The wait is over. LG has taken the wraps off its 2022 OLED TV lineup, and there’s plenty to be excited about.
I traveled to LG’s U.S. Headquarters in New Jersey ahead of CES 2022 to get a close-up look at all of LG’s new 2022 TVs. Given the predictable excitement about LG OLED TVs in general, I’ll stay focused on those models in this report, but you can learn about LG’s QNED mini-LED TV lineup and some improvements to its Dolby Atmos soundbars here.
LG Gallery Series G2 OLED TVs
LG’s premium Gallery Series OLED TVs — known as the G2 series — are going to be even brighter than before and now come in some jaw-dropping sizes, including a new 83-inch model and what is being billed as the world’s first 97-inch OLED TV. At just three diagonal inches shy of the 100-inch entry point common to projection screens, this new 97-inch OLED could be the most marvelous thing to happen to home theaters in decades. Of course, if a 97-inch OLED TV is too large and too costly (pricing has not yet been released), the G2 series will still be available in 55-, 65-, and 77-inch options as well.
The G2 series will continue to ship with LG’s custom Gallery Series wall mount in the box. But those who prefer to stand-mount their TVs will be pleased to know LG has designed an all-new stand system that is much more premium and attractive than the cheap add-on legs the company has had on offer as a separate purchase for the past two years.
In addition to getting larger, the G2 series now will be even brighter than it was last year, when LG first introduced its OLED EVO technology. With the addition of new thermal management for the television, LG’s most premium 4K OLED TVs will now be able to sustain higher brightness for longer periods of time. LG isn’t disclosing just how much brighter the new TVs will be, so I will look forward to testing this claim later in the year. I should point out that LG has not confirmed whether the new deuterium-based panels LG Display announced earlier this year are in use within the G2 series.
The new G2 series also get some aesthetic improvements, with even slimmer bezels, a slimmer profile, and significantly reduced weight, thanks to the use of some next-generation materials. LG has also shrunk the size and weight of its packaging across all of its premium TVs as part of a larger environmentally conscious initiative aimed at reducing waste and carbon emissions.
LG C2 Series OLED TVs
LG’s C-Series has long been the company’s top-selling series of OLED TVs. That series now sees significant improvements in brightness and a wider array of size options. For the first time, LG will offer a 42-inch C-Series OLED, which could end up being a favorite among both TV enthusiasts and gamers (more on gaming below). LG will also continue to sell the C2 Series in 48-, 55-, 65-, 77-, and 83-inch options.
The brighter LG OLED EVO technolog,y which LG first introduced in its G1 series TVs in 2021, has now made its way to the C2 Series, adding increased value to LG’s most popular OLED TV option.
Gaming on LG OLED TVs
Both the G2 and C2 series OLED TVs appear poised to make for some of the best gaming TV options on the market in 2022. Both series will offer full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, with up to 48 Gbps bandwidth, along with all of the other benefits associated with HDMI 2.1, including support for up to 8K at 60Hz, 4K at 120Hz, variable refresh rate (VRR), Nvidia G-Sync, Freesync Premium, auto low-latency mode (ALLM), eARC audio functionality, and pretty much anything else HDMI 2.1 could support down the road. This makes LG’s G2 and C2 OLEDs among the most future-proof TVs available in 2022, keeping in mind that it is virtually impossible to future-proof a TV these days.
Under the hood
Driving most of LG’s premium TVs in 2022 will be the company’s Alpha 9 Gen 5 processor, which includes deep learning algorithms to better upscale and otherwise improve picture quality. LG told me in a briefing that the A9 Gen 5 processor is its most powerful yet, and I expect it to give Sony’s Bravia XR processing a run for its money. Also under the hood will be a redesigned WebOS smart TV system that aims to put LG TVs at the center of the smart home as a smart home hub, as well as a polished-up user interface for more pleasant daily TV operation. More information on LG’s WebOS and UX improvement can be read here.
Good reason for excitement
Having seen LG’s latest OLED TVs in person, I can say there is good reason to be excited for the company’s latest OLED TVs. Often, these TV announcements either spell out a year of iteration or innovation, and I firmly believe this is a year for the latter of the two. Once again, I expect LG’s OLED TVs to be some of the most outstanding TVs on the market, not just in terms of picture quality, but in terms of gaming and general user experience as well.