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Obscure (but important) calibration settings on new Samsung QLED TVs (might also be applicable to other brands!)

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MWmetalhead
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Obscure (but important) calibration settings on new Samsung QLED TVs (might also be applicable to other brands!)

Post by MWmetalhead » Sun May 16, 2021 8:05 am

I recently purchased a new Samsung Q8DT (same as last year's Q80T model) from Costco.

Went with the Q8DT because it is $100 to $200 cheaper than this year's Q80A model, and unlike this year's Q80A, last year's model features a VA panel, not an IPS panel where blacks can often look washed out and where general contrast can often look unimpressive. The reason I like the Q8DT/Q80T and its more expensive counterpart, the Q9DT/Q90T is because the set features an anti-reflective coating that provides superb reflection handling performance in bright rooms.

Was not at all planning a new TV purchase, but a little accident inside the house ruined my prior TV, which was purchased only six months ago!. Probably the worst time to be buying a new one, since there are few or no discounts on flagship or second tier 4K compatible sets.

So, I get the new TV up & running, and I noticed immediately how the color palette just seemed "flat." Colors lacked pop. How could this be?

Well, about 30 minutes ago, I solved my dim colors mystery!

Turns out, in the picture settings --> expert settings menu, toward the very bottom of the list, there is a configuration called "color space settings."

The default setting was "Auto." Supposedly, the TV is supposed to be smart enough to match the input source to the best possible color palette. I BEG TO DIFFER!

I changed the above setting from "Auto" to "Native." Holy crap - everything looked instantly better!

I am curious as to the challenges other Buzzboard readers have faced with regard to new TV configuration. Also, has anyone noticed a material difference when switching out one HDMI cable with a different one? (The HDMI cable I purchased supports 18 Gbps data transfer.)

A couple additional pieces of info:
- Yes, my Xfinity cable box was set to proper picture quality mode (2160p, 4K compatible)
- Yes, my TV was set to "Home" mode, not "Store" mode.



Deleted User 14896

Re: Obscure (but important) calibration settings on new Samsung QLED TVs (might also be applicable to other brands!)

Post by Deleted User 14896 » Sun May 16, 2021 9:54 am

MWmetalhead wrote:
Sun May 16, 2021 8:05 am
.... my Xfinity cable box was set to proper picture quality mode (2160p, 4K compatible) .....
There has always been a slight difference in the "crispness" of what I view with Xfinity compared to what I watch through WiFi. I can for example watch YouTube with cable, or watch YouTube thru WiFi in the TV. The WiFi is a sharper picture.

This cable box setting you speak of. Can you see the settings using your remote? Can you change the settings?

Thanks



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Re: Obscure (but important) calibration settings on new Samsung QLED TVs (might also be applicable to other brands!)

Post by MWmetalhead » Sun May 16, 2021 2:47 pm

Yes - click on the big "Xfinity" button on your remote, navigate using the arrow keys to the icon that looks like a gear, then navigate to "device settings," and then "video display settings."

I am using one of the current generation cable boxes (menu system with black backgrounds + voice remote). If you are using one of the old Motorola boxes with the blue and yellow menus, the process to access the video display settings will differ.

You need an XG1v4 box or Xi6 box to be able to configure maximum vide resolution to 2160p, otherwise, your maximum will be 1080p. Bear in mind very little native programming that is aired live on the various cable networks is even available in 4K (2160p).

An XG1v3 box is NOT 2160p capable.

My experience is identical to yours when watching YouTube videos; color brilliance is better when watching via the native smart app on my TV versus the Xfinity box. This is particularly noticeable when comparing the blackness of the YouTube wallpaper between the two methods.



Deleted User 14896

Re: Obscure (but important) calibration settings on new Samsung QLED TVs (might also be applicable to other brands!)

Post by Deleted User 14896 » Sun May 16, 2021 6:22 pm

Thank You Thank You.
Holy Moley. It was in 720.
Now it's on 1080p60 HD. (best available)
Looks great. Thanks again.



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Re: Obscure (but important) calibration settings on new Samsung QLED TVs (might also be applicable to other brands!)

Post by bmw » Tue May 18, 2021 8:53 pm

re: HDMI cable - I can't imagine there'd be any difference since it is a digital signal. Either the data gets from point A to point B or it doesn't.

Me personally, my main TV is still a Panasonic Plasma. Sure, it is only 720p, but I find black levels and viewing angles to be more important than resolution, so I still prefer the look of a plasma over any more modern offerings. I probably won't make another TV purchase until OLED gets considerably cheaper, as OLED is far superior to regular LED.



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Re: Obscure (but important) calibration settings on new Samsung QLED TVs (might also be applicable to other brands!)

Post by MWmetalhead » Thu May 20, 2021 9:04 pm

Glad to hear my tips were of use, Mike! :)

I agree, bmw. Panasonic made one helluva plasma TV back in the day. Those units were often at or near the top of the recommended lists of various electronics publications and web sites. I came oh-so-close to purchasing one many years ago but ultimately decided to go LCD due to power consumption savings and no burn-in risk.

I completely agree that OLED is superior to regular LED. The LG CX and LG BX were definitely on my radar, but at the end of the day, I couldn't justify the extra cost. Bright room performance was my #1 priority, and the Samsung Q80T and Q90T according to multiple sources - including the very useful rtings.com site - performed best in that regard.



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Re: Obscure (but important) calibration settings on new Samsung QLED TVs (might also be applicable to other brands!)

Post by Lester The Nightfly » Fri Jul 02, 2021 8:55 pm

MWmetalhead wrote:
Thu May 20, 2021 9:04 pm
Glad to hear my tips were of use, Mike! :)

I agree, bmw. Panasonic made one helluva plasma TV back in the day. Those units were often at or near the top of the recommended lists of various electronics publications and web sites. I came oh-so-close to purchasing one many years ago but ultimately decided to go LCD due to power consumption savings and no burn-in risk.

I completely agree that OLED is superior to regular LED. The LG CX and LG BX were definitely on my radar, but at the end of the day, I couldn't justify the extra cost. Bright room performance was my #1 priority, and the Samsung Q80T and Q90T according to multiple sources - including the very useful rtings.com site - performed best in that regard.
I just sprung for a Sony OLED (the XR-A80J, if anyone is taking notes) and had the good fortune not to have need to do much in the way of tweaking out of the box. It's been my experience that generally speaking if you run a new set in Cinema or Custom mode you're going to be miles ahead even if that as far as you take it. Without getting too gushy about the product I will say (and I've been dialing in sets for a long time) this model needs very, very little in the way of calibration, to the point of saying I just don't think there would be much point in getting a $300-$400 pro calibration done to get what I would consider a studio quality image. It's that good. Really not having an issue with bright room performance, which seems to be a big fear with OLED's. Granted, it doesn't blaze like a torch but I've never been in a studio or post-production room where a properly setup reference monitor does. The LG product looks great too but I have to admit I'd been around all manner of Sony professional gear for virtually my entire career so I guess it's just what I'm used to seeing in terms of what I consider the gold standard.

[EDIT: Almost forgot, the Sony has a ATSC 3.0 tuner, not sure about the LG. All the broadcasters here in Portland are on the 3.0 standard but I've not seen any of the supplemental services the new standard is supposed to bring. I will say the tuner in this thing is a beast. Pulling in a lot more stations than an older Samsung with the 2.0 tuner I have around the house. Not sure if its 2.0 vs. 3.0 or Sony vs. Samsung but I'm sucking in the signal big time with just a Mohu Leaf panel antenna. Also Sony's upscaling engine does wonders to a standard HD picture.]



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Re: Obscure (but important) calibration settings on new Samsung QLED TVs (might also be applicable to other brands!)

Post by MWmetalhead » Wed Jul 07, 2021 8:04 pm

I just sprung for a Sony OLED (the XR-A80J, if anyone is taking notes) and had the good fortune not to have need to do much in the way of tweaking out of the box. It's been my experience that generally speaking if you run a new set in Cinema or Custom mode you're going to be miles ahead even if that as far as you take it.
I completely agree with this; warm color temperature is best. I also recommend minimizing use of motion smoothing, contrast enhancement, and other features, especially adaptive brightness (the worst of the bunch, in my opinion).

I had a big Sony 46" set over a decade ago - when LCD televisions were still relatively thick - and loved the picture. Motion rendering compared to competing sets at the time was great and color accuracy was very good. The panel went to shit after four years unfortunately (pixel lines began malfunctioning). It went off warranty a year earlier and Sony wouldn't do a damn thing for me. The MSRP on that set at time of purchase was $1,999, most stores sold it for a regular price of $1,7999, and I paid $1,299 for it on Black Friday. The fact that set only lasted four years infuriated me.

The ATSC 3.0 tuner does separate the Sony from the rest of the pack, and I also agree OTA reception of Samsung sets leave something to be desired.

I'd love to know how the ATSC 3.0 picture quality compares to the 2.0 stations. Any noticeable difference aside from a more stable signal?

Rtings.com loves the XR-A80J, and I think a number of professional reviewers would state it is the best TV on the market at the moment.

https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/sony/a80j-oled

Getting back to the Samsung, I do not like the minimalist remote control. For those who largely rely on OTA viewing, auto-programming is much more difficult than it needs to be (I primarily watch cable TV). I also have been unable to find a way to delete specific OTA subchannels, such as the home shopping channels.



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Re: Obscure (but important) calibration settings on new Samsung QLED TVs (might also be applicable to other brands!)

Post by Lester The Nightfly » Fri Jul 16, 2021 4:44 pm

The ATSC 3.0 tuner does separate the Sony from the rest of the pack, and I also agree OTA reception of Samsung sets leave something to be desired.

I'd love to know how the ATSC 3.0 picture quality compares to the 2.0 stations. Any noticeable difference aside from a more stable signal?
Really haven't notice much difference in PQ. It all starts to become a jumble at the point when you're trying to identify which part of the chain is helping or hurting. Is it the packaging codec that's doing the magic? More efficient or higher bandwidth for the stream? Better error correction? Maybe the upscale engine? Lots of moving parts. I will say the long time established broadcasters PQ looks much better than the 2nd and 3rd tier operators but generally speaking that's always been true regardless.

I'll be curious what stations end up doing with some of the wiz-bang capabilities ATSC 3.0 offers, such as souped up audio, immersive content features and such. My guess is most of that will not happen if it cuts into time and effort being spent on slapping up another revenue producing subchannel. Gotta pay the electric bill... :hat



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