PlayStation 4 and Xbox One S support games in HDR (High Dynamic Range). This presents new challenges to TV makers and especially LG has come under fire. LG has now told Forbes that it will soon push out a firmware update to reduce HDR input lag on its TVs, including the OLED models.

HDR input lag fix
Frustrated owners have started a petition. They are asking LG to reduce input lag for HDR games on its OLED and LCD TVs. When FlatpanelsHD reported on the matter on November 14, the petition had 1578 supporters. It now has 2549.

LG has heard the concerns and will issue a fix via firmware update “soon”.

”LG engineers are currently working on a firmware patch to address the issue”
Input lag has nothing to do with blur or judder but instead refers to a small signal delay; the time it takes from input signal to output picture. While input lag is irrelevant for TV programs it is important to gamers. Too high input lag will make the game controller feel sluggish.

No concrete details were provided but LG has sent the following statement to John Archer from Forbes:

“LG Electronics has been made aware that some customers are experiencing lag on their displays when playing HDR games on LG TVs.

LG engineers are currently working on a firmware patch to address the issue which is expected to roll out shortly.

LG is also working on a solution for 2017 LG TV models which may include the option of an HDR gaming mode.

LG is committed to providing the highest standards of product quality and customer service.

As such, we regret any inconvenience this has caused our customers and confirm our commitment to resolving this issue as quickly as possible.”



An industry challenge
LG has come under heavy fire, probably mainly because it sells OLED TVs that are by many considered to deliver the best picture quality around – and have a price tag to match.

However, the launch of HDR capable game consoles has posed a challenge to the entire industry. LG’s OLED TVs currently – before the software update – suffer from input lag in the range of 50-70 ms. 1 second is equal to 1000 milliseconds.

Samsung and Sony have both pushed out software updates to reduce HDR input lag. Sony’s flagship Z9D TV has around 45 ms and Samsung’s edge-lit “SUHD” TVs stand at 20-25 ms, a significant reduction after the fix. Sony’s 2015/2016 TVs come in at around 55-60 ms, about half compared to before the fix.

Other TVs typically suffer from everything from 30 to over 100 ms input lag in HDR.

50 ms and below is generally considered to be acceptable but console gamers obviously prefer the figure to be as low as possible.

Input lag levels for SDR games are typically lower.

- Source: Forbes