Guest blog by Ray
The SK8100PLA is the latest in the line of LG 4K UHD LED TVs and has a great picture thanks to the IPS Nano Cell panel and full array local dimming. This model also features the new Alpha7 Enhanced Picture Processor as found in some of LG’s OLED televisions, and it supports the major HDR picture formats including HLG, HDR10 and Dolby Vision. Put simply, this will give you the best HDR experience – regardless of content type and where it comes from. Don’t let the tech-speak put you off – these features give full, consistent colours across the screen, even from wider viewing angles, and greatly improved black levels.
The picture is incredibly detailed and has a nice natural quality to it. I particularly liked the ISF Technicolor setting which gives a lovely soft picture straight from the box, with no adjustments whatsoever. However, it also affords you a great deal of customisation and calibration if – like me – you enjoy tweaking the picture to your very own specification. For people who enjoy a brighter picture then you’ll find the ISF Bright Room setting is ideal. This is certainly no “one size fits all” set-up as you will also find the usual vivid, standard, game and sports modes to ensure you get the perfect picture for the content you’re watching, whether that’s sedate nature programmes, action-packed movies, your favourite sport or even gaming.
Sound is dealt with by Dolby Atmos processing, which gives an immersive effect and puts you in the centre of the action. In my opinion, the audio output is probably the best performance of any flat screen TV on the market right now – although a good cinema system or soundbar would always be preferable. I teamed this TV with the LG SK9VY wireless soundbar which gives you 500w of power and partners well with any 55” TV. The difference this made was pretty amazing, giving me audio quality that was every bit as impressive as the picture I was watching. You may have to face the TV to really appreciate the film you’re watching, but the sound is a different story. The LG SK9Y wireless sound bar also features Dolby Atmos technology, which allows the sound to soar around you rather than be directed straight ahead. Combining your TV with a sound bar ensures that you will feel at the heart of the action – whether it’s a movie thriller, nail-biting TV drama or your favourite team in the cup final.
The WebOS 3 operating system is intuitive and easy to use; it gives you quick access to all the apps and services, as well as the inputs and TV settings. Apps supported include all the major catch up services from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and UKTV along with Netflix, Amazon Video, Plex, Now TV, YouTube and many more. Ask your local store for more information as some content and services may be subject to availability and can vary across products and platforms. Some of the services have a subscription plan.
The included LG “Magic Remote” makes navigating the menus and features simple, either with the buttons and scroll wheel or by using the remote as a wand to control the on screen cursor, or by voice control via the built-in microphone. I think this functionality is really clever and intuitive; you can choose to scroll, point, click or speak with LG Magic Remote. LG’s AI (artificial intelligence) uses natural language processing, to ensure you can easily access TV content and service without going through complicated steps. In effect, it listens and “thinks” to respond to your requests. Some handy voice commands were, “Turn off when this programme ends,” “Show me a yoga video for exercise,” “Change to Cinema mode,” and my new favourite “Play The Crown on Netflix.”
Say what you want the TV to do or the title of what you want to watch on Netflix, and LG’s SUPER UHD AI TV will find and play it for you.
Alternatively, it can work with Amazon’s Alexa, so you can control your TV from your Amazon Echo, Echo Dot or Sonos One-G1 once you have enabled the skill within the Alexa app. Voice control features include adjusting the volume, launching a specific app or searching for a program, finding YouTube videos, setting a sleep timer or simply asking it to switch off when a program finishes.
The set is available in 49, 55, 65 and 75” sizes so you’ll be able to choose the perfect TV to fit in anything from a small living room right through to a large home cinema installation.
You can buy online, use our Click & Collect service to pick one up in as little as one hour or ask your local store about a demo.
