LG gave us a sneak peak of what to expect from it. 2024 TV Lineupbeing the most notable flagship among them LG G4 OLED TV It’s inspired by a ton of interesting AI enhancements.
In a sneak peak at LG’s New Jersey headquarters, I got a chance to see the G4 side-by-side against last year’s LG G3 OLED and other high-end TVs. What LG emphasized was its AI-enhanced capabilities, reordering and rearranging the content on the screen to give viewers a slightly better — or, at least, more realistic — experience. .
The G4 definitely stands out as a quality TV with tons of incredible features and settings. But I’m still not sold on its AI infusions and its potential to really thrive in a market that sees little fanfare in fiddling with settings, menus and the like.
Our first look at the heels of LG announcing its prices. C4 OLED and G4 OLED TVsand the G4’s extremely premium price point of $2,599 for its 55-inch model doesn’t help its woes either.
The era of the AI TV screen in its infancy
Let’s put it all in perspective: When it was first introduced at CES 2024, LG highlighted the G4 OLED TV’s technological backbone as its new a11 chipset, an AI processor that only powers the G4 and M4 OLED. will be available on TVs. From this early point, it was clear that AI was at the forefront of TV manufacturing, with upscaling, colorization, and even motion processing being hailed as its flagship achievements.
At LG facilities, the LG G4 OLED was presented alongside a variety of competing models. Interestingly, G4 OLED vs G3 OLED Showed an impressive increase in brightness and color volume. Compared to other top-end TVs, the LG G4 had better saturation and contrast, especially with AI Picture Pro turned on. It wasn’t a clear winner across the board in every metric, but I have to give credit where credit is due.
This is where things got a little complicated. LG then highlighted the G4 OLED TV’s AI enhancements in dynamic mode, such as AI Super Scaling, AI Picture Pro, Object Enhancement, AI Super Resolution, and Noise Reduction. Another interesting look behind its AI upgrade is AI Director processing, an automated feature within AI Picture Pro, which allows the G4 to fine-tune saturation and hue through color theory.
All of these included technical feats sounded interesting on paper, but there were some points where I didn’t really see that big of a difference — to the point where I worry that users might not see the general benefit of these AI enhancements. They want to shell out. Up to $2,599 (or more).
Add to that the lack of a stand at the G4’s superior size, and you’re buying a relatively good TV that doesn’t impress me too much for this newfound AI screen era.
Is AI a gimmick or is it the future of TVs?
Both sides have points to make, however, if I hadn’t seen it alongside other non-AI-enhanced screens, I’m not sure the G4’s AI tech would have wowed me.
It’s easy to slap AI on a product like it’s the latest (see: CES 2024), but when you can’t see or feel that much of a difference, it can feel like a marketing ploy.
There were points I was impressed with, but mostly in the demo I had trouble seeing a difference in performance. Maybe it’s too early to judge the technology (this is the first year LG is using its new AI processor) but so far I’m nonplussed.
If LG wants to sell me on AI as the future of television technology, it’s going to have to be more streamlined and offer a much wider leap in general accuracy about how content looks on screen. AI could be an interesting leap forward, but right now, as seen on the LG G4 OLED, it’s more of a marketing term than a tangible, experience-enhancing technology.
LG G4 OLED Outlook
It’s not all doom and gloom, though. The LG G4 OLED TV is still certainly an interesting display, with several gaming-centric features that make it a remarkable screen for playing the upcoming PlayStation 5 hit “Rise of Ronin” in crystal-clear 4K. LG’s Game Dashboard and Game Optimizer both prove to be great additions to its display, plus 144Hz VRR and G-Sync all make the LG G4 OLED TV a gamer’s paradise.
Last year’s LG G3 OLED earned a near-perfect score in our review, limited only by a poor sound system, the inclusion of HDR10+, and shocking HDR colors. These issues will, to some extent, be addressed by AI on its upcoming successor, but I’m afraid most users won’t find this AI upgrade all that necessary, appealing and worth the investment.
All in all, I find the AI director processing feature to be one of the more interesting features it has introduced. This feature will allow the LG G4 OLED to adapt to the color corrections made in the processing of certain shows and movies, giving viewers a whole new way to experience their favorite content that comes with them. Will come without the moody downgrades seen later in these deep environments. Episodes of “Game of Thrones”.
Is the AI director processing enough to make me earn several thousand dollars on LG’s flagship screen? Unfortunately not. But I’m willing to give the AI - and the LG G4 – the time it needs to develop and grow before writing it off completely.