Current TV models suitable for retro gaming

[Guspaz]

AFAIK the LG C9 series will do 4K 120Hz 4:4:4 with an HDMI 2.1 input, but no HDMI 2.1 sources exist at this point in time, and the C9 doesn't support chroma subsampling, so it can't do 4K 120Hz 4:2:2 over HDMI 2.0 like the CX can.

But if you had an HDMI 2.1 game console or graphics card, you should be able to do 4K 120Hz on the LG C9.

[XtraSmiley]

Price is a fair point of course. The C9 is a great television. The new features on the CX aren't bad either though: 120Hz for 4K (nice if you have a beefy PC) and better black frame insertion (variable darkening intervalls) might be reasons for some people to get the CX instead. A reduced input bandwith of 40 vs 48gbps shouldn't influence anyone's decision though.

Of course. Also, the X is brighter apparently, which might affect some choices.

Again, I read my original post and realize the term "poor" in that sentence was wrong, so I appreciate you calling it out. Sorry, at first I was confused about your reaction.

Corrected and edited!

Thank you Fudoh, you are one of my go-to people for display knowledge!

[thebigcheese]

shouldn't you elaborate, if you make such a claim?

In short: the CX adds 4K120Hz support over the C9, while cutting down the HDMI 2.1 bandwith from 48 to 40gbps, which is a total non-issue, since it's simply not relevant to any available or upcoming sources.

The C9 does 4k120 Hz as well, AFAIK, but there aren't any GPUs or consoles currently that support HDMI 2.1, so there's no way to actually use it. For my purposes with my GPU, I go to 1440p at 120 Hz instead. I read someone whining somewhere that the CX no longer has DTS passthrough support whereas the C9 does (or did prior to the latest firmware update? Not clear on that one). The general consensus seems to be that the CX is ever so slightly worse as a gaming TV for some reason or another, but it does have better BFI.

[Fudoh]

Speaking of HDMI 2.1 sources: I think we should see DP 1.4 to HDMI 2.1 converters this month.

[Guspaz]

Here is the side-by-side comparison for HDR, C9 on the left, CX on the right:



The situation is actually reversed for SDR content, with the CX being brighter than the C9.

[thebigcheese]

Speaking of HDMI 2.1 sources: I think we should see DP 1.4 to HDMI 2.1 converters this month.

Really? Oh that would be awesome! After all this time...

[Taiyaki]

The C9 can hit 845 nits vs. 813 nits on the CX, so the C9 might be slightly better for HDR content.

HDR quality isn't fully determined by the number of nits, that's just one factor to take into consideration, but both of those tv's seem to have good amount of nits either way. Soon we'll need to reduce brightness cause there is such a thing as too much brightness with hdr imo (blinds you when scenes transition from dark to daylight). lol

[Josh128]

Agree with above, too much brightness is a thing for sure, because in a dimly lit room such as movie watching in living room or den, I find even my Sammy plasmas strain my eyes at too high a setting. On my Wega FD CRT, playing something bright and colorful like Bonk can strain my eyes, even in a decently lit room.

The incredibly high nit ratings of modern HDR sets are almost moot at this point IMO, unless you always watch your TV or play your games outdoors on bright sunny days.

[kamiboy]

I for one wish OLED's didn't have the ABL. During daylight hours I often found my 2017 and 18 OLED's to lack necessary brightness to overcome ambient light conditions in the room. This was especially a problem when the sun was peeking out from the clouds. Since Denmark is rather north this is barely a problem during winters where the sun rises at 10 AM and sets at about 3 AM. But during the summer months the sun is out before wakeup and doesn't set until 9-10 PM, so its a big deal.

At those times I kind of wish I could have something like a top end QLED which could blast me with about 2000 NITS, allowing me to thumb my nose at the summer sun, alas.

My room has no blinds, so I can't just block out the sun either. Honestly some days my TV is all but useless, especially if I am watching or playing something that is not entirely set in bright, vibrant environments.

Also, I kind of like it when an HDR scene transition from dark to bright blinds me temporarily. It gives the viewing experience an extra dimension.

As soon as my local dealer gets the 77 GX in stock I am set for an "upgrade", but I am disappointed by the fact that in terms of screen brightens I am actually paying for a downgrade this year. Come on LG, TV tech is supposed to get better each year, not the other way around.

[Magicalbottle]

Guys, I need some advise on which of these 2 TV's to buy. 65" OLED vs 86" IPS LED:

LG 86UN85006LA or the LG OLED65C9PLA? Bigger is better, or OLED is better?

[thebigcheese]

Guys, I need some advise on which of these 2 TV's to buy. 65" OLED vs 86" IPS LED:

LG 86UN85006LA or the LG OLED65C9PLA? Bigger is better, or OLED is better?

OLED is better. It's the most CRT-like experience you can get. Super fast response times and deeper blacks than are even possible with any other technology. Unless you really need 86" for some reason, buy OLED.

[RocketKnight]

I studied the test results on RTINGS and can't decide between the Samsung Q6F and the Q70T. While the Q6F has got less motion blur (12.9 vs. 15.0 ms / rating better by 1.0 points), the Q70T has got less image flicker (600 Hz vs. 240 Hz PWM / rating better by 2.7 points).

The TV will have to display only SDR documentaries, TV shows, sometimes movies and retro games in a preferably bright room. Any suggestions?

Unfortunately, I don't even know whether I'm sensitive to PWM flicker. Neither my PC monitor nor my Notebook use PWM, and I cannot find any backlight information on my previous Sony W905A. Does anyone here know?

Also, does anyone know whether the OSSC performs smoothly with these TVs?

[Bahn Yuki]

shouldn't you elaborate, if you make such a claim?

In short: the CX adds 4K120Hz support over the C9, while cutting down the HDMI 2.1 bandwith from 48 to 40gbps, which is a total non-issue, since it's simply not relevant to any available or upcoming sources.

Hi Fudoh, as an expert on the subject, which LG series 65inch OLED would you recommend I get for current and next gen gaming?

I own both a 77C9 and a 55CX, the difference between is truly negligible. I know Fudoh mentioned that the CX adds 4K/120hz, but the C9 supposedly has that capability also but it has to be from a HDMI 2.1 source. What the CX adds that the C9 currently doesn't do is 4K/120hz@4:2:0, it also has 120hz BFI and they just updated the firmware to add Freesync support.

Truthfully the panels are very close and you might be more inclined to get the TV with the better deal. If you really want the best PQ, I'd get the 48CX. I regret buying the 55CX after seeing the 48" in person. I hope one day they can go down to 43" OLED for PC monitor replacement.

[nmalinoski]

If you really want the best PQ, I'd get the 48CX. I regret buying the 55CX after seeing the 48" in person.

What does the smaller model have over the larger one?

[RocketKnight]

Solely well-off OLED owners here?

[Guspaz]

Considering the best OLEDs on the market can only hit 800-900 nits, and the best LCDs ~2500 nits, it's almost definitely not a moot point. All that dynamic range will have to be compressed somehow. *Assuming all else is equal*, the brighter display will do it better than the less bright display.

LCDs don't have nearly as much dynamic range as OLEDs, though. They can only fake it with local dimming on the backlights, and that comes with a whole lot of side effects since even with hundreds or thousands of local dimming zones, you still get halos around high contrast objects/edges.

Contrast ratio is way more important to HDR than peak brightness. There have been some interesting developments using multi-layer LCD panels to increase contrast ratios on LCD panels with something approaching the per-subpixel local dimming than an OLED can do. I remember one display from... HiSense, I think. They put a monochrome 1080p panel behind a 4K RGB panel, so each monochrome pixel was handling local dimming for 12 RGB subpixels. That's probably close enough for the haloing to not be noticeable. The drawback of this approach, IIRC, was a large reduction in the viewing angle. Nobody really seems to be pursuing this for mainstream televisions, though.

Solely well-off OLED owners here?

People might be well-off, or it just might be differing priorities. It's way more expensive to own a car than to buy a new OLED every few years, for example. Some people might also sell off an older TV when they replace it with a newer one.

[kamiboy]

Not being well off is just a bigger incentive to buy an OLED on my opinion. In that case you are buying something that you are going to be using for many years, and in the long run an OLED is the better investment.

Instead of a lump sum think of it as enjoyment and quality over the many years of ownership. Sure you could get a cheapo LED right now for half the price, but 2-3 years from now you won't know what the money you saved even went to, but you sure are still stuck with a subpar TV for a few more years.

Even when I didn't have much money to throw around I tended to save up and buy the the best electronics for this exact reason.

[thebigcheese]

Not being well off is just a bigger incentive to buy an OLED on my opinion. In that case you are buying something that you are going to be using for many years, and in the long run an OLED is the better investment.

Instead of a lump sum think of it as enjoyment and quality over the many years of ownership. Sure you could get a cheapo LED right now for half the price, but 2-3 years from now you won't know what the money you saved even went to, but you sure are still stuck with a subpar TV for a few more years.

Even when I didn't have much money to throw around I tended to save up and buy the the best electronics for this exact reason.

Yup. I bought a TCL and it started having issues after... Less than a year, I think? Had to turn off local dimming or the picture would flicker occasionally. So I figured I'd get a quality TV and not have to replace it again for at least a couple years. Considering how much time I've used it already, I'd say I've spent maybe $1 per minute used at this point? Well worth it.

[RocketKnight]

I decided to try the 55" Samsung Q82R which is identical to the Q80R except for the stand. For 860 € it will hopefully be a good value for money.

[RocketKnight]

Where did you manage to find a 55" Q80 for only €860?

At a German online store. There are a few ones that currently offer it for prices between 855 and 900 €. The Q82 seems to be exclusive to the European market, though. I was only able to find it with German and European Samsung product codes.

By the way, although the GQxxQ80/82 does not have any other analog inputs, it does have an analog TV tuner. Didn't anyone tell the Koreans there's no analog TV broadcasting in Germany anymore? Well, at least I could connect my old consoles directly via RF switch.