Page 37 - 2022-08-01 Sound & Vision

sink to the back of the display Dolby Vision, and HLG (Hybrid
panel, which increases the set’s
thickness to an inch. The sink
draws heat away from the panel
and, when combined with LG’s
newest intelligent processor (the
tongue-twisting alpha9 Gen5
AI Processor 4K), enables it to
be driven to higher brightness
without the risk of permanent
burn-in with stationary images.
(The usual caution against leaving
bright, fixed images on screen for
extended periods of time, however,
is still solid advice with any OLED
TV.) Our measurements (and eyes)
confirmed the claim of increased
peak brightness over any previous
LG OLED TVs we’ve tested (see
Test Bench).
In addition to using heat mitiga- formats, the metadata is static—it
tion to lower the risk of burn-in,
the G2’s Support menu provides a
“Logo Luminance Adjustment” to
minimize temporary image reten-
tion by reducing the brightness of
objects that remain stationary in
otherwise moving images, such as
scoreboards in sports and video
games. The effect is relatively
subtle.
The G2 is equipped with a
“NextGen” TV tuner for receiving
ATSC 3.0 over-the-air broadcasts,
including those in 4K (where avail-
able), and has four HDMI inputs,
all specified as HDMI 2.1 with one
also spec’d for eARC (enhanced
Audio Return Channel) function-
ality. There’s also an optical output
that can pass lossy multichannel
Dolby Digital audio (but not DTS)
from the TV to an AV receiver or
soundbar. An eARC connection
can do the same for Dolby Digital
and DTS (including Dolby Atmos if
it’s in the source). I used an Oppo
Ultra HD Blu-ray player, connected
directly to the LG via HDMI, and
made a separate HDMI connection
between the LG and a Denon AVR-
X6700H receiver’s eARC-enabled
HDMI port. LG suggested the
additional step of se ing the Digital
Sound Output to Auto or PCM in
the TV’s Advanced Se ings menu,
which I did, but the Oppo never
sent more than two discrete chan-
nels of audio back to the Denon.
I did, however, get full surround
using the G2’s own built-in apps,
including Netflix.
The G2 supports the HDR10,
switch it on, the TV’s alpha9
Log Gamma) high dynamic range processor continuously analyzes
(HDR) formats and provides a user- the program and does this conver- At a Glance
selectable Dynamic Tone Mapping sion on the fly to minimize clipping
control to improve the performance and retain bright image detail that Full P3 color
of HDR10-based content. HDR might otherwise be lost. When I Inky blacks
sources are mastered with a range turned Dynamic Tone Mapping on
High brightness
of peak white levels (don’t ask… while HDR10 content was playing,
it’s a long story). If a display can’t the improvement was dramatic, Cluttered WebOS
handle the peak white levels in a particularly on sources with peak eARC usability inconsistent
given HDR source, those peaks will white levels above 1000 nits—just
Price: $3,000
be clipped, resulting in a potential a shade higher than the G2’s own
loss of detail in bright scenes. To maximum peak output. Of course, (847) 941-8182
address this reality, all HDR content the Dynamic Tone Mapping feature lg.com
is mastered with metadata that isn’t available with Dolby Vision
gives the display the information it content because the metadata is
needs to minimize this clipping—a already dynamic. you’re likely to be watching).
process called “tone mapping.” LG also provides a picture I found the G2’s audio more
In the case of HDR10, which is se ing called AI Picture Pro, than respectable. It also offers a
the most common of all the HDR which is said to employ a “vast Dolby Atmos option in the Advance
database of visual data points” Se ing’s Audio menu. No, you can’t
stays the same throughout the and use a deep learning algorithm achieve a full Atmos experience
program—which leads to inevi- to recognize content, remove when all of channels originate from
table compromises in how HDR is noise, and optimize picture quality. loudspeakers squeezed in to the
rendered on screen. To improve There’s also a new Scene Detection TV’s chassis, but the Atmos mode
HDR performance, the Dolby Vison feature that analyzes the type of was effective in freeing music and
and HDR10+ formats (the la er of scene being shown to “improve atmospheric sounds from the box
which is not supported by LG) are the picture accordingly.” Similar AI and moving them out into the room
mastered with dynamic meta- Sound Pro features are available for a bit. The effect was never jaw-
data that changes constantly in the set’s audio. In both cases, these dropping but on the right material
response to the program material, automated routines are performed it added ambient frosting to the
allowing HDR highlights to be tone by LG’s alpha9 processor and can audio experience.
mapped to the display’s capabili- be turned on or off in the AI Service Even though I’m not a gamer,
ties frame by frame. menu. Interestingly, the menu I’m well aware of LG’s reputation
LG’s Dynamic Tone Mapping notes that the AI features will not as a company that aims to please
control effectively converts function with copyrighted program the gaming community. In addition
HDR10’s static metadata into material (which means it won't to its four HDMI 2.1 ports, the G2
dynamic metadata. When you work with most of the sources is G-Sync compatible and offers
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