Going insane trying to pick between 65" Sony A80J/LG C1

[trnjackie23]

Like the title said and I know this has been asked a ton and I have read through these threads thoroughly too. I have put in tons of hours researching between the two and once I think that I have settled on it, I read things about the other TV that makes me question my choice. Repeat this 2x. I need someone to just tell me "GET THIS ONE" so I can settle this once and for all.

My usage: I watch mainly in the evening. A lot of movies and TV shows, I also have a PS5 and Switch. My watching vs gaming split is probably 70/30. I will be using an Apple TV 4K so the OS doesn't bother me that much. I do have to point out that my Apple TV 4K is the first generation model and not the 2021 version, would this affect anything? I've read from a few that it affects Dolby Vision blacks but it's just one anecdote so far.

My important pros for the Sony:

1. Better PQ from all the things I've read, better HDR. Slightly brighter.
2. Better upscaling. I do watch SD content occasionally and I love to watch old movies.
3. Better motion handling.
4. Better calibrated out of the box?

Cons:

1. Image retention. I heard this happens more often with Sony?
2. Hud/Logo dimming when playing video games?
3. Semi-gloss screen? would this make colors look more "dull" compared to glossy?
4. $100-200 more expensive depending on where I look.

My important pros for the LG:

1. Glossy screen helps colors pop and it feels more "glorious" to look at.
2. The stand it comes with is more classy looking to me.
3. $100-200 cheaper depending on where I look.
4. Better gaming settings/features

Cons:

1. Upscaling. I read that SD content can look grainy.
2. More saturated colors vs natural colors of the Sony

That's pretty much it. I feel everything is telling me to pick Sony and yet I'm still so torn.

Does semi-gloss/glossy make a big difference in image depiction quality?

And just to throw an outlier out there, what if I just go LED and go big and get a 75" Sony X90J for the same price? The distance from my couch to the TV will be 7 feet however, not sure if that'll be disorienting.

Anyway, please help me settle and pick one! THANK YOU!

 

[Dodgexander]

In the USA it is possible that the Sony A80J you buy has a later generation panel. This panel type can get brighter and is more durable in the long term, the extra durability may be related to what you've read about the TV being less likely to receive image retention. The brighter image part you've read is definitely due to the new type of panel. Having said this, since the new panels are being produced by LG themselves, it's also possible if you buy an LG C1 you also get the new type of panel too.

The sad thing is you can't know pre-purchase if you get one with the new type or the old type, so for the sake of comparison I'll assume you are comparing like for like in this area.

I don't think the pro's for the Sony have much consequence for you. The main thing is motion processing. Upscaling is better, but the chances are you'll already be upscaling at the source rather than the TV so its a bit of a moot point unless you send the original resolution to the TV.
For example, if you have a Blu-Ray player, DVDs will already be upscaled to 1080p and if you have 1080p Blu-Ray's, they will upscale already on both TVs well since they're pretty good quality already. Even the switch which still only outputs 1080p will upscale well on both TVs. Have a think about how you intend to use the TV, not only what you will watch, but how you'll watch it.

If you are going to be using internal apps to watch older content, then upscaling does have a consequence, or perhaps you are going to connect a DVD player that outputs the original DVD resolution?

Glossy/Semi glossy really isn't going to be a big difference, it's a moot point really. Both TVs will look near identical and have very good out of the box accuracy. There's not much that makes the Sony better in this regard. In fact, the LG actually does better with blacks because it doesn't suffer from near to black issues that the chipset the Sony uses shares with other TVs.

Logo/Hud dimming is handled different, the Sony will dim the entire screen. LG gives you the option to dim only those specific elements.

Overall I'd consider the LG in your shoes. I think the extra gaming features is also something you'll be glad of in the long term with 30% of your usage being games.

EDIT* forgot to answer your question regarding Apple TV.
The first gen Apple TV does the Dolby Vision processing on the player itself, whereas the second gen supports sending the processing to the TV instead. Some people claim that when the TV itself does the processing it looks better. In your case you could compare using internal apps on the TV and your Apple TV to see if there's any difference.

 

[trnjackie23]

In the USA it is possible that the Sony A80J you buy has a later generation panel. This panel type can get brighter and is more durable in the long term, the extra durability may be related to what you've read about the TV being less likely to receive image retention. The brighter image part you've read is definitely due to the new type of panel. Having said this, since the new panels are being produced by LG themselves, it's also possible if you buy an LG C1 you also get the new type of panel too.

The sad thing is you can't know pre-purchase if you get one with the new type or the old type, so for the sake of comparison I'll assume you are comparing like for like in this area.

I don't think the pro's for the Sony have much consequence for you. The main thing is motion processing. Upscaling is better, but the chances are you'll already be upscaling at the source rather than the TV so its a bit of a moot point unless you send the original resolution to the TV.
For example, if you have a Blu-Ray player, DVDs will already be upscaled to 1080p and if you have 1080p Blu-Ray's, they will upscale already on both TVs well since they're pretty good quality already. Even the switch which still only outputs 1080p will upscale well on both TVs. Have a think about how you intend to use the TV, not only what you will watch, but how you'll watch it.

If you are going to be using internal apps to watch older content, then upscaling does have a consequence, or perhaps you are going to connect a DVD player that outputs the original DVD resolution?

Glossy/Semi glossy really isn't going to be a big difference, it's a moot point really. Both TVs will look near identical and have very good out of the box accuracy. There's not much that makes the Sony better in this regard. In fact, the LG actually does better with blacks because it doesn't suffer from near to black issues that the chipset the Sony uses shares with other TVs.

Logo/Hud dimming is handled different, the Sony will dim the entire screen. LG gives you the option to dim only those specific elements.

Overall I'd consider the LG in your shoes. I think the extra gaming features is also something you'll be glad of in the long term with 30% of your usage being games.

EDIT* forgot to answer your question regarding Apple TV.
The first gen Apple TV does the Dolby Vision processing on the player itself, whereas the second gen supports sending the processing to the TV instead. Some people claim that when the TV itself does the processing it looks better. In your case you could compare using internal apps on the TV and your Apple TV to see if there's any difference.

Thank you so much for your informative post! I rarely watch DVD or blu ray and will mostly be streaming my content. I feel like most of the time I would be watching 1080p on YT/Netflix. Some SD content I would watch is, for example, Golden Girls on Hulu. I'm mostly worried about the "graining" that I see LG owners often comment about. Usually, I've seen people recommend that if you watch movies/shows more than half the time, go with Sony for the upscaling, so this is interesting that you ask that I consider the LG. Although, I do wonder if my upscaling dilemma could be for nothing since I am using an Apple TV and that could be doing its own upscaling work? (sorry, I'm not too familiar with the technologies regarding upscale/processing). I definitely want to use an Apple TV if I could since I am too deep in the Apple ecosystem, so I will compare that with the internal apps, and possibly upgrade to the 2nd gen if that fairs better.

Sony dimming the entire screen for hud elements does concern me since I'm worried it might be a bit dark for the kind of games I play, which is mostly atmospheric story single-player games like Horizon where there is a lot of dark night/caves in the game play.

 

[Dodgexander]

Upscaling will only be used by the TV if the source doesn't match 4k. If you're going to use the Apple TV 4k then you already send 4k to the TV, so the TV only sees 4k whether you play a SD, HD or UHD Movie.

So, you don't need to worry about upscaling if you are just going to use the Apple TV.

I'm not too sure what people mean by graininess but if it's with an older source there's not really much you can do about it. You can try adding some noise reduction, but it will also make the picture blurrier. Having such a clear display brings the worse out in sources.

If you planned on utilizing the TVs upscaling instead, for example via internal apps then the Sony will have a small edge. It's not a massive difference though. In fact, I'm not sure you'd really notice much of a difference between the TV and the Apple TV doing the upscaling.

Both TVs are fantastic, and I haven't known anyone to regret getting one over the other. At the end of day they are both two OLEDs sharing the same panel, so any differences are actually pretty subtle.

 

[kbfern]

I am in the same boat as the OP except it's the 77" versions of the C1 and A80J. I won't be gaming at all and will be used for general HD tv via Humax PVR and streaming Netflix/Prime 4k & HD material this can be via tv's inbuilt app or via 4k firestick plugged into my Denon X4500 AVR/eArc. There will also be 4k and 1080p blurays via AVR and my Panny 4k bluray player.

I was aware re the EVO panels on the LG that it is a lottery whether it has one or not but thought all the Sony A80J had the same panel. If this is not the case I am a bit worried as I was slightly swinging towards the Sony myself. I will however also be thinking of price differences between the two and at the moment having missed the big sales reductions a couple of weeks back on the LG where there was an extra £240 to be had making a £400-500 difference between the two. I am now hoping new sales prices are not too far away so I can get the new tv before they run out of stock and the newer C2 and A85K are the only much pricier options available.

I prefer the stand on the LG myself but that is moot as I will have to be using an after market stand like the one below to get my centre speaker under the tv on the tv stand.

Fitueyes Swivel Universal TV Stand S Series 50-85 Inch

adjustable height tv stand;60 inch Tv Stand;TV Component Shelf;Flat screen Tv Stand;Tv stand with mount;universal TV stand;TV stand;TV stand for Samsung TV;FTT107003GB

fitueyes.uk

 

[Dodgexander]

I am in the same boat as the OP except it's the 77" versions of the C1 and A80J. I won't be gaming at all and will be used for general HD tv via Humax PVR and streaming Netflix/Prime 4k & HD material this can be via tv's inbuilt app or via 4k firestick plugged into my Denon X4500 AVR/eArc. There will also be 4k and 1080p blurays via AVR and my Panny 4k bluray player.

I was aware re the EVO panels on the LG that it is a lottery whether it has one or not but thought all the Sony A80J had the same panel. If this is not the case I am a bit worried as I was slightly swinging towards the Sony myself. I will however also be thinking of price differences between the two and at the moment having missed the big sales reductions a couple of weeks back on the LG where there was an extra £240 to be had making a £400-500 difference between the two. I am now hoping new sales prices are not too far away so I can get the new tv before they run out of stock and the newer C2 and A85K are the only much pricier options available.

I prefer the stand on the LG myself but that is moot as I will have to be using an after market stand like the one below to get my centre speaker under the tv on the tv stand.

Fitueyes Swivel Universal TV Stand S Series 50-85 Inch

adjustable height tv stand;60 inch Tv Stand;TV Component Shelf;Flat screen Tv Stand;Tv stand with mount;universal TV stand;TV stand;TV stand for Samsung TV;FTT107003GB

fitueyes.uk

At 77" I think the A80J in Europe will come with the EVO panel. The LG C1 may even. A lot of the 77" models seem to be already made in the new facility and therefore they have the new type of panel. The smaller you go, the less likely the new panel will be.