What are the uses of 8K and OLED? If you want to buy a TV, you might as well check these points

Smart screen, full screen, AI TV, eye-protection TV, 4K, 8K, HDR... What are they used for?

I don’t know since when, the TVs we are most familiar with have started to have all kinds of gimmicks. With the entry of mobile phone brands such as Xiaomi, Huawei, and OnePlus into this field, there are so many types of TVs that it is dizzying to choose from. This electronic product, which has been around for more than a hundred years, has attracted more and more users’ attention.

Is an 8K TV really necessary? What are the indicators for buying a TV? How to avoid being misled by marketing? After personally experiencing Sony's 8K TV products recently, Geek Choice (official account GeekChoice) would like to talk to you about some tips for buying a TV based on the changes in the TV industry in recent years.

Is 8K TV necessary?

2019 is known as the first year of 8K TV. Not only have manufacturers such as Sony and Samsung launched 8K TVs, but CCTV Spring Festival Gala, Basketball World Cup and other highly anticipated content have also tried 8K recording and broadcasting. This makes some people start to hesitate: Is 4K outdated? Do you have to buy an 8K TV now?

First of all, 4K TVs are still the mainstream TVs, and they are sufficient for most users. 8K TVs are still in their infancy, and this cycle will last for a relatively long time, so you can still buy 4K TVs with confidence at this stage.

There are two main reasons for not choosing 8K TVs: First, there are too few 8K resources and the cost of watching 8K videos is high. For most people, watching videos online through streaming platforms is the most common way of use, but now major domestic video platforms do not support 8K videos, and it takes a lot of time and energy to find and download 8K videos on the Internet.

Secondly, although the 5G era has begun, considering the immature ecosystem surrounding the shooting, production, dissemination, and display of television, the current 8K TV is more like "a good cook cannot cook without rice."

Finally, the price. 8K TV has higher definition, larger screen, and better performance, but its price is not cheap, and it can easily cost tens of thousands of yuan or even more, which is not friendly to most people. Generally speaking, 8K TV is not the best choice for most users, so 4K TV is still the main choice.

OLED TV or LCD TV?

In the process of purchasing a TV, watching (picture), listening (sound), using (ease of use), and decorating (decoration) are the most core factors. In terms of picture, Geek Choice once did a popular science for everyone, which mentioned that OLED TV has the characteristics of wide viewing angle, higher contrast, faster response speed, etc., which shows that OLED TV has better viewing experience than LCD TV and is more representative of future trends. However, OLED TV was more expensive at that time. Two years later, today's TV market has changed, OLED technology is maturing, and the corresponding TV product prices are gradually decreasing.

Data from research firm IHS Markit shows that in 2019, TVs using OLED panels accounted for 65.1% of the European high-end TV market. On medium-sized screens such as 55/65/75 inches, OLED TVs are gradually becoming mainstream.

The survey results are similar to the domestic changing trends in recent years. The IHS report shows that in 2016, China's OLED TV sales were 72,800 units, while in the first three quarters of 2018, OLED TV sales reached 114,800 units. Although OLED TVs still account for a small market share, as mainstream TV manufacturers focus on OLED technology for their next-generation products, the future trend of the TV industry will gradually transition to the OLED era, just like mobile phones.

Therefore, Geek Choice recommends that if your budget is limited, you don’t have to worry about new terms and concepts. LCD TV would be an option, but if you are pursuing better pictures and have a higher budget, you might as well go to the mall to compare the picture performance of LCD TVs and OLED TVs when purchasing. Considering that TV is still an important viewing device in the home and people are gradually getting used to OLED screens on their mobile phones, OLED TV is undoubtedly a better choice.

Is bigger always better?

The core of this view lies in people's psychological expectations when buying a TV. As mentioned earlier, watching, listening, using and decorating are the more commonly used standards. Of course, a larger screen gives people a more shocking feeling. However, as the screen becomes larger, the corresponding processors, speakers and other components inside the TV also have higher requirements. This requires us not to just look at the size when buying, but to comprehensively consider the performance of various aspects of the internal.

For example, whether it contains a stronger internal processor, because a larger screen means that the TV needs stronger picture processing capabilities. The more familiar Sony X1 image processing chip on the market is designed for HDR images. Domestic manufacturers use Amlogic and Huawei HiSilicon chips. Manufacturers do not promote this aspect much, but it is very important for the performance of TV pictures. If the screen is only larger but the processor is not good enough, then the TV picture performance may not satisfy you.

In addition, sound performance is also a very important selection criterion. The sound generation method, number of speakers, and output power of the TV can show whether the manufacturer has put a lot of effort into the sound. Many manufacturers improve the sound effect by putting in more and larger speakers, and some manufacturers choose to use black technology such as multi-channel screen sound field to enhance the sense of presence, which can make the TV have better sound performance. Since sound is not as easy to express as the picture, try to experience it in person when buying a TV and check the performance effect, and don't just judge the overall performance of the TV based on the screen size.

What kind of TV is considered smart?

The concept of smart TV has been around for some time. LeTV and Xiaomi have made many useful attempts to promote the intelligent operation of TVs. Functions such as IoT control and video calls have also begun to become the direction of manufacturers' publicity. However, according to Sony's market research, most users still consider the TV picture performance as the primary criterion when buying a TV, and the most important thing about TV intelligence is to focus on this core. Therefore, when purchasing, put aside the fancy concepts and focus on the following two basic criteria:

First, check whether the manufacturer supports mainstream video platforms and resource libraries. Although many TV brands are now based on the Android platform, and you can download apps to get more resource libraries on your TV, first-party adaptation by manufacturers can make it more convenient for the elderly and children to use. In addition, platforms such as Tencent, Youku, and iQiyi are also actively cooperating with TV manufacturers. Most of the video content on the Internet comes from these platforms. A more powerful resource library is very important for today's TV users.

Second, check whether the manufacturer chooses to carry a voice assistant. The mainstream domestic voice assistant platforms include Xiaomi, Baidu, Tmall, etc. In terms of TV products, Xiaomi and Baidu have made a lot of efforts in voice wake-up and voice search, and have also integrated video resources such as Tencent and iQiyi, which will perform better in use. It is worth noting that not only domestic manufacturers, but also international brands such as Sony and Samsung also support voice assistants and mainstream video content on TV. Therefore, everyone should not have the misunderstanding that only domestic brands have voice assistants.

With the participation of many mobile phone brands, the TV field has changed faster than in the past two years, and has also brought many new things. However, when purchasing, don't be blinded by all kinds of high-sounding promotional words. Watch, listen and compare more, check the manufacturer's promotional points, don't blindly believe in parameters, and experience the actual performance of the TV yourself, so that you can buy the right product.