Posted September 27, 2008
Choosing the right HDTV is difficult. One important consideration is to know how much resolution a particular HDTV extracts from a 1080i high definition signal. The HD Guru put 125 2008 HDTVs (plus one 2009 prototype) through a series of test signals to learn how different brands and models really perform. The specific results appear in the 2008 Resolution Tests PDF link below. Here is a brief rundown of these tests. For more testing information please refer to my previous articles that appeared in Home Theater magazine. You can find them at:
http://hometheatermag.com/hookmeup/1107hook2/
http://hometheatermag.com/hookmeup/1106hook/
http://hometheatermag.com/hookmeup/0506halfrez/
Deinterlacing Test
All LCD flat panels, microdisplay rear projectors and most plasma HDTVs are progressive displays, meaning they (should) process all 1080 lines within a 1080i signal and display them at a set’s native resolution. (1080i is the broadcast standard for most HDTV networks including CBS, NBC, CW and HBO.) This is accomplished by deinterlacing the interlaced broadcast signal into one that’s scanned progressively. An HDTV that does not properly deinterlace the signal will only process a single field, reducing vertical resolution to 540 lines. Last year the HD Guru tested 74 2007 models and found that slightly fewer than 65 percent passed this test. This year’s sets fared much better with 96% of the 125 HDTVs passing!
The deinterlace test was conducted using the Silicon Optix HQV HD test disc. You can purchase this disc in the Blu-ray or HD DVD format, at a 25% discount through a coupon. Information on how to order and the coupon code can be found at www.hdguru.com/?p=153.
3:2 Tests
Most scripted television programs and almost all movies are filmed at 24 frames per second. 1080i broadcasts require that the 24 frames be split into two fields that must be recombined in the proper sequence in order to produce a 1080p signal that is artifact-free and retains full resolution.
The Silicon Optix HD HQV disc also includes a test of this key performance parameter. Last year’s results were disappointing with only 14 out of 74 sets passing (18.91%). The 2008 models showed a slight improvement with 29 out of 125 sets (23.2%) properly handling the signal. Only 1 out of 28 Samsung models passed this test and the model that passed (LN-46A950) only did so after the set’s two anti-motion blur features were shut off. Activation of either of the anti-motion blur circuits caused the set to fail.
Upon learning of the high failure rate, a Samsung spokesperson claimed newer production models of these sets will pass the test and that a downloadable firmware update, available now for owners of the failing earlier production units, fixes the problem.
(HD Guru policy is to report the results obtained, dealers sold a number these models without the latest firmware and many units may remain in their current inventory). Testing occurred between July and September 2008. The HD Guru will try to obtain samples loaded with the new firmware to confirm Samsung’s claims. If confirmed, the article and chart will be updated.
One LG’s plasma TV passed and two failed. An LG spokesperson indicated a running production change might have affected the test results. If there was any change (such as a firmware upgrade or special setting needed), it will be tested as well.
Bandwidth Tests
Can a 1080p HDTV resolve all horizontal detail down to a single pixel (out of 1920 pixels across)? To perform this test, I used a Sencore 403 HDTV signal generator with a pattern that has vertical alternating black and white lines, one pixel wide. If a set passes this test, every vertical line should be clearly visible (as black and white). If there is some roll off in bandwidth, the lines appear as dark gray and light gray. If an HDTV was unable to resolve down to a single pixel, the area of the screen would appear blank. Out of the 76-1080p sets tested, 68 displayed full bandwidth (one Philips was not tested due to its inability to sync with the Sencore generator). The remaining 1080p HDTVs exhibited some signal roll off. Note: all bandwidth, static and motion resolution tests were only performed on displays that are 1920 x 1080 “full HD” resolution. Displays with lower resolution, for example 1366×768 (listed as 768p in the chart), cannot fully resolve a 1080i HD signal.
Static and Motion Resolution
An HDTV may resolve a stationary test signal at full bandwidth, displaying all the detail within the 1920 individual pixels that appear across the screen, but not necessarily when motion is introduced, which on some sets causes a resolution drop. This can significantly degrade your viewing experience, especially if you watch a great deal of sports and/or action-oriented movies. How much resolution loss occurs? To find out, I used a test tool called the FPD Benchmark Software for the Professional.
This Blu-ray disc contains a Monoscope pattern (pictured above) which is made up of a series of four black lines that gradually come together in a wedge-like pattern that appears at the top, bottom and sides. Numbers adjacent to the lines indicate resolution. There are both stationary and moving versions of the pattern. In both instances, a number corresponds to the location of where all four lines can still be distinguished as they converge. The maximum resolution is 1080 lines “per picture height”. If you want to calculate how many pixels a given display can resolve across the screen, simply multiply the resolution number by 1.77777.
Results
The motion resolution winner, displaying all 1080 lines through processes called motion interpolation (used on all 120Hz LCD panels) and sequential LED backlight control (called Motion Plus) was the Samsung LN-46A950. It is the only display ever tested that resolved 100% of the moving image’s detail. Congratulations to Samsung’s engineering team for eliminating motion blur on an LCD display! Please note: this performance level resulted from activating the display’s Motion Plus control and setting the interpolation (called Auto Motion by Samsung) to “low.” Any other combination of the motion control settings resulted in motion blur, dropping the perfect 1080 line score down to as low as 330 lines!
The next highest motion resolution results came from plasma HDTVs. The best 2008 models were the two Pioneer plasmas at 900 lines, followed by the other plasma displays, with results in a range of 800-850 lines. (The 150” Panasonic plasma prototype scored 920 out of 1080 lines).
Moving down the list are the 120Hz LCD flat panels. The results ranged from 550-620 lines of motion resolution, depending on the make and model of the display.
The lowest “motion resolution” group of displays were the 60 Hz LCD flat panels with a maximum of just 340 lines out of 1080. The biggest “loser” of resolution goes to the 37” Sharp LC-37D64U, recording just 260 lines out of 1080 on the Motion test, a disappointing 75%+ loss of resolution. The lone rear projector tested was a Samsung DLP. It joins this group with 330 lines of motion resolution.
Use the chart attached to this article to help you make an informed decision when choosing a new HDTV. While other factors such viewing angle and color reproduction are also important to consider when shopping for a new display, excellent image resolution provides the “high” in high definition TV viewing
2008-resolution-tests-125-hdtvs.pdf
Copyright ©2008 Gary Merson/HD Guru® All rights reserved. HD GURU is a registered trademark. The content and photos within may not be distributed electronically or copied mechanically without specific written permission.
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[…] After lots of whining on my blog back in March that “plasmas are overrated”, or “plasmas burn easier and consume too much power”, or that “whatever, I will still get an LCD”, now YET another test shows that Pioneer’s plasma TVs are far superior to any other TV in the market. Even Panasonic’s high end plasma TVs can’t touch the Pioneers. Of course, this landscape is going to change, as Pioneer will start offering LCDs too and start using Panasonic panels instead of creating their own like they do now. I expect Pioneer to lose its steam in the long run because of these decisions, but hey, people want crappy LCDs, and that’s what they are going to get. […]
cdh
Posted on 29th September, 2008
On the tests, the Panasonic TH-65VX100 65″ plasma set did very well and I was ready to buy it. However, I cannot find this set on the Panasonic, CNet or any other website. Could the model number be incorrect? Any information about where to find this set would be appreciated.
sharkcohen
Posted on 29th September, 2008
I have the HQV HD DVD Benchmark disk that they are using. With firmware 1009, Film Mode set to Auto1, and AMP Off, my 46a750 PASSES the 3:2 test. Turn AMP on, and it fails (but I would expect that). I question what firmware their 650/750/850 test sets had installed, and what their settings were during the tests. However, I can’t speak for their static/motion resolution results, I do not have the software they are using for that.
opuntia
Posted on 30th September, 2008
do you have a contact name with samsung concerning the firmware status. I have the 650 series LCD and the samsung website has a fairly old FW (dated 5/2008) as the latest version. However, sets shipping out now are loaded with a much newer version.
Basically, samsung is not making these new FW available to older sets.
Jeff
Posted on 30th September, 2008
Hello,
As other people have asked did you use the latest firmware for the Samsung 650 series panels. I cant understand how come the 46″ 650 had a static res, of 1050, and the 50″ & 40 ” had a static res of 900? They are the same panels?
Robin
Posted on 1st October, 2008
I think this is great and have shared the link with many others who also like the tests.
I do have one request for the next series of tests. Can contrast be tested. I find that contrast is the main reason I have stuck with my CRT. I have read and looked at many different sets but the contrast in normal lighting (at least the level my wife likes) is quite poor.
I would like to see both Static and Dynamic contrast tests as many of these new TV’s can be used as computer monitors for viewing pictures (digital slide shows).
egm23
Posted on 1st October, 2008
I have had a Samsung 52a650 for about a month and and it was shipped with version 2004.0 FW. I’m sure its the latest.
Also, I’m not sure about how the 3:2 pulldown was tested but to my understaning, when AMP is on, 5:5 pulldown is used, and when AMP is off, the 3:2 pulldown is used. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
[…] How’s it stack up to Pioneer’s Kuro, one of the top plasmas in the game? As far as motion-resolution goes—the all-important ability to maintain crisp images while they’re in motion on the screen—it’s actually better. According to HD Guru Gary Merson (who was more interested in running his calibration discs on the 150 than sticking with us for some Counter Strike, God bless ’im), the 150-incher, even as a prototype, scored a resolution of 920 lines on a 1080i signal. Pioneer’s ’08 Kuros, the next best, scored 900. Our bet is that Dorothy can’t best the Kuro in the contrast department, but as you can see from all of our shots, it’s no slouch. Check out more performance specs in Gary’s 125-TV mega-guide. Below: Gary testing motion resolution. […]
dsunglasses
Posted on 2nd October, 2008
Great article and good work. I’d love to see some updates and additions. Is there an observable difference between the motion resolution on a 600 lcd versus an 800 plasma? The motion resolution comparison was quite interesting, but if its possible, I’d like to see an objective comparison of black levels, color accuracy and contrast added to the list. It would make this list an invaluable research tool. I’d also like to see the LG 47lg90 and the Sony xbr8 series, the 2008 Hitachi 50″ plasmas and lcds, the Vizio vp505xvt, and the JVC x899 series added to the list. Oh, and the Sony 52xbr7 with 240hz would make an interesting comparison here. And yes, I’m never satisfied.
[…] How’s it stack up to Pioneer’s Kuro, one of the top plasmas in the game? As far as motion-resolution goes—the all-important ability to maintain crisp images while they’re in motion on the screen—it’s actually better. According to HD Guru Gary Merson (who was more interested in running his calibration discs on the 150 than sticking with us for some Counter Strike, God bless ’im), the 150-incher, even as a prototype, scored a resolution of 920 lines on a 1080i signal. Pioneer’s ’08 Kuros, the next best, scored 900. Our bet is that Dorothy can’t best the Kuro in the contrast department, but as you can see from all of our shots, it’s no slouch. Check out more performance specs in Gary’s 125-TV mega-guide. Below: Gary testing motion resolution. […]
Steve
Posted on 5th October, 2008
Why does this year’s DLP do less than half as well as last years (330 versus the HLT6756 with 700 lines)?
Why would DLP tech have a problem at all here?
I love the price/performance of DLP for big screens and have never noticed them losing resolution in motion as I can clearly see on LCDs.
What gives?
Jason
Posted on 9th October, 2008
I understand that the focus of your chart is whether or not you’re getting ALL of the 1080 lines you’re paying for. Is that why you didn’t include the resolution results of the TVs that fit in the 720p category? I was considering the Samsung LN52A650 (or 630 for the matte screen), but now I wonder if I’d be better off to save some money and just find a 720p that is compatible with 1080i/1080p signals. After seeing the Motion Res results of those $2000+ 1080p TVs, I’m now thinking I’d be just as well off with a 720p at half the cost(that’s assuming that they’re producing 580 or more lines of Motion Res).
So my big question is: can you fill in the blanks of the “720p” TVs’ Motion Res results? I’d like to avoid spending an extra $1000 on ‘hype’.
[…] How’s it stack up to Pioneer’s Kuro, one of the top plasmas in the game? As far as motion-resolution goes—the all-important ability to maintain crisp images while they’re in motion on the screen—it’s actually better. According to HD Guru Gary Merson (who was more interested in running his calibration discs on the 150 than sticking with us for some Counter Strike, God bless ’im), the 150-incher, even as a prototype, scored a resolution of 920 lines on a 1080i signal. Pioneer’s ’08 Kuros, the next best, scored 900. Our bet is that Dorothy can’t best the Kuro in the contrast department, but as you can see from all of our shots, it’s no slouch. Check out more performance specs in Gary’s 125-TV mega-guide. Below: Gary testing motion resolution. […]
Bob Stone
Posted on 18th October, 2008
Thanks to HD Guru for publishing this data.
Two Questions:
1.) The term “Motion” seems a bit vague. Can we further define that word? Does resolution drop even further if the screen information changes more rapidly than tested? What were the exact test perimeters?
2.) I would like to see some subjective evaluations to this loss of resolution when objects are in motion. In short, how noticeable is it to the average viewer?
ric
Posted on 22nd October, 2008
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[…] We’ve covered several prototypes of the LaserVue set, and Gary says it blows all of them away, and “rates in the stratosphere of top displays” of the very best sets like Pioneer’s Kuro Gen 2, Pansonic’s 65VX100U plasma and LED-backlit LCDs. The major issue conquered in the final version over the prototypes is speckling, the sparkles you see when you reflect a laser off of a flat surface (try it with a laser pointer). There are none. To dive into the nittier gritter, it has the widest color gamut of any set Gary’s ever tested, far beyond the HDTV Rec. 709 broadcast standard: “Reds are so intense and crimson they’re indescribable. Ditto for yellows, purples and other colors and hues.” And brightness against the brightest LCDs is like the sun against the moon: 110.88-foot lamberts, compared to 70 for the most eyeball-pounding LCDs, when they aren’t calibrated to show deep blacks—then they usually drop to about 30. Yet the LaserVue produces “jet black” blacks. Yet the power consumption is positively green: A mere 94 watts on average drive its intense 65-inch screen. LCDs and plasmas use 3x-4x that, and often more. […]
[…] Reviews of Mitsubishi’s $7000 laser-lit stunner have been rolling in for a bit, but HD Guru (who helped us buy an HDTV like a pro) has the first truly sophisticated technical evaluation—after watching it for 12 hours straight—of the best use of lasers in your living room yet. Not only does it have the most eye-popping colors, detailed blacks and pupil-squeezing brightness of any set he’s tested, it uses less power than a 100-watt bulb, making it the greenest too. We’ve covered several prototypes of the LaserVue set, and Gary says it blows all of them away, and “rates in the stratosphere of top displays” of the very best sets like Pioneer’s Kuro Gen 2, Pansonic’s 65VX100U plasma and LED-backlit LCDs. The major issue conquered in the final version over the prototypes is speckling, the sparkles you see when you reflect a laser off of a flat surface (try it with a laser pointer). There are none. To dive into the nittier gritter, it has the widest color gamut of any set Gary’s ever tested, far beyond the HDTV Rec. 709 broadcast standard: “Reds are so intense and crimson they’re indescribable. Ditto for yellows, purples and other colors and hues.” […]
[…] How’s it stack up to Pioneer’s Kuro, one of the top plasmas in the game? As far as motion-resolution goes—the all-important ability to maintain crisp images while they’re in motion on the screen—it’s actually better. According to HD Guru Gary Merson (who was more interested in running his calibration discs on the 150 than sticking with us for some Counter Strike, God bless ’im), the 150-incher, even as a prototype, scored a resolution of 920 lines on a 1080i signal. Pioneer’s ’08 Kuros, the next best, scored 900. Our bet is that Dorothy can’t best the Kuro in the contrast department, but as you can see from all of our shots, it’s no slouch. Check out more performance specs in Gary’s 125-TV mega-guide. Below: Gary testing motion resolution. How much power does she suck down, and at what cost? Dorothy is addicted to raw electricity—we’re talking two dedicated 15-amp, single-phase, 208-volt lines which produce around 3,000 watts on average. Dorothy peaks at around 7,000 watts of direct consumption. Not exactly EnergyStar. […]
[…] permalink I got this article in my RSS feeds. This might help you in selecting a HDTV. Giz Explains: How to Buy an HDTV Like a Pro The economy sucks. But like Warren Buffett, you should be greedy when everyone else is skurred. If you’ve got the extra scratch, this is probably the best holiday season ever to buy an HDTV, since retailers don’t want a pile of them going obsolete in their warehouse. But what should you look for in an HDTV? HD Guru Gary Mersona dude who’s reviewed 125 TVs at onceuses sophisticated gear for his own studies, but told us the five most important things that all the rest of us Joe the Plumber types can look out for when buying an HDTV. You can’t exactly load up a bunch of test signals and spectrum analyzers to carry into Best Buy to check out their TVs (though Gary has been known to do this). Still, there are some basic things you can look for beyond the specs, which are at times intentionally misleading. Once you’ve swept the reviews from the likes of HD Guru, CNet and Home Entertainment, giving you an approximate idea of the best performers in your price range, find out where they are and visit them in person. Obviously, the sets on the shelf aren’t always properly tuned, but if the store is committed to making a saleand they are more now than ever beforethey should produce a remote and let you mess around to properly vet it for your living situation. Contrast The contrast ratio is the most important thing to look for in today’s HDTVs. But don’t be fooled by crap like a 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratioit’s truly meaningless, since there’s not even test equipment to provide documented proof of the retardedly high numbers they throw out. What you can do, though, is check out the blacks. Bright whites aren’t a big issue todaymost TVs now perform admirably on that side of the spectrumso blacks are the most important. Take a dark scene, and cup your hands around a black area of the screen, blocking out all the ambient light from your view. What it’s look like? Does it glow? Or is it really black? Next, how does it flow from dark to light? Is it a smooth gradation or is it a harsh step up? You want really deep, dark blacks and bright whites, but you want a nice even gradation between the two. Historically, plasmas have been better at blacks, but LED-backlit LCDs are catching up. Since the latter are ridiculously expensive, you’ll probably find a better deal on a plasma. Angle of View This test is pretty easy. Stand in the center of the TV. Then move off to the right or left. How quickly do the colors start to turn unnatural or seriously lose saturation? If colors shift or fade quickly, you will have problems. You want the widest viewing angle possiblethat is to say, you want the picture to look as good as far off to the side as possibleso people stuck on your sofa’s netherparts aren’t left out of the I Am Legend suckfest. As you can see here, even LCDs from the same maker can have different viewing angles: Vertical viewing angle is less important because you will generally place your TV level with your eyes while seated, but if you watch TV while doing other things, and don’t have a fancy swivel wall mount, you should try to see how colors shift or fade as you crouch down or tiptoe up above the TV screen. LCDs tend to have more problems than plasma in this regardthe costly, otherwise awesome LED-backlit LCDs are especially known to have reduced viewing angles. Microdisplay projection TVs, like the Mitsubishi LaserVue and other DLPs, are also subject to viewing-angle issues, mostly a reduction in brightness. Static Resolution Static resolution is a little difficult to comprehensively evaluate without test signals, but you can kind of eyeball it by looking at fine detail on a set. If you’re watching a Yankees gameone of Gary’s favorite examplescan you make out the pinstripes cleanly? On a close-up of a head of hair, can you see every strand? It’s all about the details. On a crappy set, you just can’t see ‘em. Motion Resolution Motion resolution matters a lot if you’re a sports or action movie fan. It’s also fairly easy to test, just have them put on a baseball or football game. Remember the Yankee pinstripes? Sure they might look clean when a pitcher is chilling on the mound, but how about when he winds up? Or when a football player is dashing down the field, can you see his legs, or are they a total blur? On a set with good motion resolution, you wouldn’t lose those details. Again, plasma traditionally has the edge here, though 120Hz LCDs do make up for LCD’s inherent motion-blur weakness. Overall Impression This is probably the most subjective, though ultimately what really matters. Do you like what you see? On a great set, the picture will be crisp, the colors will be vibrant and rich (aka saturated) and it’ll have a nice pop to it. As much as personal taste matters, the most "objective" way to evaluate this is to look at faces. Do they look real, with natural, smooth transitions from lighter to darker areas, or are there severe discrepancies between one area and another? Some older HDTVs gave standard-def faces a waxy look. Just take a step back and think about what you really think looks fantastic (within your budget, of course). That should cover most of the basics of eye-on-the-tube picture quality evaluationit’s not the only thing to look for in an HDTV, but definitely the most important after price. And speaking of price, stay glued to Giz for heads-ups on the best TV deals to put all this new insight to use. And if you’ve got any other TV buying tips, let ‘em loose in the comments. You can also get more in-depth info about plasma and LCD TVs here and here. __________________ […]
Daniel
Posted on 4th November, 2008
The LN-46A950 looks to be the winner of best overall HD display that properly render most HD standard. Am I wrong?
Yes there is more 720P broadcasting now but as a full HD TV, this is the one that will give you most of your Full HD experience. No?
dave
Posted on 6th November, 2008
I bought a Pioneer Kuro 5080hdtv 720p last january, and have the scientific atlanta hd box supplied by cablevision. I have hooked up hdmi cables and movies and most hd programming is amazing. the world series was also a flawless picture, but hd football is a different story. The white lines on the field, in the crowd, or on helmets (esentially white blocks of color) are blurred, or more accurately, seem to vibrate on the field. The picture is beyond a nuisance, almost unbearable. What is the deal??
Paul
Posted on 7th November, 2008
Note from the Samsung website: Only NTSC video contains this 3:2 pattern. PAL video - which is the format used in much of the rest of the world - runs at 25 fps and requires an altogether different pattern to solve this problem (24:1 pulldown). http://ars.samsung.com/customer/ctry/jsp/faqs/faqs_view.jsp?isREL=Y&SITE_ID=58&AT_ID=48791&ARS_ID=8153456
In the United States, televisions use the NTSC broadcasting format. Film is shot at 24 frames per second (fps), but NTSC television signals run at 30 fps. As a result, it is necessary to convert the 24 distinct frames in a second of film into 30 new frames that can be played back on television. If you were to ignore this different frame rate and attempt to play back your film material at a 1:1 ratio with video frames, your material would play back at 125% of the actual speed — a one minute film clip would playback in 48 seconds!
During “telecine” ( film-to-tape transfer) when film material is converted into video, a 3:2 pulldown sequence is introduced into the footage which mixes alternating combinations of 3 and 2 video fields. This process stretches the 24 frames per second of film into 30 frames, so that when a converted film is played as video it has the appropriate number of frames per second.
Josh
Posted on 15th November, 2008
I’ve found an error:
“Sony KDL-40W4100 40″ LCD 1080p/60Hz Pass Pass 1050 600 Full”
The KDL-40W4100 definitely has a 120 Hz refresh rate.
Also, I have a question. How can the TV have have “Full” bandwidth, but then only display 1050 out of 1080 lines (without motion)? If it has “Full” bandwidth, then shouldn’t it display all 1080 lines (without motion)?
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