,000-nit brightness levels are considered very bright. Of course, their very high brightness provides excellent contrast. In addition, quantum dot display covers about 95% of the wide P3 color gamut. As a result, the 65-inch PQX delivers image quality that is comparable to the LG OLED C9. But LG’s popular flagship costs $ 1,000 more. Main specs: - 4K (3,840 x 2,160) resolution; - Quantum dot display; - HDR10, Dolby Vision, and HLG support for HDR-content; - FALD (full-array local dimming); - 120 Hz refresh rate; - built-in Chromecast and Apple AirPlay 2 support; - DCI-P3/10-bit color space. Of course, their narrow viewing angle cannot compete with the super-wide angles of OLED models. In addition, they have occasional light bloom, and not ideal Smart platform. But their price with a margin compensates for all the shortcomings, providing these models with huge growth potential.

TCL 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TVs

As known, TCL LED TVs with tremendous triumph first appeared in 2017. Chinese TCL Corporation proposed TVs 4K HDR TVs with a built-in Roku smart platform, and a fairly high picture quality for an amazingly low price. As a result, the popularity of these TVs has been growing rapidly. For example, TCL 6 Series became one of the Best Sellers of 2018. It includes a 55-inch TCL 55R617 (Best Buy) / 55R615 (Amazon) for a little over $ 500, and a 65-inch TCL 65R617 / 65R615 up to $ 1,000. Their specs correspond to a very high level even for the middle price segment and are rapidly approaching the TOP level. They include: - 4K resolution (3,840 x 2,160); - High Dynamic Range support (HDR10 and Dolby Vision standards); - great built-in Roku streaming platform with Roku remote; - FALD (full-array local dimming) LED backlight. At the same time, the price range for 55 inch models ranges from $ 350, for example, for the TCL 55S425 (2019). Of course, such a pricing policy ensures the enormous popularity of TCL TVs among consumers. This year, the company introduced the TCL S425 4K UHD Smart Roku TV series, priced from $ 280 to $ 1,000. Perhaps too low a price is the deliberate dumping of the company and it will increase it over time. But, today, most buyers are happy to take the opportunity to profitably buy TV.

Conclusion

This review is updated regularly with new models Last updated: September 15, 2019 As known, the huge competition in the consumer electronics segment encourages companies to constantly improve their products, annually offering new models. Of course, this trend is most clearly manifested among complex household appliances, including TVs, PCs, projectors, etc. As a result, in recent years, the structure of competition has changed and expanded. The TVs segment perfectly illustrates this aspect. With some assumptions, it includes: - competition between technologies, for example, OLED vs LED (including QLED and Nano Cell) TVs; - competition between brends and companies. Of course, most companies focus their efforts on improving one or two technologies (Samsung - QLED, LG - OLED & Nano Cell). But market leaders usually offer models in every direction. - competition between the most successful models over the past few years. The expansion of functionality through the use of innovation does not always compensate for the decrease in prices for previous models. As a result, the TOP lists of many experts simultaneously contain new innovative models and the most successful models of previous years. In addition, they often do not coincide with Best Sellers, the list of which depends significantly on price, advertising and customer reviews. Of course, such a variety pleases consumers, providing comprehensive and dynamic development in this segment, but sometimes it significantly complicates the choice of the optimal TV. In 2019, experts most often include the following models in their TOP lists: - LG C9 (2019); - Vizio P-Series Quantum X (2019), Vizio P-Series Quantum (2018), Vizio P-Series (2018); - Sony A9F Master Series (2018); - Samsung Q8FN (2018); - TCL 6 Series (2018)

LG C9

LG C9 once again confirms the dominance of LG's OLED TVs over OLED models of other companies. In 2017, the LG C7 was one of the best OLED TV. As known, according to most experts, the LG C8 was the best 4K OLED model of the 2018. This year, LG introduced the LG C9, which became its improved version (C9 vs C8.) Deja vu! Again, the LG 4K OLED model claims to be a leader among OLED TVs from other companies. Today, the C9 is one of the most affordable OLED models with excellent specs and all the pros of this technology, including unlimited contrast and ultra-wide viewing angles. Of course, today the market offers gorgeous 4K HDR models with LED backlight. But exceptional performance allows the C9 to successfully compete with them. TV supports gallery mode with magnificent landscapes from the TripAdvisor portal, additionally performing a decorative function in the living room. In addition, the powerful 2nd Gen α9 Processor provides almost instant response up to 1 ms, Input lag up to 12.9 ms, and efficient operation of VRR and ALLM options with HDMI 2.1 support. As a result, the model ensures excellent graphics in the most demanding modern games. Combined with virtual surround sound in 5.1 format and unlimited contrast, the C9 is great as a gaming console. The company offers the model in three versions, including: - 55-inch LG OLED55C9PUA; - 65-inch LG OLED65C9PUA; - 77-inch LG OLED77C9PUA. 4x HDMI 2.1 (1x ARC), 3x USB 2.0, component, LAN ethernet port, RF input and optical audio output provides excellent connectivity.

Key features

Main specs: - 4K (3,840 x 2,160) resolution; - HDR (High Dynamic Range) support, including HDR10, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos standards; - native 120 Hz refresh rate; - LG webOS smart platform; - DCI-P3/10-bit color space; - LG ThinQ AI functionality (with Alexa and Google Assistant); - 2nd Gen α9 Processor. Performance Data from reputable reviewed.com demonstrate: - HDR contrast (brightness/black level): 212.7 nits/0.002 nits; - SDR contrast (brightness/black level): 266.3 nits/0.002 nits; - HDR peak brightness: 714.6 nits (20%); - HDR color gamut coverage: 97% (DCI-P3/10-bit); - SDR color gamut coverage: 97% (Rec.709). Of course, the peak HDR brightness of about 700-750 nits is a high value for OLED panel. As known, their brightness is significantly inferior to LCD LED Tvs. The video at the end offers a side-by-side comparison of the LG C9 (2019) vs LG C8 (2018).

Vizio P-Series (2018), P-Series Quantum (2018), and P-Series Quantum X (2019)

Vizio TVs have long and successfully competed in the budget segment. But over the past few years, the company has introduced a line of TVs that successfully compete in the middle and even top range with recognized leaders. For example, today, many experts include Vizio P-Series (2018), Vizio P-Series Quantum (2018), and, of course, Vizio P-Series Quantum X (2019) in their TOP lists. In fact, the Vizio P-Series (2018) can be considered the start of the transition of Vizio TVs to the upper segment. This series has improved specs compared to the Vizio P-Series (2017), including higher brightness, expanded color space, a better design, and more far-reaching smart features. Testing in Calibrated Dark mode: - SDR Black Level: 0.05 nits; - SDR Reference Brightness: 195.10 nits; - HDR Black Level: 0.08 nits; - HDR Peak Brightness: 949.30; - SDR Color Gamut coverage: 99%; - HDR Color Gamut coverage: 93%. Black: - SDR 90% Black: 0.002 nits; - SDR 10% Black: 0.06 nits; - HDR 90% Black: 0.008 nits; - HDR 10% Black: 0.099 nits. The P-Series uses the Vizio Cast smart system. In fact, today it is an advanced Google Cast with additional elements from Vizio. In addition, TVs have pre-installed Netflix, YouTube and some other apps. Moreover, the P-Series is compatible with Alexa and Google Home, including integrated voice assistant. Unfortunately, TVs have some disadvantages, which is normal for LED models in this segment. In particular, the display of black, including its depth and gradations, depends on the screen brightness. As known, each sub-pixel of an OLED panel emits its own light, in fact being a local zone. Therefore, OLED TVs do not have this problem.

Vizio P-Series Quantum (2018)

But the company did not limit itself to the Vizio P Series in 2018, introducing the magnificent Vizio P Quantum Series with Quantum Dots technology. As known, it uses an additional panel with an LCD layer, providing unprecedented color saturation and color accuracy. As known, in recent years, Samsung has dominated in this segment. But then, LG has developed a similar technology called Nano Cell and for several years now has been offering Nano Cell TVs. In 2018, Vizio fearlessly entered into competition with these reputable giants by offering the Vizio PQ65-F1 Quantum Tv. Today it can be bought for less than $ 1,200. Key features: - 4K (3,840 x 2,160) resolution; - High Dynamic Range (HDR10 & Dolby Vision standards); - Quantum Dot technology; - FALD (full-array local dimming) LED backlights; - 192 local dimming zones; - SmartCast (Google cast) internet features; - 120 Hz native refresh rates; - Amazon Echo/Google Assistant compatible; - free streaming TV. Testing in calibrated mode: - SDR Black Level: 0.06 nits; - HDR Black Level: 0.15 nits; - HDR Peak Brightness: 2,391 nits; - SDR Reference Brightness: 350.40 nits; - HDR Reference Brightness: 797.50 nits; - HDR APLs: 2%–294.30, 10%–928.30, 20%–1,663, 40%–1,219, 50%–1,307 nits; - SDR Color Gamut coverage: 99%; - HDR Color Gamut coverage: 96%. Black - SDR 10% Black Box: 0.065 nits; - SDR 90% Black Box: 0.004 nits; - HDR 10% Black Box: 0.20 nits; - HDR 90% Black Box: 0.01 nits. - Viewing Angle: 59.95°. Of course, it's great for $ 1,200.

Vizio P-Series Quantum X

Inspired by the excellent result, in 2019 the company introduced its improved version called Vizio P-Series Quantum X. Series Quantum X or PQX contains 65-inch and 75-inch TVs only: - 65-inch Vizio PX65-G1; - 75-inch Vizio PX75-G1. Today, the cost of 65-inch model does not exceed $ 2,000. 65- and 75-inch versions use different amounts of local dimming zones. In particular, the 65-inch PQX has 384 total local dimming LED zones compared to 480 in the 75-inch PQX. Accordingly, the 75-inch PQX provides higher performance. On the other hand, today both models can claim the status of brightest TVs, providing up to 3,000-nit peak brightness. For comparison, today HDR-capable TVs with 1,000-nit brightness levels are considered very bright. Main specs have not changed much, except for an increase in the number of local dimming zones (384/480 vs 192), and support of HLG-standard for HDR. Testing in Calibrated picture mode: - HDR peak brightness: 2,057 nits (40% white); - SDR peak brightness: 1,149 nits (40% white); - HDR color gamut coverage: 95% (DCI-P3/10-bit); - SDR color gamut coverage: 98% (Rec.709); - viewing angle: ±12.78°. Of course, their very high brightness provides excellent contrast. In addition, quantum dot display covers about 95% of the wide P3 color gamut. As a result, the 65-inch PQX delivers image quality that is comparable to the LG OLED C9. But LG’s popular flagship costs $ 1,000 more. Of course, a narrow viewing angle that cannot compete with the super-wide angles of OLED models, occasional light bloom, and not ideal Smart platform are still inferior to the leaders. But the very low price for this class with a margin compensates for all the shortcomings, providing these models with huge growth potential.

Sony A9F Master Series (2018)

Today, the premium TVs segment is characterized by two opposite trends. On the one hand, manufacturers reduce the cost of OLED matrices and, accordingly, OLED TVs. On the other hand, the image quality of 4K HDR LED models (including QLED or LG Nano Cell TVs) is rapidly approaching OLED level with a slight increase in price. It can be assumed that in the coming years the difference will practically disappear. However, today the border between them remains. In fact, Sony remains one of the few companies that continues to compete with LG in the OLED TVs segment. In 2018, the company introduced the Sony A9F Master Series, which includes 55-inch and 65-inch Sony XBR55A9F / XBR65A9F BRAVIA OLED 4K HDR Tvs. Key features: - 4K resolution (3,840 x 2,160); - High Dynamic Range compatibility (HDR10 and Dolby Vision); - built-in Android smart platform; - native 120 Hz refresh rate. Testing in Cinema mode (ANSI checkerboard pattern): - HDR contrast (brightness/black level): 308,1 nits/0,002 nits; - SDR contrast (brightness/black level): 243,2 nits/0,002 nits; - HDR peak brightness: 729,8 nits (10%); - HDR color gamut coverage: 98% (DCI-P3/10-bit); - SDR color gamut coverage: 100% (Rec.709); - viewing angle: ±99.3°. In addition to the traditional pros of OLED technology, including extra-wide viewing angles and unlimited contrast due to almost "0" black levels, A9F covers 98% of the extra-wide P3 color gamut, producing rich, luminous colors across the spectrum. In addition, innovative Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology uses 3 actuators and 2 powerful subwoofers, providing excellent surround sound. Moreover, TV uses the great Sony's Android-based smart platform with Chromecast functionality, Google Play / Home / Assistant integration, etc. Unfortunately, the user interface and remote control menu are quite complex.

Samsung Q8FN (2018)

Of course, Samsung also does not reduce its activity. In 2018, the company introduced the great Q8 series, which includes: - 55-inch QN55Q8FN ($ 1,300 - September 2019); - 65-inch QN65Q8FN ($ 2,600 - September 2019); - 75-inch QN75Q8FN ($ 3,500 - September 2019). The series uses a minimalist design. Traditionally, it competes with the eighth series of LG OLED 2018, which includes B8, C8, Е8, G8, and W8 series. Main specs: - 4K (3,840 x 2,160) resolution; - High Dynamic Range (HDR10/HDR10+ standards); - Samsung Smart Hub; - FALD (full-array local dimming) LED backlight; - Quantum Dot technology; - OneRemote. 1080p content easily upscales to the native 4K resokution, but optimal setting requires Sharpness control. Testing in Movie mode: - SDR Contrast: 207.7 / 0.05 nits; - SDR Gamut Coverage: 95%; - HDR Contrast: 569.5 / 0.1 nits; - HDR Benchmarks: 2%-98.09 / 10%-309 / 20%-1125 / 40%-1477 / 50%-1472 nits; - Horizontal Viewing Angle: 19.82% / ±9.91°. Unfortunately, the models retain the disadvantages of QLED technology, including relatively small viewing angles and the inconsistent black levels due to the operation features of FALD. In this case, the TV does not correctly display dark areas, increasing the black level. HDR quality is better for bright rooms due to high brightness. Its HDR Black Levels is 0.11 nits for 10%, and 0.055 nits for 90%. But TV has an ambient light sensor that automatically reduces brightness in a very dim or dark room. Today, this series quite successfully competes with the 8th series of LG OLED Tvs.

TCL 6 Series (2018)

TCL LED TVs with tremendous triumph first appeared in 2017. Chinese TCL Corporation proposed TVs with 4K resolution, HDR, a built-in Roku smart platform, and a fairly high picture quality for an amazingly low price. As a result, the popularity of these TVs has been growing rapidly for several years, and many TCL models have become Best Sellers. TCL 6 Series was no exception. It includes a 55-inch TCL 55R617 (Best Buy) / 55R615 (Amazon) for a little over $ 500, and a 65-inch TCL 65R617 / 65R615 up to $ 1,000. 55- and 65-inch models have the same specs, except for the number of FALD (full-array local dimming) zones (96 and 120, respectively). The R617 models cost $ 50 more because of the Roko remote with support voice commands. Key features: - 4K resolution (3,840 x 2,160); - High Dynamic Range (HDR10 and Dolby Vision standards); - built-in Roku streaming platform with Roku remote; - FALD (full-array local dimming) LED backlight; - native 60 Hz refresh rates. Each TV has three HDMI 2.0-compatible inputs, a USB 2.0 input, ethernet (LAN) in, optical and headphone audio out, a splitter connection for shared component/composite input, and a coaxial jack for cable/antenna connection. Testing in Movie mode showed SDR Contrast of 200 nits / 0.02 nits (brightness/black level) and SDR color gamut coverage of 97% (Rec. 709), and great local dimming. In addition, these TVs provide excellent HDR content playback quality, providing peak brightness around 600 nits and covering around 93% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. Input lag in Game mode does not exceed 18 ms, allowing you to use TV as a game console for not very demanding games.

Conclusions

This review is updated regularly with new models Last updated: September 13, 2019 Of course, competition requires companies to constantly expand the range and functionality of their products. This axiom holds for all segments of consumer electronics and the TVs was no exception. In just a few decades, companies have developed and introduced QLED, OLED, NanoCell, HDMI 2.1, Dolby Vision, HDR technology and many other innovative technologies. This year, their range has also expanded significantly. Of course, the review format does not pretend to be a complet, but it includes some promising models. Review includes the following models from major market leaders: - LG Rollable Signature Series R9, LG Z9 8K HDR OLED TV, LG SM9500 4K HDR LED NanoCell TV and LG (B,C, E, W) 9PUA 4K HDR OLED TVs (all w/AI ThinQ); - Sony X950G 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV with HDR and Alexa; - TCL S425 4K UHD Smart Roku TV; - VIZIO P-Series Quantum X 4K HDR Smart TV.

LG TVs

Of course, this company needs no introduction. LG annually offers its new developments and this year was no exception. LG Signature Roll Up R9 4K HDR OLED TV at CES 2019 made an indelible impression on the most imperturbable viewers.

This model has all conventional pros and cons of OLED technology, uses 2nd Gen α9 Processor and WebOS 4.5 with Alexa. Unfortunately, its peak brightness is only 800 nit. According to LG, the Signature Series R9 will be available at the end of 2019, but in a 65-inch version only. But we can only guess about the price. In addition, the company announced the first LG Z9 OLED TV with 8K resolution and design in the "wallpaper" style.

Additionally, LG continued to develop its LCD NanoCell TVs by introducing LG 4K HDR Smart LED SM9500 NanoCell TV w/AI ThinQ.

Moreover, the company promises to announce its first 8K LCD NanoCell TV by the end of the year. It will be called LG SM99, have a full array of local dimming (FALD) and HDMI 2.1 support. Besides, the company introduced the ninth 4K OLED series, which continued the popular 2018 4K OLED series. As known, it included B8, C8, E8, G8, and W8 series. Accordingly, new series includes B9, C9, E9 и W9. B9 uses α7, other newer models use α9. By analogy with the 8 series, the models differ mainly in design and speakers. LG C9PUA 4K HDR Smart OLED TV w / AI ThinQ claims to be the most popular. This model can be considered an improved version of C8 (C9 vs C8.)

LG C9PUA 4K HDR Smart OLED and LG 4K LCD TVs

As known, OLED panels use organic light-emitting diodes, which are a separate light source with individual brightness adjustment.

Of course, such a natural local backlight does not require backlighting, providing absolute black and, therefore, unlimited contrast. Very high contrast, uniform illumination and very wide viewing angles provide perfect color rendering. Unfortunately, a relatively short service life of the blue subpixel and very high price significantly limit their popularity. Today, LG is a leader in this area. In recent years, the company has been able to significantly reduce the cost of OLED-panels and extend their service life. For example, the B8 55-inch today costs about $ 1,300. As a result, LG 4K OLED TVs have become very popular in recent years. The LG C9 2019 is well positioned between the budget B9 and the more expensive E & W models, providing an awesome OLED picture quality at a reasonable price nearly $1,500 for 55 inches.

This series uses 55-, 65-, and 77-inch matrices. Like all new LG TVs, the C9 has an α9 Gen 2 Intelligent Processor, supports HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG, and Advanced HDR standards, HDMI 2.1 and Google Assistant, and uses the excellent WebOS 4.5 with Alexa. Of course, the company did not forget about traditional LCD TVs, introducing the budget LG 4K series from UM71 up to UM76, and LM63 1080p series.

Sony X950G 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV with HDR and Alexa Compatibility

Sony X950G 4K LED TV uses FALD (full-array local dimming), and has an impressive specs.

Key features: - 4K (3,840 x 2,160) resolution; - supports High Dynamic Range, including HDR10, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos standards; - full-array local dimming; - 120 Hz refresh rate; - DCI-P3/10-bit color space; - Android OS (Android Oreo 8.0 with Google Assistant). Android-based smart platform supports apps like the Google Play store, etc. Unfortunately, it has the traditional disadvantages of LED models, including too aggressive local dimming and narrow viewing angles. Accordingly, the TV distorts colors when viewed at an angle, limiting the choice of a convenient location. Moreover, the model provides an HDR color gamut without margin, inferior to other TVs in this price range. But overall, the X950G looks great. With the exception of narrow viewing angles and not ideal color accuracy, other aspects correspond to a very high level. TV provides excellent contrast and image clarity even in brightly lit room. This series offers four sizes, including: - 55-inch (XBR-55X950G); - 65-inch (XBR-65X950G); - 75-inch (XBR-75X950G); - 85-inch (XBR-85X950G). Depending on the diagonal size, today their price ranges from $ 1,200 to $ 4,500, respectively. 75-inch and 85-inch models support Sony's X-Wide Angle technology. Maybe the company slightly exaggerates its effectiveness, but this technology really increases the color accuracy.

The X950G uses 4x HDMI 2.0a (1x ARC), 2x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, component, LAN ethernet port, RF input, optical audio output, headphone jack, providing all the necessary connectivity.

Testing

The reputable reviewed.com provides the following Performance Testing results: - HDR contrast (brightness/black level): 670.8 nits/0.112 nits; - SDR contrast (brightness/black level): 431.1 nits/0.075 nits; - HDR peak brightness: 1,198 nits (20%); - HDR color gamut coverage: 92% (DCI-P3/10-bit); - SDR color gamut coverage: 97% (Rec.709); - viewing angle: ±16°. Of course, this is a very high contrast for LED TVs even with FALD. Peak brightness for SDR ranges from 400 to 500 nits, which is enough for a well-lit room. But for HDR mode, it reaches an unprecedented 1,200 nits, providing this series a huge advantage over its competitors. The native 120Hz panel with X-Motion Clarity technology handles motion perfectly, delivering smooth playback for gaming, sports, and low-FPS content.

Additionally, TV provides surround audio playback using Acoustic Multi-Audio.

Overall, the X950G is a superb choice for a lit living room, but with some nuances, including narrow viewing angles and, sometimes, excessive brightness.

TCL S425 4K UHD Smart Roku TV

For several years, TCL TVs stably present in most different TOP lists in the budget and mid-price segments. High quality at a low price ensures them with an excellent price / quality ratio, providing a place among Best Sellers. Of course, TCL does not stop there, constantly expanding their range. This year was no exception and the company introduced the 2019 TCL 4 Series.

This series offers follow screen sizes: - 43-inch (TCL 43S425); - 49-inch (TCL 49S425); - 50-inch (TCL 50S425); - 55-inch (TCL 55S425); - 65-inch (TCL 65S425); - 75-inch (TCL 75S425). Their price ranges from $ 280 to $ 1,000. 4 Series has three HDMI 2.0-compatible ports, a USB 2.0 input, an ethernet port, a shared component/composite input, and a coaxial jack. Key features: - 4K resolution (3,840 x 2,160); - High Dynamic Range compatibility (HDR10 standart); - built-in Roku streaming platform with Roku remote; - Native 60 Hz refresh rate. As usual, the Roku smart platform and remote are simple and user-friendly. Today it's rightfully considered one of the best. But calibration is ineffective without the Roku mobile app. HDR tests show better results compared to SDR, but the difference is not significant due to the low brightness, which does not exceed 300 nit even for the HDR signal. Therefore, the playback quality of HDR content is visualized only in a dark room. Unfortunately, viewing angles reach only ± 22 °, after which the contrast of the panel deteriorates significantly. In general, this series of TCL TVs reasonably claims to take its rightful place among the Best Sellers in the budget segment.

VIZIO P-Series Quantum X 4K HDR Smart TV

Vizio TVs have long and successfully competed in the budget segment. But over the past few years, the company has introduced a line of TVs that successfully compete in the middle and even top range with recognized leaders. In 2019, the company continued this trend with the introduction of several gorgeous Vizio P-Series Quantum X models.

The Vizio P-Series Quantum X or PQX offers 65-inch and 75-inch TVs only: - 65-inch Vizio PX65-G1; - 75-inch Vizio PX75-G1. Today, the cost of a 65-inch model does not exceed $ 2,000. 65- and 75-inch versions use different amounts of local dimming zones. In particular, the 65-inch PQX has 384 total local dimming LED zones compared to 480 in the 75-inch PQX. Accordingly, the 75-inch PQX provides higher performance. On the other hand, today both models can claim the status of brightest TVs, providing up to 3,000-nit peak brightness. For comparison, today HDR-capable TVs with 1,000-nit brightness levels are considered very bright. Key features: - 4K (3,840 x 2,160) resolution; - Quantum dot display; - HDR10, Dolby Vision, and HLG support for HDR-content; - FALD (full-array local dimming); - 120 Hz refresh rate; - SmartCast 3.0 smart platform; - built-in Chromecast support; - Apple AirPlay 2 support; - DCI-P3/10-bit color space. Testing in Calibrated picture mode from reputable reviewed.com showed the following results: - HDR contrast (brightness/black level): 642.8 nits/0.081 nits; - SDR contrast (brightness/black level): 354.2 nits/0.076 nits; - HDR peak brightness: 2,057 nits (40% white); - SDR peak brightness: 1,149 nits (40% white); - HDR color gamut coverage: 95% (DCI-P3/10-bit); - SDR color gamut coverage: 98% (Rec.709); - viewing angle: ±12.78°.

Conclusion

Of course, the TV choice depends on the image quality. In turn, image quality depends on the quality of the LED backlight. As known, LCD pixels do not emit light and require a backlight. LED backlight is most popular in modern TVs. It's subdivided into Direct LED and Edge LED. Direct LED uses LEDs behind the matrix across its surface, and Edge LED uses LEDs along the perimeter of its side surface. In this case, the light falls on a special splitter, then redirected to the diffuser and dissipates over the surface of the matrix.

Direct LED

The LED strips inside the matrix container are arranged parallel to each other. The distance between the LEDs is 3 to 5 inches, depending on the type of LED strip.

PROS: - uniform backlight. CONS: - relatively large thickness of the matrix. Uniform backlight requires a high-quality optical diffuser that affects the thickness of the matrix container. Therefore, these models are significantly thicker compared to Edge LED.

Edge LED

Of course, this backlight is the cheapest and easiest. But LEDs for backlight are located at the edges behind the screen. The number and location of LED strips is the main difference. Budget models use only one or two LED stripes on the bottom, top or side. Expensive 4K TVs often have LED stripes on all four edges (all sides configuration).

Typically, companies indicate a backlight configuration - all sides, only on one side (usually on top or bottom) or on two sides (usually on the sides). Of course, all sides configuration is optimal for local dimming and ensures maximum depth and uniformity of the black level on the screen. But today it's less popular because of the high cost that is due to the large number of LEDs. PROS: - thin matrix; - high brightness; - low energy consumption. CONS: - excessive lighting on the edge of the screen; - models with Edge LED are expensive compared to Direct LED; - uneven LED backlight.

Improved LED backlight

Of course, competition between companies is accompanied by a continuous improvement of technology. Therefore, today manufacturers use various innovative solutions, improving Direct LED and Edge LED. For example, FALD (full-array local dimming) and NANO Full LED are improved versions of Direct LED. LED Plus, in fact, Edge LED with the option of extended local dimming. Direct LED backlight is used in 9 series of Philips and Sony models. LG TVs of 9 series are also equipped with a Direct LED backlight, but its quality is lower. LED backlight is always on, and crystals pass light even when closed. Therefore, this technology does not provide the low black level and the high contrast for color transitions (the picture quality is inversely proportional to the black level). This problem is solved by companies with the help of Local Dimming technology that provides independent on/off of individual groups of LEDs in different areas of the screen.