It also aims to provide you with a great streaming experience with rich, clean audio from twin 12W speakers and access to thousands of shows and movies. Also: OLED vs QLED: Which is better? However, the biggest strike against the Omni QLED is that a lot of its cool functionality is locked behind Alexa. This means that in order to get cool features like making voice or video calls, playing trivia, or checking the weather, you’ll have to buy an Echo device and set up an Alexa profile if you don’t have one already.
Pricing
For example, the Hisense A6 65-inch normally sells for about $470 while still providing premium-grade features like Dolby Vision support, voice controls, and screen mirroring. And TCL, the undisputed king of budget TVs, sells its 65-inch 5 Series for around $500 while giving you comparable picture and sound as well as VRR support for console gaming. Also: The 5 best budget TVs
Picture and sound
The QLED panel definitely seems like an improvement over the previous iteration, producing more colors, better contrast, and sharper detailing. It also supports Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ for enhanced settings when you need it, which is great news for movie and TV show buffs. And it is absolutely worth going through the HDR calibration process (which only takes a few minutes) to fine-tune your images to get the best picture possible. Also: Microsoft: This new Windows 11 app will tune your HDR display The TV also has a dedicated gaming picture mode. This gives your games a much-needed visual boost – especially if you’re playing an older console or digital copy of an older game. The adaptive HDR10+ settings automatically adjust brightness, contrast, and color to make scenes look sharper and more eye-catching. Another small gripe I have with the Omni Series QLED is the 60Hz refresh rate. While this is perfectly fine for most streaming and broadcast entertainment, if you’re an avid console gamer or sports fan, it leaves a lot to be desired. And while I understand there are licensing fees for supporting AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync specifically for gaming, general VRR support would have gone a long way toward providing smoother on-screen action. Also: The 5 best gaming TVs The integrated speakers on the TV are a credit to the redesign, however, providing rich, clear audio that doesn’t sound tinny or muffled like some stock TV speakers can. Dolby Digital Plus audio support also ensures that you’ll get deep bass notes, as well as clear mid and high tones, so you never miss a line of dialogue or bit of music. Also: The 5 best video streaming services If you decide to download Alexa Skills, you can play music, games, check the weather, get daily trivia, or even make and receive video calls. Skills are what really set the Omni QLED apart from similar smart TVs from competitors like TCL and Hisense. Without access to these features, the Omni QLED is reduced to a pretty bog-standard smart TV with better-than-expected picture and audio capabilities.
Gaming
Where I was the most surprised with the Omni QLED is just how well it does with console gaming. I set up both my PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch and ran this TV through every test and challenge I could think of. And the Omni Series QLED is more than capable of delivering a quality console gaming experience. Also: Best TVs for gaming The dedicated gaming mode is automatically enabled as soon as the TV detects that your console is powered on and connected, which is great because you don’t have to navigate through any confusing menus to get the best picture possible for your games. This picture mode automatically boosts contrast and color to give you sharp, clean images that make characters and landscapes really pop. I was most impressed with just how great Ghost of Tsushima looks, with its cinematic landscapes, rich character modeling, and sheer amount of stuff on screen at any given point. And even with the Omni QLED’s somewhat lackluster 60Hz refresh rate, I never had any issues with screen tearing or artifacting; and I never had any issues with motion blur feeling excessive or like an annoyance. It does get a bit tricky when playing rhythm games, as it can throw you for a loop when trying to hit complicated beat combos, but it doesn’t detract from most games. The Switch looks nice on this TV as well, especially since many Nintendo titles have bold colors and interesting art direction that work really well with the QLED panel. The original Paper Mario looks clean, if clunky in comparison with later entries to the series, and Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a delight. I usually play console games with a headset so I can better pick up on audio cues and dialogue, but the integrated speakers of the Omni QLED provide loud and clear audio that doesn’t make you miss out on fine details like wind through trees, subtle music, and quiet character conversations. If you’re in the market for a TV strictly for console gaming, I’d highly recommend the Omni QLED. Even at the full $800, it’s still a solid option against competitors from brands like Sony and LG when it comes to picture quality and a smoother, more enjoyable gameplay experience.
Streaming
Also: The best free movie apps While these are generally helpful for finding new things to watch, if you’re absolutely against ads, it’s something to keep in mind. Especially since they don’t always load on startup, leaving your TV screen a void of various shades of gray. Once you have all of your apps downloaded, you then have to configure your quick-selection menu. It’s not a particularly difficult or time-consuming task, but it’s a small annoyance that recently used apps don’t show up on the home screen automatically. You have to access your full library by going to the settings menu, where you can then add your favorite streaming services to your quick-access menu. Thankfully, you really only have to do this once if you’re like me and you stick to just a handful of streaming apps; but if you like to switch things up a lot, you’re going to spend a lot of time tweaking your quick-access list. So if you’re having issues sharing anything via AirPlay or Chromecast, I suggest checking the settings menu for the latest firmware update. And if that doesn’t work, a good old-fashioned reset usually takes care of any software or connectivity weirdness. Which unfortunately means you’ll have to go through your setup and home screen configuration process again. Also: How to AirPlay to a TV Once I got AirPlay to work properly, it was fairly easy to stream Twitch broadcasts, TikTok videos, and YouTube clips to the TV. A few image quality issues cropped up, like weird white balancing and washed-out colors, but I chalk this up to the way screen mirroring works rather than any fault with the TV. And unless you plan on scrolling through your TikTok FYP for hours, you’re not going to notice much of a difference anyway. Animation is another area where this TV really comes into its own. Whether you’re watching brand-new shows or childhood favorites, the Omni QLED can produce bright, vivid colors that make every frame feel cleaner and more exciting. Overall picture quality varies quite a bit, depending on the age of the animated show or movie you’re trying to watch. But even original episodes of Dexter’s Laboratory look clean and sharp; there’s a little “fuzziness” at times with older shows and movies in general, due to the resolution limitations of the time. But the 4K upscaling does a great job of bringing out fine details without ruining the charm.
Bottom line
The dedicated gaming picture mode lets colors and details pop while the integrated speakers provide clean, clear audio. And even older cartoons and films look amazing with upscaled 4K resolution, letting you revisit childhood favorites in a satisfying way.
Alternatives to consider
The Hisense A6 offers similar picture and audio quality along with features like Dolby Vision, screen mirroring, and a dedicated game mode. Though its list price is $470, it’s currently on sale for about $80 less than the Omni’s sale price and more than half of the Omni Series QLED’s retail price, making it a great option for budget-conscious shoppers. TCL is best known for its budget-friendly smart TVs. But just because they’re on the cheaper side doesn’t mean they’re cheaply built. The 65-inch 5-Series also uses a QLED panel with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support as well as 40 contrast control zones for enhanced detailing and contrast. It also has a dedicated game mode, but where it differs from the Omni Series QLED is that the 5-Series supports VRR technology. This syncs the TV’s refresh rate with that of your console’s video output, preventing annoying screen tearing and stuttering. The Omni QLED is locked at 60Hz, where the 5-Series is more flexible for smoother motion. The LG QNED80 is another great alternative to the Omni Series QLED. It retails for about the same as the Omni’s retail price, but beats out the Omni QLED with a 120Hz refresh rate, Nvidia GeForce Now support, and Bluetooth surround sound support. It also supports AMD FreeSync Premium VRR for smoother motion while gaming. The QNED80 also uses AI to create virtual surround sound, so you don’t have to set up extra speakers for great film and TV audio or music.
