Samsung's 98-Inch TV Costs $8,000, Crushes Puny 85-Inch TVs – CNET
Samsung's 98-Inch TV Costs $8,000, Crushes Puny 85-Inch TVs - CNET
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Samsung’s 98-Inch TV Costs $8,000, Crushes Puny 85-Inch TVs
That’s one big, expensive TV.
- Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.
If you have room and the budget for a 98-inch TV in your house, Samsung has another option for ya. The world’s bestselling TV brand just introduced its newest almost-100-inch TV, the 98Q80C, for a cool $8,000.
The 98Q80C is a member of Samsung’s QLED lineup, which promises a brighter image and better color than non-QLED TVs. I haven’t tested the Q80C, but in my experience even the best QLED TVs, like the QN90B I reviewed last year, can’t beat the overall image quality of OLED models. If you want an OLED TV in this size range, you’ll have to pay a lot more: the only example, LG’s 97-inch OLED G2, costs $25,000.
Based on its specifications, I don’t expect the Q80C to perform as well as the QN90B or other models in Samsung’s Neo QLED lineup. That’s because those TVs, unlike the Q80C, use mini-LED backlights, which in my tests deliver even brighter images and more precise high-dynamic range performance. Samsung did show a 98-inch Neo QLED 8K TV at CES (see the video below) but has yet to announce when it will ship or how much it will cost. The Q80C does offer full-array local dimming, however, which should help its picture quality compared to TVs that lack that feature.
The Q80C will be the most affordable Samsung 98-inch TV, but if you want this screen size and you’re a bit more strapped for cash, the TCL 98R754 costs $5,000. There’s also a 98-inch version in TCL’s QM8 series that does have a mini-LED backlight and, based on its specifications, should outperform this Samsung. It’s $10,000 and “coming soon.”
The 98-inch size — that’s more than 8 feet of diagonal screen, friends — is currently the largest mass-market TV offered by any manufacturer. It’s not nearly as common as 85-inch models, the next smallest size of LCD-based TV. Some companies like Hisense offer larger projection-based screens marketed as “TVs” however, and of course Samsung itself sells massive Micro-LED TVs for much higher prices, such as a 110-inch model for $150,000.
The Samsung 98Q80C is available for early order now with a variety of incentives.
My advice? If you want an image this big and you’re not rich, just get a good projector.
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