The LG GX Gallery Series OLED is an engineering marvel and is a home cinema enthusiast’s desire. If you can afford the cash to hire an installer to cover the cables and a theater in your home to install it the perfect place, you’ll have a stunning TV, both inside and outside.
Pros
- Beautiful picture quality
- Amazing scaling up
- Tremendous feature set
- NextGen TV ATSC 3.0 tuner
Cons
- Not as bright as LED-LCD TVs.
- Prompt professional installation
- Imbalanced audio performance
- A slightly reflective glass surface
30-second review
LG Gallery Series GXOLED the home cinema enthusiast’s dream with a stunning flatscreen with all the latest specifications and standards that range from Dolby Vision to Atmos and even Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa as well as Chromecast integrated up to AirPlay 2.0.
The exterior is an engineering marvel and design, inside is the new LG Alpha a9 Gen. 3 processor, which adds improved facial recognition as well as multi-step reduction to LG’s already impressive HD-to-4K scaling and improved Motion Processing technology.
It’s not flawless, however it’s not able to reach its brightness level of certain LED LCD TVs, and it has some audio balance issues However, it’s an excellent flatscreen for those who are willing to spend an extra amount for the next television purchase.
Release date and price
LG GX Gallery Series OLED TV LG GX Gallery Series OLED TV will be launched in 2020. It’s the successor to the previous G-Series OLED TVs were launched in 2016 2017 and 2018. It comes with an updated design that’s similar to the one we saw on the LG Signature Series W9 OLED. Since this time it’s been a while since the LG G1 has been launched and builds on the GX’s popularity.
The major difference in the two models is the W-Series is still equipped with the Dolby Atmos soundbar, which acts as an input and output hub, and The Gallery Series has all its connections built into the side of the television. Additionally, it is less expensive at the moment.
Because of its seamless design, the LG Gallery Series is on the more expensive side: the 55-inch LG OLED55GX’s RRP comes in at $2,499/PS2,099/AU$4139; the 65-inch LG OLED65GX costs $3,499/PS3,199/AU$5,999 and the massive 77-inch LG OLED77GX costs $5,999/PS5,999/AU$11,399. Although, since it’s the model is a bit older it is beneficial to be keeping an eye out for the latest deals Black Friday(opens in a new tab) will bring within the next few months, with discounts that could be offered.
If you’re looking to save some cash without relying on sales it is possible to purchase the same OLED panel but on an entirely different chassis, using an LG CX OLED that is typically sold for less than $800/PS400. LG GX OLED. It also comes with Black Friday TV deals(opens in a new tab) possibly reducing the price even more.
Design
The comparison with the earlier W-Series OLED is not just due to an identical design, but also because it has other significant similarities to the new Gallery GX Series: they both require wall-mounting and, if you wish to hide wires in the wall, both require professional installation also. Thankfully, LG has included the wall mount that isn’t gaff-proof inside the box , meaning it’s not necessary to purchase it separately. You are able to buy legs with an optional design should you wish to.
The best part is that after you’ve set it up it will be equipped with the TV that extends only 5mm off the wall, and is amazing. Since all the inputs are now at the rear of the screen, there’s nothing to hinder you from watching the television.
In terms of inputs, there are 4 HDMI 2.1 inputs each equipped to handle 4K as high as 120 Hz. 10 bit HDR that supports 4:4:4 color sample and one that has eARC/ARC support and three USB ports for powering devices and host USB flash drives, as along with optical audio output and an au. audio port. Not to be forgotten there’s an RF tuner, which is ATSC 3.0-compatible which means it’s pretty future-proof with regard to broadcast support for TV.
This is a great thing for people who like the minimalist style, but more exciting for audiophiles since now they can connect to their own audio systems to AV without having to utilize LG’s built-in soundbar that allows you to connect it to any audio or video system of your choice.
In the TV is a new microphone that is always listening and a virtual assistant that utilizes “Hi LG” as a wake-up phrase. This is able to be turned off via the settings, however it’s an application of software rather than a switch which can be turned between off and on.
Smart TV (webOS with ThinQ AI)
While certain devices for smart television are beginning to seem a bit stagnant, LG’s webOS is coming up with new ways to keep the experience up-to-date. In 2018, it’s expanding capacity of its personal assistant in addition to the ongoing service of Alexa as well as Google Assistant.
The marquee feature added is the ability of LG’s ThinQ AI to recommend shows as well as follow certain sports teams, and even remind that you’re watching them… This, is true, but it sounded more impressive during CES as we were still thinking that we’d see sporting events this year. This doesn’t contradict or goes against the whims of Alexa or Google Assistant because ThinQ AI really just wants to be your ultimate entertainment guide instead of a complete personal assistant.
Although having a myriad of assistants may seem like it would cause confusion, but it’s actually quite enjoyable to have them all in the same device together. Being capable of controlling all my devices connected to Google Home and asking Alexa about my shopping lists seems like the perfect scenario of smart home technology. It’s true that LG’s Alexa isn’t always reliable in its recommendations and won’t always respond when you call however, the three assistants can be a lot of fun to play with.
Of course smart assistants are just one component of a smart platform. The other is having an array of streaming options to choose from which is something that webOS does not have. You’ll be able to access all the most popular streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and Vudu as well as newcomers such as Disney Plus, Apple TV and Peacock. The only one that could be included but isn’t available is HBO Max, but that was not a major issue for us.
LG also offers an ThinQ application available to handle the majority of the functions you’ll find in the Magic Remote that ships with the TV, but as usual LG’s Magic Remote is a fun alternative.
Performance
As you’d expect from a GX OLED, content all over the world looks stunning with this GX OLED. HD/SDR content appears more stunning than ever thanks to the brand new image Alpha a9 Gen3 Processor and 4K/HDR content boasts the same pixel-perfect black levels as well as precision in color that you’ve come expect from an OLED.
The most popular enhancement is the major increase in motion-handling in a variety of picture settings this year. It’s not perfect, but it’s a little over-aggressive when it comes to dynamic modes however, we didn’t need to change a single feature for the incredibly Expert ISF (Bright Room) setting that’s flawless straight out of the box. There was no soap opera-like influence in the shows we watched. Action sequences were simple to follow.
However, the one issue that could seriously hinder it’s performance is television is its dim brightness and its reflective glass display – particularly when you intend to put the TV in a bright living space with lots of windows. We tried it out in the same setting during our tests and noticed a lot of glare. experienced some difficulty focusing on things that would’ve easily seen with a larger screen.
However, that doesn’t mean that LG hasn’t taken any steps to address these problems. In fact, this year , it has included Dolby Vision IQ capabilities to TVs via an alliance with Dolby which increases and decreases the brightness levels and gamma level on the display based according to the level of light it is able to pick up. The mode will automatically switch on regardless of the setting you’ve selected and you should use both the Dolby Vision Home Mode as well as LG’s AI Brightness feature activated.
In terms of Dolby Vision as a whole, with regard to other HDR support, you can find HDR10 as well as HLG HDR shows for HDR broadcasts on Sky throughout the UK. There’s not much HDR content on HLG currently however it’s better to possess it and not use the feature than to not have it but want to. The only thing missing from the HDR format is HDR10+, which is somewhat disappointing However, LG’s Active HDR mode operates similarly, including dynamic metadata using an algorithm developed by LG that would otherwise not have.
Sound
If you’re looking for perfect pitch quality audio, it’s unlikely to get it in this model. LG Gallery Series – the built-in speakers are an unwelcome addition to the otherwise excellent design: Due to design limitations the TV is limited to small, low-powered speakers that do not match the top quality of the OLED screen.
It’s not like the Gallery Series has the worst sound quality that we’ve heard from television this year, it doesn’t , but the midrange’s weak sound is completely dominated by overcompensating highs and lows. The results aren’t terrible and is easily enhanced by turning off volume levels however for a television that costs the same as this one, it’s not great.
The good news is the LG Gallery Series has support for Dolby Atmos and the eARC HDMI port which is able to transmit an Atmos sound to either a receiver or soundbar.
Naturally, when are looking for an OLED that features the style that is the Gallery Series and the sound quality then there’s LG WX Series. LG WX Series that comes at $4,499.99/PS4,499.
Samsung’s The Frame is a cheaper alternative, but it has many of the same features and characteristics. (Image credit: samsung)
Other panels to think about…
If you’re not married to an ultra-clean aesthetic or completely refuse to purchase an entertainment system in your living space You can save hundreds by purchasing LG CX OLED. LG CX OLED instead of the Gallery Series. They have the same display and processor and offer the same features. The only difference is the cost and design and both are large.
If you want a sleek, clean design for your walls essential however you don’t have a home cinema that can be paired with an Gallery Series TV, consider the Samsung Frame (2020). While Samsung’s design-centric TV does not offer perfect black levels, or the same accuracy in color that LG’s Gallery Series OLED can, The Frame comes with a custom frame that you can swap out to fit your decor, and also a cool art mode that can turn your TV into a spinning art gallery. The Frame also comes at a price of $1,000 less that The Gallery Series, too.