As of now, there are only 3 consumer displays that can truly handle HDR highlights of 1000 nits or more : The Panasonic GZ2000, the Sony Z9D, the Sony Z9G, and the smallest size the Z9D comes in is at 65 inches, the smallest size the Z9G comes in is at 85 inches. Here is a kicker though. The Z9G is capable of hitting 3,900 nits, while the Z9D is only capable of 1,600 nits according to FlatpanelsHD. That means the Z9G should be providing more then twice the brightness of the Z9D right? Not quite. ANSI measurements actually shows the Z9D maintaining 1,400 nits while the Z9G’s fall from the grace is far harsher at 1,025 nits, outdone by the Z9D by 37% instead! Why? The Z9D only has 630 local dimming zones while the Z9G has 720 local dimming zones so this simply cannot be happening right? With a big caveat. Here is FlatpanelsHD’s comment :
”As discussed in the calibration section, and shown in the measurements section, Sony Z9G can hit a maximum of 3000-4000 nits peak brightness but only in very special situations. Put a checkerboard pattern (8 white squares, and 8 black squares) on it and it hits "only" 1025 nits peak brightness, while black rises to 0.23 nits in the center of the black square and 0.45 nits along the edges. This was in 'Custom' mode. While this may sound technical, it is really quite simple. LCD TVs rely on a backlight and Z9G has zone dimming so as brightness goes up, so does black levels in adjacent areas. These extreme peak brightness levels are an example of quantity over quality because all of that light cannot be tamed and applied in small segments of the picture - where it is most relevant - due to limited backlight control. We counted a total of 720 dimming zones (36 horizontal, 20 vertical). Sony declined to confirm/deny but it should be in the ballpark. In other words, each single dimming zone covers 46080 pixels. Sony explained that 'Backlight Master Drive' in Z9G is a little different from the original implementation in Z9D where each LED could be controlled individually. Z9G operates its backlight unit in "segments".
That’s right. LCDs also employ ABL at the top end of spectrum and unlike at the bottom end, peak luminance drops the smaller windows get. Here is a graph to illustrate this.
At the smallest window of 1%, among all LCDs, it’s only the Z9D that could still maintain over 1,000 nits (1,200 nits) at the smallest window while all other LCDs falter. Vizio P (2016) is one of the worst offender that can only maintain peak brightness at extremely large window because of its limited dimming zones of under 64, and poor dimming zone controllers. Like the Z9D has demonstrated, it’s not just number of dimming zones it’s important, it’s also number of dimming zone controllers employed, and Sony did not cut corners on the Z9D by utilizing each LEDs as dimming zone controlling point, thereby able to defeat the Z9D that has higher dimming zone numbers, but actually less controllers. Unfortunately for LCDs, heat output becomes a concern the higher HDR numbers it’s trying to get so it cannot hit it with smaller sizes like 43, 50 inches. Even employing FALD would still loss out to the LG OLEDs in peak brightness, and manufacturers don’t want to make any FALD LCDs under 50 inches due to budget nature, FALD is already more expensive then OLEDs to make, thus, edge-lits are all you’re going to get and they will all be beaten to the LG OLEDs let alone Panasonic/Philiips OLEDs. So the Sony Z9G was made in minimum size of 85 inches in effort to obtain 4,000 nits of brightness only to get ruined by mediocre dimmming zone controllers, thus facing the biggest depletion.
Aren’t OLEDs ABL limited still? Not really. Check out the dark blued colored figure in the graph which is the Sony BVMX300 OLED mastering monitor, which is hailed as the one of the ultimate mastering monitor for Hollywood and it also has ABL cap of 170 nits at 100% white window. The point of HDR is not to make people’s eyes burn, but actually only makes smaller area go brigher while the relative APL is not too much changed from SDR standard of 100 nits. The Sony BVM actually comes with a warning light that if content creator is trying to go over the APL limit, it will flash to let them know. The Panasonic GZ2000 is actually puts up a pretty close fight to the X300, holding out well up to 10% windows, winning out on 50% windows, while losing on 25%,100% windows.
”As discussed in the calibration section, and shown in the measurements section, Sony Z9G can hit a maximum of 3000-4000 nits peak brightness but only in very special situations. Put a checkerboard pattern (8 white squares, and 8 black squares) on it and it hits "only" 1025 nits peak brightness, while black rises to 0.23 nits in the center of the black square and 0.45 nits along the edges. This was in 'Custom' mode. While this may sound technical, it is really quite simple. LCD TVs rely on a backlight and Z9G has zone dimming so as brightness goes up, so does black levels in adjacent areas. These extreme peak brightness levels are an example of quantity over quality because all of that light cannot be tamed and applied in small segments of the picture - where it is most relevant - due to limited backlight control. We counted a total of 720 dimming zones (36 horizontal, 20 vertical). Sony declined to confirm/deny but it should be in the ballpark. In other words, each single dimming zone covers 46080 pixels. Sony explained that 'Backlight Master Drive' in Z9G is a little different from the original implementation in Z9D where each LED could be controlled individually. Z9G operates its backlight unit in "segments".
That’s right. LCDs also employ ABL at the top end of spectrum and unlike at the bottom end, peak luminance drops the smaller windows get. Here is a graph to illustrate this.
At the smallest window of 1%, among all LCDs, it’s only the Z9D that could still maintain over 1,000 nits (1,200 nits) at the smallest window while all other LCDs falter. Vizio P (2016) is one of the worst offender that can only maintain peak brightness at extremely large window because of its limited dimming zones of under 64, and poor dimming zone controllers. Like the Z9D has demonstrated, it’s not just number of dimming zones it’s important, it’s also number of dimming zone controllers employed, and Sony did not cut corners on the Z9D by utilizing each LEDs as dimming zone controlling point, thereby able to defeat the Z9D that has higher dimming zone numbers, but actually less controllers. Unfortunately for LCDs, heat output becomes a concern the higher HDR numbers it’s trying to get so it cannot hit it with smaller sizes like 43, 50 inches. Even employing FALD would still loss out to the LG OLEDs in peak brightness, and manufacturers don’t want to make any FALD LCDs under 50 inches due to budget nature, FALD is already more expensive then OLEDs to make, thus, edge-lits are all you’re going to get and they will all be beaten to the LG OLEDs let alone Panasonic/Philiips OLEDs. So the Sony Z9G was made in minimum size of 85 inches in effort to obtain 4,000 nits of brightness only to get ruined by mediocre dimmming zone controllers, thus facing the biggest depletion.
Aren’t OLEDs ABL limited still? Not really. Check out the dark blued colored figure in the graph which is the Sony BVMX300 OLED mastering monitor, which is hailed as the one of the ultimate mastering monitor for Hollywood and it also has ABL cap of 170 nits at 100% white window. The point of HDR is not to make people’s eyes burn, but actually only makes smaller area go brigher while the relative APL is not too much changed from SDR standard of 100 nits. The Sony BVM actually comes with a warning light that if content creator is trying to go over the APL limit, it will flash to let them know. The Panasonic GZ2000 is actually puts up a pretty close fight to the X300, holding out well up to 10% windows, winning out on 50% windows, while losing on 25%,100% windows.
