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Sony XBR-65A1E OLED Ultra HDTV Review

Thomas J. Norton | Oct 13, 2017

Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $5,500 AT A GLANCE Plus Excellent contrast Superb color and resolution Looks good from every angle Unique panel-based sound system Minus No color management system Some white clipping THE VERDICT While it might appear that OLED UHDTVs are popping up everywhere, the most visible supplier to date has been LG. But Sony, by acquiring OLED panels from LG and adding its own electronics, processing, styling, and unique features, has jumped into the fray, landing firmly on both feet with a solid performer. Sony’s new OLEDs (the 65-incher reviewed here has a 55-inch sibling, and a 77-incher will be available by press time) haven’t yet taken pride of place at the top of Sony’s TV lineup. That honor belongs to the Z9D (Sound & Vision, January 2017 and soundandvision.com), now spruced up with the imminent addition (as I write) of Dolby Vision for 2017. But you might think of the OLEDs as stepping stones to Sony’s future in self-emissive displays—the spectacular, commercially oriented, and wall-sized CLEDIS LED display Sony demonstrated at the 2017 CES comes to mind. But that’s the future. Sony’s OLEDs are now. As of today, Sony’s OLED implementation uses a panel supplied by LG (but with Sony’s own secret processing sauce). At its press-time street price of about $4,000 in the 65-inch version, it was roughly comparable, if not a touch less expensive, than LG’s own like-sized C7P model.

LG OLED65E6P OLED Ultra HDTV Review

Thomas J. Norton | Jan 11, 2017

2D Performance 3D Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $4,000 AT A GLANCE Plus Outstanding blacks and shadow detail Nearly flawless off-center viewing Attractive price (for OLED) Minus Still expensive THE VERDICT Yes, LG’s OLED UHDTVs do have shortcomings, including their inability to get as bright as the best LCD sets. But OLED’s significant advantages more than compensate and have made these TVs, including the superb OLED65E6P, the new golden goose in the Ultra HD landscape. I vividly remember plasma displays, and I mourned their passing. But even before 4K came along, LCD TVs—with their brighter images, lighter weight, lower energy consumption, and, toward the end, cheaper prices—were putting a full-court press on plasma technology.

LG Signature OLED65G6P OLED Ultra HDTV Review

Thomas J. Norton | June 15, 2016

2D Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $8,000 AT A GLANCE Plus Excellent HDR in both Dolby Vision and HDR10 Blacks to die for Solid off-center viewing Minus Expensive Careful setup critical for best results Menus tedious to navigate THE VERDICT Our brief time with LG’s flagship OLED for 2016 suggested it’s not perfect (what is?), but apart from the fact that LCD sets still go brighter than OLEDs, it’s unlikely that any other new HDR-equipped Ultra HDTV will be able to match or exceed the performance of this one. While this article is structured as a Test Report, in fact it’s a good bit short of a full-fledged evaluation. The combination of the cost of LG’s flagship OLED and the limited supply of review samples in early April prompted the company to set up a couple of displays at a venue in New York City, then shuttle in groups of A/V journalists to lay hands on the set—so to speak.

LG 65EF9500 OLED Ultra HDTV Review

Thomas J. Norton | Feb 23, 2016

2D Performance 3D Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $6,000 AT A GLANCE Plus Blacks are truly black Fine detail Near-perfect off-axis viewing Minus Pricey Annoying calibration menus THE VERDICT LG’s recent price adjustments have made the company’s OLED sets more approachable, though hardly cheap in the biggest-screen Ultra HD models. But in today’s market, you’re unlikely to find a UHDTV that offers better performance than this one. While OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology offers most of the benefits of the now sadly departed plasma sets (and in some ways, more benefits), it’s been difficult to manufacture at commercially viable prices. So far, only LG is actively marketing OLED in the U.S. (though we hope others will follow). A recent drop in LG’s prices for OLED sets has rendered them more affordable, though still far from generating “Attention, Shoppers” announcements at K-Mart.

LG 55EC9300 3D OLED HDTV

Thomas J. Norton | Nov 11, 2014

2D Performance 3D Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $1,800 (updated 2/2/16, price was $3,500 when reviewed) AT A GLANCE Plus Blacks, contrast, and shadow detail to die for Lightweight Minus Not 4K Cinema mode soft in default settings THE VERDICT This new LG is the OLED that videophiles have been waiting for, and an improvement over the 55EA9800 we reviewed last spring—with equal or better performance and, not least of all, a dramatically lower price. Now that we’re about to turn the page into 2015, OLED HDTVs, so promising a year ago, appear to be at risk. The limited yield for OLED panels, resulting in a high retail cost, has driven most HDTV makers to the sidelines. But not LG. They continue to vigorously support the technology. And with a current price of $3,500 for the new 55EC9300, they’re clearly tossing a Hail Mary into a market crowded with cookie-cutter LCD sets. At 55 inches (diagonal), this may be a relatively small set for the price, and it’s still just “Full HD” (the industry buzzphrase for 1080p sets). Whether LG scores a touchdown or gets intercepted remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt that buyers will be the winners.

LG 55EA9800 3D OLED HDTV

Thomas J. Norton | Apr 28, 2014

2D Performance 3D Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $7,000 AT A GLANCE Plus Astonishing blacks Crisp, clean detail Exceptionally bright 3D Minus Poor dark-gray uniformity Expensive for a 1080p set THE VERDICT It costs a bundle, has a relatively small screen, and isn’t perfect. But buyers will be rewarded with a picture that, in the ways most important to enthusiasts, is unequaled by any other type of consumer display. At the 2014 CES, it became clear that, for most HDTV manufacturers, OLED was on the back burner. LCD Ultra HDTV, or 4K, was the big story. But at least one manufacturer, LG, remains aggressive on the OLED front. The company has announced four new models for 2014 and, at the same time, drastically cut the price (as of March 2014) on the 55-inch model 55EA9800, launched late last year and reviewed here.

Samsung KN55S9C 3D OLED HDTV

Al Griffin | Nov 1, 2013

2D Performance 3D Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $9,000 AT A GLANCE Plus Exceptional contrast Bright, crosstalk-free 3D Uniform picture at off-axis seats Upgradeable One Connect box Minus Geometric distortion due to curved panel Slight tinting from anti-reflective screen coating THE VERDICT While the curved screen prevents it from being our dream OLED, the exceptional performance of Samsung’s set points the way toward TV’s future. Nothing elevates the pulse of an A/V enthusiast more readily than the prospect of new video display tech. I may be showing my age here, but I remember when the first plasma TVs made the rounds for review. Looked at next to today’s models, those sets were bulky (4 or more inches deep) and had poor contrast compared with the tube TVs they replaced. Many were plagued by banding artifacts that made pictures look like a paint-by-number kit.

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