Nowadays, there are a multitude of technologies to improve images, and the world of gaming is one of the biggest drivers of new technologies. However, in order to take advantage of the full potential of video games and technologies, you need specific TVs that support all of this.
And technology isn't free, so be aware that if you want to take advantage of everything that exists technologically speaking, you're going to have to fork out a fair amount of money, although there are TVs with good value for money. But before we get into the panels, let's talk about some of the technologies focused on games. And what does a TV need to have in order to take advantage of all the consoles' features? Well, I'll go into detail about each one.
A 4K resolution screen
Resolution describes the number of pixels in an image or the pixel density of the image. A pixel is a small square within a larger image. The more pixels there are in an image, the better the image quality.
4K resolution refers to an image with approximately 4,000 pixels horizontally. You'll also hear 4K referred to as 2160p. This number refers to the number of vertical pixels in a 4K image.
But counter intuitively, the "p" in 2160p doesn't stand for pixels. It stands for progressive scan, which is a way of loading pixels into a video frame so that all the pixels appear simultaneously. The alternative (and less common) method is an interlaced scan, which loads pixels one line at a time, saving bandwidth but sacrificing image quality.
To determine the total number of pixels in an image, simply multiply its vertical and horizontal pixels. That's right: a 4K image has more than 8 million pixels! For comparison, some of the first computer monitors had a resolution of 280 x 192 - only about 53,000 pixels. In short, higher resolution means better image quality, i.e. more detail.
HDMI 2.1
HDMI is a port that everyone knows, right? But even it has different versions, which make a huge difference if you want to take advantage of all the console's features. To do this, you'll need a TV with an HDMI version 2.1 input.
HDMI 2.1 enables higher resolutions, such as 8K, and higher frame rates of up to 120 frames per second (fps). The resolution improves the clarity and sharpness of the image, which means you can simply see more detail and have less distance from the screen or a larger screen without noticing any pixels. Higher refresh rates make for smoother, better-looking games or movies with crisp movements.
The movie "Gemini Man" gives a brief insight into this. Recorded at 120 fps (frames per second), the Ultra HD Blu-ray was one of the first with 60fps (instead of the usual 24fps) supporting the breathtaking action scenes in this movie. HDMI 2.1 now allows 4K resolution of up to 120 fps and for 8K it supports up to 60Hz.
Variable Refresh Rate (VRR)
VRR, or "variable refresh rate" as it's known, is a key feature for achieving a smooth, artifact-free image during games - guaranteeing a clean picture for both offline and competitive play.
The main function of VRR is to eliminate screen tearing during games. Tearing is a kind of visual glitch, where the image on your TV jerks in the middle of the frame before continuing as before. But what's really going on here?
Screen tearing occurs when the TV's image refresh is out of sync with the frame delivery rate of the console or PC graphics card. You end up with an image on the screen that you see, for example, the top half of the screen displaying one frame and the bottom half the next.
This is because TVs don't update the entire screen image instantly. A monitor driver scrolls quickly across the screen, usually from top to bottom, updating the state of each pixel. It happens too fast for our eyes and brains to notice, until it causes a visual aberration.
The tearing becomes noticeable when, for example, you use a 60 Hz TV and the game's frame rate oscillates between 45fps and 60fps. It's particularly obvious in fast-moving games, such as first-person shooters. Turn around quickly in the game and the difference in the information on the screen can be enormously different from one frame to the next.
VRR eliminates this by synchronizing the screen's refresh rate with that of the console's output. You'll have no more tearing, with no impact on performance because the console or PC sets the pace, not the screen.
AMD Free Sync / Nvidia G-Sync
In recent years, the best gaming monitors have undergone something of a renaissance. Before the emergence of Adaptive-Sync technology in the form of Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync, the only thing performance-seeking gamers could hope for were higher resolutions or a refresh rate above 60 Hz. Today, not only do we have monitors and TVs routinely operating at 144 Hz and above (in the case of monitors), but Nvidia and AMD are updating their respective technologies. In this era of gaming screens, which Adaptive-Sync technology reigns supreme in the battle between FreeSync vs. G-Sync?
We also have next-generation graphics cards coming, such as the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 and Ada Lovelace GPUs with DLSS 3 technology that can potentially double frame rates, even in 4K. AMD's RDNA 3 and Radeon RX 7000 series GPUs are also scheduled to arrive soon and should also increase performance and make higher quality screens more useful.
For the uninitiated, Adaptive-Sync means that the monitor's refresh cycle is synchronized with the rate at which the connected PC's graphics card renders each video frame, even if that rate changes. Games render each frame sequentially and the rate can vary greatly depending on the complexity of the scene being rendered. With a fixed monitor refresh rate, the screen is updated at a specific rate, such as 60 times per second for a 60 Hz screen.
Fundamentally, G-Sync and FreeSync are the same. Both synchronize the monitor with the graphics card and allow this component to control the refresh rate in a continuously variable way. To meet each certification, a monitor must meet the respective requirements detailed above, but a monitor can also go beyond the requirements. For example, a FreeSync monitor doesn't have to have HDR, but some do, and some FreeSync monitors reduce motion blur through a proprietary partner technology, such as Asus ELMB Sync.
High Dynamic Range (HDR)
HDR é um termo que todos estamos acostumados a ver quando se trata de procurar novas TVs, mas, para alguns, são apenas três letras que seguem o ‘4K’, mais comumente conhecido. Na verdade, existem pessoas que podem ficar perplexas com o conceito de HDR e isso provavelmente inclui até mesmo aqueles que já possuem uma TV HDR .
The truth is that it's a complicated subject, especially with manufacturers and content creators developing and enabling different varieties of HDR. But it's also worth persevering, because well-implemented HDR has a transformative effect on image quality, perhaps even more so than the switch from Full HD to 4K.
‘HDR’ significa ‘Alta Faixa Dinâmica’. O termo tem origem na fotografia e refere-se a uma técnica para aumentar a faixa dinâmica de uma imagem – os níveis de contraste entre os brancos mais brilhantes e os pretos mais escuros.
The theory is: the higher the dynamic range, the closer the photo gets to all the different tones you would see in real life. HDR for televisions is basically the same idea.
Look at the sky. The clouds may be white (or gray in the UK), but there should be definite layers. Around the clouds, you'll be able to distinguish varying degrees of brightness. Now look at the clouds on your TV. They usually look flat in comparison, with bright tones squashed together and some layers almost indistinguishable. There are several reasons for this.
If you want to understand more about HDR and how it works on the new generation consoles, click here.
HDR Games Interest Group (HGIG)
‘HGiG’ significa ‘Grupo de interesse em jogos HDR’. Como o nome sugere, em vez de um formato ou especificação, é um consórcio de empresas que se uniram para criar diretrizes e melhores práticas para a implementação de HDR em jogos. Os fabricantes de consoles Microsoft e Sony instigaram a criação do HGiG, e os membros incluem fabricantes de TV como LG, Samsung e Panasonic, e desenvolvedores e editores de jogos como Activision, EA, Rockstar e Ubisoft.
In general terms, the idea is to create a level of understanding between your TV, console and the game you're playing so that HDR is displayed as intended by the game's creator. As HDR plays an important role in the overall presentation of a game, getting it right brings you that much closer to an authentic experience.
Essentially, HGiG is about tone mapping. Every TV has limitations in terms of contrast and color, and tone mapping is the technique used to adapt content to the limitations of a specific TV model. The problem is that each TV manufacturer implements tone mapping in a different way and it can often work against the tone mapping employed in the source, resulting in an image that doesn't look right and is missing important details.
The PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X have HDR calibration menus. Follow the fairly simple process contained therein and you'll essentially be teaching the console the upper and lower contrast limitations of your TV. The problem arises when your TV tries to map the tone of the already mapped image. HGiG's aim is to prevent this so that, once your console has learned your TV's parameters, it will play all games accordingly.
High update rate
If you've ever watched an old home movie on an 8mm projector, you'll know that the film passing through the machine is made up of individual still images. As the film passes through the projector at a set speed, it appears that the still images are moving.
8mm film projectors can run at a rate of 14 frames per second (fps). Although this is so slow that any movement will appear unstable or shaky, it's a good way of illustrating how refresh rates work. The video or game you're watching or playing on TV is also made up of a lot of still images, but they're shown so quickly that you'll see them as one continuous movement.
The refresh rate is the number of times per second that a TV, projector or monitor can restart and display an image. It is measured in Hz and the standard refresh rate for 4K TVs is 60 Hz - which means that the image is updated sixty times a second. You can also choose a screen with 120 Hz and 240 Hz. A screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate can produce 120 fps and a 240 Hz TV can refresh at a rate of 240 Hz. A TV with a higher refresh rate offers a smoother viewing experience because it can display more frames per second than a TV with a lower refresh rate.
I didn't realize how important the refresh rate was until I bought a PS5 and a cell phone with a high frame rate per second. The difference between playing on a TV with a refresh rate of 60 Hz and a computer monitor with 240 Hz was visibly noticeable. The new generation consoles support up to 120 Hz, although it's quite difficult to reach 60 Hz these days.
60 images per second seems very fast, and for most videos it is. Remember that the refresh rate of a TV, computer monitor or projector depends on both the video source and its performance.
Automatic Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Automatic low latency mode (ALLM) is a feature that allows a TV to automatically switch to the designated game mode whenever a game console's input is chosen. In other words, it eliminates the need for the user to manually activate their TV's game mode so they can enjoy the benefits of low input lag (hence "low latency") without fumbling for a remote control and visiting the TV's settings menu.
Designed specifically for use with video games, Game Mode (or some variation of this name) is offered on most modern TVs. Most of the time, the TV's Game Mode is a predefined picture setting, although occasionally it is an independent setting that you can turn on or off.
Typically, game mode disables the TV's motion smoothing enhancements, limits input lag and optimizes the image for whatever the manufacturer considers the best look for gaming. Some game modes even allow VRR when activated, ensuring that the feature is automatically activated before each gaming session.
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos debuted in 2012 with the release of Pixar's Brave and ushered in a new era of 3D sound. Whether you're enjoying media on your phone, TV or local movie theater, the audio is probably Dolby-compatible. But what is it, exactly?
Dolby Atmos takes Dolby's traditional 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound setups one step further by adding a third aerial dimension. You are no longer limited to a stereo system or a standard six- or seven-channel arrangement.
With Dolby Atmos, you experience an auditory atmosphere, as the name implies, and are enveloped by scenic sounds from your equipment reflecting off the ceiling. The end result: an environment that more accurately represents the way we experience sound.
The defining feature of Dolby Atmos is the configuration of audio objects. Sounds are no longer limited to their respective channels. Since the introduction of Atmos, audio is interpreted and recreated as objects. Think of each sound as a sphere floating in space: it's not limited to vertical or horizontal movement.
This sound orb can float on any plane. Audio engineers can take advantage of the 128 tracks available, 10 of which are dedicated to environments or central dialogs. This means that 118 tracks are available for audio objects at any point.
Each object has its own metadata. If you're familiar with photography, you've probably heard the term metadata before. When it comes to Dolby Atmos audio, metadata tells your television or A/V receiver how to process audio data.
You'll get the most out of the technology by maximizing the number of usable speakers (64). However, the great thing about Atmos is that it also makes audio great in a simple configuration, as long as the relevant metadata is available for all the audio objects in use.
Types of panels
There are many TVs on the market with all these technologies, but many of them don't seem to make a difference because they don't have a high-quality display. Today, there are some manufacturers on the market who have good displays without paying absurd prices. Of course, this requires some sacrifices.
And well, in general, we can characterize displays into two types (and each of these has an infinite number of other types). I'll try to explain these and some of the subtypes in this short post, won't I?
LED / Mini-LEDs
Short for light-emitting diode monitor, an LED monitor or LED display is a flat screen computer monitor or television. It has a very short depth and is light in terms of weight. The real difference between this and a typical LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor is the backlight. The first LCD monitors used CCFLs (cold cathode fluorescent lighting) instead of LEDs (light-emitting diodes) to illuminate the screen.
LED monitors use LEDs (light-emitting diodes) to illuminate the screen, which are basically very small light bulbs, like mini Christmas lights. The arrangement of the LEDs behind the screen varies - monitors feature full LED backlighting or side lighting. Some modern, high-performance monitors have mini-LEDsThis allows for even more precise lighting control.
Monitors with full illumination have diodes evenly distributed behind the monitor, providing uniform lighting across the entire screen. Edge-lit monitors have only LEDs around the perimeter of the monitor and the light is spread with a plastic sheet to distribute the light evenly, which saves money for the manufacturer and ultimately for you.
Some computer monitors, known as HDR (high dynamic range) LCD monitors, feature local LED dimming. This feature allows parts of the screen to be darkened depending on what is being shown. This provides total darkness and brighter, more dynamic colors, instead of the entire screen having uniform backlighting all the time. With mini-LED displays, this capability is enhanced, as the diodes are about 1/5 the size of standard LEDs, providing a more precise dimming capability.
But even these types of displays can be improved by adding a specific layer, which varies according to the manufacturer. Samsung, for example, uses quantum dots for its QLED displays, while LG uses nano crystals for its nanocell displays. I'll briefly explain what's different about them.
QLED
QLED TV is a quantum dot LED TV. Quantum dot technology is what differentiates these types of TV from conventional LED TVs.
Quantum dots are fabricated nanocrystals consisting of ultra-thin semiconductor materials. The aim of a quantum dot is to produce different colors of light depending on the size of the particle at that exact moment. A larger particle will lean towards red and the smaller the particle, the bluer it will appear.
Quantum dots are able to emit precise colored light because the particle sizes adjust to the velocities of the quantum level, resulting in precise and efficient light emissions. This is the main reason why QLED technology is synonymous with tremendous improvements in overall image quality.
QLED TVs take advantage of the many unique features that quantum dots offer, such as "high luminance". Luminance refers to the brightness of a screen and this brightness is an important factor that affects other elements of image quality. Firstly, the contrast ratio naturally improves when the brightness is higher. When light and dark representations of videos and images can be widely expressed, this is known as HDR (high dynamic range). This HDR, which is an essential component of image quality, is further enhanced, providing sharp, rich images.
The effect of brightness on overall color quality is simple. For example, in the red color spectrum there is a range of bright and dark reds, but QLED TVs express this range of colors better. This unique QLED technology, together with other black implementation technologies such as Direct Full Array, offers exceptional image quality.
Nanocell
LG NanoCell technology uses nanoparticles integrated into the panel itself to achieve better color filtering and remove impurities. These nanoparticles act as filters that remove incorrect and unwanted color waves, creating purer and more faithful colors.
The nanoparticles used, with a size of 1 nanometer, are placed on the front of the LCD screen in the form of a layer. When light passes through the layer of nanoparticles, the layer filters out all the impure colors and produces the purest green, red and blue.
LG TVs with NanoCell technology display images with richer colors compared to the company's conventional UHD models. This can be seen in white backgrounds, which are more neutral and uncontaminated by other colors, or in greens and reds, which have a more natural hue.
This year, LG launched its new line of QNED TVs, which combine NanoCell technology with Quantum Dots to achieve a wider color palette and better color filtering.
OLED
The acronym 'OLED' stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode - a technology that uses LEDs in which the light is produced by organic molecules. These organic LEDs are used to create what are considered to be the best display panels in the world.
OLED displays are made by placing a series of organic thin films between two conductors. When an electric current is applied, a bright light is emitted. A simple design - which brings with it many advantages over other display technologies.
Os OLEDs permitem exibições emissivas – o que significa que cada pixel é controlado individualmente e emite sua própria luz (ao contrário dos LCDs, nos quais a luz vem de uma unidade de retroiluminação). Os monitores OLED apresentam excelente qualidade de imagem – cores brilhantes, movimento rápido e, o mais importante – contraste muito alto. Mais notavelmente, pretos “reais” (que não podem ser alcançados em LCDs devido à luz de fundo). O design simples do OLED também significa que é relativamente fácil produzir telas flexíveis e transparentes.
As with LED TVs, OLED TVs also have a number of subtypes. Two of them available on the Brazilian market are Samsung's QD-OLED and LG's MLA OLED evo. Check out the characteristics of each one:
QD-OLED
In a nutshell, QD-OLED is basically the fusion of an OLED display with a QLED layer. QD-OLED, a self-luminous display, consists of a TFT layer, which is an electronic circuit that controls the light-emitting layer, a light source that emits light and a QD light-emitting layer that expresses colors using the light emitted by the light source.
QD-OLED uses blue, which has the strongest light energy, as its light source, so it can achieve a relatively bright luminance.
In particular, Samsung Display's QD technology uses a front light emission method that utilizes light efficiently, allowing for a simpler and more efficient structure, unlike LCDs that require backlighting, providing a thin and light screen.
The blue light generated from the QD-OLED's light source has a very high color purity, and the red and green QDs that produce color when receiving blue light also produce colored light with high color purity. RGB with high color purity can express a wide range of colors. Therefore, QD-OLED has a very wide range of color expressions among current displays and is able to show colors closer to what we see with our eyes.
In general, light has a linearity, so when viewing the screen, it affects the brightness or color depending on the angle at which you look at the screen. With QD's characteristic of emitting light uniformly in all directions, QD-OLED offers optimum image quality by providing uniform luminance and color, regardless of the viewing angle.
MLA OLED
Finally, there's the MLA OLED, which is essentially an LG WOLED display on steroids. MLA stands for Micro Lens Array and is the term LG uses for WOLED displays that have microscopic lenses affixed to the screen panel.
Well, LG actually uses the term META because, in addition to MLA, it also adds its META boost algorithm to guarantee maximum performance. However, this gets a little confusing, given that there is already a technology company using this name. So if you see MLA or META, know that it's the same thing in terms of display technology.
These microscopic lenses may be small, but the additional brightness they bring to LG WOLED displays is enormous. The LG G3 OLED is currently the only MLA TV on the market and it's significantly brighter. According to LG, the LG G3 OLED TV will have twice the maximum brightness of the older LG G2 OLED TV, thanks to MLA technology. And given that OLEDs suffer when it comes to brightness, MLA could actually strengthen OLED technology's main weakness.
Conclusion
Well, the text was supposed to help you understand what a TV needs to run your new generation consoles with all their available resources. And just when you were expecting a post, you got a whole lesson.
All of these technologies help to make the gaming experience more comfortable, but it's not mandatory to have all of them in order to have a comfortable experience. In the end, the game itself is what matters, but if you want to enjoy the experience in the best possible way, these are the points you should pay attention to.
With regard to panels, this is also a personal choice. OLED panels have infinite contrast, but lack a little in brightness, even though the technology has evolved a lot in recent years. And LED/Mini-LED will give you a very high level of brightness, but the contrast isn't as good as OLED, even though it too has evolved.
And in terms of price, LED/Mini-LED TVs tend to be cheaper because a large number of manufacturers have this technology in Brazil. And a curiosity is that their sound is usually better since they are thicker than OLEDs, i.e. they have more physical space to allocate "speakers".
However, if you are interested in OLED, this year Samsung launched the first model of its kind in Brazil, which is very competitively priced. But LG has 10 years' experience in the OLED market, and is the number one seller in this genre, so all the best you can find is there.
And one last consideration is that, at times, I've mentioned that there are other themes that can be played, other technologies, other types of panels. However, in this text, I've only focused on those that can be found in Portugal. So what? Did you understand? Or is there too much information to understand? Let me know in the comments!
See also:
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