New LG 4K OLED TVs Get HDR
If you don't think LG Electronics is bullish on OLED TV technology, consider this: The company is tripling its OLED lineup in 2015. Among the highlights is a new fleet of flat-screen EF9500 UHD models, the first OLED TV line to come with high dynamic range (HDR) capability.
Because LG has the OLED market all to itself, though, prices, especially for larger-sized UHD sets, are still comparatively steep. The 55-inch EF9500-series model will arrive next month with a $5,500 tag, for example, and the 65-inch set will stretch to $7,000. Those prices mirror the ones for the current curved EG9600-series models, including the 55-inch set in our current TV Ratings.
If you want to go really big, the 77-inch EG9700-series model costs a staggering $25,000. By comparison, you'll pay a pittance if you're willing to go smaller and stick with 1080p resolution: LG's least expensive OLED, the 55-inch EC9300, sells for just $2,300. We tested that set last year.
Like the previously released curved-screen models, the new EF9500 sets are super-thin and they come with the company's webOS smart TV platform. They also feature built-in HDR capability, the company says, so they can handle both streaming content with HDR and HDR content from 4K UHD Blu-ray players.
LG is expected to release an update soon that will enable the EG9600-series TVs to handle streaming HDR content as well, but it doesn't look like they'll support Blu-ray HDR.
As we've said before, we're big fans of OLED TV technology. We believe it has the promise to replace plasma as the top choice for discerning TV viewers. Make sure you check out our comprehensive TV Ratings (available to subscribers) for a full evaluation of LG's 55EG9600 UHD OLED set.
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