Imagine you were auditioning for a once-in-a-lifetime shot at the highest amount of money you could’ve ever dreamed of and at this audition, you were asked to talk about something you believe is the most controversial topic in your country to win your prize money, what topic would you talk about and why?
For us, it’s most definitely technology. Not because technology is more important, radical and interesting to society than feminism and eradicating the patriarchy, or religion that is the opium of the masses, or poverty and how it is the apparent parent of both crime and revolution or even the Corona Virus or the Lekki Tollgate Massacre. It’s simply because in each and every one of these equally controversial topics, and every other one you can possibly think of, you’d realise that technology plays a very riveting role in all of these topics.
However, we’re not here to talk about the role technology is playing in the advancement of the female gender or how many roles and tech positions are being opened specifically for the female gender. Neither are we here to talk about how technology is stirring up things in religious settings with Bible applications and online streaming platforms and online banking apps to transfer tithes. We’re also not here to spend time on Technology and the 5G Corona Virus saga or the use of technology to swindle and con people via the internet as well as the role of the destroyed cameras ‘tech’ in the Lekki Toll Massacre, and the wrong profiling of Techbros during the #EndSars protest as well as the role of Twitter, Cryptocurrency, and FinTech apps in the struggle for freedom and social justice; ergo, the use of Technology by CNN to reveal their expose on the Lekki Toll Massacre.
We’re here because this year, in more ways than one, we’ve been shown that Technology, as we know it, is changing and the rippling effect will be nothing short of glorious! And that is something worth talking about. We could choose to start off by giving an introduction to the evolution of the term ‘Techbro’ – the journey from geeky and nerdy to cool and trendy. From the inception of ‘Silicon Valley’ and resulting effects in ‘start-ups’. Or, we could jump straight in, into Elon Musk and how he controls the odds in the world of coins. We could also very willingly let you in on some of the tricks regarding how CEOs like Ezra ‘God’ Olubi and Shola attained ‘god-level status in the global Fintech space.
Then, again, there are more than a hundred ways to skin a cat. Moreso, there are different ways to offload riveting, scintillating stories about a topic as inciting and controversial as the ever-blooming Tech sphere in Nigeria. This is why we are starting off with global innovations that are setting the pace and influencing our tech space.
Top 5 Best 4k TV sets in 2021
I’ll start off with a question. Why wouldn’t you want the best 4K TV? I mean the very thought of not wanting the best 4K TV seems absurd. This is because Ultra-HD TVs do more than just cram pixels into the same screen real estate. They enhance the colour saturation, brightness, and contrast on your screen by employing cutting-edge technology. So, unless there’s a specific reason that you’re looking for a reason to stay old-school, you should be able to cover your needs with one of the many 4k models that are available in the market. However, the problem of which 4K TV to get then becomes a pressing problem. This is why we bring you top five{5} best 4K TVs to shop for in the year 2021.
1. LG CX OLED
This device right here is the best 4K OLED TV and I’m about to tell you why.
First of all, The LG CX OLED is an excellent TV for most uses. Like any OLED TV, it can produce perfect blacks and has a near-instant response time. It also has FreeSync support and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing when gaming. The LG CX delivers excellent picture quality- this is a no-brainer, but it is here in case you doubted it for a second. It individually turns off pixels, which results in an infinite contrast ratio and perfect black uniformity, making it a perfect choice for watching movies in dark rooms.
The LG CX OLED also has wide viewing angles for when you want to watch TV with a large group of people. It displays a wide colour gamut for HDR content. It is packed with features that should please most people except the insatiable majority. It has Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support that helps to reduce screen tearing when gaming. All four of its HDMI inputs support HDMI 2.1, allowing it to display 4k @ 120Hz content, such as from a PS5 or Xbox Series X. It has a low input lag and a near-instant response time that produce clear motion. For fans of the ‘Soap Opera Effect’, it’s able to interpolate lower frame rate content up to 120fps. It also has good in-built speakers, but if you want the best sound experience possible, it has eARC support, allowing you to send high-quality, uncompressed audio to a compatible receiver over an HDMI connection.
2. Sony XBR-X900H series
If you value Sony’s brand, the X900H is an excellent choice, with image quality on par with the TCL 6-Series and a price that’s not that much more expensive. And its suite of connections is actually better than the TCL’s. In winter 2020, it will get full 4K/120Hz HDMI input capability to maximise the potential of the new Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, and right now it’s the cheapest TV that works with ATSC 3.0 antenna broadcasts.
To describe this device, I’ll use this phrase: ‘Excellent picture meets game-friendly connectivity.’
The Sony X900H is an excellent performer overall, with a pleasing, balanced image that still manages to deliver plenty of pop and contrast.
Now, there are lots of good reasons to choose the Sony X900H instead, however. The first is superior connectivity: Unlike the TCL, it’s compatible with the highest-quality 4K/120Hz video from the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, and unlike any TV at this price, it also has a built-in Next Gen TV tuner for upcoming ATSC 3.0 broadcasts. The Sony is also available in massive 85-inch size, something not offered by TCL or Hisense. This is simply an undeniable fact. Despite the X900H lack of quantum dots, this device still produced excellent colour from Sony and the X900H is no exception.
The X900H had no issues delivering proper 1080p/24 cadence with its Motionflow controls in the off position, which is probably the best for film purists. Meanwhile, the Auto setting introduced the buttery smoothness of the soap opera effect. Then there’s the Custom setting, which has adjustable Smoothness and Clearness – more reasons why you should try out this device.
3. Samsung Q80T QLED TV
This is by far the best 4k LED TV that we tested for the success of this video. Now, one advantage of owning an LED TV over an OLED is the fact that they’re immune to permanent burn-in. You won’t have to worry about damaging your screen even if you constantly leave it on the same news channel all day or use it as a PC monitor. Speaking of which, it displays proper chroma 4:4:4, which is important for reading fine text. Thank you, Samsung!
Normally, it’s a 4K HDR performance that steals all the headlines, but that’s not entirely the case here. Thanks to the set’s UHD Quantum image processor, which has trickled down from Samsung’s 8K flagships, and some new AI smarts, the Q80T’s performance with HD SDR content is a real showstopper. And that’s not even mentioning its excellent 4K HDR performance that rivals the best LCD has to offer.
Connectivity is excellent, too, with four HDMIs that offer advanced and varying specifications. There’s 4K at 120fps support on HDMI 4, and eARC on input 3. The set can handle 4K at 60Hz (expected from PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X games), 2K at 120Hz, plus VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode). FreeSync support is included for PC AMD gamers too.
Overall, good contrast and vibrant colour, coupled with sensational upscaling and advanced smart features, ensure the Q80T warrants its frontrunner status in 2020.
4. TCL 6-Series 4K
The TCL 6-Series 4K is great for budget-minded shoppers. That is, those of us who want the quality without needing to make the ‘required’ financial investment. In fact to us, the TCL 4-Series is our pick for the best budget 4K TV. However, the TCL 6-Series is probably a better TV overall, and unless you’re set on a more well-known brand like Sony, Samsung and LG, it’ll get the job done without any hitches. In particular, the TCL 6-Series is best used for gaming, praising its picture quality and smoothness for gameplay. It also supports HDR10, Dolby Vision, and hybrid log gamma (HLG).
Overall, the TCL 6 Series/R625 2019 is a good TV for most uses. It has a high contrast ratio and displays deep, uniform blacks in a dark room. Its low input lag makes it a good choice for playing games, but its slower response time causes a bit more motion blur. Although the TV is suitable for a bright room thanks to its high brightness levels, the image loses accuracy at an angle, which isn’t ideal when watching sports with a group of friends or doing chores while watching TV shows.
However, since we’re being honest, the one major downside of this TV is its thickness as it’s not as thin and sleek as some of the other TVs on this list. Still, unless you’re putting it on a very narrow shelf (which is precarious anyway; don’t do it!) you should be fine. More like you’ll most definitely be fine.
5. Vizio P Series Quantum X
Now this TV is the absolute best 4k TV for watching HDR content we’ve tested. The Vizio P Series Quantum X 2020, is great overall with excellent HDR performance. It’s mainly available in larger sizes, from 65 to 75 inches, and an 85-inch model should be released eventually. It’s well-built and should look nice in any setup.
It displays one of the widest color gamuts that we’ve tested, with near-perfect coverage of the commonly-used DCI P3 color space and great coverage of the wider Rec. 2020. It gets incredibly bright in HDR, so small highlights really pop the way they should, and it has excellent gradient handling. With its VA panel, it has an outstanding contrast ratio, remarkable black uniformity, and its full-array local dimming feature further deepens any blacks, so it’s great for watching HDR movies in dark rooms. If you also watch content in bright rooms, it gets bright enough to combat glare and has excellent reflection handling.
Sadly, it has trouble upscaling 480p and 720p content, so it’s not suggested for watching DVDs or content from cable boxes, but you shouldn’t have issues with Blu-rays or native 4k content. Our unit has mediocre out-of-the-box color accuracy and a reddish tint that stays even after calibration, but this may be an issue with our unit alone. Regardless of these small problems, if you want to watch HDR content, this is one of the best 4k TVs for doing so.
With these examples, one wouldn’t be wrong to assume that 2021 is definitely our best tech year yet. This is because advancements like these super-improved 4K televisions are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the very many technological innovations coming to us soonest