On today’s episode of You Asked: What’s the best TV under 800 dollars for watching movies? How to improve your sports viewing experience? And speaking of sports, why is everyone so into 4K TVs when most sports aren’t even broadcast in 4K?
Why are we buying so many 4K TVs when sports aren’t in 4K?
@rinse3x asks: Why Tf we selling and buying all these 4k TVs, hell there’s even 8k TVs, and we can’t even watch sports in that resolution?
Well, there are a few levels to that answer. The first is pretty simple. TVs aren’t just meant for sports. And trust me, as a former sports reporter, it’s hard to believe — I know.
Anyway, most sports are not broadcast in 4K. Occasionally, you’ll get championship events or big games that way, sometimes even in HDR if it’s an HLG (hybrid log gamma) broadcast.
But the reason you still may want a 4K TV for sports is because of how far we’ve come with upscaling technology. Premium TVs, especially, can take a 1080p signal and cleanly bring it up to fit your 4K TV — and look good doing so.
8K? Well, that’s where I tend to agree with you a bit more. You’re not only asking the TV to do a lot more lifting for low-resolution content, but there’s also not much that’s mastered for 8K output. And there’s a whole rabbit hole to go down there. Is nothing made for 8K viewing because there aren’t many affordable options for viewing 8K content? Or is the lack of options for 8K viewing because not much 8K content is being created?
We won’t go any further into that, but the real answer to your question about why we’re selling and buying 4K TVs is because many movies and shows — for theatrical release and streaming services — are mastered in 4K.
So, while most sports viewers could probably be just fine with a big, bright 4K TV (of which there are plenty), I think even more people are interested in everything from your above-average 4K TV to the premium, high-end models we discuss on this channel, because they use them for movies, shows, and gaming, which are also available in 4K.
And I’ll add that if you haven’t yet experienced viewing a 4K TV because you think it’s unnecessary, you’re overdue to check one out — especially with some really good ones that are a lot more affordable these days.
What’s the best 65-inch TV for sports and home theater?
@zanewalls8596 asks: You produce great content. But all I want to know right now is which 65″ tv would you buy today for home theater and watching mainly football but other sports as well. I respect your advice. I have an LG C8 right now and it still looks good but when I’m watching a football game and a pass is thrown long you can’t see the ball until it gets to the player receiving the ball. thank you!
Hey Zane, thanks for the question. I’ll give you a few solid options, but first, I’d recommend checking your current LG TV settings — especially those around motion clarity. If you haven’t done so already, it’s a good idea to experiment and see what works best for you when viewing sports.
The C8 also has a Black Frame Insertion mode that can help reduce motion blur and make action clearer when watching sports. If you find that helps and can keep some money in your pocket by not buying a new TV, great. But if you do still want to upgrade, there are some great options to consider.
Since you’re an LG OLED fan, you should definitely check out the C5 — their middle-tier OLED, for lack of a better term. It’s a step up from the budget-friendly B5 but doesn’t pack all the latest panel tech, color, and brightness of the G5. As an OLED TV, like the C8 (though obviously newer), it handles motion very well. Again, I lean that way for you because you already have an LG OLED.
But I’d also say the Samsung S90F is another great OLED option in the same price range.
The best TV under $800 for movies
@artlessdiamondmedia asks, in response to a video about the Hisense U8N: Do you think this is the best $800 tv for movies?
The answer mainly depends on the size of TV you’re going for. If a 55-inch TV will suffice, the Hisense U8QG — the newer model — at its sale price of $800, would be my choice. It’s just a little bit better in terms of contrast, and it’s got a USB-C display port if that’s something you can take advantage of.
Otherwise, if you can still find the 65-inch U8N in stock, it probably goes for around 800 dollars and would be an excellent choice for movies.
If it’s not still in stock, there are some other good options — notably the U75QG and TCL QM7K — that aren’t currently selling as low as $800, but I’d imagine they’ll get pretty close to that price in the next month or two with holiday sales.
Also, check out our recent video on the best TVs under $1,000, since it goes a little deeper into some of the other options and sizes.
Is the Hisense U7Q a good living room TV?
Finally, I dropped the ball on this last question because it either came from a YouTube comment or the You Asked email, but I can’t track down where and didn’t remember to note who sent it. It reads: I have to buy a new TV for a living room, and I want something with good quality, but not so expensive. Do you think a 55-inch Hisense U7Q has good quality? And is 55 inches big enough to enjoy it?
Yes, the Hisense U7QG is excellent quality and a great living room TV. My friend has an older model, the U7N, and we watch movies at his place all the time. It checks all the boxes you’d want for a less expensive model that still delivers in terms of picture quality.
So yeah, the U7QG has that covered. I also think 55 inches is a solid size, as long as it makes sense for you and your budget.
Sixty-five inches is the best-selling size, and I think it’s because it’s that perfect blend of being big enough to be immersive in the average living room, but also not obnoxiously big. So my advice would be to go for 65 inches if you can, but if not, 55 will do you just fine.
And, at least to my knowledge, there’s no major difference between sizes. Both use a VA panel to help boost contrast, with the only change to the backlight being the number of dimming zones — but that’s expected with TVs of different sizes.
