Podcast #1064: OLED vs Mini-LED and the EISA Awards

This week we look at why OLED TVs are losing the price war to Mini-LED and share some of the winners of the Expert Imaging and Sound Association EISA Awards. Plus we read your emails and look at the week's news.

News:

• Roku Channel adds Scripps, NBC local stations to lineup
• Streaming Overtakes Cable in July, Leads Platform Rankings for the First Time
• MoviePass returns from the dead—again—on Labor Day
• Google TV Touts Performance and Storage Improvements

Why OLED TVs Are Losing The Price War To Mini-LED

The picture quality benefits of the best OLED TVs are widely known and rightly lauded – if you want images with perfect blacks and detailed shadows, OLED has long been a go-to for discerning viewers. (Full article here…)

No budget OLED

Pricing levels for OLED panels remain prohibitively high and that's even with the recent addition of Samsung Display to the supplier mix. The current situation simply doesn't work for a budget b brand, one that's focused on establishing market credentials while maintaining pricing aggressive enough to sway buyers over.

Enter mini-LED: the OLED alternative

Hisense expects to sell its 65-inch U8H mini-LED ULED TV for $950-$1,000. Samsung's mini-LED-backlit QN90B Neo QLED TV displays deep blacks and detailed shadows – kind of like an OLED TV for $2500. That is $500 less than LG's 77" C1 (2022). Note - there are other OLED models that are in the same price range or less than the Samsung QLED. Also you can buy a 2021 model of the C1 for about the same price as the QLED.

Competition

Competition will always force manufacturers to be more efficient and price competitive. Competition is coming at OLED on two fronts, other suppliers of OLED panels and mini-LED. One thing to consider is that Mini LED is new and thus has more room to improve the process and cost. This translates to really inexpensive mini-LED panels that may be too difficult for OLED to attain. Regardless of which technology wins, this is good for consumers. Either platform will provide you with an experience reserved only for the highest end consumers of just five years ago,

EISA awards

The Expert Imaging and Sound Association is the community of 60 technology magazines, websites and social media commentators from 29 countries, specializing in hi-fi, home theater, photo and video, in-car and mobile electronics. Every year the EISA jury of experts rewards the best products in each class with a coveted EISA Award. This week we'll cover a few of the winners and link to the complete list (EISA AWARDS 2022-2023).

Hi-Fi

• Floorstanding Speaker - Paradigm Founder 120H ($4499.00 Each)
• Wireless Floorstanding Speaker - KEF LS60 Wireless ($6999.99 Pair)
• Value Wireless Speakers - SVS Prime Wireless Powered Speakers ($600)
• Vinyl System - Pro-Ject X2 B ($1799) & Phono Box S3 ($499.00)
• Turntable - Thorens TD 1500 ($1,500 - $2500 depending where you find it)
• Value Turntable - Argon Audio TT-4 (650 Euros)

Home Theater Audio

• Best Buy Soundbar - TCL C935U We could not find the C935U on the TCL european website but based on specifications we think the Alto 8+ is the equivalent which goes for $279.99)
• Home Theater Processor - Anthem AVM 90 ($7499)
• Home Theater Amplifier - Trinnov Amplitude 16 ($12,500)
• AV Receiver - Denon AVR-X1700H ($699.00)
• Subwoofer - Perlisten D215 ($8995)
• Media Player - Zidoo NEO S ($1300)
• Speaker System - Perlisten S Series (Thousands and Thousands of dollars. If you have to ask you can't afford it)

Home Theater Display and Video

• Home Theater TV - Philips 65OLED 937 (We could not find any information on this TV)
• Best Buy LCD - TCL 55C735 (US 5-Series) ($649.99)
• Premium LCD - Hisense 65U8HQ ($1399.99)
• Premium Mini LED - TCL 65C835 (US 8-Series) ($1999.99)
• Premium OLED - SONY XR-65A95K ($3999.99)
• UST Projector - XGIMI AURA ($2379) This was talked about last week. It is a single laser and finished 4th in that category.
• Home Theater Projector - Epson EH-LS12000B ($4999.00)
• Media Player - Zidoo NEO S ($1300)