On screens, contrast is king. Directors want their work displayed on screens that maximize color but also celebrate the absence of light. They want their blacks black, not gray. LG’s new television is the best 4K set yet, in part because it so thoroughly embraces this key distinction, with an OLED screen that enables individual pixels to be completely shut off. The result: infinite contrast. It makes the colors that are present pop more vividly, and it accurately and faithfully reproduces the film and television director’s intent. Coupled with a powerfully effective 4K-upscaler, you’ll enjoy the benefits regardless of whether your content is native 4K.
But the LG rises to the top not just for its contrast alone. It has the whole package — including a top-shelf two-channel, 20-watt speaker system designed by Harmon/Kardon, which can bring the audio to life either alone or in concert with your own supplemental system, whether full surround system or sound bar. Finally, the LG brings a smarter, breezier webOS 2.0 operating system, which uses a Magic Remote to let you simply point at what source you want — YouTube, Netflix, Amazon, etc. — or to flip briskly among your content options. It’s effortless. All in all, this is the first television that truly sets a new standard for home cinema.