Want the best picture that consumer video technology currently has to offer? These four 4K sets will give you the best balance of value and picture for your money.
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Vizio P-Series (2016)
Product Review: http://www.cnet.com/products/vizio-p-series-review-2016/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 (Outstanding)
The good: The Vizio P-Series has outstanding overall picture quality that competes well against the highest-end TVs. It can handle both high-dynamic-range formats. The remote is a fully functional Android tablet. The Google Cast system offers more apps and frequent updates than many dedicated smart-TV systems.
The bad: Using the tablet for settings and streaming apps is often more of a hassle than traditional onscreen menus. No built-in tuner, so you can’t watch over-the-air antenna broadcasts unless you attach a separate tuner. No HDR10 compatibility until a promised future software upgrade arrives.
The cost: $1,299.99
The bottom line: Forget the “free tablet;” the real story with Vizio’s excellent P-Series TV is top-notch picture quality and future-ready features at an affordable price.
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Vizio M series (2015)
Product Review: http://www.cnet.com/products/vizio-m-series-2015/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)
The good: The Vizio M series is one of the least-expensive 4K TVs you can buy. Its picture quality, thanks to full-array local dimming, delivers deep black levels and excellent contrast for an LCD TV. Color accuracy and some aspects of video processing are solid, and input lag for gaming is among the lowest we’ve ever tested. The Vizio’s feature set is well-chosen but not bloated, and it includes excellent connectivity with five 4K-compatible HDMI inputs.
The bad: Competing 4K TVs offer better video processing and more accurate color prior to picture-setting calibration. Only one HDMI input is compatible both HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2. The silver finish doesn’t blend in as well as black would.
The cost: $899.99 to $998.00
The bottom line: The Vizio M series sits at this year’s sweet spot of price and picture, and just happens to be 4K, too.
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LG EF9500 series
Product Review: http://www.cnet.com/products/lg-ef9500/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)
The good: The LG EF9500 OLED TV’s picture quality is better than that of any LCD or plasma TV we’ve seen, with perfect black levels and exceedingly bright whites. It’s equally adept in bright and dark rooms; showed accurate color, excellent uniformity and solid video processing; and looks better from off-angle than any LED LCD. The TV looks striking in person, with an insane 0.25-inch depth on most of its body. It’s flat, not curved like other OLED TVs, and supports future HDR sources via HDMI.
The bad: The EF9500 is more expensive than pretty much any other TV of its size. Its light output, video processing and some aspects of screen uniformity aren’t quite as impressive as some other TVs.
The cost: $2,099.99 to $3,129.98
The bottom line: If you have the money and want 55-inch or 65-inch TV today, you should buy the LG EF9500.
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Samsung UNJU7100 series
Product Review: http://www.cnet.com/products/samsung-unju7100-series/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (Very good)
The good: The Samsung UNJU7100 series is the company’s least-expensive TV with true local dimming, leading to very good picture quality with relatively deep black levels. Its color is accurate and video processing is among the best on the market. Unlike most Samsung 4K TVs it has a flat rather than curved screen. The redesigned Smart TV system and remote are simpler than ever to use, its cutting-edge connectivity and other features can be upgraded in the future, and its design is strikingly beautiful.
The bad: It’s still relatively expensive, and its overall picture quality falls short of some less expensive TVs.
The cost: $1,597.99 to $1,699.96
The bottom line: The Samsung UNJU7100 delivers the same high level of picture quality as some more expensive models, and beats most competitors for style and features.
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The following CNET staff contributed to this story: Section Editor David Katzmaier and Senior Editor Laura K. Cucullu. For more reviews of personal technology products, please visit www.cnet.com.
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