The LG 65EG960V is an OLED model displaying a 4k UHD image on a 165 cm (65?) diagonal screen. It?s curved screen offers outstanding colour shading and perfect black in addition. Could this be the best TV on the market right now?
The organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) are a true revolution for TVs, as the image has never looked so good. While the LED technology consists of white diodes backlighting a liquid crystals screen, OLEDs emit both light and colours. Each OLED can turn off to obtain a perfect shade of black and a never before seen contrast.
LG 65DG960V : Compulsory image adjustments
It is very tempting to start watching the LG 65EG960V TV without trying to adjust the picture, yet it is a mistake which might result in (absolutely) not enjoying the full potential of an OLED TV. The same applies to the vivid colour setting use for TV demos in supermarkets, a very bad idea. To fully enjoy the picture displayed by the LG65EG960V, we modified the Expert 1 and Expert 2 modes, which are completely adjustable, in order to obtain a configuration made for watching a film in a fully lit room and one to enjoy a movie with all the lights out. The cinema profile is well balanced but then again, we strongly recommend turning the OLEDs down a bit.
In both cases, turning the brightness and the contrast down is essential, especially considering that the picture always benefits from great contrast due to the absolute black it delivers.
As often, the image smoothing process (called TruMotion by LG) is only beneficial for some programs. As a reminder, this technology consists of adding frames by copying some in order to avoid the blur which can be noticed during fast scenes or tracking shots. For a cinema experience, TruMotion might not be to everyone?s taste. What the image gains in smoothness it loses in natural, even when adjusting the intensity to its lowest. If you want to watch sports (football, tennis) on the other hand, this technology is a very enjoyable addition.
LG 65DG960V : in a small living room?
Is it possible to truly enjoy such a big screen in a small living room ? The answer is ?yes, absolutely?. The image displayed by the LG 65DG960V is so precise and subtle that it can be enjoyed even by sitting only three metres away from the screen. The viewer is immediately immersed in the program, regardless of the source. The image from the DTV tuner is obviously very well handled by the LG TV. The deinterlacing process is outstanding. Every channel broadcast in HD 1080i benefits from a great image, deep and detailed with no chromatic aberrations (especially with tint areas). Channels broadcasting in low definition are properly scaled but not as enjoyable. We?re looking forward to all the channels upgrading to HD.
LG 65DG960V : DTV image quality
It varies immensely from one channel to the other. As a reminder, only a few DTV channels are currently in HD. Channels broadcasting in HD are in 1080i format, which is comparable to 720p. The other channels are broadcast in 576i, which is the same resolution as DVD-Video format with an Mpeg-2 coding, inferior to the AVC Mpeg-4 coding of HD channels. As a result, standard definition channels are a bit difficult to watch due to the cruel lack of precision. But this is completely unrelated to the LG 65EG960V performance, as its scaling process is flawless and its video denoising very efficient.
LG 65DG960V : minimalist media player integrated
We are kilometres away from Kodi or Plex, references in the domain, as the multimedia player of the LG 65EG960V doesn’t index the content of a connected USB hard drive. Only the files and names are displayed. Watching an MKV file is no problem as long as the video is encoded in AVC or HEVC, with a 4:2:0 and 8 bit colour encoding (720p, 1080p,2160p). The video of Tears of Steel in 2160p is encoded on 10 bits and was unfortunately a bit laggy. The image on Terminator Genisys, Jurassic World, Tangled or Oblivion was well balanced with appropriate definition.
The integrated playback software is DTS and Dolby (HD or not) compatible and it also supports subtitles when they?re offered.
Dolby Digital and DTS audio formats (HD-MA particularly) are all read. Integrated subtitles are handled and it is also possible to change their size and colour. Conclusion : the integrated multimedia player offers a good picture, which is what really matters. Yet, it is strongly recommended to use a more functional HDMI media player and, ideally, a Blu-ray player.
LG 65DG960V : designed for HD films and series
We watched several movies to test the LG 65EG960V, including Jurassic World, Mad Max Fury Road, Oblivion, Guardians of the Galaxy (1080p) and Tears of Steel (4K 8 bits). A few adjustments were necessary for both the multimedia player connected to one of the TV?s HDMI ports and the integrated software. We did a colour calibration then adjusted the TV?s Expert profile to lower the contrast. Once these modifications are carried out, the image is nothing short of fantastic, the scenes shots with reduced lighting benefit from abysmal depth in both 1080p and 4K. Watching Game of Thrones on the LG 65EG960V is magical. 4K sources are simply outstanding (especially Tears of Steel).
TV series in 720p, when the file?s transfer rate is correct, are truly beautiful. This leads us to think that colorimetry has a greater impact on overall quality than definition itself.
Two pairs of polarized 3D glasses are included to enjoy 3D films. All the most popular modes are handled and the result will definitely please 3D enthusiasts. Purists will simply enjoy the 2D image.
Smart TV functions and sound quality
The LG 65EG960V TV works with WebOS, whose basic interface is rather reassuring. The included remote control features a gyroscope which controls the cursor displayed on the screen. A quick movement and a click is all you need to access the menu you want. A very convenient feature to record an ongoing program on a USB hard drive. The web interface gives you access to replay and VOD services (including Netflix).
Highlight : the integrated speakers are Harman Kardon models, meaning that the sound is balanced and doesn’t feel forced when turned up high. This is obviously not hi-fi but is very correct nonetheless. The settings of the digital audio output (to an amplifier or DAC) are very comprehensive.
Conclusions
As regards colorimetry and due to the absolute black it displays, this TV offers an image beyond what the best 4K televisions have shown so far. The absolute black is a game changer and the image is absolutely beautiful. A little shakiness can still be experienced during fast scenes, which affect the realistic aspect of the image for HD screenings. Nevertheless, the LG 65EG960V is a truly addictive TV which will make you want to rediscover your film collection with an image worthy of the best cinemas.
