User Reviews
By Marty Gillis
For those of you who want to cut right to the chase, this particular LG OLED is the best television I have seen, owned and used. It blows away any and ALL LCD based televisions and easily compares with the best of plasma's and beyond that.
It has a possible 100 to 200 break-in period where you have to be just a bit careful with your television. Once the time passes, you can start to use it like any other HDTV, with a few minor changes to your usage habits, just to keep the thing working perfectly over the years.
***the current user base is divided as to wherever or not break-in is required with this panel. While it may turn out to be unnecessary, I personally am treating it like a new plasma for the first 200 hours.
Many users have reported using the 9300 with any and all content immediately and with no regard for burn-in from letterbox or 4:3 aspect ratios. These same users have reported no discernible damage to the panel after such use. I am the nervous type and will continue to baby the panel for a few more weeks before watching 2 or 3 letterbox films back to back. However, many HAVE done so and report that there appears to be no discernible damage to the screen. This is good news. Very good.
GOOD NEWS for gamers! I had previously stated my opinion that game play may possibly be harmful to this panel, but the newest user reports seem to suggest that may not be the case and almost all gamers that have purchased the 9300 are absolutely loving it and have no reports to date of burn-in as a result.
Cnet has just named this TV "the best TV we have ever seen"..... I agree.
Ok, those of you who are impatient may click the "Buy Now' button.
Now for all the gory details:
For those of you who want to cut right to the chase, this particular LG OLED is the best television I have seen, owned and used. It blows away any and ALL LCD based televisions and easily compares with the best of plasma's and beyond that.
It has a possible 100 to 200 break-in period where you have to be just a bit careful with your television. Once the time passes, you can start to use it like any other HDTV, with a few minor changes to your usage habits, just to keep the thing working perfectly over the years.
***the current user base is divided as to wherever or not break-in is required with this panel. While it may turn out to be unnecessary, I personally am treating it like a new plasma for the first 200 hours.
Many users have reported using the 9300 with any and all content immediately and with no regard for burn-in from letterbox or 4:3 aspect ratios. These same users have reported no discernible damage to the panel after such use. I am the nervous type and will continue to baby the panel for a few more weeks before watching 2 or 3 letterbox films back to back. However, many HAVE done so and report that there appears to be no discernible damage to the screen. This is good news. Very good.
GOOD NEWS for gamers! I had previously stated my opinion that game play may possibly be harmful to this panel, but the newest user reports seem to suggest that may not be the case and almost all gamers that have purchased the 9300 are absolutely loving it and have no reports to date of burn-in as a result.
Cnet has just named this TV "the best TV we have ever seen"..... I agree.
Ok, those of you who are impatient may click the "Buy Now' button.
Now for all the gory details:
I am a very long time LG user and have extensive experience with a wide variety of models over the years. Believe me when I tell you, this is THE BEST television ever made by LG. It might be the best television made by ANYONE up to now. You can be the judge of that once you calibrate and start using it.
Some of you may have read a few of my LG HDTV reviews over the years here on Amazon. I have perhaps 7 or 8 posted right now. If you haven't read any of them, I just want to say I have been an LG fan and extreme user for the last 7 ½ years and have traded up at least once a year, starting with the 5600 back in 2008. Before purchasing this OLED I had taken a chance on LG's 4K flagship, the one with the motorized speaker bar? Imagine my shock when THIS TV was announced and at the exact price I just paid for the LCD/LED 4K model. Just a year ago, LG's OLED offering was priced at 15 grand before dropping in price. I had always thought OLED was way out of my price range and I could never afford to get one.
That is all changed now. Yes, it is expensive but compared to the pay off in picture quality, the value is tremendous.
I have been up and running now for less than a week, but am right at home with the new Web OS and have been able to do a rudimentary calibration using values from a fellow AVS member who graciously shared his hard work and results.
EDIT 9-17-14: Just hit 3 weeks and things are only getting better. My calibration settings have settled in nicely and the colors have seemed to have become both deeper and more lush. Any noticeable IR from the first few days has faded away and I am just awestruck at times with the overall picture quality.
Standard LG HDTV packaging, just a plain brown box with the nylon straps and the top that lifts out. This television is VERY light weight and I was able to handle it by myself, although it is hard to know the safest place to grasp it so 2 people would be more advisable. The stand is already attached so you don't have to mess with it. The power cable is attached and can not be removed. Another box has some paperwork, the remote comes in another box inside the big one, along with a few other accessories. I had it out of the box and up on the TV stand in about 10 minutes, cabled up and ready to test within another 15. It was flawless out of the box with no shipping damage of any kind, although I bought from a brick and mortar this time to get it faster and snag a free sound-bar.
Build quality is excellent. The stand is metal, not plastic and is heavy enough to steady the TV. The screen IS glossy and therefore reflective. Don't place bright lights anywhere near it or you will see them. The curve is not that much really, and after viewing for a few hours it DOES seem to suck you into the action more, especially if you are sitting dead center. I did notice some reflections from the center hitting the sides when viewing 4:3 content. It is minor and nothing to worry about.
The TV takes a bit of time to boot the first time as it is busy loading the OS. Also, it is advisable to immediate do a firmware update via Ethernet cable. Restart the TV and proceed. If you don't know LG TV's there is an on board users guide that can take you thru each function and also balloon help is available for each function. (you can disable that when you have seen enough)
You get their newest 'Magic Remote" but I use my Harmony One and only use their remote for cursor functions.
Ok, let's get to the "good stuff" :
No Flashlighting
No Halos
No Clouding
No Banding
No Dirty Screen Effect
And for plasma owners:
Low power consumption
No buzzing
Runs very cool
Very Lightweight and easy to lift
Just about EVERY problem you have ever had with ANY of your LCD/LED HDTV's is gone on the 9300. Watch Golf without banding. Check out an action movie without the dreaded Soap Opera effect or blurry , jerky motion. Watching Frozen Planet on Blu Ray and seeing the swooping pans across snow without Dirt Screen Effect or pillaring/banding rearing it's ugly head is a true sight to behold! Watching an old B&W Mystery or horror film with fog and mist and not having it look &%$# ! The improvements to PQ with the 9300 are simply endless. I was actually applauding in my Lazy Boy while watching Frozen Planet with ZERO artifacts. (first time I have seen it this way) If you purchase this beatsie, make sure and stock up on Sir David Attenborough's BBC nature docs on Blu Ray. They will take your breath away on this thing!
EDIT 9-2-14 There have been some multiple confirmed instances of motion handling problems on certain content. Certain scenes in the latest Hobbit BD (Smaug) will exhibits massive judder, the likes of which you have not seen before, unless you employ the Tru Motion at full strength (ie: SMOOTH) The entire film is NOT affected, only one scene. Other BD's that suffer include the original Arthur during scenes where there are bright lamps or windows in the room and the camera pans. So far, those are the only two titles I have seen it happen with, but surely there are more. Stationary bright objects with camera panning triggers the effect. You will know it if you see it. Otherwise I am still sold on this unit and hopefully a Tru Motion algorithm update will be forth coming from LG. I hate the soap opera effect and do not wish to watch my films using it.
EDIT 9-7-14 THIS IS IMPORTANT< PLEASE READ ! (thank you)
*****I use no enhancement on the TV other than real Cinema and Tru Motion. yep, I HAD to use it finally. Having the Tru Motion OFF yields the most natural picture but when judder and motion blur sets in and half the picture is either jerking or blurry, you just have to do something. In the end, at least for 24 frame content, I have found what gives me a nice balance between judder and blur elimination and minimal artifacts. I experimented with a lot of content and every possible Tru Motion setting.
Barring any unforeseen IR/BI type stuff, I would say motion handling is still a bit weak on this LG and probably it's most weakest link in the video chain altogether, but can be handled. OH yeah, I switched between 60hz and 24 frames, I tried DVDs, both NTSC and PAL. I tried native 60 hz content, 50hz content, you name it. I found that for native 1080i you can get decent results with the Tru Motion being set to OFF. Both Ray Donovan and Boardwalk Empire (1080i from my Fios DVR) looked great without any Tru Motion and was smooth as can be.
HOWEVER....
To eliminate almost ALL judder and keep everyone in the frame mostly in focus with 24 frame content output at 24 , I settled on Judder 3 and Blur 2. It was the only setting that worked well without introducing SOE. Anything less on either adjustment and it proved ineffective. Believe me, I sat there and played with that thing for days on end and about the only thing I wish for now is that LG gave us 1/2 increments in their adjustments on the Tru Motion itself. If I could get BLUR set to 1 1/2 instead of 2, I think overall the entire thing would be nailed.
Interlaced: Tru Motion OFF works best
Progressive: Tru Motion set to Judder 3 and Blur 2 works best
Again, I have spent many days and loads of varied content to come up with these findings and settings. Make of them what you will.
Viewing a vintage James Bond BD last night, I got thru 2 and 1/2 hours without noticeable artifacts and only one slight motion anomaly that came and went quickly. After my brain and eyes got used to the settings (15 minutes or so) I was quite pleased with what I saw and had no motion complaints. I went back in today to check it on another title and everything looked very very good.******
Still, the 9300 is about 97% perfect and that is better than any TV I have ever owned.
Extremely good screen uniformity. Excellent actually. (the QC at the new plant seems to be very good!) No more pillaring or 'banding' during pans with solid light colored backgrounds. That means, if you watch Football, Baseball, Golf or Hockey, you will no longer have to put up with dirty , smeared looking grass or ice. The picture quality won't go directly into the toilet every time the camera pans and the sky will look real and not a mish mash of clouding and dirty screen effect.
Calibrating the color in the CMS is problematic but can be done. I strongly advise you seek out an ISF calibrator in your area and schedule a professional calibration. (after the break in time has passed) Out of box picture, like most LG's, is not optimal. It doesn't take much for it to shine , so don't judge it by what you see in the stores (they have it on torch mode with every processor engaged, causing artifacts and worse) and don't judge it by how it looks when you first power up. Do your research and you will be rewarded with an excellent picture, far beyond what you think it might be.
You will find yourself asking, "How did I ever put up with this lousy LCD PQ for all these years" .. I know I did! Well, those days are over folks. Those who own this TV will pretty much all tell you the same thing. Sure, it isn't perfect as there is NO perfect TV. There never will be. Somebody, somewhere will ALWAYS find something wrong with them, but the truth is that the 9300 is perhaps 97% perfect and in the ways that truly count, it is 100% ! I worry about getting flamed when I make a claim like this, but I am calling it like I see it and I am seeing it right now as I type this. (It is gorgeous!)
Steam, smoke, mist and fog all display realistically. Previously an Achilles heel on most TV's of any type. Snow looks like actual snow. Sounds silly, but look at snow on other sets, then check out the 9300 after calibration. The difference is night and day.
Standard DVD content looks really fantastic on this TV. I sent it an upconverted 1080p signal from my Oppo player and the 9300 takes it from there. My Rockford Files DVD's have taken on a whole new life! They look rich and detailed, so much better than when played on any other television I have owned. I was not expecting much from DVD playback as OLED can be very unforgiving of lower quality content, but the 9300 gave me a very nice surprise!
Remember when you first heard about HDTV and people would say things like "It's just like looking out a window" ? Well, with the 9300 it IS just like looking out a window. (almost) UHD or 4K is not necessary to give you extreme pop and depth in your image, along with all the video artifacts that will be GONE and that you will never have to deal with again! It all adds up to the best 1080p rendering I have ever seen and the absolute best television I have ever owned or dreamed of owning.
Ultra fast pixel response time is equally smooth for both 60hz and 24 Fps content with a very judicious application of Tru Motion for 24 frame content. (you can get away with much less for 60hz stuff from your cable company)
The sound is pretty much par for a flat screen HDTV. Not the worst the LG has to offer, but not the best either. That would go to LG's 55LA9700, their 4K FALD set. However, it has decent sound, very good audio options, surround sound generator, headphone jack in back plus optical out and ARC on HDMI 1. Audio Sync control for times when the mouth doesn't match the sound, etc. It has it all. Most likely you plan to connect this to a more powerful sound bar, or home theater audio system of some sort. The 9300 deserves the best sound to go with the best picture quality around. The built in speakers are fine for casual viewing and are just fine.
Let the OLED pixels all break in evenly and do nothing that could cause any permanent burn in. Once the panel ages it should stabilize reasonably well and not be as susceptible to such things. I have actually SEEN the panel evolve and become very stable over the last 3 weeks. I am no longer worried about burn-in from casual use. That is not to say that you shouldn't exercise just a bit of caution with leaving up static images, etc. So far, the 9300 has proven to be more resilient than a new plasma. At least in my experience.
Colors are unreal. Objects pop at an almost 3D level. Shadow detail is extreme and black IS BLACK! Watch Star Wars or any Star Trek movie and see what space REALLY looks like. The original Alien on BD reveals TONS more picture detail and with absolute black it makes things that much more frightening! When something in the picture jumps out at you, you don't even need 3D to jump back in your seat. The extra contrast and shadow detail makes objects appear very close to 3D at times and depth is added to almost everything you watch. Enjoy varied content with black bars on top or sides with ZERO light leakage since the OLED pixels are self illuminating with no need for a back light.
As the panel initially ages, be prepared for minor (VERY minor) image retention. That is not the same as burn-in. It is not permanent and usually lasts a few seconds or less if you are displaying a bright object for any length of time. Once the image changes, it will fade quickly and after a few weeks or so it will barely happen at all. I personally have had very little IR to deal with. If you have your OLED light , Contrast and brightness levels at reasonable settings you can all but eliminate it.
*** again, after 3 weeks of use the IR has faded from view and only lasted a few seconds at a time anyway, and rarely at that. It has become a non issue for me now.
This is LG's 2nd generation OLED and they have learned much since last years models. This is a finished product, not a beta prototype. Just about everything has been very well thought out and the result is a TV that can keep up with all your content and provide the best picture available, The 9300 is truly the state of the art right now. (except for the GUI which is glitchy as all get out and a work in progress as far as menu response times go)
Let me put it to you this way, I am a former 8th generation Kuro Elite owner. The 9300 exceeds the Kuro in PQ. Not to mention all the web stuff , built in media player, multiple USB 2 inputs, etc. I could care less for all the extra features. I purchased this for the picture quality and performance and nothing more. But if you want Netflix, Amazon video, or more, this will do it and do it. Web browsing is also available, along with Skype (camera sold separately) You can connect wirelessly to almost all your devices and stream videos and music.
*** DISCLAIMER: I can not speak to how well any of the web services perform and have noticed a slightly glitchy response in using even the picture adjustment menu with a notable lag time between remote button presses and occasional overshoots of selected menu items. Hopefully this is a firmware issue and not hardware related! Many have posted that the actual web features are snappier in response time than the picture adjustment menus. In other words, it works fine for Netflix, etc.
This LG OLED is really all about having the best picture available with everything else as an added bonus. (LG might not think so, but WE know why we bought this eh?)
The 3D is passive and halves the resolution. However, LG has refined their passive 3D and the crosstalk on this model is almost NONE so it is worth seeing. Only a 4K TV can do 3D better but then you have all the other problems of LCD since 4K OLED won't be available until the end of this year and will initially cost you TWICE as much as this set will.
If you want to see the best possible picture from your Blu Ray player or your cable box/DVR, this is the TV for you. It will not disappoint. I firmly believe that LG is positioned to dominate the panel business and OLED is the future. It's no longer pie in the sky, it's here and it works.
** some excellent calibration settings can be found on the user thread for this product over at the AVS forum. In the interest of full disclosure there are some owners (also on AVS) that have reported problems with both screen uniformity and motion handling. A few have reported having a small number of either dead or stuck sub pixels. This is not visible during normal viewing and usually only seen when using solid test screens for calibration purposes. Thankfully these are in the minority, however you may wish to fully check your panel before losing your receipt.
*** latest reports seem to indicate that seemingly stuck pixels are actually coming UN stuck and vanishing from view over time. This is also very good news! AND early pics and reports about black bar burn-in have suggested that they too vanish over time and are no longer visible. The mechanism, behind this is unknown as of now, but LG seems to have thought this through very well.
I am happy to report that I have ZERO stuck or dead pixels. I am as picky or pickier than the next enthusiast and would be the first to say if I had a dud! While being a long time LG user, I am not a "Fan Boy" and will regularly tear LG to shreds over perceived QC and design issues if they become an issue. I truly feel this particular TV has got most everything "right" this time and am happy to say so. I don't work for LG, nor did I receive this TV free of charge. I went straight into debt, just like most of us do for something like this.
The best television I have ever seen. Hands down!
The PQ alone is worth the purchase price, you get all the rest thrown in for free!
After using this for ONE DAY I could never go back to a LCD based system again. EVER! Yep, it's that good.......
Buy with confidence, you've finally found the TV of your dreams.....
Absolute black and infinite contrast. These are NOT buzzwords in this case. They are a reality.
The sense of lush realism is uncanny and ALL my content has taken on a new life. I am enjoying the 9300 more than any television I have ever owned. Viewing is satisfying and immersive. It's everything I had ever hoped for. The real wild card here is longevity, but as with all new tech, time will tell the tale. For now, I am a very happy OLED owner and have ZERO buyers remorse.
As such, this television gets Marty G's most highest rating!
Some of you may have read a few of my LG HDTV reviews over the years here on Amazon. I have perhaps 7 or 8 posted right now. If you haven't read any of them, I just want to say I have been an LG fan and extreme user for the last 7 ½ years and have traded up at least once a year, starting with the 5600 back in 2008. Before purchasing this OLED I had taken a chance on LG's 4K flagship, the one with the motorized speaker bar? Imagine my shock when THIS TV was announced and at the exact price I just paid for the LCD/LED 4K model. Just a year ago, LG's OLED offering was priced at 15 grand before dropping in price. I had always thought OLED was way out of my price range and I could never afford to get one.
That is all changed now. Yes, it is expensive but compared to the pay off in picture quality, the value is tremendous.
I have been up and running now for less than a week, but am right at home with the new Web OS and have been able to do a rudimentary calibration using values from a fellow AVS member who graciously shared his hard work and results.
EDIT 9-17-14: Just hit 3 weeks and things are only getting better. My calibration settings have settled in nicely and the colors have seemed to have become both deeper and more lush. Any noticeable IR from the first few days has faded away and I am just awestruck at times with the overall picture quality.
Standard LG HDTV packaging, just a plain brown box with the nylon straps and the top that lifts out. This television is VERY light weight and I was able to handle it by myself, although it is hard to know the safest place to grasp it so 2 people would be more advisable. The stand is already attached so you don't have to mess with it. The power cable is attached and can not be removed. Another box has some paperwork, the remote comes in another box inside the big one, along with a few other accessories. I had it out of the box and up on the TV stand in about 10 minutes, cabled up and ready to test within another 15. It was flawless out of the box with no shipping damage of any kind, although I bought from a brick and mortar this time to get it faster and snag a free sound-bar.
Build quality is excellent. The stand is metal, not plastic and is heavy enough to steady the TV. The screen IS glossy and therefore reflective. Don't place bright lights anywhere near it or you will see them. The curve is not that much really, and after viewing for a few hours it DOES seem to suck you into the action more, especially if you are sitting dead center. I did notice some reflections from the center hitting the sides when viewing 4:3 content. It is minor and nothing to worry about.
The TV takes a bit of time to boot the first time as it is busy loading the OS. Also, it is advisable to immediate do a firmware update via Ethernet cable. Restart the TV and proceed. If you don't know LG TV's there is an on board users guide that can take you thru each function and also balloon help is available for each function. (you can disable that when you have seen enough)
You get their newest 'Magic Remote" but I use my Harmony One and only use their remote for cursor functions.
Ok, let's get to the "good stuff" :
No Flashlighting
No Halos
No Clouding
No Banding
No Dirty Screen Effect
And for plasma owners:
Low power consumption
No buzzing
Runs very cool
Very Lightweight and easy to lift
Just about EVERY problem you have ever had with ANY of your LCD/LED HDTV's is gone on the 9300. Watch Golf without banding. Check out an action movie without the dreaded Soap Opera effect or blurry , jerky motion. Watching Frozen Planet on Blu Ray and seeing the swooping pans across snow without Dirt Screen Effect or pillaring/banding rearing it's ugly head is a true sight to behold! Watching an old B&W Mystery or horror film with fog and mist and not having it look &%$# ! The improvements to PQ with the 9300 are simply endless. I was actually applauding in my Lazy Boy while watching Frozen Planet with ZERO artifacts. (first time I have seen it this way) If you purchase this beatsie, make sure and stock up on Sir David Attenborough's BBC nature docs on Blu Ray. They will take your breath away on this thing!
EDIT 9-2-14 There have been some multiple confirmed instances of motion handling problems on certain content. Certain scenes in the latest Hobbit BD (Smaug) will exhibits massive judder, the likes of which you have not seen before, unless you employ the Tru Motion at full strength (ie: SMOOTH) The entire film is NOT affected, only one scene. Other BD's that suffer include the original Arthur during scenes where there are bright lamps or windows in the room and the camera pans. So far, those are the only two titles I have seen it happen with, but surely there are more. Stationary bright objects with camera panning triggers the effect. You will know it if you see it. Otherwise I am still sold on this unit and hopefully a Tru Motion algorithm update will be forth coming from LG. I hate the soap opera effect and do not wish to watch my films using it.
EDIT 9-7-14 THIS IS IMPORTANT< PLEASE READ ! (thank you)
*****I use no enhancement on the TV other than real Cinema and Tru Motion. yep, I HAD to use it finally. Having the Tru Motion OFF yields the most natural picture but when judder and motion blur sets in and half the picture is either jerking or blurry, you just have to do something. In the end, at least for 24 frame content, I have found what gives me a nice balance between judder and blur elimination and minimal artifacts. I experimented with a lot of content and every possible Tru Motion setting.
Barring any unforeseen IR/BI type stuff, I would say motion handling is still a bit weak on this LG and probably it's most weakest link in the video chain altogether, but can be handled. OH yeah, I switched between 60hz and 24 frames, I tried DVDs, both NTSC and PAL. I tried native 60 hz content, 50hz content, you name it. I found that for native 1080i you can get decent results with the Tru Motion being set to OFF. Both Ray Donovan and Boardwalk Empire (1080i from my Fios DVR) looked great without any Tru Motion and was smooth as can be.
HOWEVER....
To eliminate almost ALL judder and keep everyone in the frame mostly in focus with 24 frame content output at 24 , I settled on Judder 3 and Blur 2. It was the only setting that worked well without introducing SOE. Anything less on either adjustment and it proved ineffective. Believe me, I sat there and played with that thing for days on end and about the only thing I wish for now is that LG gave us 1/2 increments in their adjustments on the Tru Motion itself. If I could get BLUR set to 1 1/2 instead of 2, I think overall the entire thing would be nailed.
Interlaced: Tru Motion OFF works best
Progressive: Tru Motion set to Judder 3 and Blur 2 works best
Again, I have spent many days and loads of varied content to come up with these findings and settings. Make of them what you will.
Viewing a vintage James Bond BD last night, I got thru 2 and 1/2 hours without noticeable artifacts and only one slight motion anomaly that came and went quickly. After my brain and eyes got used to the settings (15 minutes or so) I was quite pleased with what I saw and had no motion complaints. I went back in today to check it on another title and everything looked very very good.******
Still, the 9300 is about 97% perfect and that is better than any TV I have ever owned.
Extremely good screen uniformity. Excellent actually. (the QC at the new plant seems to be very good!) No more pillaring or 'banding' during pans with solid light colored backgrounds. That means, if you watch Football, Baseball, Golf or Hockey, you will no longer have to put up with dirty , smeared looking grass or ice. The picture quality won't go directly into the toilet every time the camera pans and the sky will look real and not a mish mash of clouding and dirty screen effect.
Calibrating the color in the CMS is problematic but can be done. I strongly advise you seek out an ISF calibrator in your area and schedule a professional calibration. (after the break in time has passed) Out of box picture, like most LG's, is not optimal. It doesn't take much for it to shine , so don't judge it by what you see in the stores (they have it on torch mode with every processor engaged, causing artifacts and worse) and don't judge it by how it looks when you first power up. Do your research and you will be rewarded with an excellent picture, far beyond what you think it might be.
You will find yourself asking, "How did I ever put up with this lousy LCD PQ for all these years" .. I know I did! Well, those days are over folks. Those who own this TV will pretty much all tell you the same thing. Sure, it isn't perfect as there is NO perfect TV. There never will be. Somebody, somewhere will ALWAYS find something wrong with them, but the truth is that the 9300 is perhaps 97% perfect and in the ways that truly count, it is 100% ! I worry about getting flamed when I make a claim like this, but I am calling it like I see it and I am seeing it right now as I type this. (It is gorgeous!)
Steam, smoke, mist and fog all display realistically. Previously an Achilles heel on most TV's of any type. Snow looks like actual snow. Sounds silly, but look at snow on other sets, then check out the 9300 after calibration. The difference is night and day.
Standard DVD content looks really fantastic on this TV. I sent it an upconverted 1080p signal from my Oppo player and the 9300 takes it from there. My Rockford Files DVD's have taken on a whole new life! They look rich and detailed, so much better than when played on any other television I have owned. I was not expecting much from DVD playback as OLED can be very unforgiving of lower quality content, but the 9300 gave me a very nice surprise!
Remember when you first heard about HDTV and people would say things like "It's just like looking out a window" ? Well, with the 9300 it IS just like looking out a window. (almost) UHD or 4K is not necessary to give you extreme pop and depth in your image, along with all the video artifacts that will be GONE and that you will never have to deal with again! It all adds up to the best 1080p rendering I have ever seen and the absolute best television I have ever owned or dreamed of owning.
Ultra fast pixel response time is equally smooth for both 60hz and 24 Fps content with a very judicious application of Tru Motion for 24 frame content. (you can get away with much less for 60hz stuff from your cable company)
The sound is pretty much par for a flat screen HDTV. Not the worst the LG has to offer, but not the best either. That would go to LG's 55LA9700, their 4K FALD set. However, it has decent sound, very good audio options, surround sound generator, headphone jack in back plus optical out and ARC on HDMI 1. Audio Sync control for times when the mouth doesn't match the sound, etc. It has it all. Most likely you plan to connect this to a more powerful sound bar, or home theater audio system of some sort. The 9300 deserves the best sound to go with the best picture quality around. The built in speakers are fine for casual viewing and are just fine.
Let the OLED pixels all break in evenly and do nothing that could cause any permanent burn in. Once the panel ages it should stabilize reasonably well and not be as susceptible to such things. I have actually SEEN the panel evolve and become very stable over the last 3 weeks. I am no longer worried about burn-in from casual use. That is not to say that you shouldn't exercise just a bit of caution with leaving up static images, etc. So far, the 9300 has proven to be more resilient than a new plasma. At least in my experience.
Colors are unreal. Objects pop at an almost 3D level. Shadow detail is extreme and black IS BLACK! Watch Star Wars or any Star Trek movie and see what space REALLY looks like. The original Alien on BD reveals TONS more picture detail and with absolute black it makes things that much more frightening! When something in the picture jumps out at you, you don't even need 3D to jump back in your seat. The extra contrast and shadow detail makes objects appear very close to 3D at times and depth is added to almost everything you watch. Enjoy varied content with black bars on top or sides with ZERO light leakage since the OLED pixels are self illuminating with no need for a back light.
As the panel initially ages, be prepared for minor (VERY minor) image retention. That is not the same as burn-in. It is not permanent and usually lasts a few seconds or less if you are displaying a bright object for any length of time. Once the image changes, it will fade quickly and after a few weeks or so it will barely happen at all. I personally have had very little IR to deal with. If you have your OLED light , Contrast and brightness levels at reasonable settings you can all but eliminate it.
*** again, after 3 weeks of use the IR has faded from view and only lasted a few seconds at a time anyway, and rarely at that. It has become a non issue for me now.
This is LG's 2nd generation OLED and they have learned much since last years models. This is a finished product, not a beta prototype. Just about everything has been very well thought out and the result is a TV that can keep up with all your content and provide the best picture available, The 9300 is truly the state of the art right now. (except for the GUI which is glitchy as all get out and a work in progress as far as menu response times go)
Let me put it to you this way, I am a former 8th generation Kuro Elite owner. The 9300 exceeds the Kuro in PQ. Not to mention all the web stuff , built in media player, multiple USB 2 inputs, etc. I could care less for all the extra features. I purchased this for the picture quality and performance and nothing more. But if you want Netflix, Amazon video, or more, this will do it and do it. Web browsing is also available, along with Skype (camera sold separately) You can connect wirelessly to almost all your devices and stream videos and music.
*** DISCLAIMER: I can not speak to how well any of the web services perform and have noticed a slightly glitchy response in using even the picture adjustment menu with a notable lag time between remote button presses and occasional overshoots of selected menu items. Hopefully this is a firmware issue and not hardware related! Many have posted that the actual web features are snappier in response time than the picture adjustment menus. In other words, it works fine for Netflix, etc.
This LG OLED is really all about having the best picture available with everything else as an added bonus. (LG might not think so, but WE know why we bought this eh?)
The 3D is passive and halves the resolution. However, LG has refined their passive 3D and the crosstalk on this model is almost NONE so it is worth seeing. Only a 4K TV can do 3D better but then you have all the other problems of LCD since 4K OLED won't be available until the end of this year and will initially cost you TWICE as much as this set will.
If you want to see the best possible picture from your Blu Ray player or your cable box/DVR, this is the TV for you. It will not disappoint. I firmly believe that LG is positioned to dominate the panel business and OLED is the future. It's no longer pie in the sky, it's here and it works.
** some excellent calibration settings can be found on the user thread for this product over at the AVS forum. In the interest of full disclosure there are some owners (also on AVS) that have reported problems with both screen uniformity and motion handling. A few have reported having a small number of either dead or stuck sub pixels. This is not visible during normal viewing and usually only seen when using solid test screens for calibration purposes. Thankfully these are in the minority, however you may wish to fully check your panel before losing your receipt.
*** latest reports seem to indicate that seemingly stuck pixels are actually coming UN stuck and vanishing from view over time. This is also very good news! AND early pics and reports about black bar burn-in have suggested that they too vanish over time and are no longer visible. The mechanism, behind this is unknown as of now, but LG seems to have thought this through very well.
I am happy to report that I have ZERO stuck or dead pixels. I am as picky or pickier than the next enthusiast and would be the first to say if I had a dud! While being a long time LG user, I am not a "Fan Boy" and will regularly tear LG to shreds over perceived QC and design issues if they become an issue. I truly feel this particular TV has got most everything "right" this time and am happy to say so. I don't work for LG, nor did I receive this TV free of charge. I went straight into debt, just like most of us do for something like this.
The best television I have ever seen. Hands down!
The PQ alone is worth the purchase price, you get all the rest thrown in for free!
After using this for ONE DAY I could never go back to a LCD based system again. EVER! Yep, it's that good.......
Buy with confidence, you've finally found the TV of your dreams.....
Absolute black and infinite contrast. These are NOT buzzwords in this case. They are a reality.
The sense of lush realism is uncanny and ALL my content has taken on a new life. I am enjoying the 9300 more than any television I have ever owned. Viewing is satisfying and immersive. It's everything I had ever hoped for. The real wild card here is longevity, but as with all new tech, time will tell the tale. For now, I am a very happy OLED owner and have ZERO buyers remorse.
As such, this television gets Marty G's most highest rating!
0 comments:
Post a Comment