Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsI wanted a TV with exceptional picture quality, and that's exactly what I got.
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2022
55” LG model G2.
This isn’t a technical review that uses sophisticated measuring equipment. You can find those types of reviews elsewhere. Nor am I providing dimensions or detailed specifications that can be found at LG’s website. My review is focused on why I chose to purchase this TV instead of something else.
About fourteen years ago I purchased a 55” Sony projection TV. It was fitted into some custom-made cabinetry that also housed my audio equipment. The old Sony still worked, but in the last couple of years the picture had taken on a strange green cast that couldn’t be corrected by making color adjustments. The time had come for me to replace it. But replace it with what? There are many choices and things I needed to consider.
1. TV Size: I would have preferred to go with a 65” TV, but it’s too large to fit into the cabinet opening. However, a new 55” TV is too small. Too small, you say? My old projection TV had a wide bezel all around the screen, and the cabinetry was sized to fit the television for a built-in look.
Because new TVs have little or no bezel at all, it means there’s going to be a wide gap all around the TV when it’s fitted into the cabinetry. In order to keep the same built-in look that I had before, I’m going to have to make a custom bezel to fill the gap. Oh well, I can always use another project (see photo).
2. Picture Quality: Picture quality is by far the most important consideration to me when purchasing a TV. I spent hours looking at different models and brands. Most of them had a great picture, but I kept coming back to the G2. Why? Every time I looked at it, I never ceased to be impressed with the gel-like colors and super-deep blacks that are as black as black can be. But perhaps more than anything else, the G2 has a look that’s very realistic and natural.
On YouTube you can find numerous walking tours of different places all over the world. These tours consist of someone with a 4K camera walking around and filming whatever they see. On the G2 I find myself being totally immersed in the videos to the point where I forget I’m watching TV.
3. Brightness: I read that OLED TVs aren’t very bright. All I can say is that I viewed this TV during the day at a retail store. There was a lot of light coming in from the windows at the front of the store, and it looked bright enough to me. Besides, I only watch TV in a room with heavy drapery and controlled sources of light. I’ve never had to ramp up the brightness to maximum.
4. Glare: This TV has a very glossy screen, and that’s what I prefer. I don’t like televisions and computer monitors with a matte or a semi-gloss finish on the screen. They may have reduced reflections, but they also have faded-looking blacks and washed-out colors that make it look like I’m viewing the screen through a piece of wax paper. LG put an anti-reflective coating on the screen of this TV that does an excellent job of dealing with glare, and without any negative consequences on the image quality.
5. The Technology: This can drive you a bit crazy. LED, OLED, Micro LED, QOLED? Next week there’s bound to be a new acronym for some new technology that was just released. The makers of these different technologies want you to believe that what they offer is the best.
Many years ago, I learned that when buying speakers it’s not about their physical size, the number of drivers, or the technical details featured in their advertising. It’s all about the way they sound. When I went shopping for a TV, I decided to forget about the technology and let my eyes decide.
6. The Brands: Sony? Samsung? LG? There are also other brands to consider. Some research told me that LG currently builds the OLED displays for both Sony and Samsung. That’s encouraging. I don’t think Sony and Samsung would buy their displays from LG if they thought they were junk. After reading lots of reviews, I was all set to buy a Sony until I saw the G2.
7. The Money: When I was looking around, I saw a 55” LED TV priced at $300.00. It had a better picture than my old projection TV did when it was new. Was it worth spending a lot more to buy the G2?
I look at it this way. If you’re buying a TV for your kids it really doesn’t matter. And if you’re not a critical watcher, or you really don’t see much difference between one TV and the other, then save yourself some money and buy something less expensive. But I wanted the best picture possible. And I’m willing to spend more if I can see that I’m getting something for my money. I felt the additional expense for the G2 was worth it.
PROS:
1. Wall Mount: A wall mount is included with this TV. The design of the mount and the television allows the TV to sit almost completely flush with the wall. The included mount is hinged, and it allows you to pull the TV forward a few inches if you need to gain access to the wiring behind the TV. A magnet in the mount helps to keep the television from accidentally moving forward once it’s positioned against the wall.
2. Heat-Sink: Even newer televisions get warm. This TV has a built-in heat-sink (not all OLED TVs have one). The heat-sink helps the TV run cooler and may make it last longer. It’s one of the reasons I purchased this model.
3. Five Year Warranty: This TV includes a five-year warranty…well, sort of. LG says: “In the first year of the warranty, panels, parts, and labor costs are covered. In the 2nd to 5th year of the warranty, only panels are covered and labor will be charged.
4. LG Magic Remote: The remote has a scroll wheel in the center. A cursor can be activated on the screen by pressing the button on the scroll wheel, or by shaking the remote from side to side. The cursor is used like a mouse on a computer screen to make your selections. I find it easier and faster to navigate my way around than pushing the buttons you see on most remotes.
The remote also allows you to search for programs and info using your voice. Assuming your TV is connected to the outside world (Roku box, etc.), simply press the microphone symbol on the remote and speak the name of a show, a certain actor, the current time, the weather, etc. The voice recognition works very well. You can also tell the TV to automatically shut itself off after a certain period of time.
5. Very good sound: But don’t expect it to sound nearly as good as a dedicated sound bar and a separate audio system with a sub-woofer.
6. Adjustments galore: As you’d expect there are adjustments for brightness, clarity (sharpness), black level, tint, color saturation, etc. In addition, there are several picture modes, aspect ratios, sound settings, and multiple automatic picture enhancements that can be turned on or off to your liking. You can also see the total number of hours the TV has been in use. Software updates can be set to automatically install. And LG includes a pixel cleaning/refresh mode that helps avoid burn-in.
7. Outstanding Picture Quality: This is what really matters. And this is what sold me on this TV. As I said, I looked at a lot of televisions before purchasing this one. I viewed this TV several times at two different retail stores. I though the G2 looked better than anything else I saw.
CONS:
1. No vertical screen tilt with the included wall mount. Although it wasn’t an issue for me, the included wall mount DOES NOT allow the angle of the screen to be tilted up or down. Check with LG regarding other mounting options if adjusting the vertical screen angle is important to you.
Note: As I mentioned, the hinged mount allows you to pull the TV forward a few inches to gain access to the wiring behind the TV. While in the forward position, it’s possible to angle the TV a few degrees to the left or the right.
2. THIS TV DOES NOT COME WITH A STAND. It comes with a wall mount only! If you want to mount it on a stand, you’ll have to pay over a hundred bucks for the LG stand.
3. The remote control is not backlit. Really? This is a premium TV. How much more would it have cost for LG to put a light in the remote?
4. There are no Headphone-Out or RCA-type audio jacks on the TV. If you intend to connect your TV sound to a receiver or other audio equipment, LG only provides options for HDMI or an Optical Audio Cable.
If you have an older amp or receiver that doesn’t have HDMI or Optical Audio Cable jacks on the rear panel, you may be able to use an Optical Audio Cable to RCA jack converter. Amazon sells these devices. But I’ve never used one, and I have no idea how well they work.
5. Burn-in: Image burn-in is a possibility with this or any OLED TV. You can help prevent this from happening by avoiding any programming that displays a fixed logo in the same location all the time.
I can’t think of any other cons at this point. I’ve only had my TV for a few weeks. But so far I haven’t experienced any problems. Most of what I watch is streamed from Roku. But I also watch DVD and Blu-Ray movies too.
The factory packaging is very good. The TV was delivered by Amazon without any damage. I looked the TV over very carefully, and I didn’t find any nicks or scratches anywhere. After I set it up, I went to YouTube and searched for pixel testing screens in various colors (Black, White, Green, Red, and Blue). I looked carefully and I didn’t find any dead or stuck pixels.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I wanted a TV with exceptional picture quality, and that’s exactly what I got. Do I have any regrets? No. Do I wish I’d bought something else? Nope. Every time I watch this TV I’m impressed with the picture. In particular, anything with 4K content is nothing less than outstanding.
