Is OLED really better than a tweaked out Pioneer KRP-500M Plasma ?

Audio_Karma

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The all new TCL 8K Mini-LED was one of the best TV's at CES 2019 !


 
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Folsom

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Ya... if I go to Costco (rare) I’m always blown away by how unreal the OLED’s look. Frankly I’m not even sure what I would buy.

My biggest aspirations are for e-ink color monitors laptop/desktop of substantial size and low latency.
 

NorthStar

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the new oled have crushed blacks, and cartoon like imagery. plasma looks like film.

They stopped making plasma TVs years ago.
Yes you can experience crushed blacks with OLED and permanent burn-in, but still the new 2019 UHD OLED models (LG) are the highest rated TVs from all over the universe. ...Same for last year's models and the year before.

And where the Panasonic OLEDs are sold they are rated the best as well...Europe, Canada.

The Sony OLEDs are @ the top as well.

If they were still making 1080p (2K) plasma TVs (Pioneer Elite Kuro), people would still buy 4K TVs for the much better 4K picture quality...High Dynamic Range, much improved detail, quasi 3D transparent window, ...well we're in 2019 and 1080p plasma or not is simply not up to the level of where we are now @.

No TV is perfect but OLED is still the best overall. If it wasn't many professional video reviewers would be looking for a new job in Alaska or Canada.

?? https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/lg/c9-oled

I might be completely wrong but I don't think so, or a whole lot of professionals would be wrong too. If you have a plasma, you could do HDR (4K) > SDR (2K) with 4K content from a 4K Blu-ray player...say a Panasonic DP-UB9000 for example, or a Pioneer Elite universal 4K BR player, the UDP-LX500. But you will never experience the full HDR glory of today's best of the best.
 

Kuroisbetter

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They stopped making plasma TVs years ago.
Yes you can experience crushed blacks with OLED and permanent burn-in, but still the new 2019 UHD OLED models (LG) are the highest rated TVs from all over the universe. ...Same for last year's models and the year before.

And where the Panasonic OLEDs are sold they are rated the best as well...Europe, Canada.

The Sony OLEDs are @ the top as well.

If they were still making 1080p (2K) plasma TVs (Pioneer Elite Kuro), people would still buy 4K TVs for the much better 4K picture quality...High Dynamic Range, much improved detail, quasi 3D transparent window, ...well we're in 2019 and 1080p plasma or not is simply not up to the level of where we are now @.

No TV is perfect but OLED is still the best overall. If it wasn't many professional video reviewers would be looking for a new job in Alaska or Canada.

?? https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/lg/c9-oled

I might be completely wrong but I don't think so, or a whole lot of professionals would be wrong too. If you have a plasma, you could do HDR (4K) > SDR (2K) with 4K content from a 4K Blu-ray player...say a Panasonic DP-UB9000 for example, or a Pioneer Elite universal 4K BR player, the UDP-LX500. But you will never experience the full HDR glory of today's best of the best.


My guess is they have not even tried a tweaked kuro. There is plasma tv and there is tweaked kuro's latest gen panels. There is nothing that can compare imo. The only place I'm not using a kuro is where I need above 50" screen size. There I would go with a oled (or an lcd for a bright room). My 75"Q9FN is a great TV but hell no that it can compare to a tweaked kuro not even if I have the disc in 4k vs 1080p bluray will I play it on that TV unless my crowd is too big (2+) for the Kuro main cinema room. The Kuro does support 10bit hdr btw it just dosent have the peak nits as today TV can do, but than again it can be tweaked to give a closer performance. When the picture is in motion it dosent matter if the TV is showing 4k it will still look worse than the 1080p picture from the plasma screen. Colors are also way more natural on the Kuro. Is the Kuro perfect? Nope it has it flaws but it beats what you can buy on the marked and I don't see any change in that.

Or to put it in a different way if they still made plasma Kuros today I would gladly pay for a 1080p TV compared to the 4k or coming 8k oled TVs even at the same price tag that's how good it is! But I understand it's not for everyone and I do love functions that other smart tvs have. But for people watching bluray disc and don't stream there is only one king on the hill.
 

NorthStar

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Interesting post. Plasma do motion blur better than OLED.

As for color accuracy, high dynamic range, extended color palette, details, blacks, contrast, whites, brightness, sharpness, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, overall punch and resolution, ...OLED seems to be @ the leading edge. ...8K with HDR10+ actually.

For streaming 4K, for watching DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray, ...an OLED 4K or 8K TV (Panasonic, Sony, LG, ...) plus a 4K/3D front projector (JVC, Sony, etc.) are in my calculated opinion bigger and better for the most satisfying cinema immersive experience than a Pioneer Kuro plasma TV.

And for reference a Sony 30" professional monitor ($30,000).

8K is gaining momentum, HDR10+, HFR (fps), ...

Kuro is nice, still nice, but the best?
 

Kuroisbetter

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I was a hardcore oled fan untill about 1.5 year ago. I recommended it to every one and helped a lot of friends set up the tvs. That was until I also came over patriks YouTube channel where he claimed a tweaked kuro could beats the oled.

Now this got me thinking and curious and at first i was sceptical but I love and live for technology and I do not much else than watching movies. I'm also the guy that have not watched a single dvd since bluray came out and I don't watch streams unless absolutely necessary (but I will admit they are getting better). I was also the guy first in line when the high ress iPad 3 came out. But 4k res gives me nothing in the movies on these small screens (75" and below as that is my biggest TV screen) and I have so many times showed people visiting over the Kuro vs oled vs fald LCD and I am not lying when I'm saying picture wize 100% of every one I have had over picks the tweaked Kuro. My brother has a projector in his cinema and that's a different story with the resolution. But I just can't move away from the room I build around the Kuro with a dolby atmos setup, it is just mind blowing how fun it is watching movies there :)

Does that mean the oled or the high end fald lcd are bad TVs? Not at all! I love my q9fn in my bright living room and it is even very good at night and I would say it was worth every penny (And I swore to god I would never own a lcd not that long ago). But they don't show a accurate picture, white is not white! Motion is not giving that cinema feeling and picture looks like cartoon plastic compared to the natural picture on the Kuro.

The Kuros does have flaws and it is easier for the normal guy to pick up a new TV and be happy with it. But if we are comparing what is the best of the best of the best? The tweaked Kuro will beat them and if you don't believe me try it, they are cheap on the used marked :) (no I have not seen or watched the Sony TV but than again watching movies on a 30" inch is not possible to enjoy/watch even as a single person imo lol).

Recommend checking out patriks YouTube channel as he just tested this years Panasonic oled vs the Kuro.
 

assessor43

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Nov 1, 2018
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I have a Pioneer Elite and a new Sony OLED. I honestly think the plasma has the better picture in many ways. for 4k stuff, the oled is good.
 

Kuroisbetter

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I have a Pioneer Elite and a new Sony OLED. I honestly think the plasma has the better picture in many ways. for 4k stuff, the oled is good.

The main issue I have with the Kuro is the 50" size! It works as a solo watching TV but I had to compromise and have two seats next to each other.

Did you reset the kuro or is it like it was originally?
 

Kuroisbetter

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View attachment 56883
Its original settings. The main reason I opted for OLED was screen size

I can understand that! It was the main reason I switched my original kuro back in 2013 with a 65" Panasonic vt60 (We couldn't get the 65" ZT in Europe were I live). The funny thing is when compared today with the vt60 and a tweaked kuro it is like day and night in difference! And to think there are people who used the last gen Panasonic plasma to compare against oled (and people who still says/think it is the best plasma made jesus...). No wonder oled won the early tests against plasma.

Okay then it will be quite different than a tweaked kuro, but still it is a nice TV and so is your Sony oled so enjoy it but keep your kuro as a memory, it is a special TV and the only peace of technology I can think of that still kicks ass 10years later the way it does :)
 

assessor43

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the plasma display is more natural in presentation, arguably better depth, and definitely better motion. Its processor does a better job with broadcast TV and sports. Thats a lot... IMO
 

Kuroisbetter

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the plasma display is more natural in presentation, arguably better depth, and definitely better motion. Its processor does a better job with broadcast TV and sports. Thats a lot... IMO

You hit the nail with those statements! Add oled blacks, better contrast, less dimming with a reset kuro and you see why I'm in love with it hehe :)

I don't watch broadcast TV but I have installed 2 Kuros at my parents home (I buy every singel Kuros on the marked where I live lol) and they only watch broadcast tv and the picture is simply stunning even with some 720p broadcast it just looks so good and they are so happy with them!

And agree sport is one of the strongest side of the plasma screens, I really struggle with the 75"q9fn when watching soccer but than again we are always a group so we need the screen size for it. The oled is better than the q9fn here also but not plasma like.
 

NorthStar

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I know few people who are still happy with their plasma TVs (Kuro, Panasonic and Samsung).
True that the biggest plasma size is 65".

OLED larger than 65" start to be more expensive, but much less than few years ago.

* The Sony reference monitor I mentioned earlier (30" - $30,000) is only for testing other TVs in comparison, not for size but for color accuracy and other video parameters.
It was used in serious TV test comparisons, with Panasonic, Sony and LG OLED TVs among the very best. The size used was also 65" class.

** You can play 4K Blu-rays on say a Kuro plasma TV; Panasonic 4K Blu-ray players are among the best for HDR > SDR down conversion.
 

assessor43

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Nov 1, 2018
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I think most of the problems withthe OLEDs is they are 4K and not 1080P. Especially for broadcast TV, upscaling to 4k has its challenges with motion.
 

Joe P

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Looking for a 55-65" to hang on the wall.

Don't watch DVDs or streaming services.

Any recommendations?
 

Kuroisbetter

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Looking for a 55-65" to hang on the wall.

Don't watch DVDs or streaming services.

Any recommendations?

Well first of all I would say if you are wondering between 55 and 65" just go for the bigger one :)

I don't know how your marked is but where I live the 55 and 65" is typical more for the money with oled and unless you have a super bright living room with little light control i would stick with the oled. When it comes to picking an oled Panasonic is the way to go, but if your in the states I guess thay can't be bought? So Sony then, but if money is tight pick what ever is cheapest of them in 65" cause the difference is not that much. Mind that I have not side by side compared the oled models in any good light control rooms, but this is my general feeling.

Or you could just do as I did an be so impressed with the tweaked kuro that I just built a room around the small screen lol :)

BTW as Patrik writes about in the info in this video the 1080p kuro is just better even tough the Panasonic oled has 4k resolution. And this is exactly what I feel when comparing with 4k on the tvs I compare them to at home. The Kuro just looks better irl even with 1080p vs 4k imo and every one that has been at my house.

 

Joe P

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May 11, 2019
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Kuroisbetter - thanks for your feedback.

FYI- I have a 50" Samsung Plasma that I resurrected from the dead.

I'm in the US, so my OLED choices are LG and Sony.

Base on my viewing, I'm not sure I want to pay the large premium for OLED.
 

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