Q: I have a 15-year-old 48-inch Vizio LCD TV. It has been a good TV with good picture quality. What I especially like about it is that it has a nonreflective matte screen. (It sits in a great room and does not reflect the lighting in the room.)
It's time to replace it, but every TV we've tried has a highly reflective screen, and those reflections are very distracting. Do you have any recommendations? We are looking for a 55-inch television, and our budget is $1,500.
A: I have a recommendation, but first I want to point out that sometimes just a little bit of an adjustment in placement can reduce reflections drastically. The law of reflection states that the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection, and sometimes just a very minor adjustment of the television's placement or viewing angle can drastically reduce or eliminate glare at your viewing position.
If the TV is wall-mounted, try adjusting the angle of viewing furniture or move lighting sources (such as lamps) a few inches. It can be surprising what a difference a small tweak can make.
Samsung (samsung.com) is well known for televisions that reject glare and reflections. I use a 75-inch Samsung Q90 from 2019 in my living room, and I can confirm that the anti-reflective technology works very well. But not all Samsung televisions incorporate this technology, so you have to be selective.
The Frame QLED LS03B is the one you want. It features a matte screen with anti-reflective technology, and the 55-inch size sells for $1,499, which fits your budget. Besides being a very good TV, it can double as a frame for art — thus its name — when not in use. You can display your own images or download some from Samsung.
The Frame includes a slim-fit wall mount, and you also can buy an easel that serves as a stand. If you opt for wall mounting, I recommend professional installation to ensure that the wires are properly hidden, which really enhances the framed-art experience.
There are some televisions that are advertised as reducing reflections and glare, but it is not because of a matte screen or special coating. They are advertised as such because they are very bright, which overpowers the reflections. It is a less-than-ideal solution. I will have more to report in a future column.
Great TV deal
I often receive emails asking for suggestions for televisions available at Costco, given the lower prices, longer warranty and return policies. I recently came across a deal that I can recommend to anyone looking for a big, yet inexpensive TV. The 58-inch TCL S-series 58S470G Google TV is currently on sale at Costco for $299.99, including a three-year warranty and an HDMI cable. It is a fully featured set with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision (rare at this price point) and a nice picture for the price. The 70-inch version is only $479.99.
