It’s TV time: 5 gift-worthy models for the holidays
Santa won't be able to fit these big screens down the chimney this year
If you have an affinity for TV shows, movies or video games, you might want to clear out some space in your family room.
Televisions aren't just getting bigger—er, much bigger—but considerably more stunning, thinner, and smarter, too.
From the latest supersized LED-backlit TVs and razor-thin OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) televisions to 4K Ultra HD technology that boasts four times the resolution of your existing HDTV, there might be fewer reasons to leave your favorite chair or spot on the couch this winter.
And while a new TV might be too pricey a gift for the holidays, you might just be tempted to treat yourself to one thanks to hot deals over Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and pre-Christmas.
Need some suggestions? Here we look at five picture-perfect models to suit varying tastes, budgets, and room sizes that are on sale right now.
Starting at $1,998 for the 55-inch model, Samsung’s JS9000 is a stunningly slim and curved 4K Ultra HD TV.
Just like a movie theater, a curved screen delivers a more immersive picture and with a wider field of view—not to mention it’s a piece of art and a conversation piece even when turned off.
Along with playing 4K content from a growing numbers of sources, this TV also supports 3D video for an even more cinematic experience, a fast Tizen OS-powered Smart TV feature (with hundreds of apps to choose from), and wide color gamut thanks to Nano Crystal technology. The JS900 is also HDR (High Dynamic Range)-compliant, which is required to work with some TV providers’ 4K service.
Dolby Digital Plus delivers a surround sound atmosphere with up to 7.1 discrete channels of hi-fi sound.
What’s more, the JS9000 can sync up and share content with other Samsung mobile devices.
This Energy Star 6.1-certified television features built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, four HDMI inputs and three USB media ports.
If budget permits, the 65-inch model costs $2,998.
Available in a 55-, 65- and 75-inch model (from $1,799), Sony’s XBR X900C is the company’s thinnest-ever 4K Ultra HD TV.
Not only does the picture fill the screen to the bezel-free edge, but at just a few millimeters at its thinnest point, this television is slimmer than most smartphones and a no. 2 pencil (seriously, check it out at your local electronics store). Even if you don’t have 4K content, Sony’s 4K X-Reality PRO and new X-1 chip helps to upscale regular HD into near 4K quality. A system update will add HDR support, for those 4K services that require it.
It’s powered by Android TV, and you can intuitively use the remote to navigate through the Google Play store or use your voice to search for what you like. Take advantage of streaming video services you know and love, and use Google Cast to “cast” content wirelessly to the TV from an Android and iOS-compatible smartphone or tablet, or a laptop.
The Sony X900C also lets you subscribe to the PlayStation Now service to stream PS3 games directly to your TV. Wirelessly connect a DUALSHOCK 4 controller to your TV or other Bluetooth controllers.
One of the highest rated TVs of 2015 isn’t too tough on your wallet.
For $598, the 43-inch Vizio M Series 4K TV is sleek-looking LED-backlit television with the Ultra HD resolution you want—yes, that’s more than 8.3 million pixels, for the geeks in the crowd—plus with Vizio’s Spatial Scaling Engine it’ll up-convert your older 1080p sources, like Blu-ray discs, to near 4K quality.
A full-array LED backlight system gives you uniform brightness across the screen, while the 120Hz “Clear Action” technology helps to smooth out games, sports and action flicks.
This M-Series television is also a Smart TV, with integrated Wi-Fi (802.11ac dual band), a powerful processor, and some exclusive Vizio apps.
There are many other size options, too, such as a 50-inch model for $789, 55-inch model for $898, 65-inch model for $1,499.99, and 75-inch model for $2,498.
Go big and stay home with LG’s 65-inch EG9600 ($4,998), a curved Ultra HD 4K TV with support for HDR (High Dynamic Range), like the Samsung JS9000 and Sony X900C (above).
Along with the stunning 3840 x 2160 native 4K resolution that makes the screen look like a giant window, it’s also an OLED display for the ultimate in picture quality.
Televisions with OLED panels (“organic light-emitting diodes”) offer much better contrast ratios compared with LED-backlit LCD televisions, as well as more vibrant colors and smooth motion. These OLED (pronounced “oh-led”) TVs are also much thinner—as no backlighting is required—plus they’re more energy efficient than other TV panel types.
Also, LG’s four-color pixel technology adds a white sub-pixel to the conventional three RGB colors (red, green, and blue) that enhances both color range and accuracy—an exclusive feature to LG’s OLED TV.
It may not be a 4K Ultra HD TV, but for as low as $645, it’s a great-looking 55-inch flat-panel television with a few bells and whistles.
Available through Dell, the TCL 55FS3850 is a 1080p HD with LED backlighting, a 120Hz refresh rate and built-in Smart TV features.
In fact, it’s one of the few Roku TVs on the market, which lets you personalize your home screen with the apps and services that matter to you—along with your favorite cable/satellite TV channels, video game consoles, and other devices—and you’ll have access to more than 2000 Roku channels (and growing). With Roku Search, simply type in the name of a title, actor or director, and it's easy to find what you're looking for across the top streaming channels.
This dual-band Wi-Fi-enabled Smart TV also lets you cast videos, music and photos from your smartphone or tablet to your television.
Other features include three HDMI ports, one USB port, and smartphone remote support.
Yahoo Shopping readers: Do you plan on buying a new TV this year? If you've spotted any great deals, let us know in the comment section below.
