Noticing details on OLED screen that you never saw before

Not necessarily 4K content, but simply the improved dynamic range of the OLED 4K TVs is helping me (like many of us I'm sure) notice details I never noticed before in many shows and movies I watch on blu-ray. Often this is in skin and clothing texture, where the TV resolves lines, threads and patterns that were previously invisible on my Kuro. This morning I was watching disc 3 of Mad Men Season 5--the episode where Harry Crane is visited by Paul Kinsey after he converted to Krishna. For the first time I noticed the tilaka of powder/paste on his forehead. You can barely make it out below. Anyway, I'd be interested in similar observations of details you never noticed before that OLED can resolve.

 

Which brand did you buy? I'm in the market and leaning towards an LG because of it's superior gaming capabilities. But I have always been a Sony guy...

 

I bought an open-box LG C8 and couldn't be happier with it. Out of the box, the picture is stunning. I tried dialing it in a bit more, but gave up and just use the preset ISF mode. My kids use it with an XBox One and Switch, and even on default the picture is plenty smooth (though I keep all the processing turned off which is the root cause of most of the problems with games.) The UI and Wiimote-style pointing remote are the best I've used on a TV as well. My only pet peeve is that the application navigator toolbar isn't as customizable as I'd like it to be.

 

I appreciate the info. I'll probably pick up an LG at Costco just before Super Bowl. I've read that it is a good time to buy one.

 

I used to prefer Sony too and chose Pioneer for my plasma, but it turns out LG is the innovator in OLED. Sony actually uses LG's OLED panels, so there really is no reason to buy a Sony. I ended up with the LG's 77" C9. I've owned it about 1.5 yrs and it never ceases to amaze.

I have a C9. I like the pointing remote but couldn't get used to it. I use a Harmony/Logitec universal remote to control my home theater. Agreed about the toolbar and hate the channel bar it brings up as well. I don't use those. I would encourage you to dial it in a lot more, and at the very least turn off all the motion processing. It is remarkable how much better you can make the settings if you take a deep dive, but it does get frustrating sometimes.

 

Even though Sony uses the LG panel its electronics are superior to those of LG. LG also has problems with internal heat build up - put your hand in front of the LG screen and you will feel the heat. The Sony stays cool. Heat kills electronics.

 

Are you sure? The set runs hotter with HDR, so you need to compare apples to apples. But even with HDR the 77" LG runs far cooler than my previous 60" Kuro and uses much less electricity. The Kuro performed well for nearly 10 years and I ended up selling it.

 

What about burn-in with oled?

 

Spoiler Alert! Now we know when Mad Men jumps the shark.

 

Thanks to my son watching Cartoon Network for a couple of (sick) days straight on my old Panny plasma, I had burn in of the logo. Nothing similar on my LG OLED after repeated lengthy viewing of MSNBC, albeit not a static logo like CN. My OLED (C8 from Feb 19) has been getting a ton of use the past year and looks as good as day one. I purchased a 5-year warranty from BB which apparently covers burn in. The only downside is the judder during long camera pans, and the occasional disappearing football on passes and kickoffs. But that's minor compared to the amazing picture 98% of the time.

 

I bought an LG OLED set about five years ago. I had a problem with the panel caused by my stupidity -- during a few months of the year, the sun streams intensely into my living area and it was striking the panel for a couple of hours every afternoon. Not really paying attention to this, at some point I noticed that there was a large area of the screen that was faded. I ran the internal tool to address this and the picture has been fine since then, but I learned my lesson that it's not good to have direct sunlight on these panels. Maybe that's true of other flat panel technologies as well, but I never had this problem with my previous LCD set that was in the same location.

When I first got this set, I was also impressed by the level of detail. To some extent, it was almost a distraction -- like, do I really want to be aware of the poor make-up job on that newscaster's face? But generally I just appreciated the higher resolution.

 

Any one noticing details in their new OLED as the OP has stated and asked from others? "It has an amazing picture" is what a salesman would say. Help make this an interesting read. I'm stuck with my 32in. 720p Samsung and it has an amazing picture that I take photos of it with my DSLR.

 

I have 2 Samsung TV's and have always enjoyed their picture clarity and audio options. Recently got a 43" and am very happy with it.

 

A 720p 32" LCD and 4K 65" OLED are not even comparable

 

I guess I'll never know. I need details.

I'm really liking the new emoticons at SHF. Haven't seen the one I just posted, but I love it!

 

I'd recommend stopping by your local Costco or Best Buy to see one in person.

 

Interesting. So the OLED's react to external light intensity hitting an isolated area on the screen and can compensate for that one area within its own electronics. That's quite remarkable and probably worth the high price just on that alone.

 

Exactly. I had a high end 55" Panasonic plasma before I went to a 55" C9 OLED last year. I still have the Panny out in my barn rec room so I can remind myself how big an upgrade the OLED was. That said for me, it is the vastly improved color gamut that is most worth the upgrade.

JohnK