LG C9 Series Smart OLED TV - 65" 4K Ultra HD with Alexa Built-in, 2019 Model

A few years ago on my commute home from my NYC office, I walked through a section of Grand Central Station called Vanderbilt Hall where various events are held and was struck by an incredible set of photographs that were hung in an LG exhibit. I had never seen pictures so brilliant.And then... the pictures went into motion.... and it was obvious that this was a TV, not a photograph of any sort. Now I'm not actually much of a "videophile" and I personally always thought the differences between the various technologies like LCD, LED, Plasma, DLP, etc were relatively small. Sure, some were noticeably better than others, but never what I would describe as "dramatically" better.OLED is dramatically better. It's stunning. I saw those sets and well.. I had to have one. So asked what they cost. Well... they hadn't been released yet (this was a promo) but i was told when they hit the market they would likely be around $7000! I didn't want to spend that. SO I decided to wait until the prices came down.IMHO, "the wait is over".And when I actually hit the "order" button I initially had a little doubt. I mean, I really don't care THAT much about picture quality. In fact, I've always been perplexed at how obsessed people were with the "picture quality" in the sense of "display" and how much more concerned I was with "picture quality" in the sense of the artistic value of the story (TV, movie, etc.) And so while I was waiting for it to be delivered, my concern was that I would be disappointed in that it didn't add that much to my "viewing pleasure".Surprise! I am actually stunned by how much more I enjoy watching TV (particularly 4K) and movies. With the OLED set it seems so much more realistic and "natural" that I seem to get more immersed in it. And sports? I'm a big fan of AVP Pro Beach Volleyball on Amazon Prime. Now, I'm not going to offer hyperbole and say "it's just like being there", but what I will say is that watching it on my OLED is somehow more immersive and realistic.One of the main advantages of OLED (I was told) was that it shows "true black". That is, a black section of the image is rendered as "black" and without "glow" from the backlighting of LED and other technologies. It is very easy to dismiss the importance of that, but it makes every OTHER color more vibrant.I'll end with a little story/experience. WHen I first used my OLED, I watched a scene that had a long "fade to black". Some sorta instinct lead me to believe that the set somehow had failed and lost power. Subconsciously (I suppose) years and years of watching older TV technology has conditioned our brains to see a completely dark screen as a TV that is "off".Here's the funny thing - I've had the set for a month now and.... I STILL Have that reaction (that the set lost power) every time it fades to black. Sixty years of conditioning doesn't evaporate overnight. :-)I love the "Smart" features of my set. And about the only thing I find disappointing is with the Amazon "Alexa" integration. First, the TV doesn't provide all the features that a true ALexa device (like my Echo Dots) seem to have. The setup with Alexa isn't easy (I'm a techie, but I think others might struggle with it, but that's true of a lot of Alexa stuff), and it seems to need to be completely reconfigured every time we have a power failure.But as a TV, I'm in love.

Before anything I must first say that the original TV delivered to me on 12/10 was either a refurbished, show room, or previously returned TV. I was sent a TV with dead pixels straight out of the box AND with cracked bezels on the top left side. I also knew it was used because in addition to the aforementioned issues, the tv came without the protective screen plastic all new TV's come with. I paid 2k+ for this?! Completely unacceptable and I was HIGHLY disappointed/angry that day. Now, to be fair, the TV appeared to have been shipped from an LG factory in my state so I don't fault amazon. I'm guessing they were just the third party here. Additionally, and this is why I went through amazon, the return & replace process was so easy and effortless. I finished the process in less than 5 minutes and scheduled a new drop off date for the TV; they took care of picking up the used one too. However, it did take a whole 2 weeks before I got my replacement which was just the cherry on top. So, kudos to Amazon but at the same time, please explore opportunities to improve the return process. I shouldn't have to wait 2 weeks for a replacement after paying 2K for a new TV. All in all.. I'm glad I stayed with the purchase and didn't opt to go with something else completely. *I didn't include pics of the returned TV since this review is on the working and new TV*For what it's worth, this review is coming from someone who had a 55" Vizio for maybe the last 6-8 years. I know a decent amount about TV's but I'm no expert That said.. WOW.TV: This thing steals all the attention in my living room. It's thinner than my iphone! It just LOOKS effin sexy even when it's turned off. Speaking of "turned off" it was mind blowing to me that it appears to be off when there is no feed coming in. Talk about True Blacks! I guess i'll need more time to get used to OLED tech lolSet up: The set up process that I see some people complaining about... it's really not that bad guys. Smart TV's are evolving so it makes sense for it to request your WiFi info, language preference, time zone, etc. right out o the box. Takes about 5 minutes total, no big deal. Getting it out of the box and ready for the my TV stand was just as easy, just make sure you have an extra hand for the base install. It weighs like 50 lbs and you'll want someone to help you pick the TV up. Do not attempt to do it yourself.Controller: I for one LOVE the controller it comes with. I love how I can effortlessly scroll through the menus without needing a L, R, U, D button.Sound: The speakers are decent but to be honest I've always had a sound bar hooked up. The TV speakers go pretty loud but lack the depth a decent sound bar will provide in my opinion.Picture: I mean it's an OLED guys. I could write a huge paragraph telling you how amazing it looks but if you can't see it for yourself, it's pointless. If you're interested in an OLED, visit your local electronic store and check it out. I'll tell you going from a 6+ year old LED to an 2019 OLED was like going from Motel 6 to the 4 Seasons.I wish I had the extra $ to drop on the 77" but the price jump is crazy. I'll enjoy my 65" for now. 5/5 for the TV.If you're on the fence, take the leap. If you don't like it, send it back. Amazon return policy is A1.