LG OLED A1 – The entry-level OLED with 60Hz

Unfortunately, you can already see where LG has saved on the design of the A1. Actually, the A1 is very similar to the B- and C-Class in terms of design, but there are still some significant differences. The frame is made of metal as usual, is narrow and the entire TV is very flat. The stand, which unfortunately doesn’t fit the overall concept, are made of plastic, are relatively wide and a bit wobbly. Thus, LG’s A1 unfortunately only fits on a large surface.

Of course, mounting it on the wall is a good alternative, but you have to keep in mind that some ports are aligned to the back. This makes it very awkward to connect new devices. The cable management also has its weaknesses, because you have to be creative yourself, since LG does not provide any help for a clean cable management – not even clips on the feet.

OLED TVs are known for their incredible picture quality and many aspects of this are also found in LG’s A1. Thanks to the 10-bit OLED panel, you do not have to do without perfect black and theoretically infinite contrast, and such values cannot be achieved by any conventional LCDLCD = Liquid Crystal Display – a type of screen using liquid crystals for creating the image TV.. Unfortunately, the OLED has to forfeit some brightness since it can only achieve a peak brightness of around 500 nitsSI unit of luminance: 1 nit = 1 cd/m² – The best way of measuring and comparing a TVs brightness  . This is especially noticeable in HDRHigh Dynamic Range – image/video with more dynamic range (contrast range) content, where highlights simply do not stand out. Here, the color space coverage can make up for a lot, because it is as good as we are used to from OLEDs.

The built-in OLED panel minimizes reflections well, even though a different coating was chosen for the A1 than for the C1. Reflections are therefore a bit softer, but still stronger than in the OLED competition. However, the viewing angle is very high as usual. Thus, you do not have to accept a loss of image quality and can also enjoy the OLED quality from an oblique angle.

The Alpha7 Gen4 AI processor, which is also found in the LG B1, definitely gives LG’s A1 enough power for image processing and optimization. In addition, the A1 has the HDR formats HDR10HDR10 Media Profile – HDR with a color depth of 10 Bit in the Rec. 2020 colorspace, HLGHLG or Hybrid Log Gamma facilitates the transmission and reception of signals by combining the SDR and HDR signals. If the device supports HDR, the HDR part of the signal is used, otherwise the SDR part. and the dynamic Dolby Vision IQDynamic HDR-format with a color depth of up to 12 Bits and Mastering of up to 10,000 Nits, which can adapt to the ambient brightness at its disposal, whereby the latter not only further optimizes the picture, but also adjusts it to the ambient brightness. An Automatic Brightness Limiter is also available, but it can be negatively noticeable when switching quickly between very bright and very dark scenes.

LG’s A1 only has a 60Hz panel instead of the usual 120Hz panel. Nevertheless, the A1 is very fast due to the low response time of less than 1ms, which is even slightly higher than an OLED TV with a 120Hz panel when it comes to a full 100% transition. However, the value is 7ms when changing colors from very dark to very bright content, which can also lead to very slight motion blur. On a positive note, there is less stuttering during very slow camera pans.

LG has also saved in some places here. Unfortunately, you have to make some sacrifices in the intermediate frame calculation, which is why you have to reckon with more motion blur. A Black Frame InsertionProcess that inserts black “blank images” as intermediate images. This makes movements appear finer and clearer. feature is also missing here, which would reduce motion blur even more. JudderInconsistent time frame due to the input frequency not mismatching the TV’s frequency (e.g. 24p via 60Hz) can also only be removed from external sources with 24 HzHertz is the derived SI-unit of frequency with 1Hz=1/s – When talking about TVs this means how many different pictures a TV can display in one second..

In itself, LG’s A1 is a very good gaming TV, especially when compared to other devices with a 60Hz panel. Even if you have to make a few compromises in motion handling, it is still good enough for a gamer’s evening. The response time of under 1ms couldn’t be better and the input lag is also low at 10ms. Thus, there are almost no delays during gaming. Additionally, the A1 has an Auto Low Latency Mode, which keeps the input lag as low as possible. A connected and switched-on console is immediately recognized and the TV goes directly into gaming mode.

However, the values refer purely to gaming with the older consoles, since both HDMI 2.1 ports and a Variable Refresh RateVariable Refresh Rate – synchronizes the display’s refresh rate with the output refresh rate of the graphics card are missing and the frequencyHertz is the derived SI-unit of frequency with 1Hz=1/s – When talking about TVs this means how many different pictures a TV can display in one second. has reached its limit at 60Hz. These values are not sufficient for the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, but they are perfect for a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. The gaming performance is always sufficient for that and if you would rather use the new consoles, you should rather take a look at the B1.

Most TVs lack volume due to their flat design, which is why the sound is unfortunately always a bit thin. LG’s A1 has a 2.0 sound system with a total output of 20W, which can reproduce dialogs clearly and distinctly, but cannot create a suitable atmosphere.

There is hardly any bass, which is why there is simply no corresponding atmosphere when watching movies or series. In addition, distortions can quickly occur especially at a very high volume, which is why you should definitely look for a soundbar. It would also easily fit between the widely spaced feet. The HDMI eArc port, which can transmit uncompressed Dolby AtmosObject-based surround sound format with 3D-Sound from any direction in Dolby True HD, is a positive feature.

The new operating system WebOS 6.0 does not come with any real innovations, but it still works smoothly and can be used intuitively. The dashboard also looks nice and tidy, even though you have to get used to advertisements, as is the case with all manufacturers nowadays. However, the app selection is huge, so you do not have to do without anything: Games, apps and of course all common streaming services are available.

Another new feature is the Magic Remote, which allows controlling the TV with hand gestures. This works surprisingly well and is a welcome alternative to the usual use. If that is still too cumbersome, you can of course also use the integrated voice assistants Alexa and Google. Apple Airplay 2 is also available.

LG‘s smart ThinQ quickly turns the A1 into the control center of the smart home and corresponding devices can now be controlled via the TV. LG’s A1 also features Time Shift and the USB recording function; however, it is not possible to record one thing and watch another at the same time due to the single tuner.