Help Horrible blue aliasing/artifacts in black areas during video playback

[rexdog1888]

Cool, I really appreciate you guy and gals looking into this. Please do report back what you find.

I think I'll just give it some more time to see if I can produce some more concrete examples for people to check out and report back. I will be very explicit with instructions to reproduce (e.g., watch in X amount of light, seek to Y in the movie, observe Z location of the screen for the following artifacts, etc).

FWIW, I tried a few netflix videos and observed the same kind of artifacts (after the initial period in which it took to adjust the video quality). What I was seeing in those matched what I saw in the sample video.

Just to be clear, the folks that are NOT seeing this are watching the video in ZERO or almost-zero ambient light, yes? We're talking a bedroom at night here or a room with no windows/lights? And specifically I'm talking about ~6 seconds in when the guys' head is in the upper left part of the screen. Thanks again for people's reports/observations.

Mods - can we change the title of the thread? I feel bad for such an absolute title, given what I'm seeing COULD be a defect in the two phones I have tried or something. Can we change to something less inflammatory like "Possibly issue with video playback quality on Nexus in dark/low-light conditions?"

Thanks in advance to the mod(s) if the title can be adjusted. Off to bed now, so I'll stop ranting 3:15 am EST, but feels like 12:15 for me, and that's nothing compared to the weeks I stayed up hoping for a Nexus pre-order hahaha

Night folks.

I don't think its a defect with just your phone. I see it too. But only since I've turned off the light in my room. All the people who can't see it, try turning ur lights off.

 

[jkc120]

I agree. It's either straight in the source material or a codec issue.

And with these type of issues that affect the blacks, it may seem like it only affects AMOLED displays, simply because of the amount of black detail these displays are able to preserve. With most LCD displays, the black levels and shadow detail just isn't that great, so you end up getting black crush (ie. instead of gradations (shades) of black in dark areas of films, all you see is a solid black mess). This essentially hides this particular issue, but is hardly something that you would want in a display. Loss of detail is never good.

Next time you compare this display to an LCD display, compare the amount of detail between the two (for example the lapels of someone wearing a black suit in a dark scene). You'll be pleasantly surprised.

Thanks for this post, seriously. I truly wish I could compare the rezound next to the nexus side-by-side. What you're describing is actually what I saw on the 3 other devices I tested. They were largely uniform in the guys' hair. And yes, loss of detail may be bad in some cases, but I don't know about you, but I'd rather see a dudes' hair look all black and rather unchanging in a video than have blocks of blue flickering in and out of his hair like he was a half-breed smurf LOL.

Anyway, I will call the verizon stores in my folks' area tomorrow and see which are willing to let me take the pepsi challenge with the rezound and my nexus for a side-by-side comparison.

Perhaps this is just a case of "ignorance is bliss" and I would be better off with an LCD-tech device. But if that's the case, I may just lean towards learning to deal with the artifacts, because I really love the nexus and I'm really ho-hum on the rezound and even more so on the razr.

Ok, really off to bed this time. I promise. Maybe...

 

[BigRedNole]

I am not sure my experience is the same or not. I had a video in the background at work on Friday. I was watching Star Trek through NetFlix. I did not see any blotchy or color issues.

 

[jkc120]

I don't think its a defect with just your phone. I see it too. But only since I've turned off the light in my room. All the people who can't see it, try turning ur lights off.

So hypothetically speaking, how can I determine if my old dinc is SLCD or amoled? I pre-ordered it from Best Buy and got it on launch day (4/29/2010), so I was assuming it's amoled. But how can I be sure? Just wondering, because if me dinc is in fact amoled, I would expect to at least see something close to the artifacts I see on the nexus, but I don't see anything close.

For the folks suggesting it might be a codec issue, how can I rule that out? As I said, I've tried various video apps and decoders. Perhaps if someone who is noticing the same thing I do can mention if you've seen a video that does NOT have this problem I can begin to identify a possible codec issue?

 

[XFistsClenched]

I Google searched this issue and found nothing except this thread.

 

[cosmosan]

So hypothetically speaking, how can I determine if my old dinc is SLCD or amoled? I pre-ordered it from Best Buy and got it on launch day (4/29/2010), so I was assuming it's amoled. But how can I be sure? Just wondering, because if me dinc is in fact amoled, I would expect to at least see something close to the artifacts I see on the nexus, but I don't see anything close.

For the folks suggesting it might be a codec issue, how can I rule that out? As I said, I've tried various video apps and decoders. Perhaps if someone who is noticing the same thing I do can mention if you've seen a video that does NOT have this problem I can begin to identify a possible codec issue?

An easy way to distinguish between SLCD and AMOLED is to view an all black active screen on both (make sure you don't have any ambient light in the room). You should be able to see the backlight seeping through on the SLCD display.

 

[rexdog1888]

So hypothetically speaking, how can I determine if my old dinc is SLCD or amoled? I pre-ordered it from Best Buy and got it on launch day (4/29/2010), so I was assuming it's amoled. But how can I be sure? Just wondering, because if me dinc is in fact amoled, I would expect to at least see something close to the artifacts I see on the nexus, but I don't see anything close.

For the folks suggesting it might be a codec issue, how can I rule that out? As I said, I've tried various video apps and decoders. Perhaps if someone who is noticing the same thing I do can mention if you've seen a video that does NOT have this problem I can begin to identify a possible codec issue?

No idea on the dinc thing(maybe somewhere under about phone theres hardware info?)

For the codec issue attaching it to a TV through HDMI would probably be a good test but I don't have the cable to do it.

 

[jkc120]

Last post before I got to bed (and stop irritating people, I'm sure ) but I just tried watching the same clip in the room with a couple of 100W flood lights on. It's definitely not as noticeable at all. But if I look closely, now that I know it's there, I can see it.

So I'll say it again - before you dismiss this, watch the sample clip I posted in a DARK (I mean, dark dark) room. A bathroom with no windows or a bedroom at night with no ambient light. Then tell me you don't see it. If you don't, tell me where you got your nexus so I can go to that store and get one hehehe

Night all. Thanks for listening to me complain/vent. I am just trying to decide for myself if this device is right for me after all, and this is a big issue for me personally, so I'm trying to find out if it's truly a problem, or just a norm for the tech in this device, or what. G'night all, and thanks for not being too hard on me.

Mods - how about that title change?

 

[Mormonstang]

I don't think anyone thinks you are but you are also telling people they are seeing something that they might not see. Remember that we all see things differently and to come on here and tell everyone not to buy this phone if they want to watch videos is just nuts.

You are sharing YOUR opinion while others have their own.

I'm willing to bet that most people don't give a damn about "blockiness in dark scenes", I know I don't.

The thing is though he isn't giving a opinion. It is very true. I know 8 people with this phone now, and all of them have it when in a dark room. When I say dark room, it has to be dark, and it has to be a really dark video. It's not HIS opinion, it's a fact. I'm not going to return my phone over this, because I still love it even with this, but it does suck that it's there, and I know for a fact that it's on everyones phone.

 

[jkc120]

No idea on the dinc thing(maybe somewhere under about phone theres hardware info?)

For the codec issue attaching it to a TV through HDMI would probably be a good test but I don't have the cable to do it.

Yah, me neither and my folks don't have a TV with HDMI. My in-laws do, though, so maybe I will purchase the adapter before we head up there and try it out there. Worth a shot

 

[Kibert]

I see the artifacts on my GNex too, which is just one of the several issues I have with the display.
Honestly the screen on this phone drives me crazy, I had the rezound for 3 weeks and fell in love with that screen. So much so that I've considered taking the nexus back and paying the $35 for the third time. (went from the garbage screen on the bionic, to the amazing screen on the rezound, and now the GNex)

 

[jkc120]

Remember that we all see things differently and to come on here and tell everyone not to buy this phone if they want to watch videos is just nuts.

I agree that telling others not to buy the phone based on MY observations is not really right, which is why I am hoping the mods can change the title. However, as someone else pointed out, I don't think it's just my opinion. It's a legitimate observation. Whether it's happening on only the two phones I have tried or all of them or somewhere in between, I certainly have no way to say. It could be a bad batch of phones or it could just be a fact of life with this screen. I really have no idea. I'm trying to get to the crux of the problem so I can make my own informed decision on whether to keep the device. I should not have made such a crass title, and I'm hoping it can be updated. My observations, however, stand.

And to be clear, I'm not talking about blockiness as you'd see in poorly encoded or low-bitrate encoded video. It definitely looks to me like something is trying to compensate for the subtle changes in color and we're seeing those changes, where as maybe on an LCD we wouldn't notice. (goes back to my "ignorance is bliss" thing hehe).

Now stop keeping me here posting people!!! What do you think this is? The pre-release thread? *poof*

 

[jkc120]

I see the artifacts on my GNex too, which is just one of the several issues I have with the display.
Honestly the screen on this phone drives me crazy, I had the rezound for 3 weeks and fell in love with that screen. So much so that I've considered taking the nexus back and paying the $35 for the third time. (went from the garbage screen on the bionic, to the amazing screen on the rezound, and now the GNex)

I'm definitely starting to believe it's a case of "ignorance is bliss". With the LCD, it probably blends or makes a uniform area so the disparity between color levels isn't there, but you also don't see the artifacts, etc you do with s/amoled or whatever combination of pentile/samoled/resolution this display has.

 

[Appleanche]

I agree. It's either straight in the source material or a codec issue.

And with these type of issues that affect the blacks, it may seem like it only affects AMOLED displays, simply because of the amount of black detail these displays are able to preserve. With most LCD displays, the black levels and shadow detail just isn't that great, so you end up getting black crush (ie. instead of gradations (shades) of black in dark areas of films, all you see is a solid black mess). This essentially hides this particular issue, but is hardly something that you would want in a display. Loss of detail is never good.

Next time you compare this display to an LCD display, compare the amount of black/shadow detail between the two (for example the lapels of someone wearing a black suit in a dark scene). You'll be pleasantly surprised.

I can tell on my crappy LCD monitor that this video has some encoding issues.. just from the blurred background in certain parts of it. I wonder how much the encoding has to do with it which LCDs are just simply hiding.

I'll go ahead and try this video out on my Plasma sometime tomorrow with really deep blacks (though not as black as an AMOLED, it's better than an LCD)

 

[x25064]

Ive caught.these same issues in my phone using youtube. These are the same issues the OP is rerring to, not buffering or quality issues, this has been brghtened to.highlight the issue, and shpuld be apparent for those of you in nexus la la land:

Also OTD, I set the agression to very and its not working.

 

[GorillaTheHutt]

i see the artifacting you're talking about. fortunately i think the viewing scenario of the totally dark room is not a common one for me, so i'm not too worried about it.

as far as the screen overall, i was a little disappointed at first because i can still see the "pentile-ness" of the display (the array of small black dots that are always visible), but over the past couple days i have fallen in love with it. the blacks are so deep (this artifacting issue aside) that i can barely tell the screen from the bezel. it's amazing.

maybe you can grow to appreciate the screen too (i was really thinking the pentile thing might be a deal-breaker for me), but i can understand why you're upset over the artifacting.

 

[charliecc]

Get over it OP you're becoming obsessed, do you really need more than 1 thread on the subject. I've watched loads of video, had the phone for over a month and your video is the first time I've noticed it.

I think video plackback is excellent, in fact when I show my phone off, it's one of the first things I'll demo. Perhaps I'm not watching enough childish vampire stuff for it to bother me.

 

[Nissan1973]

Same problem, it's verrrry noticeable but only when watching videos.. strange stuff

 

[Mormonstang]

Get over it OP you're becoming obsessed, do you really need more than 1 thread on the subject. I've watched loads of video, had the phone for over a month and your video is the first time I've noticed it.

I think video plackback is excellent, in fact when I show my phone off, it's one of the first things I'll demo. Perhaps I'm not watching enough childish vampire stuff for it to bother me.

No reason to be a douche dude. You can tell he is frustrated because he wants to love the phone, but because of this one detail it makes him not want it. No reason to try to demean someone by the type of programs they watch. It happened to show what he meant quite well, and it helped us all recognize it. Grow up.

 

[mysterioustko]

OP, the video that you posted is of pretty poor quality. It looks bad on my computer monitor and while it isn't horrible on my phone, I can definitely tell the quality of the video is subpar. Perhaps what you are seeing is a result of the poor video quality. I streamed an hd trailer of men in black and it looks PERFECT, including in a completely dark room. Maybe you should try a better quality video than the one you posted.

 

[x25064]

Observe the picture posted above. This is indisputabe proof, and for reasons unknown, the only picture in this thread. From now in for both sides of the issue i say pics or GTFO. Its built into your phone FFS.

 

[Mormonstang]

OP, the video that you posted is of pretty poor quality. It looks bad on my computer monitor and while it isn't horrible on my phone, I can definitely tell the quality of the video is subpar. Perhaps what you are seeing is a result of the poor video quality. I streamed an hd trailer of men in black and it looks PERFECT, including in a completely dark room. Maybe you should try a better quality video than the one you posted.

Actually this is true, I just watched it on my 1080p led monitor and I still see the artifacts. I watched a true 1080p move on my monitor "iron man 2" and on the dark scenes this is no where to be found. So I would need to see a better quality video for me to judge now.

 

[sperho]

Blue posterization in the shadows on my device too. I do not think that this is a one-off defect. It is annoying, but not a deal killer for me. Hopefully this is a decoder issue that can be resolved in a future update...

 

[w0bbl3r]

Just FYI, someone mentioned about MX Player going to max brightness,

Slide your finger down the left hand edge of the screen to adjust MX Player brightness.

Right edge for volume
top edge for slow fastforward/reverse.

the settings are remembered (brightness at least) even if you quit the app.

 

[redrider4life1]

I've been trying to duplicate your issue in a close in my apt, my roomate woke up and was like wtf are you doing. Any how I tried this with LoTR, all three movies darkest scenes I could fine and some scenes from Iron Man as well since these are the only two movies I have on the phone.

I've streamed Jackass 3D from netflix with no issues, but there are no dark scenes.

Anyhow I don't see this problem on my phone, It obviously doesn't look as good as my HD 24inch computer monitor but I wouldn't expect it to either. I'll keep an eye on it.