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Unless you’re a diehard cinephile, it’s usually a waste to spend more than $1,000 on a TV. Sure, OLED (organic light-emitting diode) displays have near-perfect black levels because each pixel acts as its own backlight, but traditional LED-backlit TVs still look pretty great and typically cost about half as much. The price-to-performance ratio hasn’t been good enough for me to tell anyone but the most serious enthusiasts to consider an OLED.
Just a few years ago, a 55-inch version of a TV like the Sony A8H OLED (8/10, WIRED Recommends) would have cost a few thousand dollars, and I would have told you not to bother. But now that they’re steadily sliding toward a single Grover Cleveland, it’s a good time to take another look at one of our favorite TVs of the year.
It’s currently down to about $1,300, and though Amazon shows this deal as $200 off, it has been priced at about $1,900 since mid-May. It may rise in price after Amazon’s Prime Day sale ends at midnight Pacific tonight.
The 55-Inch Sony A8H TV costs $1,298 ($600 off)
Why We Like It
Like LG’s OLED TVs (this Sony uses LG’s display tech), the A8H is an astonishingly nice TV. Fellow gear reviewer Jess Grey calls it “so lifelike and vibrant it looks like you’re peering through a window into another world.” Sony has some of the best video and audio processing technology, and it shows on the A8H. Picture quality is astonishing, with vivid and lifelike colors and perfect shading that makes everything feel as though you’re watching it for the first time.
It’s thinner than a smartphone in some spots and comes with a Google TV interface, which isn’t as good as Roku but works better than many smart TV operating systems.
Another nifty feature? The A8H’s speakers are built into the display, though we think you should buy a soundbar or surround system if you’re spending this kind of cash on a TV.
We still think the TCL 6-Series (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is the best TV of the year for most people, but if you’re a real TV nerd or film buff, this deal is certainly worth a peek. You won’t find a prettier model for this kind of money.
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