LG Bets Big on HDR With New OLED Sets

LG Electronics announced pricing of its new line of OLED 4K TVs May 24, with the cheapest, 55-inch version running $4,000, with the top-of-the-line 65-inch model running $8,000.

LG is banking that its 2016 OLED line will appeal to the videophiles of the world, with every set supporting both the baseline high dynamic range (HDR) standard HDR 10, backed with certification by the Ultra High-Def (UHD) Alliance but also Dolby Vision, the proprietary HDR technology from Dolby. These are the first retail sets that support both HDR formats.

“Dolby Vision supports and builds on top of HDR 10 to bring images to life on LG OLED and LG Super UHD TVs with a combination of brighter highlights, increased contrast, ultra-vivid colors and sharper details," said Roland Vlaicu, Dolby’s VP of consumer imaging. "Dolby Vision is already the preferred format for filmmakers and content providers with all seven major movie studios supporting the creation and release of Dolby Vision movies in the cinema and many streaming content providers defaulting to Dolby Vision as the preferred HDR format for the home."

Netflix, Amazon and Vudu are already offering some streaming content with HDR, with the first two announcing plans for more than 150 hours of HDR-enabled content each by the end of the year. Amazon has announced support for Dolby Vision as well, and Vudu is already offering several titles in the format.

"LG OLED TVs’ reputation for having the best picture available is backed by TV experts, Academy Award-winning directors and consumers alike — and the ultimate home entertainment experience is even better with new enhancements like HDR," said David VanderWaal, VP of marketing for LG Electronics. “Our 2016 OLED TVs combine our most advanced TV technologies with future-forward, stunning designs to elevate the TV experience to an entirely new level. And now, with two HDR formats, content has never looked more immersive or more lifelike."

The new sets also feature wider color gamut and the latest version of LG’s webOS smart TV platform.