On today’s episode of You Asked: Why do TVs at Costco and other stores have different model numbers than everyone else? Is it time to upgrade your OLED TV or do you just have FOMO? Should you spend more money on a disc player for superior upscaling? And does 8K content actually look better than 4K content?
Different model numbers, same TVs?
Joshua and Jim both wrote to ask how Costco is selling a 98-inch TCL Q672G for about $1500, noting that the deal comes with Costco’s extended warranty and a $100 gift card as a bonus, sweetening the deal. They wondered why the model number seems to be exclusive to Costco and whether the TV is the same as the Q651G, which sells for the same price at other retailers.
First, why do we see retailer-exclusive models? Costco has a tremendous amount of buying power. Their business model is about moving large amounts of goods: They have both the money to buy a bunch of TVs and the ability to sell them all. This puts them in a great place to make special requests and offer TVs at lower prices than anyone else.
There are rules around minimum advertised pricing, or MAP as it is known in the retail industry. For example, TCL will mandate that a certain model of TV cannot be advertised lower than a certain price – the MAP. This helps prevent price gouging and keeps the market relatively competitive among retailers.
However, Costco can buy their way around those rules by telling a TV brand: “Hey, we’re going to buy a massive number of TVs from you. We’ll guarantee this massive minimum order quantity for the year, meaning you are going to clean up. But part of the deal is that you slap model numbers on the TVs unique to us. That way we can sell them for whatever price we want, create unique bundles with them, and offer extended warranties on them in whatever way we desire. And we can also protect other retailers because the unique model numbers make them exempt from price-matching policies, which, by the way, is a two-way street – we don’t have to price-match someone else.”
There is a long list of advantages that come with having your own TV model numbers from any number of brands – and that’s exactly what’s going on with the Q672G at Costco.
Sometimes these custom models are more stripped down, but in this case the Costco-only model appears to be the same as the Q651G, aside from the fact that it is only available in 98 inches. However, it’s also true that retailer-exclusive models can sometimes have extras that the most comparable models don’t.
Regardless, it is important to look closely at the specs sheets when comparing models to see where differences may exist. In this case, the Q672G looks like a 98-inch only version of the Q651G with a few Costco perks tossed in for good measure. (And it’s a great deal.)
Better upscaler: Do you actually need one?
Christian writes: I recently started collecting more 4K Blu-rays, Blu-rays, and DVDs, and now I am looking to get a dedicated player for them. One of the main features I’m looking for: a good upscaler for my non-4K Blu-ray discs. Do I need a good upscaler if I am using a higher-end TV like the LG C3? The upscaling on the C3 seems good to me, so would it be worth buying a more expensive 4K Blu-ray player that has great upscaling capabilities vs. a cheaper one that still has a solid feature set (DV, Atmos, HDR 10+)?
The upscaler in a higher-end TV like the LG C3 will be at least as good, if not better, than the upscaler built into a high-end disc player. Choose the disc player based on other criteria, like build quality, audio and video codec support, or other highly specific needs like advanced DACs for audio (potentially better than what’s built into your receiver).
Outside of professional-grade video devices, the upscaler in a TV is almost always going to be better than what’s built into a consumer-level video device – streaming box, game console, etc.
Viewing 8K content: Now you know
Grayson writes: Does 8K native content look better on an 8K TV than on a 4K TV? People often say that it’s impossible for human eyes to tell the difference, but people were also saying the same thing about 4K when it was new! If there is a difference, on what size TVs does it start to become noticeable? I know 8K is still years away – I’d just like an expert to weigh in.
Resolution benefits of the higher pixel density of an 8K display are only really meaningful when, for example, sitting unusually close to a large display like a 55- or 65-inch TV. Practically speaking, though, 8K makes little difference in TVs under 85 inches. If you were sitting really close to a TV, like you might with a computer monitor, you might be able to see pixels from 4K, but not from 8K.
However, resolution is only one of the many factors that contribute to image quality. The upscaling process is hard, even from 4K to 8K, so it’s sometimes possible for 4K content to look better on a similarly equipped 4K TV than an 8K model.
Here’s the thing: 8K content production has not been democratized in the same way as 4K. Many folks can make content on their phones that is technically 4K, but that doesn’t make it high-quality.
For now, recording 8K native content requires a pretty expensive camera. The folks who own those pricey devices also tend to be really good at making videos, from taking a lot of care when color grading to actively avoiding too much compression. Quality 8K content will often have a higher bit-depth, too, which means better color.
In short, 8K native content – like the kind available from Eugene Belsky’s or Jennifer Gala’s channels on YouTube, among others – is super high quality for many reasons, with resolution being a relatively small part of it.
On an 8K TV, native 8K content looks better than upscaled 4K content largely because it’s consistently very high quality. Also, upscaling – even 4K to 8K – is a resource-intensive job. Even though upscaling 4K to 8K is easier than upscaling 1080p to 4K, there’s no getting around the fact that having information for every pixel is almost always going to be better than making up information for three out of four pixels.
Now you know, and as GI Joe says, “Knowing is half the battle.”
New TV FOMO
Zane writes: I currently have a 65″ LG B2 OLED with a 5.1.3 soundbar. When I purchased my TV, I had to order online the best OLED I could get/afford at the time (thankfully it was a good one). Seeing all of the praise for the latest OLEDs makes me want to get one. I currently love my TV and at times I find it blindingly bright and can’t really fit anything larger. With that, I have three questions:
- Should I consider getting a newer TV already, or is it just FOMO?
- Is it a good idea to sell my TV and put that cash toward a new one?
- I’ve never seen you review the LG B series TVs and I think they’re overlooked gems. Have you considered looking into them?
First, my hope is to help folks understand when it makes sense to upgrade from an already awesome TV – specifically an OLED TV, which tends to be fundamentally awesome. With that in mind, here are my answers:
1. Are you just having FOMO, or upgrade-itus? There’s definitely some of that going on. However, if you’re not disappointed with your TV on a daily basis, you probably don’t need to upgrade. However, you may want to upgrade because you love this stuff: It brings you joy and it is exciting to dream about getting something awesome. It’s all totally valid. Some folks like to upgrade their cars, some like to upgrade their kitchen appliances or cookware, some like to upgrade their speakers, and some like to upgrade their computer accessories. TVs are a hobby for some of us, and hobbies come with enthusiasm and upgrade-itus, and the constant pursuit of more excitement through new and improved gear. So, you may be having a bit of FOMO, but there is nothing wrong with that, unless of course, you are spending frivolously and avoiding other responsibilities – that’s when hobbies can go too far.
2. Is it a good idea to sell your TV and put that cash toward a new one? I struggle to think of a scenario where it wouldn’t be a good idea. You’re proposing selling something you no longer want to help offset the cost of something you do want. Unless you have a use for that TV elsewhere, sell it and use the proceeds to offset the upgrade cost. Otherwise, you just have a TV collecting dust, and that isn’t worth much at all, is it?
3. With regards to reviewing those overlooked gems, the LG B-series TVs … I haven’t been able to make time for them in my review schedule, but I have often considered them. I think I am going to bring in the latest LG B-series OLED TV this year. One reason: Sansui is coming to the U.S. market with competitively priced OLED TVs and it’s important to see what you get for spending a bit more with LG’s B series. In the past, the price difference between the C series and B series has not been significant enough to warrant special attention because the price of all of them was well into the premium tier. If you were going to spend that kind of money, you might as well get the only slightly more expensive, higher-performance model. However times have changed, and I think the B Series is going to be more attractive than ever. LG isn’t pushing that model super hard, so they are more likely to display the more expensive, higher-margin C and G series in the coveted retail spaces they are afforded at places like Best Buy.
