Panel Switching: A Visit From Samsung

Following our news and the e-mails we've sent about panel switching and the variable sources of panels in Samsung TVs, we first of all received a phone call, then a visit from a Samsung executive. The variable sourcing of panels has been confirmed.

On Friday 13 August, a Samsung France executive contacted us by phone. This was followed by a meeting. With him were two Samsung engineers, one from Korea and one from Japan, as well as one of their heads of communications.

We're pleased and grateful to see they aren't taking the issue lightly!

Samsung confirms that panels do differ

Samsung admitted, with no ambiguity, that it does place panels from varying sources within TVs of the same model.

The principle is exactly as we described it on 1 September. In addition to its own PVA panels, Samsung buys MVA and ASV panels from other suppliers (CMO, AUO and Sharp in particular). Samsung demands a level of quality equivalent to the original PVAs. They set out their requirements, including certain criteria to be respected, such as a certain level of contrast, viewing angles, responsiveness and so on.

If the panels respect these requirements, they are given the OK to replace the PVAs.

The right to reply

Now, very importantly, Samsung has tabled a sort of right to reply session for this whole affair. A more detailed explanation will be given to us, apparently, at IFA 2010 (the general consumer electronics show held in Berlin at the beginning of September). We'll be meeting with several engineers there, who should be able to supply additional useful information.

Visit to the DigitalVersus lab

Four Samsung representatives came to visit us at our TV lab. We suggested they sit in on a series of tests of a couple of Samsung TVs in clone mode (the same images displayed at the same time on both televisions). We used a 40C630 equipped with a PVA panel made by Samsung and a 46C630 with an MVA panel from AU Optronics. Our readings were taken one by one.

The Samsung reps saw a live show of the differences between the two panels, which were the same as those we saw when we reviewed the two TVs: contrast ratio, viewing angles and so on.

Impact on ratings

While waiting for additional information from Samsung on this subject (Samsung has promised to work on the problem and improve things for future generations of products), we have decided to rate the TVs we test according to the lowest score the TV would get if its panel was changed.

For example, if a TV could be equipped either with a PVA panel that we rate at 5 stars or an MVA that we rate at 4 stars, the TV will be given an overall score of 4 stars.

As far as possible, we will detail the type of panel used on the models we test and let you know what we think of it. We will also indicate what level of risk there is that the panel be replaced with a third-party panel and what differences this would imply. This could even become a plus point for TVs with MVA panels if they also exist with PVAs.

It is a shame that Samsung has been following this rather random panel policy (in contrast to Sony). At DigitalVersus we will continue to champion our cause: one panel = one model! And when the panel changes, we also want manufacturers to change the model name ... and not just by adding a letter to the model reference number!

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