Key Takeaways
- LG’s OLED technology delivers top-quality contrast and deep black levels for impressive contrast and color.
- LG TVs prioritize the cinematic experience with Filmmaker Mode and automatic settings.
- LG is making aesthetics a priority with Gallery Mode and Lifestyle TVs.
A smart TV is an important investment. It comes at a prohibitive cost, but it will serve you for years to come, acting as your hub for entertainment and the means by which you can enjoy what you’re watching. The best smart TV will optimize the viewing and listening experience and create convenient ways by which to find what you want to watch. A mediocre TV, however, won’t be able to get the most of your favorite TV shows, movies, and video games, distorting color, contrast, and even sound.
I recently took a look at the positives offered by TCL, a more budget-friendly brand that offers a range of TVs to appeal to a lot of different types of consumers, all at pretty decent costs. It definitely bested electronics giant LG in a few categories, but it’s worth giving the Korean company its due as well.
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Beyond the appealing price, TCL TVs offer plenty of variety to cater to your viewing habits.
Before you jump too quickly on the TCL train, here are a few reasons why you should consider LG as your TV brand.
1 You want an OLED TV
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LG is the leader of OLED TVs. It has championed this screen technology for years, arguably dictating industry innovation and trends for years to come by setting such an impressive standard when it comes to contrast. Its OLED screens, while quite expensive, feature individually-controlled pixels that can turn on and off as needed. That means your TV can achieve true black and stark contrast in a way that LED TVs simply can’t.
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Its OLED screens, while quite expensive, feature individually-controlled pixels that can turn on and off as needed, meaning TV can achieve true black and stark contrast in a way that LED TVs simply can’t.
TCL, among others, have worked towards Mini-LED TVs, in which the local dimming zones are quite small, allowing for more precision and less blurring when it comes to darker scenes. They are getting close to the quality of OLED, and may even be swaying some users (and one writer in particular). However, if you are set on OLED, LG is your choice.
2 You crave a cinematic experience
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Pretty much every TV brand right now is focused on the cinematic experience one way or another. A lot of content watched at home, whether it’s a film or TV show, has a cinematic quality to it, in part because so much is filmed with creativity and theatrics in mind. Prestige shows on HBO, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and many others boast a specific vision, and that vision can sometimes get lost on its way to your TV. So in order to get the most enjoyment out of it at home, your TV needs to recreate those settings.
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LG TVs offer a better chance at cinematic fidelity. It boasts TVs with Filmmaker Mode as well as ISF-certified settings intended to calibrate your TV based on the lighting in the room. You’ll find Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision on certain TVs as well in ordering to bring stunning visuals and immersive audio to your living room.
3 You want an attractive TV
LG is putting the emphasis on style
LG is placing particular importance on TVs with slim designs that look as good in person as the content on screen does. It offers TVs that can be easily mounted flush against a wall so as not to be obtrusive in your room. Some models also feature Gallery Mode, which allows users to display works of art or your own photos on the screen when the TV is idle, so instead of a dark, empty monitor, the TV is showing something thoughtful or artistic.
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LG isn’t quite at the level of Samsung’s Lifestyle TVs, but it is working towards expanding its roster of models that fit in with specific looks and needs in your home. Its Posé TV, for example, is designed for an open-concept space, with an elegant stand and clean cable organization that makes it suited to being a centerpiece of a room.
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4 You’re an avid gamer
Fast and faithful gaming without lag
LG TVs offer a range of features designed to make gaming more immersive and responsive. It has the hardware to support lightning fast speeds, with some TVs offering up to four 2.1 HDMI inputs, ideal for gaming on the latest consoles.
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Boasting a 1ms response, which is pretty much the fastest you can get, along with a native refresh rate of 144 Hz, LG TVs provide the best support for open-world, online gaming where quickness and image fidelity is key. There shouldn’t be any issues with lagging or ghosting as LG also features a variable refresh rate (VRR), auto low latency mode (ALLM), and FreeSync and G-Sync compatibility that all allow you to have a faithful, interruption-free gaming experience. You can also check out the Game Optimizer, in which picture and audio settings are adjusted to improve your gaming experience.
5 You want a simple interface
Easy navigation and control
LG has long been lauded for its basic, intuitive smart platform WebOS. It is on all LG Smart TVs, unlike TCL, which has different platform options on various TVs. WebOS is fast and easy to navigate, and doesn’t bombard you with ads and content recommendations like some other platforms.
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It is also supported by some convenient control options as well. The LG Magic Remote is one of the more comprehensive remotes available, and also allows for voice control. Most LG TVs are compatible with Google Assistant, Alexa, and Apple Home as well.
The LG Magic Remote is one of the more comprehensive remotes available, and also allows for voice control.
LG TVs tend to come with a high price tag, but for its screen technology and loaded features, there is a lot to like to support all kinds of faithful and immersive content consumption.
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