Podcast #1213: 2025 Value Electronics TV Shootout
Release Date: 08/08/2025
Podcast #1228: Black Friday 2025
HDTV and Home Theater Podcast
On this week’s show we find you the best Black Friday deals for your home theater, well at least at the time of recording. We also read your emails and take a look at the week’s news. News: Other: Bright Side Home Theater MOVEMBER MEGA RAFFLE 2025 Black Friday 2025 Each year we go through the Black Friday ads from various stores and list items. It's a long list and can be tedious to listen to. So this year we decided to search out what we thought were the best deals on various items for your Home Theater and Smart Home. This year many retailers are not releasing their sales until...
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Podcast #1227: Best AV Receivers for Newbies, Enthusiasts, and Fanatics
HDTV and Home Theater Podcast
On this week’s show we look at alternatives to YouTube TV for sports fans. We also look at AV Receivers for Home Theater Newbies, Enthusiasts, and Fanatics. And like always, we start with your emails and take a look at the week’s news. News; Other: Please support Movember and enter to win great prizes from Bright Side Home Theater Best AV Receivers for Newbies, Enthusiasts, and Fanatics It's getting close to Black Friday and you may want to upgrade your home theater system for the Holidays and you are wondering what AVR should I consider. Well the HT Guys have done the...
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HDTV Rewind Episode #15: Your email and News
HDTV and Home Theater Podcast
On this episode of the Rewind show we go back to November 12, 2010 where we read your emails, look at a news story or two.
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Podcast #1226: What is Automatic Content Recognition (ACR)?
HDTV and Home Theater Podcast
On this week’s show we have an essay from one of our listeners on why he wants to stick with his DVR over streaming. We also take a deep dive into Automatic Content Recognition and how to turn it off on your smart TVs. As usual we also read your emails and take a look at the week’s news. News: Please support Movember and enter to win great prizes from Bright Side Home Theater Swimming against the Stream - An essay from Jorge Beltran I know I will sound old and swimming against current, but I would like to go back to my world where we had our cable subscriptions, DVR and...
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Podcast #1225: Top User Rated Original Movies per Streamer
HDTV and Home Theater Podcast
On this week’s show we identify the top IMDB user rated original movies per streamer. We also read your emails and take a look at the week’s news. News: Other: Top User Rated Original Movies per Streamer Last week we ran down the top streamer’s price histories and at one point I (Ara), said that Amazon really didn’t have many movies worth watching but since it came included with Prime shipping who cares. So this week I wanted to see what Amazon Original Movies were available and how they rated on IMDB. This did not include TV series like Reacher, Terminalist, etc. I just...
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Podcast #1224: Streaming Price Hikes: A Historical Look
HDTV and Home Theater Podcast
On this week’s show we look at the streamers and their pricing history. Are they keeping up with inflation or are they seeing how far they can keep raising prices. We also read your emails and take a look at the week’s news. News: Other: Streaming Price Hikes: A Historical Look Netflix Netflix has raised prices multiple times since launching its streaming service in 2007, with increases tied to content investments and competition. The service now offers four tiers: ad-supported Standard with Ads, Basic (ad-free, one screen), Standard (ad-free, two screens), and Premium (ad-free,...
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HDTV Rewind Episode #14: 5G Broadcast
HDTV and Home Theater Podcast
On this episode of the Rewind show we go back to October 21st 2023 where we read your emails, look at a news story or two, and discus 5G broadcast on how it can change how we interact with your media devices.
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Podcast #1223: Lost TV Series Finales and Five Smart Home Trends
HDTV and Home Theater Podcast
On this week’s show we look at some 1960s and 1970s TV shows that received their series finally in a movie at least ten years after going off the air. We also take a look at five home automation trends for this year and beyond. We also read your emails and take a look at the week’s news. News: 47 Years Ago: Rescue from Gilligan's Island Makes TV History On October 14, 1978, television history was made with the premiere of Rescue from Gilligan's Island, the first-ever TV series adapted into a made-for-TV movie. Airing 47 years ago today, this film brought back the beloved cast of the...
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Podcast #1222: Five Highly Rated 55 Inch TVs Under $500
HDTV and Home Theater Podcast
On this week’s show we recommend five 55” TVs for less than $500 that will give you the best bang for your buck! We also read your emails and take a look at some of the week’s news. News: Other: Highly Rated 55 Inch TVs Under $500 This week we scoured the Internet for best bang for the buck TVs that would work in a typical family room. For this criteria we landed on 55” as it is, in our opinion, the Goldilocks size. We read reviews from sites like RTINGS, CNET, Tom's Guide, and What Hi-Fi? To select five models that have something for everyone. All the TVs are 4K smart...
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Podcast #1221: RTINGS Longevity Burn-In Test Updates
HDTV and Home Theater Podcast
On this week’s show we take a look at the Longevity Burn-In Test Results From 100 TVs that has been tracking for the last two years. We also read your emails and take a look at the week’s news. News: Other: Longevity Burn-In Test Updates And Results From 100 TVs has been conducting an for over two years. We've covered it periodically but haven't provided an update recently. In today's show, we'll summarize the key findings and discuss their implications for consumers. 1. Introduction to the Test Methodology and Purpose RTINGS.com conducts an extensive longevity and burn-in...
info_outlineOn this week’s show we discuss the 2025 Value Electronics TV Shootout. We also read your emails and take a look at the week’s news.
News:
- Nielsen: Ad-supported content dominates TV viewing
- NFL sells NFL Media, including RedZone, to ESPN
- New Fox One streaming service to launch in August
Other:
- How to Increase Storage on Google Chromecast With Google TV
- Howdy Subscription | Ad-Free Streaming | The Roku Channel
Sony Crowned King of TVs for the Seventh Year Running at the 2025 Value Electronics TV Shootout
For the seventh consecutive year, Sony has claimed the title of “King of TVs” at the 2025 Value Electronics TV Shootout, held at their Scarsdale, New York showroom. The winning model, the Sony Bravia 8 II OLED (K65XR80M2) $3000, emerged victorious in a fiercely competitive field of flagship OLED TVs from LG, Samsung, and Panasonic. This annual event, now in its 21st year, is a benchmark for videophiles, retailers, and manufacturers, offering a no-nonsense, side-by-side comparison of the best TVs on the market.
The Value Electronics TV Shootout
Founded in 2004 by Robert and Wendy Zohn, the Value Electronics TV Shootout has become well known for its rigorous and objective evaluation process. Each TV in the shootout is professionally calibrated and tested under identical conditions—same lighting, same content, and against professional-grade Sony BVM-HX3110 mastering monitors, which are the gold standard for video professionals.
The TVs are judged on picture quality attributes like color accuracy, contrast, motion handling, and performance in both Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) and High Dynamic Range (HDR). This year’s competition was exclusively dedicated to OLED TVs, with no separate category for LCDs, reflecting the industry’s shift toward OLED’s superior black levels and color reproduction.
The 2025 lineup featured four flagship 65-inch OLED models:
- Sony Bravia 8 II QD-OLED (K65XR80M2) $3000
- Samsung S95F QD-OLED (QN65S95F) $3300
- Panasonic Z95B WOLED (TV65Z95BP) $2000 US Model is Z95A
- LG G5 WOLED (OLED65G5WUA) $2900
A panel of ISF-certified judges, including display and film production professionals, evaluated the TVs using a mix of Blu-ray movie clips and specialized test patterns, ensuring a comprehensive assessment of their capabilities.
Sony’s Bravia 8 II QD-OLED won top honors for its exceptional SDR performance and consistency. Judges noted Sony’s superior video processing, which delivered cleaner images and better upscaling than competitors. Kevin Miller, ISFTV president and display consultant, stated, “Sony’s video processing is cleaner and handles upscaling better than Samsung’s, despite both using the same quantum dot OLED panel.” This processing edge proved decisive.
Panasonic’s Z95B OLED marked its U.S. market return at the 2025 Shootout, narrowly winning the HDR category over Samsung’s S95F by 0.01 points. Absent from the U.S. for years, Panasonic leveraged the event to showcase its OLED lineup, previously limited to Europe and Asia. Alex Fried, Panasonic’s director of business development, emphasized the brand’s renowned picture quality, saying, “It was great to be back in the shootout, reflecting Panasonic’s legacy of top-tier performance.”
Samsung’s S95F QD-OLED came in a close second overall, splitting HDR category wins with Panasonic and performing strongly across the board. Its quantum dot OLED panel, shared with Sony, delivered impressive brightness and color volume, but it fell slightly short in SDR due to Sony’s superior processing.
LG’s G5 WOLED, however, was a surprising disappointment, finishing last in both SDR and HDR categories. Despite LG’s pioneering role in OLED technology and its use of RGB OLED panels from LG Display, the G5 struggled with color accuracy and EOTF (electro-optical transfer function) issues. Judge Chris Boylan, co-founder of Big Picture Big Sound, noted, “The LG was a little disappointing with some processing issues that lowered its overall scores in some categories. Some of these might actually be fixable with future software updates.” This outcome raised questions about LG’s current standing in the OLED race, especially given its historical dominance in the category.
Final Thoughts
Sony’s seventh straight “King of TVs” win at the 2025 Value Electronics TV Shootout reaffirms its position as a leader in premium display technology, driven by superior video processing and consistent performance. However, the tight competition—especially Panasonic’s HDR upset and Samsung’s close second—shows that the gap between top-tier OLEDs is narrower than ever. For consumers, this means more choices and exceptional quality across the board. Whether you’re a videophile chasing the ultimate picture or a casual viewer seeking a top-tier TV, the 2025 Shootout proves that OLED is the technology to beat, and Sony’s Bravia 8 II is currently leading the pack.
Note - Hisense and TCL were invited to the 2025 Value Electronics TV Shootout but chose not to participate.