LG 15EL9500 review

The largest consumer OLED TV is stylish and exciting, but so very expensive

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LG 15le9500 2

The rumble of expectation for OLED TVs has been building for some time now, with the potential of the technology's effectively self-illuminating backlight suggesting exciting possibilities for contrast and black levels, while whisperings of hitherto unheard of colour potential marked it out as a potential long term heir to plasma's naturalism crown.

Happily, the 15EL9500 sets about confirming most of these high hope in short order.

Blacks, for a start, are exceptional. Watch a conventional (CCFL) LCD screen in blackout conditions and you won't fail to notice the screen's inherent luminosity; whatever's onscreen, evidence of the backlight might be suppressed without ever being eradicated.

This OLED, though, achieves almost total darkness, to the extent that the outline of the screen is hardly discernible during cuts to absolute black.

Limited size

While difficult to appreciate fully on such a little screen, there is also a good sense of separation between shades of darkness and the unprecedented depths to which this display can reach provide an impressively solid foundation for every other aspect of the picture.

Right at the other end of the scale, peak whites are blisteringly bright. Whether or not you take that ten-million-to-one claimed contrast ratio with a pinch of salt, the set is certainly capable of searing intensity.

Colours are generally solid, with decent saturation when necessary and no evidence of bleeding or banding

Flesh-tones are spot-on and the LG can handle a down to earth palette, such as that of the real-world sequences of Where the Wild Things Are or the garish, martian hues of Australia without breaking stride.

Some flesh tones occasionally look a little waxy, but this is forgivable when you consider how small a canvas the various shades are being crammed into.

It's hard to asses detail fidelity accurately on a set this small, as it doesn't take a particularly sophisticated 15incher to make DVD or Blu-ray look passable at the very least. Still, it's a clear and well-disciplined watch that barely breaks down when viewed from only inches away.

The same applies to motion, but as far as we can tell, the 15EL9500 keeps up with the action without much in the way of judder.

Tech Specs

Product TypeOLED TV
Standard Refresh Rate100 Hz
Analog TunerPAL, NTSC, SECAM
Video Signal StandardHDTV
Number of HDMI Ports1
Brand NameLG
Screen Size38.1 cm (15")
Aspect Ratio16:9
Horizontal Viewing Angle190°
Vertical Viewing Angle190°
Weight with Stand (Approximate)1.50 kg
Operating Power Consumption40 W
Standby Power Consumption990 mW
RMS Output Power4 W
Electronic Program GuideYes
Height with Stand235.10 mm
Width with Stand351.30 mm
Depth with Stand42.90 mm
Number of Common Interface1
Composite VideoYes
Component VideoYes
Teletext Memory1000
Height235.1 mm
Width351.3 mm
Depth42.9 mm
Maximum Resolution1366 x 768
FeaturesChild Lock, Sleep Timer, Teletext
ManufacturerLG Electronics
Product Model15EL9500
Product Name15EL9500 OLED TV
Manufacturer Part Number15EL9500
Manufacturer Website Addresshttp://www.lge.co.uk
Marketing Information

OLED TV is significantly more energy efficient than existing LCD, LED and Plasma TVs this 15" OLED TV from LG will give you the ultimate in picture quality and the minimum in power consumption.

Response Time100 µs
Weight (Approximate)1.60 kg