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LG's best 2015 4K LCD gets ColorPrime LEDs, Ultra-Slim cabinet

LG says its new ColorPrime technology, available on the high-end UF9500 series, improves color to rival Quantum Dots.

David Katzmaier Editorial Director -- Personal Tech
David reviews TVs and leads the Personal Tech team at CNET, covering mobile, software, computing, streaming and home entertainment. We provide helpful, expert reviews, advice and videos on what gadget or service to buy and how to get the most out of it.
Expertise A 20-year CNET veteran, David has been reviewing TVs since the days of CRT, rear-projection and plasma. Prior to CNET he worked at Sound & Vision magazine and eTown.com. He is known to two people on Twitter as the Cormac McCarthy of consumer electronics. Credentials
  • 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.
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David Katzmaier
2 min read

LG

Among the six series of new 4K UHD TVs LG announced at CES 2015, just one gets its new ColorPrime technology and millimeter-slim cabinet.

The UF9500 is the flagship series among the new releases, available in 55-, 65- and 79-inch sizes. Among the newfangled features touted by LG, the foremost is something it's calling ColorPrime.

According to the press release, ColorPrime "utilizes different phosphor-based LEDs to display greater color depth and more lifelike images and a 25 percent increase in color gamut." Meanwhile, LG says its Quantum Dots realize a 30 percent increase in color gamut.

Now is when I feel compelled to reiterate that wider color gamuts require new color specs like DCI or Rec 2020, and home video content that adheres to those specs is nonexistent today. And Quantum Dots or no, these are still LCD TVs, and we don't expect them to match plasma's quality, let alone that of OLED, LG's higher-end display technology.

All use LG's IPS 4K panels, a technology that in the past we've found to deliver inferior black levels and contrast compared to VA-type panels. The local dimming available on the UF9500 may help ameliorate this issue.

The UF9500 is also the only set in LG's lineup with an Ultra-Slim chassis design, which sounds similar to the Art Slim design the company's partner, LG Display, announced earlier. The "cabinet depth reduces the size to just millimeters," approaching OLED's depth.

It should also sound better than many other TVs, thanks to "an integrated Auditorium Stand designed to reflect and centralize sound for maximum performance."

As with all LG TVs at CES, pricing and availability of the UF9500 series was not announced.