Author Topic: Advice/Help Thread  (Read 14271 times)

NCX

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Re: Advice/Help Thread
« Reply #45 on: December 05, 2018, 02:21:53 pm »
Is it better to watch Blu-ray movies on a computer monitor, or a dedicated television? If a computer monitor is 1440p (or 2160p, etc) and has to scale to 1080p does it lose any image quality compared to a TV? If so, would it be better to watch a Blu-ray movie on a native 1080p TV?

The larger the display the more obvious downloaded and streamed media banding and compression is, regardless of the display or source resolution.  For example, 1080p Netflix show X with a 3.8mbs bit rate will look significantly worse than 1080p Netflix show Y which has an 8mbs bit rate.  Up-scaling of 1080p on a 1440 or 4K display set to the native resolution is negligible, but the size rule still applies: the larger the display the more obvious source flaws are. 

If used with bias (light behind the display) or bright room lighting the best 32" 4K monitors under 1000$ US like the BenQ PD3200U (matte) and Qnix UHD32R (glossy; I prefer it over my Sony 49X900E for non-HDR content) are better for viewing media since they use AHVA panels with less glow than IPS in TV's like the 2018 Sony 43X750F I tested, and don't suffer from horizontal gamma shift and center black crush like VA panels do, as well as have significantly more ghosting (smearing of blacks, browns and greys), and PWM flicker+blur in most cases. 

I don't make Best Reviewed Flicker Free TV buying guides since there are very few PWM/Flicker free Tv's, but I read reviews as well as have tested quite a few.  The only TV sold currently around 1000$ that I would consider is the Sony 49X900F (Rtings tested the 55" version), but it must be viewed from quite far away (5ft) to avoid viewing angle issues while a 32" 4K AHVA panel can be viewed from a little over 2.5ft without seeing discoloring or washout at the sides of the panel.  32" 4K VA panels need to be viewed from a bit further away.

Best Reviewed Flicker Free 32" 4K AHVA/IPS/PLS

A note about TV reviews: Pay attention to the size reviewed since a Sony 49X900F is not necessarily as good as the more expensive 55" version, as was the case with my Sony 49X900E which came with 1.9 gamma (washed out colors) and is significantly less accurate than the 55" version.  The same is also true of the Samsung 43NU71000 I tested (measurements aren't up yet) which is significantly more accurate than the 55" version Rtings tested, but sadly still uses PWM, and the VA panel viewing angle issues made it annoying to use as a monitor from less than 4ft away.
« Last Edit: January 12, 2019, 07:37:21 pm by NCX »