Every year, Digital Trends editors hand pick the most exciting products we’ve had the privilege of handling this year. Make sure to check out award winners in categories from cars to computers, plus the overall best product of 2017! Read on for the home theater products that floored us this year.
Winner
LG C7P OLED TV
For three years in a row, LG’s OLED TVs have dominated their peers, easily plucking our top nomination in this category. That’s what happens when you make the best TV we’ve ever tested. This year our choice was a bit more difficult; as LG’s OLED line expanded to include eye-popping wonders like the W7 “Wallpaper” OLED, Sony burst onto the scene with the A1E OLED, LG’s first real competition in the space.
In the end, LG’s C7P OLED still won out for offering the best combination of picture quality, design elements, and relatively approachable price. This TV does everything, does it all better than every other TV on the market, and delivers it at the most approachable price in its class. Simply put, the LG C7P defines the future of television.
Having already put the LG W7 Wallpaper OLED through its paces, we knew what to expect when the C7P OLED arrived. That’s because every 2017 LG OLED TV uses the same OLED panel and processing engine – the only differences between the five models comes down to aesthetics and sound quality.
We are reminded once again of how much impact perfect black levels can have on an image.
Taking in the C7P’s mesmerizing picture, we are reminded once again of how much impact perfect black levels can have on an image, and we are impressed with the improvements LG has made to brightness levels, shadow detail, and HDR image processing for this year. Plus, LG is the only company which can lay claim to supporting every version of HDR available today, with the most compatible streaming apps, along with the best Dolby Atmos surround sound support.
Sony’s A1E OLED is indeed remarkable – it’s screen is the speaker system for crying out loud. But as much of an art piece as the A1E may be, it’s not accessible to the broader public — like the LG W7, it’s just too expensive.
The only thing more exciting to us than LG C7P OLED TV is what it represents: OLED TVs are becoming more and more affordable with every year that passes, and 2018 promises to bring OLED excellence at an even better price.
Read our full LG C7P OLED review
See itRunners up
Until this year, TCL wasn’t on anyone’s radar, let alone on their short list for a new TV. The Chinese company is still considered a newcomer to the U.S. market, but ears perked up when TCL unexpectedly produced a high-performance LED TV with 72 zones of backlights for enhanced contrast, support for both HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and the top-notch Roku TV operating system built right in. What’s more, the company delivers all of this performance in a beautiful 55-inch screen size for under $700 – a serious smack to the face of TCL’s competition, and a literally game-changing move.
Watch our TCL P Series Roku TV video review
Even if you already have a smart TV, there’s a strong case for owning the Roku Streaming Stick+. Roku’s platform is extremely easy to use, offers more apps than the competition, and has the best search system available today. For $70, you get a powerful little piece of hardware you can take anywhere, meaning Roku can rule your living room, bedroom, hotel room, or dorm room. The device supports 4K resolution and HDR, is super-fast, and includes an inline external antenna for the best possible Wi-Fi reception. Whether you’re just getting into streaming TV or are already a veteran cord cutter, this Roku Streaming Stick+ is your next best friend.
Read our full Roku Streaming Stick+ review
