LG EF9500 series review:

The best high-end TV gets flat-out better

CNET EDITORS’ RATING

THE GOOD / The LG EF9500 OLED TV's picture quality is better than that of any LCD or plasma TV we've seen, with perfect black levels and exceedingly bright whites. It's equally adept in bright and dark rooms; showed accurate color, excellent uniformity and solid video processing; and looks better from off-angle than any LED LCD. The TV looks striking in person, with an insane 0.25-inch depth on most of its body. It's flat, not curved like other OLED TVs, and supports future HDR sources via HDMI.

THE BAD / The EF9500 is more expensive than pretty much any other TV of its size. Its light output, video processing and some aspects of screen uniformity aren't quite as impressive as some other TVs.

THE BOTTOM LINE / If you have the money and want 55-inch or 65-inch TV today, you should buy the LG EF9500.

If you have the money, and you want a 65-inch TV, you should buy the LG 65EF9500. It has the best picture of any TV I've tested so far, and it's flat. For that reason alone I like it better than its curved counterpart, the EG9600, which costs the same.

The longer version? Maybe you have the money and like curved TVs. Because, let's face it, flat vs. curved is more of an aesthetic decision than anything else. Fine, get the 65EG9600 curved TV. Maybe you want a 55-inch TV instead. I'm not rich, so I'd pick the 55EC9300 or, when it sells out, its basically identical replacement, the 55EG9100. Both are quite a bit cheaper than the 55EF9500 but lose that model's next-generation chops, namely 4K resolution and HDR capability. Of course, if you have the money and want those future-ready extras, go for it.

LG 65EF9500 Flat 4K OLED TV Review:

Once you go flat, you may never go back.

• The LG 65EF9500 is better than 100% of the televisions we tested.
• It is better than 100% of the televisions we have tested under $6,000.
• It is better than 100% of the UHD televisions we have tested.
• It is better than 100% of the 3D televisions we have tested.

Ever since they hit the market in 2013, OLED TVs have been amongst the best TVs money could buy, setting a new standard for picture quality. Delivering inky blacks and stunning high resolution, LG's first 4K OLED rather easily took home our award for the best TV of 2014.

Especially in a dark home theater environment, OLED televisions absolutely sing. But as great as these TVs are, there are two major complaints: they're too expensive, and they're all curved. While the price is still a work in progress, LG is finally ditching the curve for its first flat 4K OLED, the LG 65EF9500 (MSRP $5,999).

The EF9500 is practically identical to its curved sibling, the EG9600 series, so the results are rather predictable. As expected, the EF9500 looks incredible, boasting pitch-black shadows and vibrant colors.

Add to that HDR compatibility, LG's bubbly webOS 2.0, and a surprisingly fetching physical design. No matter how you slice it, the EF9500 is the total package, and it's easily one of our favorite TVs of 2015...

LG 65EF9500 OLED TV Review

Well, it's settled then: LG makes the most spectacular TV we've ever tested

OUR SCORE

• Perfect blacks, stunning contrast
• Excellent color accuracy
• HDR support via HDMI and streaming
• Top-notch WebOS 2.0 smart TV system
• Improved remote control

• Only 3 HDMI ports
• Judder requires smoothing
• Slight dimming at extreme edges
• Requires specialized wall mount

I have never wanted to own a TV so badly in my life.

When I was 10 I wanted a TV for my bedroom more than I wanted a waterbed. When I picked my family’s new TV at 16, I wanted a new Toshiba 36-inch more than a car. When I was 26, a Sony Grand Wega took priority over finding a girlfriend – I got neither, by the way. And just 8 short years ago, I lusted after a 60-inch Pioneer Elite Kuro signature series plasma almost as much as I needed the house I ultimately put a down payment on instead...

LG EC9300 series review:

OLED TV: Best. TV. Ever.

CNET EDITORS’ RATING

THE GOOD / The LG 55EC9300 OLED TV's picture betters that of any LCD or plasma TV, with perfect black levels and exceedingly bright whites. It's equally adept in bright and dark rooms, showed accurate color, and looks better from off-angle than any LED LCD. Its 1080p resolution is plenty for a 55-inch screen. The TV looks striking in person, with organic curves and an insane 0.25-inch depth on most of its body.

THE BAD / Albeit the most-affordable OLED TV yet, the 55EC9300 is still very expensive for a 55-inch TV. Its video processing and color accuracy don't measure up to that of the best TVs, and the curved screen introduces some artifacts.

THE BOTTOM LINE / The 55-inch LG 55EC9300 offers the world-beating picture quality of OLED TV for the lowest price yet.

Videophiles who mourn the loss of plasma, take heart: OLED is better, and thanks to LG it's finally getting cheaper.

The LG 55EC9300 is the cheapest OLED TV yet--the 11-inch Sony XEL-1 from 2008 doesn't count--but $2,500 for 55 inches is still really expensive. (In Australia it's AU$3999 and the model is the EC930T.) On the other hand, considering that its 2013 predecessor launched for five times as much, it's great progress and around the same price as other flagship-level 55-inch TVs, like Samsung's JS9000 SUHD.

But what about 4K, you ask? First off, that resolution is a waste at this screen size unless you're sitting very close.

LG EG9600 series review:

Like a pure-bred, its pricy, flashy, and a bit eccentric – but this 4K OLED looks awesome.

• The LG 65EG9600 is better than 98% of the televisions we tested.
• It is better than 99% of the televisions we have tested under $9,000.
• It is better than 92% of the UHD televisions we have tested.
• It is better than 100% of the 3D televisions we have tested.

The TV industry is a cutthroat competition these days, with constantly changing players. 4K/UHD is on the rise, plasma is dead, and even empires of physical media are falling like—ahem—a House of Cards.

If you're in the market for a new set, though, you simply can't do better than OLED. Though it's still a fledgling technology, OLED is already changing the game, promising near-perfect contrast and razor-thin screens. And with 4K resolution looking like it's here to stay, a 4K OLED—like LG's 65EG9600 (65EG960V in Europe, MSRP $8,999)—simply can't be beat.

Though there are cheaper 4K TVs on the market, OLED tech is still the undisputed king of the ring. This is the best TV we've tested so far this year—in fact, its only competition comes in the form of LG's other 4K OLED—the flagship EC9700. After days of testing, we still have to give the nod to the EC9700, but it's only by the slimmest of margins.

Despite this, there are a number of areas where the EG9600 series is superior to its older brother. For one, you get the updated, speedier webOS 2.0 smart platform as well as an array of future-proof features...

LG EG9600 series review:

LG’s 4K OLED TV is, once again, the best television that money can buy

OUR SCORE

• Perfect black levels, bright whites, incredible contrast
• Ultra-slim design is more fetching than ever
• Supports HDR via streaming video apps
• WebOS 2.0 is a winner
• Best off-axis picture on the market

• No HDMI 2.0a support (no HDR via HDMI)
• Only 3 HDMI ports instead of 4 on last year’s
• No Wi-Fi 802.11AC support for high speeds
• Some screen uniformity quirks
• Settings need tweaking for best results

There is no such thing as a perfect television, and there probably won’t be one soon. The LGEG9600 4K UHD OLED TV we review here is no exception to that statement — it has some flaws – but having weighed the criteria, tallied the scores, and put it all into perspective, it is clear to me that LG’s flagship TV deserves the awards and accolades it has been receiving for offering the best picture quality available, despite some rumblings you might stumble on while researching the TV online....

LG EG9600 series review:

King of TVs comes at princely price

CNET EDITORS’ RATING

THE GOOD / The LG EG9600 OLED TV's picture betters that of any LCD or plasma TV we've seen, with perfect black levels and exceedingly bright whites. It's equally adept in bright and dark rooms, showed accurate color, excellent uniformity and solid video processing, and looks better from off-angle than any LED LCD. The TV looks striking in person, with organic curves and an insane 0.25-inch depth on most of its body.

THE BAD / The EG9600 is more expensive than pretty much any other TV of its size. Its video processing, screen uniformity and color accuracy aren't quite as impressive as the best TVs. The curved screen introduces some artifacts, and 3D is finicky. The TV lacks support for future HDR sources via HDMI.

THE BOTTOM LINE / The incredibly expensive OLED-powered LG EG9600 series delivers the best picture quality we've ever tested.

If you've ever seen an OLED TV, it should come as no surprise that LG's EG9600 is the best-performing television I've ever tested. I called its predecessor -- the 55EC9300, the first OLED TV I reviewed -- the "best TV ever" last year. The new, more expensive version is indeed even better.

LG's 2015 OLED TV adds 4K resolution and a couple of other tweaks, but in my side-by-side comparison it looked very similar to the previous version, and better than any other TV in my comparison lineup, hands-down.

LG EC9700 series review:

There's simply no debate: This is, hands down, the finest TV money can buy

OUR SCORE

• Best picture quality ever
• Excellent webOS UI
• Superb color
• Gorgeous design
• Best TV-based 3D experience

• Extremely expensive
• Curve not for everyone

By now, you probably already know that Ultra High Definition (UHD) content has four times the resolution of 1080p TV. What you might not know is that the rest of what UHD means, from color gamut to high dynamic range (HDR) lighting, is still being decided by a group called the UHD Alliance. And that’s a scary prospect for anyone looking at a new UHD TV right now, like LG’s $10,000 65EC9700 4K OLED.

Will it and other UHD TVs be rendered obsolete? Even deep-pocketed early adopters have to wonder if dropping that kind of cash on a TV makes sense if it won’t be able to hang under a new standard...