# $30 vs $30,000 TV Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M5RLKfvoq0 Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/_M5RLKfvoq0 Generated: 2025-12-13T18:33:23.635+00:00 --- ## 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. ![Screenshot at 2:44: The presenter gestures toward the massive, dark 116-inch Hisense TV, emphasizing its sheer size compared to the much smaller $30 Insignia TV shown in the comparison graphic below.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/_M5RLKfvoq0/00-02-44.png) **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. ### Budget TV Testing - The $30 Insignia NS-32F201NA23 (720p) showed significant blooming and poor contrast, while the $300 55-inch Roku 55R4C5 provided better usability but still had low PPI (45) and lacked 5GHz Wi-Fi and an input button. ### Mid-Range OLED Performance - The $3,000 83-inch Samsung S85F OLED had excellent SDR color accuracy (Avg dE2000: 1.65) but poor HDR performance (Avg dE ITP: 9.81) due to a lack of local dimming, causing bright scenes to clip. ### Flagship Comparison - The $30,000 116-inch Hisense 116UX RGB MiniLED achieved significantly higher peak brightness (6,551 nits in HDR Vivid) and better overall HDR performance than the Samsung OLED, despite the Samsung's superior SDR color accuracy in Filmmaker Mode. ### Features and Connectivity - The Hisense 116UX includes modern ports like 4x HDMI 2.1 (1x eARC) and a USB-C port supporting DisplayPort Alt Mode, which are absent on the budget sets. ### Manufacturing Insight - Samsung's shift to larger 10.5-generation mother glass allows for better cutting efficiency (up to 90%+) for larger OLED panels, though this doesn't guarantee better overall performance. ### Gaming Performance - Input lag on the Hisense 116UX was measured at 13.5ms at 60Hz (0.9ms over theoretical perfect), which is good but still had noticeable smearing on fast-moving action. ![Screenshot at 0:04: The presenter introduces the $30 Insignia TV, showing its 19-inch diagonal screen size from an old advertisement, contrasting it with the price adjusted for 2025 inflation \($10,107\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/_M5RLKfvoq0/00-00-04.png) ![Screenshot at 0:18: Best Buy product page showing the 32-inch Insignia Fire TV on sale for $35, which is compared to the $69.99 regular price.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/_M5RLKfvoq0/00-00-18.png) ![Screenshot at 0:35: A vintage Kmart ad showing a large console TV priced at $698 in 1980, which adjusts to $2,541 in 2025 dollars, illustrating historical TV costs.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/_M5RLKfvoq0/00-00-35.png) ![Screenshot at 1:16: Hetzner Object Storage pricing is shown, advertising $5.99/month for 1TB, used as a sponsor break context.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/_M5RLKfvoq0/00-01-16.png) ![Screenshot at 3:52: Close-up of the Hisense 116UX ports, showing 3x HDMI \(1x eARC\), USB-A, Optical Audio, and Headphone Jack, highlighting its connectivity suite compared to cheaper models lacking some features like a headphone jack or USB-C.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/_M5RLKfvoq0/00-03-52.png)