Question Confused

[wohnjick]

So I went to richersounds today with an external USB that has several high quality hdr enabled files on it. I tried both the sony xg9505 and an lg oled. I noticed some difference, but I wasn't impressed. The files were definitely hdr enabled, we even changed the picture settings. Based on what I saw, I wouldn't pay more than £500-600 for a new hdr TV. With that being said, I was wondering if there's another reason why I didn't find the hdr impressive? I asked various rs stores if I could buy a 4k hdr disc, but they all said the players they're connected to don't allow hdr. Some stores dont even have a player.

Any idea if we did something wrong?

 

[tvdavid]

if the tvs are in store mode it might be a not great picture. home setting should be used.

 

[wohnjick]

We changed it from vivid to cinema mode if that's what you mean?

 

[martin 39]

Perhaps to bright in the shops to really do it justice.

 

[Dodgexander]

You can never judge picture quality in a shop. Number one rule when shopping for a TV.

Taking your own content is better than shop demo reels, but the viewing conditions and the sources are still very different from how you'll use the TV at home.

For example, are you going to watch demo reels of HDR at home?
Are you going to watch all the time in bright conditions? At the same distance etc.

Buy a TV based on merits and reviews from a reputable retailer so you can return it if you are unhappy when used at home. Don't get tricked into something because of something you witness at the shop.

 

[wohnjick]

You can never judge picture quality in a shop. Number one rule when shopping for a TV.

Taking your own content is better than shop demo reels, but the viewing conditions and the sources are still very different from how you'll use the TV at home.

For example, are you going to watch demo reels of HDR at home?
Are you going to watch all the time in bright conditions? At the same distance etc.

Buy a TV based on merits and reviews from a reputable retailer so you can return it if you are unhappy when used at home. Don't get tricked into something because of something you witness at the shop.

Well, the files I took today were things that I'd watch at home. I maintained a viewing distance of under 6ft which is roughly what I'd want at home. I'm going to another rs store with my 4k firestick tomorrow to see if that makes a difference.

I've considered buying for testing, but I'd need to be super careful about the condition of the tv while it's with me.

 

[Dodgexander]

Based on what I saw, I wouldn't pay more than £500-600 for a new hdr TV.

This is the thing that concerns me the most. Somehow you have drawn that conclusion when its well known fact you need to meet a minimum baseline if you intend to use the TV with HDR.

I've written a lot about it before, such as this guide: All about HDR (High Dynamic Range)

I'm not sure which files you took, but if they are rips of UHD Blu-Rays in HDR then don't be surprised to see the TVs handle them oddly. The behavior will be very different when playing a disc rather than using the built in file playback software. Not to mention the rips often will reduce the quality.

I wouldn't waste the time doing it if I were you, I think you have already come to the wrong conclusion with HDR, so I can see you making a mistake choosing the wrong TV.

 

[wohnjick]

Don't get me wrong, I genuinely want to be blown away by hdr which is why I was willing to even purchase a uhd hdr disc to try. Unfortunately, their players don't allow hdr.

Also, when I said I wouldn't pay more than £500-600, I meant that if what I saw today is an accurate representation of a true hdr experience, then I wouldn't pay more than the specified amount for such a tv in future. Not that I'm willing to go with a cheaper tv that doesn't perform hdr well. That's pointless as the main benefit I'll gain is having a bigger tv.

Anyway, I appreciate your help.

 

[JustTheFacts]

Everything gets embellished. Your 43 inch TVs have phenomenal picture quality, but they get trashed on AVFORUMS. This is for enthusiasts that enjoy intellectual talking points not for your average TV watcher. Some of the problems pointed out about some TVs I try to notice and I still haven’t figured out what they are talking about.
The only way you would ever notice much of what is talked about on AVFORUMS is reading about it and then studying your TV until you notice it
The two exceptions to this rule that are noticeable to your average viewer are viewing angle and to a lesser extent contrast in a dark room
I am not saying that a good HDR TV isn’t better than a poor one, but the difference is embellished

 

[bossc@]

What were the files you took? May be useful giving full details of those.

Wouldn't vivid and cinema mode just indicate they were displaying standard content?

 

[fortknoxcj]

Everything gets embellished. Your 43 inch TVs have phenomenal picture quality, but they get trashed on AVFORUMS. This is for enthusiasts that enjoy intellectual talking points not for your average TV watcher. Some of the problems pointed out about some TVs I try to notice and I still haven’t figured out what they are talking about.
The only way you would ever notice much of what is talked about on AVFORUMS is reading about it and then studying your TV until you notice it
The two exceptions to this rule that are noticeable to your average viewer are viewing angle and to a lesser extent contrast in a dark room
I am not saying that a good HDR TV isn’t better than a poor one, but the difference is embellished

I’m not sure id use the word embellished but, I can see where you are coming from. All forums for any topic are largely enthusiasts. I’m grappling with what tv to buy next, and the help I’ve received on here is very helpful. I’m finding myself waiting for BF as I want to get OLED 55/65. However, I’ve currently got the cheapest 55 LCD available bought a year ago, and I’ve never been ‘dissappointed’ with the picture it’s produced. That’s probably due to the fact I don’t know any better. I’ve seen expensive TVs and yes they look amazing, but me personally wouldn’t describe what I have as poor.

Having said that, if ones budget is still low, the experts on here will still guide you accordingly. They are suggesting everyone spends thousands.

I still can’t work out if I need 2.1. I’ve read the guides etc, but will it actually bother me if I do or don’t have it, is something I can’t get my head around.

 

[Sloppy Bob]

Everything gets embellished

but the difference is embellished

In your opinion.

There are no "good" 43" TVs for HDR. That's a fact. Not an opinion. An LCD TV needs specifically 2 things to be HDR capable (not compatible) and no 43" TV, or smaller, has it.

However, I’ve currently got the cheapest 55 LCD available bought a year ago, and I’ve never been ‘dissappointed’ with the picture it’s produced. That’s probably due to the fact I don’t know any better. I’ve seen expensive TVs and yes they look amazing, but me personally wouldn’t describe what I have as poor.

A cheaper TV can look perfectly decent. If you buy a TV with a VA panel and all you're watching is Bluray and regular TV it can be fine. It's when you get to HDR content that they start to fall down and look worse than if you were putting 1080p SDR into them.

 

[wohnjick]

What were the files you took? May be useful giving full details of those.

Wouldn't vivid and cinema mode just indicate they were displaying standard content?

Several recommended 4k movies for a hdr experience. File sizes ranging from 45gb+.

 

[fortknoxcj]

In your opinion.

There are no "good" 43" TVs for HDR. That's a fact. Not an opinion. An LCD TV needs specifically 2 things to be HDR capable (not compatible) and no 43" TV, or smaller, has it.



A cheaper TV can look perfectly decent. If you buy a TV with a VA panel and all you're watching is Bluray and regular TV it can be fine. It's when you get to HDR content that they start to fall down and look worse than if you were putting 1080p SDR into them.

What would be HDR content? Ie what are the examples?

and I’ve just feeding sky into a tv will an OLED still look much better than a budget LCD TV

 

[Sloppy Bob]

What would be HDR content?

Netflix 4K, Amazon Prime 4K, a 4K UHD disc. Not all 4K content has HDR but the vast majority does.

and I’ve just feeding sky into a tv will an OLED still look much better than a budget LCD TV

If it's just a standard HD Sky feed then it will look better, but not vastly, depending of course on how good or bad your current TV is.
OLED also isn't the best choice for everyone. If the room you have it in is bright and you don't like watching TV is a darkened room then you'd possibly be better with a higher-end LCD TV.

If your TV is fine and you have no desire to upgrade to 4K content then it's pretty pointless upgrading your TV unless you want to go larger.

 

[LCDseeker]

Everything gets embellished. Your 43 inch TVs have phenomenal picture quality, but they get trashed on AVFORUMS. This is for enthusiasts that enjoy intellectual talking points not for your average TV watcher. Some of the problems pointed out about some TVs I try to notice and I still haven’t figured out what they are talking about.
The only way you would ever notice much of what is talked about on AVFORUMS is reading about it and then studying your TV until you notice it
The two exceptions to this rule that are noticeable to your average viewer are viewing angle and to a lesser extent contrast in a dark room
I am not saying that a good HDR TV isn’t better than a poor one, but the difference is embellished

I think you need to alter your profile name as that is quite an opinion although to be honest I use to share a similar view until I finally got a set that can pump out a superb HDR and now I'm a complete convert to it.

HDR isn't embellished at all, apart from by manufacturers who sell sets claiming to be HDR are capable and they're not. In reality relatively few sets can pump out enough brightness with the correct algorithms to produce a good HDR impact.

Dodge is correct, no point trying to compare on shop set ups with USBs for HDR performance. But if you go for a set with 800nits or something like the LG CX or pretty much any or the top end LCDs with 1000+ nits you will see very good HDR.

As for saying a 43" has a phenomenal picture, each to their own, but again most people would disagree with that. As with many televisions, once home you don't have two next to each other so I'm sure the ops 43" set is very good, but next to a good larger screen it will pale into the background.

 

[fortknoxcj]

Netflix 4K, Amazon Prime 4K, a 4K UHD disc. Not all 4K content has HDR but the vast majority does.



If it's just a standard HD Sky feed then it will look better, but not vastly, depending of course on how good or bad your current TV is.
OLED also isn't the best choice for everyone. If the room you have it in is bright and you don't like watching TV is a darkened room then you'd possibly be better with a higher-end LCD TV.

If your TV is fine and you have no desire to upgrade to 4K content then it's pretty pointless upgrading your TV unless you want to go larger.

I bought two linsar 55inch tvs a year ago, one has a fault beyond repair so I’ve had a refund, so I’m definitely buying a tv, which is for the lounge so main tv. I could fit a 65 inch on the unit and viewing distance is around 9-10ft.

it’s a sky Q box, but its the mini box. As the main box needs to be in a different room due to shape of the house. I watch Netflix, but via the sky box. Do have a firestick, used for iptv occasionally. may use a next gen console in the new year but would be be sporadic use and I wouldn’t consider it the main purpose. It’s going to be 80% sky mini box

 

[wohnjick]

Apologies if what I'm about to say comes across as being rude, but I don't understand this logic of completely dismissing in store experiences of a TV, especially when the source material is good. Yes, I'm willing to accept that this still may not accurately reflect my home viewing experience, but what if I go to a store, see a TV that I find to be impressive, purchase it and maintain the same opinion at home? Yeah, you could still argue that I would have known that the TV is amazing without seeing it on display based on reviews, but in such a case, seeing it on display and being amazed genuinely helped.

 

[Sloppy Bob]

It’s going to be 80% sky mini box

Which doesn't quite answer my question. Will you upgrade to 4K?
I don't have and have never had Sky. I know Sky Q can do UHD but you don't neccessarily have UHD.

We're now getting to a point of getting off the OP's topic, so for courtesy, you might be better starting your own thread.

 

[LCDseeker]

Apologies if what I'm about to say comes across as being rude, but I don't understand this logic of completely dismissing in store experiences of a TV, especially when the source material is good. Yes, I'm willing to accept that this still may not accurately reflect my home viewing experience, but what if I go to a store, see a TV that I find to be impressive, purchase it and maintain the same opinion at home? Yeah, you could still argue that I would have known that the TV is amazing without seeing it on display based on reviews, but in such a case, seeing it on display and being amazed genuinely helped.

Not rude at all, I completely get what you are saying. Your eyes and opinion are the most important thing here as it's your money and decision so always get what you prefer. All people are trying to say is that it's not easy to compare televisions in a shop and HDR capable televisions are well worth buying, IF, you like a great impactful image then get a true HDR capable set, but you won't miss what you haven't and don't have. I didn't miss it until I got a television capable of HDR, but now I'd really miss it.

 

[wohnjick]

Not rude at all, I completely get what you are saying. Your eyes and opinion are the most important thing here as it's your money and decision so always get what you prefer. All people are trying to say is that it's not easy to compare televisions in a shop and HDR capable televisions are well worth buying, IF, you like a great impactful image then get a true HDR capable set, but you won't miss what you haven't and don't have. I didn't miss it until I got a television capable of HDR, but now I'd really miss it.

Went to another RS store today with my usb and firestick using 4k hdr content. Tried the xg9505 and Sony ag9. I do notice a difference between them and 1080p content, but not enough to give me confidence that it's worth the price. If anything, I might consider buying an xg9505 refurb from centres direct and returning it for free if I'm not happy. At least that way I can see a direct comparison between it and my current TV.

 

[JustTheFacts]

As for saying a 43" has a phenomenal picture, each to their own, but again most people would disagree with that. As with many televisions, once home you don't have two next to each other so I'm sure the ops 43" set is very good, but next to a good larger screen it will pale into the background.

To get a good feel of what actual TV owners think and not enthusiasts I go to the reviews at Best Buy (USA). Take the Sony X800E (IPS PANEL) for example. This set gets a 4.7 out of 5 review by 2520 actual owners. From the satisfaction level I would say this is a phenomenal TV for 4.7 out of 5 owners.

 

[Dodgexander]

Apologies if what I'm about to say comes across as being rude, but I don't understand this logic of completely dismissing in store experiences of a TV, especially when the source material is good. Yes, I'm willing to accept that this still may not accurately reflect my home viewing experience, but what if I go to a store, see a TV that I find to be impressive, purchase it and maintain the same opinion at home? Yeah, you could still argue that I would have known that the TV is amazing without seeing it on display based on reviews, but in such a case, seeing it on display and being amazed genuinely helped.

You aren't being rude and you are entitled to your own opinion. I just know its a number 1 rule not to judge a TV in a shop, and something that I have read plenty of experts mention previously themselves. Of course by taking your own sources, viewing your own content you may increase the chance of the result in the shop being similar to home, but there are already so many things that can go wrong in the tests that will result in you making the wrong decision. The biggest thing I can think of I mentioned already - that the handling of file playback on TVs is generally poor, and the results will not be the same as using an UHD Blu-Ray player.

 

[wohnjick]

You aren't being rude and you are entitled to your own opinion. I just know its a number 1 rule not to judge a TV in a shop, and something that I have read plenty of experts mention previously themselves. Of course by taking your own sources, viewing your own content you may increase the chance of the result in the shop being similar to home, but there are already so many things that can go wrong in the tests that will result in you making the wrong decision. The biggest thing I can think of I mentioned already - that the handling of file playback on TVs is generally poor, and the results will not be the same as using an UHD Blu-Ray player.

I get where you're coming from, but I dunno man, I remember the jump from SD to HD being so massive, even when it was seeing content in stores. The RS store I visited today had a panasonic uhd dpub 9000 connected to a few TVs while playing the avengers, so in store source material itself was great. So, do you think it's worth trying an xg9505 refurb from centres direct and returning it? Or maybe even keeping it if I find that it's a massive difference compared to what I already have?

 

[Dodgexander]

I get where you're coming from, but I dunno man, I remember the jump from SD to HD being so massive, even when it was seeing content in stores. The RS store I visited today had a panasonic uhd dpub 9000 connected to a few TVs while playing the avengers, so in store source material itself was great. So, do you think it's worth trying an xg9505 refurb from centres direct and returning it? Or maybe even keeping it if I find that it's a massive difference compared to what I already have?

I think you should make your decision between OLED and LCD first. Each has there pros and cons that offer different benefits and downsides.

If you choose LCD, the XG9505 from the refurb store won't be beaten for value for money for some time, probably as long as spring next year.