LG Flat 4k OLED TV...curved only?

[varsas]

After much deliberating I have decided to take the plunge, and buy an OLED TV. I don't care for the current fad/fashion/amazing innovation of curved screens, luckily LG do their 4K OLED screens in a flat version. I already knew that Curry's/PC world have some sort of exclusive deal on the flat version, but I didn't know that they are a special order, not available in store or to 'click and collect'. It wasn't until I visited three separate stores (each time being told the next one definitely had one in stock) that I found this out. At least I did get to actually see one, one of the shops had one on demo. Up until that point I had wondered if they actually existed. To buy one you have to order them from the web, and at the moment they have no stock, and are quoting a '2-4 week' lead time!

What's going on here, do LG not want the flat OLED screen promoted? Or does everyone who wants a high-end TV wants it curved, so the flat one is a very niche product?

My reasoning would be that if you want OLED you want the best possible image quality, so you want the flat screen. Right?

[varsas]

If anyone knows of any other retailer selling this model that would probably solve my problem. Neither John Lewis or Richer Sounds do. Or Crampton and Moore, or anyone else I can think of.

I believe LG and Curry's have entered into a deal wherby they are the only ones who can sell that particular model. Or maybe there is no demand for it so no one else sells it?

Edited by varsas on Sunday 22 November 22:34

[varsas]

davepoth said:

What's the model number?

LG 55EF950V

[varsas]

NorthDave said:

Hi

We can get these through a trade only supplier but they are currently showing as due to them in 2 to 4 days and POA. The curved ones (960) are showing as in stock but again POA.

My guess is that the availability is just due to manufacturing and the natural ebb and flow of new products. I'd just hold off for a week or two and see where they start popping up.

I'd definitely be avoiding the curved stuff! It looks appaling when off and only alright when off.

OK, thanks for the help, I might PM you if I get stuck. POA is a bit worrying though!

[varsas]

Digitalize said:

Good choice on OLED, the more people that realise how much better it is than LCD/LED and buy them, the more widespread they'll get.

As for the curve, I'd probably go for one, as the idea is the image actually looks more natural.

I'd try and compare the two.

Thanks, I agree. Compared with an LCD it's like a veil has been removed from the screen, everything is so much clearer. For all the dicussion on here I notice no one has suggsted an LCD would be just as good.

It's actually not just the curve that is different between the two models. The curved version has HDMI 2.0 sockets, while the slightly later flat version has 2.0a, meaning it will accept HDR signals from external sources. Since I plan to go for ultra HD BluRay to get my 4k content this is a big factor for me.

I know, I'm like some sort of caveman, watching films off a shiny disc on my self-emissive flat TV when everyone else is streaming house of cards on their curved LED’s!

Edited by varsas on Monday 23 November 19:40

[varsas]

Rich_W said:

https://www.avforums.com/review/lg-65ef950v-ef950-...

These guys think the equivalent Panasonic is better

Last line of that review said:

we'd prefer to have a flat screen. So whilst the Panasonic TX-65CZ952B remains our reference point for image quality, if we were buying a TV right now we'd almost certainly go for the LG 65EF950V.

Depends how you read that I suppose. Are they saying taking the cost into account the LG is better, or do they mean a slightly poorer flat screen edges out a superior curved one? Anyway the Panasonic isn't available as a flat version or as a 55 inch (I've measured time and time again, but this is for my 'bedroom' setup and a 65 inch just won't fit) so it's no good for me. HDTVtest also held a 'shootout' between the two OLED's and the last-of-the-line Plasma VT60...

http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/shootout-oled-20151...

The Panasonic just edged the LG OLED.

Hoover. said:

Just been reading a bit more and LG do 77inch OLED curved, which you can adjust the curve on depending on what you are watching, and how many people are watching, and where they are watching it from.....

Oh well, problem solved! We can all go home! ;-)

Edited by varsas on Monday 23 November 20:47

[varsas]

Digitalize said:

If one has higher specs than the other then definitely go for it.

The Panasonic costs £3k more, I struggle to see how it could be any better, especially when as far as I know LG are the only company making OLED panels of this size?

I'm looking forward to going through all this in a years time hopefully, just need to drop in price a little more, putting up with LCD after my trusty Plasma finally died.

People expect an announcment from LG at CES in January, it's thought that they will announce a new range of OLED TV's which can go much brighter (for HDR), have a wider colour range and are cheaper. It's also expected that Panasonic will widen their range too.

Edited by varsas on Tuesday 24th November 13:35

[varsas]

REC 709 is being superceeded though, the HDR TV's are going beyond it. A flag in the signal informs the TV of the new format being used (there are many HDR formats) and the TV reacts accordingly. LG say the OLED can display the equivelent of 20 F stops. I don't know how this works electrically though inside a 1v signal, but with it all being digital does that matter?

[varsas]

zed4 said:

I bought the new LG 55EF950 55" FLAT OLED TV a couple of weeks ago. It's awesome. I'm really picky with my TVs, my last was a Panasonic VT plasma which was very impressive. But the OLED just blows it away, it is incredible. I also love the OS, it's so easy to use and great having Netflix, Amazon, Youtube, etc all pop up along the menu bar at the bottom.

The blacks are the best part, sometimes when I switch off my Sky box I think the TV has switched off too, it's perfectly black, then I walk back in the room later and the LG screen saver is on! You really need to see it properly set up, with good quality content. It's amazing!

Great, hope my experience is the same as yours! How did you buy yours? Online or in store? From Currys?

[varsas]

Digitalize said:

Ken Figenus said:

NO COMERADE! Stand up for your rights! I am super critical of displays and marketing (dynamic contrast type BS) (OMG the mess that is my parents absolute delight of a branded £350 32"LED Xmas present last year...ashamed ) most are pants... I bought a Kuro plasma years ago and it is still my reference monitor. It is amazing and every single day I amaze at it. I connect my camera after a day's HD shoot to it and I trust it to tell me what I got wrong!

OLED I have on my phone = superb :-)

Sadly not a Kuro but my Panasonic was probably the next best thing, convinced my parents in to a VT one just before they dropped it and that is fantastic, probably on par with the Kuro which really was ahead of its time when it came out. A shame Pioneer stopped producing them.

It annoys me a lot when friends and family buy TVs without consulting me first, and then asking me what I think etc, usually just smile and nod. However with the budget they have they can't usually get anything that amazing anyway. Hopefully Panasonic getting in to OLED will mean we see the brains behind their Plasma's putting out good products finally, as their current LCD line is just horrible. Saying that their all LG panels so it's just down to spec/accepted variances on the panels and software really.

It's a shame we aren't seeing any colour correct OLED monitors, would be good to see how they compare to the best IPS monitors.

We have some Sony Trimaster OLED screens at work for reference when editing. They're pretty good(!) and I would hope are calibrated pretty well. For what it's worth, I really like IPS type displays, Especially for environments where it isn't very dark. I use one at work as a monitor and am planning to buy one for home. IPS screens seem to be seen as second rate but I prefer them to VA.