LG OLEDs deliver stunning picture quality with rich contrast and vibrant colors, but even the world’s leading OLED maker isn’t perfect. Each individual panel is different, and even identical models may have different image quality and brightness levels due to natural variance. However, this is generally not a big problem in real-world scenarios like living room display, and LG OLEDs continue to grow in popularity thanks to their great looks.
Yet no matter how much time you spend changing TV settings to improve picture quality, you may still find a problem with your LG OLED. These quirks can appear as TVs age, even with LG’s built-in protection tools meant to preserve picture quality, but you may even spot some imperfections on a brand new screen. One of the most common problems LG OLED owners encounter is the grainy effect on films, for example.
If your OLED TV seems particularly grainy, don’t worry. Some blurring is natural with some content like movies, so it’s not a problem with your TV. You may also encounter mura defects; small panel variations that create a dirty, uneven image.
Why do movies look grainy on OLED screens?
When people are looking for a new TV, size and picture quality are usually their biggest concerns. With OLEDs known for their dazzling picture quality and entry-level models like LG’s B series making larger screens more affordable, many people are opting for huge OLEDs in their living rooms. A large, high-quality screen like an LG OLED will make most content look stunning, but that crystal-clear picture can also reveal some flaws in things that looked fine before.
This is where the grainy complaints start to appear, especially when watching movies. Most films have grain, a textured effect that occurs naturally when shooting on film. Even films shot with digital cameras will attempt to imitate film grain, as digital noise does not have the same effect. Since LG OLEDs display content in crisp 4K resolution and have virtually instantaneous pixel response times that minimize smearing, it’s easier to see all that grain.
Film grain can also be very different depending on the source of your content. Streaming services like Netflix offer 4K packages, but a 4K stream has a significantly lower bitrate than a 4K Blu-Ray. Fine details, like film grain, can get lost in the mix due to compression artifacts, making them much less visible. The opposite is true with high bandwidth sources like physical disks. Since they contain much more data, all the original details are visible without compression.
What is the mura effect?
Another significant issue that can contribute to a blurry picture on OLED TVs is the mura effect. “Mura” is a Japanese word meaning inequality or inconsistency. The Mura effect creates a grainy haze on the screen that makes it look uneven and blotchy, hence the name. It may not be too noticeable when watching content, but bright white screens and solid colors will highlight your TV’s problems.
Mura’s flaws can appear in several different ways. Tiny physical quirks specific to your TV can create shifted hues, color banding, and other artifacts. One of the most common Mura effects is the dirty screen effect, which makes it look like there is a layer of fingerprints and smudges on your TV that won’t go away. This is especially noticeable on gray backgrounds and dark scenes.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do to repair a TV with visible mura defects, as this is a hardware issue with your specific TV. Even TVs of the same model can have different images side by side due to mura, which is where the term “panel lottery” comes from. Some TV manufacturers may be able to help you if your TV is under warranty, but warranties can get complicated with LG OLEDs.
