Page 34 - The Costco Connection - October 2018

TV’s fi rst prime time network
color series was The Marriage,
a situation comedy broadcast
live by NBC in 1954.
TECH
CONNECTION

A new

view

The latest buzz in TVs
is OLED, and they’re
pretty cool
LG
by MARC SALTZMAN
Y ou’ve finally decided to buy a K between the brightest whites and the
darkest blacks). Why? With LED TVs,
TV, one of those beautiful televi-
sions that deliver four times the
resolution of high-definition. the pixel shutter is closed to show black, JOHN GOLDSTEIN
but the backlight is never turned off,
Perhaps you’ve even narrowed down your which sometimes allows some of the light
decision to the brand you want and even to leak through. With each pixel illumi-
the screen size. nating independently, this isn’t the case
But wait! There’s one more thing you with OLED televisions. We’re talking
need to decide on: Should you go with an pure black, which adds more depth to Marc Saltzman
OLED TV? movies, TV shows, sports and games. is a leading high-tech
Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with • OLED TVs are incredibly thin, reporter and is the
this exciting new panel technology for because each pixel is its own light source, author of more than 16
today’s big-screen televisions. I can bring and therefore no backlighting is required. books. He’s on Twitter
@marc_saltzman.
you up to speed. In fact, most OLED televisions are only a Saltzman will answer
couple of millimeters thick, or about the selected questions in
What’s an OLED TV? same width as a few credit cards stacked this column. He regrets
Most K TV screens have backlight- one on top of another. that unpublished
ing technology courtesy of LEDs • Thanks to the lack of a shutter array, questions cannot be
(light-emitting diodes), but some OLED TVs can show fast motion with answered individually.
newer television panels layered with less blurring and fewer ghosting issues. Email
OLEDs—organic light-emitting diodes What’s more, OLEDs offer an impres- connection@costco.com
—are made from carbon-based materials sively wide viewing angle, so there’s not a Please include
that emit light when electricity is applied bad seat in the room. “Tech Connection”
through them. • If you like larger TVs, you’re in luck. in the subject line.
These televisions boast the following OLED televisions are only available in Mail
key benefits: large sizes: ƒƒ inches and more. Q&A Marc Saltzman
• OLED TVs deliver unprecedented Reading about the benefits of OLED Costco Connection
contrast ratios (the luminance difference is fine, but it’s best to see the technology P.O. Box 34088
with your own eyes. Seattle, WA
98124-1088

Sounding off
the evening news or a rerun include Bluetooth support COSTCO
With so much attention given of an old sitcom, but you to wirelessly stream music CONNECTION
to the television screen, it’s can do much, much better. from your smartphone; and Look for OLED TVs
easy to overlook the other A slender sound bar—which some have advanced audio and sound bars at your
important element of your typically sits just below the codecs like Dolby Atmos to local warehouse and on
home theater: sound. Oh television screen—might brin g movies alive in your Costco.com.
sure, your TV’s stereo audio be what you need. You’ll home.—MS
might be OK for watching hear dialogue better; many

OCTOBER 2018 Costco Connection 31

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