With bigger screen sizes in smartphones,
how could TV sets be far behind? Especially with the ever increasing pixel
density, things are only going to get mega-sized mega-quickly! Whether or not
you will be afford such extravagant devices will be another thing entirely, but
they’re out there and we’ve spotted some of the best Ultra HD TV’s around the
world. Samsung has recently announced they will launch the S9 in India, joining
Toshiba, Sony and LG in their presence of Ultra HD TV’s here.
Toshiba’s RZ1 was the first glassless 3D TV
to come to our shores, followed by LG’s 84LM9600 and Sony’s Bravia KD-84X9000.
But, which one is the best of the lot?
Look & Feel
LG 84LM9600
LG
84LM9600
Calling this 84-inch behemoth 'big' is
quite an understatement. LG uses its trademark IPS panel for the display, which
is backlit using edge LEDs. We expected a full-array LED arrangement given it's
their flagship TV, but despite this, the 84LM9600 still features Local Dimming
for deeper blacks and lesser backlight bleeding. The TV is surrounded by a relatively
thin bezel, but that doesn't matter since wherever you look, all you see is
screen and more screen.
Toshiba RZ1
Toshiba
RZ1
A really thin bezel surrounds the 55"
frame of the RZ1, which has an incredible feel when you first lay your eyes on
it. It's certainly not the largest screen size in the competition, but then
again - who really has space to accommodate TV's larger than 55 inches in their
living rooms? The materials used are top notch, and everything feels like it's
worth its price.
Sony Bravia KD-84X9000
Sony
Bravia KD-84X9000
If we had to describe this very expensive work
of art, the 84-inch Bravia is essentially huge in many ways. It wasn't the TV's
elegant frame or the two-pole stand which impressed us, but rather, it was the
display's stunning picture quality and robust sonic fidelity which rocked our
socks. More on that later. The TV has two speakers that can be mounted on its
sides. Each speaker has 10 drivers in it along with soft dome tweeters for the
highs, mid-range units and sub-woofers for the lows. The two-way, 10-unit speaker
system is front-facing and has a total power output of 50W.
Samsung S9
Samsung
S9
Its size alone is pretty spectacular, but
Sammy clearly wanted to make this one a looker. The company calls the stand a
"timeless gallery" frame, and indeed the set would At right in with
some of the more conceptual pieces at the MoMA. Still, that easel-like design
could be a bit limiting for some living rooms, so you can remove the S9 and
wall-mount it - though the 2.2 channel audio is built into that frame. Unique
design aside, this TV is all about the high-end specs.
Performance
LG 84LM9600
The
IPS panel produces crisp pictures with very vivid and sharp colors.
None of the current home entertainment
devices will be able to exploit the true potential of a 4K TV. When connected
to the onboard GPU of the Intel Core i7-3570K, the PC refused to scale to the
native resolution and maxed out at 1080p. We didn't have any issue with a
discrete card though. With the native resolution set and Media Player: HC
installed, we were in for a real treat. Videos looked absolutely stunning even
when viewed from as close as 5 ft. The IPS panel produces crisp pictures with
very vivid and sharp colors. The viewing angles are quite impressive as well
with very little to no color shift. The FPR 3D technology works well with barely
any crosstalk visible. Due to the bandwidth restrictions of HDMI 1.4, you can
do 1080p 3Djust fine, but it won't be able to playback 4K 3D videos at the
native resolution. The audio quality is actually pretty good. The TV features
two 10W speakers along with two 15W woofers that manage to deliver decently on
the lows and high notes.
Toshiba RZ1
This
glasses-free 3D TV delivers an immersive 3D TV experience and also displays 2D
content at four times of (Quad) Full HD resolution.
This glasses-free 3D TV delivers an
immersive 3D TV experience and also displays 2D content at four times of (Quad)
Full HD resolution. Powered by the REG- ZA Engine Cevo Duo S, RZ1's Integral
Imaging technology delivers nine parallax images that create multiple
wide-angle viewing zones, and allows a large group of viewers, each facing the
screen from a different angle, to share the 3D experience. It features a face
tracking application to optimize and align the viewing zones of the TV with the
viewers' actual positions. A contrast ratio of 9,000,000:1 further improves the
experience for the viewers. Apart from this, the 4K Super Resolution+ function
in the RZ1 provides a stunning 2D experience by converting and mixing 2D
content to 4K levels, be it standard or high definition.
Sony Bravia KD-84X9000
With
some work and know-how, a computer connected to the set can display video in
the ultra-HD "4K" resolution.
There is, for now, very little video
content available that can take advantage of the higher resolutions available
on 4K TVs. With some work and know-how, a computer connected to the set can
display video in the ultra-HD "4K" resolution. The set will also do
its best to "upscale" TV, DVD and Blu-ray movies so they look better,
but don't expect drastic improvements in quality. The company appears to be
taking all its products to this new resolution. It has already raised the
curtain on a 4K home theatre projector, VPL-VW1000ES, Sony claims that this
3D-capable digital projector can display 4K images that provide home
entertainment enthusiasts with a more immersive, engaging visual experience
with over four times the resolution of Full HD.
Samsung S9
Unique
design aside, this TV is all about the high-end specs.
Micro Dimming Ultimate tech to boost contrast.
As you can see from my pic (above), the display floats in an easel-type frame
that also holds the set's 2.2-channel, 120-watt audio system. Samsung's press
materials say that this delivers an audio experience six times better than what
you get with a standard TV. Not sure how they came up with that number (six
times as loud?), but it should mean that the TV's built-in audio will suffice.
The UN85S9 also supports HEVC content such as the forthcoming 4K-rez Netflix
streams we've been hearing rumors about. though the 2.2 channel audio is built
into that frame. Unique design aside, this TV is all about the high-end specs.
Last man standing?
If
the bigger 80+ inches form factor is what you were looking for, then you can
easily opt for those - else there is the Toshiba RZ1 in a much compact 55”
frame.
Most likely it will be the budget that
decides what you ought to buy from such a high-end device, but if you have deep
enough pockets than almost every product here can fit your bill. All of these
are great Ultra HD TVs with excellent features and amazing image quality in
each. If the bigger 80+ inches form factor is what you were looking for, then
you can easily opt for those - else there is the Toshiba RZ1 in a much compact
55” frame. The decision is yours to make!
