2020 QLED T models (Q80T, Q90T, Q800T, Q900T) HDR game mode brightness / local dimming bug

[Rauttis]

I bought a Q80T a couple of days ago and have noticed a really annoying issue when using the tv with the combination of HDR and game mode.

I'm fairly certain this is a software bug in the TV since I can reproduce this issue with 100% accuracy, and it happens on the dot at the same moment every time. It's basically on a timer.

Basically when the game is displaying a HDR signal and game mode is enabled, exactly after 6 minutes the brightness of the TV suddenly drops by around 20 (50 -> 30). The value of brightness setting doesn't actually change however. Messing with the brightness setting does not restore the brightness to it's original state, but changing the local dimming setting from standard to low and then back to standard does. Switching game mode off and then back on also fixes the issue, but then it happens again EXACTLY after 6 minutes (I've timed this with a stopwatch).

Has anyone else experienced this issue? Or can someone maybe test this on their TV to see if you can reproduce it?

Exact repro steps on how I can reproduce this 100% of the time on the PS4 Pro:

1. Set brightness to max (50)
2. Set local dimming to standard (bug happens on high as well)
3. Enable game mode
4. Turn off game motion plus
5. Turn off intelligent mode and all the brightness related settings in eco settings, as these can influence the brightness level of the tv.
6. Launch a game that runs in HDR
7. Start your stopwatch
8. Do whatever you want in the game or you can also go back to PS4 menus, find a bright scene where you can notice a brightness drop easily
9. When the stopwatch hits 6 minutes, you should see the TVs brightness suddenly drop by a large amount. By eye the brightness drop seems about equal to dropping the brightness from 50 -> 30 by hand.
10. Go to picture settings and set local dimming to low (brightness does not change)
11. Set local dimming back to standard (brightness suddenly jumps to the original level. Brightness can be restored by switching input away and back as well, or by disabling and re-enabling game mode)
12. And again after EXACTLY 6 minutes the bug again repeats and the brightness drops down again

Some other notes: The PS4 has a screensaver that basically dims the screen if it is idle for a while. This is not the cause of this, this happens even when the console is in active use and the brightness can be restored temporarily by changing the local dimming setting like described above. I have not managed to reproduce this issue with game mode off, so it seems to be related to game mode.

Software version: 1304

[MJ1931]

Native is default on game mode (SDR & HDR) but no, you know best, you change everything and change it to warm2 whilst your at it

[MJ1931]

playing modern warfare at the moment (piccadilly mission) everything default as Samsung set, 50/50/10/25 HDR, amazing but no lets turn off everything off and use warm 2 and make it a car wreck, good idea

[jayh89]

This thread has a troll problem. Ignore them. 

[MJ1931]

Its funny, people are very defensive over their settings, default game mode looks amazing on a Q80 and Q90, or is it just me.

[AZGreg]

You realize Samsung even states that Native over saturates the picture right? And that auto uses the source data to have the intended colors?

https://www.samsung.com/my/support/tv-audio-video/what-is-the-color-space-setting/#:~:text=Native%3A...

If you enjoy what you see then power to you, that's what it's all about. Doesn't mean it's accurate though.

[MJ1931]

I havent changed a thing on my tv in game mode apart from putting dynamic black equaliser to 0 and GMP off, its mint a Q90 default with that new HGIG enabled too, people just fiddle and get themselves in a mess.

[AV2020]

I think you are a bit simple in the head lol. You are basically saying that by not changing the default out of the box settings that samsung has already set on this tv makes it a correct picture LOOOL. And you are saying by changing the settings to auto and warm 2 etc makes the picture a car wreck. HAHAHA you are a terrible troll. Have you never heard of professional calibrators? They have colour meters, calman software, and HDR patterns generators. I guess they all have been making everyones tv a car wreck for many years. Anything that is not native colour space and standard colour tone is terrible in your Eyes LOL.

You haven't got a clue. Why don't you Google it. I rest my case as it is like talking to a brick wall. Enjoy your sun burnt faces and loss of detail in pictures and highlights and shadows and incorrectly tracked colours. 

All the people who have switched to auto colour space and warm 1 or warm 2 and turn off all the processed rubbish like contrast enhancer, say the picture looks washed out and yellow at first as they have been so used to a cool blue saturated picture. After a week, their eyes get used to it and then they realise it is a much better picture and no longer looks washed out and they would never go back to native. 

Calibration equipment proves this. I have had 5 tvs professionally calibrated for many years. Even the review sites state this. 

But yeah, you know best with your out of the box tv settings, as Samsung set them up and that makes it the correct ones to use 🤣

Shows how little you know, and how long you have been watching a poor inaccurate picture. So funny listening your poorly informed posts. 

Auto is the way to go if you haven't had your TV professionally calibrated as a professional calibration will use custom colour space. Google it. Just do it, you may actually learn something new. I have had my TV professionally calibrated and auto tracks nearer to custom colour space that the calman software sets it to with a colour meter. But I guess that the calibrators £5000 equipment is all wrong 😁

Native = 😂

Contrast enhancer = 🤣

Colour tone Standard = 🤣

Way to make a picture a "car wreck"

I bet you even have sharpness on too instead of 0.

But its what you like, so there is nothing wrong with that. But to say you are viewing an accurate picture and that the people who have set their picture to the industry standard of isf of better colour, more detail, more depth just as the movie director or game developer intended are wrong in doing so, is absolutely hilarious. 

Google is your best friend.

Start by Googling this "auto vs native color space for tvs"

You are welcome 🤗

[Suriya]

Guys this thread is meant to post bugs. Now it's become picture settings discussion. Who first started it?

[AV2020]

. 

[Suriya]

First of all those  who says that " my tv is calibrated " it is only for outside game-mode you can't adjust white balance on game-mode to calibrate.

Games are created in 100% DCI-P3 which means you should select the most expanded color space on your TV to see all colors.

And definitely you have to keep contrast enhancer high hence game-mode outputs unprocessed image looks dull/dim, keeping contrast enhancer HIGH gives a hand to highlight details like processed picture 

For HDR, DCI-P3 inside the container of BT2020 color gamut which is the most expanded color space.

Apart from all, samsungs native color space is higher than any other color space you have it on your tv so it can easily reproduce whatever the input is even if it is BT2020. That is the reason samsung forces native on both sdr and hdr game-mode.