One of the most highly anticipated television events of the year, Super Bowl LIII, is coming up on Sunday, Feb. 3. If you’re planning to buy a new TV for your next watch party, tech reviewer Andru Edwards has some recommendations.
On the latest episode of Geared Up, our podcast and live video show, Andru shares three of his top TV picks from Samsung, LG and TCL.
Click on the video above to watch an archived livestream of the segment, listen to the full podcast above, and continue reading to learn more.
Samsung’s 8K QLED TV
Samsung’s 85-inch 8K QLED TV will give your Super Bowl watch party guests a high-end viewing experience at a high price: $14,999.99. Andru said Samsung has been focusing on the TV’s ability to upscale content — from 4K or 1080p resolutions to 8K — since there is currently not a lot of 8K content to watch on TVs. Andru said upscaling usually looks terrible, but on this TV, upscaled content looks even better.
LG OLED TVs
If you’re not willing to spend almost $15,000 for a TV, Edwards recommends looking into LG’s OLED TVs. He says you can expect amazing black levels and picture quality at a more affordable price range. As of this writing, Best Buy is running sales on LG’s OLED TVs. Prices start at $1,499.99.
Keep in mind that OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode, and OLED TVs will eventually fade out and stop working. So if you buy an OLED TV today, don’t expect it to give you the same performance in 10 years.
“It’s technically a living compound,” Andru said. “Living things die eventually.”
TCL 6-Series
For an even more affordable option, Andru specifically recommends TCL’s 6-Series TV.
“It feels like a high-quality TV for a budget price,” Andru said.
The 55-inch version of TCL’s 6-series TV is currently selling for $599 at Best Buy. It’s a 4K TV with full-array backlighting, which means it mimics the black levels of an OLED TV. Despite the lower prices, TCL’s 6-series TVs do not look cheap. The frame is made of brushed metal, not plastic.
Hosted by Andru Edwards and Starla Sampaco, Geared Up is GeekWire’s podcast and live video show featuring consumer technology news and hands-on reviews of the latest gadgets, games and gear. Subscribe to Geared Up in your favorite podcast app. We stream the recordings live from Seattle on Andru’s YouTube channel (youtube.com/gearlive) and GeekWire’s Facebook page. Tune in to the live stream on Tuesdays during the noon hour (PT).
