In today's episode of You Asked: Is Mini LED worth the money you'll save over OLED? When to save money and spend it on something other than TV. And what can we expect at CES this year?
Mini LED for children's room: TCL QM7K vs QM6K
@rwings091 asks: Is the 55″ TCL QM7K worth $250 CAD more than the 55″ QM6K for a kid's room? They will mostly be watching sports and playing games on the Xbox Series X. Happy New Year to you and your family.
Same to you, my friend, and thanks for the question. In this case, I would recommend using the TCL QM6K. While QM7K technically brighter and slightly better in contrast, I don't think you'll be upset with the QM6K at all, and you won't notice any difference unless you see them side by side running at full brightness.
Other than brightness, the differences aren't enough in my opinion to justify spending extra money on a TV that won't be the primary display for movie theater viewing in the home. Any child would be delighted with such a TV. KM6Kcaliber in his playroom. I know I would have been very happy if I had a screen like this as a child.
If anything, with that extra $250 you'll save, I'd suggest putting it toward an all-in-one soundbar that will spice up your gaming experience with a little more punch. Finding something truly remarkable for $250 can be a little difficult, but if you can find a good sale or save that money until your budget grows, upgraded audio is always worth it.
HDMI and eARC Cables Explained
Kyle asks: What type of HDMI cable is needed for eARC?
You'll need a certified high-speed HDMI cable that supports HDMI 2.0, or you can go the extra mile by using a certified HDMI 2.1 cable, which is sure to support every format you might use. Monoprice has some great options that won't break the bank.
In my opinion, as long as it doesn't stress you out financially, it's always a good idea to prepare for the future. Who knows what will happen in the future in terms of audio and video improvements that may require HDMI 2.1 and its increased bandwidth. Looks like it's time to get ready.
OLED loyalty or Mini LED value: choosing a 75-inch TV
Scott says: I currently have a 2019 LG 65B8 OLED as well as the smaller LG 55B* OLED. They are still working well so I am placing them in other rooms and want to add 75 inches to my main viewing room (living room). I saw your video about the LG OLED C5 so I'm giving it some thought, but here's where I landed.
- LG OLED 77C5. $1,800 – $100 Best Buy Promotion, which is $1,700.
- LG OLED 77B5. $1,500 – $100 Best Buy Promotion, which is $1,400.
- TCL 75 QM6K US$800
- Hisense U7 $1000
Now I can't pass up TCL at this price. It's just under half the price and you give it great reviews (as do others). However, the fact that you give LG such high marks makes me think twice about TCL.. I want to stay true to the brand and my current LG is almost 7 years old. So I keep wondering if I'll stick with LG. If I go with TCL and save money and the other two are older, I can use the savings to upgrade them soon. A little more information: this TV is not our gaming TV, it will be at the top, and for now the 2019 55-inch OLED will go there in rotation. This TV is primarily a TV with streaming content and a soundbar in a fairly bright room that can be controlled. I'm not sure, I'm waiting for your opinion.
Scott, we appreciate the details, and I have several opinions, starting with my own, ironically.
You mentioned that all of these TVs received high ratings, and that's because they're all great. Whether it's image quality, features, or overall value, you start with a core set of truly solid options.
However, it's time to think about your opinion. Are you currently living with OLED TVs. Even if they're a little dated, they still provide outstanding picture quality with inky blacks and great contrast. Going from OLED to Mini LED, especially the QM6K which is likely to have average contrast levels, can be frustrating and it's not fun.
It looks like money plays a significant role here, so we can probably rule out LG C5 since this is the most expensive option.
I really think that LG B5 here is the answer. OLED picture quality, check. Premium features and LG quality control, check. After saving a few hundred dollars, check it out. It could also drop further as new TVs begin to be announced at CES this week.
Since you can control the lights in your living room and want to stay true to the brand, this makes a lot of sense. Don't worry about upgrading these auxiliary TVs in the future when they do break down. When that happens, there will almost certainly be a sub-$600 mini-LED TV that will get the job done.
What to expect at CES beyond the usual updates
Katherine M. asks: What can we expect to see outside of the norm at CES this year? Size and brightness are the usual updates, but what other improvements or new features might we see?
This is a great question and one that I need to answer carefully. It's safe to say that RGB lighting technology, which began appearing last year, will continue to evolve. We know Sony will have an RGB TV at some point, perhaps not at CES, and everyone is dying to call it the OLED killer. Let's see.
I'm also looking forward to learning more about Dolby Vision 2. This new HDR format caught our attention a few months ago when it was announced and Hisense was named as the first brand to feature it on their TVs. Hopefully we'll get more information and maybe even a preview.
Overall we know the players and what they have offered in the past. The OLED and Mini LED TVs that are updated every year are outstanding and I expect them to continue to improve. It feels like the industry is looking forward to what's next. What can finally surpass the TVs considered the best at the moment? This is what I'm looking forward to.
Watch how CES starts. News will come quickly, and we will tell you as much as possible and as quickly as possible.
