E Unit

CES is descending on Vegas again Jan 7th-12th, and LG has already begun to release the details for this year's models.

http://www.avsforum.com/lg-oled-tvs-ces-2018/

As you might expect, this year’s CES includes a new lineup of LG OLED TVs. Four new model lines are being announced: B8, C8, E8, and W8. There will also be a G8, but LG plans to continue selling the G7 in the US for a while.

An important part of this story is LG’s next-generation Alpha video processor. The CPU and GPU are 35% more powerful than last year’s processor, and the DDR memory is 50% faster. Other improvements include a quad-step noise-reduction algorithm and a better image-enhancement function with frequency-based sharpness, object-based contrast, and adaptive color (except in Cinema mode). Perhaps most important, the color lookup table (LUT) has expanded from 17x17x17 last year to 33x33x33 with 7.3 times more data points for more accurate colors.

Of course, high dynamic range is another crucial aspect of LG OLED TVs, which are the only flat panels on the market that support all four major HDR formats: HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG, and Technicolor. Even better, they apply LG’s proprietary dynamic tone mapping, now called 4K Cinema HDR, to all HDR formats. This doesn’t do much for Dolby Vision, which already includes dynamic metadata, but it greatly improves the look of HDR10, which uses static metadata, and HLG, which uses no metadata at all. In addition, last year’s HDR Effect feature expands the dynamic range of SDR content.

New for 2018 is the ability to accept and display frame rates up to 120 fps. There is no consumer content available at that frame rate yet, but these LG OLED TVs are ready for it via USB. However, they do not implement HDMI 2.1, so they cannot accept 120 fps via HDMI.

Like last year, the 2018 LG OLED TVs all use the same OLED panel. In addition, all but the B8 use the most-powerful Alpha processor, dubbed Alpha 9. The B8 uses a slightly less-powerful Alpha 7 processor, which can’t render 4K HDR and HFR at the same time.

Dolby Atmos is another touted feature, which is said to provide some improvement in performance from the TV’s speakers thanks to object-based audio. However, don’t expect miracles from the TV’s speakers! The big advantage here is that the TVs can send a Dolby Atmos bitstream from the internal apps to an outboard sound system via HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel).

LG’s smart-TV functionality has also been improved. The latest version of webOS now offers voice control by integrating Google Home—no external device required. Voice commands are picked up by a microphone in the included Magic Remote.

The B8 sports LG’s Blade Slim form factor and will be available in 55″ and 65″ screen sizes, while the C8 uses the same design in 55″, 65″, and—new for 2018—77″ sizes. The E8 continues LG’s Picture-on-Glass design in 55″ and 65″ sizes, while the W8 retains the Picture-on-Wall form factor of last year’s W7 in 65″ and 77″ sizes.

Like last year’s W7, the W8 includes a separate soundbar with integrated subwoofer that also houses all the inputs and electronics and connects to the panel with a single slender cable. Apparently, LG didn’t get the memo that enthusiasts such as those on AVS Forum would prefer the option of a smaller box that houses the inputs and electronics without a soundbar.

fumanstan

The high frame rate stuff interests me, but I guess if it's not available via HDMI yet it doesn't help. There may not be consumer content, but I imagine a PC connected would have benefited for games.

Alan Smithee

Useless without keeping 3D capability.

Deftones

That ship has sailed until 20 years from now when it makes a comeback.

Alan Smithee

I can wait 20 years as long as my TV lasts and it actually DOES come back.

Toddarino

Lack of 3D is what is keeping me from picking up a 4k tv.

Joe Schmoe

Me too, although sometimes I consider LG's 2016 4K OLED model. It's 3D, but I'm not a fan of the curved screen.

Josh-da-man

3D should have been included in the 4K spec. Both players and tvs.

That's the only way it was going to take off. Having to buy a new, expensive tv and blu-ray player in order to play a handful of movies in 3 D was never going to fly. It might have worked if it was backdoored into UHD/4K, but even then I think it still would have been a longshot.

Alan Smithee

Which is why it was unreasonable for the industry to expect it to take off so big. This sort of thing takes TIME to be adopted- but in the meantime you don’t yank it away after people HAVE bought into it. What the fuck do they expect me to do with my 300 or so 3D discs? Watch them in boring 2D or throw them away?

E Unit

And bottom line for the CES 2018, 3D is non-existent.

fumanstan

Yeah, definitely a long shot. I don't really understand those thinking that somehow it would slowly continue to grow when everything had pointed to interest fading considerably.

mrhan

The 2016 E6 is flat and it can do 3D.

http://www.lg.com/us/tvs/lg-OLED65E6P-oled-4k-tv

Joe Schmoe

Good to know. Guess I was only familiar with the C series.

SterlingBen

It's what pushed me to buy a 4k tv. So I could get one before it was finally phased out.

E Unit

3D isn't quite dead yet. Via avsforum.com

http://www.avsforum.com/stream-tv-gl...e-3d-ces-2018/

Stream TV Glasses-Free 3D at CES 2018

As I’ve said many times, 8K resolution is pointless for consumers sitting at a normal distance from even a large screen. However, at CES 2018, I saw a use case that makes 8K entirely worthwhile for home use: Stream TV glasses-free 3D.
When I first saw Stream TV glasses-free 3D on a 4K/UHD TV over four years ago, I was very impressed with how well it worked. Since then, however, I saw no sign it would enter the consumer-TV market in any significant way.

Now, it looks like this technology might finally make it into consumer TVs, thanks to a newly announced partnership between Stream TV Networks and BOE, one of the largest flat-panel OEMs (original-equipment manufacturers) that supplies raw panels to many TV companies. In fact, BOE ships 100 million panels per year, and it will open a new factory in March to make 8K panels. Even better, BOE plans to build Stream TV glasses-free 3D technology into all of its 8K panels.

Stream TV glasses-free 3D technology is called Ultra-D. The system is comprised of three basic parts—a module that converts any 2D or standard stereoscopic signal (say, from a 3D Blu-ray) into the Ultra-D format in real time, a digital signal processor (DSP) that accepts an Ultra-D signal and controls the LCD subpixels, and an optical sheet bonded to the LCD panel.

The optical sheet consists of several refractive and diffractive layers that, combined with how the LCD subpixels are manipulated by the DSP, project the light from those subpixels out into the space in front of the panel, creating what’s called a light field. This generates stereopsis, a sense of depth when viewed with two eyes.

According to Stream TV’s white paper, “Virtual and partial subpixels merge in the space and form complete and separate views for each eye of the viewer. Then the viewer’s brain takes over, processing them in the same natural way as it is used to in the real world, creating a natural 3D experience. It is very different from 3D display technologies with glasses, which only project two discrete views of a scene. With Ultra-D technology, the viewing areas (light fields) are repeated in a horizontal way, and the transitions between these areas are smooth. So, a viewing area is not divided into discrete viewing zones (cones) as is done in most other technologies, but the optical system creates an almost continuous light field in front of the screen.”

Because Ultra-D creates a light field rather than two fixed views, it can also reproduce motion parallax, which is the effect you see when objects in your field of view move with respect to each other. This does not depend on stereopsis and can be used by those with partial or complete stereo blindness to experience a sense of depth. Apparently, Ultra-D detects objects that are partially occluding (blocking the sight of) other objects and extrapolates what you can’t see behind the object in front. When the objects move relative to each other, you perceive motion parallax.

Alan Smithee

Sounds nice but I don't want something that fakes 3D from any 2D source, just let me watch my 3D Blu-Rays with their two separate images the way they're meant to be seen. I have been impressed with the 3D lenticular covers on many discs lately so I think glasses-free 3D CAN work.

Yes, 3D didn't take off huge but the posts here and elsewhere show that it isn't like NOBODY wants it. I bought a 75-inch LG 4K set with 3D last year after the news broke to ensure I'll be able to watch all my 3D discs at least until the industry comes to their senses again. But they at least need to think of this nice British girl not being able to watch them!

E Unit

I'm fairly certain they're aware us 3D fans prefer genuine 3D, as opposed to 2D-3D conversion. But they are working on this and it's seems like it's not something we'll need to wait 10 years for before we start seeing 3D again on TV's.

Sonic

3D sales must have been beyond the shit level if a reputable company like Samsung and LG doesn't want to put out at least one 3D 2017/2018 TV model for those that want 3D.

E Unit

3D sales/reception have always been shit. That’s never been a secret or anything. Yet they still continue to release in 3D, and release them on blu, although that’s nearly stopped as of the last year or so. Even more so now that Disney stopped releasing anything on 3D - in the US.

fumanstan

I wonder if that Stream TV thing ever even sees the light of day in a major consumer product.

mrhan

This may have already been answered before but why do they continue to sell 3D BDs outside the U.S. if the sales are bad?

E Unit

I think sales are actually good in the UK and Asia since they still continue to produce them there. Studios in the US barely support physical media, let alone 3D that's sold at a higher price, so it's easy to see why it never took off - and why TV manufacturers didn't see any point of adding 3D to their products since no one uses it here in the US.

Sonic

It's the ultimate insult for 3D consumers. It kinda reminds me of the whole Divx fiasco.

I read an article last night that sales are quite strong in Japan for 3D. Go figure.

mrhan

So, I'm assuming that 3D is still available on current TVs sold outside the U.S.?

Sonic

Yes. Like I previously said it's big in China, not Japan like I previously mentioned. Here's the article that I read last night:

3D TV Dies - Is it Really The End?