Best 2016 OLEDs: LG Electronics
Tuesday, January 5, 2016 at 1:09PM Updated August 9, 2016: images, specs, and availability
LG is in a unique position with its OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display technology - OLED produces epic picture contrast and color saturation in a design that can be a scant few millimeters thin. Critically, LG is the only company currently shipping OLED TVs to consumers - Panasonic will join the OLED ranks later in 2016 starting with European customers.
For 2016, LG brings a new generation of 4K OLED TVs under its Signature line of premium products. LG's 2016 4K OLED TVs and its new LG SUPER UHD LCDs support all current formats of high dynamic range (HDR) video including HDR10 and Dolby Vision. The 2016 4K OLEDs have also received "Ultra HD Premium" certification under the requirements of the UHD Alliance (UHDA) that specify minimum brightness and black levels, input capabilities, and HDR format support - this certification will be the label to look for when shopping for the most future-proof 2016 TVs. The only 1080p OLED model in LG's 2016 lineup will be the EG9100 carried over from 2015.
Best 2016 LCDs: LG Electronics
Additional features common to all 2016 LG 4K OLED TVs:
- 10-bit panel
- 10-bit processing
- RGBW sub-pixel structure
- BT.2020 gamut support
- 14% wider gamut than 2015 OLED
- Forward-firing speakers (G6/E6)
- Crystal back cover (G6/E6)
- 2.57mm thin
- webOS 3.0
The LG G6 OLED TV (pictured above) is the company's flagship TV for 2016. It's difficult to express in words how important black level is for impressive video reproduction, and the ability for LG's new OLEDs to achieve a nearly imperceptible measurement of 0.0008-nits is clearly appreciated when viewing in dimly lit environments where the eye is most sensitive to light. OLED's superb black level also has the added benefit of making colors appear more richly saturated - the Helmholtz-Kohlrausch effect.
All of LG's 2016 OLED TVs continue to feature a RGBW (RGB+white) subpixel structure comprised of white OLED material topped with a color filter. The use of a white-only OLED material simplifies manufacturing (compared to discrete RGB OLED pixels) while enabling increased brightness. The G6 will be available in screen sizes of 65-inches and 77-inches. LG failed to deliver a 77-inch OLED in 2015, so the G6 will likely be the first to break the 65-inch retail barrier.
One clever design touch with the G6's harman/kardon-enhanced AV base is the ability to fold back and out of the way for a wall mount installation. With the base in its standard position for table top use, the speakers are front-firing for improved audio performance. The back cover of the G6 and E6 TVs is a glass sheet that the ultra thin OLED panels are attached to. This durable "crystal" back can be further enhanced with static artwork as was demonstrated (below), however, LG provided no time frame for when or if this adornment would be made available to potential owners.
Review: LG Portable LED Projector
Signature E6
LG's new E6 OLED TV (pictured below) brings similar harman/kardon audio enhancements and translucent glass back cover as the G6. Screen size options with the E6 series include 55-inches and 65-inches. Like the G6 series, the E6 is also a flat screen design.
Sources of HDR UHD content continue to grow, and LG highlighted content from YouTube, Amazon, and over-the-air via ATSC 3.0 technology. Below is a short clip of the new E6 series 4K OLED TV in action - pardon the funky background music, but I felt it sounded better than the loud mess of a crowded show floor.
Curved OLED
Of course, there has to be a curved 4K OLED option in LG's 2016 lineup, and the LG C6 OLED TV series is it. Also available in 55- and 65-inch screen sizes, the C6's "blade slim" curved design will appeal to fans of the curved shape, and I find curved TVs are better at minimizing distracting room light reflections.
If you are looking for the best flat screen OLED deal in LG's 2016 lineup, then the LG B6 OLED TV is for you. Available in 55-inch and 65-inch screen sizes, this "blade slim" flat design isn't scheduled to appear until later this year, and it should prove to be a very popular option going into the Summer season. Given the minor grumbling about the above-average video lag with LG's 2015 OLED TVs (~50ms), it will be interesting to see if the new designs can cut that in half or more.
OLED Signage
LG's display division also demonstrated a variety of advanced OLED designs including prototypes with plastic substrates that enabled flexible display designs that could be (gently) rolled up. Dual-sided (and very slim) OLED displays were also demonstrated, and convex/concave signage demonstrations using several OLED panels tiled together proved very eye-pleasing (below).
Robert's Favorite Home Theater Gear
This article will be updated as new information becomes available
Best 2016 LCDs: Sharp
Tuesday, January 5, 2016 at 1:00PM Highlights: 2016 Sharp LCDs feature curved screens, local dimming, and quantum color
Sharp's TV business in the Americas has been acquired by Chinese TV manufacturer Hisense, and Sharp's 2016 TV lineup may represent the last "pure" offering from the company before the brand takes new direction. That said, Sharp's best 2016 televisions will offer the latest in picture quality enhancements and advanced multimedia capabilities.
A new UI
Sharp's 2016 HD and ultra-high definition (UHD) televisions have received a user interface (UI) make over that makes better use of higher screen resolutions. The result appears to provide a cleaner look that finally does away with the clunky retro-looking menus of past designs.
Ideally, the clean interface presented above extends to all sub-menus for a consistent presentation.
The Flagship - AQUOS N9000 Series
The Sharp N9000 series UHD TVs feature the company's SPECTROS quantum dot technology for producing chromatically-rich white light that enables improved brightness efficiency and color saturation. The N9000 series also marks the first time the company has offered HDR compatibility in both flat and curved screen design options.
Other N9000 series features include:
- Full array local dimming backlight
- High-dynamic range (Open HDR spec)
- Quantum dot color (91% Rec.2020)
- 2x2 dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ac
- dbx-tv sound
- 8-core processor
- VP9 and HEVC decoding
- 4K media support
- App store + web browser
The 65-inch Sharp AQUOS N9000U (LC-65N9000U - pictured above) is the company's first curved screen TV offering, and the addition of full array local dimming (FALD) should enable brightness and contrast on par with similarly spec'd premium LCD televisions like the Samsung JS9500 (read review). Good FALD isn't cheap or easy to do, but the resulting improvement in picture contrast makes it my favorite LCD feature. The 65-inch N9000U is expected to ship early-to-mid 2016 with a price of $3000 (MSRP).
If you are not a fan of curved TV screens, then the 70-inch Sharp AQUOS N9100 (LC-70N9100U - pictured above) gives you all of the same picture performance and features of the curved N9000 in a flat screen design. The 70-inch N9100U is expected to ship early-to-mid 2016 with price of $3300 (MSRP).
Sharp AQUOS N8000 Series
Bringing more value to increasingly popular large UHD screen sizes, the Sharp AQUOS N8000 series televisions will feature fewer zones of local dimming compared to the company's flagship N9000 series while providing similar core specs and compatibility with HDR video sources. The N8000 (pictured below) achieves its wide color gamut (WCG) support through the use of optimized color filters and polarizers, and I'll be curious to see how the TV's color gamut coverage compares to other LCDs using quantum dot or phosphor-enhanced LED backlight systems. The 70-inch Sharp AQUOS N8100U (LC-70N8100U) has an MSRP of $2300 and is styled similarly to the N9100 pictured above.
The N8100 features a full array local dimming backlight system while its larger sibling, the 75-inch Sharp AQUOS N8000U (LC-75N8000U - pictured above) is edge-lit with local dimming capabilities. The Sharp LC-75N8000U has an MSRP of $3000.
Sharp AQUOS N7000 Series
Sharp's N7000 series of UHD TVs is also HDR-ready but sacrifices wide color gamut support to be an even better value. The N7000 series features similar wireless networking, CPU power, sound, and multimedia support as Sharp's premium models. However, only the larger 70-inch Sharp AQUOS N7100U (LC-70N7100U) will feature full array local dimming while the smaller sized Sharp AQUOS N7000U series (pictured below) lack hardware local dimming altogether.
MSRP pricing for the Sharp AQUOS N7000 series TVs is as follows:
- 70-inch LC-70N7100U: $1,999.99
- 65-inch LC-65N7000U: $1,499.99
- 60-inch LC-60N7000U: $1,199.99
- 55-inch LC-55N7000U: $799.99
- 50-inch LC-50N7000U: $699.99
- 43-inch LC-43N7000U: $499.99
Review: Great Portable BT Speaker
Sharp N6000 Series
Rounding out Sharp's 2016 UHD TV offerings is the N6000 series. This series delivers many of the same base features of Sharp's premium 2016 TVs including an 8-core CPU, wireless networking, and apps. The N6000 TVs are also compatible with HDR-encoded content albeit without the wide color gamut or local dimming capabilities of more expensive models. The big deal here is attractive pricing for mid-sized UHD resolution LCDs.
- 55-inch LC-55N6000U: $749.99
- 50-inch LC-50N6000U: $599.99
- 43-inch LC-43N6100U: $449.99
Robert's Favorite Home Theater Gear
This article will be updated as new information becomes available
2016, 4K UHD, Display Tech, LCD, Previews, Quantum Dots Best 2016 LCDs: LG Electronics
Saturday, January 2, 2016 at 5:00PM Updated March 19, 2016: 8K and HDR update
LG Electronics has introduced its premium 2016 lineup of ultra-high definition (UHD) LCDs branded under the moniker "LG SUPER UHD". LG's latest UHD TVs include four distinct series for North American markets with three of them highlighted for preview today. The fourth series is a "production-ready" 98-inch 8K TV - 4x the resolution of a regular UHD TV.
All of LG's 2016 Super UHD TVs will feature the company's latest LCD/LED picture technologies including:
- High-dynamic range (HDR10/PQ Curve compatible)
- Wide color gamut (WCG)
- Updated IPS panel
- 120Hz refresh rate
- HDMI 2.0a/HDCP 2.2
- Flat slim designs
- Edge-lit LED backlight
- SDR-to-HDR conversion engine
- webOS 3.0
One item of note above is HDR10 support: an LG representative stated that all of LG's 2016 OLED 4K TVs and SUPER UHD LCDs will support all current HDR formats including the Dolby Vision format supported by VUDU and soon Netflix. Amazon and YouTube HDR playback compatibility are also arriving in 2016.
Review: LG Portable LED Projector
webOS 3.0
Aiming for an interface that provides the user with "simple connection, simple switching, and simple discovery", LG's webOS 3.0 is paired with an upgraded Magic Remote that adds DVR controls and improved universal control. The webOS 3.0 platform introduces the following new updates and features:
- Magic Zoom - screen magnification without quality degradation
- Magic Mobile Connection - Android/iOS compatible streaming
- My Channels/Live Menu - check favorite channels easily
- Channel Plus - free over-the-top (OTT) content
- Channel Advisor - displays frequently viewed TV shows
- Multi-view - view two sources simultaneously
- Music Player - use TV speakers when display is off
- IoTV app (Internet of Things) - control compatible devices via TV
Among the many new features of webOS 3.0 that are listed above, I'll be looking to see if Multi-view allows for the use of two HDMI-connected source devices - something that most TVs are unable to utilize for picture-in-picture (PiP) or side-by-side simultaneous viewing.
The lineup
LG's 2016 SUPER UHD TVs have transitioned away from the use of quantum dot technology to improve brightness efficiency and color saturation. Instead, these TVs will feature an upgraded phosphor-coated LED backlight system paired with a tighter, thicker color filter layer to expand color coverage for supporting 4K UHD video sources. LG claims this technology dubbed Color Prime Plus achieves 91% coverage of the Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) color space that is used in commercial cinema. DCI's enhanced color (compared to HD) has become available via streaming 4K UHD video services as well.
UH9800
There aren't many details available about LG's production-ready 98-inch 8K Super UHD TV (model UH9800). Last year, LG demonstrated a very similar 98-inch 8K LCD that boasted an HDR-benefiting "ultra" luminance algorithm and a wide color palette. However, LG has announced that this TV will feature a superMHL port to wrangle an 8K video signal into this massively detailed screen.
Review: Vizio 5.1 Sound Bar System
UH9500
The flagship UH9500 series TVs feature LG's latest display improvements and design concepts. The 9500's bezel is a sliver-thin strip of trim with slightly rounded corners leaving the eyes to focus on its triple-filtered 10-bit screen that reduces glare and reflections by a claimed 50% better than last year's tech. Compared to LCD panels that operate at 8-bits per color channel or less, a 10-bit LCD should better reduce the appearance of banding and posterization artifacts.
Other noteworthy features of the UH9500 include:
- 10-bit panel/10-bit processing
- Color Prime Plus
- Ultra-thin chassis (6.6mm/0.22in)
- harman/kardon-enhanced audio
- "Magic Sound Tuning" room audio analyzer
- "Near invisible bezels"
- Screen sizes: 55- to 86-inches
- Triple layer anti-glare/low-reflection film
The "sound tuning" room audio analyzer has my attention - I'm hoping it uses the microphone on the remote to listen for setup tones (stay tuned!)
The LG UH8500 also features the company's Color Prime Plus technology for a greater range of color saturation. However, instead of the UH9500's triple layer of anti-glare/low-reflection film, the UH8500 gets a double layer that LG claims provides a 40% improvement over 2015 TVs. Like the flagship UH9500, the UH8500 also features a 10-bit panel. Screen sizes for the UH8500 series are 55-inches and 60-inches. Note: the UH8500 was originally described as an 8-bit LCD - LG has since clarified that it is in-fact a 10-bit LCD.
Review: Samsung's Best 2015 TV
UH7700
Rounding out LG's Super UHD TV lineup is the UH7700 series that features the company's Color Prime technology (not Plus) that will presumably be slightly less colorful compared to the UH9500/UH8500 TVs. The UH7700 also features an 8-bit IPS panel with improved dithering to minimize artifacts like banding in fine gradients. Screen sizes for the UH7700 series are 49- to 65-inches.
Robert's Favorite Home Theater Gear
This article will be updated as new information becomes available
Comcast/Xfinity Video Setup
Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 4:19PM Updated December 8, 2015: Charter subscribers report success with similar hardware and technique
If you subscribe to Comcast/Xfinity cable TV service, chances are you have a set top box from the company connected to your television using an HDMI cable. Too many times I've encountered these boxes in a misconfigured state that negatively affected picture quality. Given how expensive a year's worth of HD cable TV service costs, it's worth spending 5-minutes checking some basic settings in that box's 'hidden' menu.
Note: this information applies to regular Comcast/Xfinity set top boxes and not the newer X1 hardware.
Robert's Favorite Home Theater Gear
For this operation, you will need the Comcast/Xfinity remote control and the remote control for your TV. If you haven't already, easily configure your Comcast/Xfinity remote to control your TV and other home theater gear!
Step #1
Turn your TV ON and make sure the Comcast/Xfinity box is OFF.
Step #2
Press the MENU button on the Comcast/Xfinity remote.
At this point, the front of the set top box should display the current video aspect ratio (16:9 or 4:3).
The TV screen should now display the 'hidden' setup menu.
If for some reason the TV Type setting is anything other than 16:9, change it to 16:9 to match the shape of widescreen televisions. Next, I would verify the settings under the Additional HDMI Settings menu.
The configuration pictured above is my recommended setup for all modern HD and UHD televisions. Next, Return to Main Menu and configure HDMI/YPbPr Output to Native or 1080i.
The Native output setting passes the video signal to the TV unaltered. Use of the Native setting enables a sub-menu of Native Mode Settings that needs some attention.
In the menu pictured above, select all video formats that the TV supports. Most modern televisions will accept all of the above listed video formats, but some TVs balk at receiving a 480i video signal over HDMI (leave unchecked if this is the case). An alternative to using the set top box's Native video mode is to configure it for 1080i output. Use of the 1080i output option will have the set top box convert all standard and high definition channels into the 1080i video format. The 1080i format is the maximum resolution currently used by broadcasters, and today's TVs are quite good at processing this video format resulting in terrific picture quality. Not only does 1080i convert almost perfectly into the 1080p format, a 1080i signal containing content originally captured at 24 frames-per-second (most movies and primetime TV shows) is easily processed to recreate the source material's natural film-like look.
Step #3
You are done! Press the Comcast/Xfinity remote's Menu button again to exit. If you decided to use the box's Native video mode, confirm that your TV is configured to eliminate overscan with 720p and 1080i channels. Often, a TV's overscan setting (aka Picture Size) is custom for all video formats so eliminating overscan with 1080i channels like NBC and PBS doesn't automatically eliminate overscan with 720p channels like Fox and ESPN.
For more information about TV settings related to optimal picture quality, I've created a short video that will help clarify what needs to be done.
1080p, 2015, Calibration, DVR, How To Professional Video Calibration
Monday, November 23, 2015 at 2:58PM What is video calibration?
Video calibration is the process of precisely measuring a display's color characteristics and adjusting its picture controls in order to produce the most accurate output possible. Video production for movies and TV conforms to an industry specification that defines a very specific color pallet and detail levels.
tl;dr Robert brings tens of thousands of dollars worth of test equipment, software, and know-how to a location and perfects picture quality.
Any video display device (LCD, OLED, plasma, projector) that hasn't been properly calibrated isn't showing you the intended vision of the content's creator, and no consumer display produces accurate imagery right out of the box!
Why calibrate?
There are several benefits of having your TV or projector professionally calibrated:
- Accurate color - a display's depiction of color should accurately represent the information contained within a video signal. Finding and properly adjusting the appropriate picture settings to exacting broadcast and film production standards will result in faithful video reproduction.
- Revealing picture detail - an improperly configured television or projector often sacrifices bright and dark details that should otherwise be visible to the audience.
- Consistent color mixing - Almost all televisions and projectors generate color by mixing red, green, and blue (aka the primary colors in additive color mixing). With these display systems,
the color white is generated by mixing the three primaries together. Shades of gray, like those depicted in the picture above, are created by collectively reducing the brightness of the primaries until there is no light (aka black). The signals in our video sources are often encoded as high resolution grayscale pictures with relatively low resolution color information that is combined to form the imagery that we see. A critical aspect of professional video calibration is to fine tune a display's depiction of grayscale information to be neutral-colored so as not to negatively influence the color information in the video signal. - Minimizing artificial enhancements - most televisions and projectors are factory configured to produce as bright of a picture as possible regardless of color or detail accuracy. Many LCDs also enable a motion resolution enhancement that unnaturally smooths the appearance of movies to the point that it appears as if they were recorded on a camcorder. Professional video calibration minimizes these unwanted artifacts resulting in a more eye-pleasing picture!
- Efficiency - while we strive for optimal picture performance, a side-effect of professional video calibration is often a display device that also consumes less electricity.
Which picture setup is correct? Image credit: Samsung
Is your display sacrificing detail?
Today's televisions and projectors are capable of producing some of the finest imagery yet seen, however, variances in manufacturing along with the myriad of picture adjustment options mean that even the best models from top manufacturers leave room for improvement.
Robert uses CalMAN calibration software from Portrait Displays
Contact
Robert is a THX/ISF trained calibrator based in Northern California/Bay Area, and he welcomes project requests from anywhere in the world!
For more information, questions, or to schedule an appointment, please contact Robert directly.
1080p, 4K UHD, Calibration, Display Tech, LCD, OLED, Plasma, Projection 