$30 vs $30,000 TV

Quick Overview

The $30,000 Hisense 116UX TV offers superior image quality, especially in HDR, due to its RGB MiniLED technology, which provides better black levels and color accuracy compared to the $30 Insignia Fire TV, despite the $30 TV being surprisingly usable for basic tasks.

Key Points: The $30 Insignia 32-inch 720p TV cost $30, which inflated to $10,107 in 2025 dollars, and offered a 1366x768 resolution and basic Fire TV experience. The $300 55-inch Roku TV provided 720p resolution, Roku OS features, and acceptable SDR performance (Avg dE2000: 6.04) but lacked features like 5GHz Wi-Fi or an input button on the remote. The $3,000 83-inch Samsung S85F OLED offered excellent performance (Avg dE2000 SDR: 1.65) but lacked local dimming, resulting in dull HDR highlights (Avg dE ITP: 9.81). The $30,000 Hisense 116UX RGB MiniLED TV achieved a peak brightness of 6,551 nits in Vivid mode and significantly better color accuracy in HDR (Avg dE ITP: 9.81) than the Samsung OLED. The Hisense 116UX includes advanced connectivity like 4x HDMI 2.1 ports (one eARC) and a USB-C port supporting DisplayPort Alt Mode. The massive 116-inch Hisense TV has 9x the number of pixels as the 32-inch Insignia, offering nearly double the pixel density (45 ppi vs 38 ppi for the 32-inch, though the 116UX PPI was not explicitly stated in comparison to the 83-inch Samsung). Manufacturing efficiency is highlighted, showing that using a single large 'mother glass' sheet (Gen 10.5) for cutting multiple smaller TVs (like 32-inch models) is more efficient (90%+) than using smaller mother glasses.

Context: The video compares four televisions across a massive price spectrum: a $30 Insignia, a $300 Roku TV, a $3,000 83-inch Samsung OLED, and a $30,000 116-inch Hisense RGB MiniLED TV, testing their performance through SDR and HDR content playback, input lag, and connectivity features to determine if the massive price difference yields proportional quality improvements.

Detailed Analysis

The video concludes that while the $30 Insignia TV is functional for basic viewing, the $30,000 Hisense 116UX RGB MiniLED TV offers significantly superior picture quality, especially in HDR, due to its advanced technology, including RGB MiniLED backlighting which avoids the color filtering issues seen in standard MiniLEDs. The Hisense achieved an impressive 6,551 nits peak brightness in HDR Vivid mode, although its Filmmaker Mode HDR color accuracy (Avg dE ITP: 9.81) was not perfect. The $300 Roku TV was deemed usable but suffered from low brightness and poor color accuracy in HDR, and lacked features like an input button on the remote. The $3,000 Samsung S85F OLED had excellent SDR color accuracy but poor HDR performance (Avg dE ITP: 9.81) due to a lack of local dimming zones, causing highlights to blow out, as demonstrated during the 'Encanto' fireworks scene. The presenters also discuss manufacturing efficiency, showing how larger 'mother glass' sheets lead to better cutting yields for larger TV sizes, and highlight the superior connectivity of the Hisense, which includes four HDMI 2.1 ports and a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode, unlike the cheaper models.