Choosing Between LG's Giant TVs: OLED vs LED in 2024

When it comes to creating a theater-like experience at home, few things can compete with a massive TV approaching 100 inches. Today, we're comparing two of LG's flagship offerings in this space: the premium LG 97" G2 Series OLED evo 4K UHD Smart TV ($14,999) and the more affordable LG 98" Class UT90 Series 4K UHD Smart TV ($2,499). Let's dive into what makes each unique and help you decide which might be right for your setup.

Understanding the Technology

The fundamental difference between these TVs lies in how they create images. The OLED G2 uses organic light-emitting diodes (OLED), where each pixel creates its own light and can turn completely off. Think of it like millions of tiny lightbulbs that can each be controlled independently. The UT90, on the other hand, uses traditional LED technology with a backlight shining through LCD pixels - similar to having a bright light behind a filter that creates the image.

This technological difference leads to some key performance variations:

Picture Quality

OLED technology excels at producing perfect blacks because each pixel can completely turn off. When watching space scenes or dark movies, this creates an incredibly realistic image with infinite contrast. The G2's OLED evo panel also introduces brightness improvements over previous OLED generations, addressing one of OLED's historical weaknesses.

The UT90 can actually get brighter overall, which makes it excellent for well-lit rooms. However, it can't match OLED's contrast or color accuracy. When watching dark scenes, you might notice some light bleeding around bright objects (called blooming) - something you'll never see on an OLED.

Gaming Performance

For gamers, both TVs offer 120Hz refresh rates (meaning they can show up to 120 frames per second), but there are important differences. The G2 includes NVIDIA G-SYNC and FreeSync Premium support, technologies that prevent screen tearing and provide smoother gameplay. It also has an incredibly fast response time of less than 1 millisecond, meaning no motion blur in fast-moving scenes.

The UT90 still performs well for gaming with basic Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support and good input lag, but it won't match the G2's gaming excellence. For casual gamers, this difference might not matter much, but competitive players will notice.

Value Proposition and Real-World Use

Here's where things get interesting - the price difference between these TVs is substantial. The G2 OLED costs about six times more than the UT90. Is it six times better? Not exactly, but that's not really the right question to ask.

When the G2 OLED Makes Sense

If you're building a dedicated home theater room where you can control the lighting and want the absolute best picture quality possible, the G2 OLED is worth considering. Its perfect blacks and superior contrast create an unmatched movie-watching experience, especially with 4K HDR content. Having tested many TVs in home theater environments, I can say the difference is immediately noticeable, particularly during dark scenes or when watching films with lots of shadow detail.

When the UT90 Makes More Sense

For bright living rooms, sports watching, or general TV viewing, the UT90 offers tremendous value. Its higher brightness helps combat glare, and the picture quality is still excellent by any reasonable standard. In my experience testing TVs in bright rooms, LED TVs like the UT90 often perform better than OLEDs during daytime viewing.

Room Considerations

Your viewing environment should heavily influence your choice:

Dedicated Home Theater

For a proper home theater setup, the G2 OLED is the clear winner. Its perfect blacks and superior contrast ratio create a more immersive experience, especially in a dark room. The better processing also handles compression artifacts better, making streaming content look cleaner.

Living Room or Bright Space

The UT90 might actually be preferable here. Its higher brightness helps overcome ambient light, and the LED technology isn't susceptible to glare in the same way as OLED. Plus, you don't have to worry about burn-in with static images like news tickers or game HUDs.

Recent Technology Improvements

Both TVs are part of LG's 2024 lineup, incorporating their latest advances:

The G2 OLED features:

• OLED evo technology with increased brightness
• Latest α9 Gen 5 AI Processor
• Enhanced gaming features
• Improved heat dissipation to prevent burn-in

The UT90 includes:

• Updated α8 AI Processor
• Improved motion handling
• Better smart TV features
• Enhanced gaming mode

Making Your Decision

Consider these key factors when choosing between the LG 97" G2 OLED and LG 98" UT90:

Budget

If budget is a major consideration, the UT90 represents excellent value. The money saved could go toward a quality sound system or room treatments.

Primary Use

• Movies and cinematic content → G2 OLED
• Sports and daytime TV → UT90
• Gaming → G2 OLED (if budget allows)
• Mixed use → Consider room lighting first

Viewing Environment

• Controlled lighting → G2 OLED
• Bright room → UT90
• Variable lighting → Depends on primary viewing time

Final Thoughts

Both TVs represent impressive technology in their respective categories. The G2 OLED is the superior technical performer, offering the best picture quality possible in a controlled environment. The UT90 delivers exceptional value and better bright-room performance at a fraction of the cost.

For most buyers, the UT90 will provide more than enough quality while leaving budget for other home theater components. However, if you're building a premium home theater and want the absolute best picture quality available, the G2 OLED's perfect blacks and superior contrast make it worth the premium price.

Remember that either TV will provide an impressive large-format viewing experience - the key is matching the technology to your specific needs and environment.

LG 97" G2 Series OLED evo 4K UHD Smart TV Deals and Prices

LG 98" Class UT90 Series 4K UHD Smart TV 2024 Deals and Prices