The LG B4 OLED impresses with breathtaking picture quality with deep OLED black levels – at an excellent price.
Per
- Slim and sleek design
- Breathtaking OLED black levels
- Excellent reflection management
- Great software features
- Reasonable price (for OLED)
| Buy from | List price | Selling price | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
1396,99 € | 1399,99 € | See it |
While mini-LED and micro-LED displays are getting better and better, OLED TVs are still king when it comes to accurate black levels. LG has been at the forefront of using OLED for some time, offering a range of OLED models at a variety of price points. The LG B4 OLED is the entry-level OLED TV in LG’s 2024 range, and it offers those deep black levels at a much lower price than LG’s top-of-the-range models.
While mini-LED TVs can’t yet achieve the same controlled black levels as OLED TVs, they do have other advantages, such as high brightness. This is an area where OLED TVs have traditionally struggled, although Samsung and LG have radically improved the brightness of their top-of-the-range models in their recent models.
The LG B4 OLED is obviously not LG’s top-of-the-range model. Does it suffer from brightness issues so severe that one should opt for a mini-LED TV like the Hisense U8N or TCL QM8 instead? I’ve been using the LG B4 OLED TV for a while now to find out.
LG B4 OLED Specifications
| Display size | 55, 65, 77 inches |
| resolution | 3840×2160 |
| Display type | OLED |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz |
| Ports | 4 x HDMI 2.1, USB 2.0, optical, Ethernet |
| HDR support | HDR10+, Dolby Vision |
| software | LG WebOS |
| Price | $1,699.99 – $3,399.99 |
Nice design with some functional issues
The LG B4 OLED may not be as incredibly slim as the Samsung S95D, nor as premium as the LG G4 OLED, but it’s still a well-built TV with a fairly modern design.
Unlike some newer TV models, the LG B4 OLED has feet instead of a center-mounted stand, which has become the trend. The feet still look good and were sturdy too. On the 65-inch model I’m testing, they were wide enough to fit a smaller soundbar like the Sonos Beam between them. A wider soundbar, however, will need to be placed in front of the feet.
However, there are a few things I didn’t like about the design of this TV. For example, there is a non-detachable power cable on the back of the TV, which could cause problems if the cable gets damaged. Even on a TV in this price range, a power cable should be removable and replaceable. Additionally, two of the HDMI ports face the back rather than the side, and if you plan on mounting your TV, this could cause problems.
At first glance, the TV looks relatively thin, largely due to the two-tier design. There is a thicker area in the middle of the back where the ports are located as well as the processors and other computer components, but the outside of the TV is nice and thin, which helps make it look a little more impressive than it otherwise would. I generally like this design and think the TV looks premium overall. It’s mostly made of plastic, but that’s to be expected, and it still looks good.
Four HDMI 2.1 ports
The LG B4 OLED has four HDMI ports on the back, and unlike many other options in this price range, all four are HDMI 2.1 ports. This means you can connect your modern consoles to any of the ports and take full advantage of the variable refresh rate technology. One of the ports supports HDMI eARC, and other ports on offer include an optical port and USB ports.
It’s a good choice and everything you will need in 2024.
A remote control with an easy learning curve
The LG B4 OLED comes with LG’s Magic Remote, a remote that I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with. While other TVs ship with remotes that only control software, the Magic Remote still has controls for channels, which you might find to be a good thing. The remote is thicker than most other remotes these days. However, it has larger AA batteries and additional features, like the ability to point to objects on the screen to select them, and there’s also a scroll wheel in the middle of the directional buttons.
The remote has quick access buttons for streaming services, and with this remote you get access to Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and Sling. There’s also a button for LG Channels and Alexa, which is handy if you use Alexa. If you’re like me, you’ll mostly use an Apple TV remote anyway, but most will be able to get used to the LG Magic Remote and how it works.
Decent software and great smart home support
As you’d expect, the LG B4 OLED ships with LG’s WebOS software, which is quite well designed, although many people will prefer Google TV. Still, I don’t mind WebOS, and it supports all of your favorite streaming services. The interface has changed quite a bit in the last few years, and it’s relatively easy to access your favorite streaming services, although the interface does have some annoying ads.
Fortunately, the TV has other smart features that can make it useful for various use cases. It supports Apple’s HomeKit, so you can add it to the Apple Home app and control it from there. It also has AirPlay 2 built in, so you can stream content from your iPhone or other Apple device. Additionally, it supports Alexa and Google Assistant, and even works with Matter.
The software experience on the LG B4 OLED is generally quite good and it supports a solid set of smart features.
Stunning OLED performance and decent brightness
The LG B4 OLED delivers on OLED’s greatest promise – offering infinite, true black levels, which in turn help improve contrast by widening the gap between the deepest blacks and the brightest whites.
But the TV offers more than just deep blacks. OLED panels are criticized for lacking brightness, and the B4 OLED is not immune to that – it doesn’t necessarily offer the brightest picture out there, but it gets reasonably bright in SDR. And there are ways to improve the picture quality so it doesn’t suffer too much from that lack of brightness. For example, the panel can handle reflections pretty well, so bright lights in your room aren’t as distracting as they otherwise would be.
And to be fair, this generation of OLED panels Is brighter than previous models – even the lowest-end OLED TV, the LG B4. This means that images look stunning in dark rooms, but they also look quite good in brighter environments. In HDR, images look beautiful. Aside from the deep black levels, the TV is able to offer relatively vibrant colors overall, although they may not be as impressive as some other non-OLED options in this price range.
The TV was great in other areas too. It handled motion superbly, which made watching the Olympics even more exciting. And there’s very little input lag, so overall gaming is responsive.
The LG B4 OLED represents a solid step up for the B-series. Last year’s B3 was a solid TV, but suffered much more from a lack of brightness and wasn’t as good at dealing with reflections, which essentially meant you had to make bigger compromises when choosing an OLED TV in its price range. This year, that’s more or less been remedied.
Get a soundbar
The LG B4 OLED has two built-in speakers that, while fine in a pinch, are far from full-bodied or offer any depth. They can accentuate dialogue quite well, but there’s not much bass and it’s worth buying a cheaper soundbar to use alongside the TV if possible.
Again, the speakers are fine in a pinch, but investing a little money will help a lot.
Conclusions
The LG B4 OLED is an excellent way to get OLED quality at a low price. The TV isn’t as bright as some of the competition, but that’s relatively easy to make up for. If you want a super-bright TV, you’ll want to look elsewhere, but the B4 OLED is impressive in both dark and well-lit environments. In general, the B4 is the best way to get an OLED TV without paying G4-like prices. As a side note, the B4 is also an excellent TV that doubles as a large computer monitor.
The competition
Perhaps the biggest competition for the LG B4 OLED is the Samsung S90C, which is a bit more expensive than the LG TV. The S90C may be a bit brighter and offers a wider color gamut, but it’s also a bit more expensive. If you can stretch your budget to buy the S90C, it may be worth it, as it’s a better TV overall – but you certainly won’t be disappointed with the LG B4 OLED.
Should I buy the LG B4 OLED?
Yes. You should also consider the Samsung S90C, but the LG B4 OLED is a stunning TV.
