I'm going to ditch my Samsung TV and switch to LG, well, because it's Apple's "partner" on computer displays. I'm wondering though whether Dolby Vision support is worth a couple hundred euros more. The models with HDR10 and HLG support only are more affordable. Does Dolby Vision have a big impact on image quality or one won't notice any difference from HDR10?
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LG TV with Dolby Vision support, worth it?
- Thread starter rmoliv
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Matthew Essex
macrumors member
you didn't say which model TV, but Dolby vision on the OLEDS looks great but I'm not sure I would pay more just to have it on a lower end display. HDR on its own makes a big difference on the right TV. also the models with DV may be a higher quality screen but thats a guess on my part. I would say go demo a few sets and see for your self if DV make s a big enough difference to make up for the cost difference.
Don't forget that the absolute BEST display on the iPhone at present by a HUGE margin is the iPhone X which uses a display supplied by Samsung - adjusted to Apple's standards.
LG are very much a company that 'churns' everything out, just like Samsung. LG Display is a separate consortium than LG Electrons which make TVs etc.
Whilst LG OLED is decent, their other TVs with LCD displays have varied results.
SONY seems to be incredibly high up on the LCD TV front judging by owners opinions and reviews.
Maybe wait until the autumn for real savings on LG OLED?
Just don't forget that HDMI 2.1 is standard on TVs next year and that's going to make a world of difference in the long term. I would not buy a TV in 2018 when such a huge step forward is happening next year - less than 10 months away from new launches in March.
Also just because Apple uses LG display on their computers doesn't mean to say that a LG will be of the same quality. Apple insist on the ultimate in terms of components and then tweak themselves. A mass produced TV is not likely to be built to the same standards as an Apple product! (Panasonic being an example who fit their own well made capacitors built to their standard as opposed to cheaply sourced ones from other manufacturers - these little parts are the ones that usually fail.)
LG are very much a company that 'churns' everything out, just like Samsung. LG Display is a separate consortium than LG Electrons which make TVs etc.
Whilst LG OLED is decent, their other TVs with LCD displays have varied results.
SONY seems to be incredibly high up on the LCD TV front judging by owners opinions and reviews.
Maybe wait until the autumn for real savings on LG OLED?
Just don't forget that HDMI 2.1 is standard on TVs next year and that's going to make a world of difference in the long term. I would not buy a TV in 2018 when such a huge step forward is happening next year - less than 10 months away from new launches in March.
Also just because Apple uses LG display on their computers doesn't mean to say that a LG will be of the same quality. Apple insist on the ultimate in terms of components and then tweak themselves. A mass produced TV is not likely to be built to the same standards as an Apple product! (Panasonic being an example who fit their own well made capacitors built to their standard as opposed to cheaply sourced ones from other manufacturers - these little parts are the ones that usually fail.)
steve62388
macrumors 68040
You haven't said what model you're looking at. I wouldn't pick a television based on being Apple's partner on computer displays.
I have an LG OLED55B7V and it's pretty impressive. It's better than my Panasonic plasma was, and that's saying something. The upgrade to OLED and HDR/DV makes a bigger difference than the upgrade to 4K.
I have an LG OLED55B7V and it's pretty impressive. It's better than my Panasonic plasma was, and that's saying something. The upgrade to OLED and HDR/DV makes a bigger difference than the upgrade to 4K.
Not so good review of the C8 77 here by one of the best reviewers out there. Buzzing power transformer is pretty dire in a £9000 TV!
I would also add that the quality of TV panels can signifigantly vary even beween TV's from the same Series. E.g A 55 inch panel could have an inferior panel to the 49 and 65 inch version.
Always trial or read reviews of the exact TV model you want to buy.
whooleytoo
macrumors 604
Just bought a low-ish end LG LED TV with Dolby Vision & Atmos support a few weeks back. The Dolby Vision content on Netflix does look great, no complaints here. I'm not entirely certain if that's because of Dolby Vision specifically, or just HDR in general, or 4K. HDR gaming with the Xbox One X also looks fantastic.
On the negative side: the LG LEDs don't seem to have a good brightness range. They try to get around this with a feature called "local dimming" which - IMO - is insanely ugly. If you're in a dark, moody scene and a bright light source pans into view, an entire 'column' of the TV lights up. It's very distracting. Fortunately, it can be turned off (or down), though a side affect of that is the blacks become a bit more grey. OLEDs are probably far better in this regard.
Also, the LG LEDs don't seem to be great for gaming performance. Panning quickly causes a sort of stuttering/picture break-up. Games mode seems to just blur the image more, without significantly fixing the problem. It's probably more noticeable for me, coming from a plasma, but it's worth bearing in mind.
On the negative side: the LG LEDs don't seem to have a good brightness range. They try to get around this with a feature called "local dimming" which - IMO - is insanely ugly. If you're in a dark, moody scene and a bright light source pans into view, an entire 'column' of the TV lights up. It's very distracting. Fortunately, it can be turned off (or down), though a side affect of that is the blacks become a bit more grey. OLEDs are probably far better in this regard.
Also, the LG LEDs don't seem to be great for gaming performance. Panning quickly causes a sort of stuttering/picture break-up. Games mode seems to just blur the image more, without significantly fixing the problem. It's probably more noticeable for me, coming from a plasma, but it's worth bearing in mind.
steve62388
macrumors 68040
There you go giving out bad advice again. https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/which-4k-tv.2105132/page-2#post-25819526
You need to stop repeating the same rubbish over and over again because you're screwing with people's buying decisions that don't know any better (and heaven knows we now all know you have some weird ideas you repeat ad infinitum).
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
If the main driver is Apple seeming to "like" LG more than Samsung right now, recognize that TVs tend to last a LONG time. Hanging on to one for 10 years or more is not exactly unusual. Over 10 years, Apple & Samsung could swing from frenemies to best buds again or full-on, thermonuclear adversaries.
Along with mostly good advice already shared, I'd add that who Apple likes in 2018 should probably be about 100th or lower on the list of what drives this particular purchase decision. Should Samsung cut Apple a better deal and/or roll out a better technology (some believe microLED may be exactly this), Apple would likely flip on (or for) a (literal) dime.
Note that I'm not arguing Samsung > LG or vice versa. As others offered, TV brands are just about NO factor in the quality of any particular set. In other words, a <insert any TV brand name> TV is not automatically better than all others just because it has that logo on it. Each model- including models within a specific line or series- can vary. It's important to check reviews of the EXACT model you are considering. And I also suggest taking your own media selection (on USB) into a retail shop and doing some checks with your own eyes before you buy.
This particular technology purchase decision tends to be a long-term decision, not something you'll be looking to throw away in 2 years or so. As such, I suggest putting a commensurate amount of effort into your considerations. This is much more like buying a car than- say- a smart phone. Choose wisely.
Along with mostly good advice already shared, I'd add that who Apple likes in 2018 should probably be about 100th or lower on the list of what drives this particular purchase decision. Should Samsung cut Apple a better deal and/or roll out a better technology (some believe microLED may be exactly this), Apple would likely flip on (or for) a (literal) dime.
Note that I'm not arguing Samsung > LG or vice versa. As others offered, TV brands are just about NO factor in the quality of any particular set. In other words, a <insert any TV brand name> TV is not automatically better than all others just because it has that logo on it. Each model- including models within a specific line or series- can vary. It's important to check reviews of the EXACT model you are considering. And I also suggest taking your own media selection (on USB) into a retail shop and doing some checks with your own eyes before you buy.
This particular technology purchase decision tends to be a long-term decision, not something you'll be looking to throw away in 2 years or so. As such, I suggest putting a commensurate amount of effort into your considerations. This is much more like buying a car than- say- a smart phone. Choose wisely.
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George Dawes
Suspended
Thanks for your thorough replies. I'm more on the budget to mid-range end so that excludes OLED. I'm looking at these two models 49SJ800V and 49SK7900, not sure which to buy yet. Both support Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG.
Edit: may main issue with Samsung is their TVs do not not support Dolby Vision.
Edit: may main issue with Samsung is their TVs do not not support Dolby Vision.
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George Dawes
Suspended
i'd get a sony 55x930e and then add an apple tv 4k , bypassing the crappy android os
exc value tv w/ amazing p.q.
exc value tv w/ amazing p.q.
My 4K LG TV purchased in late 2016 doesn't have those issues. Gaming on PS3 and PS4 Pro nothing short of perfect, no ghosting, stuttering, input lag, sound delay or input issues.
As I mentioned earlier, the performance of a TV is usually model, rather than brand specific. A few years ago I bought a 24 inch 1080p TV. The following year, the new model only carried a 720p panel. So don't always assume newer is better. Manufacturers change components depending on competition and margin objectives.
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whooleytoo
macrumors 604
FYI the LG TV I commented on above was a LG 55SJ810V, so probably similar to the first model mentioned above. I do like the UI and remote too (even though I've switched to a Neeo universal remote for my sanity).
Also worth considering is where you get your content from. The only DV content I have is via Netflix, and while it looks great, the video can still suffer from graininess in dark scenes. (I'd guess this graininess is just macroblocking compression artefacts, just smaller blocks because of the higher resolution). It's very noticeable in dark scenes in Star Trek Discovery, not noticeable at all in Lost in Space (possibly because the scenes are generally brighter?).
From what I've seen, the DV (or even just plain 4K) streams don't have a massively higher bitrate than 1080p or 1440p, so they're likely at a much higher compression rate.
BeefCake 15
macrumors 68020
I'm suffering with my 2 year old LG TV that Power cycles for 10 minutes just to stay on...support basically wants more money than the cost of a new TV to fix it.
Have you ever watched anything in HDR10 on Netflix? It would be interesting to evaluate whether there is any noticeable difference between that and content in Dolby Vision. Because metadata is encoded scene-by-scene, Dolby Vision should render sharper colors/contrast than HDR10 I guess. Most HDR content on Netflix's Apple TV app is in Dolby Vision though, I don't recall a show in HDR10. One more reason to purchase an LG television. Same on iTunes movies.
whooleytoo
macrumors 604
Not sure, actually! I'd need to double-check if the LG Netflix app even gives you the option of viewing HDR10, or if it's just a choice between Dolby Vision and 'plain', non-HDR 4K. I've seen Dolby Vision and UHD logos, but don't recall seeing "HDR".
I can try tonight on Netflix on the Xbox One X too.
The is only one decider for this this and that is the viewer. What are you watching and will you use the features and do you like the operating system. TV's have been around for a greater amount of time than all the bolts ons we are getting now. Dolby is not the be all and end all. Different people have different requirements.
That means go look at them. You can run all the reviews and check the specs but the end user needs to be happy with it. I don't have Dolby Vision. Too early to get it, it will be on my next set however the HDR on my set is superb. On OLED myself and it is about the best panel out there, however that is me. Someone else will say CRT and someone will say Led..... and so on. So go look at them.
I made that choice by looking at it a lot and asking to see various content at the stores, including material on a data stick so I did not have to suffer manufacturer set content.
There are other TV makers out there, look at them all.
That means go look at them. You can run all the reviews and check the specs but the end user needs to be happy with it. I don't have Dolby Vision. Too early to get it, it will be on my next set however the HDR on my set is superb. On OLED myself and it is about the best panel out there, however that is me. Someone else will say CRT and someone will say Led..... and so on. So go look at them.
I made that choice by looking at it a lot and asking to see various content at the stores, including material on a data stick so I did not have to suffer manufacturer set content.
There are other TV makers out there, look at them all.
whooleytoo
macrumors 604
I just tried viewing some videos in DV (on the LG TV app) and HDR (on Xbox One X app). I didn't think I'd see any difference at all, I'm definitely not much of a video 'purist'.
Lost in Space: There was a surprising difference here. The HDR looked fine, but switching to the DV it was far richer. As if it had a different gamma; the whites and blues really 'popped' in the LG app whereas in the XB1X app it appeared a bit more washed out, with a more yellow/brown palette?
Marco Polo: Less difference here (possibly because the colours of most terrain/buildings were yellow / brown palette anyway). I'd have to see them side-by-side, but IMO the DV was still slightly better.
So, based on a quick, unprofessional, non side-by-side comparison, the DV definitely looks better. 🙂 I can't rule out problems in individual encodings or problems with the XB1X Netflix app (I've read it can have some problems with HDR).
Thank you!
Well, I ended up buying LG's 49SK79 model. According to what I gathered it is the entry-level model of LG's mid-range lineup of LED Super UHD 4K TVs. The other model I was looking at was last year's. Don't know for what reason, but searching on LG's website I didn't find the model I purchased in English-speaking markets such as the US/UK/Australia. It is available in France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and others though.
sofila
macrumors 65816
steve62388
macrumors 68040
The thing about Dolby Vision is that while it offers better-tailored HDR capabilities, implementation by the filmmakers is everything. Well-done HDR10 can easily look better than meh-done Dolby Vision, and DV isn't exactly widespread right now. And HDR quality is extremely variable across media.
I personally wouldn't drop the extra cash on it at this point.
I personally wouldn't drop the extra cash on it at this point.
sofila
macrumors 65816
Thank you. As a satisfied owner of Panasonic plasma too, I'm afraid to jump on the 4k screens wagon. Your good impression on LG is worth a deeper look