You Asked: 42-inch OLED TV vs monitor? Can any LED match OLED's viewing angle?

Digital Trends

a day ago

On today's episode of You Asked: Can any LED TVs match the viewing angle of an OLED? Should you go with a 75-inch LED TV or a 65-inch OLED? And… the return of my favorite username with a pretty interesting question around OLED monitors.
TCL QM7 (2024) vs TCL QM6K (2025)
@A_Malo asks: TCL QM7 from 2024 or TCL QM6K from 2025?
Good question—and one I'm sure a lot of people ask themselves when it comes to going with a current-year or previous-year model.
Still, to me, the QM7 is the clear winner for the reasons you might expect. The most important is that it's brighter and has better black levels, so the HDR performance is going to be better. Image processing is also a bit better on the QM7.
Now, the QM6K—in our review—did stand out because of how accurate the colors were out of the box, but the QM7 is still going to be the better buy, especially if they're around the same price right now.
In fact, I think it's been pretty slept on. I remember we were quite disappointed by the 2023 model, the Q7, but when I saw the QM7 in person at CES 2024, I was pretty impressed by the improvements they made. Especially if it's a good deal, I'd go for it.
Samsung 75-inch QN80F vs 65-inch OLED
@aydncan5788 asks: Should I consider a 75-inch QN80F model or a 65-inch OLED TV with the same budget? What do you think?
I think it depends a little bit on the OLED, but even a budget OLED like LG's B4 or B5 is going to be a considerably better performer than the QN80F.
That Mini LED TV from Samsung isn't as bright as some of their models higher up the line, like the QN90F. Typically, brightness might be one of the only advantages an LED TV has over an OLED—but that's not likely the case with the QN80F.
Again, not sure of the OLED, but if we compare it to an LG B-Series OLED, for example, it doesn't come with any huge advantages other than size in your scenario. Both have four HDMI 2.1 ports. LG supports Dolby Vision, while Samsung does not. Game mode responsiveness and input lag is pretty similar by the numbers, though the QN80F does have a faster max refresh rate at 144Hz compared to 120Hz on the B4.
Still, I wouldn't say that's enough for me to give the nod to the QN80F.
And as for size, a difference of 10 inches isn't enough to turn the tide either. Maybe if you were talking about an 85-inch versus a 65-inch, just based on getting a more immersive experience with a large screen. But the image quality of the OLED is too good to pass up in this scenario.
OLED monitor + Apple TV vs 42-inch OLED TV
@_Jiggle asks: I was thinking of getting an LG C4 42-inch OLED TV to use as a monitor. I'd be watching Netflix and whatnot, but it's quite expensive. So… I thought of getting an OLED monitor and pairing it with an Apple TV. Is this a good solution, and does it hinder certain things?
I think there are a few things to consider here, but let's start with your main hang-up—the price. I'm seeing the 42-inch LG C4 at $900. I don't know what OLED monitor you're looking at, but in my search, I found that most OLED monitors costing less than $900 also came in much smaller sizes, like 32 inches—or even down to 27 inches.
And if you had your eye on a 42-inch TV, that's a big compromise to make. Anything around 42 inches actually costs more than the C4.
So unless I'm missing something, that's kind of a wrap on that. It feels like a choice between a 27-inch monitor to save money or just going with the LG C4.
But there are some other things to keep in mind as your search continues. The first is the operating system. You mention potentially pairing it with an Apple TV. Some monitors do come with a built-in OS, like LG's webOS or Samsung's Tizen, but they may be above that $900 budget.
And in general, TVs have better picture processing that's designed for viewing content like movies and shows. I believe they have superior upscaling abilities as well. It sounds like you're more interested in that than gaming, so if I were you, I'd just keep saving or waiting for a better sale and getting the C4 when you're ready—rather than chase something that ultimately may not fit your needs.
Hope that helps.
TVs with the best built-in sound
@edwinsallan asks: What TV brand or model has the best sound from built-in speakers, where you won't need to buy a soundbar?
Thanks for the question, Edwin. Just going off TVs I've seen that have stood out to me, I'm going to go with the Panasonic Z95A, and you can literally see why it has such great sound.
There's an integrated soundbar strip along the bottom of the TV—typically where you'd place a soundbar connected via HDMI—and it does a great job elevating the Z95A's audio performance.
Where it stood out in our review was dialogue clarity. I think it has a lot to do with speaker placement in addition to size. Most TV speakers are along the back or sides of the TV, which is an immediate disadvantage when it comes to sending clear dialogue toward the viewer.
With the Z95A, that clarity is literally front and center. Unless you want additional components, like a subwoofer and surround speakers, you don't really need them to get a high-quality audio experience—in addition to outstanding OLED picture quality.
Do any LED TVs match OLED viewing angles?
@mike_98058 asks: Can any LED TVs match the viewing angle of OLED?
I'm gonna do my best with this one, Mike, but I think physics are going to be the main factor keeping LED TVs—even some of the best Mini-LED TVs on the market—from matching OLED viewing angles.
Because the pixels in OLED TVs light up individually, they create a more evenly distributed brightness and color source that can be seen more easily from multiple angles.
LED TVs have come a long way, but a lot depends on the panel type as well. I notice it all the time when viewing my QN90C at home compared to some of the other brands we get into the studio. The QN90C uses an IPS panel, known for better viewing at wide angles with a tradeoff in contrast. VA panels are the opposite—with higher contrast and more narrow viewing angles.
However, some of the big brands, like Sony and Samsung, are always working on improving VA panels to maintain great contrast—arguably the most important factor for creating a great viewing experience—while also improving viewing angles. And certainly, a lot of their more recent high-end 4K Mini LED TVs have reflected those improvements.
But… it just doesn't quite match OLED.