LG G2 OLED TV is its brightest of all time, and we saw it in person – CNET [CNET]

This story is part of CES, where CNET covers the latest news on the most incredible tech coming soon.

For the last few years my favorite high-end TV has been an LG OLED model, and 2021 was no different. The LG C1 earned that title with superb picture quality, despite the fact that it lacked the “evo” OLED panel reserved for the G1. When comparing them side by side in my review, though, it was really difficult to see the difference.

LG’s new lineup of OLED models for 2022 include the next-generation versions of each TV, predictably dubbed C2 and G2, along with the entry-level A2. The TVs LG announced at CES 2022 mostly stand pat, and I expect them to deliver similarly excellent image quality. The company is touting a new processor on the higher-end versions, and it added some enhancements to game mode, but I doubt those will move the needle much. The improvement I’m most intrigued to test is a brighter panel on the G2.

LG says the 2022 G2 is its brightest OLED TV yet, able to achieve a brightness increase of about 20% compared to the C2. The panel uses a new heat dissipation technology, although LG wouldn’t confirm whether it was similar to the aluminum sheet used to similar effect in the Sony A90J. 

Here’s where things get confusing. In 2022, both the C2 and the G2 will have the evo panel, but only the G2’s will be brighter. I’m guessing that the C2, evo panel or no, will get roughly as bright as the 2021 C1 and G1, but we’ll have to wait until we can test them this spring to be sure.

In the meantime, here are the other changes to LG’s 2022 lineup.

Gen 5 Alpha 9 processor: LG says upscaling has been improved to eliminate extra steps between less than 4K and 4K resolution, and that dynamic tone mapping had 10 times the number of sampling blocks. I expect improvements to be minor, at best, but we’ll see.

42-inch and 97-inch sizes: OLED TVs are still available in fewer screen size options than LCD/QLED models, but that gap will narrow further in 2022. The C2 series will get a smaller 42-inch size while the G2 will add a positively enormous 97-inch version.

8K Z2 and entry-level B2, A2 models: We expect to concentrate on the C2 and G2 in 2022, but LG has three other new series on offer as well. The Z2 is the 8K resolution series, with the 88-inch size now wall-mountable. The B2 and A2 get lesser processors (Gen 5 Alpha 7) — the B2 has a 120Hz refresh rate while the A2 is the sole 60Hz OLED for 2022.

Design changes: The G2 retains the ultrathin “gallery” design from last year, allowing it to hug the wall more closely than the C2. Bezel size around the picture for both series has been narrowed, to 10.2mm on the G and 6mm on the C, for an even more dramatic “all-picture” look. There’s also a new carbon-fiber material that contributes to significantly less weight: the G is 20% lighter and the C up to 47% lighter.

Gaming extras: The C1 was my favorite TV for gaming thanks to its best-in-class input features, including VRR and 4K/120Hz capability on every input on the C and G models, and improvements in 2022 are minor. The excellent Game Optimizer mode gains a new “sports” preset to join RPG, FPS and the rest, there’s a new dark room mode that reduces brightness and adds blue light reduction to combat eye fatigue and the dashboard shows more information on the pop-up. 

LG says that premium 2022 OLEDs will also get up to 48Gbps bandwidth on their HDMI inputs, up from 40Gbps in 2021 and 2020 models. Since bandwidth is a poor indicator of real-world video quality I don’t consider the improvement a big deal. (Here’s a good explanation of why.)

User profiles on webOS smart TV: All 2022 LG TVs with its webOS smart TV system will allow you to set up user profiles for different family members or others. These include a Kids profile that surfaces kids-friendly content. Google TV and Amazon Fire TV also offer profiles, but this would be a first in a proprietary smart TV system. 

Far-field mic for voice commands: Previously available on the G and up models, for 2022 LG is migrating its far-field mic — which allows you to issue voice commands by saying a wake word like “Alexa” or “Hey, Google,” rather than having to use the remote — down to the C2 series and the G2. Like Samsung TVs, LG lets you use Alexa, Google Assistant and its proprietary voice system.

Room to room sharing: This new feature, coming later this year, lets a compatible 2022 LG TV share its screen, including inputs such as a cable box, wirelessly to another compatible 2022 LG TV. LG says it’s designed to allow you to take the second TV elsewhere in the home (or outside) where a cable or other wired connection might not be available. The downside is that it requires two 2022 LG TVs because it won’t work on earlier models.

“Always ready” screensaver: LG is taking a page from Samsung’s TV ambient mode by displaying a clock, weather or art on the screen when the TV is turned “off.”

As usual for CES, LG did not announce pricing for its new OLED TVs. We look forward to testing them in the spring.