Sony X950H vs X900H vs LG CX? Also size question

[flyinion]

Hi guys, I'm ready to hopefully soon pull the trigger on a new 4K set to replace my 60" VT60 plasma.  Primary reason is the increased color range and HDR since of course the plasma still has a really good overall picture.  

I was originally expecting to do an LG OLED (been eyeing C8, C9, and now of course CX), but I'm really paranoid about the potential for burnin on OLED.  I've really had to baby my VT60 and even just leaving it sit on the Apple TV menu for a couple minutes results in temporary IR (not long but it's there and that's just for a few minutes of exposure).  I'd really like to be able to do some console gaming even though I mostly do PC gaming and don't use my TV for that.  So going with the OLED really has me nervous there.  So I started looking at LCD panels and it seems like the Sony X950H and X900H are supposed to be pretty good (and the price is sure nice vs CX).  My understanding is the 950 has a better processor, potentially more dimming zones?, but apparently the X-wide viewing angle film results in lower contrast than the 900 so people on a different forum were actually suggesting the 900 because of that.

What do you guys suggest for this situation?  Viewing is probably 60% TV and 40% movies including streamed movies.  TV content does have logos on some channels though we avoid stuff like CNN with tickers.  We're talking SyFy, Bravo, BBC America, FX, AMC, TNT, Food Network for examples of logos.

My other debate is size.  Current TV is 60", I was planning 65.  Main reason is the cubby my TV/speakers sit in.  It's a little over 80" wide.  Right now L/R mains sit on the TV stand on either side of the TV, there's nowhere else for them to go in the current house due to room layout.  There's plenty of room for a 65 and the newer TV's have narrower bezels and actually take like maybe an inch horizontally more than my VT60  

I was thinking of trying to get a 75 in there though and technically I can do it but not sure if it's a good idea.  Right now there's about 2.5 inches between the mains and the wall on each side.  About 4.5 inches between each speaker and the TV.  If I put a 75 in there I'd have to shift the speakers about 1" max from the wall which would still only leave about 1/2 an inch maybe between the speakers and the TV.  Thoughts?  Is that too tight for imaging/etc?  Of course if I go that size it also means one of the two LCD's for sure, there is NO way I can get the 77" OLED in there, much less afford that.

[flyinion]

 forgot to mention lighting.  Typically in a dim room with just the two can lights in the dining area of the attached open kitchen/dining area are on.  So it's not dark, but not fully lit bright room either.

[Paul Heroy]

If you've been living with the VT60 for years, the OLED won't be any worse than that in terms of image retention so unless you're doing a lot of console gaming it doesn't seem like it should be a big issue. I've had a B6 for several years now and increasingly have been using it with an Apple TV in the last year. I don't do gaming on it, though.

Another possibility for LED-LCD sets is the new Vizio P Series "Quantum X" which has been getting great reviews, recently in Sound & Vision and Widescreen Review. Might be worth taking a look.

[flyinion]

If you've been living with the VT60 for years, the OLED won't be any worse than that in terms of image retention so unless you're doing a lot of console gaming it doesn't seem like it should be a big issue. I've had a B6 for several years now and increasingly have been using it with an Apple TV in the last year. I don't do gaming on it, though.

Another possibility for LED-LCD sets is the new Vizio P Series "Quantum X" which has been getting great reviews, recently in Sound & Vision and Widescreen Review. Might be worth taking a look.

Thanks, I'll be keeping an eye out for the new Vizio to be reviewed.  The guys on AVS are saying on paper it's supposed to be a ridiculously good TV. Though, based on a review I just read on Best Buy (yeah yeah) of the CX I might be comfortable going that route after all.  The person talked about starting with a C6, using it for heavy gaming before they even knew about burnin on OLED, and it took 2 years and 8000 hours for anything to show, then their warranty replacement for it was a C8 that they "gamed even longer and harder on with no burn in effects".  Of course LG has improved those protections even more since then.

[flyinion]

Oh, also I know you mentioned "if you lived with the VT60 and been ok" well, yes an no.  That thing is so prone to at least IR.  A few minutes (literally) on a menu screen like the apps on the UHD player or apps on the ATV and there's big square outlines and lettering for a few minutes.  I don't trust it at all for gaming and having touched my old Xbox 360 since getting the VT60 in 2013.

[Paul Heroy]

My wife is pretty bad about leaving our LG B6 on a paused screen sometimes and walking away for a few hours. Most of the time that will eventually result in a screensaver of some sort after a while, though. But I haven't noticed a hint of IR from any of that or Apple TV menus etc. Like you said, LG has kept improving this in subsequent generations, but it's certainly enough of a potential concern that a broad spectrum of feedback is warranted.

[flyinion]

My wife is pretty bad about leaving our LG B6 on a paused screen sometimes and walking away for a few hours. Most of the time that will eventually result in a screensaver of some sort after a while, though. But I haven't noticed a hint of IR from any of that or Apple TV menus etc. Like you said, LG has kept improving this in subsequent generations, but it's certainly enough of a potential concern that a broad spectrum of feedback is warranted.

Yeah I have our Comcast box and ATV set to go to screensaver after 5 minutes.  Hmm this is going to be tough.  That Sony X900H is getting some really good reviews as well for an LCD panel, and it's $1000 cheaper in the same size.  That's tempting just because I need to replace my Sony X800 UHD player in order to get something with Dolby Vision capability and $1000 would definitely help with that.

[David Vaughn]

Yeah I have our Comcast box and ATV set to go to screensaver after 5 minutes.  Hmm this is going to be tough.  That Sony X900H is getting some really good reviews as well for an LCD panel, and it's $1000 cheaper in the same size.  That's tempting just because I need to replace my Sony X800 UHD player in order to get something with Dolby Vision capability and $1000 would definitely help with that.

I've been looking at a TV for our den, which we hardly use at all, but I have an old 50" Vizio Plama in there that's 14 or 15 years old (and still works like a champ except for banding issues due to the cheap processor in the TV). Anyway, I've been really wanting a OLED but just can't seem to get one due to the price of the 65". The Vizio P series Quantum X is under $1000 and I'm not sure a OLED is 2-2.5X better (the Vizio is a better value for sure). Then throw in a TCL 6 series and the decision gets even harder (if you can even find one). Needless to say, I haven't jumped at buying anything because I keep going back and forth. 

[flyinion]

I've been looking at a TV for our den, which we hardly use at all, but I have an old 50" Vizio Plama in there that's 14 or 15 years old (and still works like a champ except for banding issues due to the cheap processor in the TV). Anyway, I've been really wanting a OLED but just can't seem to get one due to the price of the 65". The Vizio P series Quantum X is under $1000 and I'm not sure a OLED is 2-2.5X better (the Vizio is a better value for sure). Then throw in a TCL 6 series and the decision gets even harder (if you can even find one). Needless to say, I haven't jumped at buying anything because I keep going back and forth.

What do you guys think of my size question in the first post?  I'm attaching a pic of the current setup with the VT60.  In that pic, the door on the left is a coat closet, and running perpendicular to the viewpoint is a hallway past the closet leading to a laundry room so it's really hard to put speaker stands there.  Also plan no matter what is to mount on an articulating arm so I can put the center up on top of the stand.

[David Vaughn]

As long as they fit in, you shouldn't have any worse effect that what you have now. Given their spacing, your imaging is somewhat compromised currently (this matters more to some than others). I'd get the biggest display I could afford and put it in there

[flyinion]

As long as they fit in, you shouldn't have any worse effect that what you have now. Given their spacing, your imaging is somewhat compromised currently (this matters more to some than others). I'd get the biggest display I could afford and put it in there

LOL thanks, well the biggest would definitely be a 75" LCD.  77" OLED will NOT fit unless I partially cover the speakers, or as someone on AVS suggested, mounting the wall mount higher so it comes out just over the very top of the L/R's.  I don't think that's going to do the imaging any good at all though and would rather keep it lower and more surrounded by the L/R/C's the way it is now. 

It also means the X900H over the X950G but my understanding is contrast is better on the 900H without the wide angle film on the 950G that reduces contrast anyway and the 900H will get an update to HDMI 2.1 (already has the hardware just needs software to enable it) where the 950 will not.  The main reason is price,  the 900H in 75 is about 2200 vs the 65" CX at 2400 right now on sale.  the 950G in 75 is much more $$$.  Well, relatively, it's about $100 more than the CX when the CX isn't on sale, and the 950G is not on sale right now. 

If I'm going to "compromise" and go LCD I'd rather actually not spend a ton of $$$ since I've heard stuff like Micro LED might actually get development really pushed hard with all the downtime in sales/etc. that are going on right now.  That's actually maybe potentially a reason to just pick up a 900H in 65 right now for $1400 and feel better about upgrading to a new tech in 2-3 years.  Thoughts?  Like I said, mainly I'm doing this to get access to HDR since otherwise the VT60 still has a good overall pic and 4K resolution will be less noticeable at my current viewing distance.

[flyinion]

Just got back from a Best Buy where I compared the 75" X900H vs a 65" A9G (just to see OLED vs LCD again) and I have to say I was really impressed by the LCD. As I said originally, I had planned on an LG OLED but now I'm not sure sure the extra $800 would be worth it (or 200 if I go with a 75 LCD instead of 65 OLED). The store person played the same scene (leaving the island) from the 2nd Jurassic World movie direct in, from the same UHD player (moved it between TV's), and we compared both TV's on the built in Cinema mode to get a "more realistic" experience vs the default Vivid they have them on. They were sitting in the dimmer but not dark Magnolia area. 

This is not making my decision easier.  I definitely feel I'd take the savings and go with the 65" model though.  That 75 was gorgeous but I just  don't know about squeezing it in there.  That 65" A9G looked really small after watching the 75 in the store, but knowing it's bigger than my VT60 by 5 inches it's definitely going to fill that space I have pretty well.  

Also, a calibrator named D-Nice posted some prelim results on the 950H and it seems like it has some issues calibrating correctly with the standard D65 whitepoint which is unfortunate.  Maybe something related to the wide angle film on it (which also apparently doesn't work that great anyway).

[AVSMike]

When shopping for a TV, I use this site. https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews
I wanted an OLED, but my family room just has way too much ambient light, so it did not make sense to go OLED. I ended up buying a 75" Samsung Q80 a while back. Very happy with its performance.

[flyinion]

When shopping for a TV, I use this site. https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews
I wanted an OLED, but my family room just has way too much ambient light, so it did not make sense to go OLED. I ended up buying a 75" Samsung Q80 a while back. Very happy with its performance.

Yeah you can see from my pic above a decent amount of light does get through the curtains during the day which can be distracting on my plasma.  I've definitely been using the RTINGS site.  I like their graphs with stuff like pre-post cal numbers.  Those figure heavily into my looking as it will likely be a while before I can get it calibrated so I want as accurate as possible out of the box.  I looked at some of the Samsung stuff, but I really want Dolby Vision capability which leaves them out completely.  We use our AppleTV a LOT and it supports Dolby Vision.

[flyinion]

Well I think my decision is down to the 75" X900H or the 65" CX unless the upcoming Vizio Quantum or OLED screens are similar/better for much cheaper.  On a positive note I finally got the wife on board with the upgrade.  She was all like "but the current TV works fine" so I gave her a crash course on how 4K would be 4 of our plasma rolled into one TV of the same size, and then since our iPhones are HDR capable I showed her the color/contrast difference in one of the opening scenes of For All Mankind on AppleTV+ episode 3.  It looked "fine" on the plasma but the color and contrast in HDR on the phone (which should be similar/same as a 4K HDR TV) she definitely saw the difference and agreed.  I also kind of explained it like yeah the plasma is fine but it's now old tech sort of like VHS on a square TV vs blu-ray on the current TV (little extreme but gets the point across) because she definitely understands that kind of comparison.