Samsung KS9500 Series
These
spectacularly bright TVs do a sensational job of revealing the full majesty of
the latest HDR content
65-inch: Samsung UE65KS9500 | 78-inch: Samsung UE75KS9500 | 88-inch: Samsung UE88KS9500
Incredible picture
quality
Amazing HDR and sound
Expensive
Curved screen not for
all
Samsung
was the first brand to introduce a TV capable of showing high dynamic range
pictures in 2015, and it builds on that achievement this year by delivering in
the KS9500 series the brightnest TV the world has seen to date. This means it's
uniquely qualified to unlock the full potential of HDR, delivering incredibly
life-like, dynamic and dramatic pictures that also contain more detail and
colour information in bright areas than we've ever seen before. The set even
carries the best attempt yet at turning standard dynamic range pictures into
HDR. The use of direct LED lighting with local dimming (meaning clusters of the
lights behind the screen can have their brightness adjusted independently of each
other) also means the KS9500 is able to deliver some gorgeously deep black
colours alongside that ground-breaking brightness. You occasionally see clouds
of extra light around very bright objects and some settings cause striping in
HDR colours. There's no 3D support either. But with some seriously powerful
sound joining the mostly barnstorming pictures these are simply the most
cutting-edge TV of 2017.
Today's cheapest Samsung KS9500 TV
deals for each size:
Samsung UE65KS9500
$1924.99
2. LG OLEDE6 Series
LG's latest OLED TV combines stunning contrast with an amazing
ultra-thin design and exceptional sound
Amazing black levels
Stunning thin design
Missing details in bright
areas
Very expensive
The OLEDE6's
incredibly slim 'picture on glass' design technique creates simply the most
gorgeous TVs ever made. They're certainly not just a pretty face, though.
Especially since the way each OLED pixel produces its own light and colour
independent of its neighbours means the OLEDE6 series delivers levels of
contrast and light control just not possible with LCD. Unprecedentedly deep
black colours sit right alongside even the brightest HDR whites without a hint
of light 'bleed' - something just not possible with current LCD technologies.
This works wonders for high-contrast HDR sources, as well as making today's
standard dynamic range sources look better than on any other TV. A sound bar
attached to the bottom of the screen, meanwhile, produces sound quality that
wouldn't be out of place on an external audio system. The OLEDE6's lose some
detail in very bright HDR areas, and occasionally suffer fleeting colour noise.
They're not cheap, either. But none of that stops them being utterly brilliant.
Today's cheapest LG OLEDE6 deals in
each available size:
LG OLED55E6
$2249.00
3. Panasonic DX802 Series
Despite being aggressively priced, the DX802 TVs combine a
gorgeous design with excellent picture and sound quality
Good value
Awesome soundbar
included
Not as bright as some
HDR rivals
Native contrast isn't
the best
Considering the
Panasonic DX802 TVs sit just one rung below Panasonic's flagship TVs for 2017
(the DX902 sets that feature later in this guide), they're strikingly
aggressively priced. Especially when you consider that their feature list
includes an awesome-sounding 12-speaker external sound bar audio system, native
UHD screens, support for high dynamic range playback, and a brilliantly simple
smart TV system.
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The DX802s also enjoy a
unique design that finds their screens hanging within two easel-style silver
legs, between which you also rest the external sound bar speaker (though you
can remove the screen from the legs and wall mount it if you prefer). The
DX802s' edge LED lighting sometimes means you can see bands and blocks of
unwanted light around bright objects. Otherwise, though, provided you use the
TVs' adaptive backlight feature on its highest setting, the DX802s produce
lovely, refined pictures with HDR and especially SDR content that exude
Panasonic's self-proclaimed obsession with making pictures look like their
creators intended them to look.
4. Samsung KS7000 Series
The Samsung KS7000 series combines great value with ultra-bright
HDR pictures and a slick smart TV system
Aggressively priced
Great all round
picture quality
Some backlight
clouding issues
Needs a large table to
put it on
Samsung's desire to
bring quality HDR to a wider audience is epitomised by the KS7000s. Their
combination of an ultra bright panel and Quantum Dot colour reproduction
enables it to deliver levels of dynamism, colour vibrancy and punch with HDR
sources that have to be seen to believed considering the range starts at just
£1200. The sets are attractive too, featuring slim, metallic frames and
minimalist desktop 'feet'. It's also nice to find the airy design kept
relatively free of cable spaghetti by an external box that passes on picture
and sound via a single cable.
The KS7000s make it
easy to find favourite content via a new, improved version of Samsung's Tizen
smart interface, too. Bright HDR objects can cause some backlight striping and
blocking when they appear against dark backgrounds, and 3D fans will have to
look elsewhere as Samsung has abandoned the feature for 2017. The bottom line,
though, is that no other TV in its price range delivers HDR as successfully.
5. Sony W805/809C Series
This
outstanding full HD range of TVs proves that you don't have to have a 4K
resolution to deliver gorgeous picture quality
W805C: 43-inch: Sony KDL-43W809C | 50-inch: Sony KDL-50W805C | 55-inch: Sony KDL-55W805C | W809C: 43-inch: Sony KDL-43W809C | 50-inch: Sony KDL-50W809C | 55-inch: Sony KDL-55W809C
Exceptional picture
quality
Space saving design
Fantastic value
No 4K/UHD support
Android TV interface
is cumbersome
It's
getting increasingly difficult to find a big-screen TV that doesn't carry a UHD
resolution. Yet there are still plenty of people who have no interest in
forking out for UHD sources, and so would rather get a high quality HD TV for
the same money as a relatively low-quality 4K TV. Cue the Sony W805/809C
series, which deliver probably the finest picture quality the HD world has ever
seen while costing precious little by today's TV standards.
So
good are these TVs, in fact, that they have actually been continued over from
2015 due to a combination of popular demand and critical acclaim. Ideally the
Android interface would be sleeker and more customisable (though it does carry
a huge amount of apps), and you might want to add an external sound system at
some point to replace the rather flimsy built-in speakers. The W805C/W809C TVs'
fabulous pictures, though, really are gorgeous enough to overwhelm any flaws
elsewhere.
Today's cheapest Sony W805/809C deals
in each available size:
Sony KDL-43W805C
€655.55
6.
Panasonic DX902 Series
This stunning TV will take your breath away, it's that good
Bright, contrast-rich
pictures
Clever and effective
local dimming
Friendly smart TV
system
Backlight bleed with
extreme HDR
In a bid to deliver levels
of light control beyond the typical capabilities of LCD TVs, the Panasonic
DX902 series employs a new honeycomb panel designed to limit how far unwanted
light around bright objects can spread.
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Coupled with an
exceptionally bright panel, brilliant black levels for an LCD screen and
ultra-rich but also beautifully controlled colours (thanks to Panasonic's
pro-grade 3D Look Up Table colour system), the new honeycomb approach really
does work wonders for the most part on the latest high dynamic range pictures,
giving them an intensity second only to that of Samsung's KS9500 models. And
Panasonic's models are around £800 cheaper. The only catch with the honeycomb
design is that in limiting the extent of light bleed in the picture it does sometimes
make what light bleed there is look more pronounced. Fast motion occasionally
looks slightly soft too. None of which alters the fact, however, that for their
money the DX902s are really in a class of their own.
7. LG OLEDB6 Series
If
you like the idea of OLED technology but can't afford LG's previously mentioned
OLEDE6 series...
55-inch: LG OLED55B6V | 65-inch: LG OLED65B6V
Gorgeous picture
quality
Spectacularly thin
design
LG's webOS smart
system
Detail clipping in
bright areas
Occasional brief
colour noise
LG's
taken an unusual approach with its 2017 OLED TV range, choosing to base the
differences across the series in the range more on design than picture quality
concerns. So it is that while the entry level OLEDB6 series isn't quite as
ultra-slim and unfeasibly gorgeous as the premium 'picture on glass' OLEDE6
models, they do deliver broadly similar picture quality. Which is handy when
you're talking about the sort of beautifully high contrast, colour-rich,
HDR-capable, 4K pictures LG's OLED TVs are providing this year.
The
OLEDB6 pictures lack some of the refinement of the more expensive OLEDE6
screens, and there's slightly more potential for noise in dark areas. There's
also no support for 3D unlike LG's other 2016 OLED ranges, and audio is
noticeably thinner than that of the sound bar-equipped OLEDE6s. All that will
likely matter about the OLEDB6 series for many AV fans, though, is that they
represent the cheapest way to get your hands on LG's latest and greatest OLED
generation.
Today's cheapest LG OLEDB6 deals in
each available size:
LG OLED65B6V
£2799.00
8. Sony
XD9405 Series
If your tastes are more home cinema than mere TV, this
spectacular 75-inch Sony beast could prove hard to resist
75-inch: Sony KD-75XD9405
Home cinema
awesomeness
Lovely picture quality
Apps galore, including
YouView
Android TV's interface
is clunky
Some HDR backlight
blooming
If you're into movies
and you've got plenty of space in your living room, Sony's 75XD9405 is our
favourite 'giant TV' of 2017 to date. Its mammoth 75-inch screen gives you
deliciously detailed, colourful, high contrast, clear and natural pictures with
high and standard dynamic sources alike, and its enormity also does a great job
of underlining the benefits of having a native 4K pixel count to work with. Its
pictures aren't the brightest around, and some high-contrast HDR content causes
light 'blooming' around bright objects.
Android TV's interface
isn't the most helpful around either, and the low-profile buttons on the remote
control are tortuous to use. For the vast majority of the time, though, the
size and overall quality of the 75XD9405's pictures creates a stunningly
immersive experience that could well make the idea going out to watch films a
thing of the past.
9. Samsung K5600 Series
Samsung's best HD TVs for 2017 combine high-contrast, colourful
pictures with aggressive prices and a crisp design
32-inch: Samsung UE32K5600 | 40-inch: Samsung UE40K5600 49-inch: Samsung UE49K5600 | 55-inch: Samsung UE55K5600
Strong HD picture
quality
Attractive design
Good value
No HDR, 3D or 4K
support
Fairly basic audio
While all four models
in the K5600 range are worthy HD contenders, we're particularly fond of the
32-inch and 40-inch models, since they bring a level of quality to the
small-screen/second room TV markets that's rarely found these days. Their
pictures, for instance, enjoy much more contrast, brightness and colour
vibrancy than the vast majority of other small-screen TVs these days, and they
also offer more smart features - including Netflix, Amazon and all the 'big
four' UK catch up TV services - than you'd usually expect to find.
You can view content
on your smartphones and tablets via integrated sreen mirroring, and there's
even an optional extra SmartThings hub available that introduces features like
the TV turning on as soon as you enter the room, and being able to adjust
connected lights and speakers. Even the K5600 design is a cut above the flimsy
plasticky finishes associated with most non-4K TVs now.
10. Panasonic DX600
Series
Fancy
a 4K TV but don't have much space or money to spare? Then say hello to the
Panasonic TX-40DX600
40-inch: Panasonic TX-40DX600B | 49-inch: Panasonic TX-49DX600B | 55-inch: Panasonic TX-55DX600B
Cheap for a 4K TV
Nice 4K picture
quality
Friendly,
customisable smart TV
Sound is pretty
average
40-inches is too
small for 4K
Limited viewing angle
Please
note that we're only recommending the 40-inch DX600. The two larger DX600s use
different kinds of panel which struggle to deliver useful amounts of contrast.
The 40DX600, though, is a really appealing model for its sub-£500 price. Its
native 4K screen produces sharp, clean pictures that benefit from an unusually
assured contrast performance for such an affordable 4K model. Colours look
bold, punchy but also surprisingly subtle.
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Panasonic's
Firefox smart system is also exceptionally well presented and easy to use too,
and comes backed up by Freeview Play to let you access on-demand content from
the main UK broadcasters via a TV listings screen that scrolls back through
time as well as forwards. All in all, while the relatively small 40-inch screen
doesn't sell the TV's native 4K resolution all that well and you can't watch it
from much of an angle before colour and contrast start to lose their intensity,
the 40DX600 gives you an awful lot of bang for precious little buck.
£449.00
Be_Inspired!!!
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