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Thread: Videophile Thread

  1. #101
    Member rcarlberg's Avatar
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    Cripes, am I going to have to upgrade again?

    In the last couple of months I've decided the best thing about my TV is not the IMAX movies, not the Blu-ray movies, not the hi-def streamed content on Netflix -- all of which look amazing. No, it's what the TV does to ordinary content, even old black & white Cary Grant movies from the 1940s. They are up converted or something so that even THEY appear to be hi-def, and the effect is nothing short of astonishing.

  2. #102
    Member rcarlberg's Avatar
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    Incidentally, last week I bought a new 27" iMac computer with a Retina screen. It has a resolution of 5120 x 2880 for a total of 14,745,600 pixels.

    This compares to my Samsung TV which is 3840 x 2160 = 8,294,400 pixels. In theory the computer ought to look 56% sharper than the TV, right?

    It doesn't. Playing a nice DVD (I don't have a Blu-ray drive for the computer, but I can compare normal DVDs) the picture looks roughly half as good as the TV. Streaming 4k content from Netflix the resolution appears to be maybe 2/3 as good as the TV. Noticeably worse. Why is that? Interleaving, refresh rates, something like that?

    On static images -- text, photos, computer screen stuff -- the Retina screen is astonishingly good but as a movie theatre... Not so much. Kinda disappointed.

  3. #103
    Member Jerjo's Avatar
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    I'm falling behind on video technology. What the hell is OLED? Right now we've got a 55 Panasonic Vierra Plasma, it's a couple years old. I get a little annoyed when there's too much daylight coming in (big picture window on the north wall, TV is on the west wall) but at night it looks very sharp and deep to me.
    I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart

  4. #104
    Member rcarlberg's Avatar
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    Firth has provided many links in this thread to explanations of OLED technology.

  5. #105
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jerjo View Post
    I'm falling behind on video technology. What the hell is OLED? Right now we've got a 55 Panasonic Vierra Plasma, it's a couple years old. I get a little annoyed when there's too much daylight coming in (big picture window on the north wall, TV is on the west wall) but at night it looks very sharp and deep to me.
    So plasma has individual pixels composed of phosphors that emit light when excited by electric fields provided locally. Organic LEDs are used in pixels and give off light when stimulated by current. In both cases, light comes from the pixel. In the case of LCD/LED TV, a LED based backlight shines thru a matrix of liquid crystals whose transmission properties change based on current supplied at each pixel.

  6. #106
    Member Jerjo's Avatar
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    I just bought a bias lighting strip for the 55" plasma in our living room. I wasn't sure if it would be worth the effort but I got it set up. Last night TCM was running "Gilda". I could see a definite improvement in the contrast. My wife said "we doing this to every TV in the house".
    I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart

  7. #107
    Member rcarlberg's Avatar
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    Jerjo, is this the thing that subtly illuminates the wall behind the TV based on the colors on the TV? How's that work? What's the purpose?

  8. #108
    Member Jerjo's Avatar
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    It doesn't change colors. The idea is to stay the same, at around 6500 candle flames. This explains it better than I can.

    http://www.howtogeek.com/213464/how-...bias-lighting/

    What I got was below. Fairly easy to install although I have my worries about how long the adhesive will hold.

    http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007TG5EG8/...I39I67INWHV8XI
    I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart

  9. #109
    Member rcarlberg's Avatar
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    Ah, I see, it prevents eye strain. I have seen bias lighting that changes color (maybe it was built into the TV?) but low level white light would do the same I suppose.

    I doubt it would do me any good because I can't get my TV room absolutely dark anyway -- my living room has floor-to-ceiling windows.

  10. #110
    Member Jerjo's Avatar
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    Any recommendations for a Blu-Ray player? The one in my office is crapping out.
    I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart

  11. #111
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jerjo View Post
    Any recommendations for a Blu-Ray player? The one in my office is crapping out.
    Need multiple high res audio formats?

  12. #112
    Member Jerjo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Firth View Post
    Need multiple high res audio formats?
    Nope, it's not hooked into the audio system.
    I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart

  13. #113
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jerjo View Post
    Nope, it's not hooked into the audio system.
    Then you would likely be fine with $60 Sony player with 1080p HDMI outputs from Walmart. If you want 4k HDR (or Dolby Vision) then the decision becomes more complicated.

  14. #114
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jerjo View Post
    Nope, it's not hooked into the audio system.
    Is this a Blu-ray that interfaces to the computer? My unit on my computer would play EU format of Stone and Steel that BBT produced. Home players don’t necessarily support all regions or 60 and 50 Hz referenced frame rates.

  15. #115
    Quote Originally Posted by Firth View Post
    Then you would likely be fine with $60 Sony player with 1080p HDMI outputs from Walmart.
    Or a more honorable retailer.
    "The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"

  16. #116
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    Quote Originally Posted by ronmac View Post
    Or a more honorable retailer.
    You mean politically correct, like Amazon

  17. #117
    Quote Originally Posted by Firth View Post
    You mean politically correct, like Amazon
    No, honorable. It has nothing to do with politics.
    "The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"

  18. #118
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    Quote Originally Posted by ronmac View Post
    No, honorable. It has nothing to do with politics.
    Judging honorable or not, is political.

    Political means relating to the way power is achieved and used in a country or society.

  19. #119
    Quote Originally Posted by Firth View Post
    Judging honorable or not, is political.

    Political means relating to the way power is achieved and used in a country or society.
    Oh bullshit! Judging one's honor is a moral judgment, not a political one.

    This is a perfect example of how moral issues are constantly being framed as political ones. it's precisely how people are divided by politicians for their own political gain and self-preservation. They take moral issues and frame them as being partisan, so people lose sight of the common ground they share, which is a lot.

    Not only did you fall for it; you are helping them by participating in it.

    Congratulations.

    Don't worry folks, I'm not going to let this turn into a shit storm.
    "The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"

  20. #120
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    Quote Originally Posted by ronmac View Post
    Oh bullshit! Judging one's honor is a moral judgment, not a political one.

    This is a perfect example of how moral issues are constantly being framed as political ones. it's precisely how people are divided by politicians for their own political gain and self-preservation. They take moral issues and frame them as being partisan, so people lose sight of the common ground they share, which is a lot.

    Not only did you fall for it; you are helping them by participating in it.

    Congratulations.

    Don't worry folks, I'm not going to let this turn into a shit storm.
    Bull shit correct! You weren’t mentioning “one”. You mentioned a very powerful commercial interest and said it was dishonorable. Why try to disguise that statement with more bull shit?

  21. #121
    ^^ Nonsense. Nice try at putting words in my mouth, though.
    "The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"

  22. #122
    Member Jerjo's Avatar
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    I just discovered that the firmware for my Panasonic plasma no longer updates. The Amazon streaming is particularly out of date. I'm going to get a Fire Stick as a temporary fix but I suppose by next year I'll be shopping for a new TV. When do the new models come out, after the CES?
    I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart

  23. #123
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jerjo View Post
    I just discovered that the firmware for my Panasonic plasma no longer updates. The Amazon streaming is particularly out of date. I'm going to get a Fire Stick as a temporary fix but I suppose by next year I'll be shopping for a new TV. When do the new models come out, after the CES?
    When you look at TVs, you may wish to make sure is has eARC. Old ARC sucks. My Apple TV 4K interfaces to my Pioneer receiver which handles Dolby Vision in pass thru to TV and the Dolby Atmos Audio is handled in receiver.

  24. #124
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jerjo View Post
    I just discovered that the firmware for my Panasonic plasma no longer updates. The Amazon streaming is particularly out of date. I'm going to get a Fire Stick as a temporary fix but I suppose by next year I'll be shopping for a new TV. When do the new models come out, after the CES?
    It will be atleast another year before MicroLED will be affordable in normal sized TVs. Until then OLEDs from LG and Sony will be worth looking at.

  25. #125
    Member Jerjo's Avatar
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    Thanks, Firth!
    I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart

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