Why shouldn't you judge a TV solely by its screen?

Most consumers, when choosing a TV, are primarily concerned with picture quality, or more precisely, the type of screen used. Many believe that a higher-quality screen will result in better image display, and many companies run advertising campaigns based on this slogan.

However, after purchasing and trying out the product, many users shared that they did not notice any significant difference between the old TV and the product using the new technology.

According toZOL,In reality, a good screen delivers a more appealing image, but the quality of a TV doesn't depend solely on the screen. For example, Sony, a major TV brand known for its image quality, has its own screen manufacturing division, but not all of its products use screens from the same company.

Sony's LCD TVs also use LCD screens from Chinese manufacturers such as ChiMei, AU Optronics, and China Star Optoelectronics. However, when comparing two TVs, one from Sony and one from another brand, both using screens from the same manufacturer, there is still a significant difference in image quality. The key lies in the product's image processing chip.

In reality, not all TV manufacturers have the capability to research and produce high-quality image processing chips. Therefore, many companies have turned to focusing on developing display technology. However, when considering the core graphics quality of a TV, the role of the image processing chip is even more important than the screen itself. A good TV doesn't necessarily need a high-quality screen, but a good image processing chip is essential.

These image processing chips can be considered "graphics cards," enabling the device to process and correct received image signals. This results in clearer images, reduced noise, enhanced color and contrast, smoother motion details, and other important aspects. Simultaneously, real-time video signals from live broadcasts undergo processing, converting them into suitable signals, leading to significant image enhancement.

Some smaller manufacturers, instead of researching and developing their own image processing chips, replace them with ARM chips in some Android TV models. Of course, many ARM chips already incorporate advanced image processing technology, but they are still essentially "bulky" compared to traditional image processing chips. While compatible with all interfaces, they are more effective at enhancing and processing simple images, rather than significantly improving performance like the original processing chips.

Because image processing requires equipment that processes a large amount of database data, as well as finding suitable algorithms to calculate the appropriate colors, light, and contrast before and after processing, this demands that manufacturers have a thorough understanding of the hardware and the massive database collection system—a problem not every company is capable of solving.

Currently, only a few major companies on the market are capable of producing image processing chips: Sony (Japan), Samsung and LG (South Korea), and Hisense (China).

Sony's current flagship TVs are equipped with the 4K HDR X1 Extreme processor chip, for example, the KD-55X9000F model. This chip includes three core technologies: HDR, a dual image data system (one for sharper images and maximum noise reduction, and another for signal enhancement and improved clarity), and finally, intelligent 14-bit color gamut management that allows for smoother color transitions between shades.

Meanwhile, Samsung's recently introduced image processing chip utilizes AI technology to support 8K images. Based on analysis of a massive database, machine learning and artificial intelligence will filter and deliver the best image results, perfectly balancing brightness, blur, and contrast. Furthermore, it improves sound quality to match video content such as action movies or musical performances. The company's 8K AI TV chip is expected to be implemented in QLED TVs in the second half of 2018.

For LG, it's the Alpha9 chip. It allows the TV to display HFR content at 120 frames per second, an improvement over the current 24 frames per second standard. In addition, it effectively reduces noise, delivering clearer and brighter images by minimizing lag, enhancing contrast, and improving stereoscopic images. This is further enhanced by LG's ThinQ artificial intelligence platform, developed based on Google Assistant.

Finally, there's Hisense TV's Hi-View Pro image processing chip. This product was developed by the company in late 2015, recently introduced, and is being applied to high-end TV models such as the LED65EC880UCQ. It significantly improves the performance of LCD screens, increasing contrast ratio and color gamut, resulting in clearer and smoother images.

However, despite its crucial role, the image processing chip cannot overshadow the significant role of the display and the quality of the panels used. If the assembly process is not good enough, even a top-of-the-line chip cannot solve problems such as light leakage or dead pixels. Both need to function well to complement and compensate for each other in order to deliver the best possible image quality for the device.