There’s a very good chance your next television will be a 4K TV.
They aren’t in every home, yet, but UHD TVs made up nearly three-quarters of all big screen TVs (50-inches and up) sold in the U.S. last year. Worldwide, it’s estimated there will be 80 million 4K TVs sold in 2017. And, there’s a big reason why 4K TVs are suddenly taking off in popularity.
Content.
Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) currently has more than 100 series and movies streaming in 4K. Manufacturers such as Samsung Electronic (OTCMKTS:SSNLF) have released 4K UHD Blu-ray players and some 8.4 million UHD discs are expected to be sold this year.
Adding fuel to the 4K TV fire, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) just took the wraps off its new Xbox One X game console. It will come with a 4K UHD optical drive — perfect for those 4K Blu-ray discs — and plays games in 4K resolution. If you connect it to a 4K TV, that is…
Shopping for TVs is always confusing, so to make things a little easier we’ve put together a list of 10 of the best 4K TVs on the market today.
Best 4K TVs: LG OLED65W7P
LG Display Co Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE:LPL) calls this 65-inch OLED flagship its “Picture-on-wall” TV. Consumer Reports calls it the “Best TV Overall” for 2017.
Despite that big OLED panel and the latest technology, including Active HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, 4.2 channel audio, webOS 3.5 and a Magic remote with voice control, the LG OLED65W7P is just 0.15-inches thick.
However, you’ll need a wallet a bit thicker than that… MSRP is currently $7,999.99 — although that seems like a steal compared to the $19,999.99 LG is charging for the 77-inch version of this same TV.
Best 4K TVs: Samsung 65-inch Class Q7F QLED 4K TV
Samsung has been winning all sorts of awards for its new 65-inch Class Q7F QLED 4K TV.
In particular, this TV is praised for its incredibly bright panel. That’s made possible by Samsung’s use of Quantum Dot LED technology. The result is over one billion colors, with a very high contrast ratio. QLED also has wider viewing angles than typical 4K TVs. Naturally, HDR is supported.
Samsung also offers “no gap” wall mounting with this TV and an optical connection wire that is virtually invisible.
At $3,999.99 for the 65-inch version, Samsung’s Q7F QLED 4K TV isn’t exactly cheap — but it’s a lot less than that LG OLED65W7P.
Best 4K TVs: TCL Roku TV C-Series
China’s TCL isn’t as well known in the U.S. market as big companies like LG, Sony and Samsung, but the company is the world’s third-biggest TV manufacturer. Many of those are lower quality offerings, but the brand has been expanding in the U.S. with more upscale UHD 4K sets.
With the Roku TV C-Series, TCL is combining a 4K TV with Dolby Vision HDR support, and the market leader in set-top streamers — in a single package.
The TCL Roku TV C-Series comes with a Roku TV remote and owners have access to all 4,000+ Roku streaming channels. Starting at $699.99 for the 55-inch version ($1099.99 to move up to 65-inches), the price is definitely right.
Best 4K TVs: Panasonic EZ Series 65-inch Ultra HD 4K Pro HDR OLED Television
Panasonic Corporation (ADR) (OTCMKTS:PCRFY) upset a lot of videophiles when the company announced it was abandoning its plasma TV business in 2013.
However, the company has been staging a comeback with with its “professional” 4K OLED TVs.
The EZ-series 65-inch Ultra HD 4K Pro HDR OLED Television features an OLED panel, Panasonic’s HCX image processor, Technics-tuned integrated soundbar, 4K resolution and 4K Pro HDR. It’s all about color accuracy and high fidelity video.
Expect to shell out about $8,999 for this pro-grade 4K TV.
Best 4K TVs: Sony Bravia OLED A1E
Sony Corp (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) finally released an OLED TV and it’s a very good one.
The Sony Bravia OLED A1E series of 4K TVs starts at a reasonable (for what you get) $3,499.99 for the 55-inch version, goes to $4,99.99 for the 65-inch model and tops out at a lofty $19,999.99 if you have enough wall space to mount a 77-inch panel.
Each features a TRILUMINOS OLED panel, 4K UHD resolution, HDR, voice control, Sony’s X1 Extreme image processing technology, and Android TV with home automation support.
The Bravia A1E also has something no-one else has: Acoustic Surface technology. Sony has turned the entire screen into one big speaker…
Best 4K TVs: Vizio SmartCast E-Series 60-inch Ultra HD HDR XLED TV
The E-Series 60-inch Ultra HD HDR XLED TV from Vizio proves that you don’t have to pay a fortune to get a solid 4K TV with a decent panel size.
The 60-inch panel has 12 active local dimming zones for improved image sharpness and contrast, with full HDR10 compatibility. Support for Alphabet Inc’s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google Chromecast support is built-in.
At $749, that’s a lot of ultra high definition TV for the money.
Best 4K TVs: LG 55-inch B6 OLED 4K HDR Smart TV
You’ve seen LG’s impressive OLED TVs in showrooms, but you aren’t prepared to shell out for that ultra thin “picture-on-wall” model.
That’s okay because LG offers a big screen 4K OLED model that’s considerably less expensive. The 55-inch B6 OLED 4K HDR Smart TV retails for $1,999.99 and includes plenty of premium features. HDR with Dolby Vision is included, it rocks a 4-channel Harman Kardon audio system with 40W of power and there are four HDMI ports for connecting accessories — like a 4K-capable game console.
With LG’s webOS 3.0, you can also download apps like Netflix for 4K streaming without having to buy a set-top streamer.
But, you’ll have to live with a thickness of 1.9-inches and knowing that you have one of the best 4K TVs released last year.
Best 4K TVs: Samsung 65-inch Class MU8500 Curved 4K UHD TV
Curved TVs were all the rage a few years ago, at least until consumers realized that as cool as they looked, curved screens had issues when a room full of people tried to watch content from extreme angles.
However, this form factor can still provide a very nice viewing experience for one or two people sitting front and center.
In terms of 4K curved TV options, Samsung has one of the best in its $2,399.99 65-inch Class MU8500 Curved 4K UHD TV. It’s equipped with Samsung’s 4K Color Drive Extreme, Precision Black technology, 4K HDR Extreme certification, Samsung’s Smart Hub and Dolby Digital Plus audio. This TV also puts all the ports in a standalone box, so you don’t have to fumble around the back to plug in cables.
And there’s no question, a curved TV makes a futuristic visual impact that flat panels just can’t match.
Best 4K TVs: 85-inch Sony X850D LED 4K Ultra HD HDR Smart TV
If you want a really big 4K TV without taking out a mortgage-sized loan, Sony has an option in the 85-inch Sony X850D LED 4K Ultra HD HDR Smart TV.
You get 4K resolution, Sony’s X1 image processing, HDR support and Android TV smarts built-in.
Its $6,999.99 price tag may seem far from cheap, until you compare it to other 4K TVs selling for $20K for a 77-inch model. Or the $59,999.99 Sony charges for its 100-inch ZD9 4K TV.
Suddenly, the X850D seems like a relative bargain.
Best 4K TVs: Vizio SmartCast E-Series 55-inch Ultra HD HDR XLED TV
Finally, here’s another new-for-2017 4K TV from Vizio. It’s another from the E-Series, but this time it’s a slightly smaller 55-inch Ultra HD HDR XLED model.
And this one sets a new low bar for big-screen, UHD pricing for a name brand television: $549.99.
And that’s for a 55-inch 4K panel with built-in Chromecast support and HDR10 support — many of the 4K TVs you’ll find on sale in this price range are last year’s models and lack HDR capability.
This Vizio TV may just be the perfect accessory to go along with an Xbox One X this fall –big (but not too big), 4K, HDR and wall-mountable. Just about right to make the most of 4K video games without destroying your wallet.
As of this writing, Brad Moon did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
