You asked: From blinding lights to dimming OLEDs

In today’s episode of You Asked, we cover what to do about a super bright 83-inch TV, whether it’s time to upgrade a 10-year-old TV, and whether scaling can extend the life of your OLED.

Is an 83 inch TV too bright?

@msbgone asks: I went with an 83 inch TV, and it’s so bright that sometimes I have to close my eyes. I like the size, but man, that much light isn’t always good, and I don’t have much of a light. Also, if there are displays with light, wow, it would be a solid watch. So can I go smaller? Well, I’m not sure. Bigger seems to be better in most cases.

Well, to answer your last question first: Yes. Bigger is usually better if you want to be completely immersed in what you’re watching. However, I can say that there is something very big about TV. Like, when you’re within 10–12 feet, 83 inches feels like a loss.

At that distance, 65 inches should be fine. 77 inches is about all you need. And both can save you a significant amount of money compared to an 83-inch TV. And I’m going to assume you’re talking about the OLED TV in response to a recent episode of You Asked.

However, I think if you find the TV too bright and not too bright, there might be a few things at play.

First: Picture mode is very important. Especially in Clear or Dynamic mode, but even sometimes in its Normal or Eco mode out of the box, you get a cooler or more blue color temperature than you would in Movie or Filmmaker mode. Those methods, the movie and the filmmaker, tend to give you a warm color temperature that’s easy on the eyes regardless of where your lighting is set. So if you’re not in one of those ways, it’s worth making that change and getting rid of that harsh blue light that can cause more eye discomfort.

Another thing could be your Local Dimming setting. Set to High, it will push the highlights more and blur the shadows to create more contrast. If you were to lower that setting, while it would slightly remove the high contrast feel of HDR, it would be another step to lower the brightness.

And the third thing: it could just be greatness. If it’s too big, it’s too big and there’s too much light coming at you from afar. So maybe going smaller could be the answer.

Should you upgrade a 10-year-old TV?

@petekropf5335 asks: I need your help if I can see a big improvement buying a new TV that costs less compared to my current 10 year old TV. I currently have a 65 inch LG UH6150… that’s an LED TV if you didn’t know… Peter continues… It’s still working, but it’s hard to see dark scenes on shows, and the ethernet/wireless hasn’t worked for years. So I couldn’t review the TV. I was wondering if the picture quality would be worth it if I got a less expensive TV like the TCL 75-inch Q671G or the Hisense QD7N. When you’ve been watching the same TV for ten years, it’s hard to know if the one I got has better picture quality than a cheap new one. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hi Peter, before going into the details, I can say directly, yes, you should get a new TV. I know it’s a badge of honor for us to brag about how long we’ve had something and how old it is, and how good the value is since you haven’t spent money on upgrades in ten years. But at some point, if you show the importance of image quality and the amount of quality of life improvements that have come in the last 10 years, it’s time to say 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 until 2023. I used a Roku streaming stick to keep up with the times and quickly access and update my favorite apps, but it was long overdue.

So, for you, I would say that you can upgrade with confidence and know that you will see the difference in picture quality and how fast the TV works and the smart TV interface.

As for the TVs you’re looking to upgrade to, I’m sure you’re well aware that as budget models, both have their compromises, but it really comes down to a few key differences, with the caveat I’ll mention at the end.

TCL uses a VA panel, which will have better contrast, and that is its biggest advantage.

Hisense, on the other hand, is brighter and uses an IPS panel, giving it a much wider viewing angle. But that comes at the cost of comparison.

So if you and your viewing party watch TV primarily and the room is dimly lit, or better yet, just plain dark, the TCL Q671G is probably the way to go. But if you are in a bright room or someone who often watches TV from the side, I lean towards Hisense.

The only flaw in this logic is this: in the United States, we have the TCL Q651G, which is what I’m basing my advice on. You are talking about the Canadian Costco version, which is the Q671G. From what I’m getting, it’s pretty much the same, but I just wanted to have it out there so you know in case you do more research.

Can scaling extend the life of your OLED?

John Craig asks: I have a Sony A8G OLED that I bought after watching a Digital Trends review. It’s been great, and I still enjoy it even more than the new Sony X90L, which was also a Digital Trends recommendation. Recently, the A8G seems to have lost some of its pop. I’ve tried adjusting some settings based on the YouTube channel’s recommendations, but it still seems to have lost its luster. My questions: Would getting a professional appraisal be important at this time? Can the picture on an old TV be updated with those changes? Or is OLED just fading with age?

Oh this is beautiful John. First, I think that speaks volumes about OLED TVs and how older models still produce a great picture compared to newer LED TVs. Glad to hear you’re still enjoying your A8G.

Regarding your question though, if you’ve gone through the suggested advice, which is probably the same thing I’d say, I’ll save you time and say a professional appraisal is the next logical option, but is it worth it?

If you can really tell it’s lost its pop, and you know it better than anyone on the internet because YOUR EYES have been out for over half a decade, it’s probably gone too far.

But an estimate from a professional can make a big difference. What a professional can do is adjust the TV to suit your room and viewing area. Everything from color to black levels and brightness can be adjusted to improve the image. And again, I think it would help.

But consider the rating price and the age of the TV. That professional will probably cost anywhere from 200 to 500 dollars… maybe more. Not cheap, but less expensive than the new Sony OLED. I think you are Team Sony as you have two and love the A8G processing.

At one point, I wouldn’t have recommended the Bravia 8 Mark 1 during the holiday sales, but the 65-inch model is around $2,000 again, and that’s a lot more than what your current TV would cost.

All that to say, I’d say go for a comparison if you want to see the improvement and hold off on buying a new OLED… OR… If you’d come from Team Sony, check out the LG B5. At 65 inches, I see it for $1,000 now, and THAT might be worth a new OLED TV instead. I hope it helps.