Aussie Michael wrote:
As the eclipse screen is a C7 , now that the C8 has been "launched", i read in engadget that the C8 is the Best of CES 2018
Some stuff on new C8 screen differences from C7:
- range now includes 77" screen size, as well as 65" and 55". 77" said to be "extremely expensive"
- shipping dates March 2018 for LG C8
- new processor called Alpha 9
Alpha 9 promises:
Said to improve noise reduction, sharpness,
contrast and color (the latter with superior color mapping), it's
available on every model except for the least-expensive B8. Beefier
processing might sound cool, but LG's OLEDs are already so good that
it's tough to image how much they'll improve -- assuming the processing
helps rather than hurts the image.
I asked whether any of the
processing could be disabled, and Tim Alessi, LG's Senior Director of
Product Marketing replied: "If a user control exists in the UI for a
particular attribute, i.e. - sharpness, the degree of sharpness can be
adjusted. However, items like the frequency based edge enhancement or
depth enhancement do not have user controls (and never have), they're
just better ways of performing these functions."
It will also be interesting to see whether the extra processing will
be worth the price difference between the C8 and B8, or better than the
processing on Sony's OLED TVs
(my guess in both cases: it won't). One thing's for sure, however.
After years of saying there's no picture quality difference between its
cheapest and most expensive OLED TVs, LG's step-up processor in the 2018
models introduces that old familiar uncertainty. We'll have to wait for
the reviews to see for sure.
High Frame Rate (HFR) capability: All
of the new LG OLED sets will be able to play back high frame rate (up
to 120 frames per second) video, which is smoother, particularly during
motion, than standard 60fps video. Again that sounds pretty cool, but
there are caveats. No HFR content is available today, although LG says
some will be available via streaming later this year. Movies that use
higher frame rates, for example, ""The Hobbit" by Peter Jackson and
Billy Lynn's "Long Halftime Walk" are controversial, and many viewers
don't like the effect. With action video and gaming content, however,
it might be more widely accepted. If you really must have the absolute
cutting-edge display, then HFR might be worth waiting for, but most
users can skip it with no remorse.
...since they lack HDMI 2.1, none of LG's 2018 OLED sets can handle HFR from external devices like 4K Blu-ray players, just via streaming or over-the-air broadcasts.
Voice control with Google Assistant and Alexa: Beyond the picture stuff, the other new addition is built-in third-party voice control. Thanks to Google Assistant
built-in you can speak TV-specific commands into the clicker ("switch
to Cinema Mode" or "Turn off the TV when this movie ends"), ask about
actors in a show you're watching or get a weather report, look at Google Photos, or order pizza. Owners of a Google Home
speaker can have it command the TV without needing to use the remote,
including the ability to power the set on and off and off hands-free.
LG will also support Amazon Alexa
owners with device controls as well, although LG reps said the
functionality wouldn't be as comprehensive as with Google Assistant --
you can't control TV power via Alexa, for example. In general I expect
the 2018 LG sets to behave similar to Sony's sets, which already offer Alexa control via an app as well as Google Assistant.
In 2018 I expect LG to again offer the cheapest way to get the amazing
image quality of OLED, but if you want a new TV now, I see little reason
to hold off buying an
"old" 2017 set. The new processor's impact will most likely be minor, at
best, and high frame rates are niche and will remain so for the
foreseeable future. Integrated smart assistants are neat, but hardly a
major reason to wait.
So unless you want the high frame rate (streaming only - is your internet capable of streaming it?) or voice control, there probably isn't much in the new screens worth waiting for.
