Blackstone
2[H]4U
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2007
- Messages
- 3,580
No this episode was not "too dark". Rather, your (1) cable signal probably sucks and your (2) tv is probably not good enough.
I first watched the episode from my Comcast/Xfinity DVR on an older Panasonic G25 Plasma which works well in brighter scenes but does not have the superior near infinite black levels of the late Pioneer Kuro or last generation Plasma screens.
I then rewatched using HBO Go and my Panasonic VT60 Plasma which approaches but perhaps does not quite meet or exceed the black levels of today's best OLED televisions.
The difference was night and day. Although in the first viewing I could not discern much of any detail in the dark scenes, in particular, when certain characters cloaks, hair, or other elements were against a dark background, in the second viewing it was all there. Further, the fuzziness in the darkest scenes was replaced with subtle shadow details in the second viewing. It was almost as if I was watching a different episode, because I could now actually see what was going on in the dark spaces and it looked flawless.
I also watched on my iPhone XS Max, which has an oled display with HBO Go. The XS Max performed better in dark scenes than my older Panasonic, but not as good as the last generation Panasonic.
This is the first time ever I felt that my enjoyment of a piece of content was actually significantly hindered by inferior broadcast and display technology. My conclusion is that this episode was shot looking forward to more advanced OLED technology and higher quality streaming than what most consumers are using, which is some kind of LED technology based screen and cable.
Once you view the episode from a better source (less compression) on a display like an OLED or Plasma which excels at black levels and contrast in dark scenes, you will see just how visually stunning the episode truly is.
If you experienced some issues with the first viewing, I suggest trying to stream from HBO Go instead of from your DVR. Further, if you are thinking about a new TV, this episode is the most compelling reason why OLED displays, with their unbeatable black levels, are the best choice for video content. It also is a serious knock on cable and the intense compression they are applying to their video.
I first watched the episode from my Comcast/Xfinity DVR on an older Panasonic G25 Plasma which works well in brighter scenes but does not have the superior near infinite black levels of the late Pioneer Kuro or last generation Plasma screens.
I then rewatched using HBO Go and my Panasonic VT60 Plasma which approaches but perhaps does not quite meet or exceed the black levels of today's best OLED televisions.
The difference was night and day. Although in the first viewing I could not discern much of any detail in the dark scenes, in particular, when certain characters cloaks, hair, or other elements were against a dark background, in the second viewing it was all there. Further, the fuzziness in the darkest scenes was replaced with subtle shadow details in the second viewing. It was almost as if I was watching a different episode, because I could now actually see what was going on in the dark spaces and it looked flawless.
I also watched on my iPhone XS Max, which has an oled display with HBO Go. The XS Max performed better in dark scenes than my older Panasonic, but not as good as the last generation Panasonic.
This is the first time ever I felt that my enjoyment of a piece of content was actually significantly hindered by inferior broadcast and display technology. My conclusion is that this episode was shot looking forward to more advanced OLED technology and higher quality streaming than what most consumers are using, which is some kind of LED technology based screen and cable.
Once you view the episode from a better source (less compression) on a display like an OLED or Plasma which excels at black levels and contrast in dark scenes, you will see just how visually stunning the episode truly is.
If you experienced some issues with the first viewing, I suggest trying to stream from HBO Go instead of from your DVR. Further, if you are thinking about a new TV, this episode is the most compelling reason why OLED displays, with their unbeatable black levels, are the best choice for video content. It also is a serious knock on cable and the intense compression they are applying to their video.