this is its new range of TVs for 2018.
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LG made an important commitment by bet on OLED technology when no other manufacturer believed in this innovation applied to large televisions. Or perhaps its real merit was finding a way to make reasonably priced large-format OLED panels before anyone else.
The new range of televisions that the South Korean brand has just presented at CES endorses the confidence it still has in OLED technology. But also its commitment to IPS LCD panels in the high and medium ranges. This, coupled with several powerful innovations, such as the artificial intelligence and the new Alpha 9 processor, places, for another year, LG as a powerful contender in the television market.
New image engine and HFR 120 / 4K
LG has said goodbye to the M16 + processing engine that it uses in many of its current OLED TVs. The new chip that will be in charge of dealing with video management is called Alpha 9 Intelligent Processor, and, according to its creators, it is 35% faster than its predecessor. On paper, this improvement will allow you to tackle all image processing operations more quickly, which we should perceive as a tangible improvement in the quality of moving images.
It should also offer a noticeable improvement in subjective contrast ratio, which, combined with brand-new True Color Accuracy Pro color management technology, ensures a more accurate color restoration.
We do not doubt that this is the case at all, but, since the panels are still 10-bit, we will have to wait until we can test one of their new OLED televisions to corroborate to what extent these innovations become better image quality.
Another improvement that deserves our attention: LG’s new high-end televisions are capable of reproducing HFR 120 / 4K content Through the most popular streaming platforms and video services, such as Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, etc.
Unfortunately the HDMI 2.1 specification has not been approved on time, which has prevented LG from implementing it in these televisions, so for now we will have to settle for receiving the content HFR 120 / 4K via the Internet (which for users who have decided to dispense with physical formats will probably not be a problem).
Also, with artificial intelligence
This is undoubtedly one of the most impressive news of how many LG has included in its new televisions. They have called her ThinQ IA, and we can find it not only in the TVs of the OLED and Super UHD ranges of 2018, but also in many household appliances and mobile devices of this brand.
It will allow us, among other things, talk directly to the TV through the remote control, as well as accessing other devices from the TV, such as robot vacuum cleaners, air conditioners, lights, smart speakers, etc., and also other devices that can be connected to the TV using the WiFi or Bluetooth connection.
OLED keeps hitting hard
We start with the top-of-the-range family. The new ones OLED W8 they are positioned as the most sophisticated televisions of the brand. They will be available in 65 and 77-inch sizes, incorporating the new Alpha 9 processing engine, 4K Cinema HDR and HFR technologies, Dolby Atmos 4.2 sound through a built-in soundbar and Google Assistant integrated into webOS.
The family OLED E8 It will be available in 55 and 65 inches. The most interesting thing about this range is that it inherits most of the specifications of the current W7 family, which today is LG’s top of the range, but they resort to a conventional chassis, and not to the design of almost non-existent frames, which It is reserved for the W7 families and the next W8, which we just talked about.
The next range in the ladder is the OLED C8, available in 55, 65 and 77 inch sizes. What we can expect from this family is that it inherits the great quality / price ratio of the current C7 range, which could position it as one of the best-selling of the brand. It is a success that it also incorporates the new Alpha 9 processing engine.
And finally when it comes to OLED TVs, we have the B8 family, which, in principle, will be the one with the most affordable prices. These TVs will be available in 55 and 65 inches, although, unfortunately, they will not incorporate the new Alpha 9 processing engine. Instead they will have the Alpha 7 chip. We do not yet know its specifications, but it is evident that it is a shortened version and, therefore, cheaper than the Alpha 9 model that the other televisions of the generation incorporate.
Super UHD models: the best of LG in LCD IPS
If the budget is not enough for us to get a next-generation OLED TV with the inches we have in mind, we do not have to despair. In the market we can find models with an LCD panel, both from LG and from other manufacturers, of great quality and a lower price.
The latest from LG in this segment is the model SK9500, which is available in 55 and 65 inches. It is an IPS LCD TV equipped with the latest generation Nano Cell quantum dot technology and with the brand’s most advanced backlight local dimming technique (Full Array Local Dimming or FALD), so it looks good. Of course, it does not incorporate the Alpha 9 processing engine, but the Alpha 7 that we can also find, as we have seen, in the OLED B8 range.
The model SK9000 It will be available in 55 and 65 inches, and it will be identical to the SK9500 in everything except one feature: it will not offer us as precise light control as its big brother, so we can probably expect that its HDR will not be so spectacular. Even so, it can be an interesting option if its price, as we hope, is competitive.
Finally, we close the Super UHD model range with the SK8000, which will be available in 55, 65 and 75 inches. Its backlight dimming technology is simpler than that of the SK9500 and SK9000 models by switching from full array to local, revealing less precise light control. Even so, its price will reveal whether or not it is worth betting on this model.
The UHD family, to dry, also looks good
LG is aware that not all users aspire to get a high-end 4K UHD OLED or LCD model. When the quality / price ratio rules, product families like the one in question become relevant. We start with the model UK7700, which will be available in 49, 55 and 65 inches. Its panel is LCD IPS and lacks FALD technology. It also does not incorporate a processing engine as powerful as that of the families we have talked about a few lines above, but, yes, it has 4K UHD resolution, active HDR and surround sound.
On the other hand, the model UK6500 / 70 It will be available in sizes ranging from 43 to 86 inches, and features Google Assistant, active HDR and an IPS LCD panel. Finally, the more modest 4K UHD proposal, the model UK6300, it will be available in sizes ranging from 43 to 65 inches, and incorporates an entry-level IPS LCD panel. Expect them to be very attractively priced.
Pricing and availability
At the moment LG has not released the price of its new televisions, nor the date on which they will reach stores. Even so, as soon as we meet them we will update this post so that you have this information, so we suggest that you check it again if you are interested in getting one of the new televisions of this brand.
Via | Techradar | PR Newswire
In Engadget | Artificial intelligence comes to LG’s OLED and SUPER UHD TVs, which are renewed for CES 2018
