LG brings the ‘thinking TV’ home

What is it?

The 48-inch LG C2 OLED evo TV has hit the SA market, promising to make gaming, movies, sports, and family entertainment easier to watch or play. At least, that’s what LG claims for the unit, which it calls the “thinking TV”.

It runs on the most recent version of LG’s TV operating system, webOS 22, which offers a more user-friendly experience. An artificial intelligence (AI) chip powers a system called ThinQ, which listens, “thinks”, and responds to users. It incorporates visual intelligence to better recognise and distinguish space, location, objects, and users’ voices. A voice assistant accurately recognise voices and noise characteristics. 

The 4K (double-HD) screen uses an advanced OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display, which provides brighter and more realistic picture quality than traditional LED sets. The C2 also gives viewers a cinema home experience through its immersive sound. It allows for customisable viewing experience with separate accounts and personalised recommendations for every member of the family.

It is slim and lightweight and comes with a versatile remote control. It has a cursor that moves around the screen, but one can also scroll, point, and click, allowing for fast access to the likes of YouTube, Showmax, Netflix, as well as the general TV menu. It also offers a voice command feature for navigation without touching the remote.

It has four HDMI ports, a boon to those who connect multiple consoles and peripherals to their TVs. One of these supports eARC, an enhanced audio return channel for connecting to high-end speakers.

It has a great Game Optimiser menu for video gaming, which also offers a Dark Room Mode and sports gaming settings.

All in all, it uses advanced TV technologies that help future-proof it, meaning that it is an investment one can make now and enjoy for the next 10 years.

What does it cost?

The 48 inch LG C2 OLED evo retails for R20,999 on Takealot.

Why does it matter?

The voice recognition remote control with AI features and webOS system makes for a smarter TV. IP Park, president and CTO of LG Electronics, puts it in perspective: “Our AI C​hip is designed to provide optimised artificial intelligence solutions for future LG products. This will further enhance the three key pillars of our AI strategy – evolve, connect and open – and provide customers with an improved experience for a better life.” 

What are the biggest negatives?

• Assembling the stand of the TV is not easy, and instructions are not clear.
• Because it is paper-thin, it also feels fragile.

What are the biggest positives?

• Excellent picture and sound quality.
• Intriguing voice command feature, using AI.
• Super thin and lightweight, to the extent that it can be hung on a wall – and comes with the mounts to do just that.