New Method Needed to Evaluate 8K TV Picture Quality
Samsung Electronics has officially begun to refute LG Electronics’ claims that its 8K TVs have a picture quality problem. The company refrained from responding to its rival’s offensive at IFA 2019 but changed its mind out of a concern that consumers might misunderstand Samsung 8K TVs if they continue to stay mum.
In particular, Samsung pointed out that it is absurd to define 8K TV display quality in terms of contrast modulation (CM), a standard of the analog TV era that was used by LG Electronics. It said various factors such as brightness and color volume should be taken into consideration in measuring the picture quality of 8K TVs. In addition, Samsung directly demonstrated that LG’s 8K OLED TVs did not properly display 8K content. It said what is needed for the growth of the 8K TV market is efforts to devise a new evaluation method rather than fruitless disputes.
Samsung Electronics countered LG's claim in an 8K picture quality presentation given by Yong Seok-woo, a director of the Video Display Division, on Seoul R&D Campus on Sept. 17. Until recently, it ignored LG’s claims put forward at the IFA. But the company judged it was inevitable for it to take action to deal with LG’s escalating offensive.
Samsung says that contrast modulation cannot be a decisive criterion for judging 8K technology. "CM is a concept introduced in 1927 and is not suitable for evaluation of color displays with ultra-high resolutions," Samsung said. “The International Committee for Display Metrology (ICDM) said in May 2016 that CM did not sit with the latest displays and a new evaluation method was needed.”
Samsung QLED 8K TVs not only met the resolution standards set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) but also were accredited by German quality certification body VDE, Samsung stressed.
In particular, Samsung Electronics highlighted in the demonstration the fact that LG’s 8K OLED TVs did not properly display 8K content. The demonstration showed broken 8K image files and 8K videos on LG’s 8K OLED TVs.
"8K image quality should be judged based not on CM but on an optimal combination of other optical elements such as brightness and color volume and including systemic parts image quality processing technology," Yong said. “It is necessary to promote discussions among related companies on this matter.”
"We hope that more companies will participate in the 8K Association to create a future market, rather than wasting debates like those about CM in the current 8K TV market," Yang added. Samsung Electronics formed the 8K Association early this year and recently proposed specific 8K TV standards such as resolutions, maximum brightness, transmission interfaces and compression specifications. The association has 16 member companies including Samsung Electronics. LG Electronics is not a member of the group.
Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics maintained the No. 1 position in the global TV market with a 31.5 percent market share based on the second quarter's sales figures, market research firm IHS Markit said. Especially, in the market of TVs costing more than US$2500, it held a 53.8 percent share.