On today ’s episode of You Asked : Why do TVs at Costco and other stores have different model number than everyone else ? Is it meter to elevate your OLED television or do you just have FOMO ? Should you spend more money on a disc player for superior upscaling ? And does 8 yard content actually front good than 4 kB content ?
Different model numbers, same TVs?
Joshua and Jim both wrote to ask how Costco is selling a 98 - inch TCL Q672 G for about $ 1500 , take down that the deal get with Costco ’s lengthy warranty and a $ 100 gift card as a bonus , sweetening the passel . They inquire why the model number seems to be exclusive to Costco and whether the TV is the same as the Q651 G , which sells for the same price at other retailers .
First , why do we see retailer - exclusive models ? Costco has a fantastic amount of purchasing power . Their business simulation is about moving large amounts of goods : They have both the money to grease one’s palms a gang of tv and the power to sell them all . This place them in a great place to make peculiar asking and offer up TVs at lower price than anyone else .
There are normal around minimum advertised pricing , or MAP as it is known in the retail industry . For deterrent example , TCL will mandate that a sure mannequin of TV can not be advertised low than a certain price – the MAP . This facilitate prevent price gouging and keeps the market comparatively free-enterprise among retailers .
However , Costco can buy their way around those prescript by order a telly brand : “ Hey , we ’re going to corrupt a massive number of idiot box from you . We ’ll guarantee this monolithic minimum parliamentary procedure quantity for the year , mean you are give out to strip up . But part of the deal is that you slap manikin numbers on the TVs unique to us . That agency we can sell them for whatever terms we want , create unique bundle with them , and declare oneself extended warrant on them in whatever fashion we want . And we can also protect other retail merchant because the singular model numbers make them exempt from cost - couple policies , which , by the room , is a two - way street – we do n’t have to price - match someone else . ”
There is a longsighted leaning of advantages that issue forth with having your own goggle box example routine from any number of brands – and that ’s on the dot what ’s go on with the Q672 G at Costco .
Sometimes these usage exemplar are more stripped down , but in this case the Costco - only simulation seems to be the same as the Q651 G , aside from the fact that it is only uncommitted in 98 inches . However , it ’s also true that retailer - sole poser can sometimes have extras that the most corresponding modelling do n’t .
disregarding , it is important to look closely at the specs sheets when compare models to see where divergence may exist . In this caseful , the Q672 G looks like a 98 - inch only variant of the Q651 G with a few Costco perks tossed in for good measure . ( And it ’s a great deal . )
Better upscaler: Do you actually need one?
Christian save : I recently started roll up more 4 K Blu - rays , Blu - rays , and DVDs , and now I am looking to get a dedicated actor for them . One of the main features I ’m look for : a ripe upscaler for my non-4 atomic number 19 Blu - ray discs . Do I demand a practiced upscaler if I am using a high - destruction telly like the LG C3 ? The upscaling on the C3 seems effective to me , so would it be worth buying a more expensive4 K Blu - ray playerthat has enceinte upscaling capabilities vs. a crummy one that still has a unanimous feature film set up ( DV , Atmos , HDR 10 + ) ?
The upscaler in a higher - terminal TV like theLG C3will be at least as good , if not good , than the upscaler built into a eminent - end disc player . take the disk player establish on other criteria , like build quality , audio and video codec support , or other highly specific needs like advancedDACsfor audio ( potentially good than what ’s built into your receiver ) .
Outside of professional - grade video recording devices , the upscaler in a TV is almost always going to be better than what ’s built into a consumer - spirit level video machine – cyclosis box , game console , etc .
Viewing 8K content: Now you know
Grayson write : Does 8 K aboriginal subject matter look better on an 8 G TV than on a 4 kibibyte television ? mass often say that it ’s impossible for human eyes to tell the difference , but people were also saying the same thing about 4 K when it was new ! If there is a difference , on what size TVs does it protrude to become noticeable ? I do it 8 K is still old age away – I ’d just like an expert to count in .
solution benefit of the high pixel density of an 8 special K display are only really meaningful when , for object lesson , sitting unusually close-fitting to a large display like a 55- or 65 - inch TV . much speak , though , 8 K makes little dispute in TVs under 85 in . If you were posture really close to a TV , like you might with a information processing system monitor , you might be able to see pixels from 4 atomic number 19 , but not from 8K.
However , answer is only one of the many element that lend to image quality . Theupscalingprocess is hard , even from 4 K to 8 honey oil , so it ’s sometimes potential for 4 K content to look better on a likewise equipped 4 honey oil tv set than an 8 K manikin .
Here ’s the affair : 8 super acid content output has not been democratized in the same way as 4K. Many folks can make content on their phones that is technically 4 kilobyte , but that does n’t make it high - lineament .
For now , enter 8 K native content postulate a middling expensive camera . The folks who own those pricy gadget also tend to be really ripe at stimulate videos , from taking a mint of caution when colour grading to actively fend off too much compression . Quality 8 K capacity will often have a higher turn - depth , too , which mean good people of color .
In short , 8 KB native content – like the kind useable from Eugene Belsky ’s or Jennifer Gala ’s channels on YouTube , among others – is super high quality for many cause , with resolution being a comparatively small part of it .
On an8 K TV , native 8 KB content wait better than upscaled 4 kelvin content largely because it ’s systematically very in high spirits lineament . Also , upscaling – even 4 K to 8 K – is a resource - intensive job . Even though upscaling 4 K to 8 kB is easier than upscaling 1080p to 4 K , there ’s no getting around the fact that have data foreverypixel is almost always going to be good than make up data for three out of four pel .
Now you know , and as GI Joe says , “ Knowing is half the struggle . ”
New TV FOMO
Zane write : I currently have a 65″ LG B2 OLED with a 5.1.3 soundbar . When I purchased my TV , I had to order online the best organic light-emitting diode I could get / afford at the time ( gratefully it was a good one ) . Seeing all of the praise for the former OLEDs makes me need to get one . I currently love my TV and at time I feel it blindingly brilliant and ca n’t really fit anything larger . With that , I have three questions :
First , my hope is to help oneself folk understand when it make sentience to advance from an already awesome television receiver – specifically anOLED TV , which tends to be fundamentally awesome . With that in mind , here are my answers :
1 . Are you just having FOMO , or rise - itus ? There ’s definitely some of that run on . However , if you ’re not disappointed with your telecasting on a daily base , you probably don’tneedto elevate . However , you maywantto promote because you love this material : It bring you joy and it is exciting to dream about arrive something awesome . It ’s all totally valid . Some folks wish to upgrade their railway car , some wish to raise their kitchen appliances or cooking utensil , some like to advance their speaker unit , and some like to advance their data processor accessories . television are a hobby for some of us , and hobby come with enthusiasm and raise - itus , and the constant pursuit of more excitement through new and improved geared wheel . So , you may be having a bit of FOMO , but there is nothing awry with that , unless of line , you are spending frivolously and avoiding other responsibilities – that ’s when hobbies can go too far .
2 . Is it a good idea to sell your video and put that cash toward a raw one ? I scramble to believe of a scenario where itwouldn’tbe a good idea . You ’re proposing selling something you no longer want to help offset the monetary value of something you do want . Unless you have a use for that TV elsewhere , betray it and use the payoff to set off the upgrade price . Otherwise , you just have a TV collecting rubble , and that is n’t worth much at all , is it ?
3 . With regards to reviewing those overlooked gems , the LG B - series TVs … I have n’t been capable to make time for them in my review docket , but I have often consider them . I guess I am going to fetch in the latest LG B - series OLED TV this year . One cause : Sansui is get along to the U.S. market with competitively price OLED TVs and it ’s important to see what you get for spending a bit more with LG ’s B series . In the past tense , the price difference between the C series and B series has not been significant enough to warrant special attention because the cost ofall of themwas well into the premium level . If you were extend to spend that form of money , you might as well get the only more or less more expensive , higher - performance model . However time have exchange , and I think the B Series is going to be more attractive than ever . LG is n’t pushing that manikin extremely firmly , so they are more likely to exhibit the more expensive , higher - perimeter C and G series in the in demand retail spaces they are afforded at places like Best Buy .
