Podcast #960: Mulan, Cheap 98 inch 4K TV, and TCL 8-Series

On today’s show we discuss Disney releasing Mulan on Disney+ with an additional $29.99 charge. Is this the world we have been hoping for? We also take a look at a really “cheap” 98 inch 4K TV. And finally we try to determine if the new TCL 8 Series mini-LED TVis Braden’s next buy. All that plus news and your emails.

Disney’s ‘Mulan’ coming to Disney+ in September for $29.99

Disney said on Tuesday, in a surprise move, that its blockbuster feature “Mulan,” which has been delayed from its theatrical release since mid-March, will hit Disney+ on Sept. 4, for a premium price of $29.99.

The film will be simultaneously released theatrically in certain markets that have open theaters and where the company hasn’t announced plans to launch Disney+. It will be Disney’s first effort to sell content on Disney+, on top of the monthly $6.99 subscription. Full article here...

Want a cheap 98-inch 4K display? Check out this behemoth from Xiaomi

Meet the Redmi Smart TV MAX, a 98-inch TV that comes with its own white glove VIP installation service. Available at 19,999 Yuan (that’s about US$2,800, £2,200, AU$4,000), this absurdly massive display is actually not all that expensive.

The next cheapest 98-inch display on the market is the ViewSonic IFP9850, a touchscreen monitor that costs about three times more. Full article here… 

Or the:

Samsung 98" QB98R Edge-Lit 4K UHD LED Display. $8999 at B&H

TCL 8-series 4K UHD TV review: This TV gets as close to OLED as any LCD has come

With thousands of mini LEDs forming its backlight array, TCL's 8-series Roku TV delivers blacks beyond what even the best LCD TVs from other manufacturers have managed. Full article here…

TCL Q825 4K UHD smart TV (65-inch model 65Q825) $999.99 at BestBuy

Quantum Contrast technology - Our new mini-LED backlight technology offers powerful and precise control of brilliantly bright and deeply dark areas of the image, delivering depth, dimension, and contrast. The viewing experience is improved throughout the screen. High-Performance Mini-LEDs - The 8-Series uses high-performance mini-LEDs to bring precise local dimming and smooth, uniform illumination. AiPQ Engine - Uses machine-learning algorithms to optimize color, contrast and clarity for an unrivaled 4K HDR experience. Wide Color with QLED color technology - Quantum dot technology delivers better brightness and wider color volume, matching the format used by most cinema screens and Hollywood content creators, for exceptionally vivid and lifelike picture performance. HDR - Provides images with superior color, contrast and brightness, so all your favorite movies, shows and games come to life in stunning clarity. Supports Dolby Vision, HDR 10, and Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG).

From the article:

OLEDs do starfields almost perfectly; the Q825 merely does them very, very well. It doesn’t deliver pure black, but close enough that you have to look hard to see the difference.

I kept throwing my most problematic material at it and the 65Q825 kept coming up smelling like roses. Mostly. It failed on one highly detailed pan, but I’m calling that an outlier as it aced others that should’ve exhibited the same artifacts. Screen conformity was also very good, though off-angle viewing isn’t on par with some of the top-end LCD sets from Sony and Samsung.

AT A GLANCE 

TCL Q825 4K UHD smart TV (65-inch model 65Q825) Super granular mini-LED backlighting delivers the most stunning blacks we've seen from an LCD TV. Quantum dots refine the color, and processing is top-notch. One of the best values in LCD TVs we've tested.

Pros

By far the best blacks of any LCD TV we've tested Excellent overall picture

Cons

Overpriced when not on sale No Bluetooth