STACK #187 May 2020

FEATURE LIFE TECH

TCL 65X7 automatically adjusts the backlight on a per-content basis

quantum-dot colour and brightness, with a speedy 200Hz motion rate to effortlessly shift between slow-paced and faster-speed content. The ambient mode from the TU8000 has been upgraded, too, so you can convert TV to giant digital photo frame for your photos, art, weather, and time, or you can even photograph your wall pattern to make your Q70T blend in. This 4K set is built for gamers, too, with Samsung’s Real Game Enhancer feature that lowers controller input delays, important for sweaty-palmed online gamers, and enhances picture quality for great-looking gaming. ULTIMATE4K With bigger budget comes bigger screen sizes, and this duo of 75-inch options offer sizeable bang for your buck. The TCL 75C8 boasts the kind of perks you can safely expect from the other TCL models we’ve covered, with some niftier bells and whistles. For starters, faster-moving content is handled even better with an improved clear motion rate of 100Hz. On the visual-perks front, the inclusion of Wide Colour Gamut tech equates to a wide range of natural colours and immersive image quality. The audio side of things has been given a

TCL 75C8 with Onkyo audio for even better out-of-the-box sound

the back of your TV from looking like digital undergrowth. As for the playback, all the eye-candy perks of the Q70T are buffed with the impressive brightness/black-level handling that comes with the Q95T’s Direct Full Array feature. Immersive audio technology means soundtracks with on- screen action, while wide viewing angles mean all of this can be appreciated from a greater range of front-facing viewpoints. Whether this is your first 4K TV purchase or your latest upgrade, it’s tricky to go back to Full HD 1080p (or lower) screens when you’ve fully immersed yourself in UHD entertainment.

boost, too, thanks to Onkyo Audio for even better out-of-the-box sound, while you can record content via USB drive. If you’d prefer to invest in a high-end 4K set, the 75-inch Samsung Q95T is absolutely worth a look because it’s quite the looker: both in terms of aesthetics and playback. For aesthetics, there’s a thin bezel, discrete stand and an anti-eyesore cabling solution to stop TVs, you can safely expect that most (if not all) of the features of cheaper or older models are included as standard in the pricier set. The resolution will naturally be the same, but a bigger set investment usually amounts to a mix of bigger screen, faster functionality, better handling of fast-moving content, and other perks. SAME BUT BETTER When you step up the budget range of same-brand

Samsung's Q95T can be appreciated from a greater range of front-facing viewpoints

Samsung's Q70T is a 2020 model with 200Hz motion rate

VIEWING DISTANCE Ultra-high definition also translates to ultra-close viewing distances, at least compared to lower- resolution screens. The optimal recommended viewing distance for 4K screens is lower than 1080p sets because of the higher resolution. If you want the best results, get closer. Generally speaking, try to slot your set about 1.3 metres away for a 65-inch TV and around 1.5 metres away for a 75-inch screen.

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