The AF9 OLED has been hailed (admittedly by Sony) as a landmark TV – as significant a development as the legendary Trinitron. Does it live up to the hype?
If you're already getting bored of your 4K TV, Samsung's 8K-resolution Q900R series is certain to tempt. But does the next-generation performance of this 85in flagship TV justify the price tag?
In 2017, Sony reimagined the humble telly with its A1 OLED debut, marrying a chic lean-back design to a state-of-the-art speaker implementation. With the AF8 it’s reined in the bravado in favour of a more conventional form factor. Does it still impress?
Looking for Hollywood at home? We're used to hearing TV brands state that their aim is to deliver images that look as close as possible to how their creators intended – but none are as vocal as Panasonic...
Panasonic’s ownership of Universal Studios in the 1990s may have been short-lived, but it’s had a lasting impact on the way the brand makes TVs. That strategic purchase of the movie studio led to the creation of its Hollywood Labs R&D operation, and deep ties with creatives, in particular colourists, who have helped fine-tune its displays on a mission to replicate the images seen in professional mastering suites.
Philips' 65OLED903 (also known as OLED+903) sees the brand teaming up with UK sound experts Bowers & Wilkins. The idea is that the latter's sonic knowhow, combined with Philips' picture quality prowess, results in a TV that's a genuine all-rounder, and one that delivers a cinematic experience. The partnership has certainly got off to a good start, with the OLED903 scooping the 'Home Theatre TV' prize in this year's EISA Awards.
A combination of gorgeous designs, a five-strong range targeting different buyers, and impressive picture quality improvements saw LG’s OLED models make huge inroads into the mid-range/premium TV market last year. With LCD/LED technology fighting back in emphatic fashion through direct-lit contenders from Sony and Samsung, however, the pressure is on LG to keep moving OLED forwards.
Samsung probably thought when it unveiled its debut QLED displays last year that they’d take the world by storm. Surely punters wouldn’t be able to resist the unprecedented brightness and colour range delivered by the brand’s new metal-clad Quantum Dots? But things didn’t turn out that way. Instead, rival OLED sets, bolstered by performance tweaks and wider availability, became the year’s ‘must-have’ TV item.
No AV enthusiast has ever gone to heaven regretting they bought too big a telly, and TVs don't come much bigger and better than Sony's 100in ZD9. The Bravia ZD9 series was launched in the second half of 2016, and while we've reviewed the 65in model (HCC #267), it's not until now that we've had the chance to put this 100in beast through its paces. At £60,000, it's out of reach for your average punter, but then again, the same can be said about Ferraris. And everyone wants a Ferrari.
The LG 55SJ850V ticks nearly all the boxes yet costs a mere (in the scheme of things) £1,000. Spend that, and you get a 55in edge-lit 4K LED model, with HDR support including HLG and Dolby Vision, smart tricks including Freeview Play, third-party audio from Harman/Kardon and a neat solution for your living room.
Philips’ debut OLED TV, the 55POS901, was a bit of a belter. It combined OLED’s traditional contrast, viewing angle and colour strengths with Philips’ powerful video processing and Ambilight technology to impressive effect. The good news is that by doing things a little differently, the brand’s new 55POS9002 OLED display is even better…