LG's new OLED TVs: The bright generation

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LG showed its 2026 TV product range in Frankfurt. At first glance, the latest model in the G6 series differs little from its predecessor G5. The G6 uses the same chassis and the same OLED panel with RGB tandem structure. However, this is controlled differently internally in the G6, which has led to visible and measurable improvements. On two 65-inch models (G5 and G6), we were able to measure the luminance during a hands-on and get an impression of the new picture quality.

The brand-new G6 model now shines with a peak brightness of 3100 cd/m², a proud 800 cd/m² brighter than its predecessor OLED65G5; this results in even brighter point lights, especially when displaying HDR content (High Dynamic Range). On a screen that is ten percent white, we measured around 2400 cd/m² instead of the previous 2300 cd/m², and on a completely white screen content, the brand-new model reached a remarkable 460 cd/m² compared to 380 cd/m² on the previous G5 model. We measured both televisions with HDR signals in Filmmaker mode at maximum brightness settings.

Smooth Color Gradients

In contrast, LG has made significant progress in suppressing so-called banding for the reproduction of fine color gradients. This has been a weak point for the manufacturer in the past; Samsung, Sony, or Panasonic manage this better. Banding manifests itself through visible gradations, for example in a shimmering sky or in the rippling blue in underwater shots.

The manufacturer now transmits color signals to the display with 12 bits per color instead of the previous 10 bits and calculates the white subpixels internally with 13 bits for finer highlights. As a result, the TV achieves much more uniform color gradients, whereas the predecessor G5 showed some breaks with hard color transitions on fine gradients in test images.

More Economical in Operation

Further improvements can be found in the image processor. The SoC is now manufactured using 6-nanometer technology, which means that the chipset consisting of CPU, GPU, memory, network function, etc., requires 30 percent less power according to LG thanks to the smaller structures and thus produces less heat. This is not only good for the viewers' wallets but also for the OLED, as organic displays are sensitive to heat and age faster.

With the so-called Dual AI Resolution of the new Alpha 11 processor, LG separates edge smoothing from the calculation of fine structures during upscaling. The conversion is always necessary when content with a lower resolution than the 4K panel resolution (3840 × 2160 pixels) needs to be displayed by the TV. Upscaling is used for (almost) all TV signals in HD (1280 × 720 or 1920 × 100 pixels) and for video streaming in Full HD, as offered by Netflix & Co. in their cheaper subscription models.

Of course, LG also offers various AI picture optimizations, but these sometimes go too far and are not for purists. In the "Filmmaker" preset recommended by us, such AI optimizations are deactivated anyway.

Mirror, Mirror...

LG has also worked on anti-reflection. However, the new dielectric anti-reflection coating on the display surface is less successful: it reduces incoming light even more, but gives it a noticeable red cast. Furthermore, the surface becomes somewhat viewing-angle dependent, and when viewed from an angle, the image gets a slight color shimmer on the sides. This is particularly noticeable on uniform, brighter image content; from the side and at a short viewing distance, the edges appear greenish.

Apparently, LG had to choose between a rock and a hard place here: either more distracting reflections or more viewing-angle-dependent color changes. From a few meters away, the color casts are no longer visible due to the smaller viewing angles. Nevertheless, they are a shame, especially since OLEDs continue to distinguish themselves from LCDs through their viewing-angle-stable display.

(uk)