The soccer World Cup is coming up, the nights are getting longer, the temperatures are getting colder. Winter time is TV time – at least for many people. Stiftung Warentest compared 19 current televisions in different sizes – and has “good” news.
The search for a new television can take forever. The range is too big, the possibilities too varied. But before major TV events, such as the Desert World Cup in Qatar, such a purchase is in the pipeline in many households. Stiftung Warentest continuously tests new televisions and in the latest issue provides an overview of 19 devices with 65 and 55 inches that are at least “good” but no more expensive than 1500 or 1000 euros.
The devices in the test had to prove themselves in the categories “Image”, “Sound”, “Handling”, “Versatility” and “Environmental Properties”. The sub-grade “image” is represented most strongly with 40 percent weighting in the overall assessment, followed by “sound” and “handling” with 20 percent each.
Philips takes the win in both sizes
Philips won both the large devices and the smaller representatives. The two televisions Philips 65OLED706 (grade “good”, 1.9) and 55OLED706 (grade “good”, 1.9) are not only the only televisions in the test field that rely on the popular OLED technology, which is known for its quality, but also deliver “very good” sound. Both are ahead in terms of image quality and, according to the testers, offer enough brightness to produce great images even in daylight. Only the remote control and the software were a bit negative on both devices, here it was only enough for a comparatively bad “satisfactory”.
The cheapest device among the larger models, the Samsung GU65AU8079U, got the grade “good” (2.3) and convinced with a good picture and easy handling. Buyers have to make compromises when it comes to the sound, here it was only enough for a “satisfactory” for the economy model. In addition, the testers determined that the Samsung had the highest power consumption in the test field – and gave it the worst rating of 3.4 in the comparison.
Samsung is the price winner, LG tops everyone
Samsung is unbeatable in the test when it comes to a 55-inch television with an overall rating of “good” for less than 600 euros. The Samsung GU55AU8079U costs 560 euros, has a rating of “good” (2.4) but is still on par with most of its competitors in terms of quality. As with its big brother, you can expect an average sound and comparatively high consumption with this device.
If money is not an issue, the best TV outside of the test field can be found at LG. Stiftung Warentest awarded the LG OLED65C27LA the overall grade “good” (1.6) and placed it at the top of the current overall table. However, LG can also pay a princely price for this – 2100 euros are due for the device. That’s more than 700 euros more than for the mentioned Philips 65OLED706, which also has great performance.
You can find the complete (paid) test here!
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