TV shootout to name the King of TVs and projectors

Since 2004, Scarsdale, NY-based retailer Value Electronics has produced an ambitious annual event: a competitive shootout among the flagship televisions from the likes of LG, Samsung, Sony, and other major manufacturers to determine which one is the best of the best: the “King of TVs.” The only break in that tradition was in 2020, when the event had to be cancelled because of the pandemic.

This year, the Value Electronics TV Shootout is back, bigger and better than ever. Of course, the pandemic is far from over, so there will be no live audience as in years past. Only the calibrators, judges, and a few YouTube-based tech hosts will be in attendance. But that doesn’t mean you can’t observe the proceedings—the entire two-day event will be live streamed on Sunday, Sept. 12, and Monday, Sept. 13; I’ll provide the links at the end of this article.

For the first time in the history of the shootout, there will be three separate competitions: 4K TVs, 8K TVs, and 4K UST (ultra short-throw) projectors. According to Robert Zohn, owner of Value Electronics, “This year has witnessed the biggest upgrades in video technology I’ve ever seen—larger and brighter OLED TVs, mini-LED and dual-cell backlights for LCD TVs, 8K, and UST projectors all offer huge improvements in picture quality at mostly reasonable prices. For example, we’ve tested the triple-laser UST projectors, and they achieve over 100 percent of the BT.2020 color gamut! So, I felt it was important to highlight all these developments in the shootout.”

Hisense – LG – Samsung

The contenders

Here are the 4K TVs vying for the crown in their category:

• Hisense 75U9DG Dual Cell LCD/LED ($3,499.00)
• LG 65G1 OLED ($2,999.00)
• Samsung QN65QN90A QLED ($1,999.99)
• Sony XR-65A90J OLED ($3,799.99)

You’ll notice that all of them are 65-inch models except the Hisense, which is 75 inches. That can’t be helped, since the Hisense does not come in a 65-inch size. Even so, I support its inclusion, since it sports the relatively new dual-cell LCD technology, which is sort of a super-FALD (full array local dimming) backlight.

Hisense – LG – Samsung – Sony

The first-ever 8K TV competition will include:

• LG 77ZX OLED ($19,999.99)
• Samsung QN75QN900A QLED ($4,999.99)
• Sony XR-75Z9J LCD/LED ($6,999.99)

As expected, the OLED is by far the most expensive model in this category.

Also new this year are UST projectors, which have become an attractive alternative to very large flat-panel TVs. The shootout contenders include: