LG 65EF9500: The best high-end TV gets flat-out better
TVs
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Hi everybody, this is the LG 65EF9500.
It's the best TV I've tested so far.
Of course, it's also one of the most expensive.
It's an OLED TV and OLED is a fundamentally different display technology than the LED, LCD tech used in the vast majority of TVs sold today.
The most obvious external difference is that OLED is exceedingly thin.
This TV measures at a quarter inch deep in its finished part although it bulges wider here to accommodate stuff like inputs and the power supply.
It's styling in other areas is pretty sleek too, with a very thin frame around the picture and a cool semi-transparent stand.
Unlike most other OLED TVs which have curved screens, the ES9500 is flat.
I actually prefer a flat screen because the curve seems a bit distorted.
But the picture quality differences are negligible.
In the end, the choice comes down to aesthetics.
And LG's curved and flat OLEDs cost the same.
LG packed all of its best features into this TV.
Its smart TV system uses Web OS, which I like for its simple layout and speedier reaction times compared to the old version.
Everything is controlled with this slick motion remote complete with a nifty scroll wheel.
On board apps include most of the heavy hitters including 4K compatible versions of Netflix, Amazon Instant Video and YouTube.
The TV can also playback next generation HDR video from Amazon and, in the future, other providers.
HDR promises even better image quality than 4K and unlike previous LG OS TVs, the EF9500 also works with external HDR sources, like 4K Blu-ray players due out next year.
The main reason I like OS so much, however, has to do with its picture quality.
It can deliver a perfect black through incredible contrast and pop without the blooming artifacts of competing LED-LCDs.
It also looks equally good from the sweet spot in front of the screen and the far end of the couch.
And as expected at this price, color accuracy, bright room performance and video processing are all top-notched.
All of that makes LG's EF9500 OLED the best television you can buy today, if you could spare the cash.
I'm David Katzmaier for CNET.
