OLED TVs have come a long way from its premium beginnings, and have now found their way into more homes all around the world. Where quality is concerned, OLED (organic light-emitting diode) TVs are king, and LG is arguably the best in the business at it.

While most of us are familiar with the consumer electronics products of LG (or Lucky-Goldstar, as it used to be known), it is important to note that the Korean corporation arms in various industries. They span from chemicals to telecommunications, and even power generation. R&D is the basis of what LG does, and is what makes them thrive.

Recently, we took a trip to the LG Digital Park in Pyeongtaek to learn more about the R&D and manufacturing processes that go into their OLED TVs. Apart from the sophisticated technology used to create and test these TVs, the level of dedication the engineers display isn’t unlike an artisan working on his craft.

Alpha – 9

One of the first things the engineers at Pyeongtaek spoke to us about was the all-new, top-of-the-line Alpha 9 processor. After two years of R&D, this intelligent processor marks the pinnacle of LG’s vision to create the best picture quality for consumers. It is able to do so through automatic image analysis.

The Alpha 9 is also capable of augmenting colour performance, which basically allows it to make colours look close to the original content. LG has ensured that this processor will support high frame rates, producing clearer motion images at 120 frames per second. Watching your favourite sports or action movies will be a new an improved experience. This technology will be available in the 2018 LG OLED TV models, including the W8, featured above and to the right.

ThinQ AI

Another major development for LG’s TVs this year is AI, or Artificial Intelligence. Smart TVs have become a norm, and to ensure it continues to push boundaries, the Korean corporation has put a lot of focus on developing ThinQ AI. On top of easy access to apps such as Netflix, YouTube and Toggle, users will now be able to utilise intelligent voice-activated control.
Say you want to watch a certain show on a streaming service, or you want to change the picture mode without having to manually navigate the interface, all you have to do is speak into the remote control.

This features may be familiar to some of you who already have Google Assistant running, but LG contends that ThinQ AI is meant to be integrated with the Google software. While LG’s new TVs come Google Assistant-ready, Google hasn’t made this function available for TVs in Singapore yet. Still, this is an exciting development because when it is available, it’ll allow your TV to control other connected IoT (Internet of Things) devices in your home.