On today’s episode of You Asked… What’s the best 98-inch TV for sports? What can we expect from Apple CarPlay Ultra… and… How long should you expect a TV to last?
Best 98-inch TV for sports & streaming
Logan asks: We’re currently building a new home and I’m looking to upgrade my current television to a 98-inch or larger. We will mainly use our television for watching sports on YouTube tv or ESPN app and occasionally other streaming services for movies or series. So the questions are:
With sports being the main priority, which tvs would you recommend for watching sports?
And of these tvs, would you recommend utilizing an apple tv or another external source to better upscale the standard resolution.
Thanks for the question Logan. I think when addressing your first question, which TV would we recommend, coupled with the need for 98, the first thing we need to address is budget… because when we’re talking TVs that large, the price range from one brand and model to the next can be several thousand dollars.
If you’re willing to spare no expense, the Samsung QN90D – the 2024 model – goes $10,000. And the updated and recently released QN90F goes for $15,000. I feel ridiculous even listing those, but hey, spend it if you got it, I guess.
Coming down a little bit from that, you’ve got Sony’s 98-inch Bravia 5, a new Mini LED model offered in 2025. It retails for $6,500, so less than Samsung’s QN90D but still a bit steep given what other brands offer for considerably less.
Based off what I have seen and what I feel like is a much better price to performance ratio, and given some of the drawbacks mentioned in our review of the 98-inch Samsung QN90D last year, I think you’re much better off checking out the Mini LED options from Hisense and TCL.
At time of writing, TCL’s 98-inch QM7K quantum dot Mini LED TV is at 44% off, bringing it down to $2,800. That, my friends, is a steal for a TV at this size with its capabilities. It’s got the features you look for in a premium TV from top to bottom, supporting all the video and audio formats you could ask for like Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and DTS. And notably for sports, it has excellent SDR brightness and does a great job upscaling low bitrate content, like sports.
If you want to save a little more money, the TCL QM6K goes for a little bit less, but you will lose out a bit on performance and brightness. But having seen the 65-inch QM6K earlier this year, it is excellent, and seems to have improved off-angle viewing from previous years. I’m not sure if that carries over into all of TCL’s Mini LED offerings this year, but I think both of those 98-inch models would serve you very well.
I’d also point you toward the 100-inch Hisense U7QG which, spec-wise, is pretty much stride for stride with the QM7K, just a little bit more expensive at $3,000, though you also get two more inches.
Bottom line, I think TCL and Hisense make perfect TVs for sports, given how much they’ve been able to pump up the brightness over the years. And as you mentioned, when it’s time for movies and shows, you’ll be even more impressed with them being able to stream in Dolby Vision or a number of other HDR formats.
And that’s where we’ll answer the next part of your question: Do we recommend utilizing an Apple TV or another external source to better upscale the standard resolution?
No, at least not for the purposes of better upscaling standard resolution. Your TV’s upscaling is always going to do the best job because its processor is built to do the best clean-up job specifically for that TV. I don’t think adding an external device is going to hurt the picture quality, but I also don’t think you’re going to see any benefit over just using the apps within the TV operating system.
And side note before the next question I’ve seen the comments about how we frequently recommend Hisense and TCL. I’m just trying to think at least a little bit practically about a purchase of this magnitude. For a 65-inch TV, sure, the best of the best running you three to four thousand dollars is a little easier to stomach. It’s not nothing but it’s also a lot different than $6,000 or $8,000 or $10,000 or more, where some of these 98-inch TVs can go.
And objectively, if you look at how they perform, it’s hard to say if it’s triple or quadruple the price for a particular brand. By all means do your own research as well. Check the forums. See what others who own the TV have to say about their experience. But if you can save several thousand dollars, I don’t know take the kids to Disney World, take your significant other to Europe, buy some sick speakers to go with your TV. Just my two cents.
Also, right now, Memorial Day deals weekend, there are some huge TV sales going down… I’m talking Panasonic, Sony, Hisense, TCL, Samsung, LG… all of them.
Best TV for dark rooms?
Doug asks: My question is which TV is best for dark rooms , I currently have the U8 Hisense 55-inch but it’s giving me bad eye strains with brightness at 0 and all features turned off or on low.
Doug, the first thing I would suggest is, if you haven’t done so, dive just a little deeper into the settings. Check to see if you’re in a Standard or Vivid mode that tends to be a little more on the blue or cool side of color temperature. If you are, try changing to one of the theater modes or filmmaker mode. These tend to be a little warmer. There should be a Theater Night mode available on your U8 that makes dark room viewing a little more comfortable.
If that’s still too much for you, I’d suggest a budget friendly OLED, something like the LG B4 or B5. Maybe Samsung’s S85D or S85F, depending on what’s available and your budget. You’ll have gorgeous picture quality, and those models don’t tend to be as bright as their more expensive, flagship siblings.
How long should a TV last?
@THOMMGB asks: My question is: how long will a TV last? If I’m going to go to all this trouble and expense, I want a TV that’s going to last for years.
This is always a relevant question, especially in this economy, so thanks for sending it in.
A lot of estimates from my research says five to 10 years… but there are other factors at play here.
First, what’s it worth to you? If you drop several grand on a flagship OLED or Mini-LED TV, yeah, you’re gonna want it to last at least five years, and hopefully beyond that. But like I said in a previous episode, these are electronics with lots of components and points of potential failure. So if it really bothers you that there’s a risk, there are plenty of less expensive models that are still loaded with features and produce incredible images.
The other factor is how hard you drive the TV. In general, if you want it to last, using screensavers or making sure it’s turned off when not in use is a good idea, especially if it’s an OLED where there’s a risk of burn-in.
And that leads me to the next point, which is the all-important warranty. With LG in particular, they have a two-part, five year warranty for their G, M and Z level OLED TVs.
And that leads me to my final point. That LG warranty covers their most expensive TVs, probably because they’re pretty confident in how well they’re built. What am I saying here? You get what you pay for.
If you want a TV that lasts, I’d shoot for the upper tier models. It doesn’t have to be the most expensive, but not all TVs are built equally. I had to talk my parents off of this ledge recently, when they said they didn’t want to buy any more Samsung TVs because one failed them. But that TV was certainly not one of their better performing models. Sure enough, they’re now in love with the S90D that I recommended.
So to sum it all up, there’s not much of a guarantee you’ll get with any TV. If you search in forums long enough, you’ll probably find a cautionary tale against every brand you can think of. But, with research, care and maybe a little good luck, your TV should last you for years, at least long enough to get to the point where you’re ready to upgrade again.
Apple CarPlay Ultra Q&A
@danh9922 asked: So it’s not called CarPlay 2?
No, Dan. Technically, it’s never been called CarPlay 2. That’s just what the media was calling the next generation of CarPlay while all the rumors and leaks were swirling around. Apple never officially referred to it that way. It’s only ever been called CarPlay Ultra, which is what we now have.
Right now, it’s only available on the super-expensive new Aston Martins, so there’s a pretty high bar in terms of cost if you want to get into a vehicle with CarPlay Ultra today.
However, the good news is Apple has confirmed a number of automakers around the world are working on bringing CarPlay Ultra to future vehicles, including Hyundai, Genesis, and Kia. So, hopefully, more affordable options are on the horizon.
@King_Jab asked: What makes it Ultra? As someone who doesn’t have basic CarPlay, please explain the difference.
Great question. Traditional CarPlay acts as a mirror between your iPhone and the central display in your car. It shows key apps like Music, Messages, and Maps, allowing you to interact with them while driving, which is super useful. But it has little to no control over other parts of your vehicle.
CarPlay Ultra goes much further. It’s far more deeply integrated with your car’s operating system. You can control various vehicle features, like radio, climate settings, and even drive modes, all from within the CarPlay Ultra interface. You no longer need to exit CarPlay to access those functions.
It even extends to the digital cluster behind the steering wheel, offering customizable views that combine car data with key info from your iPhone. Everything you want, exactly where you want it. It’s a pretty special experience, and we’re really looking forward to trying it out.
But not everyone’s sold on it.
@bobdylanlovr69 says: Bad foresight by Apple, as many manufacturers are thankfully moving away from digital clusters for A/C and other utilities in favor of buttons and dials again.
And you’re not wrong. Having to use a touchscreen to change the climate can be fiddly and annoying. But the scope for CarPlay Ultra is so much greater. As the platform develops, we expect even deeper integration and more functionality, not less. So instead of going backward, I think we’ll see it evolve further.
Now, a couple of you asked about cost. Is Apple really giving something away for free?
Yes, the good news is CarPlay Ultra doesn’t have a separate cost. There’s no subscription or extra charge. The only things you’ll need are an iPhone (12 or later) and a compatible vehicle. Once you have those, CarPlay Ultra is ready to use at no additional cost.
Some of you are also wondering about Google and whether it has an Android equivalent in the works. Well, it sort of already does and in some ways, it may even surpass CarPlay Ultra.
There’s Android Auto, which works similarly to CarPlay, mirroring key apps from your phone to the car’s display. But then there’s Android Automotive, which is a full in-car operating system. It doesn’t even need a smartphone to function. It’s baked into the vehicle itself and includes Google services like Maps and Assistant. It’s already in use in Polestar vehicles, for example. So in that sense, Google may actually be ahead of Apple, at least in some cars.
And finally…
Mitchell asks: “When can I get CarPlay Ultra in my 2013 Toyota Camry?”
Unfortunately, Mitchell, I don’t think CarPlay Ultra is ever going to make its way into your 2013 Camry. Tough break there.