Verdict
An improvement on the 2023 G-series OLED, the LG OLED65G4 offers a better HDR performance, upscaling, motion, and sound system to go with its excellent interface and gaming features. However, it still has an issue with green tint, even though it’s not as bad as it was on the G3.
Pros
- Gorgeous HDR performance
- Improved motion and upscaling
- Adjustable stand
- Improved sound system
- Excellent gaming features
Cons
- Green tint is still apparent
- Samsung S95D offers even brigher HDR performance
-
AI Voice RemasteringTakes dialogue from a scene and makes it clearer -
144Hz refresh ratesPC gamers get support up to 144Hz with a flick of a button -
Dolby Vision x FilmmakerMerges Dolby Vision and Filmmaker modes for accurate Hollywood picture
Introduction
After having an extended look at the 65-inch G4, the OLED55G4 has made its way to the Trusted test rooms.
After its 2023 OLEDs were high-performing but a little lacklustre, the C4 series is a return to form. The OLED65G4 is, in my opinion, LG’s finest OLED TV yet, slightly marred by the emergence of the green tint that plagued the 2023 models.
So what to make of the 55-inch G4? Is it the best OLED TV of 2024?
Availability
There are two versions of the G4 that sell in the UK: the wall-mount version (OLEDxxG45LW) and the model that comes with a stand (OLEDxxG46LS).
Prices, so far, appear to be exactly the same for whichever version you go for.
The 55- and 65-inch for both are £2399 / £3299 in the UK, while in the US it’s $2599 / $3399 if you buy from LG. If you do buy direct from LG you can bag yourself up to £200 of a soundbar.
Design
- Choice of a stand or no stand
- Slim, minimalist screen
- Adjustable stand
Without wanting to repeat myself, the G4 exudes the same minimalist design it has had since the original GX model. The rear panel is uniformly flat for a depth of 27.2mm – not the thinnest screen, mind you, with the Samsung S95D’s absurd 11mm.
But depth isn’t what we’re focusing on considering the OLED55G46LS version comes with a stand. Like the 65-inch model I tested, the stand is adjustable so you can place it low to the ground (if you prefer it that way) or higher up (to slot a soundbar in beneath).
It’s a beautiful looking screen, simple but built to a high level. The stand is around the same size as the one fitted to the bigger C4 models, so you can fit this onto surfaces big or small.
Operating System
- Five-year software updates
- LG Channels offers free content
- Chatbot feature
LG’s webOS is, in my opinion, one of the better TV interfaces. In terms of apps, it has everything you could need and it’s easy to traverse and understand where everything is.
You can set the TV up with the remote or through LG’s ThinQ app, which seems to recognise there’s a TV to connect to – in previous years, the app would crash. I’d like it if you could use the app throughout the entire set-up process ilike Samsung’s SmartThings, as you have to return to using the remote to finish things off.
Once you’re past this process, there’s an introduction that shows where everything is and a brief overview of what it does. You can also create an LG account, and I’d advise that you do as some apps remain locked behind an account sign-up.
WebOS is a full-screen interface with space at the top of the screen for advertisements that don’t feel intrusive – most are ads for LG’s products and services.
Rows are kept to a minimum, with content nested into each row and revealed by clicking on the tile. It makes the responsiveness and usability of the interface excellent – it’s slick with no lag, and I’m not overwhelmed by the amount of content available.
There’s customisation through the Quick Card row (Home Office, Games, Games, Music, Accessibility) that offer personalised, real-time information. The Accessibility card opens up to the Chatbot feature, whereby if you’re having an issue with the TV (picture, sound, etc), Chatbot will serve up some solutions for a fix.
Freeview Play covers UK catch-up and on-demand apps, and in terms of major apps, webOS covers all the big UK and global premium apps. LG Channels helps fatten the free offering with access to on-demand movies, channels, and TV series. Gaming features cloud gaming options in GeForce Now, Amazon Luna, Utomik, Blacknut and Twitch broadcasting, which you can access through the Games quick card.
Nothing has changed with the remote, and while I like its ergonomic shape and responsiveness of the pointer (which you can customise like a PC mouse), other brands have moved away from batteries to solar and USB charging.
Software updates are guaranteed for the next five years, so if you buy the LG G4 in 2024, you’ll receive security updates until the end of 2028.
Features
- 2nd Gen MLA tech
- Dolby Vision x Filmmaker mode
- Wide range of gaming features
LG’s OLEDs offer HDMI 2.1 support across all its HDMI inputs. There’s ALLM, 4K/120Hz refresh rates (where supported), VRR support (AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync) up to 144Hz with PC games. And let’s not forget Dolby Vision Gaming and the HGIG HDR gaming standard.
Input lag is a speedy 12.9ms, and when the Boost mode is engaged it drops to 9.3ms. Boost mode is activated through the Game Optimizer, a pop-up screen that allows for further customisation with the Game Genre setting that optimises input for whichever type of game you’re playing. For those who want the most accurate gaming picture, you can calibrate SDR, HDR, and Dolby Vision modes with CalMAN Auto-cal.
Other connectivity includes a headphone out, digital optical out, satellite, two RF aerials, Ethernet, three USB 2.0 inputs, and a CI+ 1.4 common interface slot. Wirelessly you have Wi-Fi (Chromecast, AirPlay 2, and WiSA), and with Bluetooth 5.1, the OLED55G4 can send audio through the Bluetooth Surround Ready protocol to two speakers.
In terms of HDR, there is HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision IQ with Precision Detail, and with the latter, LG is the first TV brand to merge Dolby Vision and Filmmaker mode, so you can watch content in the way the creator intended. The G4 OLED packs LG’s 2nd generation MLA (Micro Lens Array) panel, which to keep things sweet and short, outputs some of the brightest images for any OLED TV.
The 4.2-channel system packs 60W of power (just like the 65-inch model), and with LG’s α11 AI Sound Pro feature it claims to upmix Dolby Atmos audio up to 11.1.2 virtual channels. New for the higher-end OLED models is the AI Voice Remastering that focuses on dialogue in a scene, separating it from the effects, and making it clearer.
The Wow Orchestra merges the TV’s speakers with a compatible LG soundbar to create a greater sense of spatial effect, giving the impression of one big sound. The TV and soundbar also share menu settings, so you can swap through different settings or switch it off.
Picture Quality
- Superb brightness
- Rich, but balanced colours
- Green tint noticeable
Unfortunately, I still notice a green tint to images on the LG OLED55G4. Comparing scenes from Interstellar with a Philips OLED809, the G4 OLED’s cinema modes give white tones a greener glow and it’s an issue I’ve seen with other HDR10 films (The Girl in the Spider’s Web, Barbie being two more).
I imagine most who purchase this TV won’t notice, and if suitably skilled, you could calibrate the tint out of the picture. But given LG’s ongoing quest for picture accuracy, I’m not confident in saying the G4 has reached that goal, at least not out of the box.
That said, the OLED55G4 is capable of delivering the most gorgeous HDR images I’ve seen on any TV in 2024. The sense of contrast is fabulously described, and the interplay between light and dark areas in scenes is stunning – the scene in The Man From U.N.C.L.E where Henry Cavill’s Solo shoots the wheels out of a car could be hung in the Louvre (likely on this very LG TV). It is beautiful.
Highlights are brilliantly sharp and intense, black levels are deep and rich, which adds to the TV’s brilliant sense of contrast.
The picture processing (aside from the green tint) is excellent. The three-dimensionality the G4 produces gives scenes more depth between the foreground and background, making other very skilled TVs look flatter and less interesting by comparison.
Kubo and the Two Strings is a film that really brings LG’s processing skills to the fore. The detail on the marionettes is high level, sharpness looks spot on without feeling over-egged (like it can be on Philips TVs), while the colours (in Dolby Vision) and gradation of hues is absolutely stunning. It’s gorgeous.
Considering where LG was a few years ago with TruMotion processing, its motion handling should now be considered one of the best. Cinematic Movement is still the one I’d recommend for purists, acting as a halfway point between applying processing but still maintaining a filmic look. Natural adds more of the Soap Opera Effect with slight judder and blurry areas but there’s no obvious ‘breaking’ or tearing in the image and the picture still looks fabulously detailed.
Smooth Movement is the most powerful and it adds more judder, blurriness, and more noticeable ‘cracks’ in the image, especially with slow panning shots. You might use this option for sports, but I wouldn’t recommend for films or more cinematic TV series.
The upscaling is another area where – as far as 4K TVs are concerned – LG could now be considered the best. A Blu-ray of Pitch Black looks great on the OLED55G4. The film’s stylised look makes for an imperfect image (it’s not the most detailed), but the picture is terrifically sharp, clear, and detailed throughout.
There’s great contrast in the film’s nighttime scenes, and when Riddick disappears into the shadows in one, there’s an impressive sense of three-dimensionality to the scene where you can tell Riddick is in the background compared to an actor in the foreground.
Close-ups reveal plenty of fine detail on the actors (i.e. lots of sweat); while colours are bright and rich – at times this SDR disc almost looks like it’s been given the HDR treatment.
A drop down to DVD quality resolution and the LG can’t avoid the softness of the image, but it does make the image look as natural as possible.
There’s no over-sharpening, no obvious artefacts, with colours that appear true to the original intention. With Mission: Impossible the only noticeable problems are a few jagged edges, and a slightly weird bit of processing that makes all the trees as the team make their way to the CIA headquarters look very blurry. Aside from that, it’s a watchable image.
The Vivid mode turns everything up to 11 and it is unsubtle. Colour volume is taken to the max – whites have so much purity and glow in Cinderella, while blue colours have a gorgeous hue to them; reds, golds, greens, and yellows are look richly reproduced.
The problem is that skin tones don’t fare well (it’s as if everyone has gone to the Costa del Sol), with detail missing as if it’s been bleached out by the brightness. Considering other TV brands have gone for a more balanced performance in Vivid modes, LG’s approach is true to the notion of a Vivid mode but also a little lurid.
Audio Quality
- Voice Remastering technology
- Warmer sound than before
- Good sense of width
There’s little I’ll add here that I didn’t mention in my review of the 65-inch. Standard and Cinema modes remain the best bet for watching stereo content but turn on the AI Sound Pro mode with Dolby Atmos content and you’re treated to a more convincing sense of width and space than I’ve heard from previous LG OLED TVs.
Turn Atmos off altogether and the performance is much more ordinary – thin, lacking detail, and not at all expansive. With Atmos there’s a greater sense of heft and spaciousness – there’s more ‘oomph’ to the explosions in Civil War than Samsung’s 8K QN800D QLED can manage; but the LG still lacks the directness and dynamism of Sony’s A95L QD-OLEDs.
Nevertheless, dialogue has been boosted with the AI Remastering, reproducing them with a better sense of clarity and detail even in scenes that have been tricky for most TVs to deal with. You’ll still want a soundbar to partner with this TV, and LG has a few to choose from.
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
If you want the best LG has to offer
High brightness pictures, improved motion and upscaling, and better sound. The G4 is an improvement in the slightly lacklustre G3.
That green tint is still there
Absent for most of the testing process, the green tint reappeared again. It’s not as bad as it was on the G3, but it does mean it’s not the most accurate image.
Final Thoughts
The OLED55G4, like its bigger 65-inch sibling, is an excellent OLED TV. However, the green tint still mars its picture performance, a shame because in every other department, it’s a step up over the G3 model.
For HDR, the Samsung S95D is arguably a better bet with its brighter performance, and the Sony A95L is a better-sounding unit despite LG’s progression in this area.
How we test
We test every television we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
Benchmarked with Spears and Munsil test disc
Tested over several months
Tested with real world use
FAQs
The G4 OLED does come with a stand but it depends on the version your purchase. Look for the model number OLEDxxG46LS and that’ll be the one that comes with a stand. The OLEDxxG45LW model number does not.
Trusted Reviews test data
Verdict
An improvement on the 2023 G-series OLED, the LG OLED65G4 offers a better HDR performance, upscaling, motion, and sound system to go with its excellent interface and gaming features. However, it still has an issue with green tint, even though it’s not as bad as it was on the G3.
Pros
- Gorgeous HDR performance
- Improved motion and upscaling
- Adjustable stand
- Improved sound system
- Excellent gaming features
Cons
- Green tint is still apparent
- Samsung S95D offers even brigher HDR performance
-
AI Voice RemasteringTakes dialogue from a scene and makes it clearer -
144Hz refresh ratesPC gamers get support up to 144Hz with a flick of a button -
Dolby Vision x FilmmakerMerges Dolby Vision and Filmmaker modes for accurate Hollywood picture
Introduction
After having an extended look at the 65-inch G4, the OLED55G4 has made its way to the Trusted test rooms.
After its 2023 OLEDs were high-performing but a little lacklustre, the C4 series is a return to form. The OLED65G4 is, in my opinion, LG’s finest OLED TV yet, slightly marred by the emergence of the green tint that plagued the 2023 models.
So what to make of the 55-inch G4? Is it the best OLED TV of 2024?
Availability
There are two versions of the G4 that sell in the UK: the wall-mount version (OLEDxxG45LW) and the model that comes with a stand (OLEDxxG46LS).
Prices, so far, appear to be exactly the same for whichever version you go for.
The 55- and 65-inch for both are £2399 / £3299 in the UK, while in the US it’s $2599 / $3399 if you buy from LG. If you do buy direct from LG you can bag yourself up to £200 of a soundbar.
Design
- Choice of a stand or no stand
- Slim, minimalist screen
- Adjustable stand
Without wanting to repeat myself, the G4 exudes the same minimalist design it has had since the original GX model. The rear panel is uniformly flat for a depth of 27.2mm – not the thinnest screen, mind you, with the Samsung S95D’s absurd 11mm.
But depth isn’t what we’re focusing on considering the OLED55G46LS version comes with a stand. Like the 65-inch model I tested, the stand is adjustable so you can place it low to the ground (if you prefer it that way) or higher up (to slot a soundbar in beneath).
It’s a beautiful looking screen, simple but built to a high level. The stand is around the same size as the one fitted to the bigger C4 models, so you can fit this onto surfaces big or small.
Operating System
- Five-year software updates
- LG Channels offers free content
- Chatbot feature
LG’s webOS is, in my opinion, one of the better TV interfaces. In terms of apps, it has everything you could need and it’s easy to traverse and understand where everything is.
You can set the TV up with the remote or through LG’s ThinQ app, which seems to recognise there’s a TV to connect to – in previous years, the app would crash. I’d like it if you could use the app throughout the entire set-up process ilike Samsung’s SmartThings, as you have to return to using the remote to finish things off.
Once you’re past this process, there’s an introduction that shows where everything is and a brief overview of what it does. You can also create an LG account, and I’d advise that you do as some apps remain locked behind an account sign-up.
WebOS is a full-screen interface with space at the top of the screen for advertisements that don’t feel intrusive – most are ads for LG’s products and services.
Rows are kept to a minimum, with content nested into each row and revealed by clicking on the tile. It makes the responsiveness and usability of the interface excellent – it’s slick with no lag, and I’m not overwhelmed by the amount of content available.
There’s customisation through the Quick Card row (Home Office, Games, Games, Music, Accessibility) that offer personalised, real-time information. The Accessibility card opens up to the Chatbot feature, whereby if you’re having an issue with the TV (picture, sound, etc), Chatbot will serve up some solutions for a fix.
Freeview Play covers UK catch-up and on-demand apps, and in terms of major apps, webOS covers all the big UK and global premium apps. LG Channels helps fatten the free offering with access to on-demand movies, channels, and TV series. Gaming features cloud gaming options in GeForce Now, Amazon Luna, Utomik, Blacknut and Twitch broadcasting, which you can access through the Games quick card.
Nothing has changed with the remote, and while I like its ergonomic shape and responsiveness of the pointer (which you can customise like a PC mouse), other brands have moved away from batteries to solar and USB charging.
Software updates are guaranteed for the next five years, so if you buy the LG G4 in 2024, you’ll receive security updates until the end of 2028.
Features
- 2nd Gen MLA tech
- Dolby Vision x Filmmaker mode
- Wide range of gaming features
LG’s OLEDs offer HDMI 2.1 support across all its HDMI inputs. There’s ALLM, 4K/120Hz refresh rates (where supported), VRR support (AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync) up to 144Hz with PC games. And let’s not forget Dolby Vision Gaming and the HGIG HDR gaming standard.
Input lag is a speedy 12.9ms, and when the Boost mode is engaged it drops to 9.3ms. Boost mode is activated through the Game Optimizer, a pop-up screen that allows for further customisation with the Game Genre setting that optimises input for whichever type of game you’re playing. For those who want the most accurate gaming picture, you can calibrate SDR, HDR, and Dolby Vision modes with CalMAN Auto-cal.
Other connectivity includes a headphone out, digital optical out, satellite, two RF aerials, Ethernet, three USB 2.0 inputs, and a CI+ 1.4 common interface slot. Wirelessly you have Wi-Fi (Chromecast, AirPlay 2, and WiSA), and with Bluetooth 5.1, the OLED55G4 can send audio through the Bluetooth Surround Ready protocol to two speakers.
In terms of HDR, there is HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision IQ with Precision Detail, and with the latter, LG is the first TV brand to merge Dolby Vision and Filmmaker mode, so you can watch content in the way the creator intended. The G4 OLED packs LG’s 2nd generation MLA (Micro Lens Array) panel, which to keep things sweet and short, outputs some of the brightest images for any OLED TV.
The 4.2-channel system packs 60W of power (just like the 65-inch model), and with LG’s α11 AI Sound Pro feature it claims to upmix Dolby Atmos audio up to 11.1.2 virtual channels. New for the higher-end OLED models is the AI Voice Remastering that focuses on dialogue in a scene, separating it from the effects, and making it clearer.
The Wow Orchestra merges the TV’s speakers with a compatible LG soundbar to create a greater sense of spatial effect, giving the impression of one big sound. The TV and soundbar also share menu settings, so you can swap through different settings or switch it off.
Picture Quality
- Superb brightness
- Rich, but balanced colours
- Green tint noticeable
Unfortunately, I still notice a green tint to images on the LG OLED55G4. Comparing scenes from Interstellar with a Philips OLED809, the G4 OLED’s cinema modes give white tones a greener glow and it’s an issue I’ve seen with other HDR10 films (The Girl in the Spider’s Web, Barbie being two more).
I imagine most who purchase this TV won’t notice, and if suitably skilled, you could calibrate the tint out of the picture. But given LG’s ongoing quest for picture accuracy, I’m not confident in saying the G4 has reached that goal, at least not out of the box.
That said, the OLED55G4 is capable of delivering the most gorgeous HDR images I’ve seen on any TV in 2024. The sense of contrast is fabulously described, and the interplay between light and dark areas in scenes is stunning – the scene in The Man From U.N.C.L.E where Henry Cavill’s Solo shoots the wheels out of a car could be hung in the Louvre (likely on this very LG TV). It is beautiful.
Highlights are brilliantly sharp and intense, black levels are deep and rich, which adds to the TV’s brilliant sense of contrast.
The picture processing (aside from the green tint) is excellent. The three-dimensionality the G4 produces gives scenes more depth between the foreground and background, making other very skilled TVs look flatter and less interesting by comparison.
Kubo and the Two Strings is a film that really brings LG’s processing skills to the fore. The detail on the marionettes is high level, sharpness looks spot on without feeling over-egged (like it can be on Philips TVs), while the colours (in Dolby Vision) and gradation of hues is absolutely stunning. It’s gorgeous.
Considering where LG was a few years ago with TruMotion processing, its motion handling should now be considered one of the best. Cinematic Movement is still the one I’d recommend for purists, acting as a halfway point between applying processing but still maintaining a filmic look. Natural adds more of the Soap Opera Effect with slight judder and blurry areas but there’s no obvious ‘breaking’ or tearing in the image and the picture still looks fabulously detailed.
Smooth Movement is the most powerful and it adds more judder, blurriness, and more noticeable ‘cracks’ in the image, especially with slow panning shots. You might use this option for sports, but I wouldn’t recommend for films or more cinematic TV series.
The upscaling is another area where – as far as 4K TVs are concerned – LG could now be considered the best. A Blu-ray of Pitch Black looks great on the OLED55G4. The film’s stylised look makes for an imperfect image (it’s not the most detailed), but the picture is terrifically sharp, clear, and detailed throughout.
There’s great contrast in the film’s nighttime scenes, and when Riddick disappears into the shadows in one, there’s an impressive sense of three-dimensionality to the scene where you can tell Riddick is in the background compared to an actor in the foreground.
Close-ups reveal plenty of fine detail on the actors (i.e. lots of sweat); while colours are bright and rich – at times this SDR disc almost looks like it’s been given the HDR treatment.
A drop down to DVD quality resolution and the LG can’t avoid the softness of the image, but it does make the image look as natural as possible.
There’s no over-sharpening, no obvious artefacts, with colours that appear true to the original intention. With Mission: Impossible the only noticeable problems are a few jagged edges, and a slightly weird bit of processing that makes all the trees as the team make their way to the CIA headquarters look very blurry. Aside from that, it’s a watchable image.
The Vivid mode turns everything up to 11 and it is unsubtle. Colour volume is taken to the max – whites have so much purity and glow in Cinderella, while blue colours have a gorgeous hue to them; reds, golds, greens, and yellows are look richly reproduced.
The problem is that skin tones don’t fare well (it’s as if everyone has gone to the Costa del Sol), with detail missing as if it’s been bleached out by the brightness. Considering other TV brands have gone for a more balanced performance in Vivid modes, LG’s approach is true to the notion of a Vivid mode but also a little lurid.
Audio Quality
- Voice Remastering technology
- Warmer sound than before
- Good sense of width
There’s little I’ll add here that I didn’t mention in my review of the 65-inch. Standard and Cinema modes remain the best bet for watching stereo content but turn on the AI Sound Pro mode with Dolby Atmos content and you’re treated to a more convincing sense of width and space than I’ve heard from previous LG OLED TVs.
Turn Atmos off altogether and the performance is much more ordinary – thin, lacking detail, and not at all expansive. With Atmos there’s a greater sense of heft and spaciousness – there’s more ‘oomph’ to the explosions in Civil War than Samsung’s 8K QN800D QLED can manage; but the LG still lacks the directness and dynamism of Sony’s A95L QD-OLEDs.
Nevertheless, dialogue has been boosted with the AI Remastering, reproducing them with a better sense of clarity and detail even in scenes that have been tricky for most TVs to deal with. You’ll still want a soundbar to partner with this TV, and LG has a few to choose from.
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
If you want the best LG has to offer
High brightness pictures, improved motion and upscaling, and better sound. The G4 is an improvement in the slightly lacklustre G3.
That green tint is still there
Absent for most of the testing process, the green tint reappeared again. It’s not as bad as it was on the G3, but it does mean it’s not the most accurate image.
Final Thoughts
The OLED55G4, like its bigger 65-inch sibling, is an excellent OLED TV. However, the green tint still mars its picture performance, a shame because in every other department, it’s a step up over the G3 model.
For HDR, the Samsung S95D is arguably a better bet with its brighter performance, and the Sony A95L is a better-sounding unit despite LG’s progression in this area.
How we test
We test every television we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
Benchmarked with Spears and Munsil test disc
Tested over several months
Tested with real world use
FAQs
The G4 OLED does come with a stand but it depends on the version your purchase. Look for the model number OLEDxxG46LS and that’ll be the one that comes with a stand. The OLEDxxG45LW model number does not.
