LG 65EC970V review

The first 4K OLED TV is finally here

LG 65EC970V
Editor's Choice
Big-screen 4K OLED TVs are here at last

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For many home cinema fans the 65EC970V is a dream come true.

There are many, many occasions where its combination of a native 4K UHD resolution and OLED screen technology delivers pictures more beautiful and natural than any I've ever seen before on any television.

Its webOS operating system, moreover, ensures that the 65EC970V is still easy to use despite its cutting edge nature, and its design is gorgeous.

It needs native UHD content to really shine, though, and if you're thinking ahead you might be concerned about its lack of HDR support.

LG 65EC970V

We liked

Thanks to its incredible contrast performance, native 4K UHD resolution and rich, natural colours, the 65EC970V delivers at times the best pictures we've ever seen.

Its design is stunning too, webOS delivers a great interface, and even the sound quality from the built in speakers is respectable, despite the crazily slim design.

We disliked

You have to be surprisingly precise with brightness and contrast settings to maximise this stunning TV's OLED black level potential.

Colours can be a little patchy at times too, and there's no support for the rich colours and high brightness of upcoming HDR content.

Verdict

If you're lucky enough to have six grand to spare you're faced with a stark TV choice between the LG 65EC970V and the Samsung UE65JS9500.

And it's a very tough choice, based around the unbeatable contrast and stunning design of the LG and the unprecedented brightness and colour intensity (as well as HDR support) of the Samsung.

Whichever way your money ultimately goes, though, the bottom line is that the 65EC970V is another ground-breaking moment for TV picture quality, and its overall score should reflect this.

John Archer
AV Technology Contributor

John has been writing about home entertainment technology for more than two decades - an especially impressive feat considering he still claims to only be 35 years old (yeah, right). In that time he’s reviewed hundreds if not thousands of TVs, projectors and speakers, and spent frankly far too long sitting by himself in a dark room.