Main points
- OLED TVs offer unparalleled contrast ratios, perfect for dark content.
- In contrast to Samsung’s products, LG has traditionally prioritized providing movie lovers with a true cinematic experience.
- LG TVs offer excellent gaming features for the online world which is very useful for a gamer like me.
Over the years, LG has dominated the smart TV market and become the leader in OLED TVs. While it wasn’t the first or only company to offer consumers this innovative panel technology, it was the one that championed and perfected it. LG ensures that the contrast ratio of its TVs is unparalleled and best suited for the modern home theater experience.
OLED TVs are so impressive and popular that other industry giants like Samsung and Sony have no choice but to adopt the technology and sell it alongside their touted LED TVs. With both companies upgrading, it’s worth watching where LG is now, as it also looks to its rivals for inspiration.
So how does LG compete with South Korean tech leader Samsung, which insists it won’t make OLED TVs? Until it happens. It’s still a close race, but here are the key reasons why the LG might be a better TV for your lifestyle.
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OLED TVs still have the best contrast ratio
LG is OG
OLED TVs are popular for their ability to achieve the best contrast ratio on the screen. Because each pixel lights up individually and can be turned off individually, the screen can achieve true blacks. The local dimming capabilities of LED TVs, no matter how small the area, can be impressive, but they simply don’t reach the same level as OLED TVs.
This means that for any consumer specifically invested in high-end movies and TV, especially those coming from streaming services, OLED TVs are the way to go. For various reasons, the content is getting darker, like literally dark and hard to see. This trend shows no signs of slowing down, and as technology advances and filmmakers can capture more detail in the dark, viewers at home need a TV that can handle it.
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LG embraces true cinema experience
Recreate a theater at home
LG has a range of features that make its TVs more suitable for those who want more faithful viewing. Whether you call yourself a movie buff, a snob, or just a connoisseur, LG’s embrace of authenticity results in a more intimate and immersive experience.
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Notably, most LG TVs feature Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision proprietary technologies that enhance the viewing experience by making colors brighter, blacks deeper, and sound more spatial. The latter in particular is a major advantage over Samsung, which refuses to pay Dolby for the service, instead opting for HDR10+ as its video format. While both are dynamic, adapting to the content on the screen frame by frame, Dolby Vision offers a larger color palette and higher brightness.
Pair Filmmaker Mode with LG’s OLED panel and you’ve got the best chance of enjoying cinema at home.
Since many of the top streaming services offer Dolby compatibility, including Disney+, Apple TV+, and Netflix, I tend to take advantage of this feature to watch the best versions of premium content.
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Some LG smart TVs also include Filmmaker Mode, which is designed to support a true-to-life reproduction of the director’s vision, eliminating possible issues with motion and color. While Samsung also offers this feature on TVs, pair Moviemaker Mode with LG’s OLED panel and you’ve got the best chance of enjoying cinema at home.
LG is better for gaming
These TVs are ready for the open world
LG
LG has a host of features designed to appeal to more serious gamers, especially those who enjoy vast online worlds. The best LG TVs claim a response speed of less than 1 millisecond and a refresh rate of 144Hz, specs that are close to or on par with the best available today. Both markers are ideal for anyone playing connected games like Call of Duty or Fortnite, where every second (and millisecond) counts and any amount of lag will do. Prove the difference between winning and losing.
Gaming formats like Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Automatic Low Latency Mode (ALLM), as well as features like AMD FreeSync and G-Sync compatibility, also help reduce any potential lag or interruptions in online gaming. Some TVs come with up to HDMI 2.1 output to support high-end 4K gaming.
LG offers more control and better integration
Useful features address common user experiences
For those who like to talk to their TV, LG has incorporated some quirky features to make the experience convenient and useful. First, intelligent voice recognition adapts to the sound and rhythm of your voice to help the TV receive commands.
Allows you to ask the TV a series of questions about what’s on the screen at a specific moment; mostly questions for people like me who get distracted by clothing, familiar faces, or scenery.
If and when I were to be the person talking to the TV (it’s not a privacy issue for me, it just still feels weird), I would be very excited about one particular feature from LG. One is hands-free voice control, which lets you operate the TV by saying “Hi, LG,” and the main reason it’s appealing is that I can never find the remote.
Another feature is “Who, Where, What?” which allows you to ask the TV a series of questions about what’s on the screen at a given moment; mostly aimed at people like me who get distracted by clothing, familiar faces, or scenery. The problem. When you recognize actors from elsewhere, TV can tell you where they are from so you don’t have to scroll through IMDB. It should be able to tell you where to find what the character is wearing and be consistent with where the scene was filmed. I don’t think it was part of any filmmaker’s vision, but it does come in handy for consumers.
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While both LG and Samsung offer similar voice control capabilities for most well-known virtual assistants, LG gains the upper hand with its Magic Remote, offering better accessibility and improved voice control.
LG has an edge over Samsung in a few different areas, especially for those who enjoy certain types of movies and TV, as well as online gamers. Still, competition remains fierce, and both companies continue to improve on their respective deficiencies and diversify their offerings. That’s a good thing for consumers, but it also means it’s important to take the time to understand your viewing habits and find the company that best suits your needs.