LG

New LG televisions focus on the processor to deliver an even sharper image
I have been dreaming of this moment for some years. The time when a company would tell me all about their new TV and spend more time talking about the processor than the screen. The moment finally happened last month, when I was invited to meet LG's new TV set. Although the company continues to produce beautiful OLED TVs with one of the best image qualities available, the distinguishing feature of this new catalog of competitors is the processor.The new Alpha 9 processor will, according to LG, allow for better color mapping, and handle High Frame Rate (120fps) content. But still the best factor in Alpha 9 will probably be its ability to reduce noise and upscaling - a technique in which smaller resolutions undergo a process that seeks to simulate higher quality - which are two weaknesses of current high end TVs. This could lead to the current TV technology of "great for watching Blu-Ray UHD on a $ 700 player" to "great for watching the news".For although televisions are capable of transmitting images in high resolution, the available content is not equivalent. Much of the content is still available only in Full HD (1080p) resolution, and without any of the effects of colors and lights that are possible in new technologies such as a wider range of colors and HDR. Neither in the US the transmission is in 4K, let alone in 4K HDR. So you end up with a $ 2,000 TV and everything it conveys seems to have been etched with a potato.

LG's Alpha 9 processor can change all that! "The technology panel is so good that we have to differentiate ourselves with the processing," said Tim Alessi, director of product marketing at LG Electronics USA. What it means is that LG already produces the best displays available in the market. It is the standard that all other companies compare - I know this because I have already sat on many competitor shows that used LG televisions with the logos covered. LG's OLED televisions are the best you can get in the near future.The company hopes to release the improved processor will be enough to entice consumers with broad pockets (LG's OLED televisions are sold from $ 1,500, usually) to buy models of this new catalog that shows a relatively minor improvement.But the smaller or larger the update the Alpha 9 processor will provide is something we will have to wait and see. Although the new televisions were announced today, we can only see them next week during CES 2018.In addition to the processor upgrade, which includes faster CPU and GPU and better RAM, the new 8-series will also support multiple HDR versions including Dolby Vision, HDR 10, HLG and Advanced HDR by Technicolor, and continue being the only brand of televisions that brings Dolby Atmos factory.And just like Sony televisions, LG's OLED models can also be controlled by the Google Assistant, though LG probably expects you to use the company's own voice assistant, ThinQ, which the brand promises to be much easier to use than than a regular remote.We will have an idea of ​​how real those promises are when LG shows the televisions next week.

Alex Cranz