LG Announces 2022 TV Range Headed Up By 20 New OLED Models

LG has got a whole host of new TVs to talk about, including twenty new OLED models ranging in size from 42- to 97-inches.
LG has introduced two new size extremes for its 2022 OLED offering in the shape of a new 42-inch addition to its traditionally hugely popular C series and a monster 97-inch addition to its increasingly tempting G series.
The full range of LG's new OLED TVs goes as follows. At the top of the pile will be two new 8K sets, the 77-inch OLED77Z2 and the 88-inch OLED88Z2. Beneath these will sit five 4K G2 models, the OLED55G2, the OLED65G2, the OLED77G2, the OLED83G2, and the mammoth OLED97G2.
Take another step down, and you get to the mid-range C2 series, available in 42, 48, 55, 65, 77 and 83-inch sizes. Then there's the B2 series in 55, 65 and 77-inch sizes, with the A2 series bringing up the rear in 48, 55, 65 and 77-inch sizes.
The headline story of the Z2s is their 8K resolution - and, if past experience is anything to go by, their likely extremely high prices. The G2s are LG's new flagship 4K models, a status they earn by combining one of the so-called Evo high brightness OLED panels introduced with 2021's G1 series with a new heat-dissipating element that enables them to get even brighter than their predecessors.
The C2s lose the brightness-boosting heat dissipation element of the G2s but do still get an Evo panel, unlike 2021's C1 models. The B2s get a standard OLED panel rather than an Evo design, don't carry as many full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports and step down to a less powerful Alpha 7 Gen 5 processor. The A2s, finally, move from the 120Hz panels used for all LG's other OLED ranges to 60Hz panels to offer people who don't care about cutting edge gaming a cheaper way of being able to indulge a passion for movies on an OLED screen.
LG ALPHA 9 GEN 5
While the new screen sizes, new heat dissipation element in the G2s, and shift to Evo panels for the C2s represent the most headline-grabbing new features of the 2022 LG OLED range, there's plenty more stuff to talk about too. Starting with the new Alpha 9 Generation 5 processor for the Z2, G2 and C2 models.
LG's processor improvements include a better 4K upscaler that eliminates a processing step that could introduce noise to upscaled pictures; improved dynamic tone mapping that breaks the image down into 5000-plus dimming zones for analysis by the Tone Mapping engine compared with only around 570 zones on LG's 2021 OLED models; and enhanced AI Object/Background detection that helps the new premium OLED screens produce more lifelike images with an enhanced sense of depth.
Additionally, there's a sound benefit to the Alpha 9 Gen 5 processor that sees the C2s and above able to convert simple stereo audio sources to 7.1.2 mixes.
CARBON FIBRE and 48Gps HDMI 2.1
Meanwhile, the G2 and C2 models benefit from new carbon fibre builds that significantly reduce their weight. With the G2 series, for instance, the 65-inch model weighs just 23kg versus the 29kg of last year's 65G1. And with the 65C2, the difference is even more striking: just 17.2 kg compared with a meaty 32.7kg for 2021's 65C1. Furthermore, the C2 and G2 series look trimmer, thanks to LG managing to shave 4mm or so off their bezel widths.
LG continues to push the gaming benefits of most of its new OLED range - especially the C2, G2 and Z2 series. Here you get 4K at 120Hz, variable refresh rates, automatic low latency mode switching, and AMD FreeSync/NVidia G-Sync support.
What's more, the HDMI 2.1 ports now being used by LG's 2022 OLEDs return to the full 48Gbps bandwidths introduced with LG's 9 series OLEDs back in 2019, rather than continuing with the 40Gbps bandwidth HDMIs preferred for LG's 2020 and 2021 OLED models. LG has persistently argued that 40Gbps is all you need, so it's interesting to see it returning to 48Gbps alongside quoted benefits of support for 4K at 120Hz with 12-bit colour and 4K 120Hz with Dolby Vision, even though it delivered the latter feature on its 2021 TVs following a firmware update.
webOS 2022
New features of webOS 2022 (the new naming convention moves from version number to release year) include enhanced personal profile options that enable individualised recommendations for different members of your household and a kind of 'never really off' status. The latter a) let the TVs show weather reports, news reports and so on when they're not actually being watched, and b) lets them be called into action (via far-field mics built into their screens) at any time simply by talking to them.
LG QNED
New OLEDs are increasingly popular with discerning consumers but aren't the only premium TVs in LG's 2022 arsenal. The brand is also expanding the number of so-called QNED LCD TVs in its range.
The QNED label refers to LG TVs that use Mini LED technology, where LEDs only one-fortieth of the size of those found in regular LED TVs are used to light LCD panels more precisely, resulting in punchier, crisper, more contrast-rich images that are much less likely to suffer from heavy backlight blooming.
For 2022 LG will be introducing four QNED ranges: the flagship 8K-resolution QNED99s, and the QNED90, QNED85 and QNED80 4K sets. My experience of QNED's debut last year was that while it significantly improved the black levels and contrast you can expect from LG's IPS-type LCD panels, it could still leave you with some pretty distracting blooming issues with very dark scenes. So hopefully, the combination of Mini LED lighting with LG's new Alpha 7 Gen 5 processor in the case of the 4K QNED models and the Alpha 9 Gen 5 processor in the case of the 8K QNED99s can deliver refinements in this single area of weakness with what were otherwise outstanding LCD TVs.
LG has yet to reveal any pricing or release date information for its new OLED or QNED ranges. Experience suggests pricing will end up being broadly similar to that of LG's 2021 range, but we will, of course, bring you these extra details as soon as they're available.
Visit LG for more information

John Archer
I’ve spent the past 25 years writing about the world of home entertainment technology. In that time I’m fairly confident that I’ve reviewed more TVs and projectors than any other individual on the planet, as well as experiencing first-hand the rise and fall of all manner of great and not so great home entertainment technologies.
Posted in: Visual
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