New Sony X90J or 3 year old LG OLED C8

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › New Sony X90J or 3 year old LG OLED C8

SJB

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#288757 21-Jul-2021 14:55

The question is in the title.

Both are 55 inch, both are on TM. The Sony is a bit more expensive but not much, around the $2k mark.

What problems should I look out for in a 3 year old OLED?

jonathan18

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#2747702 21-Jul-2021 15:42

If it was me, I'd be seeking guidance from @shinychrome!

The most obvious thing that springs to mind is screen burn-in (though noting "In fact, Rtings itself maintains that it doesn’t expect most people who watch varied content without static areas to experience burn-in issues with an OLED TV (Source: Rtings). While OLED TVs may be more prone to permanent image retention or burn-in than their LED counterparts, the normal viewing patterns in most homes is unlikely to cause this issue anytime soon.").

Possibly also whether the brightness is much degraded (https://reallysmartbuyers.com/will-your-oled-tv-last-long-enough/). I imagine all TVs now include a counter of how many hours they've been on, so that's something that's worth asking the seller to at least get a rough idea of usage.

wratterus

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#2747705 21-Jul-2021 15:46

I'd be pretty hesitant dropping that sort of $$ on a OLED without seeing it running.

jonathan18

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#2747707 21-Jul-2021 15:50

wratterus:

I'd be pretty hesitant dropping that sort of $$ on a OLED without seeing it running.

Assuming it's this auction, it does say they'll demo it when picking up plus provide a two-month 'warranty', whatever that means.

cshwone

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#2747766 21-Jul-2021 16:10

The other factor is how important the "Smarts" of the TV are for you as the new Sony will be better from that perspective as the OLED is already 3 years into it's app support life

cooljoo

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#2747771 21-Jul-2021 16:32

Hey OP. Depends which feature is important to you and your budget.

For perfect black go OLED, for better brightness and warranty go Sony LCD.

If LG C8 is in perfect condition then I would go for that simply because it's OLED.

It can also output at 120hz up to 1440p via HDMI if you ever get yourself a next gen console. For an extra $ you can get yourself the Apple TV 4K from 2017 or the new 2021 version. Or a Google Chromecast with Google TV.

Also check out the Panasonic OLED tv in shops. You can get them a a bit more than the Sony LCD.

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Sony X90J is a pretty good LCD TV with the latest Android TV so no need to get a Google Chromecast. It can also do 4k 120hz if you really care about this feature (I think its a gimmick for now).

Check around what's the pricing for other Sony LCD TVs. The X95 series has a better LCD screen.

X95J (2021, yet to be out)

X95H (2020)

X90J (2021)

X90H (2020)

SJB

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#2747773 21-Jul-2021 16:50

Thanks for the replies.

The 'smarts' don't matter, i use my own custom built TV/media/stream player.

ShinyChrome

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#2747781 21-Jul-2021 17:56

To be honest, I'd vote neither.

Firstly, in general I would be hesitant buying anything this expensive from TM, unless you are actually buying from an established retailer and it is ACTUALLY a good price. More often than not, prices are either so close to normal retail that it isn't worth the hassle, or you are only saving money to assume the risk if it goes south. And nothing beats having a bricks-and-mortar to take it back to when something goes wrong, plus iron-clad CGA coverage etc...

Buying a second-hand OLED, you really have to weigh the risks vs the price. As other posters have pointed out, check the hours in the service menu; on OLEDs burn-in/pixel wear is cumulative ,and the higher the hours, the higher the risk of it developing uneven pixel wear, especially when it's a few generations old. The catch is that, as Jonathan18 pointed out, a lot depends on how the TV was used during those hours, as if they had used a higher brightness mode, the wear happens a lot faster than a lower brightness.

It could look great for a couple of months of the "warranty", then start to slowly decline to the point it is hard to ignore, and then you are up for a panel. I'd sooner get an ex-demo TV with a warranty tbh. The C8 is only HDMI 2.0 capable as well, if that is a concern.

The X90J is a decent TV, and has HDMI 2.1 features if you have/are planning on buying a PS5/Xbox Series X. However, if it is this one, their "RRP" figure is a bit inflated, since they currently can be had for not much more ($2595) from a bonafied retailer with an OEM warranty.

Historically, the back half of the year is when prices trend downwards, so if you aren't in a rush to buy right now, I'd wait and see what sort of prices the next couple of months bring.

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SJB

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#2748137 22-Jul-2021 13:01

Thanks for the comprehensive reply SC.