Streaming Looks Better Than 4K Blu-ray? AI TV Calibration? | You Asked Ep. 63

[@scottmcguire7956]

The only other "suggestion" to the streaming vs. Blu-Ray question that I could think of is to check the actual HDMI cable being used. I've had some older ones in the past that came with the device and it was just junk. Bought newer/updated cables and they immediately made a difference in the picture. You don't have to spend a lot either.

[@markcruise]

Yeah, I was going to suggest checking the cable. If it’s just a cable he’s pulled out of a drawer it may not even be HDMI 2.0. Would that cause it to revert to 1080p?

[@PBradleyRobb]

Glad I’m not the only one who suspected a non-2.1 HMDI cable

[@robertt9342]

@@PBradleyRobb. Why do you need a 2.1 cable? The bluray players don’t use the bandwidth, nor have the ports for it.

[@idratherberidingnow]

I was thinking cable as well. This happened to me me on cables and connectors to make cables longer

[@timeliebe]

@@robertt9342 - you can get HDR with a HDMI 2.0 cable, but I'm trying to remember the last time I saw one! Just about every cable I've bought in the last few years has been HDMI 2.1. If you're thinking HDMI 1.4? Yes, it can do UHD but doesn't have the bandwidth for UHD+HDR.

[@daflipbizkit]

You kidding me? I wish every movie on stream were Bluray quality. It’s a night and day difference

[@truevoice2469]

What bothers me more than his actual question is why he constantly submitted it to this channel 4 times in a row. Does this guy live in a vacuum? Does he not realize that he can get a much quicker answer from a large group of experts & hobbyists by simply posting it in Reddit or the AVForm/AVSForm? It's like the guy's stuck in the 80s, hoping that some TV show host will read his mailed-in letter to get a one-and-only answer. :P

[@AldrianCG]

Maybe if they would have compared to a dvd or vhs…

[@floz9718]

Indeed! What bothers me is that I expected the much more interesting question being discussed if a blu ray in HD or 4k HDR streaming delivers the better PQ and AQ not the completely simple "question" of finding the issue in his setup - which clearly has to be there since it's simply not possible that streaming looks better than the 4k Blu Ray at this point in time.

[@tommysshinebox1661]

@@truevoice2469mmmmm stuck in the 80s. I’ll go watch Hot Tub Time Machine.

[@MaZEEZaM]

@@AldrianCG yeah i recently discovered that not all bluray movies are in 4k, many, likely older content is still in 1080p. I though maybe he was comparing 1080p bluray movies.

[@tristramdavies2301]

Not a chance, I only just got into 4k Blu-ray, and it is miles better than streaming. Picture is much sharper and clearer, and the DTS-HD and Dolby Master audio tracks are so much punchier than streamed compressed audio. I will continue to stream but get my fav movies on disk.

[@dperr338]

Nope, no it doesn’t and I’ll never get rid of my 4k Blu-rays.

[@jb7753]

I think the settings on his player are wrong. I have the exact same 4K player and it's sensational!!!!

[@tablettablete186]

That is the way!

[@johnny9072]

Think dude is just used to that over-processed look... I can't stand it

[@Rman_237]

​@@johnny9072Yeah, that's what I was thinking

[@AldrianCG]

Amen!

[@nodoombots]

If he DOES truly prefer SDR to HDR, Panasonic players have an INCREDIBLE Dynamic Range Conversion feature that remaps the luminance of HDR content to an SDR output while preserving all of the color space information. This is VERY different than just turning off HDR, because the discs don't actually have the ability to mode-switch. It is a great great great great way to maximize "wow factor" without completely throwing out all of the gains of HDR.

[@ValkenDnB]

Which player do you recommend

[@nodoombots]

@@ValkenDnB It really just depends what you need. I have a UB-420, because my projector doesn't support Dolby Vision. It's great for my purposes, and definitely the baseline at the enthusiast level. If you need DV, then it would have to be the 820 or the 9000. The lower-end model (150?? iirc) has fewer outputs and fewer options, but I'm sure it's fine if you just need something to read a 4K disc.

[@ValkenDnB]

@@nodoombots gotcha, I’ve been using my PS3 to play discs so I don’t really see too much difference since my living room tv has no HDR. I’ll probably be better off upgrading my tv to get HDR before anything. Looking at a Hisense U6K 75”

[@vfplayer]

@@ValkenDnB PS3 can’t do 4K Blu-ray, neither can PS4. Sony didn’t do 4K Blu-ray playback until PS5. Normal Blu-ray discs can’t do HDR, so if you are playing normal Blu-ray discs on your PS3, you aren’t seeing 4K or HDR right now. At most you are getting Dolby Atmos, and I’m not positive Sony ever did a firmware update to support Dolby Atmos on the PS3, I know they did for PS4.

[@ValkenDnB]

@@vfplayer I didn’t know there was two different blu ray discs. I was under the impression all blu ray discs did 4K. I have a lot of marvel movies that say 4K blu ray. I’ll try to test them on my PS5 versus the Disney+ versions.

[@knotslip8862]

Thanks for the video. Some things I want to mention regarding Streaming vs 4K UHD disks.....It could also be that the settings on either the TV (some TVs have different settings per input) or the player aren't set correctly and are making it look worse than it should/could. In every instance, I have found 4K UHD to look better, but especially, sound WAY better than streaming.

[@stepheng8779]

Arrggh! Too many settings 😂

[@supertrexandroidx]

Well, Caleb did explicitly mention both of those things in the video.... ;)

[@knotslip8862]

@@supertrexandroidx He brought up similar things but not the things I am talking about. I can see how you would think they are the same things though. I was specifically referring to the settings for each output based on whats playing. Some players even have settings dedicated to each sound format like DTS and DD. There are just a lot of settings on the TV and the player that can affect things.

[@supertrexandroidx]

@@knotslip8862 Well, it could be even more basic than settings. There are people new to 4K who are sitting 8+ feet away from a 55" screen. This person might find his 4K experience improved if he just moves a little closer to the TV. ;)

[@Mr21scott]

He JUST said that in the video.

[@alanjipy55]

Streaming dolbly atmos is DD+.. True HD Atmos is a very high end audio format for 4k blu ray.. There'a a huge difference.

[@misterlexx2721]

My standard Panasonic bluray player can decode True HD Atmos. The Super Mario Bros bluray movie disc I bought for my son has Dolby True HD with Amos. From earc, my soundbar system plays it .

[@DjCarlos17cuzn]

@@misterlexx2721 He's talking about the music and video streaming segment not about Blu Rays, Nowadays in most 4k Blu Rays the Atmos mix it's an TrueHD-Atmos carrier to be backwards compatible with not Atmos equipment.

[@misterlexx2721]

@@DjCarlos17cuzn Ok Noted. Thanks

[@Slocko]

My money is that his inputs are configured differently.

[@TylerMillhouse]

This. My sony TV has per input settings, and those will make a huge difference.

[@Sparky-qv5op]

For the person with the 4k Blu-Ray Player. Some things I did that improved my video quality on the Panasonic DP-UB820 was going Directly to the TV (TCL QM851G) instead of through my Yamaha Aventage Receiver. If you are going through your receiver, ensure Video Processing is turn off. Receivers that have a Video Processing function it usually isn't good.

[@Mindwalker030]

That dude saying streaming looks better than 4K Blu-Ray is truly clueless.

[@dmarable79]

Also I think that people need to keep in mind other things may also play impossible factor, like making sure your HDMI cables are up to date and sending the signal strength properly. And also the only thing that streaming has better than physical media is the sheer convenience of it. Otherwise 4K Blu-ray will always provide the most lossless quality. And to that point, the other aspect is the audio quality that is far superior on blu-ray (lossless) rather than streaming (lossy).

[@virtualworldaddict301]

I love how everyone in the comments section was immediately like, "they're wrong, next question."

[@johnnyice428]

I have an lg OLED that’s from 2016. I also own the Panasonic UB 820 k and for my experience the disc is way better than streaming. No comparison what so ever. In fact, I stopped buying digital movies because of that and a few other reasons. The guy with the opposite experience may have something set incorrectly. If it’s not that the I agree with Caleb that you might not like 4k HDR. To that I say, to each their own.

[@patrickwilliams1801]

Exactly

[@Mr21scott]

"Whatsoever" is one word, not three.

[@Razor2048]

For auto calibration, we were close to it a long time ago with monitors and some calibration software. For example, some would use the DDC/CI connection to poll the adjustable settings of a display, it would then automatically adjust display settings, take measurements, and then do 2 stages of calibration. The first stage would be using the built in display controls, then the second pass was the creation of an ICC profile that would further refine the calibration. If TVs could properly utilize functions like that over HDMI, then it should be possible for calibration software and a good colorimeter to automate the process, especially if they can present the full range of calibration controls over DDC/CI.

[@curtyman11]

Sony Pictures Core

[@RealLifeTech187]

You are making the right choice prioritizing the Panasonic, QN90D and Sansui over the QM8. There are thousands of reviews for the QM8 but the others lack coverage so it's great that you don't neglect them.

[@JoshHare85]

Great explanation of the Bluray vs streaming potential problems 👍 the part about watching in a dark room is key 😉

[@Racer_51]

I think it's not a picture quality issue ,more a preference from the viewer... clearly he doesn't like film grain that's why he likes the high DNR pictures of streaming services.

[@thenonexistinghero]

Complete bollocks. If anything the digital versions make grain stand out far more and makes it look worse as well because of the artifacting. Very grainy movies are almost unwatchable on most streaming platform because of it.

[@EnterThePie]

@@thenonexistingheroyeah there’s an excellent Tom Scott video breaking down why things such as grain can cause issues with video compression. In the video he uses snow and confetti but it’s the same principle

[@Andygoodvibes]

Did Ed ever mention if the Panasonic is connected direct to the tv or is it passing through a AV receiver.

[@rjonzun5828]

Is it better to connect directly to the TV rather than the AV receiver? I know you would lose the switching capability but I also have heard of increased communication problems when routing through other devices. I'm kind of a noob to 4K gear.

[@bastien-]

High quality lossless tracks sound better than Atmos. Simple as that. That is to say, well produced high quality lossless tracks sound better. Not every track is produced the same way, so what you can hear between standard and high quality will differ between pieces of music. But it's always better and with more clarity, in my experience, than what is produced by the Atmos version. But the audible difference isn't really going to come from lossy vs lossless, but from whether its a bog standard 16-bit/44khz track vs a 24-bit/48khz or higher version. And again, some are more obvious than others depending on their production.

[@LeezahB]

I’m a member now!

[@ericreese4606]

As an owner of a Panasonic UB9000 player, I imagine the issue at hand is most definitely a settings issue with either the TV, the Panasonic player, or both. I have a projection setup, but there was quite a dance I had to do to get the settings right on the projector and the player. In particular, for the situation on this video, I’d recommend paying close attention to the HDR Optimizer setting on the player and the various adjustments that can be made within that menu. Assuming the TV is setup to receive an HDR signal, as Caleb highlights, the issue likely resides with the player’s settings. Once set properly, there’s no comparison to streaming. I’ve never seen anything so nice looking in a home theater. Good luck.

[@AustinT97]

Another good episode of You Asked! If I had to get a piece of tech for the holidays that wasn't a new TV, probably a PS5.

[@simianinc]

1) I had problems with my picture when I purchased a new TV. All of the blacks were crushed, and the streaming picture of the same movie looked infinitely better. It took a while, but playing with the HDR settings on my 4k Blu Ray player fixed things.2) Recent versions of Apple TVOS allow you to calibrate your Apple TV using your iPhone. It's very simple, and while I don't have any way to measure its accuracy, The result looks the same as my Macbook Pro.

[@Sparky-qv5op]

Good to hear that the TCL QM851g Review is coming soon, Caleb. I went ahead and bought the 75" in July during Prime Days. I couldn't resist the price. I came close to the Hisense U8n and from what I saw of the U9n it had some issues. I am loving my TCL QM851g, it replaced my ageing TCL 6 Series 65". TCL has always been solid for me.

[@Pocketkid2]

It could also be the video profiles are set incorrectly for streaming vs 4K Bluray player. Either way, I'm glad you answered this, because I am literally planning to buy the A95L and UB820 to watch Blurays!

[@earledward5763]

I set my roku ultra to 4k at 60hz instead of 4k hdr because I like the sdr for reasons you mentioned. But also HDR mastered content looks different than content mastered in SDR. I say this because when you watch a comparison video of sdr disc vs an Hdr disc on KZbin there is a significant difference. You are watching these comparisons in SDR mode .

[@Steve30x]

I have the ub820 too. When I set the video format to 4K manually then the blu ray player won't output HDR or Dolby vision. Set the video format output to automatic (4K). Then I set the 4K output to 4:4:4

[@YuanLiuTheDoc]

I still don’t see how to switch between Dolby Atmos and lossless in Apple Music on Apple TV for the same song. Help?

[@scottivlow9962]

Another sound test from Caleb You Asked. What I just learned is from my U8N is that PCM or Auto must be turned on one of these 2 settings and that Dolby Digital and DD Plus sound setting sucks when watching KZbin and other streaming services with my Vizio sound bar set on Movie and Surround on. These two Dolby Digital settings would quiet down the sound bar so I would increase the volume and worse it doesn't send audio to my surround speakers. I like hearing the background music in all of my surround speakers to get really Dolby Atmos. I finally relocated my 2 Vizio Surround speakers to the back wall for a full better Dolby Atmos effect and when that aren't on the sound experience sucks.

[@ivanguzman9630]

So I know I’m going to probably get a lot of hate for this question. But I love vivid mode! I feel like all the colors pop more and it’s the brightest setting. I watched your video on why you shouldn’t put your tv in vivid mode. But I tried all the other settings and they didn’t seem as punchy! Is it terrible to keep watching in vivid mode? How long are TVs supposed to last in vivid mode? I’m still on the Sony A90j and there is no sign of burn in and everything to me still looks amazing! Thanks for all your videos Caleb I really appreciate all the informative content you put out!

[@AndrewJohnWard]

The bluray detail looks clearer but the colours look richer with the digital movies with me.

[@TheCrucialQ]

The problem, is many people believe that HDR doesn't require calibration. Your display while in HDR, the gamma and color temperature must be calibrated. This can be done with a simple 2 pt white balance calibration. There is the option for a more fine tuned gamma and D65 white point, you fine calibration that find on most, if not all HDR capable displays. Dolby Vision expects 2.2 gamma and a D65 white point, it directly connected to the Dynamic ToneMapping.

[@michaelrossmaessler200]

Caleb, review things in whatever order works for you. We're grateful for all the info and reviews you provide. 🙂

[@thebigjr9995]

Also worth checking the colour mode. Sony tvs save different colour modes for different inputs.

[@CoasterKrazie]

Lmao 👏 the "Not Like Us" plug while listening to music.

[@boomerscs9193]

Regarding the streaming vs. BluRay, I'm willing to bet the picture settings on the Sony are different for the streaming input vs BluRay. Settings are input specific.

[@thenonexistinghero]

Yeah, no idea why he ranted so much about SDR. There's various other issues it could be before that.

[@danishprince2760]

A lot of products to review! Really hoping for a Klipsch Flexus Core 300 review as well

[@garyharper2943]

Definitely needs to see Optometrist.

[@CTSega]

For me the main difference between UHD disks and streaming is the sound quality. Some streaming services (Apple, etc) come close to 4k disks, but the sound isn't even close.

[@marct9587]

I will also say that one problem I have with streaming is that the motion on the screen is not as good as the disc. But the motion artifacts in streaming the better platforms are getting to be less and less.

[@MrMichael007mc]

Honestly, all I want for the holidays is either the Sony A95L or a Sony HT-A9 with a Subwoofer.

[@thomasbuilder]

I've heard the sony ht-a9 in person, it's not worth it... For that money you can easily build a home theater with a receiver which will be at least equally good if not much better than that. The A95L however is the best tv in the market right now...

[@MrMichael007mc]

@@thomasbuilder I hear you loud and clear. I am in a small apartment, so it doesn't make sense building a whole home theater system that I can't use fully. I need to get a compact soundbar to fit my space. I also like to stay in the Sony ecosystem so I will also look at the AT7000. I know they are not the best but as long as its a good deal and provides better sound than the TV its a win.

[@thomasbuilder]

@@MrMichael007mc Well, I wasn't really talking about sound level in terms of goodness, that 'soundbar' was sub-par in my opinion in sound quality also. If you build a proper system it's rarely about soundpressure, and volume, mostly it's about sound quality. This is my opinion, but I am already coming from a better system so perhaps I am not 100% objective.

[@howelljim44]

On my wish list is the Sony 65” Bravia 8 OLED 4K. Thanks for all you do to make TV tech understandable!

[@kellywilliamson2187]

On my LG 97 G2 watching Ripley on Netflix . . . I can't believe how good it looks.

[@maxheadrom3088]

A curiosity about the Atmos/Stereo part: that Oscar Peterson Trio album was probably recorded, originally, mono. I have 2 mono LPs that are original pressings - not cheap, btw - and I need to get a second turntable with a mono cartridge and stylus to play them. Never play mono vinyl on stereo turntables, btw - it will damage the vinyl. Kudos for showing real music on that part - I believe these questions don't apply to pop music because there's no requirement (in most pop music - not all) on the studio side for the type of sound fidelity that an old Jazz or Classical music has. There are a lot of old rock albums that do have that and will sound best, imho, in good 2 channel format.

[@scottivlow9962]

Congratulations Caleb with this video with tge fantastic back ground music. I did a speaker test from this video that took hours to get my soundbar and subwoofers connected then get the TV connected with the eARC port. I don't know why the U8N has a hard time maintaining the HDMI eARC connection, it's a long fought out battle to get it to turn EARC to Auto and with back and forth from inputs to sound is a royal pain in the ass too. My U8N doesn't seem to like making the HDMI handshake. It seen to like the TV speakers as default than HDMI with Vizio soundbar. Once you turn of CEC to do a restart connection it will make you regret it. Like turning off the TV and sound bar together doesn't help or restarting the TV just once either doesn't help. It doesn't like to play nice on Earc auto.

[@jb7753]

That specific player does require you to set settings based on the type of TV you're putting out to. I had to specify OLED TV for my player when I got my C2 which somehow changed to a G3... don't know how that happened.

[@leepuddefoot-attackanglego7734]

Not only is the picture quality on 4k disc better, but so is sound quality. You made some good options for him to look at. If Panasonic has returned, maybe the Philips Oled 809 tv will return and what about Sharp?

[@azel8rrp169]

Last night, I wanted to make an experiment. Started watching Dune on Max and noticed crazy blooming. I put on the 4k Bluray Disc, and the blooming went away. 4k Bluray is definitely superior.

[@robtrombino8943]

Regarding the AI calibration . . . What I could see as a genuine feature would be for the user to tell the AI the viewing conditions such as . . . • Distance seated from the screen • Lighting conditions in the room • The type of content being watched And then the AI would present several presets like, watching a movie in the dark vs in a bright room, etc.

[@carnage4907]

That first question is insane. Streaming looks great, but blu ray and 4k blu ray definitely look and sound superior. And I have that same Panasonic 820 4K player

[@TylerPGH5000]

I may not always pass The Pepsi Challenge on visuals between 4k UHD and top streaming outputs, but sound quality is much more apparent. You shouldn’t see a noticeable visual difference in the favor of streaming though, in my opinion they’re becoming tied at best.

[@NizzyOnPSN]

I'm also curious to know what kind of HDMI wire is being used.

[@MLTSTHEEXPERIENCE]

You are simply the Best.

[@radi0aktivetoy]

I know it’s heresy and I can only speak for myself, but at a normal tv viewing distance, high bandwidth HDR streaming looks great to the vast majority of people. On my 55” LG CX, my sofa is about 13’ feet away from the screen. With a good quality stream, especially Movies Anywhere and Apple TV, unless I’m 4 feet or less away from the screen it’s not a massive difference. Up close? Yes, it’s hugely noticeable, especially in grain resolution and fine detail. But most people aren’t super close to their screens unless it’s a PC environment or sitting Indian style in front of the TV. For my favorite films, I’ll absolutely buy the 4K disc, but the vast majority of content streaming in perfectly acceptable in most circumstances.

[@Motorheadache95]

Yeah I’ve done comparisons on my 65” OLED, and often the difference is subtle. I like physical media as well but a lot of enthusiasts exaggerate the “night and day” difference. Really grainy films will definitely be affected more, as the grain will turn a bit mushy with too much compression.

[@armedhyde1448]

I wish there were more coverage on in-house streaming solutions like Plex or Jellyfin, especially for setups that can match or even exceed the quality of 4K Blu-ray players. I dislike clutter, so I typically rip most of my media onto a server rather than keeping physical copies on a shelf.

[@NuwandaSM]

Maybe the problem with streaming vs BD lies in the picture settings, say for example he watches Netflix in vivid (or even standard mode) and BD in Filmmaker. He may just prefer the look of the most eye popping image.

[@curtismariani6303]

I would love to see your AI-Cloud TV calibration idea become reality. Some high end TV’s could have some form of calibration in the factory with AI I being able to interpret user responses along with the calibration data to adjust the TV appropriately. It could also adjust the TV presets more effectively based on content being watched and amount of light in the room.

[@Deccani]

Can we have calibration guide for beginners? And when will we have pre calibrated settings option from the factory itself? Like they do it on laptop displays they can surely do it on TVs

[@Deccani]

And if that's optional we don't mind paying extra

[@phunny12000]

Can you tell me if the UK TV settings are totally different to the US, no one would have brightness above 50% or contrast 100% it would be totally washed out over here with either

[@rayz5508]

People can't seem to grasp that a disc is just a storage medium. CD, DVD, blue Ray, hard drive, flash memory, all storage methods are reading digital data from a storage method .

[@shs747]

The only reason for me would be if the TV switches to a particular profile, but another reason is that dv blu-rays support only lower profiles of dv than streaming (cm 2.9 vs 4.0), but I doubt you can see the difference as it is very minimal.

[@Bkaas]

Could it be an issue with where has connected the HDMI? Or maybe it's not 1.4? Or 2.0?

[@brodelicious]

Based on the two movies the question referenced I don’t think this is the specific issue. But some 4K blu rays of older movies can show a lot of film grain. Bridge on the River Kwai is one I can think of. Lower bit rate/lesser quality transfer could smooth out some of that grain and/or some transfer intentionally smooth it.

[@paulsukhu]

What about purchased movies from iTunes on the latest gen Apple TV device? These seem to have noticeably better video/audio for the same movie streamed from Max/Disney+ on the same Apple TV device.

[@markwilson0077]

I have an LG 86" that's got a calibration/ AI drive Picture setup software thingy. I tried it, it's functional and does a pretty 'OK' job. Course being a AV nut, did a 22 Point calibration afterwards, to squeeze out the best the panel could do.

[@DanielHog13]

A GREAT Miles album behind your shoulder; own several copies!

[@lucaslebel3766]

I’ve noticed this issue as well!!! But I also do recommend against streaming especially for sound quality

[@richroj]

I love the You Asked videos Caleb 👍

[@blackjackthompson1017]

It would be nice if an AI calibration feature was built into the TV's that monitored and every source and frame that was coming into the televison and adjusted the picture in real time to consistently give you the most accurate picture output or whatever you value to be the best picture possible.

[@WheeledHamster]

Lol that dude is high. A 4K Blu-ray has 5X the bitrates over streaming videos.

[@stevendiaz1171]

I would get the Sony A95L this holiday season if I could

[@Justmeandmy20cents]

The guy who wrote in about streaming looking better than UHD player is a huge troll.

[@PatWalsh-l8y]

I couldn’t get my PS5 to do HDR on my U8k when I first got it until I stumbled across the enhanced settings for the HDMI inputs in the tv.

[@eyeamdejesus]

Physical media over streaming ANY day of the week. Twice on Sunday. 💯

[@brettdills]

I recently got a new TV with Dolby Vision, which my old TV lacked. I already had a Sony 4K Blu-ray player and when I watched discs on the new set, I would have a lot of distortion in the picture. I had to go into the player settings and turn on Dolby Vison in the settings. That fixed the problem.

[@abc123fhdi]

For those in denial and insisting that Blu Ray quality must be better than streaming, this is not necessarily the case for many movies and shows that are enhanced IMAX only on the streaming version but not Blu Ray so some of the image is cropped on Blu Ray but not streaming. And many releases may be exclusive to streaming for some time or forever. So yes, the streaming version does receive priority and can have better quality. No amount of adjusting the settings will "fix" this. This is very much a documented fact on KZbin and elsewhere on the web.

[@LeezahB]

Very interesting questions. Good episode!

[@anthonyandrew5749]

I would double check and make sure you are using an 8k hdmi cable, also try to plug it into hdmi 3 or 4.

[@TheBigdutchster]

I feel that there are a lot of factors present in the debate between Blu-ray and streaming devices/services. I have Blu-Rays that are equal with my streaming setup. The streaming services have gotten better and will continue to get better while disc sales are slowing down. I have one Blu-Ray that is better than streaming as a 4K HDR version does not exist on streaming and this is the only disc where I felt that the sound quality was better. The big streamers have a lot of 4K HDR material. I may have mitigating factors, I stream from the latest version of an Apple TV and I route everything through an advanced multi-channel receiver.

[@DaKink]

Still keeping my eyes out on that sony A95K, hope there will be a black friday deal or something. There is an open box option available in the neighbourhood for a 10% discount but i'm going to wait a couple of weeks and see what happens.

[@tyleigh4309]

Streaming looks better than DVD but not by much. Blu Ray blows streaming out of the water when it comes to audio and video

[@brandonmatz4939]

The Samsung calibration does not currently support iPhone 15 pro or above. Will this be fixed? I would like to be able to run this feature

[@radiorexandy]

Caleb: you mentioned eco mode toward the end of your presentation. Would I'd like to start seeing in your reviews? Is a mention of the power consumption of the t v or other digital equipment under test. Especially the huge 100+" tv sets. Thanks!

[@marcgoldstein2957]

ALSO TRUE: Atmos via Apple TV is limited to 48khz compared to 96 or 128 on Blu Ray. Hoping this will change soon.

[@YAZZAJAKEZ]

Can you make a video on the philips tv range?

[@rabidfollower]

You need to compare like items that are actually comparable. Many 4K Blu-rays come with a digital code that gives you a streaming version. Compare that to the disc. The picture quality of the disc will almost always look better than the streaming version of the same movie. Anyone who thinks otherwise should try that, and without fail, the disc will win every time.

[@XLL38_0]

I recommend he look at some videos of how to set up his 4K disc player. There are settings out of the box that actually needs changing. 4K blu ray discs are superiour to streaming.

[@AjCaputo101]

Yes (about smart calibration on Samsung) it does do very well. I have a 75"Q80C -the one I've been sending you emails about at "you asked" email that sadly have gone unanswered for some time now. Please if you have time and check it out. I feel you need to cover more upper-mid level TVs like the Q80C. There's always these bank breaking TV reviews on here (which are great) but by doing so it makes me feel fomo about not having these high dollar OLED and now I'm always finding things that are not living up to your standard of a reviewable TV. I love my Q80C and would like to hear what you think about this tier of TVs

[@petercarberry470]

With regards to the issue of 4k Bluray picture versus streaming, I had the same issue with my new Panasonic 4k player. It was so bad, I returned it. It has nothing to do with HDR on my Samsung 900D. I had all settings to HDR.

[@Barbarapape]

Re auto calibration for TV's, it would be a step in the right direction and satisfy anyone that feels that paying a pro to do it is too expensive. A/V receivers and some soundbars have this bulit in for the audio, so offering the same as an extra purchase on higher end TV's should not add that much to the price. As Caleb has pointed out, most buyers just leave the out of the box settings as they are, and then wonder why the panel develops backlight or burn-in issues. If the demand is there, it only needs one brand to introduce it and the rest will follow.

[@stepheng8779]

Good point re. AV receivers also, we all tweak, even after they've gone through their set ups of how they 'should be' we set them how we like them. Does the human part of the TV calibration set up work like this? You get it all done then there's the interaction that tweaks slightly to your preferences. Or is it simply it's either right or not?

[@Barbarapape]

@@stepheng8779 A certain amount of fine tweaking is often done by the calibrator to ensure that the customer is happy with the results. In a perfect world you shouldn't need to change anything, but no two people have the same preferences. So yes TV calibration is just the same as audio, an experienced calibrator will ask you what your ideal image is and once the equipment used as got it as close as possible then you are free to make any changes. Im my experience, Sony TV's are well setup out of the box and calibration won't make a great deal of difference.

[@Burn_In_Oled_On_Purpose]

Streaming quality is like mp3 quality since the quality is already lost and the data is thrown away like mp3 due to the lossy compression and the physical quality is like 16 bit cd quality at the bare minimum since the quality of lossless with no loss of data since the physical discs are uncompressed compared to the streaming counterparts. Disney are even adding dolby vision to there 4k discs. I mentioned disney because they have old classic movies since they acquired star wars from george lucas.

[@dan9700]

HDR on streaming is brighter than Dolby Vision on 4K Blu-ray

[@robertt9342]

Isn’t that just like turning up the brightness.

[@zanewinter777]

I have a LG B2 OLED and I've been thinking about selling it for $700 -$800 to upgrade to a better model. What would be a worthwhile upgrade?

[@marct9587]

The problem I have with my 4K Blu-ray movies is that the overall image is just so dark looking, compared to the companion Blu-ray disc of the same movie. Dune is almost unwatchable on the UHD Blu-ray disc because everything is so dark and undefined. The Blu-ray disc will be much brighter and have much more visibility of the darker portions of the screen. This is with my Oppo 203 player.

[@michaelwyckoff7593]

Ha ha ha Blu ray disc don't buffer like streaming services do sometime. You don't have to depend on a great internet service for blu rays.😊

[@MattyDaddy14]

Can wait for the Pana W95A!! However, Please do a comprehensive review of the QM8 (WITH SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISONS, with the W95A) before the Sansui and 98QN90D!! No ones buying the 98” Qn90D especially at its price! (Even at $8k on the partner page, it’s not worth it!) 98QM8 is on sale for $4500. Thank you. 🎉

[@Slocko]

You will need to come up with a calibration API that the industry is going to adopt if you want to offload calibration to third party software. Via that API either AI or software could make the required changes to the TV. Otherwise every vendor will need to implement their own solution.

[@CJ-vh2hf]

Presently, if you really want to enjoy the best quality of music streaming, and you have the correct set up and equipment, I would always go to the two channel, and if you’re using subwoofers (crossed over correctly) in your two channel set up, you will have a very immersive and great sound! Some of these Atmos can be very gimmicky, but I’m sure technology will catch up

[@MrCREWCRUSHIN95]

Streaming will never be better than physical. It can never reach those specs.