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2014 Value Electronics Flat-Panel Shootout Results Are In

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#1 · (Edited)


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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#2 · (Edited)
I figure I'll share my votes here:



Congratulations to LG. The OLED won despite a number of flaws that kept it from being perfect, which is a really good sign. I suspect the forthcoming UHD OLEDs will be formidable TVs. As it stands, 1080p still beats UHD... and the F8500 beat all of the LCDs in every single category. I also want to congratulate the audience as well as the pros for voting wisely.
 
#3 ·
I figure I'll share my votes here:



Congratulations to LG. The OLED won despite a number of flaws that kept it from being perfect, which is a really good sign. I suspect the forthcoming UHD OLEDs will be formidable TVs. As it stands, 1080p still beats UHD... and the F8500 beat all of the LCDs in every single category. I also want to congratulate the audience as well as the pros for voting wisely.
Interesting, your first two columns look a lot like mine. I had to leave early, so I voted only on the first three attributes. Off-axis, the Samsung OLED got very red during the grayscale test. I wasn't crazy about that. But I'd take it over any of the LCDs pretty much. I also preferred the LG's gentler curve. But no curve is even better in my opinion. If I needed a TV, I would go for the F8500.
 
#4 ·


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.


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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How the f*** did the OLEDs get 9.76 out of 10 for black level?
 
#5 ·
Interesting that the black levels on the PN64F8500 were measured at .0041 this year and .0017 last year. Did any of the calibrators comment on this?
 
#9 ·
I saw lots of negative comments about the LCd's in the AVS Shootout threads nevertheless the audience gave the LCd's decent votes, only the HU8550 got a bad note (Contrast Ratio 5.71). 6.0 and above is decent, right :)

The FALD, X950B, some negativity about this one to, got 7.5 avarage which is pretty good. Was the audience just polite, was there to much positivity going on or were AVS members overly negativ about LCd performance?

Been hearing a lot ''LCd motion resolution sucks''. then why do all LCd's get 7+ votes for motion resolution? When motion resolution, color or blacks sucks than the vote should be 4 not 7..

There is something not right here. What it comes down to for me is, how realistic is the outcome of the Shootout.? How realistic are the comments in the AVS Shootout threads?
 
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#36 ·
This was posted one of the other threads:
Interesting results, aren't they?

I can personally tell you that myself, Kevin and David do not agree with the posted audience results nor do we think they are valid based on our interactions during both presentations. The numbers don't add up and seem to be weighted. We the calibrators had ZERO input/interaction with how the numbers were calculated (nor should we) but something is definitely wrong.

Sorry for what is clearly erroneous data but again, we the calibrators had nothing to do with it.
 
#54 ·
is this about the lg winning over the f8500? or that the 'calibrators pick' was the Samsung oled over the lg oled? or something else completely?


I ask only because the results seemed 'obvious' to me. the oleds, which they praised as being nearly kuro killers were at the top, the plasma second, and the lcd's at the bottom.
 
#48 ·
Heard from a friend who went to the event, The competition was a fixed joke, he asked why was the tv, that would would have easily beat the immature tech of OLED IF they were put side by side on same eye level.

They were told to put it that high so as not to embarrass the other tvs from Samsung and the others from other makers.

Also they had room to put it lower IF they would have used both side of showroom.
 
#117 · (Edited)
DRaven72 the vote was for the best picture quality not for TV size.

TV size have nothing to do with picture quality.
It's not a huge problem, but it does affect the performance perception of the TV. When a screen occupies a larger FOV, you'll notice more. Some may bias this upwards, but I think most (particularly for motion!) will end up seeing more problems on larger screens.

The way to manage that particular problem IMO would be to normalize your viewing distance. Evaluate all of them at, say, 2.5PH or thereabouts.

This is the least of the problems with the shootout however.
 
#65 ·
I think the f8500(and other high end plasmas/oled I'm sure) already have ansi contrast higher than my eyes can perceive. I remember early when I bought the f8500 and trying to calibrate it I thought I was crushing blacks, but realized when I covered the bright areas on screen, I was able to see the detail in the dark areas again. since them I've actually been trying to figure out the best way to dim the peak whites on the display, but it seems like every method comes with flaws :(


it's also brought a potential 'issue' with my vision to my attention. might explain why I find it nearly impossible to go outside on a sunny day without sunglasses
 
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#69 ·
Scott, could you please ask Robert and the other guys why is the winner of the shootout always picked based on this scoring system?

I honestly don't get why they use this method to actually pick the winner. Don't get me wrong, I actually think the scoring process provides very valuable information about how each member of the audience views each tv in each of those 6 categories, I've just been wondering for the past few years why they don't use a simpler or a more effective method to choose the top performer. Wouldn't it be easier (and more effective) if they just give every member in the audience at the end of the event a small piece of paper and tell them to write down the name of the tv with the picture quality they thought was the most visually appealing?

"Alright guys, now that it's all said and done, considering only real world content (movies,etc.), if money was no object, and you wanted to choose the tv that had the picture quality you thought was the most pleasing to your eyes, which one would it be? Please write the name of the tv on a small piece of paper and put it in this box" .. Done!

The scoring should still be part of the process because of how valuable all this information really is, but it shouldn't decide the winner!
 
#71 ·
As owner of an F8500, I wasn't surprised that it would finish behind OLED in black levels and contrast. What surprised me is that its still is more accurate with color. I figured plasma would still be better with motion. Wonder if they would have included the ZT, OLED would have finished second.
 
#72 ·
So a hypothetical shootout of:

LG OLED vs.
Samsung plasma vs.
Sony 65" 950

really would have done the trick.

Given the downright pathetic showing of the LCDs in terms of serious videophile performance, it seems like the Vizio P series has a very real chance of being the smart choice in LCD. Why spend more if it's not going to be anything special anyway? Heck, it might not even be better!

As for LG, I cannot wait for the 65" and 77" to ship. I mean add in 4K and, more important, bigger sizes... Wow.
 
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