Nine Won Won LG C9

The C9’s updated panel, excellent processing and improved speakers prove that there’s plenty of life in the OLED dog yet

SPECIFICATIONS

Display sizes 55, 65, 77 inches Panel 3840x2160 OLED Image processor Alpha 9 Gen 2 HDR Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG Operating system webOS Connectivity 4x HDMI 2.1, 3x USB 2.0, optical, 3.5mm jack, ethernet, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11ac Speaker power 40W Dimensions 830x1449x46.9mm (65-inch model)

Hardware-wise, OLED is said to have already reached its limits. In fact, it did so a couple of years ago. It means that any new OLED TV in 2019 is, from a panel perspective, very similar to one bought in 2017.

But performance is about so much more than raw materials, which is why the vast majority of the best performing TVs in 2018 were OLED, and why we’ve always had high hopes for this year’s models. But even our highest of high hopes couldn’t have prepared us for the magnificence of the LG C9. This is a real step forward over last year’s C8, which was itself a stunning performer.

As was the case last year, the C-class OLED gets you all of LG’s most advanced picture and processing tech in the most affordable package. There is an even more affordable 2019 LG OLED, the B9, but this makes do with a less sophisticated processor and without the new picture- and sound-enhancing AI features that includes. You can go more expensive, too, with the E9, W9 or R9 but, while each offers a different design and sound solution, nothing differs in terms of the picture. In all likelihood, then, the C9 should turn out to be the pick of the range, just as the C8 set was last year.