#webOS4.5

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Review of LG Nanocell 75SM9970 (75SM9900 in Europe) 8K TV

To the delight of consumers, fierce competition continues to drive an innovative boom in the consumer electronics segment. Naturally, high-tech televisions are among the leaders of this mainstream. HDR technology, HDMI 2.1 standard, 10 and 12-bit color depth, HFR (high frame rate) format, Micro LED, etc perfectly illustrate this trend. Today, TVs with 8K resolution have become one of the areas for their further improvement. Of course, LG is rightfully on the list of innovative leaders, regularly offering consumer electronics, including TVs, with the latest technology. For example, many experts call the LG C9 4K HDR Smart OLED TV w/AI ThinQ the best 4K TV of 2019 and include it in their TOPs. Of course, the company did not ignore the 8K direction, presenting in 2019 LG OLED88Z9 and Nanocell 75SM9970 (75SM9900 in Europe) 8K TVs. But these models belong to different classes. The premium 88-inch LG Signature OLED 88Z9 costs about $ 30,000 and leads the 8K TVs segment. The more affordable 75-inch LG Nanocell 75SM9970 costs about $ 5,000 and is a more realistic choice for the vast majority of consumers. But they use similar engineering solutions and some components, including the latest α9 Gen 2 8K processor with a new six-step noise reduction system (three steps of general NR, three steps of de-contouring NR) to reduce exaggerating source noise during upscaling. The LG 75SM9970 / 75SM9900 uses the «NanoBezel» design with a very narrow black bezel and a gleaming center stand with silver finish in a half-moon shape.

In addition, the 75SM9900 can be wall mounted, unlike the Z9.

LG 75SM9900/75SM9970

Like the Z9, the SM9900 uses the same processing and scaling α9 Gen 2 8K processor, providing similar performance.

But Z9 provides slightly more color accuracy due to OLED technology. This difference appears in small color-rich areas of the original 4K image. In addition, 75SM9900 has four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1, ensuring support for 8K sources up to 60 fps (4:2:0, 10-bit). Latest Nanocell panel provides very rich and dynamic colors, even compared to Samsung 75Q900RB. At the same time, TV successfully supports the ultra fine detail by its 8K resolution. In addition, the 75SMN9970 / SM9900 outperforms the Samsung 8K in terms of display intensity of bright areas against a dark background. Unfortunately, the 75SM9970 / 75SM9900 uses only 112 dimming zones. In comparison, the Samsung 8K has 400 separate dimming zones. As a result, “blooming” backlighting appears. This negative effect is visualized as extraneous light around small bright objects.

It's caused by insufficient amounts of backlight dimming zones relative to the number of pixels in the picture. Of course, turning off local dimming system solves the problem of excessive light blooming, but reduces the gradations and level of black. As a result, dark scenes look grey and flat without of shadow detail, which is especially inconvenient in games. Of course, this is a significant disadvantage for the $ 5,000 model. The 75SM9970, like all LG LCD TVs, uses the IPS LCD panel. As known, it provides a wider viewing angle compared to VA panels in Samsung TVs. As a result, the 75SM9970 provides a wide viewing angle without having to use Samsung’s sub-pixel manipulation approach. Unfortunately, IPS panels do not control backlighting, providing lower native contrast compared to VA panels.

LG 8K UpGrader

Like the Z9, model uses only external 8K decoder, which is similar to Apple TV and attaches to the TV via USB and one of the HDMI inputs.

Of course, the use of only external 8K decoder in the $ 5,000 model seems controversial. Apparently, the minimalist design trend turned out to be more important for engineers compared to convenience. However, this problem is also present in Samsung and Sony 8K models. For example, they do not play 8K YouTube video. But they can handle 8K stills and some 8K video formats via USB or streaming without a special external decoder. LG 8K UpGrader processes 8K, decodes and plays 8K HEVC, AV1, and VP9 files. Today decoder provides playback of native 8K sources. But 8K playback via NAS will be available later after a software update in December this year. According to the company, owners of Nanocell 75SM9970 / 75SM9900 will receive firmware update for free.

Key Features

LCD panel of 75SM9970 shows 685 nits for SDR and 995.40 nits at a 10-percent window in HDR. At the same time, the measured black level does not exceed 0.025 nits, providing excellent dynamic contrast 38 385: 1. Like all modern LG TVs with ThinQ AI, model already use WebOS 4.5, which today is rightfully considered one of the best.

This version has the following improvements: - a second tier of contextual, direct-access content icons; - screen for monitoring all smart devices on the network; - support for Airplay 2 and WiSA Bluetooth; - built-in voice recognition via LG’s own ThinQ AI system, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home. Moreover, the WebOS platform provides connection and viewing of content from iOS devices and control via Siri due to the compatibility with HomeKit. The 75SM9970 / 75SM9900 audio system is weaker compared to OLED88Z9. Its speakers use only a 2.2-channel configuration, providing a total of 40W, which is 2 times less than the Z9. As a result, heavy duty movie mixes can be accompanied by problems such as speaker buzzing, crackling or phutting. But AI sound mode improves the situation in this case. Unfortunately, gaming mode in the LG 75SM9970 also loses significantly to the Z9. 4K upscaling increases the Input Lag in Cinema mode to a huge 180 ms. Of course, Game mode reduces it to 43.6 ms by disabling most image processing functions. But this is still twice the usual 20 ms for most 4K TVs.

Conclusion

PROS - excellent picture; - powerful α9 Gen 2 8K processor; - 8K resolution; - very good 4K upscaling with AI Picture; - stylish NanoBezel design; - WebOS 4.5; - relatively affordable price for 8K TV; - wide viewing angles with IPS panel. CONS - “blooming” backlighting; - only external 8K decoder; - low native contrast of IPS panel; - Input Lag in Game mode reaches 43.6 ms; - no 8K content. In fact, today the LG Nanocell 75SM9970 is one of the few 8K TVs available. Of course, the lack of native 8K content significantly reduces the attractiveness of 8K models. Today, they mainly provide upscaling sub-8K to 8K content. But, according to many experts, the solution to this problem has good prospects. In any case, the 75SM9970 might interest fans of innovation with a good budget. This video offers the presentation of the LG NanoCell 75SM9970 8K TV at CES 2019. Read the full article

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Review of LG OLED88Z9 8K TV

Fierce competition continues to drive an innovative boom in the consumer electronics segment. Naturally, high-tech TVs are among the leaders of this mainstream. HDR technology, HDMI 2.1 standard, 10 and 12-bit color depth, HFR (high frame rate) format, Micro LED, etc perfectly illustrate this trend. Super resolution screens are one of the main directions of their improvement. For many years, LG is one of the innovative leaders, regularly offering TVs with new technologies. In particular, the company confidently leads the segment of OLED models. For example, many experts call the LG C9 4K HDR Smart OLED TV w/AI ThinQ the best 4K TV of 2019 and include it in their TOPs. Of course, the company did not ignore the 8K direction, introducing in 2019 LG OLED88Z9 and Nanocell 75SM9970 (75SM9900 in Europe) 8K TVs. But the traditional comparison of these models is incorrect, because they belong to different classes. The premium 88-inch LG Signature OLED 88Z9 costs about $ 30,000 and leads the 8K TVs segment. The more affordable 75-inch LG Nanocell 75SM9970 costs about $ 5,000 and is a more realistic choice for the vast majority of consumers. However, they both use the same LG's solutions and components. Of course, the first viewing of native 8K-content on the 88-inch OLED Z9 can catch the imagination of the most unperturbed person. Using a native 8K signal, TV shows great synchronization OLED’s pixel-level light and color control. Certainly, all pros of the high resolution, contrast and color accuracy are most pronounced in panoramic night scenes, filmed, for example, above a city at night.

LG Signature OLED88Z9

«Artistic Sculpture» design gives OLED88Z9 a jaw-dropping visual effect, creating the illusion of zero gravity. Moreover, the huge 88-inch screen enhances the experience by increasing the size of objects in the complete absence of visualization of the physical pixel structure. In addition, LG’s 8K upscaling system works great with almost any 4K sources. Of course, this result is inferior to native 8K content, but upscaling perfectly adds the necessary texture, detail and pixel density. Moreover, a 4x increase in the number of pixels did not affect the playback accuracy. For example, color accuracy has not changed compared to the latest LG 4K OLEDs. Displaying peak brightness from HDR sources demonstrates a similar situation. The TV displays crisp light highlights with minimal clipping, virtually without losing shades. Moreover, Z9 provides this accuracy even for HDR10 standard, which, unlike Dolby Vision, do not include scene metadata for TV. Of course, this convincingly demonstrates the effectiveness of latest built-in dynamic tone mapping system. Unfortunately, OLED88Z9 does not support HDR10+ standard of HDR format. Of course, today the Dolby Vision sources range dominates the HDR10+. But HDR10+ is developing rapidly. Bohemian Rhapsody, the recently released Yesterday, and all of Amazon’s HDR shows perfectly illustrate this trend. In addition, Panasonic and Philips OLED TVs support HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. Of course, LG's argument in favor of the inadvisability of adding HDR10+ due to the high efficiency of its own dynamic tone mapping systems seems convincing. But in this case, LG will be inferior to those brands that offer this feature. In fairness, today Sony only supports Dolby Vision, and Samsung - HDR10 +. Therefore, LG looks quite worthy against their background.

LG 8K UpGrader

OLED88Z9 uses external 8K decoder, which is similar to Apple TV and attaches to the TV via USB and one of the HDMI inputs. Of course, the use of only external 8K decoder in the model costing $ 30,000 seems controversial. Probably, the built-in module for working with 8K sources is more appropriate for the premium «Real 8K» TV, even taking into account the huge shortage of 8K content. Apparently, the minimalist design trend turned out to be more important for engineers compared to convenience. However, this problem is also present in Samsung and Sony 8K models. For example, they do not play 8K YouTube video. But they can handle 8K stills and some 8K video formats via USB or streaming without a special external decoder. LG 8K UpGrader processes 8K, decodes and plays 8K HEVC, AV1, and VP9 files. Today decoder provides playback of native 8K sources. But 8K playback via NAS will be available later after a software update in December this year. According to the company, owners of OLED88Z9 will receive firmware update for free.

Key Features

TV uses the more powerful LG’s 2019 α9 Gen 2 8K processor. Compared to the 4K version, it provides significantly more performance, which is necessary for converting the sub-8K content to 8K format. Moreover, 8K α9 uses a new six-step noise reduction system (three steps of general NR, three steps of de-contouring NR) to reduce exaggerating source noise during upscaling. In addition, model uses four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1, ensuring support for 8K sources up to 60 fps (4:2:0, 10-bit). Brightness Like all OLED models, Z9 is not very bright. With a SDR signal, it shows a peak brightness only of 441 nits (or cd/m2) with an 18-percent window, and 390.53 nits - для 10-percent window (full white screen). Of course, a HDR signal boosts the light output. In this case, its a peak brightness reaches of 735.36 nits on a 10-percent window. Today this value can be considered unprecedented for the OLED panel. For comparison, today even among LCD models, only the Sony Master Series Z9F and Hisense H9F surpass the brightness threshold of 1000 nits, providing 1677 nits and 1275 nits, respectively. At the same time, TV displays ideal black levels due to OLED technology. As known, it uses native radiation of organic diodes without backlight, providing an "infinite" contrast ratio. Gaming mode Several factors significantly improved this mode in 88OLEDZ9 compared to the previous 8 OLED series. Their list includes: - excellent upscaling of gaming images, especially 4K; - huge screen size; - unprecedented low Input Lag in Game mode which does not exceed of 17,7ms; - support for the automatic low latency mode and VRR features, which currently supported by Xbox consoles.

Audio system and WebOS

Probably the sound can be considered a minor flaw in the Z9. Of course, the model supports Dolby Atmos decoding and has a 4.2-channel, 80W speaker system. But its sound quality is closer to the LG C9 4K OLED than to the more “audiophile” E9. Down-firing speakers instead of forward facing drivers reduce the direct projection of sound. As a result, the perception of surround sound is reduced. But switching from Dolby Atmos to LG’s own AI sound processor significantly improves sound quality. In this mode TV sounds louder and more dynamic. As known, all modern LG TVs with ThinQ AI already use WebOS 4.5, which today is rightfully considered one of the best. Main improvements: - a second tier of contextual, direct-access content icons; - screen for monitoring all smart devices on the network; - support for Airplay 2 and WiSA Bluetooth; - built-in voice recognition via LG’s own ThinQ AI system, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home. Moreover, the WebOS platform provides connection and viewing of content from iOS devices and control via Siri due to the compatibility with HomeKit.

Conclusion

PROS - fantastic picture; - futuristic Artistic Sculpture design design; - WebOS 4.5; - very good 4K upscaling with AI Picture; - low input lag in Game mode (17,7ms). CONS - incredibly expensive; - not support HDR10+; - external 8K decoder; - audio system without forward facing drivers; - no 8K content. Given its price, LG OLED88Z9 is unlikely to become Best Seller any time soon. Therefore, the list of its shortcomings is rather conditional. But fantastic picture quality, effectiveness 4K upscaling, and great gaming features convincingly illustrate the possibilities of future TVs. Today Samsung offers eight Samsung 8K models vs two LG 8K models. This video offers interview with Gregg Lee at CES 2019. Read the full article

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LG 4K HDR Smart LED 65SM9500 NanoCell TV w/AI ThinQ 2019 Review

As known, fierce competition in the consumer electronics segment is the main trend of the last few decades. In fact, the development of innovative technologies has become for companies one of the main tools to ensure the competitiveness of its products. As a result, almost all leaders annually offer models that use a wide range of the most effective innovative solutions. Of course, TVs are one of the most high-tech segments.

LG TVs

Of course, LG needs no introduction. Every year this company offers models with the support of the most advanced technologies, many of which are its own development. Nano Cell, HDR technology, HDMI 2.1 (48 Gbps), etc perfectly illustrate this trend. Of course, 2019 was no exception. For example, at CES 2019, the company demonstrated first rollable OLED TV. 260 flexible OLED screens, connected together to imitate a waterfall struck the imagination of the most imperturbable viewers. All modern models use OLED or LED LCD technology. In fact, QLED (Samsung), Nano Cell (LG) and Micro LED are innovative LED LCD TVs. QLED and Nano Cell technologies have a lot in common, but are developed by different companies. Recall that QD (quantum dots) or fluorescent semiconductor nanocrystals are tiny single crystals with a diameter of 2-10 nm (15-150 atoms). The size and shape of QDs is easily and accurately controlled by the duration and temperature of the process of their synthesis. QD color depends on its size. The size of large red QDs reaches 7 nm (150 atoms), the diameter of green particles is about 3 nm (30 atoms), and the smallest blue QDs have a diameter of only 2 nm (15 atoms). These nanoparticles are applied to an additional nanofilter between the LED panel and the LCD screen. This element significantly improves brightness control, providing more accurate color rendering. The main difference between Nano Cell and QLED is the size of the calibration pixel, which is 1 nm and 2-7 nm, respectively. Modern Nano Cell models are slightly cheaper than QLED models with similar technical specifications.

LG LED 65SM9500 NanoCell

But the company is also actively developing traditional LED LCD TVs. In 2019, LG introduced the new SM9500 (55, 65 ") TV (SM9800PLA in Europe). This ultra slim LED 4K TV with Nano Cell display and FALD backlight supports the HDR standard, including Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10 Pro, HLG, HLG Pro and Advanced HDR from Technicolor. In 2019, LG continues to ignore the competitive Samsung HDR10+ standard, claiming that its models provide a similar effect due to the dynamic Tone mapping mode. Dynamic frame-by-frame HDR image processing uses the Enhanced Dynamic Tone Mapping algorithm. The native resolution of RGB matrix is 3840 x 2160 pixels, which corresponds to 4K Ultra HD. In addition, the model supports HDMI 2.1, Dolby Atmos, wireless WiSA audio and uses WebOS 4.5. SM9500 uses an upgraded second-generation Alpha 7 Gen 2 processor and an HDMI 2.1 port with HDMI eARC and VRR support. New HDMI 2.1 interface provides 48 Gbps. For comparison, HDMI 2.0 only supports 18 Gbps. Accordingly, new model can playback content with higher resolution and frequency. In particular, this model supports a 4K / 120 Hz mode. In addition, HDMI 2.1 provides a Variable Refresh Rate feature that is similar to the AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync technologies. Moreover, the HDMI 2.1 supports Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) technology that automatically determines the optimal delay time for the smoothest possible playback. HDMI eARC provides lossless audio transmission through the HDMI eARC port. Of course, the LG SM9500 with HDMI 2.1 is backward compatible with HDMI 2.0. But connecting external HDMI 2.1 devices requires Ultra High Speed HDMI cables.

Key features

Matrix LG SM9500 supports 10-bit color depth. Most modern TVs use 8-bit matrix, which provides 8 bits for each of the three colors (red, green, blue) or 256 shades. 10-bit panels provide 1024 shades per color. Accordingly, 1024 х 1024 x 1024 is 1.07 billion colors per pixel. For comparison, this value for the 8-bit matrix reaches only 16.8 million. This value mainly affects the degree of image realism. The top LG 2019 models continue to use FALD (full-array local dimming) backlight. It uses LEDs behind the screen that are combined into arrays for each screen zone. In this case, the TV can turn off certain areas of the backlight, providing a deeper black, improving the detail in the shadows and reducing the excessive brightness. As a result, FALD significantly improves the contrast, providing great image quality. Processing dynamic scenes uses an improved LG α7 (Alpha 7) second-generation processor that has replaced the previous Alpha 7. According to the company, it has significantly improved the performance of color and motion processing algorithms. The model uses a very popular Magic Remote with a gyroscope, which provides cursor control when it moves in space. In addition, it does not require direct guidance to the IR receiver on the TV. But location and set of its buttons is slightly different from the Magic Remote 2018. As known, LG TVs use Dolby Atmos since 2017. This feature automatically adjusts to any connected speaker system. This TV uses a 2.2 circuit with a total power of 40 W. Wireless Sound Sync provides connection and transfer of audio content to mobile devices.

ThinkQ AI

The LG TVs 2019 uses updated webOS 4.5. It retains all the features of last year’s popular system and adds an intelligent selection from apps like Netflix based on user preferences. The company also expanded its voice assistant capabilities, including Google Assistant support and added support for Amazon Alexa. The system can prompt various voice commands in the menu via the AI Recommendation. As known, since 2018 all household appliances, electronic devices and LG services with support for AI are combined in the ThinQ AI. Of course, the LG SM9500 also supports ThinQ. Moreover, model uses Deep ThinQ technology and personalized Google Assistant to control using voice commands and communicate with other smart home devices. As known, at CES 2019, LG introduced their new OLED and NanoCell TVs. The LG NanoCell line up 2019 includes SM9970 (8K), SM9500 / SM9000 (65 ", FALD Pro / 55" and 65 ", FALD) and SM8600 (Local Dimming). This video offers review of the LG 65SM9000. Read the full article