TV Competition at Value Electronics Results in a New TV Champion
The 2025 Value Electronics TV Shootout, held on July 26 at their showroom in Scarsdale, NY, saw the Sony Bravia 8 II OLED TV emerge as the top performer, beating strong competitors such as the LG G5, Panasonic Z95B, and Samsung S95F OLED TVs.
The Event and Comparison Results
The event featured four flagship OLED TVs: Sony Bravia 8 II, Samsung S95F, Panasonic Z95B, and LG G5. All TVs were professionally calibrated to their best potential for a fair evaluation.
The scoring was very close. Sony's Bravia 8 II achieved the highest overall composite score of 4.02, narrowly beating Samsung S95F at 3.99 and Panasonic Z95B at 3.95. The LG G5 finished fourth with 3.49.
The evaluation had two main categories: Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) and High Dynamic Range (HDR). In the SDR category, the Sony XR80M2 (Bravia 8 II) OLED TV was the winner, leading in 2 of 4 attributes and the overall average.
In the HDR segment, Panasonic's Z95B took the lead, winning 2 of the 4 attributes evaluated and the overall average. Samsung's S95F was a close second, winning 2 of 4 categories and being barely behind Panasonic by .01.
Category-specific Observations
- Contrast/Grayscale scores favored Sony and Samsung.
- Panasonic scored highest in colour.
- Sony scored best in processing.
- Bright living room performance scored slightly higher for Panasonic and Sony.
Debates and Analysis
Despite Sony's victory, some experts and reviewers debated aspects of the shootout results. For example, one detailed analysis emphasized that LG G5 and Panasonic Z95B's WOLED panels are superior in bright rooms due to better contrast and avoiding magenta tint issues found in QD-OLEDs (used by Sony and Samsung). Sony excelled in dark room movie viewing and near-black detail, while Samsung had some weaknesses in motion handling and screen finish.
The Reign Continues
Regardless of these debates, Sony has now won the Value Electronics TV Shootout and earned “King of TV” status for over seven consecutive years.
In summary, the Sony Bravia 8 II OLED stands out as the best overall TV in the 2025 shootout due to its balanced performance across SDR, HDR, processing, and dark room viewing. However, depending on specific viewing environments (like very bright rooms) and use cases (gaming, movie watching), competitors like Panasonic Z95B and LG G5 offer strong alternatives with their WOLED technology.
The Sony Bravia 8 II OLED TV, despite controversies surrounding its performance in bright rooms, has been crowned the winner of the 2025 Value Electronics TV Shootout, marking its reign as the top TV model for over seven consecutive years. On the other hand, Panasonic Z95B and LG G5, with their WOLED technology, can serve as strong alternatives for viewers with specific needs, particularly in brightly lit environments.
