Roundup: The best HDR TVs to pair with the Apple TV 4K

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in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited October 2017
With the Apple TV 4K hitting store shelves, we're rounding up a list of the best TVs on the market that offer ultra HD resolution and support HDR technology to fully utilize the Apple TV 4K's ability.

HDR TVs for Apple TV 4K


From gorgeous OLED screens to budget-friendly panels under $360, we've compiled a list of the best 4K HDR TVs to pair with your new Apple TV 4K for the ultimate home theater experience.

LG 65" OLED65C7P UHD Smart OLED TV

LG OLED65C7P OLED TV


Those looking for the best picture quality should consider an Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED) panel. Thanks to a better contrast ratio over LCD displays and no backlight for zero light bleed, OLED TVs offer true blacks and vivid colors. Since only the lit pixels draw power, OLED displays are efficient as well. After using an LG OLED TV with the Apple TV 4K since launch, I can say movies and sports are a pleasure to watch for a fully immersive experience.

For a future proof option, LG's 2017 65-inch OLED65C7P 4K offers users a variety of ports, including 4 high-speed HDMI inputs and 3 USB inputs. To complement the new features found in the Apple TV 4K, the LG OLED65C7P also supports high dynamic range (HDR) technology for realistic images.

B&H Photo has the LG OLED65C7P for $2,996.99 with free shipping and no sales tax on orders shipped outside NY and NJ. Amazon also carries the LG OLED65C7P for the same price, but with no interest if paid in full within 24 months using the Amazon.com Store Card. Amazon does collect sales tax in all applicable states, though.

Samsung 65" UN65MU8000 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV

Samsung UN65MU8000 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV


Ringing in at half the cost of the LG OLED model above, the Samsung UN65MU8000 offers users 4K Color Drive Extreme with a billion more shades than regular 4K UHD. For those looking for a minimal design, the 65-inch Smart TV also lets you route cords through the base of the TV stand for reduced clutter. Support for HDR, as well as a 240Hz refresh rate and four HDMI ports, make it a great option to pair with the Apple TV 4K.

B&H and Amazon currently have the Samsung UN65MU8000 for $1,497.77 with free shipping. B&H will not collect sales tax on orders shipped outside NY and NJ, while Amazon is offering cardholders no interest if paid in full within 24 months using the Amazon.com Store Card.

TCL 49" 49S405 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TV

TCL 49S405 Ultra HD LED TV


On the more affordable spectrum, the TCL 49-inch 49S405 offers an abundance of features for under $360. The 2017 model utilizes HDR10 technology for enhanced detail with a 120Hz refresh rate and 4K ultra high definition resolution. Although the 49S405 has a built-in Roku Smart TV system, you can hook up an Apple TV 4K to the unit via one of the set's three HDMI 2.0 ports.

The TCL 49S405 is currently priced at $359.99 at Amazon.com with no interest if paid in full within 6 months using the Amazon.com Store Card.

Sony 75" XBR75X940E 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV

Sony 75 inch XBR75X940E 4K TV


If you have a big room to fill and are looking for a premium television, the Sony XBR75X940E packs a list of features that's almost as large as its 75-inch screen. While the picture quality of an OLED screen is at the top of the list overall, this LED TV is no slouch. Featuring object-based HDR Remaster technology, the Sony XBR75X940E offers rich and vivid colors with more shades of red, green and blue thanks to Triluminos technology. Sony's Motionflow XR 960 refresh rate technology also reduces motion blur, which comes in handy when watching sports and action sequences on this big screen TV.

Sony's 75-inch XBR75X940E 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV is available for $4,298.00 at B&H Photo with no tax on orders shipped outside NY and NJ. Amazon.com also has the XBR75X940E for the same price, but with free wall mounting and no interest if paid in full within 24 months using the Amazon.com Store Card. Amazon does sales tax in all applicable states, however.

Samsung 55" QN55Q7C Curved 4K Ultra HD Smart QLED TV

Samsung QN55Q7C Curved 4K QLED TV


Prefer the curved aesthetic? Like the LG C7 OLED panel in this list, Samsung's Curved Quantum Dot LED (QLED) TV also offers rich blacks with over a billion unique colors that make watching 4K movies a pleasure. The bezel-free screen looks great mounted to the wall or on a stand, and the 55-inch QN55Q7C can be found for under $2,000 at B&H Photo and Video with no sales tax on orders shipped outside NY and NJ. Amazon is also matching B&H's price with no interest if paid in full within 24 months using the Amazon.com Store Card. However, Amazon collects sales tax in all applicable states.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 19

    OLED is by far and away the best TV quality you can get, especially in a darker room(they generally aren't as bright as the higher end LCD-LEDs).  Sony has some fantastic LCD-LED TV's if your needing a brighter set, and their OLED Bravia is fantastic, but uses the same OLED panels as the LG OLED's.  Samsung TV's are overpriced for what your getting, as I would take the Sony tv at comparable prices every time.  The one manufacturer left off the list is Vizio.  The Vizio P series 65 inch is a much better display than the UN65MU8000.  They have 128 zone local dimming zones(vs edge lit dimming in the Samsung).   It supports the major HDR standards(not sure which if any of the displays support Hybrid-gamma log), and is at a better price point.  Even cheaper is the M series, which cuts the local dimming down to 32 zones and runs at 60hz, but is hard to beat at its price.  The 65 inch m series is typically priced at $1100, and has dropped to under $1000.

    Really, any of the major brands are producing good displays(avoid non-OLED LG's though), so if you find a good price around black Friday you can't really go wrong.  The Apple tv with the Vizio negates its lackluster Smart features(its still pretty much just a chromecast enabled display).  Sony's android tv, so you can have more native apps if that's your thing.  LG's WebOS is pretty slick, but lacking in the app department.  Likewise, Samsung's interface is pretty good(based off of Tizen), but lacks some apps.  If your using your display for Cablebox and Apple tv(or just Apple tv), you can pretty much ignore the interfaces if you want to. 

    EDIT:  If you find a TV your interested in, rtings.com gives fantastic write ups on most displays, and tells you comparable(and recommended) items at the same size/pricepoint/quality.  Definitely a good site to check out if your about to drop some cash on a display.

    edited October 2017 randominternetperson
  • Reply 2 of 19
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    LG Oled  

    Samsung QLED 

    Sony Oled or HDTV with slim backlight triluminous display (X1 processor) 


  • Reply 3 of 19
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,192member
    "True black"? Nothing in this world is truly black and a panel can only ever get as dark (and not necessarily gray) as when it's powered off. In fact one way to evaluate panel quality is to see how dark it is when off.
  • Reply 4 of 19
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,192member
    OLEDs are theoretically the best but every time I see one on display, the colors are garish.
  • Reply 5 of 19
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    You guys missed the best DOLBY VISION TV under $1000

    The TCL 55P605

    Most iTunes 4k content will support the more colorful Dolby Vision standard and this TV is only $599 and has high user ratings. Way better than the $1,000+ Sammy TVs that don’t even support Dolby Vision. 
    jahbladegatorguyMetriacanthosaurus
  • Reply 6 of 19
    How does TCL manage to sell for so little by just shaving a few inches off the size? What am I missing?

    I’d also I would like to see a comparison of 4K, HDR capable projectors.
  • Reply 7 of 19


    HDR TVs for Apple TV 4K


    Where can one buy one of those adorable teeny 4K TVs.  Looks like they are from about 4" to 6" in size.
    caliStrangeDaysjahbladeSpamSandwich
  • Reply 8 of 19
    alandailalandail Posts: 755member
    I have one 4K Apple TV/UHD TV combination that is having trouble.

    TV is the XBR75X940D (one model before the one in the article).  If I put the 4K Apple TV in HDR mode either it's not coming on or the TV doesn't see the signal.  I have to unplug it and plug it back in to get it to display again.  Because of the way the TV and Apple TV are mounted, I can't see if the Apple TV is actually turning on.  It seems to be okay with HDR turned off on teh Apple TV, but both the Apple TV and the TV should support HDR

    Does anyone have any idea what I need to do to get this to work.
  • Reply 9 of 19
    alandail said:
    I have one 4K Apple TV/UHD TV combination that is having trouble.

    TV is the XBR75X940D (one model before the one in the article).  If I put the 4K Apple TV in HDR mode either it's not coming on or the TV doesn't see the signal.  I have to unplug it and plug it back in to get it to display again.  Because of the way the TV and Apple TV are mounted, I can't see if the Apple TV is actually turning on.  It seems to be okay with HDR turned off on teh Apple TV, but both the Apple TV and the TV should support HDR

    Does anyone have any idea what I need to do to get this to work.


    I found this on another forum, its for a different model(current 900E) but you might give it a shot.  Take note that it seems to require that the Apple tv is plugged into certain HDMI inputs.  Good Luck!

    1. Hit the "Home" button on the Sony TV remote.  You'll see a bunch of icons popup

    2. Arrow down to the bottom to Settings (it looks like a gear icon on the x900e)

    3. Once in settings, go into External Inputs

    4. Scroll down and go into HDMI signal Format (Enhance 4K HDMI signal Format)

    5. Once there you'll see the magic setting we need, which is the Enhanced Format (Displays High-Quality HDMI signals on HDMI inputs 2 & 3...), so select it and navigate back out using the back button

     

    I then went in and switched my apple TV to HDMI input 2, unplugged its power and replugged it back in.  When the Apple TV booted back up, I went into the display settings and it showed as being HRD now...wooohoooo!!!!  So yeah, it apparently only works for inputs 2 & 3 so be weary of that.

  • Reply 10 of 19
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    How does TCL manage to sell for so little by just shaving a few inches off the size? What am I missing?

    I’d also I would like to see a comparison of 4K, HDR capable projectors.
    The TCL 55P605 is Dolby Vision compatible(most in this article aren’t) for $599. Better picture than a lot of $1,000+ 4Ks. 

    TCL are a vertical manufacturer similar to Apple and I read that may be how they keep prices low. 
    jahblade
  • Reply 11 of 19
    boltsfan17boltsfan17 Posts: 2,294member
    cpsro said:
    OLEDs are theoretically the best but every time I see one on display, the colors are garish.
    The colors are the way since TV's are in demo mode at the stores. Demo mode typically has the contrast way up and color set to vivid. 
  • Reply 12 of 19
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member


    HDR TVs for Apple TV 4K


    Where can one buy one of those adorable teeny 4K TVs.  Looks like they are from about 4" to 6" in size.
    Or perhaps the new Apple TV 4K is much, much larger than first thought.
  • Reply 13 of 19
    What to buy for a 4K TV has been driving me nuts these past couple weeks. Finally got my Apple TV 4K and decided there's now enough content coming out that it's time to upgrade our TV. So many choices and technologies and so damn much reading to do on each to try and determine which one I should get. Starting to pull my hair out.
  • Reply 14 of 19
    boltsfan17boltsfan17 Posts: 2,294member
    What to buy for a 4K TV has been driving me nuts these past couple weeks. Finally got my Apple TV 4K and decided there's now enough content coming out that it's time to upgrade our TV. So many choices and technologies and so damn much reading to do on each to try and determine which one I should get. Starting to pull my hair out.
    Personally, I would go with an LG OLED. I love my LG E6. Regardless of make, you definitely want a 4K TV that supports Dolby Vision. Dolby Vision UHD blu ray discs look pretty incredible. Once you get your 4K TV, download some of these UHD demos here. You can put them on a USB stick and just stick it in any TV with a USB port. 

    http://demo-uhd3d.com/categorie.php?cat=demouhd
  • Reply 15 of 19
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    What to buy for a 4K TV has been driving me nuts these past couple weeks. Finally got my Apple TV 4K and decided there's now enough content coming out that it's time to upgrade our TV. So many choices and technologies and so damn much reading to do on each to try and determine which one I should get. Starting to pull my hair out.
    Personally, I would go with an LG OLED. I love my LG E6. Regardless of make, you definitely want a 4K TV that supports Dolby Vision. Dolby Vision UHD blu ray discs look pretty incredible. Once you get your 4K TV, download some of these UHD demos here. You can put them on a USB stick and just stick it in any TV with a USB port. 

    http://demo-uhd3d.com/categorie.php?cat=demouhd
    I would have agreed had Cali not mentioned the TCL 55P605. In a few minutes research it looks like that set is very highly regarded, better rated than 4K sets twice as expensive. I may be looking at that as a holiday gift for one my kids who is looking to replace his older 720P hand-me-down. The specs even look pretty good for gaming which I know is one of his big interests. 
  • Reply 16 of 19
    boltsfan17boltsfan17 Posts: 2,294member
    gatorguy said:
    What to buy for a 4K TV has been driving me nuts these past couple weeks. Finally got my Apple TV 4K and decided there's now enough content coming out that it's time to upgrade our TV. So many choices and technologies and so damn much reading to do on each to try and determine which one I should get. Starting to pull my hair out.
    Personally, I would go with an LG OLED. I love my LG E6. Regardless of make, you definitely want a 4K TV that supports Dolby Vision. Dolby Vision UHD blu ray discs look pretty incredible. Once you get your 4K TV, download some of these UHD demos here. You can put them on a USB stick and just stick it in any TV with a USB port. 

    http://demo-uhd3d.com/categorie.php?cat=demouhd
    I would have agreed had Cali not mentioned the TCL 55P605. In a few minutes research it looks like that set is very highly regarded, better rated than 4K sets twice as expensive. I may be looking at that as a holiday gift for one my kids who is looking to replace his older 720P hand-me-down. The specs even look pretty good for gaming which I know is one of his big interests. 
    I was actually just reading a bunch of reviews for that TV on Best Buy. Lots of praise from gamers who are saying there is no input lag. It definitely sounds like its a pretty good TV. 
  • Reply 17 of 19
    I appreciate the suggestions and comments on the 4K TV's best suited for the 4K Apple TV.  I plan on a 75" 4K for my "theater room" renovation.  I currently have a 7.1 Surround setup, and I'm toying with an 11.2 Dolby Atmos/ DTS-X configuration, as I believe that a great picture should be coupled with a great sound system.  I am only aware, that this new 4K Apple TV decodes a Dolby Plus 7.1, which would be unacceptable to me.  Does anyone know whether this new unit will pass through the other sound codecs, which are far more prevalent in today's content?  ie.... DTSHD-MA 7.1, Dolby TrueHD 7.1, and then Dolby Atmos and DTS-X.  For the new Apple TV 4K to be considered a "high end unit", to be included in high end theater setups, I feel it must support more than DD Plus 7.1.
  • Reply 18 of 19
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    jmil32458 said:
    I appreciate the suggestions and comments on the 4K TV's best suited for the 4K Apple TV.  I plan on a 75" 4K for my "theater room" renovation.  I currently have a 7.1 Surround setup, and I'm toying with an 11.2 Dolby Atmos/ DTS-X configuration, as I believe that a great picture should be coupled with a great sound system.  I am only aware, that this new 4K Apple TV decodes a Dolby Plus 7.1, which would be unacceptable to me.  Does anyone know whether this new unit will pass through the other sound codecs, which are far more prevalent in today's content?  ie.... DTSHD-MA 7.1, Dolby TrueHD 7.1, and then Dolby Atmos and DTS-X.  For the new Apple TV 4K to be considered a "high end unit", to be included in high end theater setups, I feel it must support more than DD Plus 7.1.
    Apple has said ATMOS is coming. More disturbing to me is that the TV doesn't pass through a native picture, forcing every signal into a fixed output, defaulting to 4K HDR, applying a fake HDR/DV image regardless of whether the native source is encoded for it or not. It also upscales the source based on the fixed output rather than letting your TV do it. In the case of 940E, the TV 4K is inferior, in order to select the appropriate native output for each source, to get the best image, you have to go through 10-14 steps to switch back and forth. That's far more important to me than sound, even though I recognize the importance of both to a premium home theater experience. But I bought my Sony 900E for the superior viewing experience, and now Apple has rendered that moot, or at a minimum incredibly inconvenient to attain.
    jmil32458
  • Reply 19 of 19
    mac_128 said:
    jmil32458 said:
    I appreciate the suggestions and comments on the 4K TV's best suited for the 4K Apple TV.  I plan on a 75" 4K for my "theater room" renovation.  I currently have a 7.1 Surround setup, and I'm toying with an 11.2 Dolby Atmos/ DTS-X configuration, as I believe that a great picture should be coupled with a great sound system.  I am only aware, that this new 4K Apple TV decodes a Dolby Plus 7.1, which would be unacceptable to me.  Does anyone know whether this new unit will pass through the other sound codecs, which are far more prevalent in today's content?  ie.... DTSHD-MA 7.1, Dolby TrueHD 7.1, and then Dolby Atmos and DTS-X.  For the new Apple TV 4K to be considered a "high end unit", to be included in high end theater setups, I feel it must support more than DD Plus 7.1.
    More disturbing to me is that the TV doesn't pass through a native picture, forcing every signal into a fixed output, defaulting to 4K HDR, applying a fake HDR/DV image regardless of whether the native source is encoded for it or not. 
    Do we know that this is true?  If it is then why would it make sense for Apple to be listing what movies are available in HDR?  If they’re ‘HDR-ifying’ everything then why call out the movies that are actually HDR?  Also, that sounds terrible.  I may end up with an TV 4K and only use it for content that is actually 4K HDR and for everything else use a previous gen TV.
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