Samsung makes filmmaker mode available for latest QLED televisions

Samsung has released firmware for the European market introducing filmmaker mode on some of the newer QLED LCD televisions. This mode disables all image processing techniques, such as image interpolation.

The firmware that adds this mode has been available in the US since July, but that has been according to FlatpaneldHD to date not the case for Europe. That has now changed and firmware version 1304 is available in Europe. The update applies to the following models: Q950T, Q900T, Q850T, Q800T, Q90T, Q80T, Q70T and The Frame. These are models that have been released this year. Whether the filmmaker mode also comes out on models from 2019 and older models is not known.

Partly due to a lobby from Hollywood, the film maker mode has been established. Quite a few well-known American film directors want their films to be viewed the way they intended. The optional image processing techniques that can be set in the televisions are a thorn in their side. The filmmaker mode responds to this, by, for example, adjusted colors, extra frames through image interpolation, deviating aspect ratios, sharpening and other image enhancement techniques.

There are two ways to activate the filmmaker mode: manual and automatic. In the latter, it goes via metadata in the signal that is recognized by the TV, after which the filmmaker mode is automatically set. It is not clear whether both methods are supported with the mentioned Samsung televisions and how this works exactly. Incidentally, the mode is already available in a number of TVs from LG and Panasonic, and Philips TVs and those from Vizio will support the mode.