SUHD, OLED? How to choose the right large-screen TV

Choosing a smart TV means weighing up new-age features that can require a PhD in physics to understand.

Samsung 65-inch Series 9 Curved 4K SUHD TV

Choosing a smart TV means weighing up new-age features that can require a PhD in physics to understand.

For starters, there’s Samsung’s SUHD with its layer of nanocrystals called quantum dots versus LG’s new OLED (organic LED) with its carbon layer that lights up as electricity passes across it. Confused?

How do you pick a good from bad upscaler? That’s the feature that increases broadcast resolution to 4K quality (3840 x 2160 pixels). More confused? At least some choices are comprehensible to us mortals, such as: should your new TV be curved or flat?

There again, do you want 4K resolution or just 1080p high definition, active or passive 3-D or no 3-D? How many HDMI connectors on the back do you need to link up your PlayStation, Xbox One, Wii console, DVR or set-top-box? How many USB connectors?

And which TV operating system do you prefer: Samsung’s Tizen, LG’s webOS 2.0, Android TV on Sony or Firefox on Panasonic? Decisions, decisions. Drowning in a sea of technicality, your litmus test may end up being: “Do the Rabbitohs or Sydney Swans look great in their jerseys on this TV?”

To help you out, we asked four manufacturers to nominate a feature-rich set.

SAMSUNG 65-inch Series 9 Curved 4K SUHD TV: SUHD is Samsung’s new LCD with 4K screen resolution, nanocrystal technology to increase colour range, and improve contrast and brightness. It has a curved display that Samsung says offers an immersive viewing experience, a revamped Smart Hub for apps and TV catch-up services, a fast 8-core processor, two tuners, a 200Hz refresh rate, voice and motion control and face recognition, four HDMI and three USB ports. Model: JS9500. Price: $8999

LG 65-inch Curved 4K Ultra HD OLED TV: LG is first to bring OLED TV displays to Australia. The claim is perfect blacks, vivid colours and self-lighting pixels instead of backlighting. There’s the Smart TV operating system, webOS 2.0, passive 3-D, a 6-Step Ultra HD upscaler engine, a single tuner and wide colour gamut, powered by a quad core processor. There’s sharing through WiDi and Miracast, and you can issue voice commands through LG’s magic remote control. The set has three HDMI and three USB ports. Model: 65EG960T. Price: $9999

SONY 75-inch 4K UHD LCD TV: Sony’s flagship 4K smart TV features Google’s Android TV operating system with Chromecast baked in, and access to Google Play TV apps. There’s Sony’s new X1 image processor to improve clarity, colour accuracy and contrast, and the pro version of “X-tended Dynamic Range” for delivering black blacks on a backlit LCD TV. The X9400C has powerful magnetic fluid speakers and hi-res audio to complement the 4K UHD picture. Model: X9400C. Price: $11,999

PANASONIC Smart Viera 65-inch 4K LED TV: Panasonic says its new LCD panels have a wide colour gamut and offer improved colour reproduction. A feature called “super bright panel plus” is designed to improve brightness, colour, contrast and enhanced viewing angles. The TV software has media centre-like qualities. You can stream live TV or movies to your smartphone or tablet across the world, or to a device in another room. The TV uses the Firefox TV operating system. Model: TH-65CX700A. Price: $4299