Guest blog by Warren,
The LG OLED55B9PLA might be the entry model of LG’s award-winning range of OLED TVs, but it doesn’t lose any of the qualities that make an OLED picture so great. From beautiful, rich colours to dynamic contrasts, the display never fails to be spectacular. I found watching natural history programs, such as ‘Blue Planet 2’ or Netflix’s ‘Our Planet’, breath-taking with crystal clear clarity. It also doesn’t disappoint on big movie experiences such as the long awaited ‘Avengers: End Game’, with the great addition of 4K UHD.
Other notable features include the support of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, which further enhances the picture and sound if you are watching supported content from Sky Q, Netflix or UHD Blu-ray. That is not all; the LG OLED TV has further picture enhancements exclusively from Hollywood’s TECHNICOLOR studios, for a truly cinematic experience.
I have to say that I think the TV is very attractive and has a simple, clean design that I like. It is dark graphite in colour and the screen goes almost to the edge with minimal bezels. Best of all, the pedestal foot is surprisingly small, measuring at only 42 x 24 cm (16.5” x 9.5”). This means that even though it’s a 55” TV, it will still fit on most people’s existing TV furniture. This makes a welcome change from the previous few years where TVs mostly came with feet positioned towards the edges of the TV.
The LG OLED55B9PLA has all of the features one would come to expect from a modern smart TV including a full suite of major catch up and on demand TV services. Also, LG TVs exclusively have the Now TV app so that you can subscribe to the service without the need for an additional box connected to the set. One major benefit for those who watch terrestrial TV is that the LG is a Freeview Play TV, meaning that it has a 14-day program guide (not the usual 7 day preview). This also gives you the added benefit of having access to UKTV Play, which contains content from channels DAVE, Drama and Yesterday.
Unlike other manufacturers who supply two remote controls with their premium TVs, usually a standard one and a smart remote that is designed to work better with their TVs smart features, the LG OLED55B9PLA only needs the one magic remote. This has to be one of my favourite features as it cleverly incorporates motion sensors to control an on-screen pointer; this makes selecting smart TV apps and searching through content using the on screen keyboards an absolute breeze. It’s very hard to go back to the arrow buttons of a standard remote once you’ve tried it. On top of that, the 2019 magic remote also has branded Netflix and Amazon Prime video buttons and a voice control microphone making it compatible with Google Home and Amazon Alexa products. Apple users will be pleased to note that the TV also supports Airplay 2, which means you can stream content from your Apple devices to the TV, including TV programs from the new Apple TV+ service.
Overall, I think the LG OLED55B9PLA is a great value 55” TV, especially when you consider that it uses OLED technology at the same price as some of the leading competitors’ LED TVs. It is simple to use with well thought out features that should be on anybody’s shortlist when looking for a premium TV experience that does not cost a premium price. For more information, why not check out the full product specifications here or visit your nearest store to shop in person. We have also put together a TV buying guide to help with your selection process, take a look here.
