LG EG9600 OLED  TV Review

Review updated Mar 01, 2017 at 06:31am
Tested using Methodology v1.0 

Older Test Bench: This product has been tested using an older TV test methodology, before amajor update. Some of the test results below aren't directly comparable with other TVs. Learn more

LG EG9600 OLED

Track

Track

 0
 TV Settings
The 4k LG EG9600 OLED UHD TV has amazing picture quality. Motion performance is excellent and the design looks sleek. It isn't without flaws though. The input lag is rather high, and the uniformity of dark shadows is pretty poor.

Our Verdict

0.0
Mixed Usage 

Great all-round TV. Displays excellent picture quality from a variety of sources. Handles motion very well and has excellent uniformity. Unfortunately it can't get very bright.

Pros
  • Perfect blacks
  • Perfect motion (although flicker-free)
  • Great picture quality, even at an angle
Cons
  • Varying luminosity (ABL)
  • Poor uniformity of dark colors
  • Higher input lag than average
  • Prone to temporary image retention after displaying static images
0.0
Movies 

Excellent TV for movies in a dark room. Perfect blacks contribute to great picture quality. Added bonus of 3D for those who want it.

0.0
TV Shows 

Great living room TV for daytime shows. Excellent picture quality for sources of any resolution. Deals very well with reflections in a bright room. Unfortunately TV can't get very bright.

0.0
Sports 

Great sports performance. Almost perfect motion handling results in no motion blur. Great uniformity. Unfortunately brightness fluctuates depending on content.

0.0
Video Games 

Great TV for gamers. Excellent motion handling for fast paced games. Unfortunately there is average input lag.

0.0
HDR Movies 

HDR content looks great. Excellent picture quality. Wide color gamut and great contrast. Unfortunately highlights don't get bright.

0.0
HDR Gaming 
0.0
PC Monitor 

Excellent PC monitor. Handles motion very well. Great picture quality at a range of resolutions. Very clear text. Unfortunately input lag is above average.

  • 0.0
    Mixed Usage
  • 0.0
    Movies
  • 0.0
    TV Shows
  • 0.0
    Sports
  • 0.0
    Video Games
  • 0.0
    HDR Movies
  • 0.0
    HDR Gaming
  • 0.0
    PC Monitor
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated Mar 01, 2017: Review published.
    2.  Updated Nov 12, 2015: Our testers have started testing this product.
    3.  Updated Oct 25, 2015: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

    Check Price

    55"55EG9600
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    65"65EG9600
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    How We Test TVs
    How We Test TVs

    We buy and test dozens of TVs yearly, taking an objective, data-driven approach to deliver results you can trust. Our testing process is complex, with hundreds of individual tests that take over a week to complete. Most of our tests use specially designed test patterns that mimic real content, but we also use the same sources you have at home to ensure our results match the real-world experience. We use two main tools for our testing: a Colorimetry Research CR-100 colorimeter and a CR-250 spectroradiometer.

    Test Results

    Older Test Bench: This product has been tested using an older TV test methodology, before amajor update. Some of the test results below aren't directly comparable with other TVs. Learn more

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    Category:
    All
    Design
    0.0
    Style
    CurvedLockedLocked

    It has a curved screen, and the back of the TV is white. The bezel around the screen is very thin. Like most TVs, it wobbles back and forth a bit when you push it.

    Stand

    Dimension of the 55" TV stand: 28.5" x 9"

    Borders
    BordersLockedLocked
    Thickness
    Max ThicknessLockedLocked
    Picture Quality
    0.0
    Contrast
    Native Contrast
    LockedLock : 1

    As with all other OLED TVs, it has an infinite contrast ratio, because the pixels are really turned off when they are displaying black.

    0.0
    Local Dimming
    SAMPLE
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    for videos & test results

    LG EG9600 OLED Local Dimming Video Sample
    Local Dimming
    LockedLocked
    Backlight
    LockedN/A

    For the sake of comparison with LED TVs, we filmed our local dimming pattern (even though the TV technically has no backlight). The result is a perfect dot, without blooming.

    0.0
    SDR Peak Brightness
    SDR Peak 2% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    SDR Peak 10% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    SDR Peak 25% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    SDR Peak 50% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    SDR Peak 100% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 2% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 10% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 25% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 50% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 100% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²

    When displaying a small 2% window of pure white and at max 'OLED LIGHT', it is able to achieve luminosity of 373.5 cd/m2. For comparison, the highest score in this test was hit by the Samsung JS9500, with a 726.7 cd/m2 max. Like all OLEDs, the max luminosity varies a lot depending on what is displayed on the screen (see our full measurements here).

    0.0
    Gray Uniformity
    50% Std. Dev.
    LockedLock%
    50% DSE
    LockedLock%

    The uniformity of the colors is pretty good. You can see a slight discoloration in some places (the left and right side is a little bit pink), but nothing major. Darker colors are more of an issue though (see the 5% and 10% gray pictures that we took here).

    0.0
    Viewing Angle
    SAMPLE
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    LG EG9600 OLED Viewing Angle Video Sample
    LCD Type
    LockedN/A
    Color Shift
    LockedLock°
    Brightness
    LockedLock°
    Black Level
    LockedLock°

    The picture quality is still great at an angle, way better than all LED TVs, even the ones with an IPS panel. The hue changes slightly, but nothing really noticeable.

    Update 01/06/2017: We have changed the methodology of testing. Since this is an old TV which we don't have anymore, we extrapolated the results from 2016 TVs.

    0.0
    Black Uniformity
    Native Std. Dev.
    LockedLock%

    The uniformity of blacks is perfect. Dark colors aren't that great, though (more on this later).

    0.0
    Gradient
    Color Depth
    LockedLock Bit
    0.0
    Pre Calibration
    White Balance dE
    LockedLock
    Color dE
    LockedLock
    Gamma
    LockedLock
    0.0
    Post Calibration
    White Balance dE
    LockedLock
    Color dE
    LockedLock
    Gamma
    LockedLock
    0.0
    480p Input

    480p upscaling is on par with other TVs and looks good.

    0.0
    720p Input

    Cable TV and high quality streaming content also looks very good once upscaled by the LG EG9600.

    0.0
    1080p Input

    Blu-rays looks sharp once upscaled.

    0.0
    4k Input

    Native 4k content looks very sharp on this OLED TV.

    0.0
    Color Gamut
    Wide Color Gamut
    LockedLocked
    DCI P3 xy
    LockedLock%
    DCI P3 uv
    LockedLock%
    Rec 2020 xy
    LockedLock%
    Rec 2020 uv
    LockedLock%
    0.0
    Reflections
    Reflection
    LockedLock%
    Screen Finish
    LockedLocked

    The screen finish is the same as on all the other OLED TVs that we have reviewed. Bright objects appear purple, but at least it does a great job at reducing the ambient reflections. Keep in mind that the curve zooms in on the reflections, so make sure you don't have a window directly opposite the TV.
    The luminosity of the screen varies depending on what is displayed. On a white that covers 50% of the screen, we measured 214.1 cd/m2, which is a bit lower than average for a TV.

    0.0
    3D
    3D
    LockedLocked
    3D Type
    LockedLocked

    The 3D is great. It is passive, so it is very comfortable for the eye, without any flickering or crosstalk.

    Pixels
    TypeLockedOLED
    Motion
    0.0
    Motion Blur
    Refresh RateLocked120 Hz
    Response Time
    LockedLock ms
    Overshoot
    LockedLock ms

    The response time of the pixels is similar to other OLEDs. There is a slight overshoot on some transitions, but nothing apparent to the naked eye. By default, the screen doesn't flicker, and there is no option to make it flicker, either.

    0.0
    Image Flicker
    PWM Dimming Frequency
    LockedLocked
    BFI
    LockedLocked
    BFI Frequency
    LockedLocked
    BFI In Game Mode
    LockedLocked
    0.0
    24p Playback
    Judder-free 24p
    LockedLocked
    Judder-free 24p via 60p
    LockedLocked
    Judder-free 24p via 60i
    LockedLocked

    It is able to play movies without any judder over a 24Hz and 60i signal.

    0.0
    Motion Interpolation
    Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
    LockedLocked
    Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
    LockedLocked
    Inputs
    0.0
    Input Lag
    1080p @ 60Hz
    LockedLock ms
    1080p With Interpolation
    LockedLock ms
    1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
    LockedLock ms

    As long as you don't turn on 'TruMotion,' you can choose any mode you like to get an input lag around 50 ms.

    0.0
    Supported Resolutions
    ResolutionLocked4k
    1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    LockedLocked
    1080p @ 120Hz
    LockedLocked
    4k @ 30Hz @ 4:4:4
    LockedLocked
    4k @ 60Hz
    LockedLocked
    4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    LockedLocked

    To get chroma 4:4:4, set the icon of the HDMI input to PC. To get on top of that 4k @ 60hz, you will need to turn on UHD Color. Unfortunately, it doesn't support an input of 120 fps.

    Side Inputs
    Rear Inputs
    Total Inputs
    HDMILockedLocked
    USBLockedLocked
    Digital Optical Audio OutLockedLocked
    Analog Audio Out 3.5mmLockedLocked
    Analog Audio Out RCALockedLocked
    Component InLockedLocked
    Composite InLockedLocked
    Tuner (Cable/Ant)LockedLocked
    EthernetLockedLocked
    DisplayPortLockedLocked
    IR InLockedLocked
    SD/SDHCLockedLocked
    Inputs Specifications
    HDR10
    LockedLocked
    5.1 Passthrough ARC Dolby Digital
    LockedLocked
    Dolby Vision
    LockedLocked
    5.1 Passthrough ARC DTS
    LockedLocked
    5.1 Passthrough Optical Dolby Digital
    LockedLocked
    5.1 Passthrough Optical DTS
    LockedLocked
    HDMI 2.0 Full BandwidthLockedLocked
    ARCLockedLocked
    USB 3LockedLocked
    HDCP 2.2LockedLocked
    CECLockedLocked
    MHLLockedLocked
    Variable Analog Audio OutLockedLocked
    Sound Quality
    0.0
    Frequency Response
    Std. Dev. @ 70
    LockedLock dB SPL
    Std. Dev. @ 80
    LockedLock dB SPL
    Std. Dev. @ Max
    LockedLock dB SPL
    Max
    LockedLock dB SPL
    Low-end Cutoff
    LockedLock Hz

    Very good frequency response with no noticeable pumping or compression. The low-end response is good and the maximum loudness is decent.

    0.0
    Total Harmonic Distortion
    Distortion @ 70
    LockedLock
    Distortion @ 80
    LockedLock
    Distortion @ Max
    LockedLock

    Very good, unremarkable distortion performance.

    Smart Features
    0.0
    Interface
    Smart OSLockedLocked

    It has the WebOS smart TV platform, which is great, and it even includes a web browser (although flash doesn't work). The remote is also useful, particularly since it can be moved to control the mouse pointer. Read our full review of LG's smart TV platform here.

    0.0
    Ads
    Ad-free
    LockedLocked
    Opt-out
    LockedLocked
    Remote
    RemoteLockedLocked
    Misc
    Power ConsumptionLockedLock W
    Power Consumption (Max)LockedLock W
    FirmwareLockedLocked