LG EA9800 - OLED TV with curved screen

LG EA9800 – what is it?

LG is showing off its brand new OLED range at CES 2013, which includes three models all due to launch in the UK. The EA9800 is the flagship one and features a screen with a five degree curve. Pricing on this particular model hasn’t been revealed yet and is not due to go on sale until the end of the year, however the flat screen EA8800 will be available earlier at a price of £10,000.

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The following is not a review, but our first impressions of the product based on a short time viewing it. Pricing and availability is tentative and subject to change.

LG EA9800 – what are the key features?

Curved display This unusual feature is certainly the stand out feature here. According to LG, it means the entire screen surface is equidistant from the viewer’s eye, which removes the problem of visual distortion and loss of detail at the edge of the screen. Even if you’re not completely sold on that it’s certainly an interesting idea.
Super slim design LG calls it ‘Paper Slim’ and these TVs are certainly thin – as OLEDs generate their own light, there’s no need for a separate backlight. There’s also hardly a bezel to speak of so you’re making the most of the whole display.
Vivid pictures LG promises a built-in Color Refiner to show images that are more vibrant and natural. It also has an ‘infinite contrast ratio’, which means no matter which angle you’re viewing from, or how bright the room is, you should be able to see the same colours and blackness without distortion.

Which? expert first impressions

A dramatic curve this is not, in fact if you’re at a distance head on you might not even notice. Get up closer, however, and you can see what LG is trying to achieve – it’s pretty subtle but it does give the tiniest touch of the wrap round experience. When I spoke to LG at its booth, it told me that this was a first phase and they’d be aiming to make the curve bigger on subsequent versions. This would add to the effect, but is it best suited to a single person viewing I wonder?

It’s hard to imagine this selling in great numbers but it’s great to see the innovation. In terms of the OLED screen quality, the vibrant colours and deep blacks of the images look fantastic – almost distractingly good, in fact.
Catherine West – Senior Researcher

CES 2013 FAQ

What is CES 2013?
CES is short for Consumer Electronics Show – it’s the largest tradeshow of its type in the world and the place where major technology brands announce their new products and discuss the future of technology.

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