4K HDR TV Sets Are Here...

DLD said:
I've looked up a few reviews of the current 4K projectors, as well as some technical background on the DLP equipped units.

A brief summary : Texas Instrument's chip is not "real" 4K but actually 2.7K. It achieves 4K with pixel shifting, which it does every 1/120th of a second, so the human eye can't detect it. Some human eyes can, however, detect the color wheel "rainbow" effect. Other than that, the resolution checks out and prices are quite affordable, with many having already dropped below the $3,000 level.

There are also models with three 1080p LCD panels, which claim 4K but are about half off in resolution. Within a "normal viewing distance", the differences are negligible, if any. The LCD panels don't have the color wheel but may have alignment problems, much like the old RGB projectors.

One plus on projectors is that they are relatively portable from room to room and even outside.
Click to expand...

I have a Mitsubishi rear projection set(my second) that is DLP based and the rainbow is fairly easy to see if you move your eyes quickly across the screen or turn your head quickly, because of your peripheral vision. I can go for long stretches of time(weeks or even months) and never notice, then when I do, I'm "tuned" into it and will notice it much more frequently for a while. It's also more noticeable with a lot of white/bright content.
 
There are 3 DLP chip 4K projectors too but, at the moment, they are almost exclusively used for professional installations. And they (Barco, Christie, Digital Projection, etc) cost lots of dough.

The color wheels have improved over time, with new models spinning faster and featuring a 6- or 7-segment wheel, compared to the 3-segment wheels of the yesteryear. The segments are either RGB - 60 degrees instead of 120 in the 6-segment versions - or RGB with one "clear" (white) portion in the 7-segment types. As usual, very few people can pick up the "rainbow effect" but it's always better to test the product beforehand.

The higher end projectors usually use lasers as a light source but those can also carry a hefty price tag.

Going off the Projector Central database - there are 34 UHD models currently shipping, with the Vivitek HK2288 leading in price for just under $2,000. (and ya can't get a 100" TV for that)
 
A few more tidbits - according to the industry sources, a 55" OLED panel costs LG under $600 (the figure given was $582, off OLEDInfo.com, quoting an industry pub). Trend-wise, costs of these panels were around $1,200 as recently as three years ago and are headed down to the $250 range within the next three-four years. The South Korean government just approved a huge LG Display (a separate/spin-off company of LG's) plant in China. It was held up for several months, as the South Korean officials were mulling over this proposal due to the OLED being considered a strategic national asset. The approval allows the construction of the 7-Gen OLED plant, that is supposed to cost around $2.5B to erect, with LGD holding a 70% stake.

If one scans the retail prices of the 4K OLED sets, then it's roughly 3-4 times the panel cost. If the lowest priced 55" LG runs about $1,800 now, then it should be hitting the magic $1,000 mark within the next three years or so. LG is also looking toward 8K models by adopting to the newer technology that will result in brighter displays. Samsung, in order to throw a small monkey wrench into LG's spoke wheels, showed a group of local gamers enjoying their favorite craft for twelve hours straight. At the end, LG's had a severe image retention artifacts (i.e., a burn-in effect) compared to Samsung's own QLED sets, which had none.

PS. C-Net just reviewed Vizio's 55" M series HDR TV that is selling for under $700 and opined that it's as good a bang for the buck as there is. It somewhat lacks in light output and thus is poorly suited to very bright rooms. It also lacked a "soap opera" feature because it only has a 60 Hz refresher rate. Other than that, it was deemed a very solid performer.
 
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