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Differentiating between OLED TVs When Price and Panel Source Are the Same
May 31, 2020
The LG CX and Sony A8H OLEDs will be two of the most important TVs to keep an eye on in 2020 – if not beyond –as they show off OLED at its mid-range best: neither is lacking in processing capability, like cheaper models such as the LG B9, nor are they so spec’d-out that the price tag has jumped to nail-biting amounts.
LG CX vs Sony A8H: price and sizes
They cost pretty much the same. At the flagship 55-inch size, the LG CX OLED retails at $1,799, while the Sony A8H OLED costs the almost identical $1,899.
At a 65-inch size, the LG CX OLED costs $2,499, with a similar price tag for the Sony A8H at $2,799. Sony A8H has a 77-inch model and a more compact 48-inch size in mid-2020. 2020 is the first year that 48-inch OLEDs are available. Both LGE and Sony are releasing a 48-inch OLED, but for last year’s A9G model rather than anything new for this year. Both sets have a minimal bezel, with the same aspect ratio for their panel display. The A8H is a bit less appealing from the rear – which is a bit bulkier than expected – but it’s a nice-looking rectangle for both sets. The main difference is the choice of TV stand, with LG’s CX using a curved base – designed to funnel audio from its downward-firing speakers towards the viewer – and Sony’s A8H coming with two feet with adjustable height, making it easier to fit a soundbar underneath. The former may look sleeker, but both have their advantages, depending on whether you’re hooking up an external soundbar or using built-in audio.
LG CX vs Sony A8H: HDMI 2.1
Both TVs come with four HDMI ports – for connecting to external soundbars, 4K Blu-ray players, or game consoles – but only on the LG CX will all four be the latest HDMI 2.1 standard, for 4K resolution video at 120Hz (or 8K at 60Hz, though that isn’t applicable for these 4K TVs). There's been some confusion around this new HDMI 2.1 spec, especially as most of LG's 2020 TVs – the CX included – are only supporting 10-bit, rather than 12-bit 4K/120Hz. It doesn’t affect the picture, given that the CX only has a 10-bit panel anyway, though there are other LG TVs that support the full 12-bit HDMI, such as the ZX OLED. The Sony A8H won't support 4K at 120Hz at all, though –For incoming PS5 or Xbox Series X buyers surprisingly, LG.is best. (Given Sony owns PlayStation, it's a bit of an own-goal.)
Sony vs LG
Sony and LG are do things quite differently in terms of their processing and picture presets, even if they use the same underlying panels. LG’s OLED sets, for instance, have a bit more ‘pop’ to their images, with a warm output that’s great for HDR. Sony’s is a bit more controlled, but offers advanced motion smoothing for action scenes, sports matches, and the like. In either case, there not much difference, and both TVs offer a high-quality viewing experience. Both support the Dolby Vision dynamic HDR standard as well as hybrid log gamma (HLG). Neither have HDR10+ (the HDR standard used on Amazon Prime Video). LG also offers something called Dolby Vision IQ, which calibrates the picture onscreen depending on the level of ambient light in the room. Sony doesn’t offer this, but does provide Netflix Calibrated Mode, which is meant to alter picture settings to match the ‘master monitor’ at Netflix HQ, but probably isn’t that important to have (Standard or Cinema presets will do you fine).
LG CX vs Sony A8H: Takeaway
LG is leads in its support for HDMI 2.1 (on all four HDMI ports) and Bluetooth 5.0 – for gaming or watching movies with some over-ear headphones. Picture quality will likely be pretty close between both TVs, and given we’re quarrelling over small spec differences, you should feel pretty confident purchasing either – unless something like Dolby Vision IQ or fitting a soundbar underneath your TV is going to make you pick one or the other. And the 48” TV is currently only available from Sony. From: TechRadar
May 31, 2020
The LG CX and Sony A8H OLEDs will be two of the most important TVs to keep an eye on in 2020 – if not beyond –as they show off OLED at its mid-range best: neither is lacking in processing capability, like cheaper models such as the LG B9, nor are they so spec’d-out that the price tag has jumped to nail-biting amounts.
LG CX vs Sony A8H: price and sizes
They cost pretty much the same. At the flagship 55-inch size, the LG CX OLED retails at $1,799, while the Sony A8H OLED costs the almost identical $1,899.
At a 65-inch size, the LG CX OLED costs $2,499, with a similar price tag for the Sony A8H at $2,799. Sony A8H has a 77-inch model and a more compact 48-inch size in mid-2020. 2020 is the first year that 48-inch OLEDs are available. Both LGE and Sony are releasing a 48-inch OLED, but for last year’s A9G model rather than anything new for this year. Both sets have a minimal bezel, with the same aspect ratio for their panel display. The A8H is a bit less appealing from the rear – which is a bit bulkier than expected – but it’s a nice-looking rectangle for both sets. The main difference is the choice of TV stand, with LG’s CX using a curved base – designed to funnel audio from its downward-firing speakers towards the viewer – and Sony’s A8H coming with two feet with adjustable height, making it easier to fit a soundbar underneath. The former may look sleeker, but both have their advantages, depending on whether you’re hooking up an external soundbar or using built-in audio.
- Sony's 2020 TV range is all about adjustable feet, while the LG CX OLED comes with 2.2 channel speakers and 40W output, meaning it produces pretty boisterous sound above and beyond the standard for built-in audio. The Sony A8H has a slightly quieter (but still substantial) 30W output – but with quite a different method of transmitting audio to the viewer. Sony uses Acoustic Surface Audio, which is a mix of subwoofers and actuators built into the TV to emit sound, essentially using the glass panel of the set as a vibrating driver. It’s cool in theory, if a bit imprecise in practice. Both sets support the Dolby Atmos surround sound format, as well as HDMI eARC for high-spec audio transfer from the television to a soundbar.
- Most of LG's 2020 OLED TVs utilize an upgraded a9 Gen 3 In terms of processing, both the CX and A8H OLEDs utilize the most advanced processor from their respective TV brands. For the CX, it’s LG’s a9 Gen 3 chip, which is also used on the LG GX Gallery Series and LG WX OLED. For the A8H, you’re getting
- Sony’s X1 Ultimate processor, which is also used on the A9G OLED and Z8H 8K LCD. In both cases the processing should be top-notch. The A8H only comes with Bluetooth 4.2, while the CX has the latest 5.0 standard – with better connectivity and audio quality. Marital bliss the CX provides Bluetooth headphones for the television.
LG CX vs Sony A8H: HDMI 2.1
Both TVs come with four HDMI ports – for connecting to external soundbars, 4K Blu-ray players, or game consoles – but only on the LG CX will all four be the latest HDMI 2.1 standard, for 4K resolution video at 120Hz (or 8K at 60Hz, though that isn’t applicable for these 4K TVs). There's been some confusion around this new HDMI 2.1 spec, especially as most of LG's 2020 TVs – the CX included – are only supporting 10-bit, rather than 12-bit 4K/120Hz. It doesn’t affect the picture, given that the CX only has a 10-bit panel anyway, though there are other LG TVs that support the full 12-bit HDMI, such as the ZX OLED. The Sony A8H won't support 4K at 120Hz at all, though –For incoming PS5 or Xbox Series X buyers surprisingly, LG.is best. (Given Sony owns PlayStation, it's a bit of an own-goal.)
Sony vs LG
Sony and LG are do things quite differently in terms of their processing and picture presets, even if they use the same underlying panels. LG’s OLED sets, for instance, have a bit more ‘pop’ to their images, with a warm output that’s great for HDR. Sony’s is a bit more controlled, but offers advanced motion smoothing for action scenes, sports matches, and the like. In either case, there not much difference, and both TVs offer a high-quality viewing experience. Both support the Dolby Vision dynamic HDR standard as well as hybrid log gamma (HLG). Neither have HDR10+ (the HDR standard used on Amazon Prime Video). LG also offers something called Dolby Vision IQ, which calibrates the picture onscreen depending on the level of ambient light in the room. Sony doesn’t offer this, but does provide Netflix Calibrated Mode, which is meant to alter picture settings to match the ‘master monitor’ at Netflix HQ, but probably isn’t that important to have (Standard or Cinema presets will do you fine).
LG CX vs Sony A8H: Takeaway
LG is leads in its support for HDMI 2.1 (on all four HDMI ports) and Bluetooth 5.0 – for gaming or watching movies with some over-ear headphones. Picture quality will likely be pretty close between both TVs, and given we’re quarrelling over small spec differences, you should feel pretty confident purchasing either – unless something like Dolby Vision IQ or fitting a soundbar underneath your TV is going to make you pick one or the other. And the 48” TV is currently only available from Sony. From: TechRadar
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