Review: LG 55EC9300 OLED TV
Tuesday, September 16, 2014 at 2:06PM 
Updated March 27, 2015: added additional testing information
Plasma televisions that I would still recommend are all but extinct, however, my desire for a worthy successor is being fulfilled by OLED technology. OLED televisions deliver pure video black (as in 'the absence of light'!) while simultaneously rendering bright details at LCD luminance levels. OLED TVs also surpass the viewing angle performance of LCD and plasma televisions by maintaining incredible picture contrast and color saturation from every seat in the room.
Sublime imagery
The LG 55EC9300 1080p Smart 3D Curved OLED TV produced imagery that wowed me visually - more so than any of the hundreds of televisions I've previously tested. The 55EC9300 also represents the best value for this new display technology with a price that is a fraction of what it was only months ago.
Plasma black - LCD bright
The LG 55EC9300 features a glossy screen that may appear to be problematic for brightly lit rooms, but its bright imagery and effective anti-reflective surface made it ideal for even the most sun-drenched environments. And, the 55EC9300's LCD-like energy efficiency minimized heat output while keeping operating costs low.
Gaming and burn-in
Gamers looking for a TV with low video lag will find the EC9300 a good choice. Enabling the TV's game mode video option reduced lag from 107ms to 49ms (about 3 frames of delay with 60Hz input). Interestingly, selecting the "PC" input label further reduced video lag to 34ms (about 2 frames of delay).
Given the price of OLED technology, the robustness of the display is a valid concern. Uneven pixel wear, or burn-in, can occur with LCDs, OLEDs, and (of course) plasma TVs. I place LG's OLED displays closer to LCDs than plasmas when it comes to burn-in resistance. The EC9300's white sub-pixel in addition to red, green, and blue (RGB) has an added benefit of reducing wear on the OLED materials when generating white/bright video.
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Color king
One of the first things I look at with any new TV is the quality of its factory calibration. In the case of the EC9300, I found its Cinema picture preset delivered an exceptionally accurate color response that averaged the lowest error I have recorded to date! This particular test examined a couple dozen hues including simulated skin tones, foliage, and grayscale levels. Owners will find LG's color setup for the EC9300 superb right out of the box.
Contrast is king
OLED televisions are still new technology and there is always room for improvement, but I couldn't be more pleased to see this once 'future' display technology available today. And as I recently predicted, I believe 1080p OLED TVs will be at mainstream prices within a year while 2160p OLED TVs will quickly take over as the new premium home theater display - (picture) contrast is king!
Read the full review of the LG 55EC9300 OLED TV at HD Guru!
Reader Comments (1)
I'm very happy with my 2013 65" Panasonic S64 plasma, but when the day comes that I want to upgrade, I'll definitely be looking at OLED!