OLED48A1PUA
Great Budget-friendly OLED…
10/24/2021 14:59
In a former life, I worked on displays, and was one of the first to see the stellar impact that OLEDs could offer when companies like Kodak did proofs of concept around Y2K. The technology continues to scream "buy me" as it evolves!
This is my first experience with LG OLEDs. The nano9 LED series pulled me in a few years ago, so I was thrilled to be asked to review their 2021 OLED. While this is a budget OLED, there are some great pros (and a few cons) to weigh when considering. I'll say first, this is one of the best examples of tier differentiation I've seen in TV lines. Kudos to LG - the cons definitely deserve a price break, and get it; whether enough is up to you! Based on my use, I’d have gone to the C1 if within a couple hundred at this price (which is right where it is now), but that's personal based on my usage. Regardless, it’s an excellent set that still shows what OLED brings to the table that LED can't.
PROS:
- Contrast: WOW. Everything you expect from OLED. Blacks are BLACK
- Colors: Vivid color gamut. I no longer use a colorimeter in my daily job, but color purity is quite accurate to my trained eye
- Uniformity: where LED performance can vary across screen, and backlight “bloom” can ruin a dark scene, this is beautifully consistent, end-to-end
- Standard OLED expectations: 4k, HDR, Dolby, outstanding viewing angle, muted reflections
- LG Platform: Magic remote, app store, app
- Price: At ~$1k for the 48”, it’s priced well for the entry market
CONS:
- Brightness: The October software update helped *noticeably* on my panel, but brightness is still slightly muted vs my expectations. Yes, OLEDs are about darks, not brights, but it’s still there. I think this is the main assessment vs price a non-gamer will need to make
- HDMI 2.0: 2.1’s variable refresh would have been so nice for us PS5 gamers. While a "game optimizer" mode exists, it's for adaptive standard settings here (not managing FPS & VBR)
- Speakers: 2.0 at 20W. A soundbar is a must here. True for most TVs (so not a huge con)
- Refresh: It's a 60Hz panel. With switching speeds of OLEDs better than LCDs, (for now) little content will expose this, but differences can be seen in high-motion settings to trained eyes (select sports broadcasts, some games to a hardcore gamer). Looking ahead, content will make this more evident as broadband speeds/console content evolves. Not a huge con now, but a future-proofing consideration.
I received this at a discount for my honest opinion
nomdeplume
Winter Garden , Spojené státy americké
Age: 39
Gender: Female