LG’s OLED & HDR
LG has announced its 2016-7 television line-up, including flat OLED models as well as curved, plus models which are compatible with both key standards for High Dynamic Range (HDR).
The new top-of-the-line is the G6, with the E6 range just below. Both feature the company’s ‘Picture-On-Glass’ design (right), an ultra-thin OLED panel mounted on a toughened glass back, just 2.57mm at its thinnest point. These models also incorporate a forward-facing soundbar speaker. The G6 is the model sold in some markets under the ‘LG Signature’ brand; it is currently in 65-inch only with an RRP of $11,999. The E6 will be in 55-inch at $7499 and 65-inch at $10,499.
Noting that curved TV sales are now flattening out as expected, the current curved and awardwinning 55-inch and 65-inch EG960T models will continue, but are now joined by flat equivalents, not quite identical since they boast a better energy rating and are also slightly lighter. The new flat versions also boast HDR compatibility with the HDR-10 standard, also known as Open HDR, adopted by, among others, the Blu-ray Disc Association for the 4K Blu-ray standard.
The G6 and E6 models add compatibility with Dolby Vision, a higher-bit-rate version of HDR. At the Sydney launch LG was at great pains to assert that “HDR is not about brightness”, aware that competitors will be highlighting technologies that go brighter than OLED. But LG is correct that dynamic range matters most, and OLED provides more ‘stops’ in the lower black levels than can rival screen technologies. Dolby apparently agrees, allowing OLED’s lower nit levels to get their stamp of approval.
LG points out that 4K HDR content is already on Netflix and will appear later this year on YouTube. When we asked about 4K HDR Blu-ray players, we were told it was “not our focus this year”, while a Dolby representative commented that “we’re focused on streaming”. But to stream in HDR you need NBN-level internet speeds, which 85% of Australian homes and businesses don’t yet have. Until that’s fixed, HDR abilities could remain somewhat moot for most of us.
More info: www.lg.com.au