Review aspects of a TV- Suggestions Required

[venky61]

Hello Guys,
I am small time youtuber who like to share personal views about the product I use, specifically the ones related to TVs.
When it comes to reviews of TVs there are hardly any one in India sharing a proper real world reviews... most of the ones are just reading out the specifications. Added to that majority of the TVs in the market don't even reveal all the specifications of the TV such as Peak brightness, Dimming Zones/Type of Dimming, Backlit technology, Panel type etc.
I am no Pro in the hardware of the TVs but would like to test as practically as possible and share the results with the viewers for helping them decide a purchase. Even though I can share honestly my real world experience of the TV usage in terms of Software experience, features, bugs... Colors, Black levels, Dimming, Ghosting, Upscaling etc are quite realtive as I feel and proper benchmarking would be good.
Here's the way I decided to test some of the aspects
1. HDR Peak Brightness - I recently got a lux meter (Not surely the accurate way but better than saying it's bright or not) and planning to test the HDR peak brightness using the Test videos on Youtube. Also showing the performance in dark scenes, how our own reflections start appearing on the TV.
2. Dimming Zone Count - Using the test video on youtube to find the number of columns and rows. May be difficult to show on video, but can share my observation.
3. Input Lag - Connecting a Laptop and measuring the difference in time of a Stopwatch with and without Game mode.
4. Blooming - Using the test videos from youtube and capturing the hallow around the objects as much as I can.
5. Viewing Angle - Capturing the video from 0-90 deg on both sides
6. Reflections - Opening the window beside the TV
7. MEMC Peformance - By capturing the ghosting with Fast moving objects in slow motion
8. Dimming Performance - By playing test videos from youtube.
9. HDR/ DV Performance - By showcasing how the details in the shadows are captured in the videos along with boost in brightness if any.
10. Colors - Use camera in pro mode with Exposure lock and temp set close to what I can see in reality.

Now there are still aspects like Upscaling, Type of Panel, Backlit Technology (edge lit/DLED), Color accuracy, White Balance that are hard to test without proper equipment. I would seek the experience of this vast community for more inputs/suggestions to improve the testing. As this is my part time passion apart from my actual work, I may not be able to invest into additional equipment at present.

Thanks in advance.

 

[lightgamer]

HDR Peak Brightness - I recently got a lux meter (Not surely the accurate way but better than saying it's bright or not) and planning to test the HDR peak brightness using the Test videos on Youtube. Also showing the performance in dark scenes, how our own reflections start appearing on the TV.

Please don't mention the reading of the lux meter reports as the brightness in nits. The lux meter reports brightness in lux, not nits.

Also, it doesn't enclose the display properly and isn't flat. It's used to measure light in environments, not in flat screens.

Input Lag - Connecting a Laptop and measuring the difference in time of a Stopwatch with and without Game mode.

this won't be possible without a high-speed camera and probably specialized equipment.

I think there is a very cheap kit by Nvidia that measures this. Not sure if you can get it.

My suggestion would be to drop this section unless you can properly test it with equipment.

MEMC Peformance - By capturing the ghosting with Fast moving objects in slow motion

This is wrong. The problem with MEMC isn't motion resolution, but artefacts and soap opera effect. You can use test pattern that HDTVTest uses for testing artifacts and motion resolution, but SOE you'll have to give subjective verdict on.

Colors - Use camera in pro mode with Exposure lock and temp set close to what I can see in reality.

Not a great idea. You'll be converting BT. 2020 colour space to BT. 709 in camera, then it will go through your grading process in editing and camera processing, and then it will go to our own displays which might not be calibrated.

A better way would be to have another display on the side that you think is accurate enough. Say maybe a MacBook or another TV which you think is accurate (if you have them of course)

Another way would be to go subjective on this and test with things you know how they should look like, for example skin tones and if they look accurate to you.

Overall it's a great idea. And if and when you spend money on a colourimeter (you can get good ones for under 20-30k), you'll be able to test things a lot more accurately.

 

[venky61]

Please don't mention the reading of the lux meter reports as the brightness in nits. The lux meter reports brightness in lux, not nits.

Also, it doesn't enclose the display properly and isn't flat. It's used to measure light in environments, not in flat screens.

Yea true... Technically Nits is Lux/Pi but I also read that in situations where the source is too large compared to the measurment area, lux can be appromiated as nits. Could not get a clear confirmation regarding this but atleast with my initial testing of TV using the Lux meter am getting ~250 lux as HDR peak brightness... Definitely 250/Pi wont be the peak brightness for that TV. So am still confused.

this won't be possible without a high-speed camera and probably specialized equipment.

I think there is a very cheap kit by Nvidia that measures this. Not sure if you can get it.

My suggestion would be to drop this section unless you can properly test it with equipment.

My plan is to take burst photos while doing this and the photo will show the difference in msec reading of TV and Laptop. That should suffice I hope. Capturing delay in movement of Mouse or change in colors is another way, but that's too coarse and valid for TVs with huge input lag I thought.

This is wrong. The problem with MEMC isn't motion resolution, but artefacts and soap opera effect. You can use test pattern that HDTVTest uses for testing artifacts and motion resolution, but SOE you'll have to give subjective verdict on.

My bad... I mixed 2 things. Will be showing how the MEMC helps extra frames to make it look smoother by showing same scene with and without MEMC in slightly slow motion for pronouced effect. Similar to how HDTVtest does it. The SOE surely would my subjective verdict. The side effect of MEMC when not optimised well as per my experience is ghosting. Happens in particular situations but it does.
Here's a video I shot to capture it... Share your thoughts

Not a great idea. You'll be converting BT. 2020 colour space to BT. 709 in camera, then it will go through your grading process in editing and camera processing, and then it will go to our own displays which might not be calibrated.

A better way would be to have another display on the side that you think is accurate enough. Say maybe a MacBook or another TV which you think is accurate (if you have them of course)

Another way would be to go subjective on this and test with things you know how they should look like, for example skin tones and if they look accurate to you.

I agree.. Too many variables to keep them constant. But again i don't have a test standard monitor to compare with.. more of subjective opinion as you said. But I have seen many review videos with exposure and temp left to Auto which IMO is again too away from the actual scenario. Atleast this would reduce the deviation as I thought.

Overall it's a great idea. And if and when you spend money on a colourimeter (you can get good ones for under 20-30k), you'll be able to test things a lot more accurately.

Thank you again for your valuable suggestions. Helped alot. I will surely get those in future if all goes well.

 

[lightgamer]

Yea true... Technically Nits is Lux/Pi but I also read that in situations where the source is too large compared to the measurment area, lux can be appromiated as nits. Could not get a clear confirmation regarding this but atleast with my initial testing of TV using the Lux meter am getting ~250 lux as HDR peak brightness... Definitely 250/Pi wont be the peak brightness for that TV. So am still confused.

This is because of the shape of the lux meter. If you see, that white thingy is a ball instead of straight. It's not meant to measure flat surfaces.

You can use it for relative measurements of TV X to TV Y, but nothing beyond that.

My plan is to take burst photos while doing this and the photo will show the difference in msec reading of TV and Laptop. That should suffice I hope. Capturing delay in movement of Mouse or change in colors is another way, but that's too coarse and valid for TVs with huge input lag I thought.

That might work. But you'll have to validate that vs rtings for example. Also not sure if the laptop would slow down powering a big display, so there will be that extra delay to account for it as well.

My bad... I mixed 2 things. Will be showing how the MEMC helps extra frames to make it look smoother by showing same scene with and without MEMC in slightly slow motion for pronouced effect. Similar to how HDTVtest does it. The SOE surely would my subjective verdict. The side effect of MEMC when not optimised well as per my experience is ghosting. Happens in particular situations but it does.
Here's a video I shot to capture it... Share your thoughts

This shot is very hard to tell what's happening. I'm not sure if the artefacts are caused by MEMC or the source content is bad in the first place. It definitely looks wrong, but I'm not able to put a finger on what's wrong.

Maybe a slow motion footage will help.

I agree.. Too many variables to keep them constant. But again i don't have a test standard monitor to compare with.. more of subjective opinion as you said. But I have seen many review videos with exposure and temp left to Auto which IMO is again too away from the actual scenario. Atleast this would reduce the deviation as I thought.

Yes, you can compare TV A to B, but you can't say which one is more accurate as you don't have the colorimeter.

Thank you again for your valuable suggestions. Helped alot. I will surely get those in future if all goes well.

Best of luck mate.

 

[Donivlapog]

Hello Guys,
I am small time youtuber who like to share personal views about the product I use, specifically the ones related to TVs.
When it comes to reviews of TVs there are hardly any one in India sharing a proper real world reviews... most of the ones are just reading out the specifications. Added to that majority of the TVs in the market don't even reveal all the specifications of the TV such as Peak brightness, Dimming Zones/Type of Dimming, Backlit technology, Panel type etc.
I am no Pro in the hardware of the TVs but would like to test as practically as possible and share the results with the viewers for helping them decide a purchase. Even though I can share honestly my real world experience of the TV usage in terms of Software experience, features, bugs... Colors, Black levels, Dimming, Ghosting, Upscaling etc are quite realtive as I feel and proper benchmarking would be good.
Here's the way I decided to test some of the aspects
1. HDR Peak Brightness - I recently got a lux meter (Not surely the accurate way but better than saying it's bright or not) and planning to test the HDR peak brightness using the Test videos on Youtube. Also showing the performance in dark scenes, how our own reflections start appearing on the TV.
2. Dimming Zone Count - Using the test video on youtube to find the number of columns and rows. May be difficult to show on video, but can share my observation.
3. Input Lag - Connecting a Laptop and measuring the difference in time of a Stopwatch with and without Game mode.
4. Blooming - Using the test videos from youtube and capturing the hallow around the objects as much as I can.
5. Viewing Angle - Capturing the video from 0-90 deg on both sides
6. Reflections - Opening the window beside the TV
7. MEMC Peformance - By capturing the ghosting with Fast moving objects in slow motion
8. Dimming Performance - By playing test videos from youtube.
9. HDR/ DV Performance - By showcasing how the details in the shadows are captured in the videos along with boost in brightness if any.
10. Colors - Use camera in pro mode with Exposure lock and temp set close to what I can see in reality.

Now there are still aspects like Upscaling, Type of Panel, Backlit Technology (edge lit/DLED), Color accuracy, White Balance that are hard to test without proper equipment. I would seek the experience of this vast community for more inputs/suggestions to improve the testing. As this is my part time passion apart from my actual work, I may not be able to invest into additional equipment at present.

Thanks in advance.

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