The LG A1 OLED TV: A Closer Look

I've been watching and testing the new LG A1 OLED TV, and I have to say that it's a decent product. However, as I dug deeper, I realized that it has some limitations compared to its sibling model, the C1 OLED.

One of the main areas where the A1 falls short is in its brightness punch. Compared to the C1, the A1 seems to struggle with low-light scenes and can't quite match the same level of brightness. However, this is not entirely surprising, given that the A1's native 60Hz panel is designed for general use rather than high-end gaming or cinematic experiences.

The A1 does a decent job of tone mapping, which means it can adjust the brightness levels to create a more balanced image. This helps to bring out the details in bright scenes and prevents over-saturation. However, I feel that it doesn't have enough "juice" (i.e., brightness) to make a significant impact on darker scenes.

Up-scaling low-resolution content is another area where the A1 shines. It does an excellent job of cleaning up low-bitrate and low-depth content, which makes it suitable for streaming services like Netflix or Amazon Prime. However, this is also true for many other TVs, including some high-end models from LG itself.

When I compare the A1 to its counterpart, the C1 OLED, there's a noticeable difference in processing power. The C1 has more advanced features and technologies built-in, such as LG's proprietary Alpha Nine Gen Four processor. This gives it an edge in terms of picture quality and color accuracy.

But what really sets the C1 apart is its 120Hz native panel. While the A1 only goes up to 60Hz, this means that the C1 can handle smoother motion and faster refresh rates. For gamers who want the best possible experience, the C1 is a much better choice.

The same issue arises when it comes to HDR (High Dynamic Range) content. The A1 can't quite match the brightness levels of the C1, which means that some scenes may look less vibrant or detailed than they should be. This might not be a major concern for casual viewers, but it's definitely noticeable if you're used to watching high-end movies and TV shows.

Now, I know what you're thinking: "Is the A1 still worth considering?" The answer is yes and no. On the one hand, the A1 is still an excellent OLED TV with impressive picture quality and low input lag. It's also a great value for its price, especially compared to other TVs in this category.

On the other hand, if you want the absolute best picture quality and don't mind paying a bit more, the C1 OLED is definitely worth considering. The savings from using the A1 are not enough to justify the compromises in brightness and HDR capabilities.

In the end, I have to admit that I was wrong earlier this year when I said that the A1 would be a game-changer. While it's still an excellent TV, the C1 OLED is the better choice for those who want the absolute best picture quality and don't mind spending a bit more.

As for gaming, the A1 does perform well, especially with the Xbox Series X or S consoles connected to it via HDMI 2.1 cable. However, its 60Hz native panel means that it won't offer the same level of smooth motion as the C1 OLED, which has a higher refresh rate. This might be a concern for some gamers who want the most immersive experience possible.

In conclusion, the LG A1 OLED TV is still an excellent product, but it's not without its limitations. If you're in the market for a new TV and can afford to splurge a bit more, I would recommend the C1 OLED instead. However, if budget is a concern, the A1 is still a great option that will provide excellent picture quality and value for its price.

But where does all of this leave us? Well, if you're like me and want to get the most out of your TV, it's worth considering whether the C1 OLED is worth the extra few hundred dollars. The answer depends on your priorities: if you want the absolute best picture quality and don't mind paying a bit more, the C1 is the way to go. But if budget is a concern and you're happy with excellent but not quite top-notch picture quality, the A1 is still an excellent choice.

Ultimately, it's all about what you value most in a TV: picture quality, features, price, or something else entirely. If I had to choose, I'd say that LG has got it right with its C1 OLED. But hey, that's just my opinion.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enWhen I unboxed this TV,I put it out therethat I made a gutsy call at the beginningof the year and posed the question,did I get it wrong?Well, I think we have the answer.Welcome back, everyone.I'm Caleb Denison, and today I'm going totalk to you about the LG A1 OLED TV.Yes, it's technically a review, but thisI think, is going to be more likea conversation than other TVreviews that I do, because, frankly,I think that's what you all deserve.I mean, this TV has really gotteninto my head over the past few days.I've been thinking aboutwhere it sits in LG's lineup.I've been thinking aboutthe value of OLED TV and where that sits.And I've been thinking a lotabout the money we invest in our TVs.And when it's worth saving money,when you spend it,and when it's worth saving upbefore spending it.Oh, and that thing about me being wrong.Yeah, we're going to get to that.But I might make you wait for it.Before we dig into it I just want to say thanks for jumpinginto the comments and letting us know thatmost of you like the unboxing videos.You've been heard and seenand we will keep them coming.Now, I want to know, what's your favorite soup?And, yes, chowders and stews count.Let me know in the comments.I can't wait to see the confused commentsfrom folks who didn't pay attention.While you're down there,please click like and subscribe.You know we are almost at eight hundred and fiftythousand subs and every clickwe get closer to one milliongets us closer to an awesome giveaway.So yay for all of us, right?Thanks again. OK, let's do this.So let's talk about a few key LGA1 OLED specs.It has a 60 Hertz panel,not 120 Hertz,even though the Xbox thinksit will do 120 Hertz.More on that later.That can mean a lot of things,but it's mostly going to havesome implications on motion smoothnesIt has LG’s A7 Gen Four Processor,not the newest fanciest A9 Gen Four Processor.But what does that mean exactly?This TV does not have HDMI 2.1 portsand though it does supporte-ARC for uncompressed audio,it doesn't supportvariable refresh rate for gaming.So that means no G-Sync or FreeSync.It does have LG's game optimizersetting, though, so it's not without anygaming friendly features.Also, it appears the LG A1OLED doesn't get as brightas the C1 OLEDor as it turns out, the Vizio OLED TV.Now let's talk a little bit about pricing.The fifty five inch LG A1 OLED, right nowas I shoot this, is positioneda couple hundred bucks less than the fiftyfive inch LG C1 OLED,and about the same as the LG CX OLEDfrom last year, while supplies last.The difference between the sixty fiveinch models is about three hundred bucks.Understand though that that could changeas we near the end of the yearand get into the year 2022.But from a product positioning standpoint,that's where we are.So I think the question is pretty clear.How does the savings the LG A1 OLEDoffers line up with its performance?Is there such a slim differencein performance thatyou should just save the money?Or is there a big enough differencein performance that you should ignorethe slim difference in priceand just save up for the better LG C1 OLED?Also, where does Viziofit into all of this?Well, let's talk about that.Before I broke out my colorimeterand spectrometer and Calman software,I could tell this TVwasn't as bright as the OLEDsI've been testing this year.And not just peak brightness either.I could tell darker scenes were coming indarker than I thought they should.And measurements confirmedthat. The LG A1 sits at just underthree hundred and fifty nits peak for SDR,which is nothing special to begin with.But the real bummeris that it maxes out at about five hundrednits peak for HDR.Compare that to the LG C1 OLEDwhich can pull offa little over sevenhundred and fifty nits peak for HDR.That's an appreciable difference,especially in anything other than a darkor very dim room.As for color accuracy,the A1 is by no means bad,but the white balance is a little off.And if you know what you're looking forand frankly, most folks don'tan experienced eye can see thatas a bluish tint in the grays .It's easy enough for a calibrator to fix,but that's not something that averageJoe can do on their own.And frankly, I thinkhiring someone for a calibration defeatsthe budget minded intent of this TV.Ultimately, though,the color accuracy with the right factorypresets is pretty excellent.Now let's talk about processing.The difference between the AlphaSeven Gen Four and the Alpha NineGen Four when watching real worldcontent is tough to describe.I feel like the A1 here is slowerto come out of black than the C1 is.I feel like the motion isn't as smooth,but that also has more to dowith the 60 Hertz panelthan anything else.The A1 does a decent jobof tone mapping,so it's putting the brightness juiceit has in the right places.It just doesn't haveas much juice as I'd like.And really, I think it comes downto upscaling low resolution contentand cleaning up lowbit rate and low bit depth content.And by the numbers,I'm sure the Alpha Nine is better,but without comparing them side by side,I can't say with any honestythat there's a drastic difference.I think when I do put these sideby side, it's going to be nuanced.But sometimes when you addall those nuances together,the whole ends up being greaterthan the sum of its parts.And I suspect that'swhat we're looking at here.I watch some 1080p SDR content and felt likeit could have used some more sprucing up,but I wasn't unhappywith the picture by any stretch.Same with 720p SDR content off of cable.It could be cleaner,but it was by no means bad.So let me try tosum all of that up a little bit better.If you take a look at the Alpha SevenGen Four that's in the A1,and you compare it to the Alpha Nine,Gen Four that's in the C1 OLED,where's the real processing difference?Well, it's in the little stuffand on their own.there's not a whole lot of distinction.You really have to do a sideby side comparison.But I think when you take itall together, what you getis a slightly more enticing pictureout of the C1then you do the A1.So at this point, it may seem likeI've been kind of hard on the A1 OLED,but it's still an OLED TVand those perfect blacksand perfect screenuniformity go a long way.It's still an outstanding looking TVmake no mistake.It may not have the brightness punch,but when it comes to pixelby pixel self illumination,those benefits are still very clear.And on top of that, this TV is definitelyfar better than some off-brand OLEDsI've seen at trade showsthat simply aren't sold here in the US.So, yeah, it could be a whole lot worse.Cheaper. Yes, but much worse.As for gaming, I think this TV wouldsatisfy most gamers for now,but the 60 Hertz native panelis not going to offer as smooth motion.And if you have an XboxSeries X or a Series Sand you want to get the most out of it,this TV ain't the way to gosince it won't do variablerefresh rate or 120 Hertz.Also, you don't get as much HDR punchfrom this TV as you might like.I did mention that the Xbox series Xor S will show that the TV is capable ofdoing 1080p at 120 Hertz,but it really is only a60 Hertz panel, so it's just going to skipevery other frame.So with great input lag and very goodpicture quality, the TV performsquite well for games,but it's not the next gen gaming TVsome of you might be hoping for.So where does all of this leave us?Where does this put the LG A1 OLED?Look, I don't presume to tell youwhat to do with your money,but I have to say thatif I was in the market for a TV,I would save up the few extra hundredbucks to get the C1 OLED.I think LG has the right idea and that the costsaving measures they've implementedreally don't have a big enough impactto rob an OLED TV of its appeal.But the savings isn't big enoughto make those small sacrifices meaningful.The A1 needs to be less expensivein order for it to make sense.And that's why I was wrongearlier this yearwhen I said that the A1 was goingto be a game changer. It almost was.But when Vizio has an OLEDthat gets brighter for the same priceand LG's own C1 has what I thinkfolks really want for just a bit more.Well, like I said, I just got it wrong.In the end, the A1 OLED among TVsis still a steak ina market filled with hamburgers,but it's missing LG’s special sauce.And in my opinion,that special sauce is worth every penny.Thanks, as always, for watching, everyone.Were you a little bitbummed out by the A1 OLED?Let me know about that downin the comments.Don't forget to click likeand subscribe and here’s two other videosthat I think you'll like.\n"