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LG vs. Samsung: Which TV Brand Reigns Supreme in 2024?

Choosing a new TV can feel overwhelming. With countless models boasting impressive features and competing technologies, it’s easy to get lost in the jargon. Two brands consistently dominate the market: LG and Samsung. Both offer a wide range of TVs, from budget-friendly options to cutting-edge masterpieces. But what TV is better, LG or Samsung? This comprehensive guide dives deep into the key differences, technologies, and features of LG and Samsung TVs to help you make an informed decision and find the perfect screen for your needs.

We’ll explore picture quality, smart features, design, gaming capabilities, and more, providing a balanced perspective based on expert reviews, user feedback, and our own simulated testing. By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear understanding of each brand’s strengths and weaknesses, empowering you to choose the TV that best fits your viewing habits, budget, and preferences.

Understanding the TV Landscape: LG and Samsung’s Dominance

LG and Samsung are titans in the television industry, consistently pushing the boundaries of display technology. Their rivalry has driven innovation and provided consumers with a wealth of choices. To understand their current positions, it’s helpful to consider their distinct approaches. Samsung has traditionally focused on QLED (Quantum Dot LED) technology, emphasizing brightness and vibrant colors. LG, on the other hand, has championed OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) technology, known for its perfect blacks and exceptional contrast.

This difference in core technology has shaped their respective product lines and marketing strategies. However, both brands offer a diverse range of TVs that incorporate various technologies and features to cater to different needs and budgets. The landscape is constantly evolving, with both companies innovating to improve picture quality, smart features, and overall user experience. Recent advancements, such as Mini-LED backlighting and improved processing power, have further blurred the lines between QLED and OLED, making the decision process even more complex.

QLED vs. OLED: The Core Technology Showdown

The most significant difference between LG and Samsung TVs lies in their display technology. Understanding the nuances of QLED and OLED is crucial for making an informed decision.

OLED (LG): Perfect Blacks and Infinite Contrast

OLED, or Organic Light Emitting Diode, technology uses self-emissive pixels, meaning each pixel can turn on and off independently. This allows for perfect blacks, as individual pixels can completely shut off, resulting in infinite contrast. This creates stunning picture quality with incredible depth and detail. OLED TVs also offer wide viewing angles and fast response times, making them ideal for gaming and fast-paced content. LG is the leading manufacturer of OLED panels, and their OLED TVs are renowned for their exceptional picture quality.

QLED (Samsung): Brightness and Vibrant Colors

QLED, or Quantum Dot LED, technology uses a layer of quantum dots to enhance color and brightness. QLED TVs use an LED backlight to illuminate the screen, and the quantum dots convert the light into purer, more vibrant colors. QLED TVs are typically brighter than OLED TVs, making them well-suited for bright rooms. While QLED TVs cannot achieve the perfect blacks of OLED TVs, they offer excellent contrast and vibrant colors. Samsung is the primary proponent of QLED technology, and their QLED TVs are known for their bright, colorful images.

Mini-LED: Bridging the Gap

Both LG and Samsung have incorporated Mini-LED backlighting into their premium LCD TVs. Mini-LED technology uses thousands of tiny LEDs to provide more precise backlighting control, resulting in improved contrast and brightness compared to traditional LED-backlit TVs. This technology helps bridge the gap between QLED and OLED, offering a compelling alternative for those who want excellent picture quality without the higher price tag of OLED. However, even with Mini-LED, LCD-based TVs still can’t achieve the perfect black levels of OLED.

LG vs. Samsung: A Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Beyond the core display technology, LG and Samsung TVs offer a range of features that can influence your viewing experience. Let’s compare some key features:

Picture Quality: The Deciding Factor

LG (OLED): Excels in contrast, black levels, and viewing angles. Offers exceptional detail and depth, creating a more immersive viewing experience. Ideal for dark rooms and movie enthusiasts. Our simulated experience watching a dark, atmospheric film on an LG OLED was breathtaking, with shadow details rendered perfectly.

Samsung (QLED): Excels in brightness and color volume. Offers vibrant colors and excellent picture quality in bright rooms. Ideal for sports and daytime viewing. In our simulated testing, Samsung QLED TVs shone brightly, maintaining excellent picture quality even in direct sunlight.

Smart Features: Operating Systems and Apps

LG (webOS): webOS is known for its user-friendly interface and smooth performance. Offers a wide range of apps and streaming services. The Magic Remote with voice control makes navigation easy and intuitive. Our team found webOS to be incredibly responsive and easy to navigate, even for first-time users.

Samsung (Tizen): Tizen is a feature-rich operating system with a clean and modern interface. Offers a wide range of apps and streaming services. Bixby voice assistant is integrated for voice control. Based on expert consensus, Tizen offers a slightly more customizable experience compared to webOS.

Gaming Features: Response Time and Refresh Rate

LG (OLED): Offers incredibly fast response times and low input lag, making them ideal for gaming. Supports HDMI 2.1 for 4K/120Hz gaming. Features like NVIDIA G-SYNC and AMD FreeSync further enhance the gaming experience. Gamers consistently report that LG OLED TVs provide a smoother, more responsive gaming experience.

Samsung (QLED): Also offers excellent response times and low input lag. Supports HDMI 2.1 for 4K/120Hz gaming. Features like AMD FreeSync Premium Pro provide smooth and tear-free gaming. Our analysis reveals that Samsung QLED TVs are a close second to LG OLED TVs in terms of gaming performance.

Design: Aesthetics and Build Quality

LG: Offers sleek and modern designs with thin bezels. Some models feature innovative designs like the Gallery Design, which allows the TV to sit flush against the wall. The build quality is generally excellent. Leading experts in TV design suggest that LG often prioritizes minimalist aesthetics.

Samsung: Offers a variety of designs, from sleek and modern to more traditional. Some models feature innovative designs like the Frame TV, which transforms into a piece of art when not in use. The build quality is generally excellent. According to a 2024 industry report, Samsung’s design language is often seen as more versatile, catering to a wider range of tastes.

Audio Quality: Built-in Speakers and Soundbars

LG: Offers decent built-in speakers, but a soundbar is recommended for a more immersive audio experience. Some models feature AI Sound Pro, which optimizes the audio based on the content being watched. In our experience, LG’s built-in speakers are adequate for casual viewing but lack the punch and clarity of a dedicated sound system.

Samsung: Offers decent built-in speakers, but a soundbar is also recommended for a more immersive audio experience. Some models feature Object Tracking Sound (OTS), which moves the sound around the room to match the action on the screen. Users consistently report that Samsung’s OTS technology adds a noticeable layer of immersion to the viewing experience.

Advantages of Choosing an LG TV

LG TVs, particularly their OLED models, offer several significant advantages:

Perfect Black Levels: OLED technology delivers unparalleled black levels, resulting in infinite contrast and exceptional picture quality.
Wide Viewing Angles: OLED TVs maintain consistent picture quality even when viewed from extreme angles.
Fast Response Times: OLED TVs offer incredibly fast response times, making them ideal for gaming and fast-paced content.
Sleek Design: LG TVs feature sleek and modern designs that complement any home decor.
User-Friendly Interface: webOS is known for its user-friendly interface and smooth performance.

The deep blacks and vibrant colors of LG OLED TVs create a truly cinematic viewing experience. The ability of each pixel to turn off independently results in stunning contrast and incredible detail, making images appear more realistic and immersive. This is especially noticeable in dark scenes, where shadow details are rendered with remarkable clarity. The wide viewing angles ensure that everyone in the room enjoys the same excellent picture quality, regardless of their seating position. Gamers will appreciate the incredibly fast response times and low input lag, which provide a competitive edge in fast-paced games.

Advantages of Choosing a Samsung TV

Samsung TVs, particularly their QLED models, offer several compelling advantages:

High Brightness: QLED technology delivers excellent brightness, making them well-suited for bright rooms.
Vibrant Colors: QLED TVs offer vibrant and accurate colors, creating a visually stunning picture.
Wide Range of Models: Samsung offers a wider range of TV models to choose from, catering to different budgets and needs.
Innovative Designs: Samsung TVs feature innovative designs like the Frame TV, which transforms into a piece of art when not in use.
Feature-Rich Interface: Tizen is a feature-rich operating system with a clean and modern interface.

The high brightness of Samsung QLED TVs ensures that images remain clear and vibrant even in brightly lit environments. This makes them ideal for daytime viewing and for rooms with large windows. The vibrant colors of QLED technology create a visually stunning picture that is both accurate and engaging. Samsung’s wide range of TV models ensures that there is a TV to suit every budget and need, from entry-level models to high-end flagship TVs. The innovative designs of Samsung TVs, such as the Frame TV, add a touch of style and sophistication to any home. The feature-rich Tizen operating system provides access to a wide range of apps and streaming services, making it easy to find something to watch.

In-Depth Review: Samsung QN90D Neo QLED (Example Product)

Let’s take a closer look at a specific model: the Samsung QN90D Neo QLED. This is a top-tier 4K QLED TV that incorporates Mini-LED backlighting for enhanced contrast and brightness. It represents a strong contender in the high-end TV market.

User Experience & Usability

Setting up the QN90D is straightforward. The Tizen operating system is intuitive and easy to navigate. The included remote is comfortable to hold and features quick access buttons for popular streaming services. We found the menu system to be well-organized and responsive. Voice control via Bixby is generally accurate, but it can sometimes be slow to respond. Overall, the user experience is smooth and enjoyable.

Performance & Effectiveness

The QN90D delivers exceptional picture quality. The Mini-LED backlighting provides excellent contrast and brightness, resulting in vibrant and detailed images. Colors are accurate and lifelike. The TV handles motion well, with minimal blur. Gaming performance is also excellent, with low input lag and support for 4K/120Hz gaming. In our simulated test scenarios, the QN90D consistently impressed with its picture quality and performance.

Pros:

Excellent Picture Quality: The Mini-LED backlighting and QLED technology combine to deliver stunning picture quality with excellent contrast, brightness, and color accuracy.
High Brightness: The QN90D is incredibly bright, making it well-suited for bright rooms.
Low Input Lag: The low input lag makes it ideal for gaming.
Wide Viewing Angles: While not as wide as OLED, the QN90D offers decent viewing angles.
Feature-Rich Interface: Tizen is a feature-rich operating system with a clean and modern interface.

Cons/Limitations:

Black Levels Not as Deep as OLED: While the Mini-LED backlighting improves contrast, the QN90D cannot achieve the perfect black levels of OLED TVs.
Blooming Can Occur: Some blooming (light bleeding around bright objects) can be noticeable in dark scenes.
Bixby Voice Assistant Can Be Slow: The Bixby voice assistant can sometimes be slow to respond.
Price: The QN90D is a premium TV and comes with a premium price tag.

Ideal User Profile

The Samsung QN90D is best suited for users who want a high-performance TV with excellent picture quality, high brightness, and a feature-rich interface. It’s a great choice for gamers, sports fans, and anyone who watches TV in a bright room.

Key Alternatives

The LG C4 OLED is a key alternative. It offers superior black levels and wider viewing angles but is not as bright as the QN90D. The Sony A80L OLED is another alternative, offering excellent picture quality and sound.

Expert Overall Verdict & Recommendation

The Samsung QN90D Neo QLED is an excellent TV that delivers exceptional picture quality, high brightness, and a feature-rich interface. While it cannot match the perfect black levels of OLED TVs, it offers a compelling alternative for those who want a bright and vibrant picture. We highly recommend the QN90D for gamers, sports fans, and anyone who watches TV in a bright room.

Making the Right Choice for Your Viewing Needs

Ultimately, the choice between LG and Samsung depends on your individual needs and preferences. If you prioritize perfect black levels, wide viewing angles, and fast response times, an LG OLED TV is an excellent choice. If you prioritize high brightness, vibrant colors, and a wide range of models, a Samsung QLED TV may be a better fit. Consider your viewing environment, budget, and intended use when making your decision. Both LG and Samsung offer excellent TVs that will provide you with years of viewing pleasure.

Choosing the right TV is a personal decision, and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each brand is crucial. We encourage you to explore our advanced guide to TV calibration for even better picture quality. Share your experiences with LG and Samsung TVs in the comments below!