LG TVs 2021 lineup compared
LG is one of the largest TV manufacturers at all and sets standards in all price ranges, which must first be overcome by the other manufacturers. In 2020, the Korean technology forge has also brought powerful models onto the market, which have been equipped with the most diverse technologies. Here is an overview of the lineup, so you can see exactly which models from LG are worth a closer look – and which are not.
The latest LG TVs
LG UHD 4K TV Series 2021 lineup
LG UN7300 (2020)
The UN7300 is a great 4K Smart TV for beginners from LG’s 2020 lineup. The IPS panel brings a wide viewing angle and a quite nice picture in bright surroundings, which is probably due to the good reflection handling. In dark surroundings all IPS panels do not perform very well. Due to the low contrast ratio of 1050:1 and the only weak black, the picture quality is not quite as convincing. The peak brightness is not very high with about 350 Nits and the color gamut is not extended. Therefore, HDR content does not look very different from usual SRD content. But its motion handling is quite reasonable despite the 60Hz panel. Because of the low response time of about 5ms only some motion blur can be seen in fast movements.
If you are looking for a gaming TV and do not have to push the upcoming Next Gen consoles to their limits, you will appreciate the UN7300. The low input lag of 10ms makes the TV very responsive and an Auto Low Latency Mode is also available.
In terms of smart features, the UN7100 is in an excellent position and is just as smart as LG’s much more expensive OLED series – but only if you additionally buy the Magic Remote.
Further features such as HDMI 2.1, a variable refresh rate or a twin tuner LG has saved for the more expensive models.
LG UN7300 pro/cons
- Response time ~5ms
- Input Lag <10ms
- Reflection handling
- Viewing angle
- Good smart features
- Auto Low Latency Mode
- Eliminates Judder from some sources
- Contrast ratio 1050:1
- Black level
- Peak brightness 350 Nits
- No local dimming
- No HDMI eARC
- No Twin Tuner
- No Variable Refresh Rate
LG NanoCell Series 2021 lineup
LG NANO81 (2020)
The NANO80 is the most affordable NanoCell TV and shows quite similar performance compared to the UN7100. Due to the Edge Lit Local Dimming feature, it has a higher contrast ratio; however, the Local Dimming feature is not really good, creating some negative effects like blooming or visible dimming zones. In dark rooms, the picture quality is not really good and black looks rather grayish here. The wide viewing angle and the better performance in bright surroundings are caused by the IPS panel.
The NanoCell technology in combination with an extended color gamut leads to purer and more vivid colors, which is especially beneficial for HDR content. While it can display them better than the cheaper LG models, it does not get bright enough to really show HDR content in a great way.
In terms of gaming, the NANO81 is not an improvement on the UN7100. In this category, it performs very similar and has no additional features.
... compared to LG UN7300
- Contrast ratio 1350:1
- Edge Lit Local Dimming
- Peak brightness 540 Nits
- Wide color gamut
LG NANO85 (2020)
The NANO85 is very similar to the NANO80 and its picture quality is almost identical. However, its motion handling is clearly superior due to the 120Hz panel, even though the response time is slightly higher at <6ms.
Its features are much better than the ones of the smaller NANO80. It has Dolby Vision IQ, which allows HDR content to be optimized. The HDMI 2.1 interface and the associated enhanced Audio Return Chanel (eARC) support the Dolby Atmos sound format, allowing external sound systems to create a rich, spatial sound backdrop.
Due to a low input lag, the Auto Low Latency Mode and the Variable Refresh Rate the NANO85 is a great entry-level TV for the Xbox Series X and the Playstation 5, which it can fully push to its limits with [email protected] – at least for SDR games.
... compared to LG NANO81
- Dolby Vision IQ
- 120Hz Panel
- HDMI 2.1
- HDMI eARC
- HDMI Forum VRR
- Dolby Atmos
- Input Lag 10ms (SDR)
LG NANO90 (2020)
The Nano90 is the top of the NanoCell series. In terms of features, viewing angle and picture quality in bright surroundings, it does not have much more to offer than the NANO85. However, it has the Full Array Local Dimming feature, which makes its picture quality much better in dark surroundings. In addition to the FALD, it is a little bit brighter than the other NanoCell models with approx. 640 Nits, so that it can display HDR contents better.
The input lag is very good with ~15ms – even if it seems to be higher than the NANO85 in the first moment. This is because the NANO85 does not really display HDR games differently than SDR content and therefore the input lag was chosen for SDR content. HDR content has to be processed in a more complex way, which of course increases the response time.
Unfortunately the dirty screen effect is quite obvious on its display. It is already present on the NANO85, but not as clear.
... compared to LG NANO85
- Full Array Local Dimming
- Peak brightness ~640 Nits
- Input Lag ~15ms (HDR)
- Dirty screen Effect
LG OLED 2021 lineup
LG BX OLED (2020)
The BX OLED plays in a completely different league than the NANO90. Due to the OLED design, it has perfect blacks and a theoretically infinite contrast ratio, which makes its picture quality in dark environments truly breathtaking. The same applies to motion handling. Televisions with IPS panels simply cannot match the response time of an OLED, because a response time of 0.2ms means an almost instantaneous color change of the LEDs. In addition to HMDI Forum VRR, the BX was also equipped with Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync.
Unfortunately the BX does not become very bright. This is not only a negative factor for picture quality in bright rooms, but also for HDR content. Because of the low peak brightness, HDR can not be displayed as well and bright highlights do not really stand out.
Unfortunately, the BX is not yet available in Europe, so we will have to be patient for a while (as of August 2020)
... compared to LG NANO90
- Extremely wide viewing angle
- Perfect black
- Nearly instantaneous response time
- AMD FreeSync / Nvidia G-Sync
- Black Frame Insertion Feature (120Hz)
- Peak brightness ~540 Nits
- Automatic Brightness Limiter
LG CX OLED (2020)
The CX OLED is the crowning glory of LG’s 2020 lineup and is probably one of the best TVs of the year. Just like the cheaper BX OLED, it has an almost unbeatable picture quality in dark environments, but in contrast to the BX, it can become much brighter. It produces about 820 nits, which should be enough for normally illuminated rooms. HDR content also benefits immensely, as bright highlights can be displayed much more clearly.
Like the BX, the CX OLED also has the Black Frame Insertion feature at 120Hz. However, it can use it better, because the image becomes darker when using this feature and the CX can compensate this better because of the higher brightness.
... compared to LG BX OLED
- Peak Brightness ~820 Nits
LG Designer OLED 2021 lineup
LG GX OLED (2020)
The LG model GX OLED has the same technical features as the CX, but brings an elegant look and the so-called “Gallery Design“. The TV should look like an object of art and thus fit seamlessly into the interior of the room. To achieve this, LG has opted for a seamless wall mount and a narrow, stylish frame, taking advantage of the panel’s wide viewing angle. If desired, the TV can also be set up, but the matching stand must be purchased separately.
... compared to LG CX OLED
- Gallery Design
- Only 23mm depth (at 55 inches)
- 4.2 Sound system (60W RMS)
- No stand
- Seamless wall mounting
LG OLED WX (2020)
The LG WX OLED is very similar to the CX. However, it is more of a designer object. With 4mm it is unbelievably thin and does not stand out from the wall with the gapless wall mount – just like a wallpaper. For this reason, a 4.2 60W soundbar is included, which is connected to the WX via flat cable. This is also where the WX interfaces are located, so that no disturbing cables lead to the Wallpaper TV. Technically the WX is very similar to the CX, but it has no variable refresh rate and the Black Frame Insertion feature is only available up to 60Hz.
... compared to LG CX OLED
- Wallpaper Design
- Only 4mm depth
- 4.2 Soundbar (60W RMS)
- Seamless wall mounting
- No VRR (G-Sync & FreeSync)
- Black Frame Insertion only at 60Hz
LG Videos on YouTube Subscribe now
More about TV manufacturer LG
With its NanoCell and above all OLED models in 4K and 8K 2020, LG is once again bringing new powerful devices to the market. These devices feature new Alpha Processors that enable deep learning effects. The new Black Frame Insertion feature from LG with 100/120 Hz is called “OLED Motion Pro” and is supposed to sharpen the picture even more.
The manufacturer also relies on Dolby Vision IQ to adjust the screen brightness to the respective environment. With the Filmmaker Mode option, LG is trying to enhance the home cinema experience and present movies in their original, i.e. without subsequent image enhancement. LG produced the first OLEDs, which still distinguish the company on the television market today.
For your orientation: At LG, the model designations are based on the series of the device and the value within it. With the exception of the OLED series, the pattern is made up of letters, which provide information about the technology used and the panel resolution, as well as numbers. With numbers, the guideline is roughly the same: the higher they are, the higher the valence.
The term “OLED” stands for “organic light emitting diode“, which means that all subpixels either light themselves or not. OLED panels do not need backlighting or local dimming. This results in a quasi perfect black level and thus a theoretically infinite contrast.
The NanoCell series from LG uses the NanoCell technology as the name suggests. Through an additional 1 nanometer thick display layer, colors are filtered out that do not correspond to the basic colors of the RGB LEDs, i.e. red, green and blue. Because these impurities are filtered out, mixed colors from these basic tones can be generated more accurately and therefore appear more vivid and less dull than it is the case with cheaper models.
Dolby is mainly known for formats that are related to sound. But with Dolby Vision, the manufacturer has also developed a format to optimize HDR content even further and, above all, dynamically. Brightnesses can be adjusted from scene to scene within a movie, which can make a huge difference to picture quality. The advanced version Dolby Vision IQ also takes the ambient brightness around the TV into account. So if the TV is placed in a bright room, the average brightness is increased so that the image is easier to see in these conditions.
Conventional home cinema systems, e.g. a 5.1 system, have four satellite speakers, a center speaker and a subwoofer. The Atmos system expands the number of speakers by adding ceiling speakers that either radiate or reflect from the ceiling to a desired location. The latter is called Atmos Enabled.
If two additional Atmos speakers are used, one would speak of a 7.1.2 system. Concerning the compatibility of the medium with Atmos, Dolby was clever: Atmos is not channel-based, but object-based. It works with the loudspeakers that are present.
If you want to play games on your TV, you should also pay attention to the fact that it has a Variable Refresh Rate, VRR for short. If this is not the case, it can happen that the graphics card of the console or the PC sends pictures in a different clock rate than the TV can use them. As a result, the upper and lower halves of the image may not fit together, making the image appear cut or torn. The VRR synchronizes the console and TV and the TV displays the images as they are output from the source. AMD FreeSync is one of the most popular VRR formats and supports graphics cards from AMD. For Nvidia graphics cards you need G-Sync.
The Automatic Brightness Limiter (ABL) is a protection mechanism for the organic LEDs of an OLED TV. Since overheating can cause burn-in, the LEDs need special protection. Most of the heat is generated by large areas of bright pictures. To prevent the LEDs from getting too hot, the ABL regulates the brightness down and thus prevents damage to the LEDs. In bright environments the brightness should actually be increased to create a nice picture, but the ABL prevents this to protect the device. Therefore OLEDs do not perform as well in very bright rooms.
