In today’s episode of You Asked, you’ll learn what to do if an 83-inch TV is too bright, whether it’s time to upgrade a 10-year-old TV, and whether calibration can extend the life of your OLED.
Is an 83 inch TV too bright?
@msbgone asks: I chose an 83 inch TV and it is so bright that sometimes I have to close my eyes. I love the size, but man, it’s not always great to be that bright and I don’t have it at maximum brightness. Even though there are shows with blinking, wow, that can be a tough watch. So would I be smaller? Well, I’m not sure. In most cases, bigger seems to be better overall.
Well, to answer your last question first: yes. Bigger is usually better if you want to be completely immersed in what you’re seeing. However, I would say that there is such a thing as a TV that is too big. For example, if you’re less than 10 to 12 feet away, 83 inches feels a bit excessive.
At this distance, 65 inches should be fine. 77 inches is probably all you need. And both would save you a significant amount of money compared to an 83-inch TV. And I’m assuming you’re talking about an OLED TV in response to a recent episode of You Asked.
Anyway, I think if the TV is too bright for you and you don’t have it set to maximum brightness, there could be a few things at play.
First: Picture mode is very important. Especially in Vivid or Dynamic mode, but sometimes also in Standard or Eco mode, you get a cooler or bluer color temperature than in Movie or Filmmaker mode. These modes, Film and Filmmaker, tend to provide a warmer color temperature that is easier on the eyes, regardless of where the brightness is set. So if you’re not in one of these modes, it’s worth making this change and getting rid of the harsh blue light that can cause a little more eye discomfort.
Another thing could be your local dimming setting. The High setting highlights the highlights slightly more and darkens the shadows to create more contrast. If you were to lower this setting, it would detract somewhat from the higher-contrast HDR experience, but would likely be another step toward reducing brightness.
And the third thing: It could simply be the size. If it’s too big, it’s too big and there’s just too much light coming at you at close range. So maybe the solution would be to go smaller.
Should you upgrade a 10 year old TV?
@petekropf5335 asks: I need your help to determine if purchasing a new budget TV would be a huge improvement over my current 10 year old TV. I currently have a 65″ LG UH6150…that’s an LED TV in case you didn’t know…Peter continues…It still works, but dark scenes in shows are hard to see, and ethernet/wireless hasn’t worked for years. Therefore I couldn’t update the TV. I was wondering if the picture quality would be worth it if I bought a budget TV like the TCL 75-inch Q671G or Hisense QD7N. After watching the same TV for a decade, it’s hard to say whether the one I bought has better picture quality than a cheaper new TV. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much!
Hello Peter, before I go into the details, I would say straight away: Yes, you need a new TV. I know it’s an honor for us to brag about how long we’ve had something, how well it’s aged, and how good it is since you haven’t had to spend money on an upgrade in a decade. But at some point, if you value picture quality and many of the quality of life improvements over the last 10 years, it’s time to say a respectful goodbye to the TV and upgrade. And this is coming from someone, me, who had the same LG LED TV in my living room from 2011 to 2023. I used a Roku streaming stick to keep up with the times and quickly access and update my favorite apps, but that was long overdue.
So I would tell you that you can upgrade with confidence knowing that you will see a difference in the picture quality and operating speed of the TV as well as the Smart TV interface.
As for which TVs you’re planning on upgrading to, I’m sure you know that as budget models they both have their compromises, but it really comes down to a few key differences, with one caveat I’ll mention at the end.
The TCL uses a VA panel that offers better contrast and that is its biggest advantage.
The Hisense, on the other hand, is brighter and uses an IPS panel, giving it a significantly wider viewing angle. But that comes at the expense of contrast.
So if you and your viewers primarily watch TV straight from the front and the room is dimly lit, or better yet, just plain dark, the TCL Q671G is probably the right choice. But if you’re in a brighter room or someone who frequently watches TV from the side perspective, I lean towards the Hisense.
The only possible flaw in this logic is this: in the United States we have the TCL Q651G, on which I base my advice. You’re talking about the Canadian Costco version, the Q671G. As far as I know they are pretty much the same, but I just wanted to put that there so you know in case you do any further research.
Can calibration extend the life of your OLED?
John Craig asks: I have a Sony A8G OLED that I purchased after watching a review on Daily Sparkz. It was great and I still enjoy it more than the newer Sony X90L, which was also a Daily Sparkz recommendation. Lately the A8G seems to have lost some of its pop. I tried adjusting some settings based on YouTube channel recommendations, but it still seems like it has lost some of its shine. My questions: Would professional calibration be worthwhile at this point? Can these adjustments revive the picture on an older TV? Or does the OLED fade with age?
Oh, that’s good, John. First of all, I think this speaks volumes about OLED TVs and that even older models still provide a better picture compared to newer LED TVs. I’m glad to hear that you’re still enjoying your A8G.
As for your question, if you’ve gone through the suggested advice, which is probably the same things I would say, I’ll save you the time and say that professional calibration is the next logical choice, but is it worth it?
If you can really tell that it’s lost some of its pop, and you would know it better than anyone on the internet because YOUR EYES have been on it for more than half a decade, then maybe it’s too far gone.
But calibration by a professional can make a big difference. A professional can adjust the TV to best suit your room and viewing environment. Everything from color to black level to brightness can be adjusted to improve the image. And again I think it would help.
However, consider the price of calibration and the age of the TV. This professional will likely cost between $200 and $500, maybe even more. It’s not cheap, but it’s cheaper than a new Sony OLED. I’m just assuming you’re on Team Sony since you have two of them and like the build quality of the A8G.
Previously, I probably would have recommended the Bravia 8 Mark 1 when it was on larger sale over the holidays, but a 65-inch model costs almost $2,000 again, and that’s a lot more than it would cost to calibrate your current TV.
That being said, if you see the improvement and want to put off buying a new OLED, I’d say you should do the calibration… OR… If you were team Sony to venture out, check out the LG B5. At 65 inches I see it going for $1,000 right now, and THAT might be worth it for a new OLED TV instead. I hope this helps.
