LG 55 B4 vs Philips OLED769

The brightness results in HDR materials for LG B4 are very good. It is true that none of them exceed 1000 nits, although the stability of luminance is excellent and looks practically the same in every scenario. The only moment where the tested television performs worse is the last of the scenes, although this should not be surprising. Large frames filled with a lot of white have always been, and probably will continue to be, somewhat of a weakness for OLED televisions. However, the combination of perfect contrast, black levels, and brightness of LG B4 allows for a full experience of the HDR effect. Additionally, the incredibly high coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut deserves recognition, reaching 99%. This makes the colours look incredibly vivid and striking.

Philips OLED769 performs quite well, particularly in film scenes with small points of light. The television surprises with its brightness, reaching around 800 nits, which is an impressive result. As a result, fine sources of light, such as street lamps at night or stars in the sky, are sharp and full of detail. However, the biggest challenge for this model is the scene with a full-screen burst of sunlight. In such moments, the brightness drops to about 250 nits, which is not very impressive. This is a typical problem for cheaper OLED displays, which struggle to maintain high brightness across the entire screen surface.

The best factory mode prepared by the manufacturer is "Filmmaker," which is exactly what we used throughout the entire testing procedure. We must admit that the unit we received out of the box had quite good colour reproduction. The biggest problem in both SDR and HDR content turned out to be white balance. In the former, a strong red hue was evident, causing the displayed image to have a pronounced yellow tint, particularly noticeable on skin tones and whites. In higher quality materials, this colour was also accentuated, but due to a lack of blue, there were also signs of green visible. Apart from these issues, we also encountered problems with grayscale and the colours themselves.

The "Film" mode proved to be the best factory setting in terms of fidelity to the source material, and it is on this that we based our tests. However, like other factory modes, it was not without flaws. Let us examine, therefore, what exactly went wrong in SDR and HDR materials.

In both cases, the white balance was disrupted by the excessive dominance of green and red hues. This phenomenon created a yellowish tint that spread across the entire image, leading to issues such as yellowed whites and unnatural skin tones. These problems were clearly highlighted on the "ColourChecker" palette, where each of the samples was shifted towards warmer tones.

As for contrast and brightness, in the Philips OLED769, we can look at two key graphs: Gamma for HD content and the EOTF curve for 4K HDR content. In the case of the first graph, the gamma value falls below the optimal level of 2.4, resulting in an increase in brightness of light areas of the image. This means that bright elements may be slightly overexposed, losing detail and depth. In contrast, the EOTF curve for 4K HDR content performs really well. The graph shows that the television effectively conveys details in both the brightest and darkest areas of the image, resulting in a realistic and dynamic representation of scenes.

LG B4 has been providing very advanced calibration tools in its televisions for years. We can even say that as the only manufacturer on the market, it allows for such deep intervention in image adjustment. It is thanks to these tools that we were able to calibrate the device so well. Evidence of this is the extremely low deltaE errors, which can be said to be at a reference level. Both SDR and HDR materials now look exactly as intended by the film director. It is no coincidence that televisions of this brand are most often used as preview screens for various graphic or post-production studios.

After professional calibration, Philips OLED769 truly shines in terms of colour accuracy. The television has been completely stripped of any yellow tint in both HD and 4K content. The Colour Checker test confirms that deltaE errors are minimal, occasionally exceeding a value of 2, which means we can speak of almost perfect director's representation.

When it comes to contrast, the situation is equally impressive. With 4K materials, there wasn't much to improve initially, while the gamma chart has been significantly enhanced. This allows dark and light areas of the image to be represented with greater accuracy, resulting in a realistic and dynamic portrayal of scenes.

The calibration has allowed the full potential of this television to be unleashed, both in terms of colours and contrast. Philips OLED769 now offers vivid, natural images of high quality that will delight any user, whether they are watching films or using other multimedia.

In this paragraph, we will take another look at the function for smoothing tonal transitions, but we will also check how the television handles lower quality material. As we have managed to verify, the setting responsible for smooth gradation works quite efficiently, although it has its weaker moments. Just as the function works correctly in SDR content, it becomes rather useless in HDR content. Even at the lowest of the options, it blurs essential details, which is why we advise against using it.

The image scaling on LG B4 is rated rather moderately positively. Although there is no edge doubling, the image itself is naturally "soft." We can change this by adjusting the sharpness slider.

When it comes to lower quality materials, the distortion reduction in the Philips OLED769 handles tonal transitions well, especially at the minimum setting. It is worth noting that at this setting, film grain is not blurred, which is a pleasant surprise, as such negative phenomena often occur with other manufacturers. Overall, it is quite a decent solution. However, it should be pointed out that this setting does not work in HDR mode, where gradation issues are much more pronounced. In HDR mode, the television struggles with smoothing tonal transitions and may present more noticeable distortions and noise, reducing picture quality in dynamic scenes.

Regarding digital processing, the Philips OLED769 performs well. The model in the photo is not overly jagged, and the branches in the background lack the characteristic jagged edges. The television achieves this effect thanks to the absence of artificial sharpness, which may be an advantage for some users. Others, however, may find this less attractive, as they prefer a more vibrant, sharper image instead of a subtle effect. This effect can be mitigated by using a higher setting for the "Sharpness" parameter.

The maximum refresh rate that we can set on the LG B4 is 120 Hz. This is the absolute minimum for those requiring high image fluidity. The manufacturer has implemented a multi-step motion smoother called "TruMotion". It has been divided into two separate sliders adjusting the sharpness of moving images (De-Blur) and jitter (De-Judder). Both sliders can be set in the range from 0 to 10, with each degree affecting the level of fluidity, so everyone can find their golden mean.

The LG OLED B4 panel features an average response time of 0.1 ms (which directly results from our measurements), allowing for an incredibly clear image, unattainable for LCD televisions, whose response times can be as high as several milliseconds. This is clearly evident in the pictures from the "UFO Test", showing no trail following the object.

Philips OLED769 features a multi-stage motion smoother called "Motion Style", which will satisfy users who appreciate the ability to customise the fluidity of motion in films. With this function, you can set the image to be more frame-like or smooth, resembling a theatrical effect. This is a great solution for those who want to adapt the displayed content to their visual preferences. Gamers will also not be disappointed, as the television, like most OLEDs, is equipped with a 120Hz panel. This provides exceptional fluidity and dynamism of the image. Unfortunately, Philips OLED769 does not have the BFI (Black Frame Insertion) feature, which could further improve motion fluidity and sharpness. Despite this limitation, the television still offers excellent visual experiences for both cinema lovers and gamers. This is definitely one of its strong points.

The LG B4 television is equipped with four fully-fledged HDMI 2.1 ports with a full bandwidth of 48Gbps. All features that are identical to this standard were activated without any issues, and throughout the entire testing process, they did not cause any problems. The combination of such extensive functionality and low input lag suggests that the tested television is truly made for gaming. This is not surprising, considering that the manufacturer has always placed great emphasis on this. Therefore, we can enjoy both the properly implemented HGIG mode and gaming in Dolby Vision with low latency. This pairing will certainly attract the attention of all passionate gamers for whom quality is paramount.

An additional standard in televisions from this Korean manufacturer is the implementation of GameBar, allowing for quick adjustment of settings "on the fly," without the need to exit the game. It also enables image adjustments for individuals with visual impairments, which is a very nice touch. Another important piece of information is that when VRR technology is enabled, we will not experience a drop in contrast. This is thanks to the construction of the panel and the lack of conventional backlighting. However, it is normal for shades of grey to flicker slightly; nevertheless, this is a characteristic feature of this function regardless of the manufacturer or television.

In summary: the LG B4, like all of the manufacturer’s OLEDs equipped with 120Hz panels and HDMI 2.1 ports, creates a harmonious whole with the console. In practice, this is a comprehensive television, and if we expect the highest possible efficiency in gaming, B4 will be the ideal choice.

Philips OLED769 has been designed with gamers in mind, offering full compatibility with consoles and the highest quality of gameplay. The television received the maximum rating in this category, providing everything that the heart desires. With HDMI 2.1 ports fully supporting ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), the television ensures smooth and hassle-free gaming. ALLM automatically switches the television to low latency mode, while VRR eliminates stuttering and screen tearing, resulting in fluidity and stability in gaming. The Dolby Vision gaming feature is another advantage, although it only works at a frequency of 60 Hz. Most casual gamers will likely not feel the lack of a higher frequency; however, more demanding users may have some reservations. This allows for enjoyment of a dynamic range of tones and realistic images, enhancing the gaming experience. PC gamers will also not be disappointed, as Philips OLED769 offers full compatibility with Nvidia graphics cards, thanks to support for G-Sync. This technology synchronises the refresh rate of the television with the graphics card, eliminating tearing and stuttering, resulting in excellent image fluidity.

Philips OLED769 is a television that perfectly meets the needs of gamers, offering a wide range of advanced features and technologies that significantly enhance gameplay quality and user comfort.