Your experiences with FW v0.14.99.0 for 8000, 9000 and 21:9 series (2011 models)

[limpitakis]

Unfortunatelly I do not have older software(s) any more.
Nick

[buyukbang]

My experience with ..99 is like below:

I watched "the Raven" last night, a movie with lots of dark scenes, I noticed adjusting process of local dimming is more noticeable than 0.98. For example, on a dark scene, the actor makes very slow movements where he sat down (fixed place), but even with these slow movements dimming of the darkness of the room was changing (being adjusted) continuously, which gives wrong and distracting picture drawings.

However I cannot confirm "the grey" issue, I checked black bars on 4:3 content, on my STB menu, etc. They all had strong and beautiful blacks as before. ( I'm using Using Cinema Mode with Local Dimming set as Standart without any other modification)

But I'm still not happy with the distracting (imho, buggy implementation) dimming adjustment. I'll switch back to previous firmware and test this movie again.

BTW, I'm not interested with PNM improvements: I always use TV as PNM deactivated since I don't like what it does on the picture.

@zlatko,
I'm also waiting for your 0.98 upload, I'll switch back to previous firmware. Thanks !

[MilkyOne]

It is true that in certain circumstances, black is not deep, but in general has improved a lot. Prior to me there was never black and I had to disable local dimming. As you will see most people are very happy with this update as far as local dimming is concerned, since before it was impossible to watch TV with this feature enabled. What surprises me is that I have not seen any comments on this TV yours (9956) prior to this update. I believe that with previous versions will work well the local dimmin, the only serious in this forum. If you really did not have this problem before it is clear that our TV has a hardware problem and not software.

Moving on, in addition to this specific problem with blacks, I observed the flases still appear from time to time, and the wallpaper pattern is still there. They should also address the issue of image brightness, is now very high, even adjusting the GAMMA to -4, this could be one of the reasons why blacks are more gray than black (at times).

Google TranslatorAttachment 1276

Like i reported initialy i also notice the same problem with the black bars, but after i change my backlight contrast value from 70 to 50 i rarely notice it.

Just a little note you say you put the gamma to "-4" and what i think what you should do its to put it to a positive level like 4, because minus levels make the image more bright and black become more gray, at least in my 46pfl9706. But i agree that after the upgrade i had to adjust my picture settings again because the constrast and brightness levels changed to higher values i think.

[Toengel]

Hi,

from my understanding of Local Dimming: If I have two areas about 20cm x 50cm on the left and right, which does not contain any image information (16:9 content on 21:9 screen), then the backlight should be off - independently which setting is chosen (of course not, if dyn. backlight is off)!

Toengel@Alex

[kookaburra]

MilkyOne@

True, it is a mistake on my part. The GAMMA I have it set to 4

GOOGLE TRANSLATOR

[zlatko]

@MilkyOne
When settings contrast&brightness on my screen I use greyscale image. I adjust these settings until I have the lowest values, that allow me to distinguish both ends of the greyscale. I want to distinguish pitch black from 2% black. Same with whites.
EDIT: I had to set up my picture again after 14.99. Using greycale pattern I found that now a contrast&brightness at 50 are OK and I can distinguish all shades of grey. With 14.98 it was different. I followed your example and now I rarely get distracted by grey borders. But still I prefer black to be black.

@Toengel
Same feelings here - black bars should be BLACK!

[MilkyOne]

@MilkyOne
When settings contrast&brightness on my screen I use greyscale image. I adjust these settings until I have the lowest values, that allow me to distinguish both ends of the greyscale. I want to distinguish pitch black from 2% black. Same with whites.

@Toengel
Same here - black bars should be BLACK!

I agree that black should be black. I and another user reported the problem with the black bars here just after the firmware was released, but now i'm going to speculate but perhaps you guys can test but if the local dimming area is not totally fill with the black bar, lets says that just 1 row or column of pixels have picture, that dimming area will have to be activated. I say this because normally the bars have some little diferences in size depending on the content that is being play.
I have notice that in some programs the black bars backlight changes more often than in others.

What i was trying to say in the other post was that after some testing i noticed that the values of brightness/contrast in this firmware were changed and after a few settings change, at this moment i don't have that problem so often. I also notice that the dynamic contrast is using higher values even when using the standard setting. I check this thru the active control option were you can check the levels of several settings that the tv is using.

But perhaps the behavior is diferent from model to model since i have notice that most of ppl complaining have a diferente model of me. I'm with the 46pfl9706h model.

[Toengel]

Hi,

when watching 16:9 content (unscaled) on 21:9 screen, there is no content (even not a pixel column) on the left/right handed "black" areas...

Toengel@Alex

[zlatko]

@MilkyOne
As Toengel noted we are speaking here about black areas without a picture in them - they must be as black as possible. There is no video information in them.
Also - I agree with you that if in a dark zone there is even lit 1 pixel the LEDs under it must be ON. But on my 52PFL9606 with its 288 controlled zones each zone is like 7x4cm. So only such a zone shall be lit when needed, not chunks like the black bars - 20x60 cm.
And our TV sets are very similar - I have 52PFL9606 which is 9706 minus the motheye filter(which I regret dearly!)

[CrisRoda]

I agree with all off you i have the same problems, but for better help for Philips is maybe to show the problem, with pictures (jpg) and with the settings that you are using, ill will do this in this weekend,and all off us should do this too. toghether we will help for better understanding and improvements.

[zlatko]

@CrisRoda
It is up to Philips mods here to participate in such discussions and be a connection between us and the engineers. I don't feel more pictures are needed - there are already provided and we can made more if Philips needs them. We just confirm the regression(according to our understanding for good PQ) we experience. I think it is affecting local dimming 9-series TV sets. Can not speak about Edge LED 8-series.

[Toengel]

Hi,

if you have time, you can just switch between the different "dynamic backlight" options - the difference is almost not perceivable im my case.

Toengel@Alex

[kookaburra]

Hi,

if you have time, you can just switch between the different "dynamic backlight" options - the difference is almost not perceivable im my case.

Toengel@Alex

It shows very well the difference if you make changes to a dark prevention image. For my taste the best position is standard, best movie burning oscurecedemasiado whites and dark areas, so that definition is lost in shades of gray in between.

Google Translator

[Toengel]

Hi,

sorry - I forgot to mentioned that I meant the black-bar-areas... ;-)

Toengel@Alex

[kookaburra]

Ok. Anyway you do not you break the head with evidence. Who needs to do the tests is Philips, which is sure who is reading these comments, confirm that you have checked the reported bugs, (which has done so far with local dimming) and their solution. This would reassure the minds of many. I remember almost a year ago that I complain of these problems, which Philips has never recognized, and curiously take an update that solves (80%) there was a problem ...

Hopefully not delay another year at 14.99 refine the software under my point of view is much improved to 14.98.

google translator