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LG 55EC9300 Review
55" 1080P Smart 3D Curved OLED TV with webOS, $3499
RedLine

Out of the Box

If you look at the LG 55EC9300 from the side, you will see that the OLED screen is smartphone-thin - .17 of an inch to be precise. But with its curve and the addition of a structure to contain the connections, the TV's profile balloons to a rather portly three inches. Despite its appearance, it's the lightest 55-inch TV I have handled.

LG 55EC9300

The screen is supported by a wide, curving base which does not swivel. The unit can be wall mounted.

When the TV is off, the screen is reflective, but you can notice some sort of anti-glare coating. When the display is on, I was never distracted by an offending reflection.

On the bottom of the back edge of the TV, LG has replaced the traditional operational buttons with a joystick controller, which allows you to turn the power on and navigate through the menus if you can't unearth your handy Magic Remote.

On the opposite side of the back are two connection panels. The first is stacked vertically and faces towards the edge. The second runs horizontally and faces downwards.

LG 55EC9300 Back Panel

The vertical column contains three HDMI inputs (one is compatible with MHL [Mobile High-Definition Link] devices.) In addition, three USB inputs are provided.

In the horizontal panel are one more HDMI input (compatible with Audio Return Channel [ARC] devices like AV receivers), a Digital (Optical) Audio Output, Composite and Component Inputs (which require hybrid cables that LG provides), and an RF input for an antenna or cable.

The 55EC9300 has an integrated Wi-Fi adapter and for those who still demand a wired network connection, there's a LAN port.

As you can see under the Premium category of the LG Store, this Smart TV offers a full assortment of streaming services like Netflix and Pandora.

For the TV's on-screen user interface, LG's designers are employing webOS. The content options are displayed at the bottom of the screen as colorful tabs that pop up as you scroll over them with the Magic Remote's pointer.

LG 55EC9300 webOS interface

The tabs can be customized and I found them easy to navigate. The only bump in the road for me was locating the Menu tab, which I discovered was actually not one of the tabs but rather the sprocket icon at the top of the screen.

The row of tabs not only contain links to content providers but also to a Web Browser, a Notifications page and an on-screen Users Guide, which will be essential reading when you are setting up features like Voice Recognition.

LG 55EC9300 Remote

You enter voice commands with the microphone built into the palm-sized (2" x 6") but feature-packed Magic Remote.

The non-backlit remote furnishes dedicated buttons to access the Home Page and to select Inputs. I wish that LG would add one to go directly to the Settings menu.

The real magic in this remote is a shake away. Pick it up, give it a waggle and a pointer appears on-screen, which you can move with a slight flick of the wrist. Tap the remote's scroll wheel to select an option or spin it to step through a list. Set the remote down and in a few seconds the pointer disappears - easy peasy.

Power Consumption

The EPA publishes a list of ENERGY STAR qualified TVs. (You can find it here.) The LG 55EC9300 is on the list.

For this ENERGY STAR Certified Television, the Power Consumption in On Mode is 82W and in Standby Power Consumption is .2W.

The Energy Guide tag calculates that if the TV is on five hours a day and in Standby for the other 19, the Estimated Annual Energy Use is 151 kWh/year.

LG 55EC9300 EnergyGuide

As you can see from the Energy Guide tag, this LG OLED TV is at the very low end of power consumption for 55 to 59 inch similar models.

If you dig into the Picture menu, you will find an Energy Saving list of options. For example, if you are streaming audio through the TV, you can turn the Screen off.

Setup

I usually begin this section with a tour of the basic setup steps that you can do yourself - and I will get to those in a second.

First, as a reminder, this LG OLED TV is a top of the line product with a price to match. To achieve the maximum value from this sophisticated display technology, you should strongly consider hiring a trained specialist to setup and calibrate your TV to your viewing room.

With that said, with a little time and care, you can perform a less complicated setup and still attain a perfectly gorgeous picture.

The first time you power up the LG 55EC9300, you are stepped through the initial setup. The animated character guide might not be to everyone's taste, but the process is quick and easy.

LG 55EC9300 Set up

Basically, it will take you through important steps like connecting to your network and TV source.

LG 55EC9300 Set up

With that completed, you should - in respect to this OLED display - at the very least, load up your favorite movie or TV show and the open up the Picture Menu and slowly cycle through the Picture Modes: Vivid, Standard, APS, Cinema, Sports, Game, Expert 1 and Expert 2.

See if a particular mode pleases your eye, though for all that is sacred, please avoid Vivid. If in the initial setup you turned on Power Saving then the default Picture Mode is APS.

Personally, I prefer Cinema as a starting point though it may be a bit subdued for many. If you find a favorite, you're set.

If you feel the need to tweak, LG offers two paths. For those who prefer guidance, LG provides the Picture Wizard III that leads you through basic picture adjustments like setting Brightness, Contrast and Color. The Wizard only takes a couple of minutes and it works fairly well.

If you are a real grease monkey, you can roll up your sleeves and dive into the Picture Adjust menu's tools. To access a full toolbox, choose Cinema or one of the Expert Picture modes first. Proceed with caution and prepare to push the Reset button if you get lost.

Of course, to take full advantage of this Smart TV, you still need to load up your favorite apps, many of them like Netflix will require you to register your TV with the streaming service.

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