Versus 4K TVS

Two of the best tellies for World Cup drama

The World Cup is a month away and that means two things: endless hyperbole and new tellies. After all, England’s inevitable triumph will surely ring hollow unless you’re watching on one of these Ultra HD champs…

Just as Cristiano Ronaldo can always produce a stunner and Dele Alli loves a tumble, one of life’s more recent truisms is that OLED TVS are superior to LCD types. That’s why Samsung’s QLEDS haven’t quite set our hearts alight in the same way their rivals from LG, Philips and Sony can. At least, until the Q9F came along…

Having rushed onto the pitch while its OLED rivals were still in the changing rooms preparing for spring launches, this new Samsung claims to finally bridge the gulf in class with a handful of new signings. Chief among these is a direct backlight that promises a huge step up from the edge-lit tech last year’s models were peddling.

What does this mean? Well, in footballing terms it’s akin to switching managers from Gareth Southgate to Joachim Löw. One of the two technologies is a solid hand; the other can win you a tournament. So that’s why we’ve pitted the Q9F against one of last year’s very best OLED TVS: the Sony KD-65A1.

If this Samsung is to rule the world in 2018 it’ll have to trump the current title-holders and then some. Otherwise another post-match inquest into what went wrong at Samsung will be sure to follow. The good news is, the Q9F turns out to be quite the wonderkid – one with the cinematic chops to push our Sony into extra time at least. And it’s not just about picture quality – new smart features and a decor-boosting Ambient Mode are also impressive.

So, who emerges victorious in this televisual shoot-out? Turn the page to discover the champion, and several more torturous sporting metaphors.