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Review: LG 55EG960V

Introduction and features

You can keep your Quantum Dots and your QLED, ditch your Deep Colour and go hang your HDR; OLED is here, now, and it's deserves some serious attention. The alpha male of TVs comes to us this time in a slightly smaller package than the previous OLED outing, but its 55-inches are both easier to house and much, much more affordable.

It's got killer-looks to match, with a 5mm panel depth in the top 80% (the bulkier bottom area stores the electronics and speakers), blade-like chrome corners and a 10mm bezel around the panel itself. The rear of the panel is white, too, which is unusual.

However, the stand is not so good. It uses a transparent plastic column that's supposed to create a 'floating look' that catches too much light to create that particular illusion. There's no swivel in the stand either, though the curved nature of the 55EG960V, along with extremely wide viewing angles, means that really isn't an issue.

Features

Aside from its OLED (organic light-emitting diode) panel, which has a 4K resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, the 55EG960V also adds a reflection-proof filter, which should prove handy given some of the criticisms of curved TVs.

A curve in a TV is usually awfully counter-productive when it comes to the picture quality, so it's good to see some attempt to redress the balance.

As well as Freeview HD digital and Freesat HD satellite tuners, WiFi and Harman Kardon speakers, LG's brand new WebOS 2.0 smart TV user interface is also on board. Just in case you were wondering (you probably weren't), the 55EG960V is 3D-ready, too, and comes with four pairs of the same passive 3D specs given out at your local multiplex.

Apps

The core apps you want are here – Netflix, Amazon Instant, etc. – but LG doesn't have the widest selection of apps, or the grandest smart TV OS.

In fact, WebOS 2.0 is all about mixing-up the TV's core features with sources and apps, so you'll find the icons along the bottom for the latest TV channel you watched next to the latest apps you used, and so on.

Ins & outs

Just three HDMI inputs on the 55EG960V is a slight cause for concern, though elsewhere there's no such shortages.

Joining that trio on an outwards-facing side-panel are three USB slots, a headphones jack and a Common Interface slot, while below are feeds for the TV tuners, a Scart, a component/composite video adaptor, an optical digital audio output and an Ethernet LAN slot.

Other TVs are also available...

OK, so OLED is out of reach for most of us, but – here's the good news – it is getting cheaper. This 55-inch version of LG's EG960V costs £3,800, while the 65-inch 65EG960V is priced at £6,000. Other OLEDs in the LG stable include the 55-inch – and merely Full HD – 55EC930V and the 65-inch 4k 65EC970V.

The bad news is that there's no reason for LG to drop or discount these prices because no other manufacturer is producing big-screen OLED TVs.

There are some hints that Samsung is getting closer to producing OLED, but we've seen these kind of stories before. Until for-sale models appear, presume that, LG's OLEDs won't get much cheaper for at least a few years. It's also worth contemplating that the lack of competition means that the tech likely won't be developed much beyond where it is now.

The flexible 77EG9900 hints at some (pointless) innovation, but that's about it, so perhaps there's no need to be concerned about that.

Picture quality

The 55EG960V doesn't come in a non-curved model, which is a bit of a shame since the curve does nothing for me design-wise, though the addition of a filter works well meaning there are no annoying reflections.

In fact, all there is is glorious, consistently brilliant images from almost all sources. Truly, LED TVs suck in comparison to the 55EG960V.

The 55EG960V's images are so quick, so fluid, so sharp and so forgiving, though that was with LG's TruMotion circuitry engaged on its mid-strength 'clear' setting. While most 4K TVs show fine detailing in native Ultra HD sources but make standard-def TV channels, video files and DVDs look simply awful, the 55EG960V does no such thing.

I watched a 1280x688 MP4 video file on the 55EG960V – a 0.8 megapixel image displayed on a eight megapixel screen – but every single one of those 3840 x 2160 pixels were filled. Despite being 10 times lower-resolution than the 55EG960V was designed to show, it looked stunning; fluid, boldy colourful, surprisingly detailed and so, so clean.

Go lower down the video food-chain and things to become rather ragged – and more so than on a 50-inch reference plasma nearby – so it's too much to say that 4K OLED is perfect.

However, it's hard to think anything other that when you watch the 55EG960V in a blackout.

Suddenly there was a fade-to-black moment mid-way through Gravity; the room didn't just darken, it disappeared as every single one pixel switched-off and left no residual trace of any light. This is where I started to be truly impressed; how can a TV go completely dead, and for such a brief moment? What's more, when a bright, white object is shown in the centre of the screen, the background is so black that it appears to stretch far beyond the edges of the screen itself; the entire room becomes the backdrop.

Close those curtains; summer is cancelled.

On the 55EG960V, light is produced by passing electricity through a thin layer of carbon-based organic dyes at a pixel level, not at a backlight level as with LED. LG also has its own take on OLED tech, producing a white pixel as well as the usual red, green and blue.

Occasionally there's a touch of glare when the credits roll, but it's not serious.

Gravity on 2D Blu-ray puts those insane black levels to good use, providing a completely convincing and involving night sky dotted with white, bright stars. I've not seen anything like this before.

Turn to the 3D version of Gravity and the 55EG960V's passive/Cinema 3D system Offers a surprisingly detailed pictures that don't suffer from any flicker or dips in brightness. Because of how passive 3D works, what we're seeing is half of the set's 4K resolution in each eye, which equates to two (albeit upscaled) Full HD images spliced together.

We always knew that LG's passive 3D system worked the course when viewed on for cable TV, but we didn't expect it to look this good. Want to see 4K 3D? Well, you'll have to wait for the arrival of 8K screens for that treat.

For now, the 55EG960V is treat enough; the best 3D TV around is also the best 4K screen.

Usability, sound quality & value

Surprisingly, for such an expensive, high-end TV, the 55EG960V is saddled with an operating system that takes a long time to get comfortable with.

The first problem is the Magic Remote, a mouse-cum-pointer-style affair that you'll either love or hate. The second problem is Web OS, here in its latest 2.0 guise. This, the latest in LG's smart TV platform that encompasses almost the entire TV's operating system, is as colourful and dynamic as it is unpredictable and confusing.

Like Samsung's Smart Hub, it's all about joining apps to core TV functions, and supplying everything as pop-up icons along the bottom of the screen.

The main pop-up task-bar is a carousel of colourful tabs that starts on the left with a pile of screen-grabs from the live input or current live app that can be flicked-through. Next to that is a Today tab; press it and up pops a panel across the centre of the screen that includes a couple of thumbnails from four random TV programmes on that day, and cover art for two or three random movies (all from Rakuten's Wuaki.tv online movies app); scroll up or down for a never-ending brief look at what's on.

It's a dynamic and great-looking content carousel, but I'm not convinced it's ideally suited to how people actually want to browse content – it's too random. Also on the carousel are links to the Premium apps grid and LG's Content Store (see below).

Back on the main pop-up task-bar, there's also a My Programmes tab that, when pressed, expands to show the last eight TV channels you watched. With a good use of space, that's probably the highlight of WebOS.

Also on the task-bar are a string of apps including Now TV, BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Amazon Instant, YouTube and Wuaki.tv, plus a Freeview TV Guide. Click a right-hand tab and it brings up smaller icons for all of those apps plus a few of the TVs internal options, such as live TV, a connected Blu-ray player, LG's Content Store, or whatever you've recently been watching.

On LG's Content Store are a mix of apps and direct links to movies regardless of their home.

A Premium apps screen holds a grid of the key apps, which include Now TV (exclusive to LG), the BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Amazon Instant. Demand 5, YouTube, Wuaki.tv, the underrated Blinkbox, BBC News, BBC Sport, Napster, vTuner, Goalcom, Eurosport Player and Spotify.

So no ITV Player or 4OD.

A Movies tab is really a brand-less advert for Rakuten's Wuaki.tv online movies app, which presents cover art for dozens of titles, though I'm unsure why titles from Now TV and Blinkbox are not included. Wuaki.tv offers new top-line films for £9.99 each.

Ouch.

Meanwhile, a a 3D section within LG's Content Store groups together various 3D short films that are nothing more than showcase clips for a dying format; 3D thrills from Storm Surfers, PureCountry Fiji and the 2002 Busan Asian Games won't keep anyone entertained for long. There's also an Apps & Games section, which features far more of the former than the latter within a 50-strong collection that ranges from Red Bull TV, The Karaoke Channel and FilmBox Live to Crackle, Heart FM and GoPro.

From the main task-bar, shift left and there are four fixed tabs for ScreenShare (Miracast or Intel WiDi), a TV Guide, SmartShare (access to digital media) and Netflix, but by now we've seen about five separate designs and pages; webOS is a bit of a hotchpotch.

As well as lacking content and some key apps, basic commands (such as finding a specific HDMI input) can be tricky. Few apps or services stay in one place for long; despite being dynamic and colourful, webOS has a learning curve that's certainly not unsurmountable, but will put-off a lot of people; all but the tech-savvy could find themselves initially baffled by WebOS.

Sound quality

There's not much bass or mid-range coming from the 55EG960V's down-firing speakers, but there is a lot of volume.

There's a lot of steps in the volume (it's necessary to leave your thumb on the volume + button for a good few seconds each time you play a film), but it gets really loud without any distortion. Vocals and dialogue sound crisp and clear.

However, so brilliant are the onscreen antics that the 55EG960V really deserves being partnered with something more serious.

Value

That's a hard one to judge. Production problems and low yields aside, OLED TVs are premium products and presumably come with healthy profit margins for LG.

That said, this 55-inch 55EG960V is considerably cheaper than the 65-inch 55EG960V – it's less than two-thirds of the price, in fact – so if there is a sweet-spot for OLED, this is it.

Verdict

If you're a "I prefer plasma" kinda person and you're not yet lusting after OLED, you've got it all wrong.

OLED takes the brilliant fluidity and ultra-blacks of plasma and surpasses them, and nowhere more impressively than on the 55EG960V.

We liked

Self-lighting pixels are the future, as proved by the 55EG960V's spotless colours, awesome blacks, bright, pure whites and all-round utterly gorgeous images.

4K detail is mesmerising while even standard definition sources look clean and crisp. Self-lighting they may be, but it's when those pixels completely switch off that this OLED TV really stands out next to an LED TV.

The blueish blacks seen on LED TVs are banished, replaced by total, jet black that makes watching the 55EG960V in a blackout nothing short of life-changing if you're a home cinema nut. Returning to the judder, motion blur and crushed blue-ish backgrounds of LED TVs is not going to be easy.

We disliked

As well as being bereft of some key catch-up TV apps – at least on the UK model – the 55EG960V is fitted with LG's own webOS, which will not appeal to all users.

It is relatively intuitive, but it has a steep learning curve and is too clever for its own good; finding basic TV features can be long-winded. The 'magic' pointer remote will also have limited appeal.

There's little else to complain about save for the slightly plastic look to the transparent column that affixes the 55EG960V to the otherwise sleek, curved desktop stand.

But three HDMIs though does seem poor value; for this kind of money I expect five or six.

Verdict

If OLED has a sweet-spot, it's the 55EG960V.

It uses those 33 million self-lighting pixels exceptionally well, achieving outstanding images where light becomes a magical medium – can we praise it any higher?

Motion artefacts are few when watching the fluid action sequences, with film judder forgotten, too.

However, what we liked most about the 55EG960V was it equal treatment of various different sources were all forced to choose between. Native 4K footage from Netflix 4K looks stunning, of course, but so do Blu-ray discs and HDTV channels. While they lack the punchy detail of high def and above sources, even standard definition fare from DVDs and regular TV channels is given a clean and colourful upscale by the surprisingly forgiving 55EG960V.

Is it better than the class-leading LED TVs?

Absolutely – the black levels and viewing angles in particular are light years ahead. Is it as good value? That's a completely different matter, but it underlines what our biggest hope is for OLED; if LG can make it more affordable this technology has the world at its feet.

Though the reflection-free curve causes no problems, it's only there to get the 55EG960V more attention in-store because, as a technology, OLED is difficult to show-off. You can't demonstrate its amazing black levels – something that makes all the difference to a TV picture – on an advert watched on an LED TV.

LG is now trying exactly that, but what's the point?

However, LG's real problem is that no other brand is promoting OLED, for obvious reasons, so awareness of it is way below that of curved TVs. There's no industry clamour, no conversation about OLED. Why is that bad? Because OLED is the best thing that's ever happened to home cinema – and the 55EG960V is the proof.

Also consider

Is there anything can challenge the 55EG960V? Other OLED TVs – manufactured only by LG, remember – include the cheaper, though only Full HD 55EC930V and the pricer 65EC970V. However, 55-inch LED TVs are myriad; the Samsung UE55JU6400 offers 4K for a third of the price, but not 3D, while even the larger 65-inch LG 65UF850V is a fraction of the price.

Perhaps the closest challenger will be the Samsung UE55JS9500, which offers HDR, though its value is questionable compared to OLED tech. However, picture quality on these TVs can't match the 55EG960V.

They barely even come close.

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