LG G5 OLED TV Review: The Pinnacle of OLED Performance
▼ Summary
– The LG G5 is a high-end gallery-style OLED TV praised for its deep black levels, accurate colors, and engaging image quality.
– It features Primary RGB Tandem OLED technology, which significantly increases brightness and improves color purity compared to previous models.
– The TV excels in both dark and bright rooms, offering impressive contrast and handling reflections well, with firmware updates resolving earlier HDR issues.
– It supports 4K gaming up to 165Hz with low input lag and includes four HDMI 2.1 ports, but lacks DTS audio support and has a sound system that lacks excitement.
– While the webOS interface includes ads and the remote has usability issues, the G5’s image quality makes it a top-tier TV, competing well with other high-end models.
The LG G5 OLED TV represents a significant leap forward in display technology, delivering breathtaking picture quality that sets a new standard for home entertainment. This gallery-style television is engineered for a seamless wall-mounted appearance, boasting an incredibly slim profile that enhances any living space. Its deep, inky black levels and precise color accuracy transform ordinary movie nights into captivating visual experiences, making it one of the most impressive televisions available today.
A standout feature of the G5 is its remarkable increase in brightness compared to last year’s G4 model. For several years, quantum-dot OLEDs from competitors like Samsung and Sony have matched LG’s WOLED designs in brightness while offering superior color volume. LG’s response comes in the form of a new OLED panel that effectively closes this gap, marking a substantial technological advancement.
The secret behind this performance boost is the Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel. Unlike previous WOLED TVs that used three emissive layers, this innovation incorporates four dedicated layers, red, green, and two blue. The additional layer enables greater light output without increasing power consumption, while dedicated red and green layers enhance color purity. Although the panel retains a white subpixel for extra brightness, the new structure represents a fundamental improvement in OLED technology.
Manufacturer claims suggest the technology can reach up to 4,000 nits, putting it in the same league as premium mini-LED models from brands like TCL and Hisense. Practical testing of the 65-inch G5 showed it achieving over 2,400 nits from a 10 percent window, nearly 1,000 nits brighter than its predecessor and comparable to mini-LED performance from just a few years ago. This enhanced brightness makes specular highlights like streetlights or sun reflections on water appear remarkably vivid.
Beyond raw brightness, the G5 maintains OLED’s signature advantages: pixel-level control and perfect black levels. The combination of deep blacks and increased brightness creates an extraordinary contrast ratio that performs well even in brightly lit rooms. This represents a clear improvement over previous models where ambient light could raise black levels.
Early reviews noted some issues with HDR content in dark scenes, including elevated near-black levels, posterization in shadows, and occasional floating blacks. Fortunately, recent firmware updates have largely resolved these concerns. Testing with challenging content like Blade Runner 2049 and Fellowship of the Ring revealed minimal issues, with only a subtle jump from black to dark gray during fade-ins that most viewers likely won’t notice.
Available in five sizes from 55 to 97 inches, the G5 series features the new panel technology across all models except the largest. The 65-inch version carries a $3,399.99 MSRP but frequently sells for around $1,999.99. Designed primarily for wall mounting, the G5 includes a wall mount with all sizes, while table stands are available separately for the 55- and 65-inch models at $99.99.
Connection ports are conveniently located in an L-shaped cutout on the back panel, allowing for clean cable management when mounted. The television includes four HDMI 2.1 ports supporting 120Hz variable refresh rate and Auto Low Latency Mode, three USB 2.0 ports, 100Mbps LAN, optical audio output, and an ATSC 1.0 tuner. Notably, LG has discontinued including ATSC 3.0 tuners found in some competing models.
To maximize performance without professional calibration, users should immediately switch from the default Auto Power Save picture mode. This setting not only creates an overly blue image but significantly limits brightness. Filmmaker Mode delivers the most accurate representation with excellent grayscale tracking and color reproduction in both SDR and HDR content. Remember to set this mode individually for SDR, HDR10, and Dolby Vision content as the selection doesn’t carry over between formats.
Movie viewing on the G5 is genuinely spectacular. The explosive sequences in Mad Max: Fury Road appear vibrant and realistic rather than oversaturated, while lightning strikes during storm scenes demonstrate the television’s exceptional highlight handling. Everyday content like The Great British Baking Show benefits from detailed rendering that makes food appear appetizing and realistic.
The television performs admirably in typical living room conditions with ambient lighting, maintaining excellent image quality while effectively managing reflections. Even in SDR mode, the G5 produces sufficient brightness for comfortable viewing in lit environments, measuring around 330 nits across most content windows. For those needing more brightness, disabling Energy Saving Step and adjusting OLED Pixel Brightness settings can push SDR performance beyond 900 nits.
Some might question the G5’s performance given its placement in recent television competitions, but two factors explain this discrepancy. First, firmware updates have addressed many issues present during those events. Second, such competitions focus on calibrated performance compared to professional reference monitors rather than real-world viewing conditions that most consumers experience.
Gaming performance is equally impressive, supporting 4K/120Hz on consoles and up to 165Hz with PC connections. Input lag is virtually imperceptible with Game Optimizer enabled, though the default game mode produces a blue tint that can be corrected by adjusting color temperature to Warm 40 in the white balance settings.
The built-in audio system provides adequate volume and clear dialogue but lacks the excitement of dedicated sound systems. Low-frequency response particularly underwhelms, failing to deliver impactful bass. Additionally, LG has removed support for DTS audio codecs including DTS:X, meaning those routing disc player audio through the television won’t receive DTS content, though this primarily affects physical media since streaming services predominantly use Dolby formats.
LG’s webOS interface functions reliably but follows the industry trend of filling screen space with sponsored content and advertisements. The magic remote’s cursor functionality remains frustrating for many users, often activating accidentally with minor movement. The remote also lacks backlighting and a dedicated input button, requiring users to hold the Home Hub button for input selection.
Despite these minor drawbacks, the LG G5 with Primary RGB Tandem technology represents a pinnacle achievement in OLED television development. Its image quality competes directly with QD-OLED alternatives like the Sony Bravia 8 II, offering sparkling highlights, profound blacks, detailed shadows, and beautifully accurate colors. When a television delivers this level of visual excellence, interface and audio limitations become secondary considerations in the overall viewing experience.
(Source: The Verge)
