Best TV Size: How Big Should You Go? | You Asked Ep. 69

On today’s episode of You Asked: What are the differences between HDMI 2.1, 2.1a, and 2.1b? Are older OLED TVs compatible with the PS5 Pro? Why 4K Blu-ray-quality digital downloads don’t exist? What screens sizes are best for achieving a cinematic experience at home? Plus, TCL’s Bruce Walker joins Caleb in the studio to discuss TCL’s giant TVs, holiday deals, and what might be coming at CES 2025.

SPONSOR: TCL

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VIDEO CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
1:32 HDMI 2.1 vs. 2.1a vs. 2.1b
3:40 Blu-ray Quality Digital Downloads
5:55 Cinema Experience at Home
8:46 Interview with Bruce Walker of TCL North America

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[Sean-kmht]

3:48 In the United States, while it's sold as "owning" your digital downloads for games and movies, almost none of the available options actually allow you to own the game or movie. Nearly all of them are selling a revokable license and will tell you that you own it, but can actually take it away if they choose to. To replace physical media not only do we need to have a full quality download option, but we also need stronger consumer protection rights to prevent content providers from revoking your licenses. As a good reference, you can see Sony's controversies in August of 2022 and between September 2023 to December 2023. While Sony walked back the decision to pull the content due to the public backlash, it's not that they can't.

[RippedWarrior]

I just got the TCL 98" QM7 QD-MiniLED on that crazy Black Friday deal and it replaced (moved upstairs) an LG 77" C3 OLED in our living room. I knew the picture quality was going to be a drop from the OLED, but honestly, it wasn't nearly as much as I expected. Like 10/10 to 8/10. Pretty much only I can tell there's any difference in picture quality and even then, I don't really care because it comes with 21" diagonal of additional screen real estate which can't be replicated by OLED unless you spend $18k+. Plus we still have the OLED upstairs so now we have the best of both worlds. I think TCL has the correct strategy here. Offer bigger TVs for cheaper, but keep the picture quality good enough that the difference in quality doesn't matter.

[ArmandXPS]

Bruce is a pretty awesome guy. He frequently answers questions and helps people in the Reddit forums and it was great to see him on your show! Awesome show Caleb. 🎉🎉

[TechnicolorTube]

TCL has come really far. I now recommend them to almost all my family that needs a good quality panel on a tight budget.

[buschg]

Was watching Apple TV + on an 85-inch TCL QM8 last night. The contrast and clarity on some scenes on a show like Loot, which is nothing to do with special effects, was astonishing. Art.

[dhowting]

This is why I'm a HUGE fan of TCL!! I bought a 50" Series 4 Roku TV (4k LED LCD) close to when TCL first came to market, to replace a dead 1080p LCD, before all the mini/QD-mini tech and was highly impressed with it. I KNEW they were going to be the company to stick with and my next tv will definitely be a QD-LED. I've looked at 65" offerings from LG, Samsung and Sony and although I really like the Sony X90L and Bravia 7/8 I can't help but keep coming back to TCL!!! The low price (by $500-$1000 depending on model) vs size can't be beat by anyone.

[av]

Really enjoyed the sit down with TCL rep
Can’t wait to see what’s planned for 25
We need more videos like this please

[paiman_]

I got a 75 inch TCL C935 QD-Mini LED tv for €899. I know it's the 2022 flagship but that price is unbeatable.
The picture quality, clarity, colours and black levels are astonishing.
I can't believed I only paid €899 for such picture quality. 1920 local dimming zones.

The only gripe I have is the audio quality. It's decent but you'd definitely want to invest in a soundbar.
Also the menus are a little laggy sometimes but I don't mind.

You got Hisense U7N (which is supposed to be the midrange budget version of U8N) at 75 inch which has a worse panel (ADS Pro) and less than half of local dimming zones for €300 more!!

Happy with my purchase.
TCL is next level.

[rmbw]

I would like to see more special guests from companies and with audience question about new technologies. Watching the show late at night when I can, here in NZ always worth my time.

[eldondoucet]

I've ripped my entire DVD/Bluray/4K library using MakeMKV and store it on a Synology NAS, played back with a Zidoo Z3000. I've included all the special features (which takes a lot of extra time-but worth it). This is a fantastic way to create your own digital library, although it took me about a year and a half-and ongoing with new purchases! But, I'm able to watch any movie by simply clicking my remote. So convenient. And not to mention I can rip a relative's movies that I don't own and add it to my library. This sure beats a kaleidoscope player for costs. The disadvantage is you or someone you know has to have the disc - which is not a bad thing.
Thanks for you channel and really enjoy your content. I have an Anthem MRX-1140 setup as 7.2.4, Sony XR77A80J, Apple TV 4k, Zidoo Z3000 Pro, Synology DS-1621+ with 6x10Tb WD hard drives (Raid5), and a Panasonic DP-UB820PCK (which I hardly EVER use).

[AustinT]

Great interview with Bruce from TCL. I like that they make their own components as opposed to having to get them from a third-party vendor. I also didn't know that their TVs use an H-VA panel, which I've never heard of until this video. Keep doing these interviews, Caleb!

[chrisc_]

If you're a gamer, be careful about going too big on the TV. In films and TV shows the director and cinetographers do a good job of keeping the action in the centre of the frame, or near it. You often have to focus in different areas all over the screen, so if your screen is too big it can be difficult to game effectively on it

[alpacacheese]

I was fiddling with a projector with my wife and we determined 85" looks like a really big tv but not quite cinematic. 100" is a nice point and 120" feels truly cinematic. For cost though I think 98" TV's would give you the best bang for buck image quality and immersion.

[movie_av_impulse]

22:24 I love that you had a special guest on the channel.. I respect TCL For the fact that they are making everything themselves and basically keeping the prices low and competitive. But as for me, I have been burnt by TCL three times and all three times were the flagship TVs and unfortunately I don't think I could ever give them another chance. But it is crazy that they're processing is getting a lot better..

[gman]

Wish someone would ask these managers at TCL and Hisense why north America gets top spec of a model while us in the uk get same model number with nurfed specs and less dimming zones and we get charged more for the privallige.

[jonathanbell]

Don't go big if you plan on gaming. I was too close to my 77 inch and I was getting massive headaches. If you're just watching movies, you can go as big as you want. I just want to be clear, some people don't have big rooms and some people only have 6 feet or less to their tvs. I think gaming with a 77 inch from 4 or 5 feet could give you a headache. If you plan to game on a 98 inch, you probably want to be 9-10 feet away.

[etaesu]

Wow, so impressed with your first. I have a huge bias against budget brands but TCL is lucky to have this guy. So many marketing guys have zero clue what they’re talking about but this guy believes in his product

[jimandie]

I think I may have a practical method for figuring out the TV screen size that's right for you. First of all, my wife works as a Guest Services lady at a local AMC theater - so we have a lot of experience in finding just the right seats at our local theater (generally row G in normal theaters and row H in the IMax). But how can I get the right distance from my home screen that gives me the 'cinema experience' I get in the theater? I use the fist bump method.

Find your favorite seat in your favorite theater. Then, hold your left arm out at full arm's length and make a horizontal fist. Place your fist so it corresponds to the left edge of the movie screen. Take your other arm, make the same fist, and place it next to the first fist. Now being careful not to move your right arm, cross over with your left fist, and place it next to your right fist, and continue the criss-cross until you find the number of fist widths it takes to go from the extreme left edge of the movie screen, to the extreme right edge.

Now when you get home, sit in front of your TV and repeat the same procedure. Adjust your distance from your TV to match the same number of fist widths that covered the screen at the theater. There, you have now seated yourself so that your TV screen gives you the same 'apparent width' as the movie screen.

I have a very small media room - a small, unused 10x10 den, into which I crammed a TCL 4 series 75" TV. I sit about 8 feet from the screen, which corresponds to 5 1/2 fist widths. And yes, I am due for an upgrade! Though I'm maxed out at 75 inches in that room, I'm waiting for a good Prime Days or Black Friday price on a 75" QM7 - or should I drop down to a 65" QM8? Caleb, help!! Lol! Wish me luck!

[vazzaroth]

Most television review content makes me feel dumb. Not because they're saying things I don't understand... the opposite. Hardly any go into ANY reasoning, details, actual discussion, or intelligent comparison but Digital Trends ALWAYS does! Along with LTT, which doesn't cover most consumer screens, this is the only channel in the category I watch just for fun.

Congrats on 69 dude! :D

[charliewilson]

Almost got the TCL this Xmas, but Sony’s superior processing and color retention were the winning factors. Otherwise TCL would’ve been the winner.