On this week's show DJ Briggs from Brightside Home Theater fills in for Braden who is away on business. We ask DJ to give us his opinion on using a large format TV as a replacement for a projector. We also read your emails and take a look at the week's news.
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Swapping a projector for a 100" TV
Jon Taylor recently purchased a TCL 98QM7K (2025 model, QD-Mini LED QLED with Google TV) during Black Friday for $1,999.99 (50% off the $3,999.99 retail price). After using it for a couple of weeks in his basement home theater (replacing an older 82" Samsung and supplementing a projector setup), he shares highly positive impressions.
Key Highlights:
- Size and Installation: The 98" screen is enormous and immersive. Delivery and installation (included from Best Buy) went smoothly, though modifications to basement stairs were needed to fit the massive box.
- Picture Quality: Exceptional deep blacks (best non-OLED he's seen, rivaling his old Panasonic plasma), vibrant colors, and strong contrast. Upscaling of lower-resolution content (720p/1080p from cable, Blu-ray, streaming) is excellent. 4K sources, including Ultra HD Blu-ray and YouTube, look stunning with minimal motion blur.
- Performance Across Sources:
- Built-in Google TV streaming: Clear and smooth.
- Roku Premier: Deep blacks and popping colors.
- Standout: Apple TV 4K shines brightest, leveraging Dolby Vision for an incredibly vivid, "popping" image—far superior to non-Dolby Vision devices on his previous Samsung.
- Gaming and Features: 144Hz refresh rate delivers outstanding performance with low motion lag. Fun feature: Displays four simultaneous 48" screens for NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV.
- Observations: Large size exposes weaknesses in poor cable signals (fixed by rerouting). He notes TCL (and Hisense) are seriously challenging premium brands (Samsung, LG, Sony) with high-end specs at budget prices, earning praise from reviewers like RTINGS.com.
Jon historically preferred established brands for reliability but now sees TCL/Hisense as the new value leaders, similar to how Samsung/LG rose decades ago. He recommends checking out the latest high-end TCL models, especially for large sizes where premium brands were too expensive for him. He's also considering switching from Verizon Fios to a streaming TV service to cut costs.
Overall, Jon is thrilled with the TV's performance and value, calling it a "force to be reckoned with."
