Test Bench 1.1

Changelog

See previous 1.0 changelog.

See next 1.2 changelog

Tests

Picture Quality

• Added new test for 'Automatic Brightness Limiter' (ABL)
• Changed peak brightness scoring curve to expand range to 4000 nit TVs
• Changed color volume to use ICtCp color space
• Changed black uniformity scoring curve to reduce scores
• Changed local dimming scoring curve to penalize poor local dimming
• Added contrast ratio with local dimming in contrast ratio score
• Added black uniformity with local dimming in black uniformity score
• Changed color accuracy scoring curve
• Changed HDR peak brightness to score 0 for SDR TVs
• Changed gradient scoring

Motion

• Changed the way Response Time is calculated to better align with perception
• Changed image flicker scoring, to penalize TVs when the flicker frequency isn't a multiple of the content frequency
• Added a test for backlight level at which PWM dimming appears
• Changed weighting of motion interpolation box (70% 30 fps interpolation, 30% 60 fps interpolation)

Sound

• Changed target frequency response from 'flat in-room' to Harman Reference Listening Room's response
• Added test for Dynamic Range Compression
• Renamed 'Low-end Cutoff' to 'Low-Frequency Extension'
• Added test for Intermodulation Distortion
• Renamed 'Total Harmonic Distortion' box to 'Distortion' (due to the addition of Intermodulation Distortion)
• Renamed 'Distortion @' to 'Weighted THD @'
• Changed Weighted THD's weighting filter
• Increased the weight of Frequency Response box from 67% to 75% of 'Sound'
• Reduced the weight of Distortion box from 33% to 25% of 'Sound'
• Added dynamic graphs

Smart Features

• Added 'Remote App' box with common capabilities as text fields
• Added 'Interface' box with fields such as ease of use and smoothness
• Added fields to other smart features boxes, containing things that were previously often mentioned in the box text
• Added subjective scores to five smart features boxes
• Changed the smart features score from subjective to calculated from its new sub-scores

Usage ratings

• Reduced significance of low quality sources (480p and 720p)
• Added 'curved' as a bonus to PC monitor score
• Added 'Color Volume' to HDR scores
• Changed other usage weightings to better align with experience and feedback

Notable changes

• PC Monitor score of OLED TVs (LG C7, Sony A1E) reduced due to image retention
• HDR Movies score of IPS TVs (such as UJ7700 and Sony X800E) reduced significantly due to poor native contrast
• TV Shows rating of Samsung high-end TVs (MU9000, Q7F, Q9F) increased due to excellent reflection handling
• Movies and HDR movies scores of some TVs (LG SJ8500, Samsung Q7F) reduced due to poor local dimming

27 TVs Updated

We have retested popular models. The test results for the following models have been converted to the new testing methodology. However, the text might be inconsistent with the new results.

• Element Amazon Fire TV
• LG C7 OLED
• LG SJ8500
• LG UJ6300
• LG UJ7700
• LeEco Super4
• Samsung MU6300
• Samsung MU6500
• Samsung MU7000
• Samsung MU7600
• Samsung MU8000
• Samsung MU9000
• Samsung Q7F/Q7 QLED 2017
• Samsung Q9F/Q9 QLED 2017
• Sony A1E OLED
• Sony X800E
• Sony X850E
• Sony X900E
• Sony X930E
• Sony X940E
• Sony Z9D
• TCL P Series/P607 2017
• TCL S Series/S305 2018
• TCL S Series/S405 4k 2018
• Vizio E Series 2017
• Vizio M Series XLED 2017
• Vizio P Series XLED 2017