LG 55E8 TV: a 55C8 with a worked design

Presentation

Like the LG 55C8, the LG 55E8 has a 10-inch 55-inch OLED panel (≈140 cm) displaying an Ultra HD definition of 3,840 x 2,160 px as well as the new image processing processor called α9 (Alpha 9) more efficient. Like the other models of 2018, it has a black image insertion system that improves the sharpness of moving images, at the expense of maximum brightness, however.

The LG Oled 55E8 television is sold for around € 3,000, while the LG 55C8 model, identical in every respect except for the design, costs around € 2,500. Fortunately, over the promotions, it will be possible to find this LG Oled 55E8 at a lower price, closer to 2,500 €. It is also available in a 65 version (≈165 cm / 65E8) for around 4,500 €. Remember that the 55C8, 65C8, 65W8 and 77W8 models share the same electronics and differ only in terms of audio rendering and design. Please note, LG Oled 55B8 and 65B8 televisions have an α7 processor which, on paper, is less efficient, but we admit that we had a lot of trouble seeing the difference in our tests between the α7 and the α9.

All the brightness and colorimetric measurements mentioned in this article were carried out with a SpectraCal C6-HDR probe and the CalMAN Ultimate software.

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Image quality

The functioning of Oled technology remains unchanged: each pixel is made up of four sub-pixels (one green, one red, one blue and one white). White and blue are larger than the other two to improve the maximum brightness of the slab. As always with Oled technology, the viewing angles are excellent, the loss of brightness at 45 ° is very limited (22%), and there is no variation on the black which is total, whatever the angle. of vision.

LG Oled tiles benefit from an effective anti-reflective treatment which filters out a good part of unwanted light. You should still avoid placing a light source in front of the TV.

We measured the average Delta E at 1.6, a value well below 3, a threshold below which the human eye no longer perceives a difference between the colors displayed on the screen and the colors expected. In addition, all the colors tested display a delta E of less than 3.

We measured the average gamma at 2.33, very close to the reference value. There is a slight variation of the gamma on the grays at 5% and at more than 90%. This is acceptable and has little impact on the final result. Like the 2017 models, this TV now has an automatic gamma mode which automatically switches from gamma 2.2, ideal for HD / Full HD content, to gamma 2.4 which is the standard for Ultra HD Blu-ray.

Measured at 6,480 K, the temperature is in line with the video standard (6,500 K) and, above all, the curve is perfectly stable over the entire spectrum.

As with all Oled tiles, the contrast is considered to be infinite. Indeed, even with a white calibrated at 152 cd / m², black is measured at 0 cd / m² (our probe cannot measure a black below 0.0049 cd / m²). This contrast is simply perfect and allows you to benefit from all the nuances in the dark.

The new α9 processor benefits from noise reduction processing which is now carried out in four passes: two TNR (Temporal Noise Reduction) passes and two contour detection passes. The scaling is then applied with the improvement of the sharpness, the improvement of the contrast by the detection of objects and the improvement of the colors - the latter does not operate in Cinema mode. The scaling engine is therefore very efficient. It displays Full HD content on the Ultra HD panel while respecting the original source without creating an artifact. Like other models equipped with the α9 processor, this TV is also compatible with 4K HFR (High Frame Rate) content at 100/120 fps, which are currently only available via USB or streaming. There is still no HFR content for the general public.

The motion compensation engine now rivals the leaders in the segment, namely Philips and Panasonic. LG's α9 processor performs prowess and greatly improves the sharpness of moving objects. Note that the new processor α7 of the LG 55B8, supposed to be less efficient, is also doing very well and it is very difficult to perceive a difference between the two processors, at least with the content that we use for the tests.

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HDR

The Display Tone Mapping used by LG works very well. With an HDR signal at 10,000 cd / m², the television respects the EOTF reference curve and begins to smooth out the too bright parts from 60% in order to let perceive the nuances in the whites up to the maximum of the HDR signal. The weak point of Oled technology remains the maximum brightness, which we measured at 837 cd / m² on this LG 55E8 Oled TV while high-end LCD models can exceed 1,500 cd / m², like the Samsung QE65Q9F which reaches 1 599 cd / m².

Since summer 2018, we have been measuring the color accuracy in HDR mode in order to see if the televisions also respect the colorimetry in this specific mode. In this game, the LG TV is doing very well with Cinema HDR mode which offers the best color rendering. The average delta E is measured at 3 and several shades exceed this famous value of 3. It is a little less good than in SDR, but the colors can be considered as just.

The LG 55E8 television covers 70% of Rec.2020, slightly less than the Samsung QE65Q9FNAT which reaches 75%. In any case, this model is still far from being able to reproduce all the colors promised by the Blu-ray Ultra HD standard. Fortunately, this television covers 96.5% of the DCI-P3 space, that used by the cinema.

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Video games

The LG Oled 55E8 is a great gaming companion. The HDR problems encountered on last year's models are now forgotten. The zero afterglow results in very little blurring behind moving objects, while the delay in displaying only 21 ms minimizes the delay between the action on the joystick and its repercussion on the screen. 'screen. Only Samsung manages to do better with a display delay of only 15 ms. Another positive point, LG authorizes the activation of the black image insertion system in Game mode (Advanced options> TruMotion> MotionPro).

We are now evaluating the color fidelity in Game mode. We believe that the atmosphere created by the creators of the game must be respected by the television, just like that of a film. On this point, this LG TV - like almost all models on the market - is not doing very well. By activating the Game mode, we measured an average delta E of 9.6, far from the threshold of 3 and a temperature that exceeds 10 000 K. By adjusting the color temperature on W45, we find an average delta E of 4, 6 and a temperature of 6,660 K. It is much better, but not yet perfect.

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Clouding

Common to all Oled TVs on the market, there is no backlighting system since each pixel is managed individually. There is therefore no risk of clouding. Our test model is not affected by a banding problem (horizontal or vertical bands). Finally, the average difference in white homogeneity over the entire 55-inch panel is only 5%, a very good result which can be explained by the use of Oled technology.

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Ergonomics

The LG 55E8 television takes up the characteristic foot of LG's Oled models (LG 55C7V, LG 55B8, LG 55EG9A7, etc.), but it adds a glass slab which completely covers the back of the television and extends beyond the sides of the foot in facade. As with the spark other Oled models, the LG logo is absent from the panel and only appears on the foot. Finally, the screen edges are still as thin, which limits the size of the TV (122.8 cm wide).

The absence of a backlighting system allows the television to display extreme finesse at the level of the screen. On the upper part, it is only a few millimeters thick. The lower part which carries the power supply and the electronics is a little wider, since it takes 5.2 cm. LG has made efforts to reduce the depth of the foot which is limited to 22.2 cm. This television is at ease on our furniture of 160 x 40 cm.

The back of the Oled LG 55E8 TV differs somewhat from that of its closest cousins (55B8 and 55C8). If we find the power supply on the left and the connection on the right, part of the latter is hidden behind a cover. LG offers a rather basic cable routing system.

The connection is the same as on other Oled televisions of the brand: four HDMI 2.0b inputs, three USB ports including a USB 3.0, an Ethernet port, an optical digital audio output, a headphone output, a PCMCIA port (CI + common interface )), a rake antenna connector and a satellite. This television also has a DVB-T / T2 tuner and an integrated DVB-S / S2 and DVB-C receiver. It also has 802.11a / b / g / n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 for connection with a wireless audio device (headset or speaker).

The WebOS 3.5 system is still as pleasant to use, even if you start to feel a slight lack of fluidity. The main applications are available (Netflix, YouTube, Pluzz, MyTF1, Google Play Films or Deezer). They launch quickly and remain in memory for a rapid recovery. This year, LG is adding the AI ThinQ overlay which extends the number of actions available via voice control. It is then possible to carry out extensive searches (sports results, weather, etc.), to control the television ("set such channel", "record such program", etc.), to change the settings (switch to Game mode, in Cinema mode, etc.) and much more.

This Oled TV is very responsive. It takes less than 6 seconds to display an image after the first ignition and recovery is done in less than 5 seconds. The extinction is instantaneous. In addition, it consumes less than one watt when it is in standby.

Like the 55C7V and the 55C6V before it, the Oled LG 55E8 TV is supplied with the Magic Remote. There is no big change: we find the Netflix and Amazon Prime keys as well as the Quick Access button (0 key). Its very low center of gravity allows it to be lodged in the palm of the hand without effort. The gyroscope works wonderfully, as does the built-in microphone allowing voice searches. The remote offers all the usual controls, but LG continues to ignore some features that could make the difference, such as multimedia keys or a backlight system.

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Audio

Like the LG 55B8 and 55C8, the LG 55E8 has two speakers and two subwoofers with a total power of 40 W. However, the audio system is not doing as well, probably because of the glass slab extra which probably filters out part of the frequencies returned by the speakers located at the back of the TV. If the B8 and C8 offer a completely satisfactory sound, the LG 55E8 suffers from a serious blow of soft between 1,500 and 3,500 Hz, important frequencies for a television set since they are those of the voices. More than on the other models, it will therefore be necessary to turn to external speakers, such as a sound bar, a Home Cinema system or even PC speakers.

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Consumption

We measured the consumption of the LG 55E8 at 88 W on our test pattern. The relative consumption reaches 105.5 W / m²; it's more than most LCD TVs on the market. The Samsung UE75NU8005 is at 72.2 W / m², the Samsung QEQ6F at 61 W / m², and the category record holder, the Sony KD-65XE8505, drops to 56 W / m². Standby consumption is always less than 1 W.

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Conclusion

Like its cousins LG 55B8 and LG 55C8, the LG 55E8 is an excellent Oled TV. It displays a quality image, perfectly calibrated, both in SDR and HDR. Oled technology has nothing more to prove in terms of contrast, viewing angles and responsiveness. We can just blame it for its limited brightness peak compared to the best LCD TVs on the market. This model will delight those looking for a TV with a slightly different design.

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