CES 2018 News: Best TVs of the Show - article discussion

Err, what? It's been a hopeless CES for TVs, one of the worst in recent years.

After 4K and HDR, the manufacturers have obviously run out of ideas of what to add next. So we get a load of "pie in the sky" technology demonstrations like Samsungs "The Wall" and LG's rollable screen. We get pointless 8K sets for which there's no content, with Samsung then spending ages tryng to convince us that their scaling logic is so good it can create 8K out of 4K images. We also get the brightness arms race with demonstrations of 10,000 nits sets which would burn your retinas out.

All we get in terms of actual, useful products is a slightly refreshed range of sets with virtually no advantages over last year's models, save for the fact that they'll cost twice as much now last year's have been heavily discounted.

Hopeless CES for TV, which is why I've just bought a discounted 2017 model.
 
Err, what? It's been a hopeless CES for TVs, one of the worst in recent years.

After 4K and HDR, the manufacturers have obviously run out of ideas of what to add next. So we get a load of "pie in the sky" technology demonstrations like Samsungs "The Wall" and LG's rollable screen. We get pointless 8K sets for which there's no content, with Samsung then spending ages tryng to convince us that their scaling logic is so good it can create 8K out of 4K images. We also get the brightness arms race with demonstrations of 10,000 nits sets which would burn your retinas out.

All we get in terms of actual, useful products is a slightly refreshed range of sets with virtually no advantages over last year's models, save for the fact that they'll cost twice as much now last year's have been heavily discounted.

Hopeless CES for TV, which is why I've just bought a discounted 2017 model.
What 'improvements' would've made you hold on and get a 2018 model?
 
What 'improvements' would've made you hold on and get a 2018 model?

I have no idea. The point is that I'm not sure there really are any worthwhile improvements left right now. Large, 4K HDR sets have reached a point of technological maturity where there's not much left to do to them, hence the manufacturers flailing around trying to think of something to add, just as they did with 3D and curved screens.

Frankly I knew I was going to get a 2017 model even before CES, the reason I was waiting was to see if the 2018 model announcements drove the 2017 model prices down even further. As it happens, the 2018 models seem so lacklustre that I'm now concerned more people will snap up cheap 2017 models instead and supplies will dry up, which is why I ordered now rather than waiting.
 
I have no idea. The point is that I'm not sure there really are any worthwhile improvements left right now. Large, 4K HDR sets have reached a point of technological maturity where there's not much left to do to them, hence the manufacturers flailing around trying to think of something to add, just as they did with 3D and curved screens.

Frankly I knew I was going to get a 2017 model even before CES, the reason I was waiting was to see if the 2018 model announcements drove the 2017 model prices down even further. As it happens, the 2018 models seem so lacklustre that I'm now concerned more people will snap up cheap 2017 models instead and supplies will dry up, which is why I ordered now rather than waiting.
I always tend to buy the latest model if I can afford it. I held off and bought the LG E6 oled instead of the EF950 back in May 2016. It's not really until the TV's are reviewed that we get an idea of what improvements are made. In terms of the LG Oleds it appears that there have been worthwhile improvements each year from the EF950 to the E6 and then E7. I'd be surprised if the E8 didn't improve in some way on the E7 when reviewed.

If I was in the market now for a TV and could afford it I would be getting the E8 over the E7.
 
Have to agree, so far pretty unimpressed with what has been announced this year. My conclusions so far is that OLED has maxed out (I at least expected more Nits to enhance HDR viewing) as the main features seem to be faster processors...which to be fair is expected as one would with phones, laptops etc etc. The future appears to me Micro LED but that is not now....so all in all nothing special at all about the new TVs announced and makes me feel happy enough to stick with my C6 for at least another year
 
The TV market ebbs and flows.

The manufacturers had a bonanza years ago with the advent of affordable, large flat screens when everyone upgraded from their old CRTs. The market then saturated and they were forced to come up with pointless rubbish like 3D and curved screens in an effort to convince us to upgrade.

Then, in the last couple of years, 4K and HDR has finally provided enough incentive for many people to upgrade (plus it's been sufficiently long since they bought their flat screen that they've got the 'itch' anyway).

Now everyone has upgraded to 4K (those who actually care about it at least), the market has lulled again and they're stuck trying to come up with the next thing to sell us. Hence Samsung trying to push 8K even though there's zero content anywhere on the horizon.

The key thing is that, whilst enthusiasts such as many on here may upgrade every year or two, the vast majority of people don't. For most people a TV is a large purchase which they expect to last 5+ years (witness how virtually all expensive TVs come with 5 year warranties now). Those who've only just bought a 4K set in the last year or so aren't going to be looking to upgrade for years yet and the manufacturers have nothing compelling to change their minds.

I think the whole TV market will stagnate now. In 3-4 years time, we'll have a large number of people looking to upgrade their early 4K sets plus some of the new technologies will have made it to market, so there'll be huge, 'wallpaper' or 'rollable' screens to tempt people. Until then we'll just have to put up with the manufacturers trying to convince us that some pointless gimmick is a good reason to drop thousands on a new set.
 
Quite disappointing this year's CES.

Samsung
has not announced their 2018 line up, only showing their headline grabbing 8K giant TV, which no one would seriously buy. Learned that they will unveil their line up in Spring, so what's the point of CES!

Sony has unveiled just 3 sets, 1 OLED with a new stand but no info if they improved the panel or not. Two new mid-range LCD set with one with FALD.

Panasonic - No LCD revelations. Just two same looking OLED as last year. Again no info on panel refinement.

LG - Same as last year but with a new processor. Again no info if they improved the OLED panels and some new LCD FALD sets that no serious purchasers would contemplate.

What I like to know is that is there a difference between 2017 vs 2018 OLED panels.

Off course there are other budget companies announcing their sets, but I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole, unless I'm buying for my granny who would be content with that.
 
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not sure what people were expecting but i think theres some good stuff....new QLEDs with FALD sound very interesting, more/improved OLEDs, SUHD LG LCD with FALD again sounds potentially good and the micro LED stuff is going to be something to keep an eye on...oh and an OLED from Hisense as well..could be a steal if its good and priced well.
 
more/improved OLEDs

Really? I haven't seen OLEDs improving at all in the last year or two tbh. Year on year they seem to be suffering from the same issues of limited brightness, poor above-black performance, banding issues and image retention.

I'm honestly not seeing any real improvement in these areas and am starting to think they're fundamental limitations of the technology.
 
Really? I haven't seen OLEDs improving at all in the last year or two tbh. Year on year they seem to be suffering from the same issues of limited brightness, poor above-black performance, banding issues and image retention.

I'm honestly not seeing any real improvement in these areas and am starting to think they're fundamental limitations of the technology.
How did you convince yourself that oled was the right choice for you? :D
 
How did you convince yourself that oled was the right choice for you? :D

Eh? OLED isn't the right choice for me and never has been, hence why I've never bought one.
 
Have to agree that the TV lineup isn't really that impressive in terms of "Must buy that!" tech. In terms of what would make me switch from my current 3D capable LG E6 UHD I think total panel failure is about it and even then i'd be very unhappy about being forced to replace it with a non-3D capable TV. I'd probably switch to a 3D capable short throw UHD projector if forced. Samsung's MicroLED tech is very interesting and it or something like it will probably replace OLED at the top of the TV tech pile but it's certainly a few years off at least. I'd like to see the Hisense 100" laser TV in action. That thing is interesting conceptually. If they could motorise the projector base unit so that it folds up against the wall when not in use so it has a smaller footprint in a room I think that would be a big improvement. Currently it and the LG short throw projector remind me of The Father Ted home decor manual "Brick enlivens dull floor" although the LG can be moved.
 
Not every year can be a winner at CES i'm pretty sure next year will be though. :smashin:
 
Shame that HDMI 2.1 was too late for his years models, High Frame Rate and Variable Refresh Rate for games would be a big selling point for me.

CLEDIS/Micro-LED looks to be the next big thing, but still too far down the road for me, my Panasonic 55VT30 Plasma is starting to look a little long in the tooth. In retrospect last year would have been a good time to buy, but with the benefits HDMI 2.1 brings it looks to be worth waiting until the next generation again.
 
In terms of TV's it must be really difficult for innovators to find the next 'big thing' or solutions to problems we don't have.
 
There can't be huge innovations every year, nor should there be. We've just had a huge change to 4K and HDR, so lets let it settle for a while, give people a chance to catch up.

For me the rollable TV is the most intriguing. It would allow people to buy huge screens which don't leave behind a gigantic black square against their wall when not in use.

I'd also like to see large panel sizes come down. I have a 65" now, but I'd be looking to move to nearer 80" next time, but there's no way I'm spending £20000+ on a TV.
 
In terms of TV's it must be really difficult for innovators to find the next 'big thing' or solutions to problems we don't have.

That's what true innovation is though. It's where Jobs always excelled at Apple, coming up with things we didn't know we needed and which all the pundits said wouldn't sell.

Of course things are far more difficult in the AV arena as hardware needs content which are typically from different providers, so you need a degree of collaboration. Samsung could claim their 8K sets are "innovative" but, without any content, they're totally useless.

There is innovation at CES, primarily with Samsungs wall set - the modular design and Micro-LED technology are both innovative and show promise, they're just a long way off production reality for now.
 
Yes i agree with other here and their comments, not as interesting as i was hopping for, it seems a bit stagnant especially with oled and no real change to 2017.

Pointless with manufacturers looking at 8k, and bring to the event. Everyone is saying we are a long way down the road for this, most of the public still doesnt have 4k, and some sd content is still being broadcast by the BBC.

Why not emphasise where improvements have been made with Oled over previous years, as there are still many complaining. Get it 100% right with the outstanding issues and the units will sell. We need to know they have got it right, not hopefully !

Its good to see where manufacturers are tying to give us new things like Micro LED, as it might be fantastic who knows, but as long as they get it 100% right with no issues like motion ect, ect, ect.
It seems these manufacturers put new product is put on the market, without giving the item a truly in-depth test, and we are used as the testers or Guinea Pigs. They may claim it will give 1000, 5000, 10,000 nits but at what cost to the picture.

This is what puts me of purchasing a new tv until i have read the full review, and the coments you good people put up. I am not able to financial update my tv every 5 years, so feed back is so important.
I feel 2019 will be the year to jump, and the big changes will be then. Until then sadly im not jumping unless a real bargain comes along.

But once again many thanks to you Steve and the team for bringing us up to date with CES 2018 :smashin:
 
Yes indeed thanks for the news updates on here - a valuable source of info and not AVF's fault that the info itself was a bit lacklustre :)
 
What 'improvements' would've made you hold on and get a 2018 model?
An update to the Sony ZD9 without the high input lag would have been enough for me.

8K doesn't really interest me at the screen size and viewing distance I can accommodate in my lounge - I'm more interested in a good 4K HDR implementation with good black levels that doesn't suffer from burn-in or pixel wear (which rules out OLED). I guess Samsung or Hisense may fill in where Sony have dropped the ball, however 2018 is currently looking highly unlikely to displace my ageing Sony HX923.

I wonder if/when CLEDIS will ever make an appearance in the customer TV market.
 
An update to the Sony ZD9 without the high input lag would have been enough for me.

That a two-year old model is still Sony's flagship LCD screen speaks volumes about the lack of innovation this year.
 
I'm more than happy with my 50" Panny VT30 plasma and I will only change my display when this set gives up the ghost. My previous set, a 33" Mitsubishi 4:3 CRT lasted eighteen odd years. :rolleyes:Whilst I don't except this set to last nearly as long i'll stick with it, apart from anything else I use the 3D capability.
 
On a purely AV point...Micro LED for me looks the most interesting, intriguing and innovative technology at CES 2018.

Could it potentially supercede OLED if developed to an inch of its life? Not saying replace but provide Picture Quality that ticks All the boxes, not just excellent in one or two areas. As atm AV Enthuiasts are always accepting trade offs depending on which flavour of panel we personally prefer.

Another Reviewer said the Silicone HDMI 2.1 Chipset will be available in March 2018, followed by said Manufacturers implementation of 2.1 Hardware and Software into their own Production. Would take apprx 9 months he estimates, which would be around September 2018 for Panels being assembled with New Chipset on board. So I guess in theory we would see further improvements innovations with 2.1 at CES 2019.
 

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