Sound Advice
By Don Lindich
Week 30, 2023
Q. I currently have a 15-year-old 48-inch Vizio LCD TV. It has always been a good TV with good picture quality, and one thing I like about it is that it has non-reflective matte screen. (It sits in a great room and does not reflect the lighting in the room.) It’s time to replace it and upgrade, but every TV we’ve tried has a highly reflective screen and those reflections are very noticeable and distracting. Do you have any recommendations for a quality replacement? We are looking for a 55-inch television and our budget is $1,500.
-J.M., Woodbury, MN
A. I have a recommendation, but first want to point out that sometimes just a little bit of an adjustment in placement can reduce reflections drastically. Don’t forget that the law of reflection states that the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection, and sometimes just a very minor adjustment of the television’s placement or viewing angle can drastically reduce or eliminate glare at your viewing position. If the TV is wall-mounted, try adjusting the angle of viewing furniture or move lighting sources (such as lamps) a few inches. It can be surprising what a difference a small tweak can make. I don’t have the space this week, but I have a personal experience to relate about this and will do so in the near future.
Samsung is well known for televisions that reject glare and reflections. I use a 75-inch Samsung Q90 from 2019 in my living room, and I can confirm their anti-reflective technology works very well. Not all Samsung televisions incorporate this technology, so you have to be selective.
Samsung’s The Frame QLED LS03B is the one you want. It features a matte screen with anti-reflective technology and the 55-inch size it sells for $1,499, which fits your budget. Besides being a very good TV, The Frame can double as fine art when not in use. You can display your own images or download images from Samsung to suit the décor of your room. I have recommended The Frame to close friends as well as in the column, and it has received high marks from those who purchased it.
The Frame includes a slim-fit wall mount and you can also buy an easel that serves as a stand. If wall mounting I recommend professional installation by a skilled technician to ensure the wires are properly hidden, which really enhances the framed-art-on-the-wall experience. samsung.com
There are some televisions that are advertised as rejecting reflections and glare, but it is not because of a matte screen or a as special coating. They are advertised as such because they are very bright, which overpowers the reflections. It is less than an ideal solution. After receiving your email I will be doing more research on this topic and will have more to report in a future column.
Great TCL TV deal at Costco: I often received emails from readers asking for suggestions for televisions they can buy at Costco, given the prices, longer warranty and return policies. I recently came across a deal that is easy to recommend to anyone looking for a big yet inexpensive TV. The 58-inch TCL S-series 58S470G Google TV is currently on sale at Costco in my part of the country for only $299.99, including a 3-year-warranty and an HDMI cable. It is a fully-featured set with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision (rare at this price point) and quite a nice picture for the price. The 70-inch version is only $479.99. The offer expires soon but hopefully will be extended, and it is worth staying on the lookout for this TV.