My favorite high-end TV for the past few years has been the LG OLED model, and 2021 was no different. The LG C1 earned that title with great picture quality, despite the fact that it lacked the “Evo” OLED panel reserved for the G1. When comparing them side-by-side in my review, however, it was really hard to see the difference.
LG’s new lineup of OLED models for 2022 includes the entry-level A2 as well as next-generation versions of each TV, presumably dubbed the C2 and G2. The TVs that LG announced at CES 2022 are mostly peppy, and I expect them to deliver similarly excellent image quality. The company is introducing a new processor on the higher-end versions, and it has added some enhancements to Game Mode, but I doubt they’ll move the needle much. The improvement I’m most inclined to test is a brighter panel on the G2.
LG says the 2022 G2 is its brightest OLED TV to date, capable of increasing brightness by about 20% compared to the C2. The panel uses a new heat dissipation technology, although LG would not confirm whether it was identical to the aluminum sheet used in the Sony A90J to a similar effect.
Here is where things get confusing. In 2022, both the C2 and G2 will have an evo panel, but only the G2 will be brighter. I’m guessing the C2, evo panel or not, will be nearly as bright as the 2021 C1 and G1, but we’ll have to wait until we can test them this spring to be sure.
Meanwhile, here are the other changes in LG’s 2022 lineup.
Gen 5 Alpha 9 processor: LG says upscaling has been improved to eliminate the extra steps between 4K and lower resolution than 4K, and that dynamic tone mapping had 10 times the number of sampling blocks. I expect the improvements to be minor, at best, but we’ll see.
42-inch and 97-inch sizes: OLED TVs are still available in fewer screen size options than LCD/QLED models, but this gap will narrow further in 2022. The C2 series will get a smaller 42-inch size while the G2 will add a positively huge 97-inch variant.
We expect to focus on the C2 and G2 in 2022: 8K Z2 and entry-level B2, A2 models, but LG also has three other new series on offer. The Z2 is the 8K resolution series, with the 88-inch size now wall-mountable. The B2 and A2 get fewer processors (Gen 5 Alpha 7) – the B2 has a 120Hz refresh rate while the A2 is the only 60Hz OLED for 2022.
Design changes: The G2 retains last year’s ultrathin “gallery” design, allowing it to hug the wall more closely than the C2. The size of the bezel around the picture for both series has been limited to 10.2mm on the G and 6mm on the C, for an even more dramatic “all-picture” look. There’s also a new carbon-fiber material that contributes to the significantly lower weight: the G is 20% lighter and the C is 47% lighter.
Gaming Extras: The C1 was my favorite TV for gaming, thanks to its best-in-class input features, including VRR and 4K/120Hz capability on each input over the C and G models, and the improvements are modest in 2022. The excellent Game Optimizer mode gets a new “Sports” preset to join RPG, FPS and the rest, there’s a new Dark Room mode that lowers glare and adds blue light reduction to combat eye fatigue And more information shows on dashboard pop-up.
LG says premium 2022 OLEDs will also get up to 48Gbps of bandwidth on their HDMI inputs, up from 40Gbps in the 2021 and 2020 models. Since bandwidth is a poor indicator of real-world video quality, I don’t consider the improvement to be a big deal. (Here’s a good explanation of why.)
Far-field mic for voice commands: Available on the first G and Up models for 2022, LG is migrating its far-field mic — which lets you voice commands by saying wake words like “Alexa” or “Hey, Google.” Allows to issue commands. ,” instead of using a remote — up to the C2 series and G2. Like the Samsung TVs, LG lets you use Alexa, Google Assistant, and its proprietary voice system.
Room to Room Sharing: This new feature, coming later this year, lets a compatible 2022 LG TV share its screen, which includes cable box-like inputs, wirelessly to another compatible 2022 LG TV. LG says it’s designed to allow you to take the second TV elsewhere in the house (or outside) where a cable or other wired connection may not be available. The downside is that it requires two 2022 LG TVs as it won’t work on earlier models.