It wasn’t that long ago that OLED TV prices were so high, only those with a lot of disposable income could justify owning one. Now, with the official availability of LG’s new 2021 A1 Series OLED TVs, you can buy one for as little as $1,300 for the entry-level 48-inch model.
Before today, there was a lot of speculation over how much LG would charge for its A1 Series, given that Vizio’s OLED TVs (which use OLED panels from LG Display) are already very aggressively priced. But we now know that Vizio gets to retain its title of most affordable 55-inch OLED TV: Its 55-inch OLED model sells for $1,300 — the same price as a 48-inch LG A1 Series, and $300 less than the 55-inch A1 Series model.
LG has announced pricing and availability for all of its 2021 OLED TV models, and promises that it will follow up with its QNED Mini-LED TV prices in April. We’ll update this post when that happens.
2021 LG A1 Series OLED TVs
LG’s new A1 Series might be its most affordably priced OLED TVs, but these models aren’t short on features. They have LG’s Alpha 7 Gen 4 AI Processor, which automatically optimizes picture and sound settings while also handling the upscaling of lower-resolution material to 4K. LG’s “Cinema HDR” means you get support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG HDR formats, while Filmmaker Mode gives you one-button access to the settings that ensure movies look exactly as intended — free of the dreaded soap opera effect.
Speaking of HDR, the A1 is equipped with Dolby Vision IQ, which uses the TV’s onboard light sensor to automatically adjust picture settings according to the amount of ambient light in your room — even if that light changes while you’re watching TV. A 20-watt, two-speaker sound system is built-in and has support for Dolby Atmos.
While the A1 Series doesn’t feature full support for the newest HDMI 2.1 standard (presumably part of the reason why it’s so affordable), there are still some advanced HDMI features like HDMI eARC, for support of lossless hi-res audio, plus auto low-latency mode (ALLM) and HGiG — both of which will enhance gaming on the A1. LG also includes its Game Optimizer, giving you easy access to all gaming-related settings. If gaming is a high-priority activity, you may want to check out the LG C1 or G1 OLED models, as these have the full complement of HDMI 2.1 features, as well as additional gaming-oriented technologies.
LG’s latest version of WebOS powers the smart TV experience and is bolstered by a variety of connected technologies like Apple’s AirPlay 2 and HomeKit, plus there’s built-in support for both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa voice assistants.
- 77-inch OLED77A1PUA: $3,200, available June 2021
- 65-inch OLED65A1PUA: $2,200, available April 2021
- 55-inch OLED55A1PUA: $1,600, available April 2021
- 48-inch OLED48A1PUA: $1,300, available June 2021
2021 LG C1 Series OLED TV
The C1 Series for 2021 will likely remain LG’s most popular OLED model, thanks to its combination of accessible prices and comprehensive features. The C1 gets LG’s latest processor, the Alpha 9 Gen 4 AI processor for audio and video, and uses a native 120Hz OLED panel.
With the addition of four HDMI 2.1 ports, the C1 is a gamer’s dream. There’s also a host of gaming-oriented features like variable refresh rate (VRR), ALLM, HGiG, and 4K gaming at 120Hz. LG has also added support for Nvidia’s G-Sync and AMD’s FreeSync Premium VRR technologies, making the C1 a great companion for console and PC gamers alike. It has LG’s Game Optimizer console for fast access to the most common game settings.
There’s also a huge range of supported video and audio formats, like Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Atmos. With HDMI eARC, you can pass lossless, hi-res audio formats like Dolby TrueHD to a compatible soundbar or A/V receiver using a single cable. Speaking of audio, the C1 is WiSA-Ready, which means that with an optional USB dongle, you can send lossless 5.1 hi-res audio wirelessly to compatible WiSA-enabled speakers — no A/V receiver needed.
We’ve previously reviewed LG’s CX Series OLED, and if the C1 performs as well as we expect, it should be an awesome OLED TV.
- 83-inch OLED83C1PUA: $6,000, available May 2021
- 77-inch OLED77C1PUB: $3,800, available March 2021
- 65-inch OLED65C1PUB: $2,500, available March 2021
- 55-inch OLED55C1PUB: $1,800, available March 2021
- 48-inch OLED48C1PUB: $1,500, available April 2021
2021 LG G1 Series OLED Evo TV
While the LG A1 and C1 Series OLED TVs are going to be a great choice for those who want the many benefits of an OLED TV, the G1 Gallery Series gets LG’s newest OLED panel — the OLED Evo — which promises better brightness and color than past OLED panels. In fact, Digital Trends has already had the opportunity to review the G1 and the jury is in: It’s the finest OLED TV LG has ever made.
The G1 has been designed to hang flush to your wall. In fact, this so central to the G1’s design, LG doesn’t even ship these TVs with a traditional stand — you’ll have to buy one separately if you need it.
The G1 packs all of the features of the C1 Series, plus it’s the only non-8K model to come equipped with a NextGen TV tuner, giving you access to ATSC 3.0 TV stations as they become available in your area, without the need for an external set-top box.
- 77-inch OLED77G1PUA: $4,500, available March 2021
- 65-inch OLED65G1PUA: $3,000, available March 2021
- 55-inch OLED55G1PUA: $2,200, available April 2021
