LG to ship just one new 4K OLED model, and many 4K LED TVs, in spring
LG is the first major TV maker to officially announce pricing and availability for its 2015 lineup, rolling out a 65-inch 4K OLED for $9,000 and four series of 4K LED sets, starting at $1,400.
- Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.
New TV announcements follow a predictable gestation. First comes CES, then comes leaks, then comes the baby in the baby carriage. Otherwise known as official pricing and availability.
LG is the first major TV maker to arrive at the third trimester, announcing the US prices of a range of 4K resolution LED LCD TVs across four different series, all coming this spring.
More important for videophiles, however, is official word on one of LG's highly anticipated 2015 4K OLED TVs, the curved, 65-inch 65EG9600 . It will be available in April for $8,999.
For whatever reason, perhaps because OLED is still difficult to manufacture in large sizes even without gas leaks at the factory, LG's announcement did not include any of the other OLED TVs it introduced at CES. I expect those, including the flat, non-curved EF9500 series, to ship this summer. Update: LG told me the 55-inch curved 55EG9600 would ship in the "second half" of 2015.
I didn't expect the same kind of precipitous price plunge LG performed with its 55-inch 1080p OLED TV, but even so the $9K price tag is disappointingly high given early leaked pricing. The 65EG9600 will replace the current 65-inch 4K OLED TV, the 65EC9700, which can be had for $10K.
Aside from a new anti-reflective screen, differences between the two are mostly cosmetic. According to LG, the 65EG9600 gets the same improvements found on many of its other 2015 LG sets: a quad-core processor, Harman Kardon sound and a faster Web OS 2.0 Smart TV suite. LG is using the " Art Slim" moniker to characterize its millimeter-thin depth and "frameless" design.
LG says I'll receive a 65EG9600 review sample soon, and I expect it to outperform the best-performing TV I've ever reviewed, LG's own 55-inch 55EC9300 (which currently costs $2,999 and will remain available throughout the year). Too bad the 65-inch version costs three times as much.
I can't say I have the same high expectations for LG's LED LCD lineup, which has typically under-performed the competition in CNET's reviews. Here are all of the 4K models the company priced today.
LG 2015 4K LED TVs
| Model | Size | Key feature | Available | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65UF9500 | 65-inch | Prime color | March | $4,499 |
| 55UF9500 | 55-inch | Prime color | March | $3,699 |
| 65UF8500 | 65-inch | 3D, Cinema Screen | spring | $3,199 |
| 55UF8500 | 55-inch | 3D, Cinema Screen | spring | $2,999 |
| 70UF7700 | 70-inch | 4K resolution | spring | $3,999 |
| 65UF7700 | 65-inch | 4K resolution | spring | $2,999 |
| 60UF7700 | 60-inch | 4K resolution | spring | $2,499 |
| 55UF7600 | 55-inch | 4K resolution | spring | $1,999 |
| 49UF7600 | 49-inch | 4K resolution | spring | $1,699 |
| 43UF7600 | 43-inch | 4K resolution | spring | $1,399 |
The highest-end UF9500 series, blessed with "Prime UHD" plates that would be right at home on a gun-toting truck, touts a 25 percent increase in color gamut and improved light output thanks to new phosphor-based LEDs. LG took pains to differentiate its homegrown color-improving LED tech from quantum dots -- although it also announced a quantum dot TV itself at CES.
The step-down UF8500 series is differentiated by passive 3D and a thin-bezel Cinema Screen design. The 7700 and 7600 series models lack 3D and include 4K resolution and Web OS 2.0 and LG's motion remote.
I've asked for more details on the new models, such as local dimming and refresh rates, and will update this article when I learn more.