The unimportant news thread

[DavidW]

One thing I look for in reviews of OLED sets is if they crush near black detail. Because Sony has outstanding processing they tend to perform well in this regard. If you are a movie-centric viewer like me this is an important consideration.

The near black crush was mostly fixed years ago.  It was used to hide bad posterization, and both LG and Sony had that problem because it was inherent in the technology.

The current award winning Sony qd oled model has purple tint and elevated blacks due to a problem with the qd oled technology.  Video processing can't defeat problems with the panel itself.

[DavidW]

@drogulus  I don't know if you were a Game of Thrones fan?  If so, do you remember all of the flack that they received for "The Battle of Winterfell" episode?  It so darkly lit that it was hard making out what was going on.  Wonder how that would have looked on one of these t.v.s?

PD

That has a very dark HDR color grading.  Even Dolby Vision bright/day can't fix that, you need to watch it in a completely dark room.  Funny enough those that watched it in SDR had much less of a headache.  Modern oleds (at least from the premium brands) can fully resolve the detail in the scene.

Many tv reviews use that episode as a torture test for tvs.  Both Oleds and premium fald leds can usually resolve the details in the scene, and midrange and entry level tvs struggle.  Funny enough I'm sure in sdr mode just about any tv could handle it.

[DavidW]

I was responding to what you wrote. The relevance of PQ for me is not only quality compared to rivals but quality out of the box. I find that skin tones look right with no adjustment for color at all, so I only need to adjust for brightness/contrast. This is the Donnie Darko test, using a scene in that film which is very dark as the torture test case.

Okay but I wouldn't change contrast if I were you.  Moving it up might cause rgb clipping, which you can only ascertain immediately if you have the appropriate test pattern or a meter and software.

[drogulus]

Okay but I wouldn't change contrast if I were you.  Moving it up might cause rgb clipping, which you can only ascertain immediately if you have the appropriate test pattern or a meter and software.

     I find that Sony Standard mode gives you a solution to the Darko dilemma without causing any bad stuff.

     I might decide to go with the x90l. which is a FALD LED with not many zones. It has surprised reviewers with how well it fares despite this.

[DavidW]

I might decide to go with the x90l. which is a FALD LED with not many zones. It has surprised reviewers with how well it fares despite this.

This is an example of Sony's magic.  I have the x900h in my den (lg c2 oled in my living room) and despite the limited number of zones I never see haloing.  It is shocking how Sony does better with fewer zones than anyone else.

[Todd]

UN Security Council approves sending a Kenya-led force to Haiti to fight violent gangs

This time things will all get sorted.

[Todd]

Directly from the UK government: Government to introduce historic new law to protect future generations of young people from the harms of smoking.

Prohibition is usually a good idea.

[DavidW]

Nobel Prize in Chemistry goes to quantum dots!
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nobel-prize-in-chemistry-2023-quantum-dots/

It was actually leaked early and an investigation will occur.

[Todd]

It was actually leaked early and an investigation will occur.

Exposing the leaker could dynamite his career.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Nobel Prize in Chemistry goes to quantum dots!
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nobel-prize-in-chemistry-2023-quantum-dots/

It was actually leaked early and an investigation will occur.

Sounds like a cool discovery (the quantum dots)!  Sorry that the surprise got out early though.

PD

[geralmar]

Grizzly bear kills two in Canada national park:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/02/canada-deadly-bear-attack-banff-national-park?trk=public_post_comment-text

Coincidentally I'm watching Cocaine Bear (2023), which treats bear attacks and maulings as comedy.

[T. D.]

Latest installment in the Rudy freak show:

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/04/former-trump-lawyer-rudy-giuliani-sues-biden-for-defamation.html

This is profoundly hilarious, because the gassy dye-dripper's personal defense in many of his pending cases has been the MAGA favorite of "FREE SPEECH!!!". 

I swear one couldn't make this 💩 up. Only in the MAGAverse!

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Cannibalism was a common funeral ritual in Europe 15,000 years ago, study finds.


https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/05/europe/cannibalism-funeral-ritual-intl-scli-scn/index.html

[drogulus]

     This recession keeps getting worse and worser.

    U.S. employers added a surprisingly strong 336,000 jobs in September in a sign of economic resilience

     Oh the humanity?

[Todd]

From ICN:

Apple Goes a Step Too Far in Claiming a Carbon Neutral Product, a New Report Concludes

The maker of the iPhone is a leader in efforts to reduce the climate impact of its products, but a recent claim about its new line of Apple Watches may be "climate-wash," a Chinese environmental research organization says.

So, like, the research comes from a Chinese source, which, as everyone knows, means it ain't no good, like a proper Western source.  Carry on and consume.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Nobel Prize winner Katalin Karikó was demoted 4 times.


https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/06/nobel-prize-winner-katalin-karik-on-being-demoted-perseverance-.html

[Iota]

Nobel Prize winner Katalin Karikó was demoted 4 times.


https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/06/nobel-prize-winner-katalin-karik-on-being-demoted-perseverance-.html

What an inspired and inspiring person. Lucky we had someone like her out there batting for the rest of us.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Nobel Prize winner Katalin Karikó was demoted 4 times.


https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/06/nobel-prize-winner-katalin-karik-on-being-demoted-perseverance-.html

Interesting story!  Sad to read about one of her bosses trying to get her into trouble with immigration though.

PD

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Interesting story!  Sad to read about one of her bosses trying to get her into trouble with immigration though.

PD

Tons of similar stories in (the US) academics.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

FTX thief cashes out millions during Bankman-Fried trial

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67090501

I'm surprised that the cryptocoin is still worth anything considering the charges against him.

PD