LG G4 OLED TV overview: OLED goes off the charts in 2024

LG G4 OLED

MSRP $3,399.00

“The LG G4 is a triumph of fashionable television engineering.”

Execs

Notorious brightness
Fabulous accuracy
Unparalleled flexibility
Superior gaming performance
Five-twelve months warranty

Cons

Hit-or-omit sound
Frustrating some distance-off

The LG G4 OLED TV is simplest the 2d TV I’ve completely tested this twelve months, but I already bear zero doubt that it is miles a finalist for simplest TV of 2024. Despite every little thing the comparisons and shootouts are over, I won’t be stunned if the LG G4 takes the throne. But whether or no longer it does or no longer, it’s already a winner, because it represents a large fulfillment for LG.

By the tip of this overview, you’ll tag precisely what I mean. But it absolutely could well aloof reach as no surprise to many of you that the LG G4 is an shapely half of substances. It has a ridiculously skinny profile and a virtually nonexistent metallic border — all of it lovely and for certain neatly-constructed, even its new tabletop stand.

This twelve months, the 55- and 65-disappear items reach with that tabletop stand in the box, a system shift that’s the result of LG listening to customer feedback. You aloof rep LG’s custom Slim Wall mount included in the box for a virtually gapless set up of the 77-, 83-, and 97-disappear items, nevertheless.

Definite, LG has the OLED M wireless sequence of this identical in discovering. But I aloof are inclined to imagine the Gallery sequence (that’s the G half of the title, and 4 as in 2024) as LG’s flagship. And as LG’s flagship TV, the G4 has the top possible of every little thing constructed in. It’s got LG’s OLED evo skills, with a Micro Lens Array panel — a tool and hardware combo that delivers the brightest, punchiest OLED image on hand. It’s got four HDMI 2.1 inputs, with enhance for as much as 4K 120Hz input alerts with variable refresh fee, plus AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync certifications. There’s LG’s gaming dashboard, HGIG (that’s HDR Gaming Passion Team) below 1-millisecond input breeze time … the checklist of tech acronyms goes on and on. It’s got correct about every little thing you have to well desire, and then some. The most productive part lacking is an ATSC 3.0 tuner — and I correct can’t lift myself to dock it aspects for that.

Maybe the biggest feature, though, is the brains of the LG G4 operation — LG’s Alpha 11 AI processor. We’ll rep to that in somewhat.

Video overview

The few sticking aspects

There are simplest two things with which I’m no longer correct wildly in love during the LG G4. Two things. Perhaps three. And they very unparalleled are a matter of subjective thought. So, let’s correct rep these out of the draw so we can rep on with the champagne party.

One is LG’s webOS running gadget. It is in no draw a faulty particular person interface. And, really, I tackle that the top possible advertisements that stay seem on it are for roar you would glimpse. They’re no longer your traditional demonstrate advertisements for completely different retail products. That goes a perfect distance with me. But I’m correct no longer in love with webOS as an running gadget. It’s the cramped things — tackle the very fact that the streaming apps half is produced from the smallest tiles on the procure page. I mediate they need to be the biggest part on the procure page because that’s what I for certain desire to glimpse.

And while I tackle deal frequent updates that take care of the OS running delicate and the apps carrying the latest aspects, the app updates reach so continuously that it appears tackle I can’t disappear two days without needing to approve an app replace before I can begin up searching at something.

I’m also over the Magic A long way flung. I are mindful of it makes LG completely different and helps it stand out — and it’s as close as you would rep to a shapely universal some distance-off take care of watch over for the time being. But it absolutely’s correct no longer my cup of tea.

And then there’s the TV’s sound. It can well additionally be impressive in various ways, but I continuously discovered it demanding extra continuously than no longer. Amazingly, the utilization of LG’s AI Sound Pro feature is the top possible option on hand. But with the total stock audio modes, I discovered dialoguu to be too low in loudness in comparison to fully different sounds, and it used to be alsodifficult to tag infrequently. It’s shapely that the audio could well additionally be impressive in its expansiveness and digital surround results. And it’s got some bass. I watched some segments of a couple Star Plod movies and you have to well for certain feel the rumble of the ship’s engines, for obvious. But the core of the sound — the constancy — it’s correct no longer there. OK, I’m lovely picky. It’s first fee, but, imagine it or no longer, the unparalleled more cost effective Hisense U8N sounds better to me. And that’s the part: Whereas you happen to spend this unparalleled money on a TV, you wish it to sound for certain honest always.

But I’m willing to forgive the LG G4 all of that. I prefer to make reveal of an Apple TV box with my TVs anyway. And I nearly repeatedly bear no longer no longer as much as a soundbar connected. And as for the some distance-off, neatly, there’s correct no draw I’d desire to fail to note this image quality. So, if the grand LG G4 image quality comes with the LG Magic A long way flung? So be it. I’ll are living, and I’ll are living somewhat happily.

Quite seemingly the top possible I’ve viewed

So with all that acknowledged, the unmitigated truth is this: The LG G4 OLED TV bigger than earns each penny you spend on it with its image quality alone. The G4 is the top possible television LG has ever made, and I I’m inclined to allege the LG G4 has the top possible image quality I’ve ever viewed.

I know — I really bear given the same reward to the Sony A95L OLED TV. And I’m no longer but making a final resolution between the LG G4 and the A95L till I’ve establish them head-to-head.

But the explanation I reveal I’m inclined to allege the LG G4 has the top possible image quality I’ve ever tested in a TV is because by some measures, it does things the Sony A95L simply does no longer stay. And searching on what your preferences are for image quality, there’s a honest probability that you just have to well prefer the G4 over the Sony A95L.

The pause brightness size numbers on the LG G4 are borderline meaningless.

Here’s the deal for the Nit Nerds: The pause brightness size numbers on the LG G4 are borderline meaningless. That’s for the explanation that test patterns we desire to work with are of zero hobby to the Alpha 11 AI processor, which makes all the selections about how brightness is going to work on this TV. And it simplest works when there’s valid roar on the cowl cowl. So build centered on the color accuracy, color gamut, the white stability — all of which you already know are going to be ideal. But the tip white measurements I’m about to rep aren’t telling us about how colorful this TV can rep.

In stock SDR Filmmaker Mode, high brightness from a 10% window (and here’s a reminder that this doesn’t mean something else) came in at 361 nits. And that’s after turning off the eco environment. Searching on the draw you tweak the settings, or in the occasion you opt a clear image mode, this number can disappear as high as 650 nits.

Two-level white stability in SDR stock Filmmaker mode came in at exemplary levels. Delta E used to be around 1 for 30% and 100% stimulus. And even in the occasion you max out brightness, it holds to below 2 on the high aspect, which, all over again, is exemplary.

Grayscale is as near excellent as I’ve viewed out of the box. It’s improbable. And color predominant accuracy is, all over again, as honest as I’ve viewed without calibration.

The long and short of it is that there weren’t any errors over a Delta E of two, if they had been even that high, and something else below 3 is supposedly no longer discernible by the human eye anyway. I’m most impressed with the low luminance color performance. This used to be an scenario in prior years, and it appears LG solved for it. I don’t know how LG did it, but that’s an fulfillment rate recognizing.

NOW, in HDR: Grayscale tracking used to be excellent. It followed the electro-optical transfer characteristic (EOTF) perfectly. Even at its brightest, the color temperature stayed pure. Simply unreal.

The brightness measurements don’t insist us unparalleled about how colorful the G4 can rep.

High brightness (which, for a third time, I need to stress skill cramped or no with this TV) used to be 1500 nits at various window sizes as much as 10%, then down to 235 at paunchy cowl cowl. That doesn’t for certain matter, though. What or no longer it’d be fundamental to know is that here is the brightest OLED available, and by a no longer insignificant margin.

Color matching used to be impeccable, and even with luminance error, it used to be aloof ideal. It’s near a reference-grade demonstrate already.

And then there’s 97.5% DCI P3 and 73% BT.2020 UV — that’s one insist the set we scrutinize the WRGB OLEDs coming in below QD-OLED. Although that BT.2020 color protection aloof has recommended cramped roar of which to hang encourage.

One extra part before we transfer out of the Nit Nerds half: I desire to demonstrate why it is that the brightness measurements don’t insist us unparalleled about how colorful the G4 can rep.

Segment of the brand new processor and processing this TV is equipped with entails pixel-degree image prognosis. That is, the TV’s processor doesn’t correct glimpse at the paunchy image — it appears to be to be like at each cramped pixel. And half of that prognosis involves some very particular decisions around how brightness is utilized to the image. So, somewhat than break the image down into a bunch of zones and then bear brightness decisions around that, the Alpha 11 AI processor takes a glimpse at each pixel within the context of the entire image. In doing so, it is in a suite to enact the next average image degree while also asserting colorful spotlight part.

So in the occasion you mix LG’s brightness booster max with the very fact that you just would manually alter how the TV applies tone mapping, you would settle to bear HDR roar brighter than it is specified to be. Or you would settle to eye it precisely because it used to be supposed to glimpse. This solves a effort level of us continuously bear, with HDR roar trying too darkish. It also helps the TV enact better total brightness — or average image degree — better than any completely different OLED TV I’ve tested to this point.

But that processing work isn’t utilized after we’re white containers on the cowl cowl in a sorting out train. It simplest kicks in in the occasion you’re searching at true roar.

The sweeteners …

The LG G4 OLED already is seemingly the most capable and versatile OLED TV I’ve ever tested. And I’ll add that it is miles a severely extra capable TV than closing twelve months’s G3 OLED. So in the occasion you’re questioning if it’s rate paying extra for the G4, I’d reveal certain. The G4 is somewhat an fulfillment and offers extra revolution than evolution this twelve months.

The LG G4 is continuously lovely and is rate each cent you’ll spend on it.

And to bear the G4 an even extra enticing option, LG is offering a 5-twelve months warranty on the G4 — and that involves burn-in safety. So, the problem that this TV’s immense brightness capabilities could well pause up being a liability is severely curtailed, shining that if there is a burn-in scenario (despite all the protections LG locations in insist), this could maybe well also be covered in seemingly the fundamental 5 years of ownership. That reveals a grand amount of self assurance on LG’s half, which I mediate quite interprets into self assurance for the proprietor.

Here’s why LG deserves some particular acknowledgement for the fulfillment that the G4 OLED represents: I’ve been searching at LG’s processing (which is what makes a TV glimpse the draw it does) disappear nearer and nearer to Sony’s revered processing, twelve months after twelve months. And each twelve months I’ve had to allege LG is getting nearer, but Sony has remained on high.

But this twelve months is totally different. Whereas LG’s simplest processing and Sony’s simplest processing each offer completely different variations of excellence, I really desire to establish LG shapely up subsequent to Sony now. The motion, readability, color, part — oh, man, that part — LG has it all sewn up in the G4. It for certain is a immense deal.

Because now that we bear LG hitting correct as onerous as Sony in the processing division, I mediate we’re going to glimpse each firm pushing to outdo each completely different – and that roughly opponents tends to breed innovation.

So congrats to LG for creating thought to be one of many top possible user televisions ever made. The LG G4 is continuously lovely and is rate each cent you’ll spend on it. It makes every little thing you glimpse — or play — glimpse its absolute simplest. It’s better than many of you bear thought imaginable. And because it is an OLED, it appears to be to be like honest at virtually any angle, from any seat in the house.

The LG G4 is nothing short of a triumph of TV engineering.

Editors’ Strategies

Read Extra