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When new TVs are announced each year, they come with claims of improved brightness, greater perceived contrast, and the classic phrase, “closer to what the director intended.” I tend to remain skeptical of such claims and wait until I see it for myself to form my own opinion. Of course, a manufacturer is going to say that its latest creation is the “best ever,” otherwise it wouldn’t get much attention, right?
Reviews of new models are based on the memory of a reviewer and the experience of a predecessor, and it’s not often that we get to watch two screens side by side, especially not under the same conditions. But that’s exactly what I did recently when I had the LG G3 and G4 OLED TVs in my living room for a few weeks. I was astonished by the differences.
Let it shine
I’ve been using the 65-inch LG G3 OLED as my main TV for the past year, and I love it. But as soon as I fired up the G4, I noticed a subtle – but significant – visual difference. Images on the G4 seemed to have a greater sense of depth, which can likely be attributed to the increase in brightness ushered in by the combination of a second-generation Micro Lens Array (MLA) panel and new Alpha 11 processor.
LG says the Alpha 11 is four times more powerful than the Alpha 9 in the G3 OLED at neural processing tasks (think upscaling and deciphering metadata, prime examples), 1.7 times more powerful for graphics performance, and 1.3 times more powerful for CPU performance.
Since both models use OLED technology, each will exhibit the same level of black thanks to the ability to turn off individual OLEDs/pixels that aren’t needed for a particular scene. However, the increase in brightness serves to improve contrast, as there will be a more noticeable visual difference between the brightest and darkest areas of an image.
This results in a picture with, to my eyes, more depth. LG Display, the manufacturer of the MLA OLED panel used in the G4 (and the G3), says that the second generation can reach a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. The first generation panel used in the G3 could theoretically only reach around 2,000 nits of peak brightness. Of course, the 3,000 nit figure attributed to the LG G4 OLED is also theoretical, and likely not the level you’ll actually see in real-world viewing. And if it is reached, it won’t be across the entire screen, but rather across a much smaller window, and only for a few moments.
In terms of everyday viewing, you might not think this makes much of a difference, and if you already have the G3 OLED, you might not feel the need to upgrade to the G4. But when it comes to movies, particularly those in 4K and, to a greater extent, Dolby Vision or HDR, they have a much more cinematic feel. The image the G4 OLED produces will indeed be ‘closer to what the director intended’.
I saw a great example of where this extra brightness, coupled with the MLA technology’s improved handling of the OLED light source, came into play. The image below shows an opening scene from the movie Watchmen. Lights in the windows of buildings in the background seem to be more prominent, and there’s more shine and texture in all the shards of glass from the broken window.
The added hint of sparkle is possible because the LG G4 OLED can get brighter than its predecessor. The MLA technology also at play works by coating the OLED panel with a layer of thousands of microscopic lenses. These lenses help to better control and direct the light they receive. In this case, they’re able to focus that light into a smaller, more specific area — the shards of glass — in the G4 compared to the G3.
The other big lesson I learned from this is that I looked at both TVs under the same conditions. As you can see in the images, the TV was sitting next to an open window with sunlight streaming in. OLED TVs are traditionally marketed as being ideal for dark rooms, as they don’t have enough brightness to counteract bright sunlight.
But the G4 OLED performed much better than I expected, and much better than the G3. The boost in brightness on this year’s flagship display – combined with an anti-reflective coating – makes it a more viable option for daytime viewing, where contrast in particular still proves strong.
Color control
Not only did I notice more depth in the images the G4 OLED produced compared to the G3, but some of the colors were also noticeably different. That certainly surprised me, but the difference in some scenes was undeniable.
A perfect example came when I was watching Argyle motif on Apple TV+ in 4K Dolby Vision. The image below shows the G3 and G4 side-by-side (G4 on the stand, G3 on the floor), with a close-up of Bryce Dallas Howard. Both TVs are using their built-in Apple TV apps, and I’ve matched the picture settings on both TVs to each other. The difference in the color of her hair is clearly visible on both screens, with the G4 showing much more pronounced red and ginger tones. The G3, on the other hand, dulls her hair color a bit, making it appear more brown in comparison.
Her hair also has more shine, which can be attributed to both the Alpha 11 processor recognizing that the shine should be there, and the second-generation MLA panel being able to deliver that information to the audience. There’s also a greater gradation to the yellow behind her, further highlighting the improved technical capabilities of the G4 OLED.
Subtle but significant upscaling improvements
One area in particular I wanted to compare was the upscaling of non-4K content, as this will likely still be the primary source for most owners. However, the top streaming services are slowly but surely increasing the amount of 4K content available.
LG is touting the Alpha 11 processor inside the G4 OLED as being better at upscaling than ever before, largely thanks to the addition of AI Super Upscaling. This new AI-powered feature claims to remove noise and boost contrast of non-4K content without making it look artificial.
To be honest, the difference between the two displays was less noticeable – to me at least – when watching regular HD content side by side.
The image below is from an opening scene of A time to kill. As I’ve noticed – and have mentioned – there’s a slightly more pronounced sheen in Matthew McConaughey’s black Mercedes-Benz convertible in 4K scenes. The G4 also manages to pick out a bit more detail in the tree on the right side of the frame, and there’s more gradation in the green leaves on the trees on the left.
These differences are certainly less noticeable than the differences I saw when watching 4K HDR content. It wasn’t until I looked back at the photo I had taken that my eyes noticed these differences.
To be honest, I was expecting a slightly stronger, or more pronounced, improvement, considering the LG G4 OLED has a processor that has four times the neural processing power of the G3 OLED it replaces. It’s the neural processing that plays the biggest role in upscaling content, as it has to intelligently figure out where and how to fill in the gaps in an image.
That said, the LG G3 is already a great performer when it comes to upscaling. The G4 OLED at least takes an already winning formula and gives it some extra sparkle around the edges.
Better. As expected.
The LG G4 OLED is a sensational TV and delivers several improvements over its predecessor. Are they enough to convince current G3 owners to upgrade? That’s ultimately a difficult answer, as budget constraints may prevent first-time buyers from making the switch. What is easier to determine is the fact that the G4 OLED is easily the best pure OLED TV available right now.
Thanks to the second generation MLA technology, the brightness has been increased radically, to the point that it is almost unbelievable. While it is still not as good as the levels of Mini LED screens, it makes up for this with brilliant colors and really deep blacks.
TechRadar’s full review of the LG G4 OLED TV is coming soon, delving even deeper into the design, features and capabilities. Check back soon for our final verdict.
