Sony’s X950B is a class-leading 4K LED TV, but does it make sense to buy one?

By Caleb Denison September 27, 2014

Sony’s flagship X950B 4K LED television has a good chance at earning our recognition as the best 4K LED TV for 2014, but its top-notch performance comes at a stiff price: $7,000. In 2013, that kind of price would be considered a good deal for a 4K TV, but 2014 is a very different year for what is still thought of as a new breed of television technology. Thanks to Vizio, top-tier 4K/Ultra HD television prices are plummeting, and they’ll be even lower soon enough. That makes Sony’s 4K hero a super-premium option, and dangerously close to the cost of a 4K OLED television, which offers vastly superior picture quality over LCD-based televisions, even one as awesome as the X960B.

With all that considered, the X950B, and Sony on the whole, deserve some recognition. It’s been several years since Sony offered up a flagship that gave the other big players in the TV market a big-time run for their money. And boy does this TV compete.

With a full array of locally-dimmed LED backlights, stellar black levels and contrast, industry-leading video processing, and access to Sony’s vast array of streaming content and games along with everything Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant, and others have to offer, this TV delivers a premium experience to back up that premium price tag. In addition, its svelte exterior design is bound to look good in any home entertainment room. Oh, and did we mention it isn’t curved?

Take a closer look at one of the best TVs this year as to offer in our hands on video, and let us know what you think about the primo price and proximity to next-gen 4K OLEDs, due out later this year.

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Digital Trends Editor at Large Caleb Denison is a sought-after writer, speaker, and television correspondent with unmatched…

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Best Buy TV deals: Save on QLED TVs, OLED TVs, and 8K TVs

The Vizio V-Series 4K TV in the living room.

Landing some savings on a new TV is a pretty easy feat, as retailers are almost always willing to dish out some good TV deals. This is especially true of Best Buy, which is regularly discounting models by many of the best TV brands. Best Buy currently has a lot of TV deals to shop, and they include picture technologies that include QLED TVs and OLED TVs, as well as resolutions that range from 4K to 8K. We’ve rounded up all of the Best Buy TV deals worth shopping right now, so if you’re looking for a new centerpiece for your living room, basement, or home theater, read onward for more details.
Insignia F30 50-inch 4K Fire TV -- $230, was $300

A 50-inch 4K TV is a good size to suit most rooms, and the Insignia F30 has almost everything you could hope for in a TV this size. It presents all of your favorite content in breathtaking 4K resolution, and HDR technology provides a wide range of color details and sharper contrast, making movies more immersive and things like sports more impactful. Versatile connectivity ports make it easy to connect home theater peripherals. This TV also offers smart features like Alexa voice control, DTS Studio Sound, and Apple AirPlay. And because the Insignia F30 is a Fire TV, it will give you instant access to over 500,000 streaming movies and TV episodes, and access to thousands of channels and apps.

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Samsung’s new 98-inch DU9000 4K TV is just $4,000. Can it beat TCL and Hisense?

Samsung 98-inch DU9000 4K TV.

Samsung's new 98-inch DU9000 Crystal UHD 4K TV is here and it's priced at $4,000, making it the company's most affordable 98-inch TV so far. Until now, if you wanted a Samsung TV in a massive, 98-inch screen size, you'd be looking at a starting price of $8,000 for the 98-inch QLED Q80C 4K TV. You can order the 98-inch DU9000 starting April 15, at samsung.com.

As 4K TVs get bigger, so does the size of the individual pixels, which can decrease perceived sharpness. Samsung says that the DU9000 is equipped with its Supersize Picture Enhancer, a technology that tries to compensate for this tendency.

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This 75-inch 4K TV is discounted from $650 to $490 right now

Toshiba 55-inch-class C350 series 4K smart Fire TV on a gray shelf and light gray background.

If you want a big TV for less, Best Buy is the place to go. Home of many of the best TV deals throughout the year, it’s excelling itself with the Toshiba 75-inch C350 4K TV right now. Usually priced at $650, it’s down to just $490 which is exceptional value for such a large TV. If that sounds perfect to you, keep reading while we take you through how good the Toshiba 75-inch C350 4K TV is for the price.

Why you should buy the Toshiba 75-inch C350 4K TV
The Toshiba 75-inch C350 4K TV is powered by Toshiba’s Regza Engine 4K. It’s able to upscale non-4K imagery while also offering great picture quality. That’s enhanced by its Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10 support so you can enjoy a more cinematic image than with lesser TVs. For sound, there’s Dolby Atmos which helps provide a more immersive experience so you can enjoy feeling suitably wrapped up in whatever you’re watching.