This is a world class television and you should absolutely buy it.
I am not a TV expert, but I try to be a well-informed novice. My wife and I have been debating a new TV for a year or so and I've been doing a lot of research. After looking at the various brands, styles, technologies, etc, the results were in--get an LG OLED TV as the best mix of quality and longevity. After that it was just a matter of diving into the specifics and choosing a size. The long and short of it is that this specific version of the TV is the right choice out of all the options available. The latest (2018 model) version of these LG TVs come in three levels, denoted by a B, C, or E in the name. This one, the B (B8PUA), is considered the lowest, or most basic, model. While the C and E are undeniably excellent TVs, the features they add did not, I felt, warrant the additional cost; the B model is really all the TV you could want or need.
There is a lot to love about this TV. First, the screen size. This was my first major upgrade for a TV in a long time, and I'd never had one this big before. As long as a TV physically will fit where you want to put it, getting the biggest screen size you can matters. At 65 inches this thing seemed ridiculously huge out of the box, but you'll be amazed at how quickly you become used to the size and once you do, you can't understand why you waited so long. Size is a quality all of its own. But what truly makes that size work is the quality LG brings to this device. Put simply, I have never seen a sharper, more vibrant, more true to life display that this. Every comparison I've seen in person and online consistently demonstrates that the LG OLEDs are king. The OLED technology (which I freely admit I don't truly understand beyond the basics) allows for true black on the screen simultaneous with the brightest of colors. When you first start using this screen you are just consistently blown away by the images you see.
On the technical side, I won't say much, as others online can certainly do it better, but basically this thing has the specs to prove its awesomeness. I will say that I like the 60 Hz even at 4k resolution. I have not tried it hooked up to a computer as a monitor, but I imagine it would do real well in such a setup. The TV has all the inputs you could want or need on a modern TV, though somewhat surprisingly the USB ports are 2.0 rather than 3.0. This is not going to be an issue still for a majority of devices, but 3.0 has been out for a decade now, so it really should have at least one USB port be 3.0.
There are really only two caveats I would offer. First, this 2018 model has a redesigned stand/base that I, personally, find less aesthetically appealing than the one found on previous models. I am sure that LG had a reason for the redesign, and likely plenty of people will find it appealing, but I thought I'd mention it. Given that plenty of people wall-mount their TVs, and that no one spends time staring at their stand, this isn't really a problem. Second, the price. Let's be honest, if you are reading this review, you are considering a high-end TV. The B-version is cheaper than the C and E and is, I believe, the best option of the bunch--the higher priced models just don't offer enough extra to warrant the added price. That said, this is a lot of money. You can almost always get deals, some of them substantial, around Thanksgiving and the Super Bowl, so you may want to wait till then to save several hundred bucks. Finally, as with any high-end TV or monitor, you are going to need/want to tweak the display settings after you connect it to your WiFi and have applied any updates. I have included my settings below as a starting point, but every display is slightly different, so you may still need to adjust a bit. Adjust all the settings before deciding if you like the image, and only then start making small changes, as the picture won't look right until all changes have been made. I am very much a set it and forget it kind of person, so I wanted to take the time in the beginning to get it right, and then never have to worry about it again.
Under Settings, Picture:
Energy Saving - Turn Off (otherwise the screen brightness will constantly change, which is annoying)
Aspect Ratio - Set to 16:9 (but you can also opt to leave it to scan each program individually, especially if you watch old shows)
Picture More - Expert (Dark Room), and in that, the following settings:
OLED Light - 75 (kept high so I don't have to change the mode when the room is bright vs. dark, but you may want it lower to the 50s)
Contrast - 80 (I wouldn't go much lower than this, but you could range as high as 95)
Brightness - 58 (anything within 10 of this is the range you want)
Sharpness - 5 (probably don't need to consider anything outside the 1 to 10 range)
Color - 50
Tint - 0
Expert Controls: (brings you to another menu)
Dynamic Contrast - Off
Super Resolution - Off
Color Gamut - Normal or Auto (I haven't really noticed a difference either way)
Color Filter - Off
Gamma - 2.2 (standard for most shows/movies apparently)
White Balance: (brings you to another menu)
Color Temperature - Warm2 (somewhat a personal preference, go cooler if that's for you)
Picture Options: (click back two menus to Picture Mode Settings again)
Noise Reduction - Off (but if you watch older shows/movies you may want this on)
MPEG Noise Reduction - Off (but if you watch older shows/movies you may want this on)
Black Level - Low
Real Cinema - On
Motion Eye Care - Off (I find it real annoying when brightness changes automatically while watching something)
TruMotion - Off
Overall this is a terrific TV. If you already have an OLED or QLED TV from the last couple of years, it may not yet be time for an upgrade, but if you don't have one, this TV is the current reigning champion and will be a vast improvement over virtually all other TVs. Do yourself a favor and get this TV, it's just that good.
OLED C8PUAOLED E8PUAOLED B8PUAScreen Size Class/Display Type55" 65" 77"/OLED55" 65"/OLED55" 65"/OLEDDesignUltra Thin Cinema ScreenPicture-On-GlassUltra Thin Cinema ScreenIntelligent Processorα9α9α7Billion Rich Colors/Perfect BlackYesYesYesHDRDolby Vision, HDR10, HLGDolby Vision, HDR10, HLGDolby Vision, HDR10, HLGLG AI ThinQYesYesYesAmazon Alexa / Google Home CompatibleYesYesYesSmart TV / Magic Remote IncludedYes/YesYes/YesYes/YesNumber of USB Ports/HDMI Ports3/4 (HDCP 2.2)3/4 (HDCP 2.2)3/4 (HDCP 2.2)AudioDolby Atmos 2.2 Ch 40W (WF: 20W)Dolby Atmos 4.2 Ch 60W (WF: 20W)Dolby Atmos 2.2 Ch 40W (WF: 20W)
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