Skyworth Q71 TV experience: the first step towards the civilianization of 8K TV
On September 1 this year, Nvidia CEO Huang Renxun released the latest GeForce RTX 30 series graphics card in his kitchen. The current highest specification RTX 3090 graphics card claims to be able to maintain a high refresh rate at 8K resolution to play games .
When I saw this news, an idea came to my mind: 8K? How expensive is the monitor/TV!
This question was answered at the Skyworth press conference on September 23, at RMB 11,999. At this TV conference, Skyworth launched the Q71 8K series of TVs. The minimum price of the 65-inch version is 11,999 yuan.
What is the experience of 8K products at this price? Let's take a look today.
Some appearance and hardware parameters
Skyworth Q71 has reached the true 8K level, that is, 8K panel + 8K decoding, 8K is 7680×4320 resolution, over 33 million pixels, even if you lean further, the naked eye will not see the particles.
Such a high resolution can't play its due strength on a small screen, so Skyworth has set three sizes for the Q71 series, 65, 75 and 86 inches. The larger the size, the more it can be seen with 4K TVs. difference between. And what we got is the one that is the most people-friendly.
The screen color depth supports 10bit, which is 1.07 billion colors, and the color display transition will be more uniform; 90% DCI-P3 wide color gamut, more accurate reproduction of video colors.
The large-size screen and the narrow bezel have achieved a screen-to-body ratio of 95.7%, creating a larger visual dislocation than the marked size. As a consumer, I also hope to see manufacturers cut off the bezel as soon as possible. ".
▲ Video: Japan Night Aerials in 8K/local broadcast, video source
A narrow frame on the front can bring a better look and feel, while looking at the back is quite satisfactory and there is no special place. All the interfaces are arranged on the right side, only the power socket is on the left.
The interfaces are: HDMI*3, USB-A*2, network cable interface*1, optical interface*1, AV interface*1 and a cable TV interface. One of the HDMI interfaces is HDMI 2.1 protocol, also for the future XSX/PS5 Game paving.
The base adopts a mid-mounted design. Before installation, the screen must lie flat, and four screws at the bottom can make the TV stand firmly on the desktop. The base is not heavy, but fortunately the area is large enough, as long as there is no Bear kids use the TV as the Huaguo Mountain to climb up and down, so there is no need to worry about the TV falling down.
The surface of the base adopts die-casting paint and anode drawing process to achieve the visual effect of mixing light and dark colors, but I always feel that this design has been seen before. The metal feels warm and moist. Put it in our daily use scenes. Its benefits are more in easy handling and not easy to accumulate dust. Just wipe it with a paper towel to clean it.
After booting up, it will enter the HDMI signal search interface by default. After returning to the desktop and connecting to WiFi, you can explore the full picture of Coocaa System 8. It is worth mentioning that Skyworth Q71 supports the WiFi 6 protocol to ensure that after the popularization of 8K online video in the future, it will not encounter the embarrassing situation of "buffering for one minute and watching for ten seconds".
Coocaa System 8 was released together with Q71. In the eyes of Skyworth, it is a bridge between smart TV and smart screen, but we will talk about this later.
In terms of film and television content, Skyworth chose to cooperate with iQiyi. The default source is the content in Kiwi TV. Of course, users can also choose to install the content on their own, such as Youku and Station B, to watch content that suits their habits.
As a user, after playing with it, I understood Skyworth’s reason for choosing iQiyi. First of all, iQiyi is the leading Internet film and television platform in China. Its advantage is its rich film source. Recently, it has published "The Silent Truth". , "The Hidden Corner" and other high-scoring self-produced dramas, the production ability of the drama is evident.
Then there is iQiyi’s latest blockbuster, many of which already support native Dolby sound effects. Together with Skyworth Q71’s Dolby Atmos, it can bring a stronger sense of presence when watching movies.
However, the current image quality of iQiyi’s film sources is “only” up to 4K resolution. When viewed on a 65-inch large screen, the look and feel is still pretty good. It is indeed difficult to distinguish between viewing distances away from the normal 2.5 meters. Whether the movie being played is 4K or 8K.
Is 8K resolution a false proposition? Yes or no
I have not been exposed to 8K screens before. Before experiencing Skyworth Q71, I am looking forward to the impact of 8K resolution. However, after playing the native 8K/60 fps video, I found that higher resolution does have a closer look. A more delicate picture, but put it in a normal home scene, the distance between the sofa and the TV cabinet is at least 2.5 meters, or even farther, then it is difficult to distinguish the difference between 4K and 8K with the naked eye .
On the other hand, if the picture quality of VR can reach the level of single-eye 8K one day in the future, it will be a turning point for VR products, but that is another story.
However, in front of the first batch of users who tried 8K TV, there is a more realistic problem: The channels for obtaining 8K film sources are very single. From the current point of view, 8K is still an advanced thing. Although this concept has long existed, it has only recently become a hot topic in the industry.
At present, there are very few cameras in the market that support 8K video shooting. Some movie cameras and very high-end SLR cameras, let alone related 8K video.
The development and evolution of technology always have a priority. Starting from the content production side, Skyworth has developed the LIFErecorder professional 8K camera. From its price of 19,999 yuan, it can be seen that it is rushing to "8K civilianization."
In the follow-up 8K content production, distribution, channels and other links, Skyworth has been involved. It can be seen that Skyworth has bet on 8K and hopes to stay ahead of the trend and wait for the trend to come. But when will we see the full popularity of 8K?
Back to reality, there are very few 8K film sources at present. I don’t think many users are willing to develop the habit of picking up a mobile phone and opening a video app to watch a show, and then return to the era of downloading on the computer and then watching. Skyworth Q71 is equipped with the 8K version of Skyworth AI image quality engine, which uses algorithms to improve 2K/4K video frame by frame in real time to a picture quality close to 8K. Although the algorithm is good, the actual effect must not be as ideal as the original 8K.
▲Gemini Killer 4K/60 frame HDR10 Dolby Vision clip/local playback
▲A straight shot of the TV screen at a distance of 50 cm
▲A straight shot of the TV screen at a distance of 50 cm
▲Video: Sakura in 8K/local playback, video source
▲A straight shot of the TV screen at a distance of 50 cm
The display effect is really amazing, thanks to the extreme exquisiteness brought by 8K, the picture is fine, the color is rich, and the transition is smooth and natural, but it is lacking in brightness. Even if it is bright enough in the living room and other life scenes, there is still a lot of room for improvement.
In addition, Skyworth also introduced 3D LUT film original color professional color technology, fine-tuned the Gamma value and white balance, and finally restored the effect closest to the film creator's desire.
In addition, HDR 10, Dolby Vision, Core Colorful ACM, AI scene quality optimization, these technologies are all installed in Skyworth Q71. Each item can be made into a one-page PPT to show off skills at the press conference, but as an ordinary user, I just want to know how many proper nouns appear on a TV and how much picture quality can be improved.
In a word: as expected.
To comment on the quality of the picture, in the past, the single measurement system of high or low resolution was used to judge. However, color science is also very important to the final effect of the film. Many technologies introduced by Skyworth Q71 are centered on To achieve the goal of better color tuning to implement.
So on the Skyworth Q71, the picture is clear and delicate, the colors are rich and the transition is natural. Although the original color function of the movie is not yet online, when I watch the 4K/60fps video clip of the Gemini Killer, I switch the image mode from "Standard" to " Cinema", well, there is something inside.
What's the smell? It's the taste of movies. Smart directors are good at using cool colors to render dark and sad pictures, and warm and happy scenes with warm colors. Even if there are no actors and no narration, you can see that the next scene is good when you look at the color palette. Is bad.
Skyworth Q71 will emphasize this kind of color science, using AI to analyze the color grading logic of many movies and build models, and then adjust the colors for the movies watched by users.
Just like people, even if you don’t come from a major, you can see the director’s intention to shoot a certain scene even if you watch a lot of movies.
However, it is useless to say more about the vocabulary of picture quality, and the pictures reproduced on TV can not show the most real situation. If you have the opportunity, it is recommended to experience it offline.
The same thing that needs personal experience is the sound quality.
Skyworth Q71 has 4 built-in dual-channel speaker units. The crossover design allows bass and treble to perform their duties. It also supports Dolby Atmos. Although it is not essential, it is also a key part of improving the viewing experience.
In the actual experience, the standard sound is quite satisfactory, but when this feature is enabled in a movie that supports Dolby Atmos, its performance is above the average level of products of the same level. The sound field is clear and broad, the bass is strong and not turbid, and the treble part is not over-enhanced, which makes up for the regret of not being able to go to the cinema to experience the sense of presence and having to watch online video second.
Skyworth Q71 is equipped with MediaTek S900 SoC, this core supports up to 8K/60FPS video decoding, with MEMC frame insertion technology, through the motion analysis of the front and rear frames, and then generates the intermediate frame image insertion, making the movie look smoother and more dynamic.
Because real-time calculations are required, this poses a strict challenge to the processor and algorithm. In terms of experience during this period, Skyworth Q71 has encountered similar advantages and disadvantages as its peers: With the support of MEMC frame insertion, both local and online videos have become more silky; however, when encountering some close-up shots of details On the above, there will still be smearing and blurring. For example, in some fast fighting scenes, actors swing their fists faster, and the phenomenon of "Avalokitesvara of Thousand Hands" may appear after the interpolation algorithm intervenes.
This situation occurs in many mobile phones that also carry MEMC frame insertion technology, but the screen size of the TV is much larger than that of the mobile phone, and the problem is also magnified.
Unexpectedly, one day, pop-up camera has become the standard configuration of TV
I don't know when, smart TVs have used cameras. Skyworth Q71 is equipped with a 4 million pixels/aperture F1.76 lens, the sensor size is 1/2.7 inches, the camera can sense the real-time position of the portrait, and automatically and intelligently adjust the downward tilt angle between 5° and 14°.
The camera is installed on the TV for two usage scenarios, meeting video and making video calls with relatives. The most important thing is not the quality of the picture, but to see clearly. To this end, Skyworth developed TrensAI EYE full-time AI bright eye. Based on the large aperture and high light input, the algorithm is used to further enhance the brightness of the picture to ensure that the other party can see the main body of the picture clearly.
When this photo was taken, the lighting in the conference room was relatively dark, and the effect taken by Skyworth Q71 was several degrees higher than the brightness of the scene, and the subject and background were clear enough, which showed that the engineer was in the right direction for optimization.
The new Coocaa System 8 is not only for TV now
At the press conference, Skyworth used a lot of space to introduce Coocaa 8. Starting from this generation, the Coocaa system will cover a variety of scenarios from offices, schools, cars, homes, etc., instead of just a TV system.
On the Skyworth Q71 is the Coocaa System 8 for TV. The system interface is refreshing and concise, the familiar Internet TV UI, low learning cost.
The main menu on the homepage lists the "Movies", "Applications", "Short Videos", "Education", "Settings" and other cards. When you move the cursor to the card, press the arrow key "▽" to see more sub-options , A bit of the meaning of 3D Touch calling out shortcut menu.
After entering the card, the interface logic is clear. There are buttons at the top of "Search" and "Account Settings". Below, the selected content, topics, etc. are displayed in the form of information flow by category.
As long as you are not exposed to smart TV for the first time, the interaction of this system will not be unfamiliar. The focus of this generation of systems lies in the concept of "smart screen". The so-called smart screen is actually a set of solutions launched by Skyworth to deal with the Internet of Things. The TV is placed in the living room and given the status of the home center, suitable for being a smart home. Entrance.
Smart screen is the entrance for a group of family members to communicate with the smart home products at home through the TV.
The easiest way to interact is to call "Xiaowei Xiaowei" through voice, and then follow the instructions of "turn off the lights", "draw the curtains", etc., and use your mouth to command home appliances.
The second method is to enter the "Equipment" interface and deeply intervene in every aspect of each device. For example, adjust the temperature of the refrigerator compartment to 3°C, which is suitable for more refined operations.
However, there are not many products that support Skyworth's smart home system. If you want to encourage users to use the "smart screen" function more, you have to accelerate the deployment of smart home product lines.
The key layout of the remote control is not unfamiliar. The three "red, green, and blue" shortcut keys at the bottom can customize functions one by one, and can quickly jump to a certain interface or quickly open a certain App.
The voice assistant "Xiaowei" mentioned above has a brand new IP image in Coocaa System 8, a blue and white kitten, but the experience it gave me was not ideal. The recognition of the wake-up command is quite high, and the response is very fast. Basically, it can wake up in less than half a second after saying "Xiaowei Xiaowei"; it is easy to fail to recognize subsequent commands.
For example, when I said "Playing "The Silent Truth", it sometimes misheard the title of the film, and sometimes mistakenly thought that I was saying the name of the song, and then opened Kugou Music. I hope this is only an example of the engineering version.
In general, this time Skyworth has taken an important step to popularize 8K. It must not win with performance, but it has not sacrificed too much in pursuit of being close to the people. It is an ideal product suitable for most consumers to adopt 8K technology.
Although there are not many 8K resources at present, it needs to be "wronged" to play 4K video sources in the short term, but it can still bring users fine picture quality and a good TV viewing experience. If all the shortcomings of the software and smart home ecology are complemented, perhaps all of Skyworth's vision at the press conference can come true.
#Welcome to follow Aifaner's official WeChat account: Aifaner (WeChat ID: ifanr), more exciting content will be provided to you as soon as possible.