Latest news with #webOS
Techday NZ
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Techday NZ
LG offers affordable Apple TV+ monthly rate on smart TVs
LG Electronics is providing LG Smart TV owners in New Zealand with an opportunity to access Apple TV+ for three months at NZD $3.99 per month until 7 July 2025. The offer covers unlimited streaming of Apple Originals and other content through the Apple TV app found on compatible LG 4K and 8K Smart TVs from 2018 models onwards. Eligible devices also include lifestyle screen models such as StanbyME, StanbyME Go, LG MyView smart monitors, and LG CineBeam projectors. Apple TV+ features a range of programming, including drama and comedy series, documentaries, and family entertainment. Titles available to subscribers include the series Severance, sci-fi shows like Silo, comedies such as The Studio, and dramas including The Morning Show and Your Friends & Neighbours. Films available on the platform include The Gorge, The Instigators, Wolfs, The Family Plan, and more. Award-winning content for younger audiences, such as Jane, Stillwater, and Peanuts originals, is also part of the catalogue. LG positions its OLED TVs as compatible with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, enabling viewers to watch Apple TV+ content in 4K with advanced visual and audio features. LG's premium TVs also offer Filmmaker Mode, which is designed to preserve the content creator's intended viewing experience, and support titles mastered in Dolby Vision. "LG is committed to elevating the viewing experience by offering an extensive array of content and services, market leading picture quality and immersive audio. LG Smart users can access the full suite of content and services offered by LG Smart TVs with the versatile and user-friendly webOS platform," the company stated in the media release. The offer applies to LG 4K and 8K Smart TVs supporting webOS 4.5 (2019) through webOS25 (2025), StanbyME, StanbyME Go, UHD, and WQHD Smart devices. An internet connection and applicable subscriptions are required. LG noted that separate terms and privacy policies apply to Smart TV apps, and that LG ThinQ AI accounts are necessary for full access. The promotion is limited to new and qualified returning Apple TV+ subscribers and is restricted to one offer per TV and Apple account. At the end of the three-month period, plans automatically renew at NZD $14.99 per month unless cancelled. The offer cannot be combined with other promotions that provide access to the same service. LG's webOS platform, which has underpinned LG TVs for over a decade, is highlighted as a flexible user interface that allows customers to navigate and customise their viewing experience. The company emphasised its commitment to expanding its content and services ecosystem via global partnerships, and indicated that webOS will be central to future growth across devices and experiences. Alongside Apple TV+, LG also promotes LG Channels, its proprietary free streaming service. LG Channels provides a range of live and on-demand content, including movies, TV shows, news, sports, comedy, and anime. The app is accessible across different LG screens, including automotive and hotel TVs. LG stated that, "Apple TV+ is renowned for premium, award-winning drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment. LG Smart TV owners can access Apple TV+ content including the cultural phenomenon Severance, hit sci-fi favourites like Silo, acclaimed comedies like The Studio, compelling dramas like The Morning Show and Your Friends & Neighbours, and global hit films including The Gorge, The Instigators, Wolfs, The Family Plan and more. Apple TV+ also offers award-winning series for kids and families including Jane and Stillwater, and beloved Peanuts originals." Full terms and conditions for the offer are available through the Apple TV app. Renewal, cancellation, and privacy terms are governed by Apple's standard subscriber policies.
Business Insider
16-05-2025
- Business Insider
LG's C4 OLED is a year old, but it remains an excellent midrange TV — here's why it's still a great value
Even a year after its release, LG's C4 OLED TV is still a beauty. The 65-inch model I reviewed quickly transformed into the centerpiece of my living room. Its deep, rich black levels and vibrant colors drew my roommates and me to more game-playing and movie-watching than we've done all year. The TV comes in several sizes, ranging from 42 inches at the bottom to a whopping 83 inches at the top. The 65-inch model is often on sale for $1,500 or less, which is a solid deal for a midrange OLED. It's also a lot less than the new 2025 version of this TV, the C5. The C5 has an upgraded processor for improved 4K upscaling, and it delivers slightly higher brightness, but most people would be hard-pressed to notice a huge difference between the two. The C5 is technically a better TV, but the C4 offers more value while it remains in stock. However, that's not to say that the C4 is perfect. Good picture quality is heavily dependent on using the right settings, and its webOS interface is cluttered and occasionally dysfunctional. But if you pair it with a solid streaming device and stick with the right picture presets, you'll be left with one of the best 4K TVs in this price range. Setup is simple, and there are plenty of connections Setting the C4 up is a pretty simple process — just four screws to attach its stand, though you'll need a friend to help you lug it into place if your screen is 55 inches or larger. However, the stand only raises the TV around 2.25 inches, which could be an issue if you own a large soundbar, and its pedestal design means you'll need to place your soundbar directly in front of the stand rather than right underneath the screen. Once booted up, the TV guides you through some standard housekeeping tasks like setting up WiFi and accepting various terms and services. The C4 supports Ethernet (via one port on the side) and WiFi 5, which is on the slower side for a modern TV. You'll mainly feel that when your set is downloading larger software and app updates, but you shouldn't have any issues streaming 4K content. Like all modern TVs, the set also has a digital over-the-air (OTA) tuner port, which is great if you want to plug in an antenna to access free, local signals without paying a fortune to a cable provider. That said, the C4's tuner only supports receiving HD broadcasts rather than 4K Ultra HD. This isn't a big deal since the majority of OTA content is limited to HD in most areas. You can also buy a 4K tuner separately if you ever want to upgrade. The C4 has plenty of ports for connecting external devices like a streaming player, AV receiver, soundbar, or gaming console. The set has four HDMI 2.1 inputs with support for 48Gbps, enabling the bandwidth needed for 4K/120Hz signals. Setting up the C4's built-in Universal Control feature, a fancy way of saying "use one remote to control everything," requires almost no effort at all. I just had to pick my connected AV receiver's manufacturer and run through a quick test of the power button. Coupled with the HDMI-CEC capabilities, I could then use the Magic Remote's buttons to raise and lower my receiver's volume in addition to the many options on its setup screen. Though not as full-featured as a true universal remote, it's still super-convenient for basic operations across many devices. You can summon LG's digital assistant by saying "Hi, LG" to your TV, once you've set it up, or by holding down the associated button on LG's Magic Remote. It's surprisingly good, able to launch apps, jump to different networks within LG's Channels app, and even pull up your settings whenever you want (in addition to telling you the weather). I was actually surprised by the voice assistant's versatility, and frequently found myself talking to the TV to power it up whenever I walked into the living room. LG also offers the option to set up several AI-powered modes to automatically adjust the brightness of scenes, improve the quality of the TV's speakers, and, as far as I can tell, upscale lower-resolution video for the TV's 4K screen. None of the visual features had any noticeable impact on my testing when enabled. I repeatedly turned them on and off during a variety of movies, and their "benefits" were minimal, at best. My advice? You don't need them. The single AI audio enhancement option seemed to normalize the TV's volume and make everything sound equal and annoyingly louder, removing all the acoustic joy from scenes like the big spice harvester attack in "Dune: Part Two." The TV's calibration-like AI Acoustic Tuning didn't give me noticeably different audio quality when on or off, save for when I switched the feature to bass- or treble-boosting mode. Again, the LG C4 performs better without these additions. The C4 has great picture quality, as long as you use the right settings LG's C4 uses a WOLED panel, giving you pixel-perfect dimming that doesn't create any annoying halos or other artifacts when bright images are blasted across an otherwise dark scene — a fireball on an Arrakis night in "Dune," for example. This instantly gives the C4 a leg up on competing QLED TVs that rely on backlights arranged into zones to control the brightness of various parts of your picture. When it comes to contrast, OLED is simply superior, full stop. The C4's OLED screen also offers wider viewing angles than a QLED, though some slight shifts in color tint can be visible. Visit our QLED vs. OLED comparison for more details on the pros and cons of both display types. The C4 does stop short of using the more advanced panel that LG uses on its pricier G Series OLED TVs. Samsung and Sony also use more advanced OLED screens that incorporate quantum dots in their flagship sets. In practice, this means the C4 can't get quite as bright or colorful as those models, but the TV still performs well for its class. I evaluated the C4's image quality by using Portrait Displays' Calman software to measure every one of the TV's video presets across both SDR and HDR. The TV's default "Standard" preset is not very good. That's to be expected on most TVs, but its inaccuracies in both grayscales and colors were bigger than anything I've seen in some time. Even before I busted out my colorimeter, something about the TV's default image seemed way too blue and cool-toned. My tests completely confirmed that — and then some. Thankfully, this is easily corrected by switching to one of the TV's much more accurate presets. If you switch to Filmmaker, ISF Expert, or Cinema mode, it's like you're looking at a completely different set. I expected the Filmmaker or ISF Expert modes to have the best picture quality, given that they tend to minimize any kind of unnecessary processing, but the TV's Cinema mode was actually the most accurate for grayscale and colors. Filmmaker and ISF Expert (both its "light" and "dark space" modes) were still great, and I'd be fine using any of the three if one happened to catch my eye more than another. The TV's HDR (high dynamic range) mode provides more presets to pick from, and again, I highly recommend ignoring the Standard and Vivid presets in favor of Filmmaker or Cinema modes. Cinema was again the preset to beat, delivering grayscale and color errors so low that they're not perceptible to the eye. Switching to it also automatically turns off the TV's terrible TruMotion option, a motion-smoothing feature that makes all your movies and TV shows look like they were shot as soap operas. Gross. When it comes to brightness, the C4 performs well for a midrange OLED, but it's not at the top of its class. Using 10% windows, I measured a maximum brightness of 355.3 nits and 998.6 nits on the TV's Cinema mode for SDR and HDR, respectively. For comparison, LG's new C5 can get slightly brighter at 1,174 nits in HDR, and Samsung's similarly priced S90D can get hit around 1,200 nits in HDR. Meanwhile, the brightest OLED available right now, LG's high-end G5, can hit 2,400 nits in HDR. Higher luminance helps high-contrast scenes pop with more intensity, like the extended infrared fighting sequence in "Dune: Part Two." That said, I wasn't bothered by any brightness issues when watching most HDR movies and TV shows. A lot of HDR content is mastered for a max of 1,000 nits, so the C4 presents that material without any issues. As you'd expect, super-dark moments in scenes blended right into a movie's black letterboxing — the power of OLED — and movies like "Tron: Legacy" had a pleasing, cyberpunk glow. Studios do master some HDR content for higher brightness levels that max out at 2,000, 4,000, and even 10,000 nits, so the C4 does fall short when displaying that kind of material. If you had a C4 side-by-side with an OLED that can hit 1,500+ nits, you would see specular highlights (like explosions or shimmering reflections) look more impactful on the other TV. In that sense, big home theater enthusiasts should consider paying top dollar for an LG G Series OLED. But I'd only be annoyed by the C4's limitations if LG was positioning it as a top-shelf TV. For its price, the C4 wows. The TV is also well-equipped for gaming on current-gen consoles. The set's native refresh rate of 120Hz is a pretty standard inclusion nowadays. This can go up to 144Hz when you've connected a compatible gaming PC, and it can use Nvidia G-Sync or AMD FreeSync Premium to dynamically adjust the refresh rates during gameplay to give you a buttery-smooth picture. (Only a few TVs, like LG's G5, go any higher, supporting a maximum gaming refresh rate of 165Hz.) In this class, the C4's biggest competitor is the Samsung S90D. The 55-, 65-, and 77-inch S90D TVs integrate quantum dots into their OLED screens, giving them slightly brighter performance with higher color volume. However, the 42-, 48-, and 83-inch models don't have quantum dots, so they don't offer any big picture benefits over the C4. It's also worth mentioning that the S90D doesn't support Dolby Vision, while the C4 does. Dolby Vision isn't a must-have feature, but it is a nice perk. Dolby Vision is supported by many streaming apps and 4K Blu-ray discs, and it helps the C4 optimize HDR content to better match the TV's specific capabilities. Without Dolby Vision, some HDR videos can look a bit blown out or dimmer than intended. Check out our HDR guide for more details. LG's webOS isn't my favorite smart TV platform, but it works well enough Like all LG TVs, the C4 uses the brand's webOS smart TV interface. It's a decent enough platform, but I'm not a huge fan for two key reasons: LG takes an "everything and the kitchen sink" approach to features, which makes it a slog to navigate some of the menus, and LG still can't resist filling its homepage with unnecessary apps, recommendations, and advertising. LG isn't unique in those drawbacks, as plenty of streaming boxes and TVs are packed full of promos and ads nowadays. But other systems like Google TV, Roku OS, and Apple's tvOS are more intuitive. The TV's default settings present a big ad banner that takes up roughly one-third of the top of the C4's homepage. This ad can be disabled in the TV's menu, which is nice, but this function is buried several layers deep. You need to navigate to the C4's General Settings, then System Settings, then Additional Settings, and then finally Home Settings to see the option. Even with the top ad deactivated, the homepage is too focused on promos. Scrolling down below the top row of apps immediately presents you with screen-wide highlights for LG's "featured channels." After that, there's a row of boxes highlighting all the random stuff you can purchase via LG's integrated Shoptime app. The OS also lags a bit compared to the best streaming devices like the Roku Ultra and Apple TV 4K. To be clear, even with those issues, webOS gets the job done. It supports all of the major streaming services you'll likely need and it does have a few handy features — including support for GeForce Now game streaming, a built-in smart home software hub for controlling connected IoT devices (which worked great with my Philips Hue lights, but not my TP-Link Tapo security cameras), and fairly easy streaming from a Windows or Mac computer. I just wish LG would cut back on the promotions and optimize its organization a bit. A temporary bug caused issues with the TV's software, but I found a fix Not to harp on webOS too much, but I also encountered a frustrating issue that temporarily made it impossible to use most of the TV's apps. Out of the box, the LG C4 worked perfectly; I could install and launch streaming services, visit the various content hubs, and make ample use of the TV's voice recognition. As part of my regular use, I made sure to install any available software updates, and I set the TV to automatically download future updates. At some point during my month or so with the TV, one update went haywire. I couldn't access most of LG's apps or related content, or even use its voice assistant, without getting a "couldn't connect" error message. This sent me down the rabbit hole of troubleshooting my home network while scouring web forums for potential solutions. I finally found a workaround: switching the TV's location from the US to Canada, and then switching it back, which triggered the C4 to make me re-sign its various user agreements. Somehow, as part of the software update, the TV seemed to forget this critical part of the setup process that grants you full access to LG's apps and services. Several other users with different LG TVs seemed to be affected by similar errors, as evidenced by various Reddit posts. I haven't encountered this kind of service shutdown glitch on any other TV or streaming device I've reviewed, but since a fix was found, I don't consider it a dealbreaker. Likewise, fellow Insider Reviews testers who have covered other LG TV models have not run into this error. Should you buy the LG C4 OLED 4K TV? LG's C4 has great picture quality for its price, especially now that it's frequently discounted. The newer C5 offers a few improvements, but I don't think the upgrade is worth the significant price jump for most people. For now, the C4 remains a fantastic value. When it comes to direct competitors, Samsung's S90D OLED does have an edge when displaying especially bright colors, but only if you're looking at the 55-, 65-, or 77-inch sizes. Otherwise, the C4 and S90D are neck and neck. Though the S90D remains the top pick in our guide to the best TVs, the C4 is a strong runner-up. So it really comes down to which brand you prefer and whether you consider Dolby Vision to be an important feature. But if you do buy the C4, just remember to stay away from its default picture mode. The Filmmaker or Cinema presets are the ones to use for the most accurate image. I also highly recommend pairing the set with a stand-alone streaming device if webOS gives you any issues. As long as you keep those key caveats in mind, the C4's performance is excellent for its price.
Tom's Guide
15-05-2025
- Tom's Guide
I tested a curved OLED gaming monitor with a secret side quest — it's also a killer smart TV
2025 is truly the year of OLED gaming monitors. First, we got 4K 240Hz truly become a thing and leave me mesmerized at CES 2025. And most recently, LG introduced a true feast for the eyes with the world's first 5K2K curved OLED panel. But these screens all have one thing in common — they are all focused on the one singular mission of just being a great gaming monitor. That's fine and all, but they're missing the functions to really make them a true all-dayer, such as speakers, versatility in the settings or attention paid to reducing the blue light glare. That's when I came across the catchily-named LG 45GX90SA and its smaller sibling, the 39GX90SA. On the face of it, you're getting an impressively capable WQHD OLED screen on a deep 800R curve that wraps around your peripheral vision nicely. What you don't know at first glance, though, is that these screens are living a secret double life. Thanks to webOS (shout-out to my old Palm Pre), this could also very well be the best-looking smart TV in your house. Let me explain. This 39-inch curved gaming monitor packs a gorgeous OLED display with a WQHD resolution and 21:9 aspect ratio. Pack in a 240Hz refresh rate and you've got everything a gamer needs — but the real secret weapon is webOS giving you a full-blown Smart TV experience. Same as above, but 45-inches rather than 39. In person, I can tell you the difference in terms of immersion into a far larger screen like this is night and day! So what you're looking at in both the 39- and 49-inch panels is a WOLED panel — superior to the QD-OLED screens you see elsewhere for its pixel structure affording better clarity and a big drop in blue light emissions. It's a curved monitor with 800R curvature, but with a 21:9 aspect ratio and a 3440 x 1440-pixel resolution. It's taller than your usual 32:9 letter box of an ultrawide, which does make it more ideal for multipurpose use (more on that later). To top off the gaming credentials, you've got a 240Hz refresh rate with variable support, support for AMD's FreeSync and Nvidia's G-Sync to minimize screen tearing, a 1.5 million:1 contrast ratio and a peak brightness of 1,300 nits on HDR. Complete the package with 10-bit color depth, and this is a flash flood of vividness, whatever games you throw at it. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Popping Hades 2 on highlighted this with a buttery smooth picture that is razor sharp at every degree of its 178-degree viewing angle. It's oh-so colorful and engulfs you in its curve. Oh, and if you need to connect multiple sources, you've got USB-C with 65W Power Delivery, 2x HDMI 2.1 and a DisplayPort 1.4 socket — more than enough to fit into any setup, complete with the a ton of tilt and rotate functionality on that L-shaped stand. And that's just the beginning. You pick up the simple-to-use remote and with webOS 24, you're transported over to the smart TV functionality. Packing 300 channels, all your usual suspect streaming apps, some games and even access to game streaming services like Xbox Game Pass, this unlocks a massive amount of versatility in the way you use this. Just because you're a PC gamer doesn't mean you want to be confined to just gaming. Getting all of this in one place doesn't just make this a smashing all-in-one; the attention paid to that gaming experience could very well make this the best-looking TV screen in your house. With webOS, you've got the chance to tailor and curate what you see on the home screen to your tastes — whether it's specific playlists based on artists you love or a schedule of upcoming sports matches by following your favorite teams. And there are speakers! Granted, they're a little tinny, but for those moments you don't want to be weighed down by headphones or you want a social listening experience, this is ideal. At $1,599 for the 39GX90SA or $1,699 for the 45GX90SA, these aren't the cheapest screens, but cheapness isn't the point of this screen. LG's mission is to give you the best of both worlds — something that gives you enough for enthusiast-to-pro gaming while also adding in a whole second persona as a smart TV to be all things to all people. And in doing so, the company's just dropped a low-key banger of an OLED TV that just so happens to be one of the best gaming monitors, too.
Gizmodo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Gizmodo
LG's 55-Inch Smart TV Hits an All-Time Low, Cheaper Than Its Gaming Monitor
Find everything you need to bring your favorite content to life with the power of 4K, and all the extras you crave. With excellent picture quality, so easy to set up, and a dirt-cheap price, it is no surprise that it's clearing stock by the minute. While it might seem that there is no way a Smart TV so cheap can be so competent, this LG model has everything you might ever need. For what you will be getting, it's hard to find a better value. LG's 55-inch Smart TV is available now for only $296.99, which is the lowest price ever on Amazon. See at Amazon Get Wrapped Up in The Experience The LG 55-inch Smart TV has built-in speakers, game and film modes, multiple voice assistants, an online browser, and more. It's a perfect fit not only for gaming and watching movies, but also for downloading your favorite live-service apps and streaming music. With an A5 AI processor Gen 7, you are certain to get enhanced brightness, improved sound, and refined picture detail. It all comes together for a thrilling playing and watching experience powered by such a powerful processor. You can enjoy your movies upscaled to 4K for a sharper image and more lifelike details. The AI Processor is also capable of automatically upmixing 2-channel audio into virtual 5.1 sound for immersive audio. You will not only hear it, you will feel it. With the LG Smart TV, you can quickly customize your experience even further with the LG Game Optimizer and the GeForce NOW included. Furthermore, you can automatically stream and get into the game within seconds. Like other LG products, which have been a staple of quality for quite some time now, it has built-in webOS. The software will take care of updates and refresh features for many years for your convenience. Also, the Smart TV comes with Alexa built-in and the possibility to voice command control the TV, and its connected devices via Apple's AirPlay, Google Assistant, and more. Ultimately, this LG 55-inch Smart TV proves that you don't need to spend a fortune to get quality. Not only is it cheap in comparison to its direct competitors, but also, at just $296.99 on Amazon right now, it's the best time to grab a fast, color-accurate, and powerful Smart TV for all your streaming, gaming, and movie watching experiences. See at Amazon
Tom's Guide
14-05-2025
- Tom's Guide
Help me, Tom's Guide: Which OLED TV should I get for my new home theater?
As a veteran TV reviewer of over ten years, I get frequent emails from folks who are trying to figure out which is the best TV for them. However, rarely does the question come with convenient criteria that makes it easy to narrow down options. That's why I was excited when a letter from Rick reached my desk. Rick is looking to upgrade to a new TV, and conveniently, his email arrived with detailed information. Let's take a look. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Do you have any questions you'd like to ask the experts at Tom's Guide? Please email us at helpme@ There's a lot to unpack here, but I want to start with two key pieces of information: Rick is looking to furnish a dark room and has been considering one of the best OLED TVs for the job. Rick's research is spot-on — OLED TVs are fantastic dark-room options. This is because their self-lit pixels allow for perfect black levels and surgical contrast control. Rick doesn't necessarily need one of the brightest, priciest OLED models. Not only do OLED TVs look fantastic in a darkened home theater, a lack of windows means we don't have to worry about missing out on the glare-defying qualities of an incredibly bright Mini-LED TV. By the same token, we also don't necessarily need one of the brightest, priciest OLED models, either. Knowing that Rick's next TV probably won't see a ton of gaming time also frees us up to start with a more affordable option. After all, why spend more on features that won't be used? Taking all of this into consideration, my first impulse is to recommend the LG B4 OLED. This TV doesn't get as bright as higher-end OLEDs, nor does it arrive with cutting-edge gaming features. Critically, though, it will look amazing in a proper, darkened home theater. And, because this model has been on shelves for a year, a 77-inch LG B4 is just $1,599 at Best Buy right now. Of course, if Rick is fearful of missing out on the newest models, the B4's successor — the LG B5 OLED — is worth a look, too. I've previously written about how the LG B5 might be the most value-packed OLED TV of 2025, and while we haven't had an opportunity to test it yet, I still stand by that forecast. Unfortunately, as a brand-new TV, shoppers won't enjoy the same discount as its predecessor. Right now, the 77-inch LG B5 is $2,799 at Best Buy. Just when I was ready to close the case, I received a follow-up email from Rick with additional information: I have been "warned" about LG's webOS, as well as the Magic Remote. Just when I thought I was out, Rick pulls me back in! Rick is right that we've previously harbored some mixed feelings about LG's own smart platform, webOS — particularly when compared with the easy-to-use functionality of a platform like Google TV. In our LG B4 OLED review, Ryan Epps describes the webOS experience as "rather slow and clunky." However, if you were to ask me to choose between an LG TV loaded with webOS and a Samsung TV loaded with Tizen OS (Samsung's software suite), I'm honestly not sure which I'd pick. Both operating systems have their own quirks, and I'll probably always be the type of person to pair my personal TV with one of the best streaming devices, anyway. But by letting me know that there was at least some interest in higher-end OLEDs like the Samsung S95F and the LG G5, Rick opened up the door to more options. You don't need to get too far into our Samsung S95F OLED review to get the sense that it's a special TV. Our reviewer, Stephen Lambrechts, absolutely loves it. 77" Samsung S90F OLED: $3,599 at Best BuyThe Samsung S90F represents a middle ground between the brand's entry-level and flagship OLED TVs. You're getting quantum-dot color and plenty of gaming features, but like all Samsung TVs, it doesn't support Dolby Vision. Given the ideal conditions of Rick's darkened home theater, the S95F's incredible HDR brightness of over 2,000 nits isn't a necessity. That said, this TV should look fantastic in Rick's theater. (And yes, it would look better than the LG B4, whose HDR brightness tops out between around 650 and 700 nits.) And, while we're still in the process of testing and reviewing the G5 (LG's flagship OLED for 2025), Rick is right that the G5 might very well be at the top of the heap this year when it comes to picture quality. You can read all about how much this TV blew me away in my LG G5 hands-on review. The S95F and G5 are eye-wateringly pricey. Here's the bad news: At the 77-inch size point, the S95F and G5 are eye-wateringly pricey. Right now, the 77-inch Samsung S95F is $4,499 at Best Buy, and the 77-inch LG G5 is $4,499, too. Rick also wants to know if these TVs — specifically the S95F — is worth the added cost when compared to a mid-range OLED like the Samsung S90F. At the time of publishing, the 77-inch Samsung S90F is $3,499 at Best Buy, so it comes in at exactly $1,000 less than its souped-up sibling. We're still evaluating the S90F and can't report test results yet, but I'll let you in on a secret: Even though the S90F features a quantum dot-enhanced OLED display like the flagship S95F, it doesn't get as bright. The S95F is pricier for very good reason. Them's the breaks. But wait — we've already established that, while it's nice to have the best and brightest picture money can buy, Rick doesn't necessarily need the high-octane, grab-your-shades brightness of a top-shelf TV like the S95F. With this in mind, I'm beginning to come around to the Samsung S90F being a perfect compromise between the more modest LG B4 and the ultra-expensive S95F. Before we sign off on this recommendation, let's discuss one more angle: features. Rick has mentioned that, unless things change in the next few years, there's no immediate need for high-end gaming features. Still, TVs like the LG B4 and Samsung S90F do arrive with a decent amount of gaming features, so Rick will be getting them regardless. However, the like all Samsung TVs, the S90F does not support Dolby Vision, the most popular HDR format. Without Dolby Vision support, the S90F won't take full advantage of movies and shows across platforms like Netflix and Apple TV+ that have been mastered for the format. They'll still look fantastic, but the TV won't be leveraging dynamic metadata to ensure that the picture is dialed in precisely as the creator intended on a frame-by-frame basis. To figure out what to do, I'd direct Rick to my guide on whether or not Dolby Vision support is necessary. If Rick decides that Dolby Vision support is a must-have for the home theater, an LG OLED might be the better pick. And, if Rick is wiling to splash out on higher-end flagships, the answer might lie with LG's mid-range rival to the S90F: the LG C5 OLED. 77" LG C5 OLED TV: $3,699 at Best BuyThe LG C5 is a five-star TV with a laundry list of features including Dolby Vision support. It's not as flashy as a top-shelf OLED, but it's plenty bright for most rooms and arrives with outstanding out-of-the-box accuracy. Rick doesn't need to worry about getting the brightest OLED unless the best possible picture takes over as the number-one priority. Rick also doesn't need an extensive list of features. But Rick might ultimately decide that Dolby Vision support is the most important distinction between options like the Samsung S90F and the LG C5. If Rick asked me which of those two TVs I'd choose, it would be the LG C5 for its Dolby Vision support alone. If I were choosing between the Samsung S95F and the LG C5, I would go with the S95F based on its superior performance profile and end up missing Dolby Vision dearly. Let us know where you land, Rick!
