The bold and the beautiful future of televisions

NEW technology is creating a bright future for televisions, write Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson and Rod Chester

Samsung Electronics Australia launches a 55-inch curved OLED TV in Australian stores for $10,999.

NEW technology is creating a bright future for televisions, write Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson and Rod Chester

Curved OLED TV S9C - SAMSUNG

Rating 5/5

Watching this TV is like glimpsing the future. After years of talk, OLED has arrived with this 55-inch Samsung screen. Blacks are blacker, colours brighter and bolder, motion blur is hard to see, and feeding it high-definition content highlights how sharp images can be. Its unique design, with speakers away from the screen, helps sound quality, and Samsung has added 3D and Multi-View modes. It's debatable whether the S9C's curve aids viewing, and its price and the possibility of 4K OLED screens might throw off some.

$10,999 / samsung.com/au

CURVED OLED 55EA9800 - LG

Rating 4.5/5

The makers of this undeniably sexy TV will tell you the O in OLED stands for organic. It might also stand for the sound you'll make when you watch an OLED television for the first time. Like its OLED rival, LG offers a curved screen in this 55-inch TV, but adds a minimalist, transparent design with built-in stand. It's an impressive 4.3mm at its thinnest and weighs 17kg thanks to the strength of carbon-fibre backing. The image contrast is just as impressive. On the bottom edge of the stand are two ceramic speakers that are part of the combined 40W of sound this produces. It's also a wi-fi-enabled smart TV with 3D mode.

$11,999 / lg.com/au

X9004A 4K ULTRA HD - SONY

Rating 4.5/5

Sony is among the companies leading the 4K charge and it's delivering those products with all the bells and whistles. Even before you turn it on, this TV looks different to your typical flatscreen, with front-facing magnetic fluid speakers on either side that, with a combined power of 65W, deliver sound many TVs lack. To give the full 4K experience, Sony ships it with eight "Mastered in 4K" Blu-ray discs, which is a good excuse to revisit Ghostbusters. Other content is upscaled for the 3840x2160 resolution in a way that gives deep blacks and pure whites. The speaker setup means it is even wider than its 65-inch screen demands and the wide black border defies minimalism. Its smart TV features, accessed through a wi-fi connection, include most catch-up channels, and it has a 3D mode.

$6999 / sony.com.au

E5691 4K ULTRA HD - TCL

Rating 4/5

TCL Electronics packed a lot of features into a 65-inch 4K TV that just sneaks in below $4000. 4K offers four times the resolution of full high-definition, so even when you're watching high-definition content that is being upscaled - the best you can hope to watch on a 4K TV - it still produces an image with remarkable detail and contrast. Aside from the 3840x2160 resolution, it is a smart TV that works either on an Ethernet connection or wireless internet, with apps including YouTube, Skype and SBS on Demand. The screen has a slim, gunmetal grey edge and its features include a 3D mode. You can project your Android or iOS smartphone screen on to it using the TCL nScreen app.

$3999 / tclelectronics.com.au

VIERA TH-L55WT60A - PANASONIC

Rating 3.5/5

PANASONIC may be getting out of plasma, but it still has plenty to offer in LED-backlit LCD screens. This stylish 55-inch offering is both power-savvy (earning five stars) and lightweight (20kg). It delivers full high-definition vision, passive 3D and comes with Panasonic's new smart TV features including customisable start screens and a built-in camera that recognises your face and delivers your favourite homescreen. Sadly, the TV's colours are muted compared to its pricier competition, as is the sound from its two hidden speakers.

$3499, Available at Harvey Norman.

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