Review: LG G4 (MLA OLED)
LG's latest generation of the G series, G4, features MLA OLED technology, where micro-lenses (MLA) increase brightness. It also features the latest version of webOS, which will now receive annual upgrades over the next 5 years, LG's new Alpha 11 video processor, 144 Hz refresh rate, and built-in Chromecast for the first time. LG G4 is available in 55, 65, 77, 83, and 97 inches. The 97-inch does not have MLA technology. Flatpanels is testing the 65-inch model. Also read: LG 2024 TV line-upPrice and retailers:
US retailerUK retailer
DE retailerFirst Impressions
LG's G series has been designed from the beginning with wall mounting in mind. To make the TV more streamlined, allowing it to sit flush against the wall, LG has taken a different design approach compared to, for example, Samsung with the S95D, which uses an external box. LG has integrated the electronics along the full back of the TV, eliminating the need for a bulky electronics box. The result is a slightly thicker TV overall, but one that is the same depth everywhere.
LG G4 has a uniform thickness. Photo: FlatpanelsHDIt is good solution, in our opinion, but we hope LG will eventually take the concept even further by removing tuners, old ports including antenna jacks and optical audio and the speakers from the TV, to further reduce thickness and weight. Anyway, we are testing G4, and a new situation this year is that it is available with either a table stand (G4*S) or wall bracket (G4*W), either exclusively for the specific size or with an option between the two, depending on where you live in the world. LG explained to us that if you purchase the G4*W with the wall bracket, you can later buy the tabletop stand, but it will be last year's version, which looks slightly different and tilts backward a bit. The wall bracket, on the other hand, is not sold separately if you pick up the version with the tabletop stand, so choose wisely. We tested the version with the stand, which looks different this year. If you have been following LG's development in this area, you may recall that, for example, GX (2020) had a stand consisting of two feet; one for each side of the TV. Since then, LG has switched to a single centered tabletop stand and in 2024 the stand is right-angled so the TV no longer tilts backward. It provided a good foundation to support the TV and looks nice with a metal surface (the back is plastic). There is also a metal frame around the OLED panel. The ports are all grouped in one section, facing either sideways or downward, which is necessary for the TV to sit flush against the wall with the bundled wall bracket. There are four HDMI 2.1 ports and three USB ports. There are also older ports for antenna signal, optical audio and Ethernet, which however is still limited to 100 Mbps. All in all, it is an elegantly designed TV, which is not really surprising as G4 looks almost identical to the G series that came before, with the exception of the stand.User Experience & Features
Just like the cheaper LG C4, which we have already tested, G4 features the latest version of LG's TV platform, webOS 24. The big news is that LG has finally committed to upgrading webOS after the sale, meaning that you will receive four webOS upgrades over five years, specificalyl webOS 25, 26, 27 and 28. We will see how this unfolds – it is too early to say. During its press presentation, LG attributed the good news partly to the pressure that FlatpanelsHD has put on its TV division over the years to start upgrading webOS in older TVs. However, we suspect that another crucial factor in the decision was LG's new advertising strategy.webOS 24 has again in 2024 been slightly redesigned – still in full screen. Photo: FlatpanelsHDI will refer to Torben's LG C4 review for a closer examination into webOS 24, as the G4 is identical in this respect. After 10 years, webOS offers access to most international and many local streaming apps including Disney+, Netflix, Max, Apple TV and more. It has also started adding various music streaming apps in addition to apps in various other categories. However, webOS does still not offer as comprehensive an app library as Apple TV (tvOS) or Google TV (Android TV). As mentioned, LG has divided webOS into 'hubs', one of which is the gaming hub. Here you will find apps such as GeForce Now and Utomik that allow you to stream many newer games to the TV over the internet – no PC or console required. You must first connect a compatible Bluetooth controller to the TV. Each hub is characterized – just like the homescreen – by a big section dedicated to ads at the top, taking up almost half of the screen.
LG offers various cloud gaming apps, but not yet the Xbox app. Photo: FlatpanelsHDOur main concern with webOS 24 is that it still feels sluggish; as if everything runs in slow-motion, from pressing the remote control to closing apps. In comparison, the TVs that we were testing alongside LG G4, running Google TV or even Samsung's Tizen, felt noticeably faster, while Apple TV 4K left them all in the dust. We filmed this video to give you a quick introduction to webOS 24: Additionally, I would like to add some a few personal observations as I currently own two LG OLED TVs running older versions of webOS from the time where webOS had the app launcher at the bottom of the screen, specifically LG E6 (from 2016) and LG GX (from 2020). On the former, webOS stopped working properly many years ago; almost all relevant apps are gone or have ceased to function. On the GX, things still work and webOS runs decent enough. As you know, LG switched to a full-screen webOS homescreen a few years ago, which in our view was a clear downgrade. LG seems to agree, as they have refreshed the homescreen every year since, again with webOS 24. In my opinion, the user experience is still not very good and with the switch to full-screen, far too many ads and "recommendations" (also ads) have crept onto the homescreen. Almost half of the screen (the carousel at the top) is a large ad. The first row on the homescreen is usually the 'Trending Now' row, but I find it hard to believe that Titanic and a TV show called Search are trending right now (see the photo below). As a new ad initiative, LG has introduced screensaver ads that appear before the screensaver kicks in. These are sponsored messages from LG or partners. We saw an ad for the LG Channels app, which is LG's free live TV service – with ads – but LG's ad division has confirmed that users will also see ads relating to other product categories. Read more in our news article here.
LG TVs have begun showing screensaver ads. Photo: FlatpanelsHDIt is too much, especially considering that LG OLED is a high-end product, with G4 being one of the most expensive TVs on the market. Here, it is worth noting that LG does not differentiate between TV models; the cheapest models get the same ads as the most expensive models. Fortunately, some of the ads can be disabled. See our guide here. I should add that you can disable screensaver ads under 'Additional Settings'. LG must reconsider this strategy if they want to sell high-end TVs. An alternative is, of course, to disconnect the LG TV from the internet and use an external box for all "smart" functionality, for example Apple TV 4K or Chromecast with Google TV. LG's HDMI CEC feature (SimpLink) works very well without needing to adjust settings, so the box essentially takes over the TV's own user interface. You can still operate the box with the TV's remote control – or vice versa.Operation
G4 is one of LG's high-end TVs but still comes with the same black plastic remote as LG's cheapest models. It is not surprising, as this has been the case for years, but it is a shame because there is a significantly nicer remote control that LG reserves for the most expensive 'Signature' models.
This cheap plastic remote is included with LG's high-end G4. Photo: FlatpanelsHDLG's 'Magic Remote' is still motion-controlled with a pointer on the screen. You can only get rid of the on-screen pointer if you pair an LG OLED TV to a Bang & Olufsen soundbar, through some special software the two have implemented. If you have a very steady hand, it is possible to navigate the interface using only the arrow keys, but the pointer will automatically appear as soon as you move your hand just a little bit. In our view, it is not a very good input method for an interface several meters away from the user. Additionally, the remote feels too light and too cheap. It has far too many buttons, including no fewer than six sponsored buttons this year. None of these can be reprogrammed.TV audio
LG G4 is a slim TV so it obviously does not leave much room for speakers. The built-in speakers are not bad, but they do not fully meet our expectations for TV sound, and the built-in "AI" sound features do not overcome the limits of physics. Your experience may vary depending on your point of reference, and we do believe that the speakers will be adequate for mixed TV use in some living rooms, but we do think movies and games deserve better. It is not a major concern for us as we always recommend external sound for high-end TVs. LG's support for sound formats, however, is a more positive story after LG last year welcomed DTS back. Our test files confirmed that LG G4 can decode up to DTS-HD MA, with or without DTS:X. The TV does not handle DTS:X profile 2, which is part of IMAX Enhanced, but support will reportedly be added later this year, allowing LG TVs to stream DTS:X IMAX Enhanced sound from Disney+. This is in addition to Dolby support, including Atmos. Also read: List: TV models with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X & IMAX Enhanced The fact that the latest surround sound formats are supported does not mean much for the built-in TV speakers, but it is important to ensure that your TV can output – and pass through – the latest sound formats to a receiver or soundbar via HDMI eARC.Calibration
Just like competitors, LG has far too many picture modes, including Standard, Vivid, Game Optimizer, ISF Dark, ISF Bright, Cinema, Filmmaker Mode and Power Save. As mentioned earlier, we find it difficult to understand the reasoning behind offering so many versions of incorrect picture settings. Especially Vivid and Standard are bad. Cinema mode – contrary to its name – is optimized for a well-lit environment. Fortunately, Filmmaker Mode is spot-on in SDR. It is so accurate that we are talking more or less reference-level accuracy. From a consumer perspective, there is really nothing to gain by doing a calibration (aside from brightness adjustments to fit the viewing environment), which is why our calibration settings below in this case merely reflect the Filmmaker Mode's settings. LG deserves high praise. Our only note is that Filmmaker Mode in SDR has its brightness set too high for dark room viewing, but this is easy to adjust. For HDR, the story is almost the same. Avoid picture modes like Vivid. One difference is that Cinema here is much more precise, essentially just a copy of Filmmaker Mode – or vice versa. This is yet another argument for reducing the abundance of picture modes. Filmmaker Mode is also very precise in HDR, though it has slightly increased brightness. As you may have heard, LG has also introduced Filmmaker Mode Dolby Vision this year. Therefore, our recommendation for all three video modes (SDR, HDR10, and Dolby Vision) is to use Filmmaker Mode. Remember that you must switch to Filmmaker Mode three times on the TV; first when viewing content in SDR, then with content in HDR10, and finally with content in Dolby Vision. LG's 'Game Optimizer' picture mode is significantly more accurate than those of certain competitors that boost colors and brightness to extreme levels. With LG, games will by presented largely as the creator intended, although the color temperature is a little too cold (too blueish). However, LG takes a different approach than competitors when using a game console with Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), which is the system to automatically switch into and out of LG's Game profile. PlayStation 5 and Xbox both support ALLM. That is because LG can activate its Game profile on top of other picture modes, thereby maintaining color accuracy from your calibration. Overall, some really good preconfigured picture modes – as long as you select the right ones.Other picture modes
Click the title to expand the view
Vivid (SDR) Standard (SDR) Cinema (SDR) Game Optimiser (SDR) ISF Dark (SDR) Vivid (HDR) Cinema (HDR) Cinema Home (HDR) Game Optimiser (HDR) Measurements
In our "measurements" section we include all measurements and our suggested calibration settings. If you want to learn more about our test methodology click here. Note: Starting last year, we implemented a new method for measurement of average power consumption in SDR and HDR, meaning that earlier measurements are not 1:1 comparable. The new method will be used in all TV reviews going forward.Note: We include calibration settings only for SDR, not HDR. For our calibration we have deactivated the ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts the backlight setting according to your environment. You may prefer to have it enabled.Picture quality
Since the unveiling at CES in January 2024, there has been confusion about whether G4 actually features the second generation generation MLA OLED panel from panel manufacturer LG Display, which claims that the panel can reach up to 3000 nits peak brightness. While Panasonic has explicitly confirmed that Z95A features the second-generation panel, LG has been more evasive in its answers – not unusual for LG Electronics. What we can confirm is that G4 hits around 1650 nits peak brightness with a calibrated picture, compared to the LG G3's 1400 nits in calibrated mode, about 15% more. As measured and highlighted in last year's LG G3 review, it is not only the white subpixel that has increased brightness in the MLA OLED panel compared to the standard WOLED panel in LG's cheaper C series, but in fact also the RGB (red, green, blue) components. LG G4 has – like last year – achieved higher peak white brightness in partially through increases in red, green and blue. Compared to G3, we measured 11%, 19% and 11% increases for red, green, and blue, respectively, on G4. The third indicator that we are dealing with a second-generation MLA OLED panel is peak brightness in G4's wildly inaccurate Vivid mode; 2400 nits. This is significantly than 1800 nits on last year's G3, and we are actually approaching the 3000 nits that LG Display claimed the panel can theoretically deliver. Also read: Sony sets its sights on 4000 nits as HDR's next frontier We start with this perspective because there are many facets to HDR picture quality. Often, peak brightness is equated with good HDR, but this is far from the truth. Good HDR is primarily about control of luminance and colors. Peak brightness is just one aspect of a TV-'s brightness. Another difference between G4 and last year's G3 is full-screen brightness (100% window), meaning how bright the display gets as a whole, not only in smaller segments of the screen (peak brightness). We measured G3 to 218 nits in full-screen and G4 to 239 nits, roughly 10% more. With these improvements, LG G4 matches Samsung's S95D (review here), which features third-generation QD-OLED with peak brightness of around 1600 nits. However, LG G4 still lags behind in full-screen brightness; 239 nits versus Samsung's 314 nits. QD-OLED also has the advantage that colors at high luminance retain full saturation rather than being slightly washed out by the white subpixel in LG's panel, although LG has improved this somewhat with MLA OLED. On the other hand QD-OLED tends to look somewhat grayish in well-lit rooms and around brightly illuminated objects in the picture, while the triangular pixel structure can create color fringing around text and certain objects. That said, LG G4 is very similar to G3. The difference in brightness is visible but not significant, and it is difficult to add much to the topic of picture quality after what we wrote in our LG G3 review last year – you should read it alongside this review. Instead, I will try to summarize and expand the perspective a bit by comparing G4 to LG's lower-priced C4 (review here). OLED's pixel-level control of luminance and color, combined with 1600 nits peak brightness and good color accuracy, results in fantastic HDR picture quality, with depth, intensity and vibrancy. For example, stars on a black night sky shine more intense. There is a noticeable difference in HDR luminance compared to "normal" OLED TVs, including LG C4 and Philips OLED809 (review here), but while last year's G3 pulled away from C3 in peak luminance, the difference actually narrows a bit this year, as the C4 and Philips OLED809 hit up to 1100 nits peak brightness. G4 still has picture quality advantages, but the added value will be an individual assessment. Personally, I still believe that the main argument for choosing LG's G series is the streamlined design that can hang flush against the wall. This year, the 83-inch G4 also features MLA OLED for the first time. Another nice feature in LG's recent TVs (not isolated to G4) is that the Auto Filmmaker Mode feature has been expanded from the Prime Video app to also work with the Apple TV app, which includes both purchased/rented movies and Apple TV+ content. Here's how it works: With G4, LG has introduced the new Alpha 11 video processor, which LG claims has four times higher AI performance, 1.7 times higher graphics performance, 1.3 times more processing power (CPU), and 2.5GB RAM. Honestly, it is difficult to see any difference. As always, we turn off dynamic picture systems, so our main focus is to test if the processor can handle the essential video tasks without issues. We look forward to the day LG implements 4K 240Hz. As for SDR content (everything not in HDR), G4 still performs well, although the improvements in the MLA panel play a smaller role here. Perhaps except for the somewhat higher full-screen brightness for watching things like football and skiing in a brightly lit living room. Again, there are no major upgrades compared to G3. It feels like I am stuck on repeat now, as LG has not addressed the issues with its implementation of HDMI 2.1 QMS (Quick Media Switching), which is the system designed to eliminate the "HDMI bonk" (black screen) when switching between frame rates (24Hz, 50Hz, 60Hz, etc.). Even on the 2024 models we are still getting LG's annoying notification box that repeatedly pops up on the screen when QMS is activated, so we encourage you to consider Samsung, which has just implemented QMS, if you are using Apple TV 4K (2022). LG must issue a firmware update to allow users to disable the notification! FlatpanelsHD has already put LG's PR team and Korean engineers on the task. We have embedded our video of QMS in action on last year's G3, as there is no change in G4: To summarize, G4 is a marginally better TV than G3 for movies, series and TV content, making it one of the best TVs on the market for these purposes. However, in HDR, the roles are starting to turn, as LG's OLED now lags behind Samsung's QD-OLED in some areas. Consumers win when competition heats up. As for gaming, we once again commend LG for offering a relatively color-accurate – albeit somewhat bluish – Game Optimiser picture mode, unlike Samsung's disastrous Game picture mode. As mentioned, you can also activate Game mode on top of the other picture modes in LG OLED, including as your calibrated mode. It will happen automatically if the game console supports ALLM, which PS5 and Xbox consoles do. We measured peak brightness to 1400 nits in the Game Optimiser picture mode and input lag to 13.2ms, with the option to reduce it further to 9.7ms by activating the boost feature in LG's gaming menu (see below). With 120Hz and VRR, input lag will be even lower. PC and console gaming, especially in HDR, truly is a joy to behold on G4, with great color, intense brightness and reflections, and true black. Together, these factors help elevate game visuals, far beyond what a standard LCD TV offers, even if it checks all the boxes, i.e., 4K, 120Hz, HDR, etc. If you have yet to experience console gaming in HDR on an OLED TV, you have something to look forward to. LG G4 still feartures four HDMI 2.1 ports with support for up to 4K 120Hz on consoles and up to 144Hz with a PC (must be activated manually). It supports more or less everything today, including Dolby Vision at 4K 120Hz and VRR. Our biggest concern remains that VRR mode suffers from flicker and elevated black levels at lower VRR frequencies in games. This problem relates to the panel so it is affecting all brands. It is something LG Display must address. Again, I feel like I am stuck on repeat but G4 has the same anti-reflective coating as G3, because of the MLA OLED panel. Compared to standard OLED, it more effectively reduces direct reflections that now appear more subdued and diffuse, but there is purple tint. Viewing angles are even better on MLA OLED than on standard OLED. We did not observe issues with color banding or tint on our sample.Conclusion
LG G4 represents a slight improvement over last year’s G3, making G4 one of the best TVs on the market in terms of picture quality, in sharp competition with QD-OLED. MLA OLED technology plays a significant role in this, as second-generation MLA OLED in G4 boosts peak brightness (1600 nits in calibrated mode, 2400 nits in Vivid) through better color saturation in RGB (red, green, blue). For the first time, G4 also features MLA OLED in 83 inches.Ad:In 2024, LG has tackled one of the biggest issues with its TVs: webOS will now receive upgrades after purchase. LG guarantees at least 4 version upgrades of webOS over 5 years. Unfortunately, this seems to correlate with LG's strategy to turn its TVs into digital billboards, now with screensaver ads. This is unacceptable in one of the most expensive TVs today. Also, webOS remains sluggish despite the upgraded Alpha 11 processor, of which we see few advantages. LG's implementation of QMS still includes the annoying notification banner, and VRR flicker is an issue. While DTS audio is supported, DTS:X profile 2, which Disney+ requires, is not. There are reasons to choose LG G4 over the cheaper C4, even though C4 finally exceeds 1000 nits peak brightness this year (review here). The better HDR picture quality is one of them, but we still believe the biggest advantage of the G series is the streamlined design for wall mounting. G4 is available in two versions, with either a tabletop stand (G4*S) or wall bracket (G4*W) included. However, the significant price premium compared to C4 can be hard to justify. Like other MLA OLED (Panasonic Z95A, Philips OLED909) and QD-OLED (Samsung S95D, Sony A95L) models, LG G4 delivers some of the best picture quality today, but it does not dethrone our current reference TV, Sony A95L.Price and retailers:
US retailerUK retailer
DE retailerFantastic SDR & HDR w/ +1600 nits
4x HDMI 2.1 and gaming features
Pre-calibrated picture modes
Sleek design
webOS upgrades for 5 years
Improved MLA OLED energy efficiencyPrice
Full-screen webOS 24 still not great
Increased number of ads in UI
Remote control
QMS notification still there
Raised VRR black levels & flicker
