Introduction
There was a point a few years ago that OLED was threatening to follow SED TVs into the abyss of failed television technologies. Thankfully, LG seems determined to make the technology succeed, and has been both improving the screen size of OLED displays while dropping the price.
The 55EC930T is the latest LG OLED television to hit Australian shores. Priced at just $3,999, it's a third of the $12,000 price tag of the company's first OLED panel which launched in the tail end of 2013.
Like all LG OLEDs before it, this model features the curved screen that seems to be in vogue with the South Korean manufacturers at the moment. Unfortunately, there's no option for a flat screen model with OLED, so if you want to get on board with the TV tech, you'll need to accept the bent display.
To be fair, it's not too great a sacrifice. You also get a Smart TV powered by webOS – which works incredibly well on the large TV – alongside all of LG's VOD services like SBS On Demand, ABC iView and BigPond Movies.
Also in the box is the LG Magic Remote, which has improved dramatically since it was introduced and now feels like an intuitive interface rather than a Wiimote gimmick.
But given that even Samsung appears to have given up on OLED technology for its televisions, there's not a huge amount of competition for LG here.
Electronics and in/out ports backpack from the curved panel, which is reinforced with carbon fibre to give it strength. There are three side facing HDMI inputs (one of which is MHL compliant), plus a trio of USBs, a headphone mini jack output and PCMCIA card slot.
Downward facing is another HDMI, which is ARC enabled for routing audio back to an AV receiver or soundbar, plus terrestrial aerial and satellite feeds, a component AV input via an adaptor, an optical digital output and LAN jack.
Naturally, you don't have to hardwire your network connection. There's dual band wireless support for 2.4 and 5Ghz, as well as Wi-Fi Direct. If your building and router distance doesn't preclude it, it's sensible to opt for 5GHz to reduce dependence on what's often an overcrowded Wi-Fi band.
Two remote controls are provided; a short, functional infra-red wand and LG's latest Magic Remote pointer. For the most part, the latter is the most convenient way of navigating around the set, although you will occasionally need to use the IR.
The set is light, tipping the scales at just 16.7kg with stand. The panel is amazingly thin at 4mm.
Picture quality
There's no mistaking an OLED picture when you see it. With an impenetrable black level performance, bright dynamic peaks and deep rich colours, the technology provides eye candy of the boldest order.
Picture performance is quite low maintenance too, as routing around the calibration menus doesn't offer too much in the way of rewards. Picture modes, which comprise of vivid, standard, eco, cinema, sports, game and two ISF expert modes, are pretty spot on straight from the box.
As OLED is a self-emissive technology it doesn't require a back light; the result is an even cloak of velvety black. This ability to deliver solid black without fear of wobbly edge lighting, so familiar on LED LCD, has a big impact on letterboxed movies. The image is crisply framed with no hint of unused screen or bezel; in a darkened room it's like owning a 21:9 display. The only time I've seen a similar effect was from final generation PDP panels produced by Pioneer and Panasonic.
There are less obvious benefits claimed too. Apparently, science says that OLED emits less blue light than an LED backlight LCD, which is apparently beneficial to your peepers. Blue light is a part of the visible spectrum between 380nm and 550nm. Make of that what you will.
In some sense though, OLED flatters to deceive. While the panel does absolute black absolutely, its grayscale isn't that different from other panel technologies. You'll find no more shadow detail on your Blu-ray's here than you'll see on a high spec LED screen. What it does do though is hold colour spectacularly well at low grey levels, which helps even dimly lit images retain a certain lushness.
Colour vibrancy is high but rarely garish. As Paul Bettany kneels before the sunflowers early on into Transcendence, the colour palette maintains a vibrant balance between skin tone authenticity, deep green leaves and vivid yellow flowers. LG's WRGB OLED panel technology shines with such bold hues.
There's no immediate loss of intensity when viewed at an angle either. LG quotes the effective viewing angle to be up to 160 degrees. The picture retains its snap regardless of where you're parked.
The effect of the curve itself is rather subtle, which inevitably begs the question 'Why bother?' LG's engineers have confided to me that curving the set involves some challenging engineering and is not undertaken lightly. Although much is made about the curve being immersive, at this screen size I remain unconvinced. At best it's little more than a benign bend.
The screen's 3D performance is excellent. As you'd expect from LG, the panel embraces passive polarisation. This means no light source flicker and no great glasses expense; any polarising specs will do, including the Real D ones from your local cinema. OLED's inherently fast response time pays big dividends here.
Four pairs of passive 3D glasses are bundled in the box. Inevitably there's a certain amount of jaggedness (this is a Full HD screen after all, and that equates to a loss of resolution with Passive technology) but the overall viewing experience is great. And as you might expect from OLED, the 3D looks bright and dynamic. Screen brightness in stereoscopic mode is rated to be 174 cd/m2 compared to 95 cd/m2 from a comparable LCD.
Usability, sound and value
LG has done a terrific job with webOS, aka LG Smart+. Unlike rival internet connected TV platforms it's predicated on simplicity, with an unassuming menu bar that allows easy access to streaming services and functionality. As an example of minimalist interface design, webOS is brilliant. The slanting coloured tiles of the launch bar offer instant access to streaming services, broadcast TV and other functions including web browser and TV guide.
Where the interface excels is in its ability to switch sources. You can watch BBC iPlayer or YouTube, pause and flick over to live TV, and then return and carry on with the stream. It's fast too. You can also prioritise services and functions by grabbing them with the cursor and dragging them to the front of the launch bar. There's also a history list of things you've been watching recently. Even the out of the box set up routine has an edge over rivals, with LG's Bean Bird mascot guiding users through the process.
WebOS works great with the cursor driven Magic Remote too. The gyroscopic sensors track your position accurately onscreen, and the ability to drag and drop elements of the WebOS interface is very intuitive.
The webOS tiles spread across two screens, but there's no folder system to nest them together so you may well run out of space. That said, the launcher itself works best with a relatively small selection of key apps on the main screen.
At the time of writing there's not a full set of catch up provided, with only ABC iView and SBS On Demand offered. Other streaming services available include BigPond Movies and YouTube. LG says it's optimistic about providing new third party apps, courtesy of an open SDK for developers. Back-end apps include Smartshare, Camera and Photo Editor, Time Machine for recordings made to a hard drive and an egallery for artful screen filling.
Optional apps from the LG download store include CinemaNow, Skype, Spotify, Eurosport player, , Napster, Deezer and others. The platform also supports screen mirroring from compatible smartphones. There are some functional caveats though. The set lacks dual terrestrial/satellite tuners which rather limits second screen opportunities.
Robust audio
One big surprise for such a thin set is the audio performance. The downward firing speakers of the EC930T sound surprisingly robust. And while volume is capped before things get too rowdy, there's a good full-rounded mid-range which serves most content and dialogue particularly well.
Value
While OLED's picture attributes are immediately obvious, assessing value is somewhat more difficult. While LG continues to erode the entry price of its OLED screens, there's still quite a gulf between this new technology and established LED sets, consequently the $3,999 55-inch EC930T is clearly not going to appeal to those looking for a big-screen bargain.
But this is very much a premium screen both in terms of design and performance, so you wouldn't expect to find it in a bargain basement deal. In terms of cosmetic design and 1080p image quality it's decidedly upmarket.
Verdict
The LG EC930T is the first in a new breed of eagerly anticipated webOS OLED TV offerings, and I'm suitably impressed. Astonishingly thin and offering an image that combines hitherto unseen dynamics with rich colour fidelity and exquisite levels of detail, this LG may not be cheap but it certainly doesn't disappoint.
While it's perhaps a shame that currently there is no flat version to opt for, as the curve itself is divisive, the set is a good deal smarter than its principal competition. The refreshingly uncomplicated WebOS user interface is fun and intuitive to use, particularly when waving the Bluetooth Magic Remote.
While the set may be relatively light on catch-up services, given LG's track record in this department I'm optimistic that a full compliment of mainstream services will appear in due course.
This OLED screen even makes a valiant job of sounding half decent, offering a full-bodied mid-range that sounds fine with most content sources despite its admirable slimness. The set's 3D performance is also perfectly enjoyable, with no overt crosstalk double imaging to spoil the fun.
2015 could well be the year that OLED finally breaks through into the mainstream. If you want an early look at the screen tech everyone's going to be talking about, get an audition of this 55-incher sooner rather than later. I suspect you're rather going to love it.
We liked
With pitch perfect blacks and intense white highlights, the 55EC930T sets a new standard when it comes to dynamic range. It's as close to tomorrow's mooted HDR (High Dynamic Range) TV standard as you're likely to see today – and it looks superb with letterbox movies on Blu-ray. Colour reproduction is also hyper realistic. LG's Smart+ webOS platform also proves deliciously intuitive to use.
We disliked
LG's predilection for curved panels is a potential stumbling point for some buyers. Cosmetically, the screen looks great but I still struggle to believe there's any genuine user benefit to be had by going around the bend. Curvature creates a viewing sweet spot, particularly with 3D content, and looks warped with programme and onscreen graphics. It also seems to encourage all sorts of unusual ambient light reflections.
Verdict
The LG 55EC930T is a television ripped from the science labs of Tomorrowland. The first Full HD OLED to incorporate LG's webOS Smart platform, it provides a compelling, curved TV viewing experience that belies its everyday 1080p resolution. Image quality is generally excellent, with unprecedented black level performance and dynamics.
Like plasma before it, OLED offers a wonderfully cinematic presentation, with the added benefit that it's even more dynamic than LED LCD. Despite wafer thinness, audio performance is surprisingly good and 3D appears clean and immersive. Of course, there's a price premium for such new tech, but if you can dig deep enough you'll not be disappointed.
from TechRadar: Technology reviews http://ift.tt/1B0EVtY
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