LG today announced the pricing for its 2021 lineup of 4K OLED TVs. The most buzz-worthy part for home theater enthusiasts is the new G1 series, which includes LG’s new “OLED evo” panel with a brighter picture than any of the company’s past OLEDs. But the G1 doesn’t come cheap: it’s $2,199 for a 55-inch model, $2,999 for a 65-inch, and $4,499 if you want a 77-inch screen. LG says the G1 sets also “have an unbelievably thin bezel with included wall mounting leaving virtually no gap from screen to wall.” You’re paying for both the superior picture and that gallery-like aesthetic here.
Stepping down from the G1, you get the C1 series, which succeeds last year’s highly praised CX series. All sizes of the C1 TVs still come with the full suite of HDMI 2.1 features (4K at 120Hz, variable refresh rate, auto low latency mode, and eARC), and you get four HDMI ports with those capabilities. On the subject of gaming, this year’s LG TVs also add a new “game optimizer” area to the settings menu, which puts all the crucial options for next-gen PS5 and Xbox Series X / S gaming front and center for quick access. Both Nvidia G-Sync and FreeSync and AMD FreeSync Premium are supported by these panels.
The G1 might get brighter, but the C1 certainly comes bigger: this year, LG has an 83-inch size for $5,999. Just imagine that ginormous OLED on your wall. Both the G1 and C1 include LG’s latest processor, which includes AI scene detection to optimize the picture for whatever you’re watching. LG also added a new ability to automatically level out audio volume when switching between content sources and streaming apps.
At the bottom of the lineup is the A1 series, which is positioned as LG’s entry-level OLED. In exchange for that low starting price (just $1,299 for a 48-inch model), you’re completely losing out on HDMI 2.1 features, and there’s an older processor inside that can sometimes allow for more banding and other visual quirks in complex scenes. It’ll still give you a beautiful picture — the A1 supports Dolby Vision, of course — but I’d recommend deal hunting for a 2020 BX or CX before settling for the A1. Still, once sales kick in for the 2021 lineup, that base model might hit the $999 mark, which is huge.
Keep in mind that whichever new LG you choose, it’ll come with a much different webOS than we’ve seen previously. The company has done away with the old blades interface that popped up from the bottom of the screen. Now, the software looks more reminiscent of what you’d find on a streaming box.
Here’s the full pricing for LG’s 2021 OLED lineup:
G1 series
77-inch: $4,499 (available in March)
65-inch: $2,999 (available in March)
55-inch: $2,199 (available in April)
C1 series
83-inch: $5,999 (available in May)
77-inch: $3,799 (available in March)
65-inch: $2,499 (available in March)
55-inch: $1,799 (available in March)
48-inch: $1,499 (available in April)
A1 series
77-inch: $3,199 (available in June)
65-inch: $2,199 (available in April)
55-inch: $1,599 (available in April)
48-inch: $1,299 (available in June)
