The LG G4 OLED was the best TV I saw this year – and it’s $600 off right now

I am not normally a fan of LG TVs, however I’ve examined the LG G4 OLED TV this yr, and I’ve to confess that it has probably the most spectacular image high quality of any TV I’ve ever purchased, used, or examined. 

Additionally: The next big HDMI leap is coming next week – what the 2.2 standard means for you

Although the vacation offers are over, you possibly can nonetheless discover the 65-inch LG G4 on sale for over $600 off its retail value of $3,399 at each Amazon and Best Buy as retailers amp up their New Yr’s financial savings alternatives. At about $2,800, the LG G4 OLED remains to be an costly TV (one of the best value we noticed throughout Black Friday and Cyber Monday was $2,300). 

For that value, you can get two 65-inch Sony X90L TVs — my choose for the best TV for the money. But when image high quality is your primary precedence and you’ve got the finances, there is not any TV on the planet with a greater image than the LG G4. 

What makes the LG G4 OLED image so good? A number of issues. 

To start with, there are the issues that make all OLED screens nice, and that is very true for LG OLEDs as a result of they’re one of many main innovators within the know-how. We’re speaking about true blacks (versus washed-out darkish grays from LCD TVs), deep distinction, extra vibrant colours, and superb dynamic vary in pictures which have each darkish and light-weight components. The LG G4 has all of these qualities — and on the highest ranges I’ve seen on any TV — as a result of it’s LG’s flagship OLED TV for 2024. 

Additionally: I tested Samsung’s 98-inch 4K QLED TV, and here’s why it might be worth the $13,000

So, what’s new on this yr’s LG G4? The most important leap ahead is in image processing, and that is made potential by the brand new α11 AI Processor 4K. I’ve at all times thought of Sony the king of image processing, and it was a great distance again to LG and Samsung, primarily tied for second place, with finances TV makers TCL and Hisense lagging the gang. Nonetheless, with the 2024 α11 AI Processor, LG is now pushing Sony for the highest spot in image processing — and that is saying quite a bit. 

The place this actually issues is with regards to out-of-the-box image settings, upscaling older and lower-quality 720p and 1080p content material, and the TV mechanically adjusting the image to make right now’s HDR content material look superb. In all of these areas, the LG G4 now rivals Sony. 

And since LG has at all times arguably made the highest-quality OLED TV panels, this improve in image processing lifts the LG G4 to the highest of the category in image high quality. For motion pictures, exhibits, gaming, and just about another content material, the LG G4 brings them to life in vibrant coloration, clean movement, and unimaginable distinction — greater than another TV you should purchase proper now. 

Additionally: How I turned this 98-inch TV into an immersive entertainment system (and it’s $1,500 off)

I attempted it with a few of my favourite content material with difficult visuals, together with Dune, Avengers: Finish Sport, and several other different cutting-edge cinematic marvels. All the content material appeared higher than I’ve ever seen on any TV I’ve used, purchased, or examined — and that features a few of the greatest TVs from Sony, Samsung, LG, TCL, and Hisense over the previous few years.

What are the drawbacks? 

There are a couple of drawbacks to notice in regards to the LG G4. First, in fact, is the premium value. As I’ve already talked about, you can purchase two 65-inch Sony X90L TVs for the value of 1 65-inch LG G4. And I feel most individuals could be extraordinarily proud of the mid-range Sony X90L. However you are not most individuals in case you’re contemplating the LG G4. 

The opposite drawbacks are the distant and LG’s built-in webOS software program. Each are mediocre at greatest. I take into account LG’s distant to be the worst of any of the massive 5 TV makers. It is giant, chunky, and has a complicated variety of buttons. A TV that’s good and has such a premium design that’s svelte and delightful deserves a better-designed distant. 

Additionally: You can finally buy LG’s transparent OLED TV – if you’re willing to pay $60,000

LG’s built-in webOS software program is almost as disappointing because the distant management. It really works high quality, nevertheless it’s not very intuitive, and it’s nowhere near being as well-thought-out because the TV {hardware}. The icons for content material are small and typically exhausting to pick, the menu system is a bit convoluted, and there are built-in advertisements operating within the software program, which makes it really feel pointless for a TV this costly. 

That mentioned, in testing the 83-inch LG G4 in ZDNET’s TV lab, I merely by no means used the distant or the built-in software program. I connected an Apple TV 4K and used that distant and its interface to entry all the streaming companies and content material that I needed. The mixture of the LG G4 and Apple TV was superb. So, in case you purchase an LG G4, I might advocate including a high-end streaming field just like the Apple TV 4K, Google TV Streamer (4K), Amazon Fire TV Cube, or Nvidia Shield. 

The built-in sound within the LG G4 is okay however not nice — like just about each different high-end or finances TV. So in case you’re shopping for a TV this costly, I will assume you are going to add a soundbar. On the very least, I might advocate getting the Hisense AX5125H 5.1.2-channel soundbar — my choose for greatest finances soundbar. And in case you actually need to kick into excessive gear, then I might advocate the Sony Bravia Theater Quad, which mechanically calibrates itself to your room. 

Additionally: Changing these 5 soundbar settings made my living room feel like a movie theater

Lastly, in case you’d favor a high-quality OLED TV with a fantastic distant and nice software program built-in in order that you do not have to run a separate streaming field, then I might advocate the Sony A95L OLED TV, which runs Google TV and has a really premium distant. And in case your TV goes to be in a really vibrant room with plenty of home windows or lights, then I might advocate the Samsung S95D, which almost matches the LG G4 in image high quality however comes with an unimaginable glare-free display that appears superb in any room. 

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

Whereas Sony and Samsung supply OLED TVs with related value factors, the flagship LG G4 OLED is unmatched in image high quality, making it a stable suggestion at this sale value. Its highly effective α11 AI Processor is on par with the colourful colours, true blacks, and dynamic vary displayed on its smooth panel. For a extra immersive, theatre-like sound expertise, take into account including a soundbar, as I discussed above.

Make the most of these reductions at both Amazon or Greatest Purchase whereas they final.

How we check TVs

Whereas testing and researching the TVs featured on this listing, I and different ZDNET specialists stored these standards in thoughts:

• Worth: Not all budgets are created equal. And in case you’re working with a restricted finances, that should not imply you must accept a sub-par TV. Every TV mannequin on this listing has been chosen throughout a wide range of value factors to assist accommodate completely different wants.
• Display screen dimension: A very powerful issue to think about, after value, when purchasing for a brand new TV is whether or not or not it should match into your house. Every greatest TV on this listing was chosen as a result of they’re out there in all kinds of sizes to swimsuit completely different rooms.
• Image and audio high quality: A brand new TV does not imply a lot, even when it prices an arm and a leg, if it would not present a fantastic image and clear audio. Every TV on this listing has been ensured to help varied HDR codecs, together with HDR10+ and Dolby Imaginative and prescient, in addition to enhanced audio software program like Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus, and object-tracking sound.

For a extra detailed look, try our extensive TV testing methodology.