The results of this year's flat-panel shootout are interesting, to say the least. Which technology won over the attendees and calibrators?
As many of you already know, the results of the 2014 Value Electronics Flat-Panel Shootout are in. The winner of the popular vote is the LG 55EC9300 curved OLED, which took the lead in four out of six picture-quality attributes, while last year's winner, the Samsung PN64F8500 plasma, won the other two (color accuracy and motion resolution). Interestingly, the calibrators picked the Samsung KN55S9C curved OLED as their favorite.
In this table of results, the average score in each of six picture-quality attributes is shown for each model in the shootout. The LG 55EC9300 OLED got top marks in black level, contrast ratio, day mode, and general-content video quality, while the Samsung PN64F8500 plasma led the pack in color accuracy and motion resolution, even with its disadvantageous position high up on the wall.
UPDATE: After these results were announced—and lots of comments about the outcome were received—Robert calculated the average of all six scores for each set as he did last year and found that the Samsung PN64F8500 came out on top using that metric. So for the the first time in the history of the shootout, he declared a tie between the LG OLED and Samsung plasma. Clearly, emissive displays trounce LCDs, even those with FALD illumination and UHD resolution.
Here we see the results of the ANSI contrast-ratio measurements for each set using a 4x4 array of white and black rectangles on the screen.
Mark Henninger (imagic) will post his impressions from the event in the next couple of days. Also, be sure to catch this week's Home Theater Geeks podcast, on which Value Electronics head Robert Zohn, calibrator Kevin Miller, Mark Henninger, and I will talk about the shootout in detail. You can watch the show live on Thursday, August 21, from 2:30 to 3:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time at live.twit.tv, and you can also join the chat room there or at irc.twit.tv. I monitor the chat room during the show, and I pass along questions posted there to the guests, so if you want to ask a question about the event, join the party!
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