Red Green Repeat Adventures of a Spec Driven Junkie

One Less Reason to Go to the Movie Theater

It’s been a long time since I went to a movie theater. When the chance to see Everything Everywhere All At Once, EEAAO, in the theater after it swept the 2023 Oscars - I took the opportunity.

During the theatrical run of EEAAO, I didn’t have time to go - so I bought the Ultra HD version of the movie after its initial theater run. I watched it at home on my paltry 65” OLED with headphones (because I didn’t want to wake the kids up at night when I was watching it.)

I saw EEAAO at home again when my wife wanted to watch it since it’s a newer movie we had that wasn’t for the kids.

So, I watched EEAAO at home, twice, on my basic setup: 65” OLED TV with headphones.

When I got the chance to see EEAAO in the movie theaters after it swept the Oscar in 2023, I expected the movie theater experience to blow away my basic setup at home. With a 100’ screen, surround sound, and thundering bass.

Except, I felt let down.

When I watched EEAAO in the movie theater, I noticed one thing: the blacks were not black! The blacks were a tinged grey.

I consider the movie theater to be the ultimate place to experience movies, the whole industry started there! It’s a movie presentation machine.

After this experience, I am re-thinking this statement. The reason for this?

One word: OLED

I worked in video compression technology and spent time looking at reference test videos - one of them is always a “black test”. Considering how display technologies work such as: OLED and projector film - OLED won my heart as the ultimate display technology for movies.

Just seeing blacks as black is such a game changer that I did not realize until seeing the difference.

If you are in the market for a new display - get one with OLED or where blacks are 0. I think other display technologies are catching up in their own way - display technologies are improving!

Either way, OLED Spoiled Me.