Samsung DU7192 (VA) vs LG UT8100 (IPS)

On the luminance charts, the peak brightness of the television is around 280 nits. Unfortunately, such a value is too low to fully enjoy the effects of HDR, which require significantly higher luminance. In the tested materials, such as The Meg or Gemini Man, the lack of adequate brightness severely limits the magic of HDR, and details in the brighter parts of the image are not sufficiently highlighted. For users primarily consuming SDR content, this quality level might be acceptable but it is definitely not enough when it comes to HDR. Additionally, a DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage of 82% does not favour presenting HDR content in its full glory. The limited colour range makes it difficult for the television to reproduce vibrant and diverse hues, which is crucial for achieving a cinematic experience.

The LG UT8100 television unfortunately does not meet expectations in the HDR effect category. A peak brightness of only 300 nits on the luminance chart is well below the required value to fully enjoy HDR effects. In practice, the image resembles SDR quality more than true HDR, which is particularly evident in demanding high-contrast scenes. The coverage of the DCI-P3 colour palette is only 82%, which further limits the ability to present vibrant and rich colours. Instead of impressive visual experiences, we receive a muted and washed-out image. For those looking for a television to fully utilise HDR content, the LG UT8100 model turns out to be quite disappointing.

The best factory mode we relied on during testing turned out to be "Filmmaker." Although it is the mode that most closely aligns with the creators' intent, it still has some imperfections. In the white balance graph for both SDR and HDR, there is a clear dominance of red, resulting in significant yellowing, particularly noticeable in whites and on actors' faces. In HDR mode, there is also a slight dominance of green, which, however, does not have as large an impact on the perception of the image. The gamma, responsible for brightness in SDR materials, performed quite well, but with one serious reservation. In the darkest parts of the image, it was too low, causing excessive brightening of those scenes, depriving the film of drama and contrast. In the case of HDR, the white balance remains at a similar level, but the EOTF curve graph draws attention. At the beginning, the curve noticeably bulges, leading to strong brightening of the darkest scenes. Then, the result sharply drops below the reference line, resulting in an overly dark image and a loss of dynamics in the brighter parts.

In summary, the "Filmmaker" mode, despite its advantages, needs refinement—especially regarding white balance and proper management of brightness in the darkest and brightest parts of the image. In its current form, it may be acceptable for less demanding users, but for viewers expecting precise image reproduction, it may leave much to be desired.

The Filmmaker Mode on LG UT8100, while theoretically the best for watching movies, has significant issues. The biggest problem is the white balance – drops in blue cause a noticeable yellowing of the image, visible in both HD and 4K content. These issues are confirmed by measurement results in the Colour Checker test, which indicate significant deviations in colour reproduction.

In terms of brightness characteristics, both HD and 4K content exhibit a large tonal boost. The gamma curve in both cases remains well below the reference value of 2.4, which leads to excessive brightening of darker elements of the image. A similar problem is evident in the EOTF curve – in the case of 4K content, the TV struggles to manage brightness correctly, resulting in issues with screen brightness. This means the factory settings of this model require significant adjustment to achieve better picture quality.

Even with its lower models, Samsung offers advanced image calibration tools, which allow for significant improvement of factory settings. We took on this task, and the results turned out to be more than satisfactory. The white balance, which previously exhibited a strong yellow tint in both SDR and HDR, has been significantly improved. Although minor deviations from the norm can be observed, the overall effect is much cleaner and more natural than before calibration. As a result, whites and skin tones look much better. We were also able to properly model the gamma in SDR content, allowing for maximum contrast that this television can offer. The EOTF curve, responsible for HDR content, has also been improved – the image is no longer brightened or darkened as drastically as it was before calibration. Despite these successes, HDR content still struggles with high deltaE error values. The main reason lies in the limited brightness of the television, which does not allow for a full representation of the dynamics of HDR content. Nonetheless, after calibration, the image is clearly better and much closer to the creators' intent. For users seeking the best possible quality in this class of equipment, calibration is definitely recommended.

After calibrating the Filmmaker Mode, the gamma has been aligned to practically perfect, reference values, which has significantly improved the overall tonal characteristics in HD content. 4K HDR content also looks better, although some issues are still visible at the extreme ends of the graph, where the curve deviates from the ideal. The EOTF curve performs worse since the TV struggles to maintain the correct brightness values. As a result, the image in some scenes may be too bright or slightly dim, which stems from the device’s design. Nevertheless, the calibration brought significant improvement, particularly for HD content, where the tonal balance and colour reproduction are now at a much higher level.

The tonal transition smoothing feature works in two modes – 'off' and 'auto'. Turning it off causes gradation issues, while the 'auto' mode provides smooth transitions, but at the cost of grain effect and details, which are often blurred. Due to these limitations, we do not recommend using this feature, as confirmed by our tests conducted with it turned off.

Scaling lower resolution materials in this model is not impressive. Details are blurry, and the edges of objects may contain artifacts. This limitation means the television performs better with higher resolution content.

The fluidity of tonal transitions is also correct, although the effect depends on the settings. The update improved the operation of the smooth gradation function, smoothing transitions better than before, but introduced minor issues with detail loss, e.g. on textures.

Image scaling on LG UT8100 performs very well. The image presents itself decently, with no major issues regarding edge aliasing. Details are preserved at a satisfactory level, making materials of lower resolution look really solid on this television. As a result, users can enjoy watching older content without any noticeable defects in quality.

Even though Samsung DU7192 is the lowest model in the manufacturer's range, it is equipped with a motion smoothing system. While the functionality of this solution is significantly limited compared to more expensive models, its mere presence makes the TV stand out against the competition in this price bracket. The TV supports a maximum refresh rate of 60 Hz, which is sufficient for comfortable viewing of movies and series, but may be inadequate for dynamic content such as sport. In the motion smoothing menu, we find, among other things, a "Vibration Reduction" feature. Unfortunately, its performance leaves much to be desired – regardless of the setting, the image retains the characteristic stutter known from material recorded at 24 frames per second, which means that this feature practically fails to fulfil its purpose.

LG UT8100, equipped with a 60 Hz panel, is particularly suited for those watching movies. The television offers the TruMotion system with a de-judder effect adjustment, which allows users to tailor the smoothness of the picture – from more choppy to exceptionally smooth, resembling a soap opera effect, depending on user preferences.

Samsung DU7192 is equipped with HDMI 2.0 ports, which is expected at this price range. This limitation means there is no support for the full capabilities of the latest generation consoles, such as VRR technology. The TV offers only basic features for gamers – automatic switching to low-latency mode (ALLM), and support for basic HDR for games in HGiG standard. HGiG allows for displaying HDR content in games according to manufacturers' guidelines, however, the limited brightness of the TV does not allow full enjoyment of the effects that this standard offers. Unfortunately, there are no conveniences such as GameBar, which is increasingly common even in cheaper models and significantly facilitates quick adjustment of settings for games. The presence of this feature could significantly enhance the user experience, especially for those who frequently switch display modes.

LG UT8100 offers basic features for gamers, such as ALLM and Game Bar, which makes it easier to access settings. The TV also supports HGiG, improving picture quality in HDR games. Unfortunately, the lack of support for Dolby Vision and VRR limits the device's capabilities, as does the 60 Hz panel, which excludes support for 120 Hz resolution. This model is more suited for less demanding gaming applications.