LG’s G4 OLED TV is my #1 for best picture quality and is $800 off for the holiday season

I’m usually not a fan of LG TVs but I tested it LG G4 OLED TV this year, and I have to admit that it has the most impressive picture quality of any TV I’ve ever purchased, used, or tested.

Even though Cyber ​​Monday is over, you can still find it LG G4 65 inches on sale for over $800, off the retail price of $3,399 for both Amazon And Best buy as retailers ramp up their holiday savings opportunities. At $2,597, this is still an expensive TV (the best price we saw during Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday was $2,297). For that price, you can get two Sony X90L 65 inch TV — my choice for Best TV for the money.

But if picture quality is your No. 1 priority and you have the budget, there’s no TV in the world with a better picture than the LG G4. And the opportunity to get 24% off during the holiday sale is extremely timely as most people increase their content consumption during the winter months.

Also: The best Cyber ​​Monday deals are still available

What makes the LG G4’s OLED picture so beautiful? Some things.

First of all, there are elements that make all OLED displays great — and this is especially true of LG OLED as they are one of the leading innovators of the technology. We’re talking true blacks (as opposed to the pale dark gray of LCD TVs), deep contrast, more vibrant colors, and incredible dynamic range in pictures with both dark and bright elements. The LG G4 has all those qualities — and at the highest level I’ve seen on any TV — because it’s LG’s flagship OLED TV for 2024.

So what’s new on LG G4 this year? The biggest leap forward is in image processing, and that’s been made possible by the new α11 4K AI Processor. I’ve always considered Sony the king of image processing, and it’s a long shot with LG and Samsung essentially coming in second place, with budget TV makers TCL and Hisense lagging behind. However, with the α11 2024 AI Processor, LG is now pushing Sony to the forefront of image processing — and that’s saying a lot.

Also: The best Cyber ​​Monday TV deals still available: Expert-picked deals on QLED, OLED, more

This is really important when it comes to out-of-the-box picture settings, upscaling older and lower quality 720p and 1080p content, and the TV automatically adjusting the picture to make today’s HDR content look great more wonderful. In all of those areas, the LG G4 now rivals Sony.

And because LG is known to consistently create the highest quality OLED TV panels, this image processing upgrade elevates the LG G4 to the top spot in terms of picture quality. For movies, shows, games and virtually any other content, the LG G4 brings them to life with vivid colors, smooth motion and incredible contrast — more than any other. What other TV can you buy right now?

I tested it with some of my favorite visually challenging content, including Dune, Avengers: End Game, and several other cutting-edge cinematic masterpieces. All the content looks better than I’ve seen on any TV I’ve used, bought or tested — and that includes some of the best TVs from Sony, Samsung, LG, TCL and Hisense over the past few years.

Also: The Sony TV I recommend to most people is still on sale

So what’s the catch?

There are a few downsides to note about the LG G4. First, of course, is the high price. As I mentioned, you can buy two Sony X90L 65 inches The TV costs the same as a 65-inch LG G4. And I think most people will be extremely happy with the mid-range Sony X90L. But you’re not most people if you are considering the LG G4.

Other limitations are the remote control and LG’s built-in webOS software. Both are average at best. I consider LG’s remote control the worst among the big 5 TV manufacturers. It’s big, chunky, and has a confusing number of buttons. A TV this good with its premium, svelte, and sleek design deserves a better-designed remote.

LG’s built-in webOS software is almost as disappointing as the remote control. It works well, but it’s not very intuitive and isn’t as well done as the TV’s hardware. Icons for content are small and sometimes difficult to select, the menu system is a bit complicated, and there are built-in ads running in the software – which feels mindless for a TV this expensive.

That said, when testing the 83-inch LG G4 in ZDNET’s TV lab, I simply never used the remote or the built-in software. I attached an Apple TV 4K and used that remote and its interface to access all the services and streaming content I wanted. The combination of LG G4 and Apple TV is glorious. So if you buy the LG G4, I recommend adding a premium streaming box like Apple TV 4K, Google TV Streaming Player (4K), Amazon Fire TV blockor Nvidia Shield.

The built-in sound in the LG G4 is good but not great – like most other high-end or budget TVs. So if you buy an expensive TV like this, I assume you’ll add one sound bar. At the very least, I recommend you take it Hisense AX5125H 5.1.2 channel soundbar — my pick for the best cheap soundbar at $300 after Cyber ​​Monday. And if you really want to speed up then I recommend it Sony Bravia Theater Quadautomatically calibrates to your room. Or, even better, Lovesac Sactional + Stealthech gives you surround sound built into the couch and makes you really feel the cinema experience much more like a real theater.

Ultimately, if you want a high-quality OLED TV with a great remote and great software built in so you don’t have to run a separate streaming box then I recommend it. Sony A95L OLED TVruns Google TV and has a very premium remote control. And if your TV is placed in a very bright room with lots of windows or lights then I recommend using Samsung S95DAlmost matches the LG G4 in terms of picture quality but comes with an amazingly glare-free display that looks great in any room.