LG has been a busy bee ahead of CES ‘proper’, dropping several announcements ahead of the trade show. But with CES kicking off, the South Korean firm has revealed what else is on its plate for the coming year.
As you’d expect, LG is beating the OLED drum heavily for 2022, accommodating bigger and smaller sizes; the new range consisting of the A2 and B2 OLEDs, C2 and G2 OLED Evo sets and the Z2 8K OLED.
The A-series OLED launched in 2021 and brought OLED TVs to their most affordable prices so far. This year will see the range available in 48-, 55-, 65-, and 77-inch sizes. These TVs are aimed at the movie fan (it skips premium gaming features) with a 60Hz screen and the a7 Gen5 AI processor.
The B-series OLED drops the 48-inch model, keeps the same processor but has a 120Hz screen that makes it more suitable for top-level gaming with PCs and game consoles.
The C2 gets the Evo OLED panel that was exclusive to the G1 model in 2021, suggesting picture parity with the new G2 model. However, that more luminescent panel is only available on the 55-, 65-, 77-, and 83-inch models. The 48-, and brand new 42-inch sizes stick with the standard self-lit OLED screen.
That 42-inch model does get a 120Hz screen as LG looks to offer gamers more options for playing in a smaller room/bedroom. All C-series OLEDs are powered by the a9 Gen5 AI processor.
And so is the G2 OLED Evo, available from 55- to a new enormous 97-inch model, which should appeal to anyone with a gigantic wall. The G-series is intended to be wall-mounted but can also be stood in a free-standing position with the Gallery Stand (only for the 55, and 65-inch sets, though).
The Z2 8K OLED does not get the Evo panel, arriving in 77-, and 88-inches, but has been designed to be wall-mounted for 2022.
While OLED remains LG’s top priority, there’s a bigger emphasis on the QNED Mini LEDs, which appear to have usurped the traditional NanoCell branded TVs. Using the company’s NanoCell+ tech with a Quantum Dot panel, the South Korean firm claims colours from these models are richer in appearance and more accurate, with wide colour reproduction jumping to above 90%.
The Mini LED technology offers a more precise dimming performance for improved contrast ratio (that’s the difference between the darkest and brightest part of an image), and a picture that pops more with better blacks and less noticeable blooming. When matched with LG’s Advanced Dimming Algorithm that can detect and maps objects against their backgrounds, the effect is said to be more natural looking images with improved brightness.
The QNED comes in big sizes, the smallest is 80-inches, the biggest is 99-inches with 85-, and 90-inch models sandwiched in-between.
Gaming is an area LG asserted itself and it’s looking to do so again this year. The interface of the Game Optimizer has been changed, with the addition of a Sports mode that improves the clarity and visibility of characters. On compatible TVs, the full 48Gbps of the HDMI 2.1 bandwidth will be opened, with sets supporting 4K 120Hz 4:4:4 RGB at 12-bits, 4K/120Hz Dolby Vision and eARC/ALLM/VRR/DSC (Display Stream Compression).
The webOS interface continues to be tweaked and this year will see it drop the .0 moniker and become webOS 22. There’s now the ability to create multiple profiles, with a huge selection of streaming apps available if you’re looking for entertainment options.
The synergy between LG’s soundbars and TVs has been underlined again, with the TV’s AI processor able to work in tandem with the soundbar to elicit more clarity. You can control the soundbar’s main features with the TV remote and if you hate the hassle of cables, the soundbar and TV can be joined together via a Bluetooth connection. Don’t like Bluetooth? The new WOWCAST (Wideband audio on Wireless) module can be mounted on the back of the TV, acting as a go-between for the TV and soundbar, so you can enjoy wireless Dolby Atmos sound.
It’s looking like another strong year for LG, but it could face disruption from Samsung’s QD-OLEDs, as well as other brands looking to encroach on the gaming front. However you look at it, 2022 is going to be a very interesting year.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.