On today’s episode of You Asked: OLED or Mini LED for your basement TV setup? Is the S90D still a good option? And Dolby Vision 2 — is it worth waiting to upgrade your TV?
OLED or Mini LED for a Basement TV?
@sumit9803 asks: I need a TV in my basement for movies, watching football and basketball, and playing video games. Should I go for OLED or Mini LED? Also, how much is there a risk of burn-in with OLED?
Good question. Totally get wanting to know what you’re signing up for with OLED.
In a basement that probably doesn’t get a ton of extra light, I’d go OLED all day. Outside of maybe price, the only advantage a Mini LED TV would have is extra brightness, which I don’t think you’ll need much of.
My first choice, probably the goldilocks TV of “just right,” would be the LG C5. It’s a step up from the B5, giving you more brightness and punchy highlights, but it won’t cost as much as the flagship G5.
Unless you’re comparing TVs side by side, you’re probably not going to think anything other than, “Wow. This is a gorgeous TV,” especially if it’s OLED.
The reason I went with LG is that it checks a lot of the boxes you’ll want. It supports HDR 10 and Dolby Vision, ideal for movies. It handles motion well for sports, and for video games, it offers gaming features, a native 144 hertz refresh rate, and variable refresh rate.
Since this TV is likely to be a media hub, four HDMI 2.1 ports are helpful, providing excellent connectivity options for consoles, soundbars, and streaming devices.
The runner-up choice would be the Samsung S90F, though you do lose out on Dolby Vision. Samsung is still using HDR 10 Plus.
As far as burn-in, I wouldn’t be overly concerned if you follow general advice. Not using full brightness, which you likely won’t need in a basement, is a good start. Most OLED TVs also have features to protect the panel. LG has a screen move option that shifts the image so the same pixels aren’t constantly lit, and a logo brightness setting that dims channel logos during long viewing.
These concerns mostly apply to heavy TV users who watch the same channel all day. For you, the main thing is gaming. If you play games with static HUDs, like score bugs or maps in corners, take breaks. As long as the screen isn’t paused for long periods with these elements displayed, you should be fine.
My parents are heavy sports and news watchers, and their OLED TV is holding up just fine.
Considering the Samsung S90D
@TTT-Turbo asks: I was thinking about getting a Samsung S90D with Black Friday sales. Or would you suggest something better I should look at?
That’s a great idea, Turbo. The Samsung S90D is the one my parents own and love. It offers much of what the flagship S95D has but has a glossy screen instead of the anti-glare matte finish seen on the S95 line.
Panel differences matter for certain sizes. For 55, 65, or 77 inches, you get the QD-OLED panel, which adds brightness and color volume. Other sizes use the W-RGB OLED panel. Both look great, but QD-OLED is my pick.
Should You Wait for Dolby Vision 2?
Martin asks: It’s been nearly a year since I sent my last question, which you surprisingly answered on your show. I have an LG 65-inch CX, which has been great but now has an intermittent standby issue. I’ve been looking at replacing it with a Samsung S95F or LG G5. I recently read about Dolby Vision 2, coming in 2026. Should I wait or upgrade now? P.S. Samsung doesn’t support Dolby Vision, but it is a great picture.
Dolby Vision 2 is an exciting topic. Hisense is first to develop hardware for the format, which is a smart move to close the gap with competitors. However, brands like LG, which already offer Dolby Vision, say they have no plans to support Dolby Vision 2. Samsung has not commented, and Sony is still in discussions.
Dolby has said that content in Dolby Vision will look even better on a Dolby Vision 2 display. This implies hardware is required, so it won’t be delivered via firmware to current TVs.
Given your situation, I’d go ahead with the upgrade. The S95F and G5 are excellent TVs and a noticeable step up from the LG CX. If I had to pick, I’d probably go with the LG G5 for Dolby Vision support and glossy finish.
Firmware Updates and Older TVs
@shawng4886 asks: Is this a firmware update that should come to most newer TVs?
The answer to that is a big maybe. According to the press release, Hisense will be the first to support the new format, thanks to the MediaTek Pentonic 800 with “Miravision Pro” PQ engine, the first silicon chip to integrate Dolby Vision 2.
Some TVs already include this chip, but since Hisense is highlighted as the first with Dolby Vision 2 capability, there appear to be a few obstacles, even for TVs that already have the Pentonic 800.
Based on the previous discussion, it also doesn’t seem like many other brands are publicly committing to Dolby Vision 2 just yet.
