LG has just presented all its ranges of televisions for the year 2023. The South Korean brand offers LED and Mini-LED models, but also OLED, of course, for ever brighter and more natural images, powered by the new version of the WebOS 23 system. .of which here are all the details.
After the announcements from the CES show in Las Vegas, we finally got to see the new TV models offered by the LG brand for the year 2023. The manufacturer offers several new series that use different display technologies. There are LCD models with LED or Mini-LED backlight system (with LEDs up to 40 times smaller) and OLED models. These will be the subject of a separate article on frandroid. For 2023, LG announces the QNED81/82 series that can be found under the reference QNED81 or QNED82, depending on the store. These are televisions with LED backlighting on the edges (Edge LED) and available in 50, 55, 65, 75 and 86 inches.
They use Quantum Dot NanoCell Color technology that combines Quantum Dots and the NanoCell+ process, an evolution of NanoCell. They are powered by the sixth-generation Alpha7 processor capable of handling Ultra HD images up to 120Hz and upscaling content delivered in low definition.
These models benefit from a sober design with a screen that is only 3 cm thick that rests on a central aluminum foot that can have 2 positions. The former is said to be tall and allows the screen to be lifted to install a soundbar in front, without interfering with the infrared port. The second is low to be closer to the furniture on which the television is placed. All sizes in this series have a center leg, even the largest 86-inch.
Technically, LG QNED81/82 series LED TV has 2 HDMI 2.1 ports that support all gaming and image optimization technologies including VRR, ALLM, QMS, FreeSync Premium and G-Sync. It supports HDR10 content, but not Dolby Vision. For audio, you can count on DTS:X support from two speakers that put out 20 watts.
Count on a price of 949 euros for LG 50QNED81 50 inch TV, 1099 euro for LG 55QNED81 55 inch TV, 1399 euro for the 65 inches of the LG 65QNED81, 2199 euro for the 75-inch LG 75QNED81 and finally 3299 euro for the larger 86-inch LG 86QNED81 and late-April-early-May availability.
QNED86, a new series with Mini-LEDs
The other new series for 2023 is the LG QNED86 range of TVs. It uses Mini-LED backlight technology with LEDs that are up to 40 times smaller than conventional LEDs. In addition, they are installed on the entire surface of the screen to try to limit the effects of blooming, those halos that form around light objects on dark backgrounds, one of the defects of LCD screens compared to OLED screens. This LG QNED86 series is available in various sizes: 55, 65, 75 and 86 inches.
All the models have a design as sober as the QNED81/82 series with a thickness of 6 cm here and a central foot as well. On the other hand, there is only one position for the foot, quite high that allows to install a soundbar in the front without interfering with the infrared receiver of the remote control (photo below).
The QNED86 series TVs are powered by the same sixth generation Alpha 7 chip as the QNED81/82 series and also offer Ultra HD content viewing. We can count on the support of the Dolby Vision IQ format, with a brightness sensor to automatically adapt the brightness of the image according to the ambient lighting conditions. The Dolby Atmos audio format is also supported, as well as DTS:X. Ultra HD signals up to 120Hz can pass through one of the two available HDMI 2.1 inputs. Support for game optimization technologies is also required. The audio part is based on a 2.2 channel system that delivers 40 watts.
To date, pricing has yet to be announced, but count on us to update this article as soon as we have official confirmation.
New WebOS 23 interface, only for LG 2023 TVs
All 2023 LG TVs feature the new WebOS 23 interface. Unfortunately, this is not backwards compatible, meaning older models from 2020, 2021, or even 2022 can’t take advantage of it. We can regret this situation. In fact, while it seems normal for smartphone brands to keep track of Android or iOS updates, it would be nice to do the same for TVs that have changed very little over the years.
However, they could easily gain functionality. This is understandable when there are hardware restrictions, especially if one processor cannot manage this or that technology. However, due to the graphic aspects, among others, it is more difficult for us to accept the speech of the brands about the absence of backward compatibility.
Still, LG’s 2023 LED, Mini-LED and OLED models come with WebOS23. This is full screen.
The great novelty of this version is the possibility of accessing hubs that group all the functionalities of a certain activity and applications linked to a theme. Each activity is represented by a “Quick Card”. The Quick Telework Card (image below) provides access to the various elements for teleworking, for example, to easily connect peripherals. The Magic Remote pointer then changes to a mouse pointer for easier navigation. The applications are directly accessible in the interface like Gmail for example or Drive etc.
Once you have returned to the home interface, pressing the Back button on the remote will immediately return you to the last viewed Hub or last used app, if applicable.
The Quick Card Sport allows you to view all the sports results and configure notifications to be notified of the results of your favorite team. There are also fast card games and music. The dashboard is always available allowing access to the various connected objects present in the house. Therefore, you can directly manage the functions of these devices from the television, without leaving your sofa.
Under WebOS 23, the notification display has changed in appearance with a more smartphone-like presentation in the upper right corner of the screen.
In the opposite upper corner, there is a new interface to display the quick settings of the TV. You can quickly change the picture mode, sound mode, timer, sound output device, etc. In fact, this interface is customizable and you can choose the thumbnails that you want to appear there, each one corresponding to the different functions.
One of the great novelties of this 2023 version is the custom image mode. The TV displays 7 sets of 6 images. The user chooses one or two favorite images for each series before moving on to the next. At the end of the procedure, the television indicates what type of image the user prefers and automatically configures the parameters of the image so that they correspond to his expectations by proposing a personalized mode. This can be applied to the other image modes. So it is possible to have a custom Dolby Vision image, for example.
The game bar that has been offered for two years on LG TVs is still available. It is fully customizable.
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