LG is one of the most recognised TV brands on the planet, with a number of highly popular TV models already found in homes across the UK. When looking for the perfect TV, most signs will point in the direction of LG.
But, from the outside, it can often seem a little tough to tell what’s so special about LG. What is it that has helped to make them such a dominant name in the world of TV technology? And are their TVs really worth the price?
Want to better understand one of the industry’s leading competitors? This guide will help you to do it. We asked our Reliant tech experts to help us discover what has helped to make LG such a beloved name, and whether they’re really worthy of all of that hype!
What Is The History Of LG TVs?
LG is a company that actually has a very long and storied history. Originally, the company was founded in 1958, under the name of Goldstar Co., and produced some of Korea’s earliest home products! It didn’t take long before Goldstar Co. expanded far outside of the confines of Korea and began its new life as LG.
Some of the company’s first TVs were manufactured around 1966, with the Goldstar VD-191 TV standing out as one of the most iconic TVs of the era. When you consider just how long LG has been in the business of producing top-quality TVs, it becomes plain to see why it is now one of the most trusted names in the business.
LG has been in the TV industry for close to 60 years. This extensive history has helped the company to become a trusted name. Even to this day, the company continues to innovate in numerous ways!
Over the years, LG TVs have seen a number of significant advancements. In 1998, LG made particular waves with the introduction of the first 60 inch plasma screen. At this point, screens of such a size were almost considered impossible. LG has always been a name at the very forefront of the industry. The standard bearer for other manufacturers to follow.
To this day, LG TVs continue to innovate and change the way we enjoy home entertainment. The company’s extensive history, combined with its ongoing popularity has helped to make LG a true force to be reckoned with.
But how does LG manage to stay so competitive after all of these years? What is it that makes the company’s TVs so special?
What Makes LG TVs Special?
When we consider LG’s long-standing popularity, it’s important to consider the features and technologies that have helped to strengthen the name. Let’s take a look at some of them!
LG WebOS
Smart TVs are now totally ubiquitous in the world of home entertainment. In fact, you would likely have a harder time trying to find a TV that wasn’t “Smart” in some way. One of the key parts of any smart TV is the all-important operating system, an area in which LG totally excels.
LG’s proprietary WebOS is one of the most robust and efficient operating systems on the market. It’s designed with total ease of use in mind, to ensure that absolutely anyone can find what they’re looking for when using an LG smart TV.
One of the most iconic parts of LG’s WebOS is the navigation ribbon that is designed to contain all of your most used apps and services. The ribbon is easy to pull up with the touch of a button, and then you can scroll through the options quickly, to find the services you like. The ribbon is designed to only take up the bottom of the screen, so it won’t interrupt your content while you browse through options!
LG WebOS is one of the best smart TV operating systems around. It’s incredibly intuitive and can be edited exactly as you see fit. For ease of use, LG smart TVs stand out on top!
You can also edit the ribbon in real-time, to move services closer together, or to remove certain apps or services. This makes it totally effortless to move about between services or between content!
The LG Content Store also allows you to download new apps instantly. So when that new streaming service arrives and takes the world by storm, you can get going with it right away!
LG ThinQ AI
LG’s WebOS is specifically designed to be edited and customised as much as the user deems necessary. It allows users to choose exactly the experience they want, so they can feel like the TV is truly their own. To help make this easier, many top LG smart TVs also include LG ThinQ AI!
LG ThinQ AI is actually an artificial intelligence technology employed in a number of different LG devices. It’s designed to learn directly from how you interact with a given device, to then automatically improve the experience according to your needs and tastes.
LG ThinQ AI, as it’s applied in LG TVs, learns directly from the kind of content you enjoy. Let’s say you’re currently obsessed with the latest crime drama hit on Netflix. LG ThinQ AI will recognise this, based on your streaming habits, and recommend similar shows or films to you. It will also make it easier to access the Netflix app, by placing it towards the top of the navigation ribbon.
LG ThinQ AI also allows you to connect your LG TV to other devices. For instance, you can control and interact with the TV entirely through your smartphone. OR even get Alexa or Google to turn it on or off! All you need to do is download the LG ThinQ AI app to your phone and connect the LG TV to your local network. Once connected, you can set up all kinds of commands, so you can control it through your phone, or through voice command!
QNED And NanoCell Technology
LG TVs are not only known for their ease of use and simple controls. They’re also known for their simply stunning visuals.
LG QNED TVs use NanoCell technology to block out excess light from the backlights. In turn, this results in much sharper contrast, and a clearer image! LG QNED TVs are a great alternative to OLED!
There are numerous different TV display technologies across the market, such as OLED, QLED, or the traditional LED display. However, one particular display technology, exclusively produced by LG, has managed to make an impact all of its own.
QNED TVs make use of special NanoCell technology, to create a TV that perfectly marries the benefits of both OLED and QLED TVs. NanoCell technology, at its most basic, is designed to absorb excess light from LED and QLED TV backlights. Backlights are great for projecting images out to the viewer, but occasionally, some of that light can leak through, causing darker areas of the image to appear a little too bright.
The millions of nanoparticles that are packed into the NanoCell layer of a QNED TV are there to filter out dull tones and excess light. In turn, this results in a much sharper contrast.
NanoCell and QNED TVs are specifically designed to be an affordable alternative to the much-lauded OLED TV. The use of NanoCells allows these TVs to enhance contrast and sharpness, to emulate the look of an OLED TV. Speaking of OLED TVs…
OLED Technology
OLED TVs are easily some of the most popular TVs on the market. OLED technology allows a TV to achieve much sharper contrast, with far deeper black values and richer colours. This is done through the clever application of self-illuminating pixels. When needed, these pixels can turn off completely, which results in no excess light bleeding through the image. What’s left behind is a true black value.
The application of self-illuminating pixels has helped to make OLED TVs some of the sharpest around. They have totally unparalleled contrast, and they make any content look much sharper as a result. And of all of the manufacturers of OLED displays, LG has to be among the top.
OLED TVs are unparalleled when it comes to contrast and sheer fidelity. Of all of the OLED TVs on the market, LG’s various models very often stand out on top!
LG’s OLED TVs are also specially designed to emit far less blue light than other similar TV screens. Blue light is actually known to reduce the amount of melatonin released in the brain. Melatonin is the chemical responsible for making you feel tired before heading to bed. Reducing blue light helps to improve the quality of your sleep, which in turn leads to a healthier and happier you!
If you want to reduce blue light even more, you can activate “Eye Comfort Mode”. This mode is specifically programmed to cut down on blue light, so you can watch TV late into the night!
LG has long been a top name when it comes to OLED TVs. A number of the company’s OLED models have gone on to become incredibly popular!
A9 Gen 5 Processor 4K
LG’s smart TVs don’t just make it easy to navigate to your favourite content. They can also help to make that content look incredible.
LG TV models with the A9 Gen 5 Processor can enhance any content so that it looks totally natural on the screen. For instance, if you wanted to watch a film that is displayed in 1080p, the processor could upscale it, as you watch, and make it appear as though it were natively 4K!
But the A9 Gen 5 Processor takes things a little bit further. The processor doesn’t just clean up the entire image, but it also gets into all of the nitty-gritty details! It doesn’t just spruce up the image, clean up a few pixels here and there, and then call it a day. Instead, it actually seeks to identify distinct shapes and forms within the image.
This technology, known as “Body And Object Enhancing”, identifies characters and important objects in a given image, and enhances them. By doing this, the TV can help viewers to keep up with the action, by preventing characters from simply blending into the backdrop!
The A9 Gen 5 Processor leverages well-trained AI technology to improve the clarity of any film or TV show you want to watch!
Dolby Vision And Dolby Atmos
While LG TVs have a number of exclusive technologies that only work on them, they also play fair with some of the best third-party technologies. Most of the latest LG TVs are now built with support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos right out of the box.
Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos are absolutely unparalleled when it comes to making the most of your content. Essentially, they’re special video formats that contain highly detailed information about all of your favourite content. All of that extra data allows your TV to more accurately replicate a realistic image and sound while you watch.
Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos are specially designed to make content look and sound as real as possible. Many LG TVs come with built-in support for both formats! This makes LG TVs great for film lovers!
If you’re a fan of film, in particular, and you want to feel a little closer to the filmmakers you admire, then an LG TV with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support is an absolute must.
Magic Remote
Of course, we can’t talk about LG TVs without gushing over the amazing magic remote. The magic remote is packaged with most LG TV models and is totally unlike your standard remote controller.
The controller itself is ergonomically designed to fit comfortably into your hands so that it feels as intuitive as possible. It has all of the buttons you expect, plus a few more. The dedicated streaming buttons that can take you to platforms like Netflix are a particular favourite of ours! The central button of the controller also has a scrolling design. So users can more quickly breeze through options by giving the scroll wheel a spin.
Finally, we simply have to mention the most amazing feature of the magic remote. When pointed at the screen, the magic remote can actually be used to control an on-screen cursor. This cursor is then moved around by simply aiming the controller at different points of the screen. This helps to eliminate all of that mindless button pressing.
Apple AirPlay
If you own an Apple device, such as an iPhone, iPad, or a Mac computer, then one of the best reasons to own an LG TV is the inclusion of built-in Apple AirPlay. Apple AirPlay allows you to cast any content from your Apple device directly to a connected display. You can even use Apple AirPlay to totally mirror the screen of your iPhone. Have a hilarious video you want to show to the whole family? Just cast your phone directly to the TV!
This cuts out the need to buy an external device for AirPlay compatibility. Instead, just simply cast directly to the TV from whichever Apple device you choose!
LG TVs are perfect for iPhone and iPad users. They come with Apple AirPlay support built-in. This means that you can display content from your device on the screen instantly!
Once AirPlay is set up on an LG TV, it really is as simple as pressing the AirPlay button on your Apple device, and starting to cast! No messing around with wires or buttons in the process. Just find the content you want to cast, and display it!
Multi-View
Some LG TV models also have a multi-view mode. Essentially, this operates very similarly to picture-in-picture. But, instead of resulting in a horribly discordant clash of content, multi-view allows users to make the most of multiple pieces of content at the same time. Multi-view takes advantage of the incredible screen sizes offered by LG. If you have a large 85 inch model, for example, multi-view looks absolutely fantastic.
Multi-view is a mode that can be found in the TV’s system settings. Once activated, you can choose to display images side-by-side or with a traditional picture-in-picture layout.
Once multi-view is activated, you can adjust your viewing experience as you see fit. You can even choose which picture the audio will come from. This keeps your content from clashing!
In fact, some LG TV models come with built-in cameras. If you wanted to really upgrade your workout, then you could use multi-view to display your workout content besides a live camera feed. So you can compare your form with the workout you’re following. In turn, this results in a much more effective exercise!
Are LG TVs Good For Gaming?
Much of this guide so far has been dedicated to discussing the benefits that LG TVs offer for fans of TV and film. But it can’t be ignored just how great of an impact an LG TV can have on the gaming experience.
Gamers require a few different features from their TVs that average TV owners may not otherwise concern themselves with. Luckily, LG TVs boast a number of these crucial gaming features, as well as a few extra! Let’s take a look!
Game Mode
One of the best gaming features offered by LG TVs is the built-in game mode. In order for games to really display at their absolute best, a TV needs to have the correct settings.
Game mode is essentially a group of presets that you can activate whenever you turn on your console. These presets deactivate any post-processing effects, which in turn improves the display’s response times!
For instance, to ensure response times are low, and games feel responsive, it’s important to turn off post-processing effects that spruce up the on-screen image. By disabling post-processing effects, like 4K upscaling, there’s no delay between a game console rendering an image, and the TV screen displaying the image.
When you activate game mode on an LG TV, it quickly adjusts the visual settings of your TV to ensure fantastic performance and the best possible visual fidelity.
You can quickly turn game mode on and off whenever you need from the simple settings menu! If you plan to use your TV for more than just gaming, the easy toggling of game mode helps to make LG TVs a perfect fit for your needs.
Low Input Lag
Another thing that makes LG TVs great for gamers is their low levels of input lag. Many of LG’s OLED models are cherished for having immensely quick response times.
Faster response times allow you to feel much more in control of your favourite games. When the response time is lower, there’s less time that occurs between pressing a button on your controller and seeing the appropriate response from the console. For pro gamers who cherish a sense of control over their games, low input lag and fast response times are crucial.
Many LG TVs actually have response times that are lower than even 1 millisecond! This makes them easily some of the fastest around.
Variable Refresh Rates
Refresh rates are also very strong across most LG TVs. With some models achieving refresh rates well over 144 Hz. Again, this is another point that has helped to make LG TVs such an attractive option for pro gamers.
Many LG TVs come with variable refresh rate technology. This enables the TV to automatically adjust its refresh rate, to match the frame rate of your games. It’s a technology that lets your games look their best.
But high refresh rates alone aren’t enough to make a truly great gaming TV. Variable refresh rates help a lot in this regard. Luckily, many of LG’s top TV models actually come with variable refresh rate technology as standard.
Variable refresh rates are great because they allow the refresh rate of your TV to match the frame rate of your games. When frame rates and refresh rates don’t closely align, it can result in “Screen tearing”, an unsightly glitch that shatters any immersion you might have in your favourite games.
LG TVs can adjust their refresh rates in real-time to match the frame rate of any game you’re playing. This totally prevents screen tearing, and allows you to totally lose yourself in your games.
Why Are LG TVs So Expensive?
For as long as LG TVs have dominated the market, one question has often prevailed: why are they so expensive? LG TVs have long had a reputation as high-end TVs with a similarly high-end price tag. Luckily, there is a reason for it.
One reason for their often high price tags is the fact that LG TVs are of the highest quality. LG TVs are made using the highest quality materials, and they are thus incredibly durable. The durability of LG TVs means they can last for a number of happy years. While you might pay a bit more up-front, you’ll save so much in the long run, considering that you won’t have to buy another TV for years to come!
LG TVs are also packed with immense smart features that make them a joy to use. Many of these features can only be found in LG TVs, so the price is often much higher to account for them.
LG TVs often cost slightly more thanks to how high quality they are. LG TVs are truly built to last, and have some of the best visual and audio features to make your content better than ever.
However, despite long-held rumours that LG TVs are some of the most expensive, we can say that they don’t actually cost much more than many other competing TVs from other brands. Prices for LG TVs quite closely match the prices for similar Samsung TVs, for example.
Are LG TVs Worth Buying?
Now that we’re coming towards the end of this deep dive into LG TVs, you might find yourself with a lingering question: Are LG TVs worth buying?
Ultimately, we can give a resounding “Yes”to this question. LG TVs are some of the most popular for a reason. They’re truly built to last, and you can count on an LG TV to be by your side for years to come.
LG TVs also have plenty of visual and audio technologies to help make the viewing experience more immersive and impactful. Great display technology, support for premium video and audio formats, and built-in optimisation help to ensure that every frame of every film and show looks and sounds its best.
LG TVs are also an easy recommendation for avid gamers. A number of key gaming features can be found in LG TVs, including high refresh rates, low input lag, and automatic gaming modes. If you want to enjoy your games as though they were big-screen blockbusters, then LG TVs are absolutely worth it.
LG TVs may be a significant investment for some. But, they’re worth every single penny. LG TVs are incredibly high quality, so you can count on yours to last for years to come!
We also have to commend the sheer number of options offered by LG. LG TVs can be bought in all kinds of forms, with different display technologies, and even different screen sizes. This means you can easily find the perfect TV to suit just about any space in the home.
Do LG TVs Come With A Warranty?
Yes! Another strong selling point for LG TVs is the fact that the company offers some great warranties. For instance, some models come with an incredible 5-year warranty. When compared to warranties offered by other manufacturers, 5 years is incredibly generous. If you encounter any significant issues with an LG TV within the first 5 years, you can count on LG to resolve the issue without putting a single dent in your wallet.
This extensive warranty is also further proof of the quality of LG TVs. Offering such a lengthy warranty period shows that LG has the utmost confidence in their TVs. If you’re looking for a TV that will be in your living room for years to come, there are few names quite as good as LG!
Do LG TVs Come With A Wall Mount?
No. While most LG TVs can be wall-mounted, it’s important to note that they don’t automatically come packaged with mounting brackets. Only certain LG TV models come packaged with wall mount brackets.
If you’re planning to wall-mount your LG TV, it’s worth taking a look at some models that do come with packaged wall-mounting brackets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are LG TVs Worth It?
Absolutely. There’s a reason why LG is such a trusted name within the world of home technology. The company has become renowned for its high-quality products that are built to last. From fridges to home security cameras. This commitment to high quality extends all the way to the many LG TVs on the market. LG TVs are packed with modern features that put them in a league above the rest.
How Long Will An LG TV Last?
With proper care, an LG TV can easily last up to 10 years of frequent use. LG TVs are made using only the best materials and to the highest of manufacturing standards. As such, they’re built for durability. To help an LG TV last this long, be sure to give it plenty of space, and to keep it clear of dust.
Is OLED Burn-In Still A Problem?
Screen burn-in is still a problem that can occur to OLED TVs. Luckily, OLED TVs are now manufactured with technologies and features that account for this. For instance, some OLED TVs come with pixel shift technology that keeps any individual OLED pixels from being overburdened while displaying static elements.
