Best TVs of 2019 - Editor's Choice Awards - news discussion

I'll take the budget GZ950 over 'The Best Premium OLED' Phillips any time. Can't see Philips in the same league as the Panasonic.

Sony's range of OLED is a joke, not only they're dimmest of all OLEDs but far more expensive than their rivals.

Granted Sony OLEDs are a strange one. When it comes to pro reviews they don't do too well, at least in the UK anyway. Surely they can't be that bad. Plenty of users out there who have actually bought one praise the Sony OLEDs big time. For example Richer sounds buyers of the AG8 love it!

Prices have dropped recently the AG8 is only £1299.

They're fantastic, just like the vast majority of all other OLEDs. This guy using the word 'dimmest' is really quite daft. Almost guarantee that if he lived with one he wouldnt be saying that.
 
I'll take the budget GZ950 over 'The Best Premium OLED' Phillips any time. Can't see Philips in the same league as the Panasonic.

Based on what? the new Philips Oled's look great in person and review really well not to mention their premium audio solutions are of very high quality unlike the guff Panasonic have put out on the GZ2000.
 
They're fantastic, just like the vast majority of all other OLEDs. This guy using the word 'dimmest' is really quite daft. Almost guarantee that if he lived with one he wouldnt be saying that.

It's youtube comment section talk pure and simple, while I do agree Sony Oleds are overly expensive the dismissive talk about them (and the Phillips) is laughable.
 
Yes, I totally stand by my choices here.

Yes, the Panasonic is a great TV and is superb in some areas and lacks in others.

The Best Overall TV is the C9, it offers better UI, better smart TV, image quality that is just as accurate out of the box and calibrated, but perhaps lacks slightly out of the box with colour against the Panasonic, but it's a small difference. Plus, you get a far more advanced AutoCal system and the unique tone map editor where you can enter the exact measured peak brightness and also manually adjust the tone map to suit that specific TV, the Panasonic doesn't offer this. And then you have the excellent gaming input lag of 12.8ms and HDMI 2.1, so yes, in my opinion having lived with all of these TVs, and actually compared them to each other side-by-side, that is my conclusion.
Having won so many awards I think Panasonic will continue to champion the enthusiast market with even better next year.
Thanks for your feedback.


Phil you noted in your own review that both Panasonic OLEDs had better screen uniformity over the C9.

Vincent Teoh from HDTVest reported that two LGs for the shootout that had abnormal banding.

John Reformato(jrref) and DeWayne Davis(D-Nice) are both well known calibrators said LG's panel grading of the modules mean that the C9 tend to have more screen uniformity issues.

Is out of the box issues(screen uniformity) part of this equation?

John Reformato(jrref) "... for the Sony and Panasonic you are paying more for better QC and accuracy out of the box so cheaper is not always the best way to go. Not that you can't get a perfect LG but overall the better the QC the less probability that you will have an OOTB issue. LG has come a very long way with their OLEDs and i'm sure as time goes on they will close the gap even more. Fortunately, all three manufacturers have liberal return policies."
 
Phil you noted in your own review that both Panasonic OLEDs had better screen uniformity over the C9.

Vincent Teoh from HDTVest reported that two LGs for the shootout that had abnormal banding.

John Reformato(jrref) and DeWayne Davis(D-Nice) are both well known calibrators said LG's panel grading of the modules mean that the C9 tend to have more screen uniformity issues.

Is out of the box issues(screen uniformity) part of this equation?

John Reformato(jrref) "... for the Sony and Panasonic you are paying more for better QC and accuracy out of the box so cheaper is not always the best way to go. Not that you can't get a perfect LG but overall the better the QC the less probability that you will have an OOTB issue. LG has come a very long way with their OLEDs and i'm sure as time goes on they will close the gap even more. Fortunately, all three manufacturers have liberal return policies."
Once again, I've given you my thoughts based on actually having all the sets side-by-side and over a period of time to come to my conclusions.
I can't speak for any of those other people you mention or what they suggest is true or not.
But again as an overall all-rounder, the C9 has more plus points than negative and performance-wise, if you want one TV that has the most features as well as image-wise, the C9 is the one and gets our overall award.
You don't have to agree but I have been completely honest in my assessment and conclusions based on actual testing and using the TVs.
 
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They're fantastic, just like the vast majority of all other OLEDs. This guy using the word 'dimmest' is really quite daft. Almost guarantee that if he lived with one he wouldnt be saying that.
I'm sure they are. Sony upscaling is particularly supreme. So are motion and motion settings.

The truth is probably more like. Dimmer than some in some scenes possibly. But perfectly bright enough for most people and their circumstances is probably the case.
 
Just on Philips sound if you work with B & W of course it will sound cracking. They've built some of the best hi-fi speakers and home cinema speakers around. Technics for Panasonic versus B & W, no contest!
 
I'm still struggling to choose a 55" oled.

I currently have a perfectly working 50" Panasonic ST30 and use it with a Xbox one (original) through a Yamaha rx-v677 5.1 setup.
I want to make the 4k leap with an oled but can't decide.

Basic thoughts are c9 with a professional calibration, is my best bet, future proof ready for next year's Xbox, minus hdr10+ 🤷but will I need to upgrade the avr to get Dolby true hd or dts master?

Or Gz950 and a Nvidia shield, as the smart os on the TV won't cut it for my needs. But will the avr pass through Dolby vision?

Or continue doing the overtime and wait for next year's crop?
Hi I've got a 65 inch GZ950 and think the smart os is perfectly adequate what would a Nvidia shield do that the Panasonics os would'nt.
 
Just on Philips sound if you work with B & W of course it will sound cracking. They've built some of the best hi-fi speakers and home cinema speakers around. Technics for Panasonic versus B & W, no contest!

You can argue just the opposite when it comes to the amplification and sound processing.
 
You can argue just the opposite when it comes to the amplification and sound processing.
Well b&w make some decent Subs they are obviously amplified.

We'd need to know details about the amplification and processing.
 
Well b&w make some decent Subs they are obviously amplified.

We'd need to know details about the amplification and processing.

Technics made some decent speakers in the past. Really I think both companies are capable within the scope of improving TV sound but it really comes down to how much money they were allowed in the project and the design brief they were given.
 
Technics made some decent speakers in the past. Really I think both companies are capable within the scope of improving TV sound but it really comes down to how much money they were allowed in the project and the design brief they were given.
Yes true, they did in the past.

Regarding right now and these particular OLED TVs, Philips seem to have won on sound for now at least. Better than any of the other OLED manufacturers. According to pro reviews at least.
 
You must not realize this site is sponsored by Samsung
This site is not sponsored by any company, it is actually a private fully independent site which is not owned by any massive publisher and our editorial is as unbiased as they come.
But please do share your evidence to the contrary, which of course you can't.
The site does carry advertising and sponsored threads from all sorts of companies, and these are managed by a third party company and have nothing to do with our editorial. We very much value our integrity and unbiased approach on behalf of forum members so they can trust our reviews and assessments. We use techniques and follow standards that no other review site in the UK does for TV reviews, and we've done that right from the start, so the badge on the TV is not important and the assessment is in black and white with no brand bias. So excuse the defensive post, but you made a serious accusation about our integrity which I can't leave unanswered.
 
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You must not realize this site is sponsored by Samsung

Samsung plotted to get a Phillips Oled named best premium TV an LG best overall TV and got Panasonic multiple mentions but also forgot to get themselves included?
 
I would like to say too that very few sites of this size and content quality do you have the interaction with the people who produce the online magazine. There is no arms length approach here, the editors seem genuinely interested in what the readers think and are ready to discuss.
 
This site is not sponsored by any company, it is actually a private fully independent site which is not owned by any massive publisher and our editorial is as unbiased as they come.
But please do share your evidence to the contrary, which of course you can't.
The site does carry advertising and sponsored threads from all sorts of companies, and these are managed by a third party company and have nothing to do with our editorial. We very much value our integrity and unbiased approach on behalf of forum members so they can trust our reviews and assessments. We use techniques and follow standards that no other review site in the UK does for TV reviews, and we've done that right from the start, so the badge on the TV is not important and the assessment is in black and white with no brand bias. So excuse the defensive post, but you made a serious accusation about our integrity which I can't leave unanswered.

Hi Phil, thank you for the reply.
My comment was meant to be a little tongue in cheek- but I should have been more clear. First off, I appreciate all the time, effort and hard work you guys put into this site for the benefit of us all- I greatly appreciate it and have been a member on here for years and absolutely love the site.
I have based many major purchases on the reviews on here and have not been disappointed yet..including several Samsung products- the excellent Samsung BD-C6900 3D bluray player and HW-MS650 Soundbar are just 2 examples.
Going back to the choice of the Samsung Q90R as a pick for best 2019 tv I'm just a little confused. HDTV test gave both the Samsung and Sony XG95 'Highly Recommended' Awards and gave a slight edge to the Sony in a direct comparison between the 2 mentioning, as several other sites have, the overbrightening of the HDR image on the Samsung.
The Sony also made it into Rtings best TVs for 2019-no mention of the Samsung.
Your site gave the Sony 7/10 in its review....
If you compare the price of the Samsung vs. the Sony there also seems be be a big difference. You site has also called out the price of products you have reviewed in the past if you think they are overpriced vs. competition. The Samsung is not exactly cheap.
The Samsung is a great all rounder but with slightly disappointing dark scene performance
it could never be a top choice for many Home Theater enthusiasts.
 
Hi Phil, thank you for the reply.
My comment was meant to be a little tongue in cheek- but I should have been more clear. First off, I appreciate all the time, effort and hard work you guys put into this site for the benefit of us all- I greatly appreciate it and have been a member on here for years and absolutely love the site.
I have based many major purchases on the reviews on here and have not been disappointed yet..including several Samsung products- the excellent Samsung BD-C6900 3D bluray player and HW-MS650 Soundbar are just 2 examples.
Ok, thanks for clarifying.


Going back to the choice of the Samsung Q90R as a pick for best 2019 tv I'm just a little confused. HDTV test gave both the Samsung and Sony XG95 'Highly Recommended' Awards and gave a slight edge to the Sony in a direct comparison between the 2 mentioning, as several other sites have, the overbrightening of the HDR image on the Samsung.
The Sony also made it into Rtings best TVs for 2019-no mention of the Samsung.
Your site gave the Sony 7/10 in its review....
If you compare the price of the Samsung vs. the Sony there also seems be be a big difference. You site has also called out the price of products you have reviewed in the past if you think they are overpriced vs. competition. The Samsung is not exactly cheap.
The Samsung is a great all rounder but with slightly disappointing dark scene performance
it could never be a top choice for many Home Theater enthusiasts.

Have you lived with the Q90R or are you just basing your points on what you have read and heard? I can't speak for other reviewers, although I'm disappointed we were the only site to call out the poor blooming performance within the back bars that everyone else ignored on the Sony XG95. This is a far bigger issue to AV enthusiasts than a bright-looking graph on the Samsung.

The Q90 brightness issue they mention and make a fuss about is also not an issue and can be easily fixed as we have shown within our reviews. We have also fed back to Samsung and asked them to change this. It is a great all-round TV and could be the only choice some users have given use case or environments. The Sony is not a great TV, it cuts corners and is not up to the standard we expect from such a product, and the motion is actually not as good as previous models hence the score.

All my thoughts are in the written piece and cover most of what you have raised.

I also disagree with your final point, as I have had one here (Q90) for most of this year and for an LED LCD, it gets most things right and does produce some superb HDR images. The local dimming can be a little aggressive at times, but this is rare, and for the majority of viewing material it is an excellent TV. There is no one size fits all, which is why we have awards for both OLED and LCD.
 
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This site is not sponsored by any company, it is actually a private fully independent site which is not owned by any massive publisher and our editorial is as unbiased as they come.
But please do share your evidence to the contrary, which of course you can't.
The site does carry advertising and sponsored threads from all sorts of companies, and these are managed by a third party company and have nothing to do with our editorial. We very much value our integrity and unbiased approach on behalf of forum members so they can trust our reviews and assessments. We use techniques and follow standards that no other review site in the UK does for TV reviews, and we've done that right from the start, so the badge on the TV is not important and the assessment is in black and white with no brand bias. So excuse the defensive post, but you made a serious accusation about our integrity which I can't leave unanswered.

While I absolutely don't like some of the criteria for the scores (Value for Money being a massive bugbear of mine in almost all these reviews) I've never once thought or got an inkling that the reviews are ever bias or tainted in any way. There are almost no unbiased or editorially independent review sites left on the internet these days and as such we should be supporting and applauding the ones that genuinely are like AVF.

Indeed for me just having a product reviewed on this site automatically puts that manufacturer in a positive light for me as it proves they are not scared of negative reviews and are prepared to have their devices or hardware stand up on their own merits. Indeed if something HASN'T been reviewed by the site I'm always on guard that they have something to hide...

G
 
Ok, thanks for clarifying.




Have you lived with the Q90R or are you just basing your points on what you have read and heard? I can't speak for other reviewers, although I'm disappointed we were the only site to call out the poor blooming performance within the back bars that everyone else ignored on the Sony XG95. This is a far bigger issue to AV enthusiasts than a bright-looking graph on the Samsung.

The Q90 brightness issue they mention and make a fuss about is also not an issue and can be easily fixed as we have shown within our reviews. We have also fed back to Samsung and asked them to change this. It is a great all-round TV and could be the only choice some users have given use case or environments. The Sony is not a great TV, it cuts corners and is not up to the standard we expect from such a product, and the motion is actually not as good as previous models hence the score.

All my thoughts are in the written piece and cover most of what you have raised.

I also disagree with your final point, as I have had one here (Q90) for most of this year and for an LED LCD, it gets most things right and does produce some superb HDR images. The local dimming can be a little aggressive at times, but this is rare, and for the majority of viewing material it is an excellent TV. There is no one size fits all, which is why we have awards for both OLED and LCD.

Hi Phil,
I have only seen the Samsung in store and that is no way to correctly judge a tv's ability- in addition to reading online reviews. I base my purchases primarily on your good selves and Rtings and Vincent at HDTV test and I find all 3 of you the best & most thorough review sites out there.
If the brightness issue on the Q90 can be fixed the tv is absolutely now back on my radar.
Thank you for taking the time to write a detailed reply. I know reviewing products is never easy and often a thankless task!
Apologies if I came across as rude in my initial comment and keep up the amazing work- it is greatly appreciated :thumbsup:
 
Is the C9 worth the £300 extra over the B9 for HDR gaming ? Think stand may too wide on the C9.
 
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My only concern and it really relates to the general public. If you ask 1000 people off the street is a £1000 55" TV a 'Budget' model very few would say yes. I dare say many would think it is a expensive TV.

So yes the Q70 is a good gaming TV but it is far from budget. Lets face it a budget 55" TV is £400-£500.


I think they were listening to AV forums and have made the TV price more budget friendly :D (more mid market still truth be told) £799

The q70 49 " is always the same price as the 55" though? I guess it's to do with sales quantities.
 
Being that I'm in the market for a small TV rather than a large screen high end model I would have liked to have seen a category and reviews addressing that.
A TV for the kitchen or bedroom. Say 40" and smaller screen size for occasional viewing to get the best out of a Sky Q Mini box for example. 😉
Perhaps I missed it?
 

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