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Viewing angles - Whats special about Samsung panels?


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Old 10-10-2007, 22:59
Gilson
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OK I have been out again trying to decide which 37-40" LCD panel to buy to replace my trustworthy CRT. My budget is not limitless but my PQ requirements are fairly strict.

Yesterday and today I visited two different suppliers where thay seem to be learning and have provided a large space in front of the bank of LCD's in both cases with 42" panels at one end and 26" at the other in logical progression. In one case the display on all panels was from an "in house"HD demo" source and in the other Freeview SD.

Irrespective of other factors I noticed something in both arrays of panels that I could not explain or have noticed before.

As I walked slowly from one end to the other one tends to look back to see whether a characterisic one has noticed on the larger panels is repeated on the same brand/ type intermediate size and smaller panels or vice versa.

In so doing I noticed that one brand of panel - Samsung - maintained "brightness" far more than any other brand as the viewing angle decreased. Moving closer to the bank of screens this difference was even more marked.

I repeated this "Test" on the bank of displays in the second store today with the same result.

On closer inspection I noticed that although other brands showed a differential the Samsungs stood out remarkably.

A fairly poor second was Sharp, third Panasonic 32"LCD and smaller only (No 37" Panny LCD yet!), equal - as one might expect - fourth Philips and LG. The latter being only just discernable from the remainder after several re- evaluations and of course its just me!

Sony who ostensibly use the same display panels as Samsung were indiscernable from the other remaining brands.

The Samsungs were really outstanding in this respect. great pity that they do not perform in other areas.
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Old 11-10-2007, 11:29
JohnX1
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Intersil's New Programmable Display Buffer Widens Viewing Area in Samsung's Advanced TFT-LCD Televisions

http://www.intersil.com/pr/shell/0,1091,1443,00.html

Speaking of viewing angles.....will there be any demand for "dual-view" LCDs? The whole family wears headphones?

http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/s...leID=165702592

The Samsungs were really outstanding in this respect. great pity that they do not perform in other areas.
In what other areas do the Samsungs fall short?
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Old 11-10-2007, 11:53
Gilson
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Intersil's New Programmable Display Buffer Widens Viewing Area in Samsung's Advanced TFT-LCD Televisions

http://www.intersil.com/pr/shell/0,1091,1443,00.html
Many thanks, but arent these the same JV panels as fitted to most Sonys?

Personally I have never understood the viewing angle figures quoted. Most panels show a marked difference when viewed at 30 degs to the plane of the panel as opposed to head on. This is where even at more glancing angles the Samsungs stood out.


In what other areas do the Samsungs fall short?
Their SD performance is IMHO among the worst.
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Old 11-10-2007, 11:55
cy_bones
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Speaking of viewing angles.....will there be any demand for "dual-view" LCDs? The whole family wears headphones?...
I can't see it being a big hit for most households - surely a better option would be a small / handheld device for those wanting to sit together but watch different things.

However, for gaming it could be a great alternative for split (horizontal) screens...
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Old 11-10-2007, 15:38
JohnX1
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Many thanks, but arent these the same JV panels as fitted to most Sonys?
I think so. I believe I read that somewhere. Everybody knows these companies buy stuff from each other. It would take a very astute insider to know all of it, and I assure you I am not one of those. I just saw a company offering on the net a technical bulletin explaining who makes LCD panels and who uses which in their products. This piece of inside info is yours for a mere $1500. I am curious, but not that much.

Now that most or all panels are 1920 x 1080, this next question is of little importance: A couple of years ago I noticed that LCD panels had a 1366 x 768 resolution. This seemed rather odd, since all LCD, LCoS and DLP rear projection displays were 1280 x 720 and that this native resolution was the standard for 720 HDTV. I quickly concluded that one company was making all the panels. I now know that is wrong, but I still wonder why that strange resolution number exists in all flat panels.

Personally I have never understood the viewing angle figures quoted. Most panels show a marked difference when viewed at 30 degs to the plane of the panel as opposed to head on. This is where even at more glancing angles the Samsungs stood out.
Some of these display manufacturers boast 170 degrees viewing angle. Eleven more lousy degrees and you're behind the TV. Now that's viewing angle!
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Old 11-10-2007, 16:11
Nigel Goodwin
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Everybody knows these companies buy stuff from each other. It would take a very astute insider to know all of it, and I assure you I am not one of those.
Sony currently use mainly 'S-LCD Panels', this is a joint venture between Samsung and Sony, although Samsung also make cheaper panels labelled Samsung, and Sony also use them in the bottom of the range U series sets.
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Old 11-10-2007, 18:44
JohnX1
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Sony currently use mainly 'S-LCD Panels', this is a joint venture between Samsung and Sony, although Samsung also make cheaper panels labelled Samsung, and Sony also use them in the bottom of the range U series sets.
Yet another example of 'you get what you pay for'?
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Old 11-10-2007, 19:52
Gilson
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Sony currently use mainly 'S-LCD Panels', this is a joint venture between Samsung and Sony, although Samsung also make cheaper panels labelled Samsung, and Sony also use them in the bottom of the range U series sets.
But why on viewing angle do these JV panels look so much better in the Samsungs than the Sonys? Is it to do with the backlight? I can only repeat that the difference between the Samsungs and any of the rest on this parameter bordered on the incredible.
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Old 11-10-2007, 21:37
Nigel Goodwin
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But why on viewing angle do these JV panels look so much better in the Samsungs than the Sonys? Is it to do with the backlight? I can only repeat that the difference between the Samsungs and any of the rest on this parameter bordered on the incredible.
I can't say I've ever noticed this?.
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Old 11-10-2007, 22:17
Gilson
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I can't say I've ever noticed this?.
Its something that I would not have actually looked for as I thought all flat panels fell off with viewing angle - hence my previous thread on swivel stands. However you should have seen my double take in the first store!!

I looked back along the 3 level array and there were some TV's that stood out as still exhibiting similar "brightness/visibility" to 90 degree viewing. The rest just looked dim. Those TV's that stood out were without exception all Samsungs of various models and sizes.

As I said the observation was repeated in another store with similar display set up.

I have no idea why this should be and can personally only suggest backlight but have no knowledge on how different brands approach this.

From what I observed whilst Samsung fit swivel bases as standard whereas few others do, they are the one brand that could possibly do without it.
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Old 17-10-2007, 21:39
KidA_KidA
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You should compare the televisions from the front angle as that is the angle you will be watching from. This way you will get the best viewing experience and make the choice that is right for you. Do you ever watch television from any other angle?
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Old 17-10-2007, 22:11
Gilson
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You should compare the televisions from the front angle as that is the angle you will be watching from. This way you will get the best viewing experience and make the choice that is right for you. Do you ever watch television from any other angle?
Thanks for your interest but yes my wife and occasionally visiting sons and I like to sit in many positions in my largish but unusually shaped lounge. E.g. sons and myself sit in one zone and watch footy whilst wife and girlfriends sit at other chatting reading mags etc. Me and sons then go up pub and Wife and GF's watch Strictly or similar but stay where they are. We just about get away with it with the current CRT but have to occasionally turn it on its wheeled stand. I have posted before on this forum that I would like a new LCD but it would have to be on a swivel stand and only a few makes offer these.

However my experience with the Samsungs says that although they have swivel stands they were outstanding in maintaining brightness at shallow viewing angles almost making the neccessity of stand superfluous.

I was interested to discover why this was when the Sonys that use the same panels did not exhibit anything like the same useable viewing angle
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Old 18-10-2007, 17:34
KidA_KidA
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Oh, OK - I see. I know you're planning on replacing the CRT with an LCD, but I'd also give the DLP HDTVs a chance. Samsung is coming out with LED-illuminated DLP HDTVs soon, and DLP almost always cost less per inch than LCD and plasma (you mentioned that your budget is not limitless hehe)
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