LG CX 55-inch 4K Smart OLED TV – Hardware Review
Depending on your age, you might still remember those thick TVs that used to exist or maybe you even remember when they were only available in black and white. Since then TVs have come quite a way, with Smart televisions becoming more and more common recently. One of the brands that is certainly evolving with the times is LG. They have a whole series of Smart TVs in their name, and recently they came out with a new one; the CX 55-inch 4K Smart OLED TV. This pretty massive TV comes with a lot of digital gimmicks that we were lucky enough to be able to test out. As we received the giant box at home, we were certainly excited to try it out.
Design
The first thing you notice about the TV is how thin it is. Its sleek look allows it to fit into nearly all kinds of home interior designs. Even though the 55 inch is quite big, because it is not very wide, it can still be placed easily. The stand of the TV isn’t too massive and fits nicely with the TV design so it doesn’t stand out. The HDMI and USB ports are placed in the logical place where most TVs have their ports.
As you start up the TV you get greeted by an art gallery which makes your TV look like a piece of art. Every time you boot your TV up, the Home menu also pops up for a moment, giving you immediate access to your apps. The remote that comes included with the TV has a unique design. It has buttons you don’t usually see, such as Netflix, movies, and an amazon prime button. The remote can be used as a pointer, which means it basically functions as a Wii Remote, where you can click on icons by just pointing the remote to your screen.
Comfort
You’re able to change the TV to different image modes depending on if you’re watching movies/series, gaming, or just generally like your TV brighter or dimmer. You can also use the AI function to set up your sound, and screen, which helps to make it customized to your own home.
The remote fits comfortably in your hand and is easy to figure out. The buttons are nicely made and the whole remote certainly doesn’t feel like it’s cheap. The unusual buttons mentioned above are handy, unless you have no use for them. It’s still convenient that the buttons for Rakuten TV, Netflix, or Prime, are included, as many of these streaming platforms have become standard items in nearly every household.
Specs
- Display Type OLED TV
- Screen Size: 55″ / 140cm
- Processor: α9 Gen 3 AI Processor
- Resolution: 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160)
- LG Smart TV OS: webOS AI ThinQ
- Color accuracy: True Color Accuracy Pro
- High Frame Rate: 4K HFR (100P)
- HDR format support: Dolby Vision IQ, Filmmaker Mode™, Technicolor HDR, HLG, and HDR 10 Pro
- Audio output: 40W/2.2ch
- Voice recognition
- Wi-Fi and Lan
- 4 HDMI 2.1 ports
- 3 USB ports
Overview
The TV installation is easy once you figure out what the guide means. For this model, there was a screw missing for the foot, but luckily it still held up well. Once you’ve installed the hardware part, the software is also easy to understand. As said above, you are immediately met with the art gallery and the pop-up menu. From there you can pick an app or go to settings. Since this TV can connect to Wi-fi the setup is easy, although Lan is still an option. This means that this high-end piece of technology would still be suited for your grandparents.
There are a few apps that are already available which correspond with the buttons that come on the remote. So, in other words, Netflix, Rakuten TV, and Prime Video. If those apps aren’t enough for you, LG offers a whole selection of Apps through the LG Content Store. A few examples of these apps are; Youtube, Plex, Live aquarium, and so on. There is also the option to watch the Apple TV app, which also is one of the default apps but without a specialized button. Apps are easily installed by clicking install on their respective page(s) in the LG Content Store. When there is an update, it will ask you if you want to update your app. It will take less than a minute to install an app, depending on the size of the app of course. However, your apps will only be able to update if you are connected to the internet. Switching between apps is as easy as pressing the home button to select an app or press one of the before-mentioned buttons linked to an app. Pretty much the moment you select the app, it will start-up. The apps are available on the TV itself, so you don’t need to access the cloud to access them. There is however no mention of a limit to the number of apps you can install.
This TV comes with voice controls included which can be easily accessed by the microphone button on your remote. However, to be able to access this you need all your language settings to be in English because there is no Dutch support yet. In the settings you can find a list of questions you can ask the AI which includes changing volume, changing screen settings, or even asking what kind of weather it will be tomorrow. As for every voice-controlled technology, you’ll have to speak clearly to be able to get what you want. Besides using the ThinQ AI for voice control, you can also use it to customize the TV to your needs as mentioned above. You can let the AI check your surroundings to offer you the best sound, which seriously does make a difference depending on where you placed the TV.
The screen quality of the OLED TV is also magnificent, no matter from which direction you’re looking, it still looks great. The quality of watching movies really goes up and you can turn your own home into a cinema. Even when gaming, you can see the smallest details in the game. Thanks to the NVIDIA G-SYNC compatible support it’s a perfect TV to play games on. The TV is also fast in booting up, changing apps, or changing HDMI connections. So you’ll waste no time in waiting for startup screens.
Conclusion
The LG CX 55-inch 4K Smart OLED TV is a magnificent TV with plenty of possible uses. With many different apps in the LG Content Store, there are enough apps that you can play around with for free. With the customizing options thanks to the ThinQ AI, you will have the perfect sound and screen for your home. There are more than enough HDMI and USB ports to be able to plug in all the devices you would need. Both movie/series lovers and gamers will have plenty of enjoyment with this TV.
LG CX 55-inch 4K Smart OLED TV - Hardware Review,
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