TELEVISION ROUND-UP
LG G6
Panasonic DX900
F O R A L L T H E L AT E S T N E W S A N D P R O D U C T S , V I S I T W W W.W H AT H I F I . C O M
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LG currently seems to be the only TV manufacturer of the Big Four that’s fully placing its bets on OLED. The cry of “it’s too expensive” falls on deaf ears with LG – it has eight OLEDs in its 2016 range. At the top is the G6, which forms part of LG’s new Signature collection, a high-end line-up of products across categories including white goods. The G6 ticks off all 2016’s must-haves. It’s a 4K OLED panel with 10-bit HDR processing for greater contrast. LG says it is capable of more than a billion colours and can reach 600 nits peak brightness and less than 0.0005 nits black level. This qualifies it for the UHD Alliance’s new Ultra HD Premium standard, and it will also be compatible with Dolby Vision technology. On an aesthetic level, the G6 is the thinnest TV LG has produced and is nothing short of stunning. The
LG has heeded the cry of customers who don’t want curved screens, particularly in the high-end market where TVs are often wall-mounted OLED panel measures just 2.7mm deep, with a panel of glass fixed to its back for reinforcement. It has a unibody approach, with no screws or bolts to blemish the sleek, minimalist lines.
Making a stand Many will be happy to hear it’s a flat screen too. LG has heeded the cry of the customers who don’t want curved screens, particularly in the high-end market where TVs are often wall-mounted. The G6’s stand is a clever construction which houses not only all the TV’s connections, but also a 60W 4.2-channel speaker base developed by Harman Kardon to fire sound forwards. It folds under the TV for wall mounting, with sound coming out of a secondary grille instead. Smart TV functionality on the G6 is handled by LG’s webOS 3.0 platform, which now includes support for Freeview Play – a service that combines catch-up TV from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 with on-demand services and live TV. The G6 will be available as a 65in screen size sometime towards the end of March, followed by a 77in later in the year.
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Panasonic had a fairly small AV showing at CES 2016, with the announcement of its new flagship DX900 LCD range alongside the long-awaited UB900 UHD Blu-ray player, but no new OLED sets. The new DX900 range brings together all the TV highlights of CES 2016 – 4K Ultra HD resolution, Ultra HD Premium specification and THX 4K certification. It promises better-than-ever picture performance, with Panasonic’s innovative new ‘honeycomb’ structure, controlling hundreds of isolated backlighting and local dimming zones. This technology is claimed to deliver brightness of 1000 nits across much more of the screen than its competitors, all without compromising inky deep blacks. Panasonic hasn’t put as much emphasis on the slimness of its TV. The DX900 isn’t chunky, but it’s not as wafer-thin as Sony or Samsung’s offerings. The bezel is still reassuringly slim though, and Panasonic has opted for a stand that sits mostly behind the TV. It might not be as eye-catching as its rivals, but there’s no doubt it’s still a smart-looking TV.
Magnetic appeal Firefox OS once again serves as Panasonic’s smart TV system, a welcome return for one of the more streamlined and welldesigned interfaces of 2015. After the DX900’s release, an update will include new content providers, HDR support for Netflix and Amazon, and a way to link Firefox across platforms, including a ‘send to TV’ feature for sharing content. As for sound, the DX900 packs a speaker array that includes four passive radiators for delivering a weightier sound, alongside powerful Neodymium magnets in the speakers that help to produce clearer, more expansive output. The Panasonic DX900 will be available in 65in and 58in screen sizes, and is expected in the spring.
Panasonic hasn’t put as much emphasis on slimness. The DX900 isn’t chunky, but it’s not as wafer-thin as Sony or Samsung’s offerings