With the Olympics only just behind us we can all relate to the analogy of a reigning World Champion striving to match or better their best result again in a bid to beat off all the contenders for the Gold Medal. LG’s OLED range is the World Champion in this case, with the premium LG OLED G4 series the real contender for lifting that high bar once again.

While I love the other OLEDs in the LG range, the C4 for example is still a stunning TV with that thin OLED style and the B and C series are well regarded for a range of reasons from gaming to movie viewing, it’s the G series or “Gallery” that I think should be the consideration for most likely Aussie buyers.

It comes with both a wall-mount and a desk-mount so you’ve got both options, but it’s designed frankly to be wall-hung.

The bulk of the TV, the guts, is spread across the back so rather than a TV as thin as a $2 coin at the top and bulky down the bottom, it’s consistently just a couple of cm thick.

The wall mount that comes with it allows a snug wall fit, and while I couldn’t test that on a TV that has to go back to LG, I can see clearly how on the back of the TV there’s a recessed area where the mounting points sit, allowing the back of the TV to be flush with the wall.

It’s a huge deal, do not underplay the placement of your TV and just how it will look. My wall-mounted TV at home would sit almost 10cm out from the wall – just the nature of it’s design and the mount that comes with it. This would be a game changer for many buyers.

If you opt for the desk-mount it’s the simplest installation with a simple hook in place with four screws to secure it.

Powered up and setup with your input needs, it’s impressive from the get-go.

A huge range of apps, and for me the measure is does it have Kayo and the MLB? Yes it does. That shows a depth of local and international apps.

Many people are negative about LG’s Magic Remote, but I think its an absolute selling point. If you don’t use an LG TV regularly I get that it’s hard to adjust to, but once you are in the groove, it’s just so simple to use the point and click functions. Give it a week or so if you’re new to it.

Quality wise the LG OLED G4 is something to behold.

I will say that Glare is the OLED’s biggest downfall, so if you struggle to control the light in your room – like windows or actual downlight direction, then you will see artefacts on screen. This is why Samsung has their “Matte” finish – and I honestly think LG should jump on that bandwagon pronto. LG’s anti-glare coating on the LG OLED G4 works, but not near as well as the other options on the market is basically my point here.

However, I think a lot of these OLED TVs are destined for rooms that are made for viewing – in that case, enjoy.

The picture is quite frankly sensational. You can stand any angle and not get a pinch of “blooming” from the bright whites or colours alongside black.

Watching Tom Segura’s Sledgehammer special on Netflix was a great way to expose this, with vast dark areas and a stack of lighting across the set.

Close ups and the black background just disappears. Really stunning stuff.

Full 144Hz capabilities for gaming make this a winner for gamers, but the strong 4K support across streaming apps means you’re lifting your viewing game no matter the source.

Yes there are “AI” capabilities built in, and you’re guided through them in the setup process. But honestly unless I had two LG OLED G4’s side by side with one having AI enabled and the other disabled I’m not sure I can really say how great it is.

What I can say is that in my time viewing this, primarily Netflix, Stan and MLB content along with some LG Channels – it looked great to me!

The colours are rich, the blacks are pitch dark and there’s no motion blur or artefacts on the screen.

And nor should there be – with an RRP of $4,199 the 55 inch version I’ve been testing is far from cheap. It’s the most expensive 55 incher you can get. Right now as I write this the retail price is more like $3,699 and that’s under what Samsung is charging for their OLED.

Purely on design and suitability for wall mounting I’d favour the LG in that head to head.

Push to 65 inches. and the current price is $4,499 ($5,299 RRP) and the 77 inch is $7,199 ($7,999 RRP).

To date I can’t find any retail availability for the 83 and 97 inch versions of the G4 which would be remarkably high prices, but that 97 would look stunning wall mounted.

Sound is where this unit lets itself down, and while it’s perfectly able to be listened to for sport, movies or gaming – you’re spending thousands on a TV – get a bloody soundbar will you?

UPDATE: Speaking of sound – LG tell me that they have some bundle offers on the LG Online Store but they end on 2nd October 2024: 

  • Save up to $700 when you bundle any 2024 55”+ LG G or C Series OLED or QNED TVs with select matching LG Sound Bars  
  • Save $700 when you bundle any 2024 LG G Series OLED TV and matching G Series Sound Bar
  • Save $500 when you bundle any 2024 55”+ LG C Series OLED TV and matching C Series Sound Bar 
  • Save $300 when you bundle any 2024 55”+ LG QNED TV and matching Q Series Sound Bar

My other observations are that the WebOS home screen (on the LG OLED G4) seems to slowly diminish the size of the streaming apps it has installed. I’d do the opposite and make them more visible – they are the core reason we’re pressing home!

But, that said, they are doing a better job than Hubbl at unlocking the “across platform content” concept with trending content from a range of streaming services showing on the home screen.

The “Sports” hub on the unit is also a feature LG is keen to push. I had a quick look at this at the LG TV launch earlier this year, but this time I had it all setup with my favourites.

The idea here is that sportsfans can have a hub to see their sports scores and find relevant video content with ease.

There will be notifications come up for live events as they happen.

What it lacks though is a real deep integration with the content on my TV! As a Dodgers fan I want to launch the MLB app with game stream or highlights. It does a “bit” of this with Apple TV+ integration, but if you’re going to do something, it has to do it thoroughly.

This is a unique area of development for LG and it puts them ahead of their competitors in many ways.

An area LG is catching up on (quickly) is “FAST” Live TV channels. FAST stands for Free, Ad Supported Television.

Samsung had the jump on this in Australia but LG are rushing up alongside them in what is a long race for the future of how we watch TV.

You can now watch Sky News’ FAST channel on LG “Channels” without subscription, along with a bunch of “Binge” TV channels like “COPS” back to back.

It’s niche right now, but keep an eye on this for the long term.

After 1,200 words, I reflected on last year’s OLED G3 review – and it’s not lost on me that most of what I said then still applies now, just on the 2024 Model.

This is a beautiful picture presented on a stunning TV. Wall mount it – please.

Web: LG, JB HiFi, Harvey Norman

LG supplied the OLED G4 on a short term loan to EFTM for the purposes of this review, and they are a proud supporter of EFTM so we’re able to prioritise this review ahead of others, however that association in no way impacts our editorial views or opinions.  EFTM is proudly and strongly independent in our views an opinions of all brands and products.